Yeah I really feel this one, especially as someone who has been involved in farming for the last 20 years. People have no idea how much real work goes into growing food because the percentage of the population directly involved in agriculture has fallen to less than 1%, from something like 30% a century ago, and a majority 200 years ago. I'm all for a new society where we abolish the FIRE sector (finance, insurance, real estate), and de-mechanize and down-scale farming so many more people are involved again. It would be better ecologically for the planet, and better for human health, physical and otherwise.
Yes! Marx talks a lot about alienation of man from nature and from the fruits of his labor and it really is true especially in this era. I think often about how unprepared we would be for something like a supply chain collapse, because most of us have lost the tools of basic survival we had for millennia. A lot of modernity would be a good thing if it was shared instead of hoarded but there is also something to not being so disconnected from nature that we don't know how to meet our own needs.
Yeah I would say that the population of the US is more alienated from the means of its food production than any other culture in human history, no joke. Practically speaking this is definitely an issue, as there can be supply chain issues as you point out. I also think the psychological effect is also very serious, both individually and collectively. Being out of touch with the non-human living world makes it that much easier to exploit it. And means we're missing out on so much of the true beauty of the world, and what it feels like to try to integrate with it.
"They also need you to LIKE them." Exactly! It's such a shaky, insecure ideology... And some of them must know it can only lead to an Emperor's New Clothes moment if they aren't constantly beating you down enough to keep you from noticing
I feel like we're starting to see more people talk about this. The shock isn't really from the fact that it's happening, but more so from the fact that these guys are genuine losers. The Soy Right is a great way to present them as well - embodying the very manifestation of who've they've been lambasting for years. JT Chapman (Second Thought) had a really good video related to this as well that focused on how Elon Musk became the way that he is. These guys really do feel like they're trying to enact some decades long revenge plot after being shoved into lockers - time to shove them back in.
"The Soy Right is being oppressed and they want you to know it."
This immediately made me think of the "male loneliness epidemic" that many of these losers have pushed as being a genuine crisis of male-focused oppression, when in reality it's just men having their unwanted advances and behaviors rejected - with virtually no introspection being done to understand where they themselves are going wrong. That then funnels them into the likes of Andrew Tate online, and the pipeline towards becoming a right-wing reactionary gets well and truly underway. Instead of presenting them with a genuine alternative, we've seen that increased influence overtime of the treatlerite mindset, and just how easily it has captured so many people - kneecapping their revolutionary capabilities and potential. Makes me think of the movie Wall-E, and how all those humans are just non-stop consuming without paying any mind to the world around them. It feels like we're currently in that place - no one wants to give up their treats and convenience in order to fight the real battles. The comfort of the status quo lulls people into a false sense of security, and prevents them from aspiring for anything more. That's why so many of my older family members are so deeply attached to the status quo and would rather preserve and defend it over "risking" anything with change. The mandate now is ensuring that molasses doesn't hold the younger generations in place, and allows for us to build the movement and program we need to not only build that better world, but ensure the Soy Right never has its day in the sun again.
Keep up the great work Scarlet! You keep finding the right ways to address the current moments of our time, which keeps me wanting to come back and read what's on your mind. Thank you for another wonderful piece!
The great irony is that our attachment to our treats to the detriment of building a movement to fight this will lead to... an end to our treats. As the right continues its destruction campaign, a serious supply chain disruption is almost guaranteed. The time to build the structures that can withstand that and fight it is now. Let's hope it happens before things get so bad that millions suffer.
Yeah once you come for the treats, that’s when people will start to notice and care. Ideally that’ll motivate more people to mobilize as we continue on from here and we can see those structures built before it’s too late.
"That's why so many of my older family members are so deeply attached to the status quo and would rather preserve and defend it over 'risking' anything with change." I'm older and I completely agree with this. They're getting just enough from the tattered remnants of capitalism to stay comfortable.
Indeed, and the sad part about it is that not everyone is awarded those same comforts - making the obsessive need to preserve and defend the status quo all the more frustrating. It's that individualist mindset that's plaguing so many people from being able to see that bold vision for a brighter tomorrow. I do believe though that more people are waking up to this, and it could lead to the beginning of the momentum we need to take those first steps towards change and progress.
