I Am Done With Competiton and Force, Sign me up for Socialism!

Previously Published in The Socialist online   www.thesocialist.us


You know what sucks? Competing for jobs.

I am looking for a job right now and I was already passed up for one because someone else was “more experienced.” In this tight job market where there are a lot of qualified job applicants and not a lot of jobs, it means that employers get the pick of the litter, but it also means many people will go without jobs.

Without jobs we can’t afford to pay for things. And that means fewer people to buy products, services, etc. It doesn’t help the economy when a lot of people are unemployed. And it sure doesn’t help people, who are struggling. More and more these days, people are slipping below the poverty line as income inequality grows exponentially.

Why do we have to compete for jobs? Well, because capitalism says so. Capitalism says that we should compete for jobs, for housing, and for just about everything in life. Capitalism dictates that competition is good. But last time I checked, it’s not.

In fact, I wish we were a cooperation-based society. That way everyone would get a job doing meaningful work. We’re all hired! And those with more experience would mentor those with less. And everyone would collaborate on a team and would have an equal say in our work and share equally what our labor produced.
You know what else sucks? That capitalism forces us to take jobs we don’t like or don’t want to do. Capitalism says “take whatever job is offered to you and be grateful you have a job!” Even if it’s a job that overworks you and is soul-crushing, physically painful, mind-numbing and unfulfilling.

Capitalism doesn’t care what you are passionate about, what makes you happy, or ignites your inner spirit. Capitalism says if you don’t do this job then you can starve. That’s the bitter taste of force.

Of course capitalism will try to trick you into thinking you have a choice. A choice to work for corporation A or B. A choice to work a job that exploits you in this town or the one next to it. But what kind of choice is that?

Capitalism doesn’t care about your feelings, your talents, skills, or contributions. Capitalism only cares about making money off of you. And if you can’t make someone else money, well capitalism sees you as worthless.

I don’t want to compete for jobs I don’t want. I want to get hired to do a job that I want to do and be paid what I am worth— a living wage. I want to be treated like a human being, not a commodity. If anyone should gain from my labor it should be the people I serve in my community, not a master called a boss.

Forget this! I am ready to trade in this crappy system for one that makes me come alive. And competition and force just ain’t getting it for me. Sign me up for socialism!

People with Mental Ilness are Human Beings, Not a Threat

Previously Published in The Socialist online www.thesocialist.us


Recently a young African-American mother named Miriam Carey (34) was driving erratically close to the Washington DC capitol and police were trying to stop her. Imagining the worst case scenario — that she possibly had a bomb inside her car — they feared she may be a threat. However, the real threat was the police, who shot Miriam dead (even after she exited her car without a weapon), with her one-year-old daughter in the back seat.

It turns out Miriam had a mental illness and had active delusions about President Obama. Many people lack a fundamental understanding of mental illness and how it can operate. As someone who has a major mental illness (bipolar I disorder), and is a social worker, I understand it first-hand.

When someone is psychotic and/or delusional, they often do not have much or any control over their thoughts and actions. It is hard to imagine a person losing touch with reality to that degree, but our brains are very powerful. When a person is in that state of mind, they are very vulnerable. In fact, contrary to popular belief, people with severe mental illness are more likely to harm themselves or be harmed by others, than to be dangerous to other people.

The danger from others is often because of the lack of understanding people about mental illness. Lack of information coupled with the stigma of mental illness keeps people from knowing accurate and important information that could save lives.
It’s important that people know that mental illness is very common. It is estimated that half of all people will develop a mental illness in their lifetime. Currently, 50 million people (1 in 5) have a diagnosed mental illness in America (not to mention all those who are undiagnosed).

So for something seen as so taboo and “weird,” mental illness is actually fairly normal and part of many people’s everyday lives. People tend to not talk about it due to shame, but it’s time we started talking about it. As fellow social worker and shame and resiliency researcher, Brene’ Brown, says, “Shame needs three things to grow exponentially in our lives: secrecy, silence, and judgment.”

