Political becomes personal

Global rage indicates that we are losing the struggle. For me the struggle is defined by peace, that we can evolve into a better situation. Global rage indicates violence. Class enemies control violence, they have more weapons, pay for trained security, Che Guevara has long gone.

I have just described the way neoliberalism has controlled our Labour institutions yet we must still contribute to the collective struggle so it is necessary to be involved in these organisations to maintain hope.

I have advocated an approach called #pathtivism in the Treatise (throughout but mainly Ch 21 -25). At the time of writing I thought of it as an approach for those attracted to it, but when I wrote of global rage here, it became clear to me that #pathtivism is much more necessary in the wider movement. Our comrades need the personal strength to cope with the pressures of the struggle, and the way we are being more and more oppressed. In the past support has been given by the strengths of the institutions or parties we are involved with. But here I have described how these institutions are more and more controlled by neoliberalism. Whilst party support would be helpful what we really need is the personal strength to take the knocks, and #pathtivism can give you that.

We want to turn our rage into personal strength and #pathtivism can do that.

In writing this I have allowed flights of fancy in which good comrades need now to be Ronin or Warriors whose spiritual strength carries them through the peaceful struggle bouncing back after the regular setbacks. I am personally happy to claim that spiritual strength needs to be part of our armoury and not simply a supposed intellectual higher ground of academic political theory. A Warrior fights in one peaceful campaign after another, and even though there is limited success their personal strength galvanises further activism. I remember one comrade, George Cooper of Brighton. He died soon after I left Brighton, and I imagine his death being after his morning swim after attending a week of meetings. As Warriors we must support the many comrades like George even though there might be certain resistance to my spiritual references in mass movement ranks.

Where there will not be resistance to such spiritual references is amongst the Indigenous Peoples who recognise that Gaia, spirituality and the struggle are one. They would be happy if their comrades are described as Warriors, they would be happy with discussions about the path. And they would be happy if the Labour Movement were to place Gaia as their guide. Unfortunately traditionally our Labour institutions have accepted a materialist mantle, promoted the interests of their members simply as greed, and have contributed to our biggest problem - the destruction of Gaia by the accumulation of the 1%. Activism cannot continue to contribute to resource destruction by competing for monetary gain solely, we must target our increasing wages as a decrease in accumulation and not just accept increases (if they happen) as fortuitous.

Where there also will not be resistance to such spiritual terminology is with regards to mindful consuming. We cannot just accept increasing consumption if we have the money. This is what the Liberals have done. They have accepted jobs within the neoliberal system and using their salaries have just consumed with token lipservice to the deepr problems. Mindful consuming sets high store on sufficiency - caring for Gaia.

The political previously has stopped long short of the personal. Working with the party on its campaigning, accepting the campaigning goals as a limit on the activism, has left anomalies in the personal life in which there are contradictions such as with excessive consumption. Activism needs to turn to pathtivism, it turns to participation in campaigning as well as personal development that develops compassion inisght and creativity. In Zhivago Pasternak's bias suggested that the state would limit the personal and creative. The creative must be lauded but creativity in a compassionate context not Bohemian creativity where indulgence is accepted. And without the personal there is no discernment, a party line does not offer the discernment that is needed to cope with the media barrage for conditioning.

Campaigning as a consequence of pathtivism is constructive. Seeking results is defalting, pathtivism provides the personal strength to keep going. Many comrades developed discipline by being members of the movement, pathtivism focusses on such discipline making it a reality rather than a happenstance that would often fizzle out with time. The struggle is the path deep within us, the struggle is life, the life of the Warrior - is Gaia.