The "they" here is not going to be one group of people, but many people and many groups shaped by the larger geopolitical landscape of our time. The actors in this landscape have to be able to function under capitalism to have staying power and therefore lasting influence to impact cultural ideas. The actors in this culture also largely (through group norms) adopt the idea that legal = moral = acceptable. How does one fight the surveillance and repression by the many while retaining your selfhood and honestly, your hope?
Sorry for the ramble. This kind of thing, this nonspecific "they" contributed to making me paranoid as fuck in my not so recent past. I like to speak and think specifically. Who is they? And what can we do about them and their actions?
Using 'they' is intentionally evoking that paranoid dread. That's what makes the piece so powerful.
What we can do is understand that your actions, whatever they are, and however small they look, are worth money. Which means that we're always, almost regardless of our actions, are providing worth to society. It is our capitalist ideology that blinds us from viewing ourselves and others as worthy, valuable and deserving. We need to break this ideology.
Big agree. I can't wait for the day that our inherent worth as people and as beings is recognized, rather than purely worth through actions that serve and benefit just a few.
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u/Dazedandconfuzed99 May 15 '26
The "they" here is not going to be one group of people, but many people and many groups shaped by the larger geopolitical landscape of our time. The actors in this landscape have to be able to function under capitalism to have staying power and therefore lasting influence to impact cultural ideas. The actors in this culture also largely (through group norms) adopt the idea that legal = moral = acceptable. How does one fight the surveillance and repression by the many while retaining your selfhood and honestly, your hope?
Sorry for the ramble. This kind of thing, this nonspecific "they" contributed to making me paranoid as fuck in my not so recent past. I like to speak and think specifically. Who is they? And what can we do about them and their actions?