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Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 21, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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On handling a conflict between political views and one's personal interest given life situations: any ideas what a person who wants to be more politically active should do, when the groups in line with your beliefs, pursuing the goals to which you would like to contribute, simply do not want people like you joining?

(It's a bit like a reverse of Groucho Marx's joke about not wanting to be a part of any club that would have him as a member.)

More context, perhaps?

See my reply to Ponder below. I'm talking about things like exitgroup.us. Basically, reactionary organizations look for successful patriarchs, and don't have use for jobless, dateless, disabled subhumans like me.

It depends on the specifics. One idea would be to start your own group that does something directionally similar but is different enough that it needs to be its own group. Maybe just focus on one specific policy and then become an ally group to the other group.

My intuition is usually to just walk away from these situations and find something more enjoyable to do.

It depends on the specifics.

Well, probably one of the more recent examples is something like exitgroup.us.

One idea would be to start your own group

With what other people, and what resources?

The problem is that reactionary organizations are looking for married men with children and stable employment, ideally their own businesses, not high-iq but disabled autistic losers. I've been told by people with similar political views to mine more than once that there is literally no place for me on the right, as, per Bioleninism, the disabled are inherently leftist, and that my only place, politically, is "voting Dem in exchange for gibs" until the Reaction comes and I'm exterminated with the rest of the subhuman filth.

It is kind of ironic how the most stalwart opponents of Marxism adopt its views on how the circumstances of one's life enforce one's political inclination.

What it looks like is that you have two logically consistent paths. One is to remain convinced of the reactionary right view and accept that the future of might has no place for ones such as yourself, the other is to put your self-interest before the glories of the future and shift your allegiance accordingly.

One is to remain convinced of the reactionary right view and accept that the future of might has no place for ones such as yourself

I have no problem with such a future, the issue is about contributing in the present to the cause of bringing such about. Like the "Operative" in Serenity (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), it's about building a better world while knowing "there's no place for me there."

You don't need to be part of a group to write letters to politicians. Same with attending town halls, donating to lobby groups, or voting.

write letters to politicians

Which doesn't accomplish much of anything, particularly if you're not in the 99th percentile of persuasive writers, and particularly if your local politicians are on the other side of the issues.

attending town halls

Same as above, just replace to "99th percentile of persuasive public speakers"

donating to lobby groups

Requires you have money. I'm a jobless welfare parasite. What I have to give is time, not money.

or voting

As the old saying goes, if voting could make a difference, it would be illegal.