Every once in a while, I find “leftists” or “anarchists” who discount ableism, i.e. the oppression experienced by disabled people specifically because they are disabled. A most common example is when leftists use ableist language (e.g. the R-word) to insult enemies (instead of insulting them for the thing that they are, e.g. reactionary, ignorant, unserious, monstrous, capitalist, etc.). Class reductionism is another common way that leftists discount ableism. Class amplifies ableist oppression for sure, but winning the class war would be insufficient (but necessary!) to abolish ableist oppression.
Usually anarchists and other leftists are pretty good on ableism, but not always.
My brother is very disabled (diabetic and neuropathy to the point where he can’t even hold a plate of food). The sentiment of someone like that being completely unable to contribute any kind of labor is sadly all over the place. Some, sadly, think of labor as “meaningful work” in the sense of tilling fields etc., but disabled people can very much aid in the society in terms of art, writing, or just being a joy and inspiration to those around them.
it’s a baffling thing because Marx came up with a really easy to understand slogan that summarizes what we should strive towards: “From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”.
A lot of anarchists tend to throw out the Marx with the Lenin… And then unironically praise Nietzsche and pat themselves on the back for having read one of his books.
Absolutely!! From each according to their means, to each according to their needs. That’s goes for food just as much as it does for art and conversation. Capitalism has totally ruined words like “labor” and “productive” and others. Anything someone brings to the table is “valuable” not in the capitalist, money sense, but in the bettering of their lives and the lives of others sense.
Every once in a while, I find “leftists” or “anarchists” who discount ableism, i.e. the oppression experienced by disabled people specifically because they are disabled. A most common example is when leftists use ableist language (e.g. the R-word) to insult enemies (instead of insulting them for the thing that they are, e.g. reactionary, ignorant, unserious, monstrous, capitalist, etc.). Class reductionism is another common way that leftists discount ableism. Class amplifies ableist oppression for sure, but winning the class war would be insufficient (but necessary!) to abolish ableist oppression.
Usually anarchists and other leftists are pretty good on ableism, but not always.
My brother is very disabled (diabetic and neuropathy to the point where he can’t even hold a plate of food). The sentiment of someone like that being completely unable to contribute any kind of labor is sadly all over the place. Some, sadly, think of labor as “meaningful work” in the sense of tilling fields etc., but disabled people can very much aid in the society in terms of art, writing, or just being a joy and inspiration to those around them.
it’s a baffling thing because Marx came up with a really easy to understand slogan that summarizes what we should strive towards: “From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”.
A lot of anarchists tend to throw out the Marx with the Lenin… And then unironically praise Nietzsche and pat themselves on the back for having read one of his books.
Even if someone can’t “provide labour”, so what? You don’t need to be “useful” to have inherent worth
Absolutely!! From each according to their means, to each according to their needs. That’s goes for food just as much as it does for art and conversation. Capitalism has totally ruined words like “labor” and “productive” and others. Anything someone brings to the table is “valuable” not in the capitalist, money sense, but in the bettering of their lives and the lives of others sense.
1,000% this.