Submitted by lettuceLeafer in OnLettuceLeafersAuthority (edited )

With global neoliberalism there had been so much effort to squash anything but western culture. Even in colonized countries people have so much ingrained thinking from the current system that limits their thinking and I think it's even worse for most Americans. Sure there are outlets who maintain their cultural practices but no matter how hard you try liberalism and it's ideas will get to you.

And in the case of Africa so much of Africa culture had been lost and discarded due to colonialist governments control. There was such a massive effort to teach all African children that anything African is bad and wrong. So there is a ton of American and western European thought for the average African. And the same is true for many indigenous people on turtle island. Not all have this issue

So what I'm saying is so much of the whole entire world has been indoctrinated into his extremely limited thinking. And sure challenging these ideas and growing is portent and many do it. But cultural ideas can only grow so fast. How to deal with neocolonialism and modern society requires new thinking and a radical change in culture. And we know societies have thought radically different ways that are hard to conceptualize. Far more liberatory and autonomous but the way of thinking was hard to grasp

As we work to do this, we have to be confident on how most of us are I heavily going to be limited by our cultural context that's limits our thinking. So what we can visualize and imagine as good as inherently fixed by current society. It's like trying to imagine colors when blind.

Culture and idea will grow and enhance in more radically autonomous societies. The ones who grow up with less programing will be able to visualize and think about things in ways beyond our imagination. Thats how it has always been. Old anarchist writers always on some levels seem out for touch because their scope of what life could be was smaller.

So I have no doubt in a more autonomous future kids will think "I can't believe the Anarchists of 2022 didn't think to do djdke22### it's so obvious and they were such bigots for doing $@-$)-@+" because society and culture grows over time to become something beyond our current imaginations. The idea that u have it figured out already is very arrogant in my opinion.

There is only ever means and short term ends.

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NoPotatoes wrote

Is this a response to revolutionary discourse? Where the "ends" are certain outcomes? And means corresponds to... lifestyle choices? art? culture generally?

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Majrelende wrote (edited )

Tangent ahead. This is one of my motivations for glossopoeia too-- creating room for new and flexible ways of thinking.

Here is a somewhat multi-purpose metaphor. Culture is like a house, and if Western culture is a highly technological house that kidnaps people and then tries to devour its inhabitants, then we need to leave and build another house. But if our house has no poles, then it will fall apart on our heads, and if its supports come from the all-eating house... What if we can't even communicate effectively with each other? It would be better to shelter under a hemlock or cedar and not talk at all-- but what if the way we think about language is completely wrong and we don't need toilets or insulating foam or telephone poles? As I do more language-making I realise that there isn't, or doesn't have to be exactly the same meaning of... meaning... from one to another. Why, and when, do we speak, or think in words? How does the presence of mass media/impersonal society, articulated through a language, alter the actual meaning of language as a whole for speakers? ("Meta-lexicology"?) Or, more generally, the context of its use. We become used to certain phrases, certain times when we are supposed to speak-- but I think none of that is predetermined.

In general language is overused-- as a filter, rather than a tool, which overlaps somewhat with the idea of further ends. People try to get others to see through their language-filter instead of lifting it. But as a filter... it is so easy to get trapped in words, to fall down into them-- like a ripe fruit hanging in front of a mouth starved for hope. And then we think we know things, but we are only waving a tiny shard of glass and saying, "This is everything! Gaze at its beauty and wonder!" rather than using language like poles to hold up a house, or maybe whatever is used to tie those poles. Not that any language cannot be abused. But we are not individuals; we are insubstantial, like a stream. Things pass through us, although changed: when poison goes in it often comes out as well. But a pond in the stream, or a slow section-- any stopping point-- lets plants grow and filter the water. Or the same with swales. They stop the poison.

In one language you may be more likely to spout gibberish than in another, or believe it, depending on how you experience it, or you might have more dull and disingenuous thoughts. Or maybe perfect clarity about the world, like an unpolluted water deep in the forests. Whatever-- it is a tool. With a knife one can kill another or save their life.

Nevertheless though, the constant extinction and marginalisation of non-Western (and uncommon Western) languages is extremely worrying.

Edit: To clarify. It is absolutely not my intention to point at certain languages and call them bad. The need for diversity, for one, is my intention to point out. It is like a diverse meadow, versus a monoculture: which is more susceptible to be gnawed to death, or just die out in general?

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lettuceLeafer OP wrote

Ehh, I think just not getting so caught up language is good enough for most practical purposes. Tho I don't think there is anything wrong with making your own language. It's definely an exercise in really radical thinking.

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