“Yeah Capitalism Is Bad…But What Can We Do?”

Summary

In this video, the speaker expresses gratitude to new patrons supporting their grassroots-funded operation and discusses the importance of organization in effecting change. Drawing from Lenin's 'What Is to Be Done?', the speaker emphasizes the need for collective action through socialist organizations, labor unions, and political education. They argue for the necessity of agitation, propaganda, and exposure to raise political consciousness and mobilize the working class against capitalism. The speaker also addresses the pitfalls of relying on spontaneous movements and encourages viewers to join socialist organizations to contribute to a brighter future.

Takeaways

• 🙌 The speaker expresses gratitude to new patrons for their support, which has been crucial for the channel's survival.
• 🌱 The channel aims to become fully viewer-funded, reducing reliance on sponsors, and the community on Discord is seen as wholesome and engaging.
• 📚 The video discusses the common question of how individuals can effect change, particularly within a capitalist system.
• 🔄 The speaker references Lenin's 'What is to be done?', suggesting that many questions about activism have been addressed historically.
• 🤝 The need for organization is emphasized as a constant across history and geography for effecting change.
• 🏭 Labor unions are highlighted as an example of collective power that can improve worker conditions within capitalism.
• 🌐 The importance of political education alongside economic struggle is discussed, to help workers understand their position in society.
• 📢 The concepts of agitation, propaganda, and exposure are explained as tools for political education and mobilization.
• 📖 Lenin's views on the importance of exposing economic and political conditions to workers are shared to inspire action.
• 🔗 The speaker calls for personal involvement in socialist organizations to contribute to the collective effort of changing society.

Q & A

What was the creator's primary reason for thanking their patrons at the start of the video?

The creator thanked their patrons for the overwhelming support and kind words following an announcement about the business struggling. This support has been crucial in helping to keep their channel afloat.

Why does the creator believe that if support continues, they might not need sponsors in the future?

The creator suggests that with enough patron support, the channel could become entirely grassroots-funded, eliminating the need for sponsorships.

What is the creator's view on organizing as a way to combat capitalism?

The creator emphasizes the importance of organizing, particularly within socialist organizations, as the most effective way to combat capitalism, as individual actions alone are not enough.

Why does the creator reference Lenin’s 1902 work *What is to be Done*?

The creator references Lenin’s work to explain that many of the questions people ask about how to fight capitalism have already been answered. Lenin’s work offers insights into the need for collective organization and political education.

How does the creator describe the difference between labor unions and broader political organizations?

Labor unions can improve conditions for workers but are limited by capitalism, whereas broader political organizations aim to change the system itself by building political consciousness and organizing collective resistance.

What does Lenin mean by 'political education,' according to the video?

Political education, as described by Lenin, involves teaching the working class about the political structures that oppress them, not just their immediate economic struggles. It also entails raising awareness about broader societal issues caused by capitalism.

What role do 'agitation,' 'propaganda,' and 'exposure' play in political movements, as explained in the video?

Agitation stirs discontent, propaganda persuades through rhetoric, and exposure reveals injustices. Together, they are used to educate workers about their exploitation under capitalism and to encourage collective action.

Why does the creator believe that spontaneous movements like Black Lives Matter fail to bring about material change?

The creator argues that spontaneous movements lack political organization and concrete demands, which makes them susceptible to being co-opted or fizzling out without achieving meaningful systemic change.

What does the creator suggest is the most effective way to achieve lasting change against capitalism?

The creator believes that joining socialist organizations, participating in political education, and organizing mass movements are the most effective ways to bring about lasting change against capitalist systems.

What is the creator's advice to those who are aware of the problems caused by capitalism but are unsure of what to do?

The creator advises these individuals to join socialist organizations and take action by engaging in political education and collective organizing rather than relying on others or waiting for spontaneous change.

