this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2024
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A Boring Dystopia

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What can we do to fix our boring dystopia? (lemm.ee)
submitted 1 week ago by WeUnite@lemm.ee to c/aboringdystopia@lemmy.world
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I'm very curious to hear your thoughts on this topic. What can we do to fix this? If you've already tried something what were your results? What worked and what do you think could be done better?

My thoughts on this are that we keep electing politicians who support billionaires and elite instead of ordinary people like you and me. In addition people are loosing a sense of community and are isolated at home. I think these two things can be fixed simultaneously by getting out and talking about class and corrupt politicians in person and having mutual support networks.

These corrupt politicians typically get elected by exploiting people's fears and biases. For example a corrupt politician might blame your problems on immigrants or minorities. Meanwhile people won't notice that they are being robbed by the billionaires.

I read interviews of people who used to be part of hate groups. The consistent theme I noticed is that they had past traumas and issues which draw them towards hateful ideologies. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/12/opinions/former-white-supremacist-how-to-tackle-hate-buckley/index.html

When talking to people it's important to listen and respect them first before you say your points. This article has a good technique for talking with people: https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-to-change-a-voters-mind-is-deep-canvassing/ I've been using myself and I can vouch for it.

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[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 23 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Quite simply, we need a financial revolution. If a company pisses me off, I stop shopping there. Even if it hinders me in the long run.

There is a local grocery store chain in the Cleveland area called Marcs. It's a low budget store. The running joke is that Marc Glassman is selling stolen/counterfeit goods, due to how cheap they are, and how fast they break/rot.

Everyone in my family agrees that I should shop there. It would probably benefit my wallet to shop there.

But in 2003, Marc Glassman was doing a store inspection before I even started my shift. They had NOBODY scheduled in my department before 4pm. They blamed me for why the shelves looked so bad, because I closed the night before, nobody worked the morning shift, and now here I am at 3:45pm, shelfs are a mess, CEO is asking questions, store manager blames me, and I get fired before I even got to the employee area to clock in.

Still to this day, I say that was bullshit. I refuse to shop at a place that took a paycheck away from me whdn I was like 20 years old, living in my first apartment, and needed money the most. They hurt me when I was vunerable. I'd shopped at Marcs since I was a kid. I'd still be shopping there now. Instead, I've never given them a dime since that day.

Here's the thing about people. They have no principals. They will not do whats right if it hurts them. Nestle uses literal slave labor, but here they are, a huge company with so many brands it's hard to keep track. If EVERYONE stopped buying nestle products, nestle couldn't use slave labor because they wouldn't exist.

But that's not gonna happen, because some people just need those cookies, and hot pockets, and a bunch of other unhealthy products that continue to keep us in a disposable human life cycle. Nobody wants to take responsibility. Everyone just wants fast cheap things. Because nobody has any principals anymore. So CEOs will continue to get rich. Enjoy your hot pockets, fuckers.

[–] Dungrad@feddit.org 15 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Oh boy is that my passion topic. You know why this doesn't work? Because you as a freaking consumer are not responsible! It's just capitalism that indoctrinates this BS into all of us.

You can't check the ethics of every service and product you consume. Nestlé is actually a good example. Yeah they suck. But so does every other nutrition mega corp. Don't believe me? Check out how ethical "Danone" and "Kelloggs" is. Now go grocery shopping and avoid these three companies. Good luck.

It should not be the responsibility of the consumer to ensure that a company does not kill infants, fuel war, engage in slavery etc.

Just think about what you have bought recently. Did you double check the supply chain? Do you really know the ecological food print? Do you know where this stuff has been produced? Which workers, factories, and other entities have been exploited to make these? The scissors that your hair dressers use are most likely unethical.

They play you, because as long as you think "man I'm not the problem, they are" you will never realize that you have to look up to spot the asshole.

Edit: the responsibility of the customer is more like "what contains less sugar," "what tastes better," "what is of better value," "what is produced more locally" etc. Not literally "are they killing babies," "do they engage in genocide" etc.

[–] Dungrad@feddit.org 8 points 6 days ago

Companies that are equally rated as bad as Nestlé contain:

  • Amazon
  • Dr. Oetker
  • Billabong
  • Beyond Meat
  • Mattel
  • Google
  • Jack Wolfskin

Among thousands of others.

[–] Jackhammer_Joe@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

Enjoy your hot pockets, fuckers.

Beautiful. Truly poetic.

[–] Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

General strike. Mutual aid networks. Community defense.

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Take up the soap box. When that doesn't work, take up the ballot box. When that doesn't work, take up the jury box. When that doesn't work, all that's left is the ammo box.

