Re: [Marxism] If the going gets tougher...

["Jurriaan Bendien" <andromeda246@xxxxxxxxx>]

> After undergrad I went through a depression; a good friend gave me some
> great advice: he said: "R., you're not THAT important." He went on to
> explain about the cosmos and the entire universe and how I'm just a small
> portion of a giant mystery. I was trying to save the world before sundown
> (on a daily basis), however, once I committed "egocide" (which is still
not
> completely done) I became a much happier person. But I can totally relate
to
> your posting.
>
> Technology, especially in place of direct friendship, can be very
> unrewarding. They say that revolutionaries and dictators both have
> meglomaniac tendencies for one simple reason: we all want extra friends...

That problem arose for me already before I went to university. I've just
been reading as a check in Eric Schneider's succinct analysis of the meaning
of spirituality, where he discusses the links between ego, fear, clinging to
the past, freedom and spirituality. I wrote a lot of stuff again, but best
to stop that. Point is, that to let go of an ego, we must have one, and we
must have one to defend outselves against attack. Deflated ego's may need to
be reflated, as well as inflated ego's needing to be deflated. Essentially
what "therapy culture" in the critical sense of the word boils down to, is
the power-manipulation of people's spirituality, i.e. the continuation of
the search for vulnerabilities in the deepest reaches of human
consciousness, to assert power and exploit, and through misrepresenting what
people's strengths and weaknesses really are. When I was trade union
delegate, a trade union organiser said to me once, "change is good", which
is an inanity, and just so saying "we have to be strong" is an inanity
without specification of the ways we need to be strong. I've never been more
hurt than by people who projected their own psychopathology on to me, and
the processes are so subtle, that often you don't know that you've been had
until much later. Which is just to say, that you can't be friends with
everybody, and some people are best avoided.

Pitter-patter pitter-patter ....
Pitter-patter pitter-patter ....

One drop of rain on your window pane
Doesn't mean to say there's a thunderstorm comin'
Rain may pour, for an hour or more
But it doesn't matter, you know it doesn't matter

One gentle breeze, blowin' softly through the trees
Doesn't mean to say there's a hurricane hummin'
Don't go running, ev'ry time you hear it coming
It doesn't matter, you know it doesn't matter

One little word, that you may have overheard
Doesn't mean to say that my love for you is dyin'
Don't go cryin' over second hand lyin'
'Cos it doesn't matter, you know it doesn't matter

It's a storm in a teacup
Brewing up double all those tiny little troubles
A storm in a teacup
It really doesn't matter
If it pitter-pitter-patters all the day

Pidder-padder pidder-padder ....
It doesn't matter, no no it doesn't matter

One little word that you may have overheard
Doesn't mean to say that my love for you is dyin'
So don't start cryin', over second hand lyin'
'Cos it doesn't matter, you know it doesn't matter

- Lynsey de Paul, "Storm in a Teacup"

"I'm convinced we won desert storm so fast because the Muslim leadership of
Saudi Arabia wouldn't let the US troops drink beer. Hannibal used to get his
troops drunk so they'd be brave enough to fight. Schwartzkopf told 'em
"let's kick some ass and go home so we can drink like soldiers again!"" -
Joe
Godfrey http://www.avweb.com/news/places/183124-1.html





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