Outlines

00:00

🙌 Appreciation for Patrons and the Importance of Grassroots Support

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude to new patrons, acknowledging the overwhelming response to a recent announcement about the business's struggles. They mention the increase in patrons and the supportive messages on their personal channel and Discord server. The speaker emphasizes the potential of becoming a fully grassroots-funded operation and describes the Discord server as a wholesome political community. They encourage viewers to become patrons for early video access and Discord participation, which includes a book club and live Q&As. The speaker also discusses the common question of how individuals can effect change, hinting at the answer involving organization and referencing Lenin's work 'What Is to Be Done?'

05:02

📚 The Multifaceted Approach to Social Change

The speaker delves into the question of what individuals can do to enact change, emphasizing that the answer varies based on one's location and material conditions. They stress the historical and global importance of organization, countering the western hyper-individualist narrative. The paragraph discusses the power of collective action, using labor unions as an example of how团结 can lead to significant changes, such as improved working conditions. However, the speaker also points out the limitations of unions within a capitalist framework, suggesting the need for political organizations to complement and extend labor unions' efforts.

10:03

🔍 The Role of Political Education and Agitation

This section focuses on the concept of political education within the socialist movement, drawing from Lenin's 'What Is to Be Done?'. The speaker explains that political education involves not just highlighting workers' economic struggles but also their political oppression. They discuss the importance of agitation, propaganda, and exposure as tools to raise awareness and incite action. The speaker uses examples to illustrate how exposing specific instances of oppression can lead to broader political consciousness and collective action against the systemic issues of capitalism.

15:03

🌟 The Necessity of Organization and Political Vision

The speaker addresses the common misconception that spontaneous movements can bring about systemic change, arguing that without political organization, such movements are likely to fizzle out or be co-opted. They reference Lenin's views on the importance of political agitation and organization, emphasizing the need for a united front of socialists and workers. The speaker calls for individuals to join socialist organizations to work towards a collective goal, suggesting that mass mobilization and political organization are essential for meaningful change. They conclude by encouraging viewers to get involved in local socialist organizations, despite potential disagreements, to contribute to the broader struggle for socialism.

Keywords

💡Patronage

Patronage in the context of the video refers to the support of a creator's work, typically through financial contributions. This can include donations or becoming a subscriber to a creator's Patreon page. The video creator expresses gratitude for new patrons, indicating that their financial support is crucial for the sustainability of the channel and the production of content. Patrons are also mentioned to receive benefits such as early access to videos and access to a Discord community.

💡Grassroots funding

Grassroots funding is a term used to describe financial support that comes directly from the community or individuals, rather than from corporations or large entities. In the video, the creator discusses the possibility of becoming entirely viewer-funded, which would eliminate the need to seek sponsorships from external organizations. This approach aligns with the democratic and community-driven ethos often associated with grassroots movements.

💡Discord

Discord, as mentioned in the video, is a communication platform that allows for text, voice, and video conversations. The creator uses Discord to create a community where patrons can interact, participate in activities like book clubs, and engage in live Q&As. It serves as an example of how digital platforms can facilitate community building and engagement among supporters of a cause or content creator.

💡Socialism

Socialism is an economic and political system where the means of production are owned and controlled collectively, often by the state, and where wealth and property are distributed according to need. The video discusses socialism as an alternative to capitalism, emphasizing the need for political education and organization among the working class to effect change. It is a central theme of the video, with the creator advocating for a deeper understanding and engagement with socialist principles.

💡Labor unions

Labor unions are organizations that represent the collective interests of workers and negotiate employment contracts with employers. In the video, unions are highlighted as an example of collective power that can improve working conditions and wages. The creator discusses the importance of unions in the struggle against capitalism, noting their role in protecting workers' rights and interests.

💡Political education

Political education refers to the process of learning about and engaging with political ideas, systems, and processes. In the video, the creator emphasizes the need for political education within the context of socialism, arguing that it is essential for the working class to understand the political dimensions of their economic struggles. This involves not just recognizing oppression but also understanding the systemic causes and potential solutions.