People with mental illnesses do not deserve mistreatment.
The Miriam Carey’s of the world are deserving of respect and should be viewed as having worth and value. I often imagine if I were in the middle of a manic episode and out on the street if any one of these people could be me, and, if so, how I would want people to interact with me. Would I want someone to draw a gun on me and start screaming at me? Would I want someone to threaten me or try to subdue me with force? I imagine those things being very scary and threatening. I imagine, with great dread, being killed, through no fault of my own, simply because I have a mental illness.
I think the police’s approach to people with mental illness needs a lot of work. Their “shoot first, ask questions later” policy leads to excessive force. I understand in emergency situations that police sometimes become panicked due to stress, but that is why proper and extensive training is needed, as well as clear and structured protocols to intervene and diffuse situations properly. Police should protect those with mental illnesses, not view them as suspect and dangerous.

Although mental illness is biological, genetic, environmental, and social-cultural, we know capitalism creates social alienation and enormous amounts of interpersonal, relational, and social stress on individuals and families.

Under socialism we would have a universal single-payer socialized healthcare system, where everyone could get proper mental health care. Under socialism, we would structure society differently so people would no longer work a 40+ hour week, and would have more time to devote to self-care. Under socialism we would provide for each other so no one would live in poverty, violence, be homeless or hungry, and would be less likely to experience trauma or stress, which contribute greatly to mental illness.

I believe if we lived in a democratic socialist society we could see a drastic reduction in mental illness and could even prevent a lot of it. Socialism would treat people with mental illness as human beings, not as a threat to be managed.

The Capitalist Food System is Hurting Us

Previously published in The Socialist online. www.thesocialist.us

I remember a college Republican advisory of mine once said that he didn’t believe there were starving kids in America because, at a school where he worked, he saw children throwing away food. Our individual experiences don’t always paint the complete reality. There may not be children “starving” in America like they are starving in third-world countries. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t go hungry.

Many are getting less food than they need — often being forced to skip meals. And even more often, most people are eating “food” that is processed (filled with added sugar, salt and fat and/or stripped of nutrients); laced with pesticides; genetically modified; filled with hormones and chemicals; and/or factory farmed. Most Americans have little clue how unhealthy their food is.

Poor people often struggle to find healthy food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, as they live in food deserts —where it’s more common to find a corner liquor store than a grocery store. Most poor people can’t afford organic food, even if they can find it. In addition, many food pantries offer boxed and canned food, which is highly processed. This leads to many disproportionate health consequences for poor people.

Meanwhile, every day in America grocery stores throw away food, simply because it perishes from people not buying it. What kind of society lets people go hungry and throws away food simply because people can’t afford to pay for it?

Some people who struggle to afford food are on food stamps. However, recently the American congress has cut the food stamps program. This makes little sense. Look at this video to see just how important food stamps are:

http://www.upworthy.com/what-a-beach-bumming-couch-surfing-dudebro-can-teach-us-about-food-stamps

A socialist America would ensure that all people were fed with healthy organic foods regardless of their income. A socialist America would ensure access to healthy food for everyone. A socialist America would do away with factory farms, harmful pesticides, injecting hormones and chemicals into our food, stripping our food of nutrients, and pumping them with added ingredients that threaten our health. A socialist America would help every American grow locally sourced food.

We must ask ourselves why do we continue to invest in capitalist America’s failing food system, when we can savor a sustainable socialist food system instead? Food shouldn’t be about making money for the few, at the expense of the whole.

Unpaid Work Has Mega Value

As a feminist, I have always thought my relationships should be 50-50 — meaning each person should do 50% of the work in the relationship and pitch in to make things work. That has always been my ideal, but it never seems to work out that way in reality.

Lately, I have taken on a lot of the chores in my home.  My partner has been working a lot, and, right now, I am unemployed. But she also has health issues and it’s hard for her to do chores. (Not like chores are easy for anyone; I don’t know many people who like doing them.)