The fact that the president elected is a felonious rapist tells you where we are

[–] FMT99@lemmy.world 0 points 6 days ago

I think we have more than enough soap boxes already. Preaching at people doesn't work. And violent revolution tends to put the next dictator in charge in the end. The biggest problem we have is the media both foreign and domestic benefits from playing us against each other. And we gleefully jump into their little game. Yes "the right" is worse but "the left" these days doesn't do that much better. Kamela's whole bid for presidency was "Trump is bad" She's not wrong it's just not a platform.

Speak to whoever you can, your neighbors and family whoever needs it. Speak with patience and compassion, don't fall into the "orange man bad" trap, you'll just end up in a rage cycle. Talk about the actual underlying issues. Find local ways to address them. Build from there. Bernie is 100% right, the only way out is through the grass roots. If we give up on that then the future is nothing but violence for them and violence for us.

Oh and stop the endless doomerism. It's another peasant trap that the powers that be adore.

[–] metaStatic@kbin.earth 16 points 6 days ago

mutual support networks

Now you've done it, Anarchist rant incoming ...

heh j/k, I'll just say disengage from capitalism as much as you can. Like obviously don't inconvenience yourself excessively but the less you need to pay out the less you need to work for pay the more you can work for your community and help others also disengage from this broken system.

You can't use the state to dismantle the state, vote as harm reduction and build alternatives at the same time. Anarchist Knitting circle at my place.

[–] sinceasdf@lemmy.world 16 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Repeal citizens United and institute ranked choice voting nationwide (USA)

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 4 points 6 days ago

That would make a huge difference!

[–] SupahRevs@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I don't have the right answer. But I've tried to listen to different opinions and here are the take aways so far:

Plant some food. Anything at all. Microgreens in a window, a little garden, hanging tomato plant. Anything. Enjoy the cycle and try to be connected with the seasons, soil, and food.

Talk to people. I'm reading a book called Living Room Revolution that speaks on how important conversation is. Not to convince people of anything right away, but to show people you are part of their community. And to be a positive part of that community just by being willing to talk.

Understand that in all of history, there have been many awful governments. Many challenges that went unanswered for too long. Even now, there are millions, if not billions of people living in very bad conditions or under bad government, and yet, many can find positive parts of their day. We can too. And I hope that will help us make change. Before we figure out how to do that, we need to be nourished with good food and good social interaction.

[–] comrade19@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

I like this idea

[–] surph_ninja@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Stop trying to fix it at the voting booth. The same people we need to fight control who we get to vote for. A change candidate will never make it through to the ballot.

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 0 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Who are the people who control who we vote for?

[–] meowMix2525@lemm.ee 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The wealthy. The DNC very publicly screwed over Bernie two elections in a row and fights to stop other parties like the PSL from getting universal ballot access

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee -2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The DNC made reforms to the party after 2016. In addition who we get to vote on is controlled by the primary process. Regarding other parties unless you have ranked choice a third party will just split the vote and let Republicans win. Another alternative is having the same person run as two parties and the votes will both count for him/her like what AOC does.

[–] meowMix2525@lemm.ee 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

You can rationalize it however you want to, it's undemocratic and it means the people do not get to choose who they vote for.

It wasn't just 2016. They told everyone to drop just before the primary in 2020 so Biden could run, who then only won because people were motivated to get Trump out. Then in 2024 they didn't even have a primary, ignored protest "uncommitted" votes and pretended everything including the economy was booming, and used the same exact campaign manager for Kamala that ran Hliary's campaign into the ground. Saying they made "reforms" is just complete bullshit to make you feel like they are responsive to the will of the people, and I can't believe anyone falls for it.

The rest of that is just more drivel, it's simply the most successful way the Democrats have been able to justify their anti-democratic actions and rhetoric. Candidates are electable if the people vote for them and, even if it does "split the ticket" (it doesn't), more candidates allows more competing narratives to get out there and changes what discussions are taking place across election season. When the results come back, those results tell the major parties (and the people) what motivated the people to vote, so they can meet the people where they are and be held accountable when they refuse to. If there are no progressive candidates getting a significant number of votes, they take it as a message to move right and capture that audience instead.

If the Republicans and Democrats can't get the people off their couches, why don't they let someone else give it a try?

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 4 points 5 days ago

Coat everything in neon accents so it's an interesting dystopia.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 13 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Vote in your local elections, and never stop educating yourself.

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

This way we can vote for a neo-liberal dystopia instead of having a fascist one.

They say people tend to move on the right as they get older but as a middle aged man, I'm growing more cynical.

I'm not American but every government my country had in my lifetime has been working for corporations and big money instead of for the citizens. At every level.

I always voted progressive for the last 23 years but never once a progressive party won or had any significant influence on social politics. Vote for the major conservative party and we have the police violently displacing native protesters on their own land, or vote for the major alternative, a neo-liberal party that will also send the police to violently squash protests of natives against a pipeline going on their own land.

