I know many people who are properly Socialist, and for nearly all of them it is a massive part of their identity. I am trying to avoid sticking a political label to my identity. That just seems like it would only lead to bad things.
Not on every single one, no. For example, I think that a basic income is both practical and achievable (relatively speaking) in a way that turning every single corporation into a worker-owned workshop is not. This is not seen as a “socialist” viewpoint in the places I frequent. In fact, it is seen as selling out by letting the capitalists pacify the working class by throwing them a few more table scraps. Issues like this are why I do not want ‘socialist’ in my identity.
I think what’s going on here is that you are so used to hanging out around other socialists that you feel like you’re taking a right wing position merely by being a moderate socialist.
For example, I think that a basic income is both practical and achievable (relatively speaking) in a way that turning every single corporation into a worker-owned workshop is not.
What do you mean by “non practical and achievable”? Do you mean that you think they’re merely politically infeasible or that they wouldn’t work even if they could be implemented?
Huh, you might be right about that. There’s also the fact that the word “socialist” is extremely negative in the US (where I live), so it’s something that I am leery about explicitly identifying with.
In this case I mean that they might work if implemented—and similar things have worked in the past on small scales—but there may be insurmountable problems in the scaling-up process, not all of them political. (Most of them are, though.)
I like the term “libertarian socialist”. It really confuses people.
I didn’t see anything in the grandparent that wasn’t part of the standard socialist package.
The only thing there that’s vaguely not socialist is being willing to cross the aisle to vote for anti-corruption candidates.
I know many people who are properly Socialist, and for nearly all of them it is a massive part of their identity. I am trying to avoid sticking a political label to my identity. That just seems like it would only lead to bad things.
And yet by some strange coincidence you agree with said socialists on every political issue.
Not on every single one, no. For example, I think that a basic income is both practical and achievable (relatively speaking) in a way that turning every single corporation into a worker-owned workshop is not. This is not seen as a “socialist” viewpoint in the places I frequent. In fact, it is seen as selling out by letting the capitalists pacify the working class by throwing them a few more table scraps. Issues like this are why I do not want ‘socialist’ in my identity.
I think what’s going on here is that you are so used to hanging out around other socialists that you feel like you’re taking a right wing position merely by being a moderate socialist.
What do you mean by “non practical and achievable”? Do you mean that you think they’re merely politically infeasible or that they wouldn’t work even if they could be implemented?
Huh, you might be right about that. There’s also the fact that the word “socialist” is extremely negative in the US (where I live), so it’s something that I am leery about explicitly identifying with.
In this case I mean that they might work if implemented—and similar things have worked in the past on small scales—but there may be insurmountable problems in the scaling-up process, not all of them political. (Most of them are, though.)