Reply To: Left and Right Unite! – For the UBI Fight!

Dave and Matthew,

Thank you for your corrections.

I guess I have been fighting for so, so long- near on demanding the government pay attention to adequate funding for the sector I work in, that I have entered the ‘parlor room’ that Marcos had mentioned. Maybe it is the New Left- or toiling so hard to have our voice heard, that communication of a simple message has gone with pats on the head: “work harder to help the poor”. I am tired of that middle space, and sacrificing my own socialist principles to earn a living, and to work toward addressing inequitable distributions of wealth.

“at least he is talking to us”- they are sharp words, but I embrace the correction. It is just that I need here and now solutions to what I do, and what many other social sector workers do. We see people die, many times in the grip of social problems generated by capital control- so at time we might enter that parlor room, seek a revisionist agenda, and then feel bad afterwords…  socialists are great at communicating, and the message has taken many forms for so long. I want a UBI, but I want it to be not basic, but full and meaningful- an end to poverty and class status. I would love my job to be redundant- but there is so much need,

Socialism informed me, and I am saddened that I negotiate with neoliberal funders, who talk of the price of care, even of funeral. But at times I have to enter that parlor room or space, and state concerns for money, money used to fund a vital response- and it is a grey area.

I am talking to you so I can get perspective, grounding, and renewed focus- so when the grey area presents itself- I can remain centred.

I hope my last post was seen as a act of sheer: what the, and not as a flippant compromise. I am in an oppressive system, yet toil anti-oppressively.

I need to open dialogue with those who are right in their political beliefs, if not to argue and wrestle for even the most basic- but I want so much to argue an end to capital control.

We all toil. At times I may of lost sight of the purpose. Thanks you two, really needed some cold water.

L.B