"Solidarity can be hard to achieve when we allow ourselves to be pitted against each other. We can’t afford to do this."
This is key.
We need to understand and recognize the very methodical movement by the ruling class to divide and pit people and groups on the left against each other. They have been extremely successful with their campaign, turning the left into squabbling tribes. Class is the key. If all are doing better; able to care for themselves and their families without fear then ALL groups will benefit.
Time to focus and come together or be complicit in our own ruin and domination by the worst of humanity: the corporate oligarchy like Elon Musk and their kleptocratic toadies, like Trump.
I love it. It is exactly what needs to happen. How to make it happen is less clear to me.
As to dividing the other side, that is a more difficult issue because they have more unanimity of philosophy, purpose, hierarchy, discipline and ultimate goal.
I grew up in a VERY conservative home. My paternal grandfather and uncle were in the KKK in Nebraska. My father was president of the local chapter of the John Birch Society. During the Goldwater presidential campaign he worked relentlessly on the campaign. He even had me out weekends and many evenings distributing campaign literature door to door.
When Goldwater was crushed my Dad didn't get out of bed the day after the election. He was devastated at the loss. But he was back up and continuing to push the Birch Society and Randian economic crap the day after and for years after.
I have never seen the kind of year-after-year discipline and unanimity of purpose and goal as I saw with my father and his Birch Society buddies on the left. And certainly what we see now with all the identity and woke stuff is just fracturing the left and much of that stuff has been a PsyOps pushed by the right as a strategic effort to fracture and break up the left. They have been highly effective and -- again -- disciplined.
If the left could come together and unite on a class-based movement to make things balanced and better for ALL, I do believe they could overthrow the corporate blob. People like Sanders talk a good line, but are just sheepdogs to keep the left voting for the Democrats (which, after the genocide, I will never do again).
I, for one, have had NO luck in bringing about that unification. I make all my political cartoons and art available for free and few are interested. I fear things are just going to have to get exponentially worse -- as in Great Depression worse -- before people understand they need to put aside their differences and come together.
Good article. I can't add much to what you said so well. I also enjoy the artwork, with all those organic and sensuous shapes. I'm curious about the medium. It could be paint but seems to me to be pastels, and I'm also curious about the size. They could be large paintings but they could also be A4 drawings. You mention the seeds from which the future will bloom. Lots of seeds ready to bloom in your paintings. They seem an ode to fertility, kind of contro current these days.
I've been playing with the same medium too, often experimenting with felt tips and chalk. Need to put more time into this................ Lots of fun !!
There is no more fertile ground for tyranny, violence and hatred to root and thrive in than apathy, complacency and indifference to human suffering. The only way to change this is for each of us to grow and cultivate our own little gardens, and share what we reap.
"Solidarity can be hard to achieve when we allow ourselves to be pitted against each other. We can’t afford to do this."
Exactly! I was listening to the Workers' Fight Back conference today and that thought was repeated over and over again. We must stick together. We can't be divided. Solidarity is the most precious thing, IMO.
Our humanity is not only about caring, sharing and being kind to each other. Our humanity is also about our failings, our differences, and our misunderstandings. Some think that evil is part of "human nature" or humanity. I don't agree. But if we are to be truly human, we need to accept everything about ourselves.
Sure we do, Susan. And we all have shortcomings. I think we can see our humanity first, though, and work towards solidarity together. That's what I believe will get us through.
And we can't forget that we have the global majority on our side.
I was trying to say that I think our failings and differences are part of our humanity. So we need to see all of it at the same time. I think that people have a lot of problems when they cannot accept themselves because of some perceived or actual (human) failing.
Self acceptance is a tough one, Susan, even though all our foibles are part of our humanity.
Can we see our differences and failings in a way that they don't prevent solidarity in our quest for the kind of world we want?
I want to see a world where everyone can have a roof over their heads, food in their bellies, and live up to their highest potential, including working on some of the things that are causing them problems.
The truth - one that we all ought to recognise but far too many don't.
I fear that such will always be the case for there will always be those who seek to control and do so by whatever means suits them and regardless of who they harm.
Most human beings are so busy 'living' that they fail to consider 'life' and therefore give it little thought, less effort and so fail to recognise that life itself is the wonder and that there is so much to appreciate that is not about materialism, power, status, or extrinsic rewards. Life, in and of itself is the reward and this planet offers so much to sustain us both mentally and physically that it *deserves* to be nurtured.