Chores are often physically demanding, repetitive, and boring. Chores are hard work! If it were up to me, it would be paid work. I always say it’s paid in a different way — in clean clothes, clean dishes, clean litter boxes, and happy people and animals.

One of my political science professors once told our class that the majority of toilets are cleaned by women. My partner is a woman, but I still clean the toilet. It kind of bothers me that she doesn’t do more chores. It has always been a sticking point in our relationship. It is true that more women do housework then men in relationships. Often, women are expected to work and take on a “second shift”— cooking, cleaning, and tending to children, their partners, and maybe even their elderly parents, too. It’s too much to expect from anyone. And it’s not right that our society puts that burden on women, alone.

Part of me wants to straight rebel against that notion. But being in a same-sex relationship didn’t suddenly free me from chores. Unfortunately, chores don’t get done by themselves. I have had to shift my perspective on chores dramatically in order to accept my situation.

Instead of resenting my partner for not doing many chores, I had to see that she just isn’t physically capable. And for now, although I loathe them, I am capable. Furthermore, the satisfaction I get is from having a functional home is immense. I contribute by using my labor to keep my home running well.  I value my family and doing chores is a way to take care of them.

Unpaid work is very important and should be valued more by our society. Think what would happen if no one did chores! We need to recognize how important our unpaid labor is and be proud of the work we accomplish inside our homes. Reframing chores from a degrading role to one of purpose has been key for me. Once I started realizing this, it became easier for me to do chores, and I let go of much of the resistance I had. Chores have to get done, and I am proud to be the one doing them.

My partner appreciates my efforts, too. She also helps make meals — and she’s a great cook. Together we are making it work. It may not be 50-50 in every way, but it’s working well enough for us.

*Previously published in The Socialist online on August 26, 2013

Growing a Revolution in Your Own Backyard

Recently, my partner, Rachel, and I have been trying to add to our garden in our backyard. We really lucked out when we moved into our current home, an above-ground basement unit of a duplex house. Our backyard currently includes many fruit trees (apples, lemons, oranges, and persimmons), grape vines, and a blackberry patch. We have enjoyed and appreciated what those plants have brought to our lives. So we decided to add to it by starting a veggie and herb garden. We purchased our non-genetically modified seeds from Seeds of Change (www.seedsofchange.com). We planted tomato, carrots, cabbage, cucumber, beats, cilantro, basil, and flat leaf parsley.

The main reason we started a garden is to have relatively inexpensive healthy food grown in our very own backyard. These veggies and herbs are as local as it gets — right outside our door. So far, it has been a very positive experience to plant our little seedlings, water them, and watch them grow. I feel like a proud mama. It takes a little work to make a garden grow, but it’s also good to get out in the sun and dig in the dirt. Gardening has actually been shown to have positive benefits such as providing relaxation, stress-relief, nutrition, and physical and mental health. Besides these benefits, I feel that a garden is socialist. And as a Socialist it feels like a good fit for me and something I want to be part of my life.

A garden is socialist because it’s local, organic, small-scale, sustainable, and community-based. The food we grow will not require a carbon footprint, as it won’t travel in a truck to a supermarket or in a car to our home. The garden we grow will be totally under our own control, we have the means of production at our finger tips, and our own hands and efforts will make it happen. We will also have more than we can eat ourselves, so we plan to share our bounty with others. We are also doing this as partners, working together and cooperating to feed ourselves and others. I feel the time we are spending doing this together has been very worthwhile and gratifying. There is nothing like the pride you feel in growing your own food, gathering it, eating it, and giving it to others to enjoy. It is satisfying and fulfilling, and it has brought us closer together as a family.

I believe if everyone started a garden it would be revolutionary. If we want a different society we need to start in our own backyards, literally from the ground up. We could also start more community gardens and gardens at schools. Gardens are a renewable source of energy to fuel our bodies and souls. Let’s remake America one garden at a time.

