sean

😂 Sean

Bye bye. 👋 Transphobia is an instant ban. This isn't even "left politics". It's science, it's an understanding of the always fluid, social nature of language, and perhaps most importantly it's just basic respect for other human beings and the diversity of human identity. Discussing transgender nuance lovingly, respectfully and intelligently is 👍. Enlighten yourself outside this forum beforehand. YouTube is generally awful but I might suggest checking out ContraPoints for a beautiful and highly entertaining education. Sean

Really well said. ❤️ Reminds me of the stated premise of this book at the top of my read-next stack: Pleasure Activism. ✨ I think this conclusion, while a lovely ideal, can be a bit problematic though? On one hand, yes, deeply unstable people filled with unexamined, violent rage fighting in the streets is not going to change much. But, well, first, why do people get to this point? And second, I think there's a way in which the other extreme can end up prioritizing an endless, private treadmill of privileged, self-improvement projects before ever lifting a finger to help those in need. I guess what I'm saying is that, IMO, I think it's OK to show up to the fight imperfect and broken while you also engage in trauma and personal growth work. 🙏 Sean

❤️ 🙇 Sean

Oh no. Looks like photographs are surfacing of Patrick Brown's experience barging into this topic. 😢

Insipid troll: ** Posts extraordinarily idiotic and regressive statements ** Anyone: Hey, these are completely idiotic and regressive statements. Insipid troll: Whoah, whoah! Fellas. I'm just playing around here. Why so serious? Sean

No. Reread my OP. This isn't a debate. That your first instinct is to troll this list with your impulsive diarrhea tells me that your days here are most likely numbered, my dude. Sean

Curious, where are you from if you don't mind sharing? In any case, like I've said, you don't have to be left at all, but if you find yourself wanting to defend or engage in any of the following, you're probably too far-right: Racism Sexism Ableism Misogyny Homophobia Transphobia Fascism (e.g. Neo-Nazism, white-nationalism, ultranationalism, etc) Rape and sexual assault apologia Police brutality apologia Xenophobia, anti-immigrant rhetoric Climate change denial Sean

I appreciate the concern here and am aware of the problematic history of stuff like this. 🙏 Not to defend the crudeness, but for what it's worth, the way I read this was as a metaphor for innocent people being violated against their will. The target of the metaphor was also not another member, but a government seen as corrupt. Whatever ways you enjoy sex, no one wants to be assaulted so I didn't read it as a putdown of consensual anal sex. Just my two cents. @MildMouse23 Please chill with the personal attacks, @cheya is 💯% right, it's very possible this board would no longer even exist were it not for @dawei in my near complete absence. Sean

You're either impenetrably dense or a troll, dude. Ciao. Sean

Tesla was also floated by billions in government grants and subsidies to make cars for rich people. * Camera cut to working-poor, literally hungry with stack of unpaid medical bills * Sean

I am now forced to picture you wearing a diaper at all times. Racism, in the way that materially matters, is not some structurally advantaged white guy in a country that can strangle and shoot black men on actual camera with inpunity, getting his feelings hurt by having this reality pointed out to him on the internet, you inconceivable dipshit. Also, didn't I ask you to leave? Sean

Huh? Nah. Man, it whooshed on you too, huh. I'm going to resist my German impulse to explain a joke but FWIW I was not implying you're racist at all. The answer is in my original post. Because I believe spirituality divorced from "just politics" is a dead-end. And because I founded this forum and want to facilitate conversations I feel are nourishing and inclusive to people at every level of society, not just privileged, oblivious white dudes who are unphased by bigotry only because it doesn't materially impact their own lives. Sean

Ahh, you mean government programs run by the kind of politicians you think are the "best choice" who massively slash funding to government programs to further enrich the corporations you laud? Sean

Whooosh. Right over your head my dude. Re: the narrative I’m being “fed” (from where I wonder? Studying original source philosophy and history?) — not to worry, if this site gets overrun by your imaginary faction of leftist but also racist, misogynistic, homophobes with crypto-antisemitic conspiracy theories, I’ll apply the same rules. And I’m sure you’re totally worried and not concern trolling. Sean

LOL. Uh oh. The PHP coder cum economics brain genius has logged on.

