Post #2773471

2026-05-22 23:07 UTC

But isn’t the ‘wheel of history’ precisely what is driving us toward ecological collapse? Sometimes the truly revolutionary act is to stop the clock, to say ‘enough’ to this automatic march of progress. If ‘progress’ means the destruction of the environment, then the only way to be truly progressive is to become conservative: to stubbornly conserve the commons and our material existence against the market’s drive to destroy them. We have to survive the ‘march’ before we can reach the destination. I agree that the socialist state must serve the working class, but I would argue that this service is inherently a conservative project. The state must act as a guardian, conserving the health, housing, and resources of the people against the chaotic ‘progress’ of the market. We shouldn’t fear the word ‘conservative’ if it means we are refusing to let the logic of capital degrade our lives. The revolution isn’t just about seizing the state; it’s about using that state to protect us.

Replies (1)

@Cowbee@lemmy.ml 2026-05-22 23:15

Progress doesn’t mean the destruction of the environment. You cannot stop the clock. Progress is necessary to stop the destruction, and to take a more harmonious approach. See how China is combatting desertification, and is rapidly electrifying and adopting solar as the biggest new energy source. This is progress. As for the state protecting the people, this is progressive. Nay, revolutionary. The people take political power in their own hands, and can radically transform the world and better meet their place in it. The wheel of history is pressed forward. I fear you’re on a pipeline towards eco-fascism. Not saying you’re an eco-fascist, to be clear, but the combination of trying to stop progress while also adopting prop environmental policies can definitely lead people down that road. It’s not a nice road.

Open ##2773691