Natalie S 🍀

I grow fragrant orchids and other stuff. Proud part of the “Lunatic Fringe.Tyranny is NONPARTISAN so I don’t have a “ side”

[Vijay Prashad @vijayprashad]

Michael Parenti (1933-2026) died today. He has, as his son Christian said, 'gone to the Great Lecture Hall in the Sky'. A socialist from early into his life till the very end, Michael Parenti wrote in a feisty way and spoke bluntly the truths that were not always easy to digest in a wretched capitalist system. He was a fierce critic of imperialist wars and suffered the consequences of this because he could keep and then hold academic jobs even in liberal states such as Vermont.

The toughest test for all of us came when the USSR collapsed, and it was in this period that Michael Parenti played an important role in the Battle of Ideas, fighting the reactionary Western media and the intellectual cowardice of his peers. His books on Yugoslavia's destruction earned him terrible attacks, which he brushed off as the necessary price you pay in this struggle. In the midst of it all, Michael wrote 'Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism' (1997), a rebuttal to the anti-Marxist and anti-Communist blather that had begun to infect the world. The book remains an essential tool to fight against the ridiculous anti-communist historiography that demeans the great achievements of the workers' movements.

He spent the last period of his life within himself, which was a loss to the rest of us, and now his departure leaves us without that anchor which he provided.

Michael Parenti. Comrade. Our Red Flag dips in your honour.

[Douglas Lain @DougLain]

This needs to be emphasized even more. ALL OF US have been under surveillance by teams of outside contractors for decades. Edward Snowden, for example, worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, an IT consulting firm with NSA contracts, before he leaked the facts to us.
He didn't just have access to social security numbers but to our emails, Skype calls, webcam data, and the rest. NSA worked with computer companies (or worked clandestinely) to get backdoors installed in Apple, Dell, Intel, Samsung and other computers.

[Old fashioned Marxist 🗽 @laborrepublican]

Please, please, please watch this video. Please share this video.
https://t.co/nbYQuJk6Ut

I know there are a lot of videos like this going up every day. I watch them often. I think this one was particularly powerful and moving.

I cried through most of it, I'm not ashamed to say, having lived through an almost identical experience in the US, though I did not and will never leave.

It wasn't my sister, but my wife who became severely disabled. She passed away, because she did not receive the support she needed, and because I couldn't provide it for her.

But I didn't post this to talk about my own sob story. I know that nearly every adult in the United States has faced or is currently facing very similar experiences, if not necessarily with the same degree of reflection.

This is the basis of proletarian politics, right here.

If you want to know what agitation means, this is agitation.

We should be making and sharing and circulating these accounts, and discussing them together, in person wherever possible, at the bare minimum.

If you want to know why all the woke bullshit spread by fake "leftists" is absolute POISON, this is why: it is nothing but a means of compelling people to suppress their discontent in the name of moral propriety.

Most of the people who hold those ideas are deeply confused and deluded, because, having suffered very similar experiences themselves, they've recoiling into comforting pieties. They cling to moronic ideas with damaging effects in the same way as the avowed white supremacists they claim to revile, and in the same way drug addicts fill their bodies with poison for that fleeting moment of comfort it provides, before the pain returns worse than before.

Only a minority are among the wealthy and powerful and their servants. The rest merely aspire to something they think they'll get if they shame enough white men or whatever. Poor fools.

This is why we need a serious proletarian politics, a serious left wing politics, that unites the immense majority around the interests of the immense majority. This is why we have to scrap every last remnant of the divide-and-conquer politics of the ruling class, whether it came from one or the other right-wing, one or the other side of the ruling class.

A great first step in that direction is spreading material like this video as widely as possible, and to ruthlessly criticize every obstruction, ideological or otherwise, that blocks people who share this experience, of BEING A SLAVE, from joining together in a common struggle to end their slavery and win their emancipation once and for all.

I've transcribed most of the video below. Read it, watch it, share it, think on it, watch others, share others, talk about them, make your own. Realize that you have infinitely more in common with the people with whom you think you disagree than you do with the people who benefit by keeping you divided.

We need a socialist party: a party of the working people struggling to restore government of the people, by the people, for the people, and thus, to end their slavery to a ruling class. We can't begin soon enough.

We need a working class party. Britain needs a REAL working class party. The US needs a party OF THE WORKING PEOPLE THEMSELVES, a party of, by, and for the working class, rather than one or another party of the ruling class offering this or that fake solution or temporary and inadequate palliative.

The working class is READY to begin organizing themselves into a political party. If you can't see that, you're blind.