*Originally published in The Socialist on August 3, 2013

Barely Surviving in Capialist America

As a recently unemployed person, I am feeling the stress of income insecurity. The thoughts of how I will pay for my rent, bills, or for food come to mind. I am lucky, for now, to have unemployment insurance, but it’s not much. Being let go from my job was shock enough, but trying to get another job with that on my record is daunting. How do you convince people to give you a chance when they think you’re a liability?

On top of that, the job market sucks. There aren’t a lot of good jobs, and the ones that exist are very competitive — which means the employers can afford to be picky. Although I have a Master’s degree, I often feel insecure, as if I am not qualified or as experienced as other candidates. I don’t want to take a job that’s not a good fit for me, but as long as I don’t have a job, I struggle.

I don’t have health insurance without a job. I don’t have money to fix my broken down car. I am over 40K in debt from student loans, which I was forced to defer, adding $70 of interest every month. Our only saving grace is my parents, who live on a fixed income; a meager amount of social security. They can sometimes help us make it from one month to the next, if we are short. But what about people who have no one they can turn to?

I know it could be worse for us; but couldn’t it also be better? Shouldn’t it be better for most of us? Social programs are being cut back, including food stamps. Whatever happened to that supposed social safety net the vast majority of us feel is a moral imperative? If people cannot get good jobs, they will need help if they are going to survive. I believe we need both: good jobs and support. That is what a community should provide to each other.

Socialists believe we are mutually dependent on each other and that our society must reflect that. That means our jobs should be co-ops where workers own their own means of production and share in the fruits of their labor equally, as well as have an equal say in their work. That means social programs that support people, from public health care to fully funded tax-paid college education. It means the hungry get fed, the homeless get housed, everyone gets a good job who wants to work, and no one struggles to survive.

Check out this article below that paints the bleak picture of where we are right now:
http://www.alternet.org/economy/10-reasons-us-economy-stuck

Right now, people are suffering more and more every day, instead of living the lives of our dreams. As a community we owe it to ourselves and each other to make those dreams a reality, together. Admittedly, there is a lot standing in our way. The rich are, no doubt, a very powerful adversary. However, the challenge they represent is nothing compared to our collective will to start truly living, instead of barely surviving.

*Originally published in The Socialist on August 2, 2013 

Striving and Thriving: Mental Health on the Radical Left

I am a person with lived experience with mental illness, diagnosed bipolar since I was fourteen years old, as well as a mental health professional-- as a trained social worker with a master’s degree in social work. I know firsthand how mental illness impacts individuals and our community.

Mental illness is very common. It is estimated half of all people will develop a mental illness in their life time. Currently 50 million people (1 in 5) have a diagnosed mental illness in America (not to mention all those who are undiagnosed). These mental illnesses range anywhere from depression and anxiety to serious psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mental illness is biological, genetic, environmental, and social-cultural. However, I believe if we lived in a democratic socialist society we could see a drastic reduction in mental illness and could even prevent it. This article is written more as a here and now guide to coping, but we need to look at long term solutions as well.

In our society with these mental illnesses comes a lot of stigma. Social stigma is when others treat us as differently and as inferior due to our mental illness. This often leads to shame and makes people not want to talk about it, seek help, nor help others. As activists we need to fight social stigma. The best way to do that is to talk about it. As fellow social worker and shame and resiliency researcher, Brene’ Brown, says, “shame needs three things to grow exponentially in our lives: secrecy, silence, and judgment.” As people with mental illness we need to tell people our stories and help normalize it. It takes courage and bravery to put ourselves out there, but it is necessary. As people in general we need to educate ourselves about various mental health issues and diagnoses, so that we can be more aware and informed. This would also help us to become familiarized with and thus recognize symptoms in others and aid them in getting the help they need. Also as we talk about these issues more we make it okay and not like a dirty secret, and thus the shame and taboo nature dissipates. We all need to become mental health advocates who combat social stigma if we want this situation to get better.

