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[](https://xd1.dev/2024/07/against-political-realism#content-against-political-realism "Permalink")Against political realism

With the recent developments in US politics, following the attempt on candidate Donald Trump's lifethere is renewed heated and polarised debate, if there wasn't such heat before. With this, something struck me as odd when talking to other people online, which is, nothing seems to be changing.

We seem to be forever locked into this very narrow, very sanitized scope of political debate where we only consider the two most outstanding political candidates and their respective parties. Why I say this, is because the answer from the progressive agenda, insofar as I have contact with it, is to just... keep doing what it is doing, whatever it is.

This strikes me as a form of political realism, which is not to be mistaken by the Political Realism definition from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. I am talking about a concept which can be seen as an extraploation of the concept of Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher.

In it, and I am not making much effort into putting this into my own words, "it is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism". In the same sense, it is easier to imagine a fascist dictator taking hold of the United States to fight some form of communist phantom menace than it is to imagine a third candidate might win over Trump or whoever might replace Biden. And I am very comfortable in saying that this might extend to all other countries.

What I believe is lost in this form of political realism is the chance to have actual meaningful debate across the society, to discuss bringing about the actual project of cultural and social legacy that we want to design for our successors. And for good reason. Why would we waste valuable time from our lives, that we have to divide between all activities that a modern person imersed in this meritocratic warfare needs to attend to, to discuss ideas that are never going to be taken seriously in the macro sphere of the social debate?

However, what follows from that is the kind of fracture in political discourse that is reproduced by us average citizen that just reinforces the status quo that arguably is the very thing that produces the necessary conditions for extremist political positions to flourish. And while I lean to talk a lot about fascism, any sort of extremist totalitarian political organization is equally as detrimental to the long term welfare of the average individual, which is not saying that they are all the same.

Look, I am not claiming to know what the way out of it is. Far from it. I am far from a political theorist, or a philosophical genious. I am just your regular friendly neighbourhood tech guy that is, quite honestly, very affraid to bring new life, kids, into this mess we have created for ourselves and called it civilization.

What I am trying to say here is that we should honestly try to find immediate ways in our own lives that would increase the chances of us having meaningful debates about the changes we want to see happening that would prevent the rise of the next dictator, the next Hitler or Stalin, the next Khan. Because the human world might not be able to survive that.

And for that I believe we could start by paying less attention to the political spectacle that is taking form today and more to the person next to you that is in dear need of help. I am talking about charity, sure, but also that friend that you haven't talked in a while, some relative that you think would make good conversation, anyone in need of attention.

Because while actual change isn't something that is convenient, pleasurable or even desirable, starting with caring about others in your immediate vicinity instead of distant and big events, could at least increase the chances that, once you get the chance to actually talk to them about important stuff, that they might be less defensive and more open to debate.

And if you think this resonates somehow with you, do this before it's too late, because if there is something that the fascist right or the stalinist left is very good at is snatching those hearts in search of a quick and easy solution, which will turn out to be everyone's demise.

[](https://xd1.dev/2024/07/against-political-realism#content-after-word "Permalink")After word

I am writing in a very polarised way. Talking about left and right, fascist and stalinist, conservative and progressive, while the actual problem is much broader in scope and complex in nature. I know this and this is intentional.

One because, honestly, I am not educated enough to be delving into more details about the current political strucutre. Sorry about that.

But also, because if I would otherwise attempt a much deeper analysis, I'd risk making this quick article much harder to get into and also would steer away from the central point, which is to say let's trust ourselves. Quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”. Lets voice the change we want to see, that it might resonate with the hearts of those close to us, in a sea of constructive human interference, against that which will ultimately be our doom.