The discontents of the working people are palpable. They need only the right catalysts to draw them together, and develop them in the direction of an advancing struggle for emancipation.

Those catalysts are the socialists who know what is necessary, and who will say it, over and over, to whoever will listen, until the message gets across, and the movement passes from its present infancy to maturity, becoming an irresistible revolutionary force.

Kate's video:

I do love my country a lot, but with a heavy heart I would genuinely recommend that if you're watching this as a young person in the UK, you consider moving.

The first reason is that you're genuinely paid shit.

Even if you think you're on a good wage, half of that goes in taxes, that's if you're in a really good wage. And if you're not on a good wage, the reason you don't pay half in taxes is because the government knows that you need that money literally to survive.

So the money you're making isn't to have fun with, it's literally to get you through the month so that you can work for the next month.

We live in a country where if you try to better yourself by going to university, the interest you pay on your education means that it's basically guaranteed that for the rest of your working life, 9% [or] 10% of that is going to be taken away from your salary. And if you're someone who isn't making that much to begin with, or did a degree that's completely vital for the economy, you might resent that for the rest of your life, 9% of your [wage] is taken away because of your education. Your choice to better yourself costs you so much money.

And if you're like me, then you will have graduated, but never had a graduate job. So you'll be paying 9% just for the "experience", which quite frankly is bollocks, because, you know for me personally, half of my experience of university was during COVID, so the experience wasn't there.

But also just in terms of how I feel as someone with, you know, an okay amount of intelligence—I don't attribute much of what I've learned in life to my university experience at all—it's just not worth it.

It's very frustrating to owe a government so much money when you just don't feel that you've got much back in return, you know?

And it's the same with taxes. Look, I grew up left-leaning, I'm still left-leaning in principle, in theory, but if you can't see where your taxes are going, it's so stressful.

It's so stressful that such a high percentage of your income can be taken away from you, when you know what you could do with that to better your life, and in the process of bettering your life, better the lives of the people around you, and society.

If you could get a house, and if you could invest in some skill sets, blah blah blah, with that money, that would be good for economy, that would be good for your community, but instead you throw it down a money hole, that's really what it feels like.

I had poor mental health a few years ago, and I was told it was a priority that I get therapy, and I was put on a waiting list for therapy. 15 months later I got a call to start therapy, and by then I had to decline it, because my address had changed, so the area that I was entitled to it for, I was no longer in. And I was considered critical. I was the priority and it took 15 months.

Now I got to sort myself out in that case, but so many people don't. Some people literally die. And I'm gutted for them.

I have a younger sister who is quite severely disabled. It's a very clear-cut situation, where she's someone who completely needs support, and will never get a house based on the money she's saved or anything. She's entitled to supported living accommodation, and she got on the waiting list this year, and . . . it could be 5 to 10 years before she gets supported living accommodation. So in 10 years time, theoretically, could be when she moves out of mums. By then, she will be in her late 30s. This is someone with with dreams to be independent. And by then, my mom will be in her late 60s, and will have looked after my sister for 38 years.

Obviously you should be such a primary part of caring for your loved ones when they're sick or disabled. That's how it's always worked. But the idea that there's basically no chance of support, and the idea that unless you're Mega Rich you just have to accept that situation, it's such a disservice to my sister, it's a disservice to my mother who has paid taxes her entire life, who's always contributed so much this economy. Now that it's time for her to get something back, she's not going to, or at least not for-basically-ever.

When I think about the fact that my sister's very well cared-for by my mum, my mum is someone who enjoys caring for my sister, and can basically do it, when I consider that that's the best case scenario, but out there in Scotland there are so many more far more compromising situations where they will also be told it will take 10 years, and lives are falling apart in those situations, people are being abused, finances are being ruined . . . it's very upsetting. It's very upsetting to me.

If I could just circle back to mental health in the UK, I think the way every aspect of how mental health is "treated" in the UK is so damaging for the mentally unwell, because first of all, if you're a young person, you're quite obsessed with mental health. We're always analyzing our feelings, we're always diagnosing ourselves based on stuff that we see online, we're constantly talking about mental health.

But we're stuck at that stage where we're overanalyzing ourselves, but no real help is given, and that's the worst of both. What you want is that you get the opportunity to be self-aware, and you get the opportunity to explore who you are, vulnerabilities and all, but that you don't stay in that stage where you're kind of thinking: oh, who am I? what am I? why do I feel like this? That stage is important, because it then takes you to the next stage, which is action. But we don't get to have action. When the NHS just can't support you, you have to, and I'm sorry to be blunt, you have to literally have a suicide attempt, or something crazy, before you're urgent enough that they can really prioritize you.