In the radical left, mental illness may be higher, due to stress, anxiety, being overworked, lack of support, burnout, what type of person is drawn to the radical left etc. A life-long commitment to social justice can be a serious undertaking and means a literal struggle, with many sacrifices along the way, both personally and politically speaking, which comes with psychological and emotional consequences. Of course there are positive mental and emotional benefits of being an activist as well, but the commitment to the movement comes with both rewards and challenges.

Furthermore, we know capitalism creates social alienation and enormous amounts of interpersonal, relational, and social stress on individuals and families. Not only must we work hard, often low paying, jobs way too many hours just to survive, we have so many other responsibilities on top of it. We often have families, partners and children, parents, siblings, other relatives, friends, co-workers, etc. we need to help take care of. We have to do chores, feed ourselves and others, and run errands. Some of us barely survive on a daily basis due to being so poor, let alone have the time, money, or energy to take care of ourselves. There is so much to do; we often neglect our own health. Not to mention that the stress causes huge impacts on our health to begin with—both physical and emotional. All we can do in the immediate is try to manage the stress, by finding coping skills and decompressing activities (long term we are all working on transforming the material conditions of life so that this stress doesn’t occur to begin with). The coping skills can include art, exercise, sleep/naps, socializing with friends and family, eating a slow cooked meal, reading a book, yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques such as progressive relaxation (tightening and releasing muscles), deep breathing, focusing activities, taking a long walk or hike, going swimming, among other things. But not everyone has time to incorporate enough of these de-stressing activities. So it can be very challenging to overcome the pressures of everyday life, let alone those of being part of an activist movement and community.

It is important as an activist that one takes care of oneself and that our community supports us. Burnout is common due to folks working very hard for long periods of time. In addition, a lot of work can be put towards our efforts but little to no tangible results could be seen. This can lead to feeling great disappointment, discouragement, and frustration. We have to celebrate often and recognize people’s efforts. Appreciation of others is so important in creating self-esteem and maintaining long term commitment. We can also stave off burnout by taking breaks from our activism and supporting each other through hard times.

Moreover, sometimes our society creates a lot of anger in people, as we witness oppression, abuse, and exploitation and many who perpetuate it get away with it. Often we ourselves are subjected to trauma and crisis. They say anger repressed and turned inward becomes depression. In my own experience I have met many left radicals who have anger issues and are prone to infighting. Unchecked toxic anger, which is not expressed in effective and health ways, can poison a person as well as an organization.

So what is to be done? One thing I advocate is therapy, but it is often cost prohibitive. If one cannot find low cost/sliding scale/income-based therapy, I always recommend workbooks. Workbooks are like a guide book to learning techniques that help people with mental health issues. Workbooks can be purchased online and are generally under $20.

Here is just one example: http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Workbook-Guide-Living-Second/dp/157224268X

They are often written by mental health professionals and teach people step by step about the condition which they may have. They also teach techniques and strategies to help increase the quality of life for folks. Some of the workbooks address topics such as depression and anxiety, and teach techniques such as cognitive-behavioral approaches (mind/feelings-actions), dialectal behavioral approaches (looking at extremes in emotions and thinking and trying to find acceptance and balance), mindfulness based approaches (combining feelings and thoughts in a harmonious way in order to act from a centered place and practicing non-judgment of self and others), among others. These strategies have been proven effective through research testing their effectiveness on people (we call this evidence-based practice). If one technique doesn't work for you, try another. There are so many to choose from. Most therapists would teach these techniques in therapy but you can learn them on your own for a fraction of the cost. Implementing them into your daily life takes work, practice, and time but it's worth the effort to try, as they have been shown effective in helping people to cope with their mental health struggles, decrease anxiety and depression, reduce stress, as well as improve the quality of their daily lives.

Another thing therapists provide that is helpful is the time and space devoted solely to you and a time to talk/vent and be listened to and validated. You can't find this in a book. But you can find this in other people-- friends, family, co-workers, and comrades alike. Find some trusted individuals who are willing to hear you out, use reflective listening skills (repeat back what they heard you say so you know you were heard), provide empathy (relating to a person based on common feelings or experiences, feel "with" a you and put themselves in your shoes, which goes beyond feeling sorry for you--sympathy), and validate (telling you what you are feeling and thinking is real and true). Just by providing a sounding board of unconditional support can make a world of difference for people.

