If you think about it, being a nobody is the best thing you could be. You are not drawing attention to yourself, you are living in harmony with the environment. That's pretty cool. Breathtaking, even! :)
I didn't blame capitalism for every mental illness. The world will continue to have mentally ill people (whatever we mean by mentally ill) long after capitalism falls. I'm just saying capitalism makes it worse. Sometimes actively exploits them (see casinos, the lottery and micro transactions in games). And it's ok for it to be criticized for that. Because it's inherent to the system to chase capital, even if human life gets in the way. I still remember the time when Goldman Sachs asked "Is curing patients a sustainable business model?". In capitalism, no it isn't.
Japan is less individualistic than other countries, so it may have less of this kind of problem (regarding OPs post), but at the same time, more of some other kinds of problems, all related to capitalism as well. There is a reason why they have the word 過労死 (death by overwork) and we don't (we have a sentence).
Which is a shame, I love Japan's culture so much.
Ownership of the means of production isn't stopping people from whittling or kneeding dough
Agree, but we need to actually try it to know for sure. :)
[...] but there are several levels more evidence needed for this supposition
Multiple levels indeed. I may not be the best at this, but let's try and unroll what those levels are.
I would say it's a combination of feeling alienated from your work, as well as the commodification of your attention that leads to the stimming/ASMR industries being a thing. Not to say they are bad, but in a better world everyone would feel like they belonged and there would be no need for artificial shows of attention. On the flip side, if you already don't feel like you belong, constant advertisements reminding you you are valuable but only if you buy this thing may gently push you further down the spiral.
Another level may be a lack of community. As proof of this you can see how capitalism promotes individualism, either through "personal finance literacy" or through "personal meditation apps" which help you manage your anxiety on your own. The feeling of success being tied into one's achievements instead of the health of the community, or nature. You may think this is not relevant but remember that some people are more influenced by their environment than others. They pick up the message "do it by yourself" and just run with it, because that's what we as a capitalistic society expect of everyone.
These are problems of capitalism, imho, though I'd be happy to know what others think.
Idk how the wiki works, but has an invite system been considered? With logs, ofc, to keep a registry of who was invited by whom.
If being compassionate about our comrades means I'm a crackpot, then so be it. I'm with OP on this one.
Nonono, not freedom to be oppressed. It's the freedom TO oppress! The freedom of oppression. That's how they see things. They don't like being oppressed as well, but they don't care about that so long as they're not the ones drawing the short end of the stick. Even if they knew of better ways to live, they still prefer the stick to be there, in a rigged way, so they can not only practice their freedom to oppress others, but prevent you from taking this freedom away from them.
However, bootlickers are different, because they have no power. So they are also oppressed. But the bootlicker, he wants to be oppressed because if nobody were there to be oppressed, in the rare occasion he finds himself with power, he will have nobody to freely oppress with it! So he will try to convince others that suffering is good actually. He needs others to suffer with him, otherwise he would be a fool, suffering alone and with no hope of ever becoming the oppressor.
I don't know that all of them think this way, but this would be the only way for it to make sense. Of course, they won't give the game away. They will try to rope you in with them.
Freedom, to oppress.
I'm a programmer as well, but being good at your job does not mean your political ideas are better as a consequence. It just means you have the capacity for it, not that it's being used.
Also, programmers are paid better, so I'd imagine they would believe we live in a meritocracy and tend to ignore those below them (they don't know they exist).
I'm sure it's not just programmers who have this issue.
@pyska
@lemmygrad.ml