Whatever the party I vote for, oil is going to flow. The police will continue to happily apply the "necessary" violence to squash protests of people demanding better conditions or less corruption. The politicians will still collude with big corporations.

Everyone tells me to vote but my actual MP was a Greenpeace militant and is now bought and paid for, as the Environment minister, pushing for the oil industry to continue its operations for the good of the economy.

In the US you have the choice between a far right party and a party slightly less to the right, but still heavily on the right.

How the hell is voting for the lesser of two evil but still clearly evil party is going to help us out of this?

How would the Democrats fix this, if they have full control of the government? Will they give Americans free health care, or stop financing genocides? Have Obama brought the change he was supposed to? Guantanamo was closed? Was it because he/the democrats did not control enough of the government? Maybe if people vote more next time the Democrats will tackle social issues.

Just like every other government in every country. If we just all vote hard enough, the centibillionaires and their corporations will have no chance at buying our politicians?

[–] schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business 3 points 6 days ago

How would the Democrats fix this, if they have full control of the government? Will they give Americans free health care, or stop financing genocides? Have Obama brought the change he was supposed to? Guantanamo was closed? Was it because he/the democrats did not control enough of the government? Maybe if people vote more next time the Democrats will tackle social issues.

I'm with you on the old and jaded bit, but that right there: they won't do ANY of those things, they haven't done any of those things when they 100% could have and voting for Democrats again, but with feeling! won't get you any of them.

The only difference between the Democractic party and the GOP is that it appears the GOP would prefer to sleep with 16 year olds.

I haven't shifted right the older I've gotten, I've shifted into accelerationist and must admit very limited give-a-shit about actions like what Luigi did and feel that maybe a few more might be more useful than another decade of me voting.

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago

So much this! Voting is super important. I hope the recent election teaches everyone why it's so important to get out and vote and not to stay home.

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

First Monday of every month is Silly Hat Day!

(Mandatory, no repeat hats)

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 1 points 5 days ago

Honestly I think things like this can help. Having fun and building a sense of community can bring us together.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/general-strike-2028-unions-labor-movement/

Striking is the only option that has historically accomplished these goals without the violence of a civil war or military coup.

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That's a great idea! Imagine if people stop showing up to work during the Trump administration. As long as the public understand it's Trump's fault and Republican's fault it could make a big difference. Communication will be very important. I think Biden got hurt by the port strikes even though he did much better managing it than Trump would have.

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I suspect it would be more effective to keep it as a class war working class vs billionaires and politicians instead of a left/right issue, most working class people across the political spectrum want universal healthcare, campaign finance reform, taxes for billionaire oligarchs, etc. Dystopias are built on the wealthy leeches keeping us at each other's throats.

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

An effective and Biblically appropriate solution is to tie every health insurance CEO to a boulder, and throw them into the ocean!

Why do you think CEOs like yachts? In their heart of hearts, they yearn for the Sea. They know it is where they belong!

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago

Support Luigi

[–] recreationalcatheter@lemm.ee 4 points 6 days ago

Throw away last centuries sensibilities for starters.

This ages old 'East v West' thing is bullshit.

Also, begin the class war already. That's a much more important battle.

[–] burgersc12@mander.xyz 6 points 6 days ago

Simple. We focus on having Education, Housing, Healthcare and Food for all. Maybe some kind of UBI or something idk, all I know is we have fucked each other over for too long.

Time to focus our energy on more important things like fucking up our planet /s

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 days ago

Work to replace First past the post voting in your state so people can vote outside the two party system without a spoiler effect

[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Read and do everything George Lakoff has ever written and recommended.

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I just checked him out. He for sure has some very interesting works! Nowadays I think he posts most often on https://www.theframelab.org/

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Exciting dystopia.

[–] imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago

now we're talking

[–] LordKitsuna@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Nukes, total global reset. Small population manages to survive underground like city of ember. Try again in a few hundred years

[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

What if you or a family member was one of the causalities? How would you feel?

[–] pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 5 days ago

Probably end up killing myself tbqh

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 0 points 6 days ago

I don't think there is a "fixed" version of the world. It's an infinitely complex machine running on entropy at its very core creating the next iteration from the last prompt at each moment and there is literally billions of us pushing the buttons.

We need to just look at the reality around us and do our part for what's in our reach to change. Everyone has an idea of what perfect means to them and it likely doesn't agree with anyone else and may straight up conflict with. The best system would be one that is fair and let's each self actuate as much as they want without hurting others but we are not there and will not get there from our current position without massive upheaval of those that have more than they could possibly want it need. Taking away even a little of their excess will feel like oppression.

So, I don't think we should chase fixed I think we should do what we can for "better"

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