I always recommend the rule of threes. Find three reliable people you can go to in a crisis or when something happens that brings you down. Tell your story and process it with those three people, three different times. At the end, you will have released and expressed those feelings and thoughts, most likely feel better, have come up with some solutions to work through your issue and problem-solve, and be ready to move forward with life.

Of course there is one thing a therapist can provide others can't-- and that is education, training, and experience in treating and healing major trauma and psychiatric challenges. There really is no substitute for this. So if you need this, try your best to get it. Oftentimes the expense paid to get this is worth the necessary sacrifices.

Another avenue to increase mental health is using medication. There is much debate about the use of psychotropic medication. As someone who has bipolar disorder, I know my medication saves my life, both literal and quality-wise. Every individual has to make their own choice whether to try medication and see if it helps. Not everyone has to take medication long term, but some do. I have to take mine the rest of my life, but I am glad there is something out there that profoundly helps me. Yes, medications are often over-prescribed and developed by big pharmaceutical companies, which are profit-motivated. Yes, doctors can sometimes be pushers because they are getting kick-backs. That is why finding a good doctor to prescribe the right medication for you is important. This would often be a psychiatrist, who usually does not come cheap. If you can try to find a lower cost psychiatrist, but if you can't a general practitioner can prescribe lots of the same medications. The caution is they are not trained as well in psychiatric conditions and would not be able to monitor you as well as a psychiatrist could.

Our mental health system is far from perfect and is overburdened and too expensive for most people. That is part of why we work as left radicals to change this system into one that works for all people. Unfortunately, in the meantime we have to deal with how things are now. Another thing to look at, that can often be a less expensive way to help, is herbal remedies and Eastern/alternative medicine. There are many helpful remedies out there worth looking into from vitamins, supplements, teas, essential oils, to acupuncture, acupressure, bio-feedback etc. As well as looking at changes in diet, sleep, and exercise.

Individuals also need social support. If you're in a left radical organization develop internal systems to provide this support. Some people think this is "touchy-feely stuff" and they are a "serious" organization “above” that sort of thing. That attitude is grave mistake. We are doing what we do to better all humanity and we better be prepared to walk the talk right now and practice what we preach in our everyday lives with fellow activists. This means we need to be able to turn to each other in times of need. This prevents burnout and can be a powerful source of intervention in times of crisis. We need to get more involved in people's lives, pay more attention, and be willing to have, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations with people. We need to focus most on compassion, understanding, and empathy. But we must always remember that people ultimately have their own self-determination and thus they alone get to make decisions for their own lives. This may mean if a person is very disruptive to the group and will not seek help, they may be asked to leave the group. This is a hard and painful decision but people need to know there are consequences for their actions and their choices. All we can do is provide support and encouragement and hope that motivates people.

Another possible strategy radical left organizations can implement is conflict-management, non-violent communication, and peer counseling. If our organizations used these techniques and taught these skills to all of their members they would be better served by doing so. Learning how to communicate assertively and not passively, passive-aggressively, or aggressively is very important for any individual or organization. Our success is wrapped up in our ability to resolve conflicts and reconcile differences.

We can help each other to survive and get through the day, and combined with all of the above I have described, an individual can begin to improve their functioning. The hope is recovery. 60% of all those with mental illness recover and we can increase that number by working as individuals and as groups towards increased mental health and well being. We need each other if we are to begin to strive and thrive.

No one gets through this life on their own—we are all interdependent social beings. So let’s live our radical values in the here and now and transform ourselves and our organizations to serve each others needs. Our organizations can become a model going forward for society and be a source of strength to make us more effective activists. Indeed this can be a protective factor for those with many risk factors for self-harm, homelessness, and suicide. We can be the difference and we are responsible for starting to implement these suggestions now. I hope this helps individuals and groups going forward.