Why I am not a socialist

[alias_sqbr]

Reading She Who Stumbles (which is from everything I've seen is hands down the best blog ever for anyone interested in race and feminism in australia) for my last post, I came across this post :Why I’m not a socialist (any more) - Part 1 (afaict she never got around to part 2. I know what that's like)

And boy could I relate to it. My experience is a bit different, since I was born into a socialist (and semi-socialist) family and have never been really actively engaged as any sort of activist but still. I must print out a copy for my mum (my grandma and dad are rather didactically socialist, it can get a bit oppressive)

EDIT: Flying Blogspot points out that not all socialists are like this, which is true.

Comments

[flyingblogspot.livejournal.com]

I certainly relate to the issues she brings up - they bring back some memories from my time in student politics and student activism.

On the other hand I have some real issues with the implication that socialism only comes in one flavour, and the prescriptive wording around what 'socialists do' or 'socialists don't'. As someone who is happy to accept the label of 'socialist', I take issue with the idea that the problematic organisational/communication strategies the she addresses are a necessary component of socialism.

I suppose it goes back to the same discussion we had a while back about there being 'feminism' and 'my feminism'. I have my problems with the ways in which substantial parts of the left function, and tend to think their values in this respect don't have a place in 'my socialism'.

[alias_sqbr]

That's a very good point, and it is like the feminism thing: if your primary encounter with people who self identify with a particular philosophy is negative, and those people claim to be the One True Way to follow that philosophy, then you are going to be put off really strongly, even if there are actually lots of different ways to follow that philosophy, some of which you'd like.

Currently I'm kind of nibbling at the edges of activism, at every step reassuring myself that I haven't turned into my father/grandparents, so it's possible that at the end of this process I'll be comfortable with the term "socialist" in the same way I am now with "feminist".

[zharradan.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link, it was more interesting than I thought it would be.

[alias_sqbr]

As if anything I link to would be anything other than deeply fascinating! :)

[seaya.livejournal.com]

I love her mind. I would just love to read everything she writes. Heh.

[alias_sqbr]

And she's australian! I mean, I can think of a total of one other blog which regularly deals with race in australia at all (not counting random people's personal ljs)

[aquaplanage.livejournal.com]

One of my friends says: "It's not a party if we can't dance". I don't think it's original, but it's very apposite for many of the lefties I know, they're as stern as the right-wing fundies and about as open minded.

[alias_sqbr]

I remember on the Alexei Sayle show he was talking about communist stand-up, where after every joke there's a pause as everyone decides if they're allowed to laugh :)