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Why Bother?
6 years ago
There is a point that has been put to me many times over the years, by people from all over the political spectrum in our fandom, and a point I have seen put to everybody in wider society who tries to talk about politics. It has recently been put to me again, so despite how aggravating I find the sentiment, it still makes a point that deserves some serious consideration. That point is, why struggle against the tide? If you find yourself in a situation where your perspective appears to be the minority, isn't it futile, self-damaging and ultimately insensible to oppose it? I mean, if it is going to be, or at least strongly seems to be, something to your detriment in the long-term, aren't you just being obnoxiously contrarian and dooming yourself to failure?
This point is a recurring one because it has merit to it, it is a fact that risks are risks because there is no guarantee they will pay off. In fact, most risks do end in failure, which is what makes them risks. From one perspective, valuing material success, financial stability, basic social survival is a no-brainer. There wouldn't be people still around on the planet if self-preservation wasn't hard-wired. However, the same is true of taking risks, we would not be where we are if not for the risks of our ancestors. Despite failure being so ubiquitous a feature of pitting oneself against convention, it is precisely this same thing that is the engine of change. I'm not trying to elevate myself to the status of a pioneer here, I'm just laying out some basic facts about life. One such basic fact is that when people try to tell anyone they should give up their pursuits, particularly when it comes to questioning social conventions, opposing political and social trends, it is little more than a desire to end conflict. To end conflict against the worldview they agree with. I'll try to illustrate what I mean.
Imagine a long line of people, walking toward the edge of a cliff and sauntering right off it, into the ocean. Like those old Lemmings games. Just a line of people, facing the same direction, doing the same thing, walking off the edge. Well politics is like that, we all have our own perspectives of where the cliff edges are and we can all see people who share perspectives in common marching toward the edge. We all have a vision of what constitutes where we should be marching. The question is, if you're in that march and walking with everyone else towards that edge, will you speak up for your own perspective, dare to tell those around you that they're doing something wrong? It is never an easy thing, to break with consensus or conformity, and it's actually important that it remains difficult. If it were an easy thing to change the direction of culture, culture would be so weak a thing as to wipe itself from existence. However, it is a simultaneous truth that conflict of perspective is essential to cultural survival. Circumstances and environments change in the world all the time, adaptability to change is itself essential to survival, so there must always be people in our society who will voice their contentions with the status quo.
"Status quo" is a term I don't like using, because it is used so much. Used as a pejorative far more than a neutral reference to how things currently are. All political impetus, literally all of it, stems from dissatisfaction with cultural trends. Wanting things to change, wanting to progress towards a goal. Incidentally, I have particular disdain for people who call themselves "progressives" and for politicians who use the word "change" as a slogan. All politics is change and progress, it is a question of progressing towards what and why we should try. When someone comes to me to tell me I'm being stupid or obnoxious for having a go at collectivism from the left, what I see is "I am happy with the direction things are going, I don't agree with your dislike of it, so I would like it if you shut up." All this represents is a denial that I have a point to make and that my concerns aren't even worth addressing.
Anyway, enough of the explanations, let's just get down to brass tacks. I'm mentally ill, with severe depression that I've had for over 20 years and anxiety that I've had for over 10. These things make me emotionally unstable, but they do not diminish my critical faculties. I'm nowhere near the "best" guy to be representing political thought, or demonstrating political points. My cartoons are basic and simplistic, which I do intentionally so they are unambiguous, but that also means they are rather bland. Poorly executed, one might say. However, it must also be said that our reactions to material has much to do with our own opinions, so if a cartoon expresses something you agree with you are likely to enjoy it and find reasons it is good, if you don't agree with it you will find reasons it sucks. People are more than happy to talk about the biases of the speaker or the artist but seldom bother to look at their own. No shit I have a bias, so do you.
Whatever my numerous flaws, I still see things every day that conflict utterly with my own values, I see our culture and our fandom moving in a direction that I find intolerable. As in, I cannot tolerate it. Cannot. So I'm going to say what I think and point out what I don't like. Nobody is entitled to or has the right to my silence on things that outrage me and fly in the face of what I believe in. I'm not a martyr, I'm just stating a fact. I don't care if what you like is winning the day currently, I don't give a single shit about intellectual cowards who are only satisfied in an environment devoid of dissent. People who want supremacy of their own sensibilities because they lack the ability to argue in their favour or the courage to have them questioned. I don't approach any of this in terms of what I may gain or lose from it, though I obviously am going to have personal feelings and emotional reactions to what happens to my life the same as anyone else. If my chief concern was my own wellbeing in the present, I would obviously decide the best course of action would be to shut up, keep my thoughts to myself and just focus on drawing cute things for people who like my art. I can't do that though, I can't tolerate what I see around me every day, it's horrific and appalling to me. For that reason, I'm never going to stop, because I see collectivism as humanity walking off the edge of a cliff (which the 20th century PROVES beyond all reasonable doubt) and I'm not going to silently walk off it too. One can see that as me being a raving autist, but I think adults are people who give a damn about the world around them and their own responsibility and duty towards it. There's more to life than cumming and having fun.
