Hello, comrades, Wow, it's been two years since I've come here. So much is happening all over the world. I'm so overwhelmed with everything. We've been trying to create something cohesive here locally, we fought a battle to unionize, we've organized with some local activists, and we failed, and we connected with some great people. I wish I had the capacity to keep up with everything, but I just don't. I am also very much in need of support and community. I was not able to keep up with posting videos on PeerTube. I'm kinda keeping up with YouTube and TikTok somewhat, and if anyone is interested in supporting a Marxist-Leninist from Kazakhstan who is neurodivergent and not good at keeping in touch with individuals, I would be glad to connect somehow. I can drop the links to my YouTube and TikTok, if anyone is using them.

Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/militant-altruism

Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/the-fox-woman

Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/everything-changes-constantly-continuously-nothing-is-ever-the-same

Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/a7hthyixn9f9xumr

I've been thinking about a community dedicated to "casual" communism for a while now. Here are a few of my thoughts on the matter. Let me know what you think!

A little reminder for you, comrades.

Dear comrades, the vision for this room is to provide a safe space for communists to vent their frustrations. There are plenty of mental health support groups, but the ones for those with class consciousness are lacking. To talk about burnout, reactions to propaganda and agitation, mental health issues through a lens of class antagonism are some of the goals of this space. P. S. We are also considering starting a forum here on Lemmy dedicated to mental health support for communists. Let us know what you think!

Finally, I am finishing my talking about the just world hypothesis! Just kidding! I will keep talking about it. Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/just-world-hypothesis

Let me present you with a few of my ponderings on the myth of meritocracy. If you do not appreciate my choice of gifs and emojis, I proclaim you the enemy of the people. Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/meritocracy

I assert that addressing mental health issues, specifically, for communists, is essential due to the following three reasons:

Healthier individual = healthier community;

Healthier mindset = more effective communal work;

The results will be of benefit despite the change (or lack thereof) of socio-economic circumstances.

Let me decipher the simplistic axioms I have provided above.

Firstly, an individual suffering from an «ailment of the soul» often times is further isolated and alienated from their community, for various reasons. Some of the main ones being: stigmatization of «non-normative» behaviors, reactions and perceptions; limited socialization of particular neuro types; lack of opportunities for affected individuals to partake fully in development and realization of their potential. There are many more reasons why an affected individual may be experiencing a greater level of alienation from one’s community. If you look at an activist community, focus on direct action and/or participation in socially important tasks can be of more difficulty to an individual suffering from a mental health ailment. Some examples of possible outcomes: due to one’s depression, an individual may not be able to partake in many efforts, despite their desires; they may be unable to find motivation to start something of benefit not only to others, but to themselves. Another simple example: an individual suffering from anxiety, may avoid certain situations in which their anxiety is triggered; thus seriously lacking in participation as well. Despite these hypothetical comrades' desires and drives, they cannot simply «will» their conditions away; medication may not be available to them, or they may choose to not medicate due to multitude of reasons. Exclusion of such individuals lead to an impairment of a community, lacking in human resources; more responsibility taken by the rest of the community, with possible burnout of the «healthier» ones.

Secondly, even if the individual’s mental health condition is not severe, if left unattended, it may lead to a development of a particular mindset, or attitude, that may not be conductive to effective work of the community. If, for example, an individual feels limited in certain capacity, but overcomes said limitations by overexerting oneself, by «getting over» one’s struggles, they may face unwanted consequences, such as a sense that others should also «overcome» and/or suffer in silence; or a sense of bitterness and resentment because they may feel that their efforts go unnoticed; or repress and/or suppress their emotions and later on be caught up in the tangles of one’s unconsciousness influencing their decisions, perhaps skewing their objective perception of reality. These aforementioned consequences are not exclusive to those suffering from a pronounced mental health issue, and may affect a great portion of a community.

Thirdly, mental health support can lead to great long-term benefits despite the outcomes of the activist movement. Even if members of an activist group do not promote their cause to the desired extent, if they practice mutual mental health support, they may reap the fruits of this labor rather soon - the benefits of being cared for are obvious and lead to an acceleration of one’s development in nearly all areas of life. And it is not as costly as one can imagine - the time dedicated to listening empathically to another individual’s struggles; the time spent helping another gain perspective on one’s experiences; the efforts to understand and objectively analyze another’s circumstances: none of this is ever in vain and can impact the community in surprisingly positive ways.

These are, I believe, the most immediate and most apparent advantages of providing mental health support within any group of like-minded individuals, and can lead to progress not only in the lives of the affected ones, but in the life of the movement and community overall.

There are certainly risks and responsibilities that come with such efforts. None of the participants of such efforts should ever take them lightly, and realize as early as possible, that we are limited in our capacity to understand and help others. We must not succumb to the idealist view of mutual mental health aid, where everyone agrees and gives each other pats all day long. We must remember the ultimate goals of the movement, and not water them down to spare another one’s mental state. We must also never view ourselves in any way or form as «guides» or «the wise ones» in the scenarios where one may show one’s vulnerability. Cameraderie and compassion, along with objectivity and reliance on empirical data, must guide us in our communal strive for the improvement of our conditions.

In this video, I am going over the basics of equality of outcome, equality of opportunity and luck egalitarianism. Please let me know what your thoughts on equality are.

Read the text here: https://write.as/peace-labor-may/speaking-into-the-void

In this video, I briefly summarise three ways in which zen buddhism and leftist theory have given me perspective on commodification of myself and the modern society.

Dear comrades, If you feel a bit out of it today, here is a little video I made some time ago. Folks've been telling me it makes them feel better.