Even when that happens, does it mean that you get to make a full recovery, and you're really looked after, and a thorough investigation into your mental health is done from a holistic perspective as well as a medical one? Very unlikely, and if that's true for mental health, it would be true for physical health as well.

I think, because of these riots that happen this summer, it's just obvious that people are very unhappy. Now depending on where you sit politically, you might feel that that unhappiness is legitimately because of immigration, or you might feel that that's misplaced anger, and that it's actually about other things, or you might feel it's a bit of both, but either way people in the UK are livid.

They're so angry, because we were brought up being told we lived in one of the best countries in the world. That you were so lucky compared to other places.

Now of course that's true, but if every month, you're working just to get through that month, and you are living in a place that isn't that nice, that's taking all your money in rent to pay for some rich person's seventh holiday this year, and you don't feel respected at work, the weather isn't nice, you're becoming increasingly anxious because you're aware that you're aging and that you don't have a pension, and that you're never going to be able to afford a house, and oh shit, can I even consider if I want kids? Because if I can't even afford kids, then is it even good for me to even consider if I can have kids?

And if I can't have kids, and I don't have my own place, and have no money, do I even want to date? Do I even want to feel that I have an opinion? Do I want to really pursue my dreams? Can I? It takes so much from you. It's very upsetting.

I didn't feel this upset a few years ago. A few years ago, I would have said, look everywhere's got their problems, which is true. I would have said, a lot of this comes from a lack of perspective, if you go to other places you'd realize that you've got it better, and that people love to moan, etc etc.

Well I've now been to quite a few places, I'm very lucky to say, and of course it's true that everywhere's got their problems, but this idea the UK is better than everywhere else, it's just bollocks.

That mindset we have is really holding us back. It really stops us from feeling that we can complain.

So what made my mind change a few years ago is that, I graduated from a pretty good uni[veristy], if I may say so. I applied for a shit-ton of graduate jobs, and I couldn't find any, and for a while I was actually okay with that, because it's like, well you're going to spend the whole of your life in a good job, so if you have two or three years where you don't, and you're doing waitressing, which is fun, but not making you a lot of money, and that's cool, you have no responsibilities right now anyway . . .

Anyway, years and years went by where I was always applying and doing this minimum wage job waitressing, which I did enjoy it, but you know there's no money in it, there's no respect, and eventually it just it really compromises your CV if it's all you can say you've done.

How I managed to be a waitress, so someone on minimum wage, but still not live at home with my parents, was that I was a live-in waitress. So I worked in a hotel that I also lived in staff accommodation in the side of. And the hotel, it's nothing that dramatic, but it was just one of these hotels where like, the managers above you make 50p more but they're dead arsey to you, they think that makes them it, even though they're not necessarily better at the job, they've just been there longer or whatever, and then the people that own the hotel are quite out of touch, they don't pay you extra at Christmas, you've worked for them for ages but they don't know your name, etc etc.

I found that I was becoming quite resentful that I worked there, considering my education, which I understand is very snobby, I'm just being honest about how I was feeling, and I was beginning to feel like I'm behind in life, this isn't where I want to be. Because I'm working for less money than I need, and I'm working to make someone else millions, who I don't care for, cuz they don't care for me, and I enjoy the job in that I like interacting with other people, I like giving people good experiences, but this isn't my passion.

But then, I slowly realized, Kate, you've got it good. Most people your age in the UK either live with their parents, or they live in a city, and they get to have all the independence that comes with that, and some cool memories going out drinking and stuff, but they pay a shit-ton for that, so even if you're in a good job, like say you're making 50 Grand, which would be twice as much as what I was making as a waitress, once you take off the tax, and you take off the very high rent, these people probably have less expendable income at the end of each month than you do. In fact, I know that they do.

And that put things into perspective for me, because then I had to realize, your life's not what you want it to be Kate, your life doesn't feel that good right now, but you have got it good in comparison to a significant percentage of people your age in your country.

And that's when I was faced with a choice. Do I accept that? Do I, obviously I'm always a fan of gratitude, but do I accept that to the extent that I just bury down my frustrations?

Or do I do something about that? And that's why that's why I decided that I was going to move abroad. Not because abroad is perfect, but because I need a palette-cleanse from the UK. It's making me sad. I need a palette-cleanse from the distrust in the air, and the increasing anxiety in the air, and I need a break from being so anxious when I get each paycheck that—I've got to save this, like, what can I save each month? So that if I save this and this and this in 5 years I might have a deposit, [or] in 10 years . . .