💡Agitation

Agitation, in a political context, is the act of arousing or stimulating people to action, often in the pursuit of a social, economic, or political goal. The video discusses agitation as a strategy used by socialists to raise awareness and incite action among the working class, particularly in relation to economic and political oppression within capitalism.

💡Propaganda

Propaganda, in the context of the video, refers to the spread of particular ideas or information to influence public opinion or behavior. It is used in a neutral sense, emphasizing the importance of persuasive communication in political education and agitation. The creator discusses the role of propaganda in shaping the political consciousness of the working class and mobilizing them towards socialist goals.

💡Exposure

Exposure, as used in the video, refers to the act of revealing or making known information that was previously hidden or not widely recognized. It is particularly used in the context of revealing the conditions and injustices faced by workers under capitalism. The creator discusses how exposure can serve as a tool for agitation and education, helping to rally support and action for change.

💡Spontaneity

Spontaneity in the video refers to the idea that social or political movements can arise naturally and without central organization. The creator critiques the reliance on spontaneous movements, arguing that they are often ineffective without a structured political program and organization. Instead, the video advocates for deliberate and organized efforts to achieve meaningful change.

💡Class consciousness

Class consciousness is the awareness of one's position within a social class and the shared interests and struggles that come with it. The video discusses the importance of developing class consciousness among the working class as a means to unite them in the struggle against capitalism. It is seen as a critical component of political education and a necessary step towards collective action.

Highlights

Thanking new patrons for their support and the overwhelming response to the announcement of the business struggling.

Mentioning the potential for the channel to become completely viewer-funded with enough support.

Discussing the benefits of joining the Discord server, including early access to videos and live Q&As.

Acknowledging the influence of Lenin's 1902 work 'What is to be done' in answering common questions about individual actions against capitalism.

Emphasizing the need for organization as a constant throughout history and across countries.

Arguing that individual action is less effective without the collective power of an organization.

Highlighting the importance of labor unions as an example of collective power and their recent growth in the US.

Explaining that labor unions within capitalism are limited in their ability to alter the relationship between labor and capital.

Stressing the need to build political organizations alongside labor unions for a comprehensive approach.

Reading an excerpt from 'What is to be done' about the importance of political education and agitation.

Discussing the concept of agitation, propaganda, and exposure in a political context.

Describing the effectiveness of exposing capitalist labor issues in spurring worker action.

Calling out the assumption that someone else will do the work of political agitation and organization.

Criticizing the over-reliance on spontaneous movements without political organization.

Quoting Lenin on the importance of political organization over spontaneous uprisings.

Encouraging viewers to join socialist organizations to contribute to the fight against capitalism.

Providing resources and links to US socialist organizations for viewers to get involved.

Promoting the Discord server for patrons as a platform for further discussion and engagement.

