Over the course of this pandemic, people got more time to finally catch up on news and even re-organize social movements. People also got caught up by the constant injustices and the misleading trajectory disguised as a puppet show full of world leaders pointing hands on each other. This, for most people who want more progressive and tangible changes, was not enough. In some cases, like mine, people were starting to inform themselves on how to be intersectional in terms of advocating progressiveness across issues. But more than that, like my case, people would finally saw flaws the self-proclaimed leftists have when they're describing their positions and views towards injustices around the globe.
Taking a classic example is how, like I was, people are always pointing out why socialism is great, under certain circumstances and conditions as what they describe "social democrat". This term gets more popular as more "progressive" congress members in the US openly declared themselves as one. But this is just not any different than any other self-proclaimed progressive that would lose its leg if it was in third world countries/global south like mine. First, it is signifying that socialism is inherently undemocratic although in fact it is the only system that is willing to involve working class in politics beyond just casting votes. The idea that we need to look up to Nordic countries or any country that has a basic healthcare system to know what good governance is like ignoring the idea of their contributions in imperialism and continuous oppression towards Africa, Latin America, and Asia. This, by any means, is not progressive. The idea that the term "progressive" shaped in such way based on how western society perceive it tells us enough that this is biased and does not provide any consideration whatsoever on how we experience and overcome our constant struggle as people from global south. Of course this is not even mentioning the fact that these so-called progressives are willing to negotiate, cooperate, and even further to defend the liberals as they are part of the system. Take a look on how these people, despites their endless condemnation towards the injustice, doesn't even bother to show consistency in issues that doesn't even need any contextualization whatsoever. The US congress members, who openly associate with social democrat, are so soft toward sanctioning Israel, despites its endless war crimes and the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. That is, not to mention, how all of them participate in sanctioning countries like Iran, DPRK, or Cuba, which not only further harm innocent civilians, but also show the exact hypocrisy of how they act the way the liberals would act. The exact same thing is how the liberals, and of course the ones that labeled themselves as progressives, will always look like the champion of human rights. The same institutions allow people getting murdered in broad day by law enforcements, and somehow still get funded and supported. The same people will talk about how their immigrant parents raise them, but doesn't do anything when children separated from their parents, cramped in cages at the border. These people, and the ideology behind them, should not be your moral compass.
But then, it was all talking about bigger picture, especially for me, a young man from global south, or most white people would refer to as third world country. In this part of the world, most people don't even care about Brexit, or even about the US election. But that doesn't mean that looking my surroundings from my perspectives, as comfortable as I am sleeping in my own room, will bring different results of radicalization than if I might be from some place in Europe. This is all the same, we live in rougher and tougher world day by day. Maybe there's gonna be a point where not a single working person here in my country will be able to tell what is going on out there, but they'll know the fact that their lives are getting harder everyday. They live through it, they know it best. The rent is rising, food price is as high as ever, wages can't even cover their montly budget, they can't even go to the hospitals without thinking about it after god knows how many times, this is systemic, and it's not unique to any specific working class in any specific region or country. We don't even talk about people who lost their land to mining company, resisting by peacefully protesting only to be harassed by the same officers who promise them security and safety. These are the people who are betrayed by their country, the only institution that they think they can trust. We don't even talk about children who are the victims of child and human trafficking, or "working" in some palm oil plantations before the oil get exported to Europe or Japan or any "developed" countries, not realizing that that would be their future. We talk about development without even thinking that what we consider as something microcosm is actually a more common and larger issue under the system that was designed in favor of CEO and politicians over the working class people. We don't even talk about overworked labor, years after years asking for better working environment, only to be downplayed and dismissed by the government who shamelessly take the sides of some ice cram company. It is not exclusive to any specific issues. But, unfortunately just like any other exploited people, most of us don't even realize it. We're too brainwashed by the system that makes us think hardwork is the only thing that matters.
This is all the same, whether you're talking about the hypocrisy of some politicians from across the ocean that causes suffering and bombardment in the other part of the world, or even when you're talking about the next door street vendor who decided to close their shop because they can't sustain the production any longer. This is the same thing when you're talking about politicians hoarding wealth and profiting off of global pandemic, ignoring the even deeper inequality of wealth distributions, the system was designed to be like this. These are the same people that promised you that they will dedicate their lives for the betterment of your future. These are the same people that sold promises after promises of improving working class living conditions. The root cause is all the same, capitalism, which can only sustain its power through imperialism, both are feeding each other. But you'll see, just like how the some liberals and other progressives put their mask on to cover up their true identity, they will put label as if this wasn't designed to fail in the first place. Adding crony doesn't explain the ongoing suffering of working people, because it is indicating there's a level of a less horrible state. It is not a spectrum. It was designed to fail for working people. It is not in favor of me, you, and the rest of ordinary working class people. This will only lead you to be even more radicalized.
It is shameful, I must say, that I once was a part of them. But then, without this path I wouldn't find my way to socialism/communism. But again, it is still a long journey for me. I'm new, both in learning and practicing this ideology. I'm new, in a way of reshaping my view, my privilege of knowledge, of access, and my ignorance in the past will always be one of the reasons why I believe this will bring even better understanding how I get here. It's been short, but meaningful and full of knowledge knowing there's a better way, a better future.
Lal salam.
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