Having to sacrifice quite basic experiences like going to the pub, or you know going for a meal out with my boyfriend when we were dating, because that 50 Quid . . . every little [bit] helps so much, blah blah blah, you know?

Really feeling, to just not live, so that one day, you could live.

Look, I'm all for that as a short-term strategy, but thinking about that in terms of 10 years of your life, so that you can have 30 grand, so that that can be a deposit, which is then the start of paying a mortgage for the rest of your life . . .

I think things are going to get worse in the UK.

A lot of people are going to blame [the] Labour [party] for that. I'm still open-minded about about the Labour party, but the damage that's been done in the 12 years prior is still in effect, so even that is going to be tough . . .

It's not just government policies that is making the UK and the western world a tough place to live. We also spend all of our time on social media. It drains us mentally, even when we don't realize it. We don't socialize in real life as much as we should, and far less people are having kids, and being in meaningful relationships. It's sad.

It's sad that you miss out on these things in life during the most developed period of civilization. I'm not someone with any of the answers. I'm just someone that really felt I actually just had to do this video, cuz [I] realized that I have been suppressing a lot of emotions, about the opportunities in my country as a young person.

I've been suppressing them out of guilt that other people have it worse.

I've been suppressing them out of disbelief, considering how often we're told that Britain is amazing.

I've been suppressing them because a lot of these problems I blamed on myself, that I wasn't doing well in life, or as well as I could have, you know?

But so many more people are talking out than ever before, that Britain is really going down the shitter, and I'm very grateful to those people, because they've helped me articulate my feelings, and they've helped validate my feelings, and they've also made me a little hopeful, in that, the more people that start talking about it, the more chance there's something that will actually be done about it.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@DougLain They wonder why they get called elitist.We wonder why they are called democratic .

[Douglas Lain @DougLain]

Butler is a right-wing authoritarian who loves Big Brother.

[Douglas Lain @DougLain]

Four years ago Michael Brooks passed away way too soon. We have all been far worse off for this loss. I do wonder what he would be doing today, how he'd be handling and understanding the realignment.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@skepoet I’m sorry to hear that. It’s awful but hopefully you make the most of the moments in between.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

I am directly affected by this.I receive snap for myself and my daughter. It barely covers groceries for half a month but that at least, was a small help. People you know are on SNAP even if you don’t know it.

[The Debt Collective 🟥 @StrikeDebt]

The pundits who are declaring this a “win” for Biden don’t have any personal relationships with anyone in this situation. They know people exist in these situations, but it’s an abstraction to them. It’s statistics they feel bad about sometimes.

Real people are harmed

[Douglas Lain @DougLain]

Hey, @YouTubeCreators this is clearly a major error. Please fix this!

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@AllWeLikeWorms @Ilyich75793801 @DougLain @YouTube That said they are 98 % better in my opinion than most of what’s out there. MR, that is not Dore even if occasionally gets a kernel that I think the left ought to pay more attention to instead of a wholesale dismissal,IMHO

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@AllWeLikeWorms @Ilyich75793801 @DougLain @YouTube In a certain way but I am definitely left, it’s more of a dichotomy of MR being occasionally stuck in there silo, and rooting for any team has never been my thing.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

Happy Birthday Marx 🎂🎉

[Tribune @tribunemagazine]

'From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.'

Revolutionary philosopher Karl Marx was born on this day in 1818.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@DougLain @elonmusk Because I still can’t complete a Rubik’s cube and I’m a petty bitch?
Nah , even for that I wouldn’t cancel you.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@skepoet Hard time reading on screens, I will find it… it will take me longer to read but it sounds worth it .Thanks 😁

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@skepoet doesn’t work for me.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@skepoet Takes book recommendation, immediately goes to check price and now have accepted that I already knew paywalling knowledge is utter bullshit. People who want to learn will seek it out in any system but only still stay quasi-educated? in this one. Revolution b/c Que sera sera doe

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@skepoet I feel seen. Like my lived experience is fully represented.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@skepoet You do have a way with words ,even when speaking on other topics… at least it resonates with me, for what that’s worth.
I hope to read more of yours.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

Is there no one who appreciates bad poetry anymore? Not one?that’s not a world I want to live in.Still here I am.

[Natalie S 🍀 @PhoenixWomam]

@OJChristiansen @skepoet Will you allow franchise’s ?