Transcripts

hey everyone before we get to the video

I just wanted to take a second to give a

huge thank you to all our new patrons

two weeks ago I made an announcement

that the business is struggling and the

response has been overwhelming not just

the signups but also just the kind words

and outpouring of support here on my

personal Channel and in the Discord one

more surge like that and we can stop

looking for sponsors entirely and make

second thought a 100% Grassroots funded

operation the Discord has been a blast

with all the new members in my opinion

it's the best most wholesome political

server around if you're interested in

helping make this channel completely

viewer funded consider becoming a patron

every Patron regardless of pledge amount

gets Early Access to every video plus

access to the Discord we've got

everything from a book club to live q&as

with me to Educators ready to answer any

questions you may have about socialism

so once again from the bottom of my

dirty commie heart thank you to all our

wonderful patrons it's only because of

you that we're able to do this work I

hope you enjoy the video

well I was going to make this a big

fancy video like always but hakee beat

me to this particular topic and he did a

great job so go and watch his video if

you haven't already I still do want to

take a few minutes to answer this

question that I get asked a lot and by a

lot I mean this is probably the single

most common question I get what can we

do this usually comes in the form of

yeah capitalism is bad but what can we

as individuals do to make a change and

I'm kind of giving the game away a

little bit by using that particular

wording but we'll get to that the

original idea for this video was to have

a concrete answer I can link people to

because honestly I'm tired of typing out

the same answer 30 times every episode

but I do think it's valuable information

in its own

right okay so what can we do how to

answer that question if only there were

some book I could refer to with that

exact question as the title The more

experienced socialists among you have

probably already guessed we're going to

be drawing a bit from Lenin's 1902 work

what is to be done this is the thing

that's both frustrating and useful about

questions like these they've pretty much

all been answered for the past like 100

years it's frustrating because we've all

had a hundred years to realize that and

read the books and learn from the past

and it's useful because at least the

books exist to point to when people ask

the same questions they've been asking

for the past Century as annoying as it

can be to have to keep rehashing the

same arguments and citing the same

resources it's our responsibility

talking about the more experienced

socialists here it's our respons

posibility to help educate people who

come to us with questions and this is a

big one the answer to the question what

can we do is multifaceted a lot of it

will depend on where you live someone in

Russia or Somalia or Indonesia may need

to take a different approach than

someone in the US for example it depends

on the material conditions in your

country but there is one thing that has

remained constant through all of history

and across every single country on Earth

and that's the need to get organized

this is something that westerners in

particular particular seem to overlook

and it's not entirely our fault we've

been spoonfed hyper individualist

propaganda for many many decades it

stands to reason that we default to

thinking there must be some individual

course of action we each can take and if

you want to look at it that way sure

each of us can take the individual

personal step of joining a socialist

organization but we need to shift our

perspective to realize that it's only

through the collective power of the

organization that we actually have any

agency to really change things for most

Americans the first thing that probably

comes to mind when we talk about

organizing is labor unions unions are an

example of collective power one worker

standing up to the boss alone is likely

to get fired and replaced but an entire

store that's a different story we've

seen some incredible growth in labor

militancy and strike actions in the US

over the last few years from teachers to

doctors to Auto Workers people are

unionizing and fighting back against the

ruling class after all it's only fair

we're the ones who do the work and while

it's amazing to see the victories our

unions are winning it's important to

recognize that these victories are still

confined to the range of possibilities

that exist within capitalism you can win

better conditions at work but a labor

union under capitalism will never be

able to alter the relationship between

labor the people who do the work and

capital the people who own the means by

which that work is done that brings us

back to the same question what do we do

according to most marxists we also need

to focus on building political

organizations to work alongside and

within labor unions let me read you an

excerpt from what is to be

[Music]

