Thanks for paying a visit.
Here you’ll find a variety of resources for anyone interested in learning about what life for humanity can be like in a post-Capitalism world. I’m Trase, aka, Comrade Birb. I’m a former Jehovah’s Witness, former Independent/Libertarian voter, and I’ve recognized that both the JW’s and Capitalism are cults. In fact, I’m in the process of writing a book about it. I’ll be a first-time author, if I manage to get it published.
I’ve learned much since my becoming aware that the religion in which I was raised was, in fact, a high control cult. One thing that the JW’s did that was beneficial was instill a healthy skepticism for “this system of things” in me – and once I was freeing myself from their beliefs, I immediately saw that this “system” was, in fact, a corrupt, destructive power in our lives – but I thought it was “corporatism” then (mid-90’s). Over the decades, I’ve become more scientifically, historically, politically, and philosophically literate, and over the last few years, my politics have become increasingly radical, in direct response to the ramping up of Imperialism and Fascism (on the rise especially here in the US since 9/11) I’ve been living under. I’m now a Marxist-Leninist Communist. Yes, really. Are you USian, like me? If you are willing to face down the fears you’ve been indoctrinated with since childhood in a coordinated McCarthyist disinformation campaign that spans generations here in the US, I’m willing to bet you eventually land somewhere close to me on the political spectrum.
I’m a few steps ahead of most of you, but much farther behind others. I don’t claim to be the end-all, be-all authority on Communism, and if I fuck something up, I’m gonna own it. I’ve done it plenty already. One of the personal improvements that this way of looking at the world and myself has resulted in is that I’m divested from my ego. I know I’m going to be wrong on some things, will need to admit that, and correct my understanding – as well as making amends for any harmful impact my previously fallacious thinking might have resulted in. We live in a social order full of contradictions, in which we’re always hearing about “personal responsibility” and Bootstrap Theory (itself based upon fallacious understanding) while at the same time watching the very wealthy be absolved of responsibility for their misdeeds, and our culture encourages us to be arrogant can’t-be-wrongers. Those are, after, all, who are leading us, so obviously, that must mean that’s the right way to live, eh? Have I got news for you about all that! But before I point out the resources I’m building here, I want to make something about my own attitude very clear.
I learned through the Zinn Education Project about NAACP organizer and beauty shop owner Bernice Robinson from Charleston, SC (1914-1994). She said “I’m not going to be the teacher. We’re going to learn together. You’re going to teach me some things, and maybe there are a few things I might be able to teach you, but I don’t consider myself a teacher. I just feel that I’m here to learn with you. We’ll learn things together.”
That is the spirit in which I bring you this site: as I learn things – I’m a voracious reader – I like to share the things I’ve learned and how that impacts me personally, my understanding of our social order, as well as how it appears to impact others and our shared communities, as I apply the tools of Scientific Socialism to analyze these newfound ideas. I erratically maintain a blog, podcast (see it in the right column of site), and if we can ever manage to get a provider to bring broadband to our area, I’ll give videos a go again. 3Mbps is not up to the task. I hope that you’ll check those out, along with the other resources I’m building here, including recommended books, a list of pandemic resources for the working class, and I actively seek out new resources to share every day.
If you have resources you’d like to submit for me to check out and potentially share here, requests for podcast eps or blog posts, or would like to work together on a project, please email me.
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