This is good. Thank you. I suspect that one reason why fascism and the reactionary right has never appealed to me is that early on I internalized the truth that human relations are not a zero sum game. Not sure if that's replicable at a large scale.
Thank you for this essay, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Posting it all over Twitter, hopefully the Soy Right gets more traction.
Men who worship “Daddies” like Trump, musk, Tate, Rogan, etc. It goes to every level of internet culture and fanboyism. Tough guy “alphas” who are defined by other men.
The best way to help Earth is to change our consumer habits. The best way to do the Peaceful Revolution is to stop playing their bullshit red/blue game and create a new Revolutionary Party. The best way to do activism is to convince other people to stop playing the bullshit red/blue game. And believe it or not, we can create an extraordinary new social media for all that I've just mentioned. If you've nothing to say to me about anything I've mentioned, then I'll kindly fuck off and I won't bother you ever again. Revolution is necessary. FREE PALESTINE. Here's my dream: www.humbledeeds.com
Interesting that you identify the "leaders" on the right as being the same kinds of soy boys the Right associates with the woke left.
The culture and incentives have for decades denigrated masculinity whether on the left or the right, deriding it as toxic or through our entertainment, hook up apps and dating, hiring practices, etc, disincentivized men from acting like men. And at no point in all of modern civilization have so many males been raised by females or had such a dearth of good, masculine male role models.
I don't see it as a right or a left problem. It's a society problem, and the same goes for females, where women who embrace femininity are also seen as suspect or not normal; eschewing college and career to be a wife and mother who stays at home and thus is mocked as being "trad" for wanting to serve her husband instead of her boss.
I'd be careful what you wish for; I don't think our society or country is ready for what a government of real 200 proof masculine men would do if there was such a thing and they were the ones calling the shots!
Looks like you need to read more often then, Brad, as your subscriptions are looking a little light.
The original author is on the left, yet she's able to write intelligently and competently enough that as someone who isn't in alignment with her politically I still find her articles interesting and compelling enough to take the time to read them.
Do you write competently Brad? Or is the extent of your scribblings limited to ad hominum vomits on the comments of those who can?
Vomit is the perfect word for it. I'm just hostility dumping on utter fucking imbeciles, it's a great outlet. It's even better when they reply showing themselves to be the dumbest motherfuckers alive, I appreciate it!
Just to be clear, the word for the mode of operating you're describing is "toxic." You are toxic. I grew up around universities and always associated the left with decency and thoughtfulness. I'm not even sure people like you existed before the concept of "trolling" was invented. Congratulations!
I can assure you that hostility dumping on the dumbest dipshits alive is a time honored tradition going back prior to the beginnings of human history. You're just one in a long line of utter fucking imbeciles that have been mewling out their stupidity and imagining themselves geniuses since before the invention of writing. Well done.
SHOCKING UPDATE: Enraged by the suggestion that he is childish and toxic, Brad ran around the thread pooping, vomiting, and doing his very best imitation of a person with Tourette syndrome. Satisfied that he had won the internets for the day, he then got back to kicking his dog for being insufficiently scary when the Girl Scout rang his doorbell and tried to sell him a box of cookies.
Genuinely curious, how dumb do you have to be to convince yourself that you are a competent writer? Is this stupidity you're born with or did you obtain it as you got older?
"They wear skinny jeans and have meticulously groomed beards. They talk non stop about masculinity, drive pickups, and wear plaid, but can’t change a tire to save their lives."
I love that sentence because it so perfectly describes Matt Walsh and the Theobros. At least that's who I saw in my mind's eye when I read it.
Americans of the MAGA mindset are caught in the throes of an extinction burst.
Though they've won the government trifecta and have the SCOTUS in their hip pocket, they are still mad and getting madder by the day.
Regardless of how much Trump claims to achieve, regardless of their claims to be winning, they are desperate to change the existing narrative.
I completely expect them to get louder and angrier, their gish gallops to be faster and more ridiculous. Their claims of Trump's greatness more absurd, their willingness to wear a diaper, a garbage bag or a maxi pad on their ears more embarrassing.
More Trump hats and flags, more threats to arrest Dems like AOC, more calls to impeach judges, more outlandish proposals like putting the Melon Felon on Mt Rushmore or to make his birthday a national holiday. More attempts to blame the rest of us for their missteps and change the narrative.