This point is a recurring one because it has merit to it, it is a fact that risks are risks because there is no guarantee they will pay off. In fact, most risks do end in failure, which is what makes them risks. From one perspective, valuing material success, financial stability, basic social survival is a no-brainer. There wouldn't be people still around on the planet if self-preservation wasn't hard-wired. However, the same is true of taking risks, we would not be where we are if not for the risks of our ancestors. Despite failure being so ubiquitous a feature of pitting oneself against convention, it is precisely this same thing that is the engine of change. I'm not trying to elevate myself to the status of a pioneer here, I'm just laying out some basic facts about life. One such basic fact is that when people try to tell anyone they should give up their pursuits, particularly when it comes to questioning social conventions, opposing political and social trends, it is little more than a desire to end conflict. To end conflict against the worldview they agree with. I'll try to illustrate what I mean.
Imagine a long line of people, walking toward the edge of a cliff and sauntering right off it, into the ocean. Like those old Lemmings games. Just a line of people, facing the same direction, doing the same thing, walking off the edge. Well politics is like that, we all have our own perspectives of where the cliff edges are and we can all see people who share perspectives in common marching toward the edge. We all have a vision of what constitutes where we should be marching. The question is, if you're in that march and walking with everyone else towards that edge, will you speak up for your own perspective, dare to tell those around you that they're doing something wrong? It is never an easy thing, to break with consensus or conformity, and it's actually important that it remains difficult. If it were an easy thing to change the direction of culture, culture would be so weak a thing as to wipe itself from existence. However, it is a simultaneous truth that conflict of perspective is essential to cultural survival. Circumstances and environments change in the world all the time, adaptability to change is itself essential to survival, so there must always be people in our society who will voice their contentions with the status quo.
"Status quo" is a term I don't like using, because it is used so much. Used as a pejorative far more than a neutral reference to how things currently are. All political impetus, literally all of it, stems from dissatisfaction with cultural trends. Wanting things to change, wanting to progress towards a goal. Incidentally, I have particular disdain for people who call themselves "progressives" and for politicians who use the word "change" as a slogan. All politics is change and progress, it is a question of progressing towards what and why we should try. When someone comes to me to tell me I'm being stupid or obnoxious for having a go at collectivism from the left, what I see is "I am happy with the direction things are going, I don't agree with your dislike of it, so I would like it if you shut up." All this represents is a denial that I have a point to make and that my concerns aren't even worth addressing.
Anyway, enough of the explanations, let's just get down to brass tacks. I'm mentally ill, with severe depression that I've had for over 20 years and anxiety that I've had for over 10. These things make me emotionally unstable, but they do not diminish my critical faculties. I'm nowhere near the "best" guy to be representing political thought, or demonstrating political points. My cartoons are basic and simplistic, which I do intentionally so they are unambiguous, but that also means they are rather bland. Poorly executed, one might say. However, it must also be said that our reactions to material has much to do with our own opinions, so if a cartoon expresses something you agree with you are likely to enjoy it and find reasons it is good, if you don't agree with it you will find reasons it sucks. People are more than happy to talk about the biases of the speaker or the artist but seldom bother to look at their own. No shit I have a bias, so do you.
Whatever my numerous flaws, I still see things every day that conflict utterly with my own values, I see our culture and our fandom moving in a direction that I find intolerable. As in, I cannot tolerate it. Cannot. So I'm going to say what I think and point out what I don't like. Nobody is entitled to or has the right to my silence on things that outrage me and fly in the face of what I believe in. I'm not a martyr, I'm just stating a fact. I don't care if what you like is winning the day currently, I don't give a single shit about intellectual cowards who are only satisfied in an environment devoid of dissent. People who want supremacy of their own sensibilities because they lack the ability to argue in their favour or the courage to have them questioned. I don't approach any of this in terms of what I may gain or lose from it, though I obviously am going to have personal feelings and emotional reactions to what happens to my life the same as anyone else. If my chief concern was my own wellbeing in the present, I would obviously decide the best course of action would be to shut up, keep my thoughts to myself and just focus on drawing cute things for people who like my art. I can't do that though, I can't tolerate what I see around me every day, it's horrific and appalling to me. For that reason, I'm never going to stop, because I see collectivism as humanity walking off the edge of a cliff (which the 20th century PROVES beyond all reasonable doubt) and I'm not going to silently walk off it too. One can see that as me being a raving autist, but I think adults are people who give a damn about the world around them and their own responsibility and duty towards it. There's more to life than cumming and having fun.
Hopefully this will explain some of my issues in a way that doesn't come across as belligerent since I am interested in being civil and trying to find a compromise
My main issue with conservatism is it's tendency to remain rigid and unyielding in the face of a changing world. The importance of family and personal fortitude are more universal than you might think as leftists care about families that are the classic nuclear family but also those with homosexual parents, single parents, extended families and other kinds and personal fortitude is just as important but at the same time treating people with respect regardless of their age, race, religion, creed, etc. You might think leftists are ganging up against conservatives but there is a reason why that is happening, a lot of conservatives have been getting threatened and angry about the way the world is changing and instead of trying to adapt or go with the flow and try to step out of their bubble, they stand their ground and try to fight back and adopt an "us versus the world mentality".
What conservatives see as "political correctness" is really just showing respect to others and FA has that as some of their rules in 2.4 and 2.6 respectively.
2.4 is summed up as this: "Respect other users. Don't spread rumors, misinformation, flame, or attempt to troll. If a user has blocked you respect that block and move on. Keep any and all discussion civil and polite."
And this is how 2.6 is summed up: "Fur Affinity is a diverse community. Respect the differences of others and keep all discussion civil regardless of differences."
While I could have just ignored your journal and ignored you altogether I felt that maybe if you could listen to the other side you might understand things better and to do so I am showing civility hopefully you don't assume I'm being belligerent though because emotions aren't that easy to convey in text.
Bad idea to give up the guns.