everyone is a slave or no one is
there is a dichotomy to communism that implies there is no one really in charge and everyone is a slave to each other. I think this is an important distinction from ‘the state is everyone, and everyone is a slave to the state’.
One of the things that fascinates me about Rome was it’s extensive use of slaves to create an incredibly complex and advanced world for ancient times, and at the same time murdering and conquering. There seems to be a brutal and very real reason all successful societies conquered and killed: dead people don’t fight back or produce offspring. Hitler for instance and authoritarians in general always seem to forget the fate of MANY Roman emperors: Killed by the Senate or the Praetorian Guard, who often represented the will of the people.
I feel like a slave most of the time. I have many freedoms and liberties, and I like my job more than I have ever liked a job, and I still hate going to work. But there are people alive right now really in literal slavery in many parts of the world. Some of them make shoes for me, or this computer.
Social class is a weird and powerful structure. As an American, it boggles my mind when I read stuff from people who enjoy monarchs, even flaccid ones that lurk around England. I like Princess Diana, and Prince Harry, and as it turns out, they might not even be considered royalty. I like the idea I can purchase my class in America. I like the idea better that every human is born into the same social class. We all need to focus better on our upcoming fights with sentient robots.
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