Somehow it's easy to forget that it's socialists that fight for socialized healthcare. Also socialists that fought for dozens of basic rights we easily take for granted in the U.S., e.g. elimination of sweat shops, child-labor laws, 8-hour workdays, etc, etc. These advances were not magically bestowed on the working class by benevolent capitalists one sunny day they felt chipper. They were fought for relentlessly at all levels, including the streets, and at great personal sacrifice. It's capitalists (which in the U.S. are now represented ubiquitously by both Republicans and Democrats) that oppose tooth and nail nearly every non-profitable, socialized service and safety net that, sure, might incommensurably reduce human suffering and senseless death but also * cough * might mildly put a dent in some bottom lines, good sir. BTW — this is not some naive, anti-business owner screed. We live in a capitalist society and have to do our best to survive. If you own a business I'm not pissing on that. I'm just asking us not to close off our imaginations to what might be possible. I own my home and land but I'm not attached to some weird, cosmic, fetishism of individual private property ownership for all eternity. Sean

Oh for sure, 100%, I'm aware of this connection. Thanks for mentioning this. A few thoughts. One, I do think there's some lefties in the Chaos space and that this Kek shit is a relatively recent, reactionary current. Two, I think that conceding entire spaces (whether that be philosophical, aesthetic, magical, physical) to problematic members is something leftists have fucked up on quite a bit historically. "Oh, the bourgeoisie are often religious. Let's try to throw out religion." Last, I'm definitely not trying to become or identify as a "Chaos Magician". Just exploring the landscapes. I do feel a certain power lurking within Chaos syncretism that seems lacking in typical New Age hodge podge. Maybe this is even because it's incoherent, in the sense that it's not trying to create an orderly tradition from components, more like consciously borrowing broadly for utility. In any case, I'm currently much more drawn to various animistic, folk magic traditions. 👻 Interesting, thank you for the links. I love the idea of incorporating Daoist pantheon into my practice, that would feel very full circle. Funny enough, I sense part of my present attraction to folk magic is actually this less rational, less formally lineaged, "granny magic" aspect. Kitchen and farm magic so integrated into the workday as to often go unnoticed; then only passed down by fragments of memory and literal cookbooks with handwritten notes in the margins. I'm just a baby witch though, so don't take my reveries too seriously. 😆 Sean

FWIW, the terms right and left-wing have a long history and are not based on U.S. politics but I appreciate your questions. 💯! Neither! While I identify as leftist and can't see a fundamental separation between political vs. spiritual maps, I'm absolutely not trying to funnel discussions here through an overtly political lens. This is larger than leftism or simply being opposed to a single, terrible U.S president. While in my experience the reactionary right emphatically take the cake on antisocial rhetoric and hate-speech, I'm curating self-evident "nopes" applicable regardless of your politics. A non-exhaustive list of "nopes", both in the specific and as a pattern, in no special order: Racism Sexism Ableism Misogyny Homophobia Transphobia Fascism (e.g. Neo-Nazism, white-nationalism, ultranationalism, etc) Rape and sexual assault apologia Police brutality apologia Xenophobia, anti-immigrant rhetoric Climate change denial If you have suggestions for additions or changes, I'm all ears. 🙏 Sean

Funny you should mention that. I'm wanting to propose a rather significant consolidation and simplification of the forums soon. Sean

A: It's OK and very fun to say and do racist things. B: It's not OK and in fact wrong to speak and behave racistly. There. I've created a "duality" for us. But what spiritual tradition asks us to "move beyond such dualistic views"? Also, not to nitpick, but Trump supporters are not "half the world". Trump was the third most popular choice after not voting at all (42% of the U.S.), and voting for Hillary Clinton (nearly 3 million more votes than Trump). Sean

It's exhausting trying to deconstruct these narratives. Absolutely fascinating! Thank you for sharing this. What a striking concept to have missing. Well said, I really resonate with this. Lately, I loosely identify as something like "anarcho-socialist" because, for me, I find the two form a more complete picture together than separate. I also feel like "why" might take a book-length wall of text to unpack. Great story, thank you for sharing. Yep! I've lived in deep south Mississippi, where I met my wife in fact. I've conversed with anti-racist, pro-union, effectively left-anarchist grandfathers, though they would never identify as such. 😆 😂 ✊ Sean

MooNiNite: The senile president that wants to build a literal wall and put children in cages is the best choice. Also MooNiNite: Any boundaries I'm asked not to cross are suppression because Dao something something.

Well, this turned into a grotesque cesspool of Tucker "always shitting himself" Carlson, Tim "red pill" Pool, and alt-right Paul Joseph "never leaving my Mom's basement" Watson. Jesus Christ, are you up there? Please help me.