done socialism represents the working

class not in its relation to a given

group of employers but in its relation

to all classes in modern society to the

state as an organized political force

hence it follows that socialists must

not confine themselves entirely to the

economic struggle we must actively take

up the political education of the

working class and the development of its

political Consciousness he goes on to

say the question now arises what does

political education mean is it

sufficient to confine oneself to the

propaganda of working-class hostility

towards autocracy of course not it is

not enough to explain to the workers

that they are politically oppressed any

more than it was to explain to them that

their interests were antagonistic to the

interest of the employers Advantage must

be taken of every concrete example of

this oppression for the purpose of

agitation in the same way as we began to

use concrete examples of economic

oppression for the purpose of agitation

and in as much as political oppression

affects all sorts of classes in society

in as much as it manifests itself in

various spheres of life and activity in

industrial life Civic life in personal

and family life in religious life Etc is

it not evident that we shall not be

fulfilling our task of developing the

political consciousness of the workers

if we do not undertake the organization

of the political exposure of autocracy

in all its aspects in order to agitate

over concrete examples of oppress

these examples must be exposed in the

same way it was necessary to expose

Factory evils in order to carry out

economic agitation okay I think that's

fairly clear but to people who may be

unfamiliar with some of the jargon the

gist of the text here is that while it's

important to agitate within capitalist

firms say getting your local grocery

store workers fired up about wage theft

or showing how the boss takes advantage

of workers by capping hours just below

fulltime it's equally if not more

important to help them develop a

political understanding of how

capitalism as a poll creates all the

problems they face both at work and in

society at large how the police protect

the interest of capital how the profit

motive leads to crumbling infrastructure

which leads to train derailments that

poison entire towns it's all well and

good to expose the evils of the boss but

we also need to expose why the boss acts

the way he does his actions are informed

by the capitalist system if we get rid

of capitalism the antagonism between

boss and worker goes away okay so you

may have noticed the words agitation

propaganda and exposure in that passage

what do these terms mean in a political

setting in a nutshell they all serve

roughly the same purpose agitation is

the process of trying to arouse feelings

of discontent like when you're

explaining how a pay raise of any less

than the inflation percentage is

actually a pay cut propaganda which

usually has a negative connotation in

this older use of the word simply means

persuasive language the same sort of

thing we'd write in a high school

English class or the stuff that video

essay YouTubers do exposure has a very

particular meaning in this setting it's

used in the comment sense to reveal

something that was hidden but an

exposure was also used to refer to a

physical thing like a pamphlet here's a

passage where Lenin explains the

importance of these exposures in

economic agitation specifically in

Russia but this applies to any country

everyone knows that the spread and

consolidation of the economic struggle

of the Russian workers proceeded

simultaneously with the creation of

literature exposing economic conditions

I.E Factory and Industrial conditions

these leaflets were devoted mainly to

exposure of factory conditions

and very soon a passion for exposures

was roused among the workers as soon as

the workers realized that the Socialist

circles desired to and could Supply them

with a new kind of leaflet that told the

whole truth about their poverty-stricken

lives about their excessive toil and

their lack of Rights correspondant began

to pour in from the factories and

workshops this exposure literature

created a tremendous sensation not only

in the particular Factory exposed in the

given leaflet but in all the factories

to which news of the revealed facts

spread and since the poverty and want

among the workers in the various

Enterprises and in the various trades

are much the same the truth about the

life of the workers stirred everyone

even among the most backward workers a

veritable passion arose to get into

print a noble passion for this

rudimentary form of war against the

whole of the present social system which

is based upon robbery and oppression and

in the overwhelming majority of cases

these leaflets were in truth a

declaration of war because the exposure

served greatly to agitate the workers

they evoked among them common demands

for the removal of the most glaring

outrages and roused in them a Readiness

to support the demands with strikes

finally the employers themselves were

compelled to recognize the significance

of these leaflets as a declaration of

war so much so that in a large number of

cases they did not even wait for the

outbreak of hostilities on more than one

occasion the mere appearance of a

leaflet proves sufficient to compel an

employer to concede all or part of the

demands put forward in a word economic

exposures were and remain an important

lever in the economic struggle and they

will continue to retain this

significance as long as there is

capitalism which makes it necessary for

the workers to defend themselves even in

the most advanced countries of Europe it

can still be seen that the exposure of

abuses in some backward trade or in some

forgotten branch of domestic industry

serves as a starting point for the

Awakening of class Consciousness for the

beginning of a trade Union struggle and

for the spread of

socialism okay that was a long way of

saying sharing information about

capitalism in the workplace is effective

Spooks the ruling class and helps build

a strike movement and favor of socialism

the same is true today we may not make

use of physical pamphlets quite as much