More alignment with Putin and Nazis to get their way...."daddy would say yes".
Just like the toddler who's been told "no" will throw himself on the floor, pull his own hair and scream "I hate you" until he can't even breathe.
Just like the lab rat, used to hitting a lever for immediate food. When the lever stops providing instant gratification, does the rat immediately walk away?
Oh no. He hits that lever harder and faster, squealing his frustration, flipping around and frantically biting and pawing the lever until his feet and mouth are bleeding.
For MAGA, that's doubling down on ridiculousness when they're called out for their toxic behavior....as is happening with increasing frequency. This actually explains their increasing support for Trump and his band of misanthropes...in the face of increasing evidence of their unfitness.
Then 💥
The toddler and the rat, after exhausting themselves, both eventually realize their behavior is not going to be rewarded and they cease the tantrums and move on to more productive behaviors.
Assuming Mom and the scientist stand their ground.
Had a feeling we’d get here when the entirety of the political right needed to be “censored” before going mainstream.
They’ve been playing the victim for years now going back to Jordan peterson who invented the playbook by whining about how a pro trans law “violated his free speech.” The right has been soy af for a long time.
Maybe we Marxists can reclaim Übermensch (in the Nietzschean sense)?!
Just want to comment on the "having a special diet" part. Consciously not eating fast food, refined sugars, removing seed oils and other toxins should not be politicized. I find it so odd this continues to be done. There's so many bad parts about the American diet, 73% of the country is overweight/obese and everyone, in a non-partisan way, should try to be healthier.
I don't disagree, and on an individual level we all need to do this to keep ourselves healthy for the fight, but I do think that focusing on piecemeal items like this (or focusing on plastic straws) takes our mind off of the kind of class solidarity we need to be building right now. The Powers That Be love that we are concerned about plastic straws and recycling; it takes our mind off of them.
"On some level we are all too comfortable."
Yeah I really feel this one, especially as someone who has been involved in farming for the last 20 years. People have no idea how much real work goes into growing food because the percentage of the population directly involved in agriculture has fallen to less than 1%, from something like 30% a century ago, and a majority 200 years ago. I'm all for a new society where we abolish the FIRE sector (finance, insurance, real estate), and de-mechanize and down-scale farming so many more people are involved again. It would be better ecologically for the planet, and better for human health, physical and otherwise.
Anyway, great essay!
Yes! Marx talks a lot about alienation of man from nature and from the fruits of his labor and it really is true especially in this era. I think often about how unprepared we would be for something like a supply chain collapse, because most of us have lost the tools of basic survival we had for millennia. A lot of modernity would be a good thing if it was shared instead of hoarded but there is also something to not being so disconnected from nature that we don't know how to meet our own needs.
Yeah I would say that the population of the US is more alienated from the means of its food production than any other culture in human history, no joke. Practically speaking this is definitely an issue, as there can be supply chain issues as you point out. I also think the psychological effect is also very serious, both individually and collectively. Being out of touch with the non-human living world makes it that much easier to exploit it. And means we're missing out on so much of the true beauty of the world, and what it feels like to try to integrate with it.
"They also need you to LIKE them." Exactly! It's such a shaky, insecure ideology... And some of them must know it can only lead to an Emperor's New Clothes moment if they aren't constantly beating you down enough to keep you from noticing
Strike that, ideology 🙄 just a movement. They don't have any ideals. Lol
I feel like we're starting to see more people talk about this. The shock isn't really from the fact that it's happening, but more so from the fact that these guys are genuine losers. The Soy Right is a great way to present them as well - embodying the very manifestation of who've they've been lambasting for years. JT Chapman (Second Thought) had a really good video related to this as well that focused on how Elon Musk became the way that he is. These guys really do feel like they're trying to enact some decades long revenge plot after being shoved into lockers - time to shove them back in.
"The Soy Right is being oppressed and they want you to know it."