The conditioning imposed by divisive institutions such as government, schooling, religion, cultural rituals, ethnic competition and prejudice and the insane fear of *difference* and failure to see it as *opportunity* and the chance to invest in the wonder of synergy.
After our 200,000 to 300,000 years it is time that human beings woke up and matured. None of us should be without the fundamental necessities of life or having to struggle, beg, steal or work at thankless tasks or for so long that we have time for nothing else, to obtain them.
Unfortunately, the reality is that it is unlikely that those who have will ever relinquish their material and virtual wealth which they obtain because our world order is driven by money and it is work that produces it but only the wealthy that benefit from it. The worker will always lose out because his or her effort will never be paid as much as the worth it produces. The consequence being that most work in order to be paid enough on which to survive so that they can do the same again - and again - and again - and again ... Sadly, most do not understand that it doesn't have to be this way.
The likely result of this system, in my view, is that humanity is committing suicide and in all probability destroying the planet that sustains us. Whether we go and the planet somehow survives and rejuvenates or whether we kill ourselves in the process of killing the planet, only time will reveal. However, I think that time is very quickly running out.
I doubt that humanity will survive to see another century, let alone another millennium.
"Solidarity can be hard to achieve when we allow ourselves to be pitted against each other. We can’t afford to do this."
This is key.
We need to understand and recognize the very methodical movement by the ruling class to divide and pit people and groups on the left against each other. They have been extremely successful with their campaign, turning the left into squabbling tribes. Class is the key. If all are doing better; able to care for themselves and their families without fear then ALL groups will benefit.
Time to focus and come together or be complicit in our own ruin and domination by the worst of humanity: the corporate oligarchy like Elon Musk and their kleptocratic toadies, like Trump.
And I like to think that two can play at that game, Mark. How do we divide the people causing all this pain?
Diana, I think you'll like the protest sign on the right side of this photo: https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/10-reasons-hope-against-trump
I love it. It is exactly what needs to happen. How to make it happen is less clear to me.
As to dividing the other side, that is a more difficult issue because they have more unanimity of philosophy, purpose, hierarchy, discipline and ultimate goal.
I grew up in a VERY conservative home. My paternal grandfather and uncle were in the KKK in Nebraska. My father was president of the local chapter of the John Birch Society. During the Goldwater presidential campaign he worked relentlessly on the campaign. He even had me out weekends and many evenings distributing campaign literature door to door.
When Goldwater was crushed my Dad didn't get out of bed the day after the election. He was devastated at the loss. But he was back up and continuing to push the Birch Society and Randian economic crap the day after and for years after.
I have never seen the kind of year-after-year discipline and unanimity of purpose and goal as I saw with my father and his Birch Society buddies on the left. And certainly what we see now with all the identity and woke stuff is just fracturing the left and much of that stuff has been a PsyOps pushed by the right as a strategic effort to fracture and break up the left. They have been highly effective and -- again -- disciplined.
If the left could come together and unite on a class-based movement to make things balanced and better for ALL, I do believe they could overthrow the corporate blob. People like Sanders talk a good line, but are just sheepdogs to keep the left voting for the Democrats (which, after the genocide, I will never do again).
I, for one, have had NO luck in bringing about that unification. I make all my political cartoons and art available for free and few are interested. I fear things are just going to have to get exponentially worse -- as in Great Depression worse -- before people understand they need to put aside their differences and come together.
Absolutely!
Our humanity is such a fragile thing. It needs to be nurtured, not ignored.
Your artwork is beautiful.
Thanks, Louise. And, I agree, our humanity is so fragile, and needs to be nurtured.
Beautifully said Diana ❤️
Thanks, Karyn.
Well written article and very informative thread. I’m going to remember that in the future.
I'm so glad you found it informative, Richard. I think we need to embrace our humanity, and hold on tight.
Love your message, your artwork, your sharing of resources to help others reach out to others...
Thanks so much, Laurie. I'm glad you enjoy those things.
Good article. I can't add much to what you said so well. I also enjoy the artwork, with all those organic and sensuous shapes. I'm curious about the medium. It could be paint but seems to me to be pastels, and I'm also curious about the size. They could be large paintings but they could also be A4 drawings. You mention the seeds from which the future will bloom. Lots of seeds ready to bloom in your paintings. They seem an ode to fertility, kind of contro current these days.
