chapotraphouse @hexbear.net Frank [he/him, he/him] @hexbear.net 1 wk. ago

We should write a "What is to be Done?" For 2024

Just thinking about what quick, digestible document I could throw at libs who are panicking and desperate for something to hold on to and i can't really think of something that's written for treat demons but still actually communist.

Any thoughts?

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I have to flesh it out but I keep being struck by the contradictory nature of American elections and how frankly nonsensical it all is and it returned me to this (from Wikipedia)

Gallup principal economist Jonathan Rothwell concluded, in a 2020 analysis and economic impact study of the PIAAC results collected during 2012 - 2017;[55] commissioned by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy,[56] that the United States could increase its annual GDP by 10%, adding $2.2 trillion in annual income, by enabling greater literacy for the 54% of Americans reading below a sixth-grade level nationwide.[57][58] The analysis noted that, of the 33 OECD nations included in the survey, the U.S. had placed sixteenth for literacy, and surmised that about half of Americans surveyed, aged 16 to 74, had demonstrated a below sixth-grade reading level.[55]

If this and similar studies are accurate it means a significant number of Americans can read what's on a page and repeat it back to you, but couldn't tell you what it means or draw anything from it. If it is the case that people can read but not understand than no wonder Americans are so clueless - they're thinking at the level of twelve year old children.

I think coming out of this election one of the things we should be doing is organizing for the collective education, both political and general. It's no wonder that communists of yore prioritized workers schools, study groups, newspapers, etc. Illiteracy is a tool of the imperialist because it allows people to wallow in ignorance and uncritical thought. We should be organizing study groups (and schools where possible) for the people in our lives to study, appreciate, and create not just theory but also art, music, literature, etc. of both the expressly political and seemingly apolitical varieties. As long as we are engaging with people and challenging them to think for themselves they will come closer to socialism.

These groups can also serve as the basis for actual organizing which is the second thing that we as a society need to learn. We must make change if we want it, politicians and bureaucrats will not do it for us. This is especially true in the workplace where workers have come to rely on government intervention or legal contracts for far too long into a time when capitalists do not care and will only respond to actual labor action.
- I think organizations built around solving more pressing needs will do better. You won't be able to get a person that you are describing to show up to a reading group or to get educated just for education sake. Maybe you could get a person but not many. If you are giving them food when they need food, or helping them get their car lights fixed so they don't get pulled over and have to pay tickets, or helping them fight their landlords and bosses through organizing legal clinics, or helping them get their power back on, you create a captive audience who have the same issues in life and have come to you willingly because you help them to survive. This is more powerful than helping them to be educated or literate, things they don't likely see these as issues of importance in their lives, no matter how wrong they may be about that.
  
  Teach a person to read and they have a powerful weapon they can use to help solve problems facing their community.
  
  And from what I've heard from adult literacy teachers, people very much do want to learn. It's an enormous handicap and isolates you greatly.
  
  Since written words were developed all the people who encounter them come to value reading as one of the most desirable skills a person can have. And in our world where being able to operate a computer is the difference between work and unemployment having a good foundation of reading skills is critical.
  
  I'm not arguing in favor of illiteracy I'm saying that the average person won't make time to get more literate between their three jobs but they will show up to get free groceries or a dental exam
  
  Gotcha. Valid consideration that needs to be taken in to account.
- A million upbears. Spot on
- Thank you for bringing this up. Just handing someone a book of leftist theory isn't going to do anything if the person isn't able to understand what they're reading. I've seen a lot of recommendations for leftist books. But every book I've seen recommended is well above the reading level of a majority of the US. Relevant to current events, liberal media talked down about how basic Trump's speeches were, literally calling him a "low grade elementary schooler". However, talking in such a basic manner meant that people could understand what he was saying. It should be unsurprising that people will support a message they can understand over one they can't.
  
  I know I'm an outsider here, so please let me know if this out of line, but this is something I care a lot about after my neighbors tried to read The Communist Manifesto in their first semester of college and were completely unable to understand any of it (relatedly, if anyone knows of any leftist works of any type that would be accessible with only basic literacy skills, I would love to hear about them.)
  
  Nah, you're good and this is good information. Welcome to Hexbear.

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