This immediately made me think of the "male loneliness epidemic" that many of these losers have pushed as being a genuine crisis of male-focused oppression, when in reality it's just men having their unwanted advances and behaviors rejected - with virtually no introspection being done to understand where they themselves are going wrong. That then funnels them into the likes of Andrew Tate online, and the pipeline towards becoming a right-wing reactionary gets well and truly underway. Instead of presenting them with a genuine alternative, we've seen that increased influence overtime of the treatlerite mindset, and just how easily it has captured so many people - kneecapping their revolutionary capabilities and potential. Makes me think of the movie Wall-E, and how all those humans are just non-stop consuming without paying any mind to the world around them. It feels like we're currently in that place - no one wants to give up their treats and convenience in order to fight the real battles. The comfort of the status quo lulls people into a false sense of security, and prevents them from aspiring for anything more. That's why so many of my older family members are so deeply attached to the status quo and would rather preserve and defend it over "risking" anything with change. The mandate now is ensuring that molasses doesn't hold the younger generations in place, and allows for us to build the movement and program we need to not only build that better world, but ensure the Soy Right never has its day in the sun again.
Keep up the great work Scarlet! You keep finding the right ways to address the current moments of our time, which keeps me wanting to come back and read what's on your mind. Thank you for another wonderful piece!
The great irony is that our attachment to our treats to the detriment of building a movement to fight this will lead to... an end to our treats. As the right continues its destruction campaign, a serious supply chain disruption is almost guaranteed. The time to build the structures that can withstand that and fight it is now. Let's hope it happens before things get so bad that millions suffer.
Yeah once you come for the treats, that’s when people will start to notice and care. Ideally that’ll motivate more people to mobilize as we continue on from here and we can see those structures built before it’s too late.
"That's why so many of my older family members are so deeply attached to the status quo and would rather preserve and defend it over 'risking' anything with change." I'm older and I completely agree with this. They're getting just enough from the tattered remnants of capitalism to stay comfortable.
Indeed, and the sad part about it is that not everyone is awarded those same comforts - making the obsessive need to preserve and defend the status quo all the more frustrating. It's that individualist mindset that's plaguing so many people from being able to see that bold vision for a brighter tomorrow. I do believe though that more people are waking up to this, and it could lead to the beginning of the momentum we need to take those first steps towards change and progress.
“The primary American identity is that of the consumer, rather than the citizen or subject of empire.”
Yep.
This is good. Thank you. I suspect that one reason why fascism and the reactionary right has never appealed to me is that early on I internalized the truth that human relations are not a zero sum game. Not sure if that's replicable at a large scale.
Thank you for this essay, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Posting it all over Twitter, hopefully the Soy Right gets more traction.
Men who worship “Daddies” like Trump, musk, Tate, Rogan, etc. It goes to every level of internet culture and fanboyism. Tough guy “alphas” who are defined by other men.
The best way to help Earth is to change our consumer habits. The best way to do the Peaceful Revolution is to stop playing their bullshit red/blue game and create a new Revolutionary Party. The best way to do activism is to convince other people to stop playing the bullshit red/blue game. And believe it or not, we can create an extraordinary new social media for all that I've just mentioned. If you've nothing to say to me about anything I've mentioned, then I'll kindly fuck off and I won't bother you ever again. Revolution is necessary. FREE PALESTINE. Here's my dream: www.humbledeeds.com
Interesting that you identify the "leaders" on the right as being the same kinds of soy boys the Right associates with the woke left.
The culture and incentives have for decades denigrated masculinity whether on the left or the right, deriding it as toxic or through our entertainment, hook up apps and dating, hiring practices, etc, disincentivized men from acting like men. And at no point in all of modern civilization have so many males been raised by females or had such a dearth of good, masculine male role models.
I don't see it as a right or a left problem. It's a society problem, and the same goes for females, where women who embrace femininity are also seen as suspect or not normal; eschewing college and career to be a wife and mother who stays at home and thus is mocked as being "trad" for wanting to serve her husband instead of her boss.
I'd be careful what you wish for; I don't think our society or country is ready for what a government of real 200 proof masculine men would do if there was such a thing and they were the ones calling the shots!
this is the stupidest thing I've read in weeks, congratulations!
Looks like you need to read more often then, Brad, as your subscriptions are looking a little light.
The original author is on the left, yet she's able to write intelligently and competently enough that as someone who isn't in alignment with her politically I still find her articles interesting and compelling enough to take the time to read them.
Do you write competently Brad? Or is the extent of your scribblings limited to ad hominum vomits on the comments of those who can?