Hi Robert.
I'm glad you enjoyed my post, and appreciate your comments about my artwork.
The medium is pastel and watercolours. I like the flowy-ness of watercolours combined with the vivid pastels. I layer them.
I have lots of paintings and they're various sizes, and I don't remember how big this one is. Sorry.
I've been playing with the same medium too, often experimenting with felt tips and chalk. Need to put more time into this................ Lots of fun !!
There is no more fertile ground for tyranny, violence and hatred to root and thrive in than apathy, complacency and indifference to human suffering. The only way to change this is for each of us to grow and cultivate our own little gardens, and share what we reap.
I agree, Diane, literally and figuratively. And then to share what we grow.
"Solidarity can be hard to achieve when we allow ourselves to be pitted against each other. We can’t afford to do this."
Exactly! I was listening to the Workers' Fight Back conference today and that thought was repeated over and over again. We must stick together. We can't be divided. Solidarity is the most precious thing, IMO.
I agree. We can't let ourselves be divided, and need to look out for the interests of each other and the planet.
Shukran for your continued unwavering support for a better world Diana
🇵🇸♥️🙏
And shukran for yours as well, Najwan.
We have much of the global majority on our side, so that gives me some hope. I wish Israel would stop its killing.
I wish so too. I cannot stand them suffering a second longer in this harsh winter. I just cannot.
#PalestineWillBeFree
Our humanity is not only about caring, sharing and being kind to each other. Our humanity is also about our failings, our differences, and our misunderstandings. Some think that evil is part of "human nature" or humanity. I don't agree. But if we are to be truly human, we need to accept everything about ourselves.
Sure we do, Susan. And we all have shortcomings. I think we can see our humanity first, though, and work towards solidarity together. That's what I believe will get us through.
And we can't forget that we have the global majority on our side.
I was trying to say that I think our failings and differences are part of our humanity. So we need to see all of it at the same time. I think that people have a lot of problems when they cannot accept themselves because of some perceived or actual (human) failing.
Self acceptance is a tough one, Susan, even though all our foibles are part of our humanity.
Can we see our differences and failings in a way that they don't prevent solidarity in our quest for the kind of world we want?
I want to see a world where everyone can have a roof over their heads, food in their bellies, and live up to their highest potential, including working on some of the things that are causing them problems.
Very well said; thank you for posting this here and now!
A pleasure, Edwin. I'm glad you appreciate my message.
Beautiful and true, Diana! Just like the art......
The truth - one that we all ought to recognise but far too many don't.
I fear that such will always be the case for there will always be those who seek to control and do so by whatever means suits them and regardless of who they harm.
Most human beings are so busy 'living' that they fail to consider 'life' and therefore give it little thought, less effort and so fail to recognise that life itself is the wonder and that there is so much to appreciate that is not about materialism, power, status, or extrinsic rewards. Life, in and of itself is the reward and this planet offers so much to sustain us both mentally and physically that it *deserves* to be nurtured.
The conditioning imposed by divisive institutions such as government, schooling, religion, cultural rituals, ethnic competition and prejudice and the insane fear of *difference* and failure to see it as *opportunity* and the chance to invest in the wonder of synergy.
After our 200,000 to 300,000 years it is time that human beings woke up and matured. None of us should be without the fundamental necessities of life or having to struggle, beg, steal or work at thankless tasks or for so long that we have time for nothing else, to obtain them.
Unfortunately, the reality is that it is unlikely that those who have will ever relinquish their material and virtual wealth which they obtain because our world order is driven by money and it is work that produces it but only the wealthy that benefit from it. The worker will always lose out because his or her effort will never be paid as much as the worth it produces. The consequence being that most work in order to be paid enough on which to survive so that they can do the same again - and again - and again - and again ... Sadly, most do not understand that it doesn't have to be this way.
The likely result of this system, in my view, is that humanity is committing suicide and in all probability destroying the planet that sustains us. Whether we go and the planet somehow survives and rejuvenates or whether we kill ourselves in the process of killing the planet, only time will reveal. However, I think that time is very quickly running out.
I doubt that humanity will survive to see another century, let alone another millennium.