but a business card with a QR code

serves the same purpose the simple Act

of exposing the ills of the capitalist

labor landscape is often enough to start

the snowball down the hill once that

process has begun it's critical to work

within socialist organizations to pursue

the political education of the working

class when new socialists or just normal

people say things like we all know this

bad stuff is happening but no one does

anything about it that's a reflection

not on the average worker but on the

people who have the time and political

understanding to engage in political

agitation and fail to do so here's lenon

on the

subject why is it that the Russian

workers as yet display so little

revolutionary activity in connection

with the brutal way in which the police

mistreat the people in connection with

the persecution of the religious sects

with the flogging of the peasantry with

the religious censorship with the

persecution of the most innocent

cultural Enterprises is it because the

economic struggle does not stimulate

them to this because such political

activity does not promise palpable

results to advance this argument is

merely to shift the blame onto the

shoulders of others to blame the masses

of workers for our own failings we must

blame ourselves our remoteness from the

mass movement we must blame ourselves

for being unable as yet to recognize a

sufficiently wide striking and Rapid

exposure of these despicable outrages

only those who themselves go into action

now can make appeals for action and our

business as socialists is to deepen

expand and intensify political exposures

and political agitation how's it feel to

be called out from 120 years in the past

what Lennon's talking about here is

something we really struggle with today

we assume someone else is going to do

the work someone else can organize the

masses unite the various unions provide

political education we'll show our

support when it's convenient that's not

how this works there's no single savior

we are all responsible all of us who are

aware of the evils of capitalism we all

have to do the work to get organized

join a socialist organization and do the

work ourselves not as atomized

individuals but as a united front of

socialists and workers and a related

issue we struggle with is that many of

us put too much faith in spontaneous

movements assuming that once things get

bad enough a critical mass of people

will rise up and fix everything in one

glorious social movement that's not how

this works either think about the black

lives matter Movement we had a whole

summer where huge numbers of people were

protesting across the country blocking

traffic confronting the Servants of

capital even torching a police station

but what came of that we got a street

named after the movement and the

Democrats put on a little show no

material change came of this massive

Uprising because it wasn't politically

organized it didn't really even have

concrete demands there was plenty of

righteous anger which is good but

without a way to channel that into

forcing specific change it was always

destined to be co-opted or fizzle out

here's Lennon on the subject of

spontaneity here he's talking about

about some recent strike movements in

Russia the fact that these strikes

spread over the whole of Russia showed

how deep the Reviving popular movement

was and if we must speak of the

spontaneous element then of course we

must admit that this strike movement

bore a spontaneous character strikes

occurred in Russia in the 186s and70s as

well as the first half of the 19th

century and these strikes were

accompanied by the spontaneous

destruction of Machinery Etc compared

with these revolts the strikes of the

1890s might even be described as

conscious to such an extent do they Mark

the progress which the labor movement

had made since that period this shows

that the spontaneous element in essence

represents nothing more nor less than

Consciousness in its embryonic form even

the Primitive rebellions expressed The

Awakening of Consciousness to a certain

extent the workers abandoned their agel

long faith in the permanence of the

system which oppressed them they began I

shall not say to understand but to sense

the necessity of collective

resistance I'm sure you've heard the

expression history does doesn't repeat

itself but it often Rhymes this struggle

against capitalism is about as clear an

example as it gets large righteous and

disorganized uprisings failed because of

a lack of political Vision but the seed

of understanding was there when people

ask what can we do this is the answer

join organizations that are working

towards building the political program

necessary to unite the working class

under a single banner there is nothing

we can do alone against the oppressive

capitalist regimes of world the only

thing that has ever worked in the past

is the only thing that will work today

Mass mobilization and political

organization that's why the expression

agitate educate organize is so common in

socialist circles that's the

formula I'm going to leave some

resources in the description as well as

links to all the main us socialist

organizations they all have their pros

and cons they all have their problems

and God knows they all hate each other

we socialists are really good at not

getting along I've personally worked

with cpusa and DSA but join whatever is

available in your area even if you don't

agree with them on everything it is way

more valuable to get involved and start

working with other socialists towards a

brighter future than it is to criticize

from the sidelines okay that's pretty

much it for this episode thanks for

coming to my little book club I only

focused on one aspect of the struggle

for socialism here there's a lot more to

it so make sure you go check out

hakeem's video as well he's got some

great advice that applies wherever you

live in the world I've also got a

Discord server for my patrons where we

do an actual book club and I try to do a

live Q&A every month so if you

appreciate my work consider supporting

me on patreon it really does help keep

this operation afloat go get organized

and I'll see you next time