My name is Rob. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. I am a socialist. That's what this is going to be about. My thoughts and feelings on current events; on socialism; on socialists; on being human. I believe the only way for humanity to really be free is to embrace socialism, my ideal socialism. Not Marx or Engel or Lenin or Trotsky or Chomsky. While all of the names that I've mentioned add to the economics of socialism they never mention the humanity of socialism. More than anything I believe socialism needs to be a humanist movement. While the economics matter, it is the community building and activism that matters more. You'll hear more about this in my first serious post though.
Being born in Philadelphia and raised in a lower middle class family I would say I didn't have a terrible life. I went to public school, but never had the good fortune or money for college (and I don't believe in debt, so let's not get started on loans). I read Marx in the eight grade and was hooked. I earned the nickname Commie in high school from being so obsessed with all things soviet. Hell, I figured at some point I would go to college and study history and keep going and at some point get a doctorate in Russian history. Not to be, of course. I began working in high school and haven't stopped outside of a few month break in 2002.
I would say I am from a blue collar background but I don't really think it fits. My mother worked in the service industry and my father in factories. Those were my examples, so that is what I did like many in Philadelphia. I went to work at the factory my father worked in after high school while continuing a job with a shipping company at night. Later I moved to retail, and within a few years had built myself a career in retail management. I continue in this field, though I often feel like it betrays some of my core values. The problem with living in a capitalist system, however, is that to eat you need to take part in the system.
I've my own demons of course.
I am overweight. Years of not caring about my health, and buying into the system and marketing. I am slowly learning that you can enjoy food and still be healthy. I will overcome this. We need support. It has been a very difficult couple of months in a environment almost hostile to our diet but we are trying.
I can be a bigot. Not against any one person or race, but I do on occasion buy into stereotypes. Humanity always proves me wrong, of course. I know there are good and bad people of all stripes.
I have been known, on occasion, to get depressed. Don't we all? :-D
I spend much too much time on the internet. We don't have much money to travel and don't have friends close so this really becomes our only way to communicate and read and react.
I am not outgoing! It's hard for me to go to bars, or other social activities with people my age. I am much more comfortable drinking tea and discussing the politics of the day with a small group.
I condone violence. I believe the revolutionary tipping point has been reached and it is time for reactionary actions.
I'm a dreamer. I do believe the end result is the next stage for humanity. I am both an optimist and a pessimist. I look at the things that dreamers like Sagan believed and it makes me very sad. However I know that revolution is coming and that the people are going to stand up and the time of plenty and peace will be for our children and our grand children that they will have a chance to stand at the shores of the cosmic ocean.
