arxdat

Thanks for taking the time!

I am doing a lot of traveling over the next couple of weeks, so I will be sure to add these to my reading list. I will start with your recommendation: Blackshirts and Reds.

Again, thanks!

But reading even the books of our enemies is necessary to learn and grow.

100%

Honestly, as an American, I’ve avoided diving into Marxist ideas because they tend to carry a lot of ‘baggage’ here and are seen as a touchy subject by many. That said, the more I learn, the more I realize that I probably align with some aspects of Marxist theory, having arrived at similar basic concepts on my own, though I’ve always been puzzled why we don’t embrace these ideas. I haven’t really read any Marxist theory directly, mostly because of the negative bias around it, but I’d love to start somewhere. If you could recommend some beginner-friendly resources to help me get my feet wet, I’d really appreciate it. I also assume that there are resources here on Lemmy? Thanks!

Absolutely, it’s unfortunately a law of the status quo. My biggest concern is that once force is used to take the reins, you’re stuck defending them, which just brings us back to the same place. I’ll admit, I’m likely ignorant of many Marxist ideas. Maybe they have a solution for that, but knowing how humans tend to operate, things often fall short of ideals. Are there any proposals in Marxist thought that address how to avoid falling into the trap of constantly defending the new status quo? I’d love to understand more about that, because honestly, I don’t know what the solution would be. That’s way above my pay grade!

There’s a part of my brain that totally gets the logic behind needing a revolution to shake up the system, but then the other part of me is like, ‘Violence? Nah, hard pass.’ So I end up with this funny little cognitive dissonance. I’m all, ‘Yeah, REVOLUTION!’ and at the same time, ‘But let’s make sure no one gets hurt, okay?’ It’s like being stuck between a revolution and a group hug, if that even makes sense!

Exactly. Just one minor nuance, Much of these weapons were developed and stockpiled years ago, sometimes a decade or more before any current conflict. The twisted logic becomes: since the weapons are already made, they must be used to justify the expense, or it’s seen as waste. What’s even messier is the possibility that these crises and wars are sometimes invented or escalated just to 'spend' the stockpile. It’s really disturbing to me, lol.

I understand the frustration, but blaming individuals for a government’s actions, especially in 2024, feels misplaced. The reality is, many of us feel powerless to influence our own governments, let alone foreign policies, especially when it comes to complex international conflicts like the one in Gaza.

The U.S. government has entrenched interests and a long history of unconditional support for Israel, sustained by billions in taxpayer dollars. Despite widespread protests and public outcry, these policies seem nearly immune to change. It’s disheartening, but the truth is, most citizens have little say in how their tax money is used, especially on issues where both major political parties are largely aligned.

Voting every four years feels inadequate when the system itself limits real choices and perpetuates the status quo. Yes, we can protest, but even that has its limits. The mechanisms of government and foreign policy are beyond our direct control, leaving many feeling like we’re just along for the ride—forced to watch, speak out, and hope for change that rarely comes.

So while we share the outrage, it’s unrealistic to act as if we, as ordinary people, have the power to stop a war machine fueled by vested interests. The whole system feels like it’s rigged to keep us eating the consequences, whether we like it or not.

There are no inherent "rules" in software development. These books are useless and a waste of time. They offer nothing but CS Dogma and are actually against freedom of expression.

It's because you don't understand their vision -- classic idea guy redux

Only fools argue in ultimatums

I understand your frustration; many of us have been there, myself included. After 20 years in engineering, I've come to realize a few things. The daily grind for a corporation can indeed be tedious and full of disappointments. Often, it feels like we're just completing meaningless tasks for someone else's vision. Our minds wander to our own projects and ideas, and it's tempting to start prototyping those instead of focusing on work.

This feeling of unfulfilled potential isn't going away because we can see how much better things could be. But here's what I remind myself: I am fortunate to have a stable job, even if it's programming mundane things for average needs. This stability allows me the luxury of working on my own projects after hours. Without this job, I'd likely be stuck in gig work, struggling with low pay and irregular hours.

So, I view the routine work as a necessary "tax" I pay to secure personal time for my own creative endeavors. It's a trade-off that provides income and stability, enabling me to pursue my passions on my terms.