Vomit is the perfect word for it. I'm just hostility dumping on utter fucking imbeciles, it's a great outlet. It's even better when they reply showing themselves to be the dumbest motherfuckers alive, I appreciate it!
Just to be clear, the word for the mode of operating you're describing is "toxic." You are toxic. I grew up around universities and always associated the left with decency and thoughtfulness. I'm not even sure people like you existed before the concept of "trolling" was invented. Congratulations!
I can assure you that hostility dumping on the dumbest dipshits alive is a time honored tradition going back prior to the beginnings of human history. You're just one in a long line of utter fucking imbeciles that have been mewling out their stupidity and imagining themselves geniuses since before the invention of writing. Well done.
SHOCKING UPDATE: Enraged by the suggestion that he is childish and toxic, Brad ran around the thread pooping, vomiting, and doing his very best imitation of a person with Tourette syndrome. Satisfied that he had won the internets for the day, he then got back to kicking his dog for being insufficiently scary when the Girl Scout rang his doorbell and tried to sell him a box of cookies.
Genuinely curious, how dumb do you have to be to convince yourself that you are a competent writer? Is this stupidity you're born with or did you obtain it as you got older?
"They wear skinny jeans and have meticulously groomed beards. They talk non stop about masculinity, drive pickups, and wear plaid, but can’t change a tire to save their lives."
I love that sentence because it so perfectly describes Matt Walsh and the Theobros. At least that's who I saw in my mind's eye when I read it.
Love the suggestions.
Americans of the MAGA mindset are caught in the throes of an extinction burst.
Though they've won the government trifecta and have the SCOTUS in their hip pocket, they are still mad and getting madder by the day.
Regardless of how much Trump claims to achieve, regardless of their claims to be winning, they are desperate to change the existing narrative.
I completely expect them to get louder and angrier, their gish gallops to be faster and more ridiculous. Their claims of Trump's greatness more absurd, their willingness to wear a diaper, a garbage bag or a maxi pad on their ears more embarrassing.
More Trump hats and flags, more threats to arrest Dems like AOC, more calls to impeach judges, more outlandish proposals like putting the Melon Felon on Mt Rushmore or to make his birthday a national holiday. More attempts to blame the rest of us for their missteps and change the narrative.
More alignment with Putin and Nazis to get their way...."daddy would say yes".
Just like the toddler who's been told "no" will throw himself on the floor, pull his own hair and scream "I hate you" until he can't even breathe.
Just like the lab rat, used to hitting a lever for immediate food. When the lever stops providing instant gratification, does the rat immediately walk away?
Oh no. He hits that lever harder and faster, squealing his frustration, flipping around and frantically biting and pawing the lever until his feet and mouth are bleeding.
For MAGA, that's doubling down on ridiculousness when they're called out for their toxic behavior....as is happening with increasing frequency. This actually explains their increasing support for Trump and his band of misanthropes...in the face of increasing evidence of their unfitness.
Then 💥
The toddler and the rat, after exhausting themselves, both eventually realize their behavior is not going to be rewarded and they cease the tantrums and move on to more productive behaviors.
Assuming Mom and the scientist stand their ground.
Rich explains it BEAUTIFULLY
https://substack.com/@ohhthatsrich/note/c-90556834?r=1gwgym
What a puss. Top tier Soy Boy, The Yertle of all Turtles. If only we didn’t have to care…
Had a feeling we’d get here when the entirety of the political right needed to be “censored” before going mainstream.
They’ve been playing the victim for years now going back to Jordan peterson who invented the playbook by whining about how a pro trans law “violated his free speech.” The right has been soy af for a long time.
Maybe we Marxists can reclaim Übermensch (in the Nietzschean sense)?!
Just want to comment on the "having a special diet" part. Consciously not eating fast food, refined sugars, removing seed oils and other toxins should not be politicized. I find it so odd this continues to be done. There's so many bad parts about the American diet, 73% of the country is overweight/obese and everyone, in a non-partisan way, should try to be healthier.
I don't disagree, and on an individual level we all need to do this to keep ourselves healthy for the fight, but I do think that focusing on piecemeal items like this (or focusing on plastic straws) takes our mind off of the kind of class solidarity we need to be building right now. The Powers That Be love that we are concerned about plastic straws and recycling; it takes our mind off of them.