Becoming a dissident, in theory and in practice
I was just reading an article in the opinion section of the
Sunday Times about the paranoid style of American politics. The
author’s thesis was that because many Americans suffer from some
paranoia that the government is against them, they fail to realize
the channels offered to them to work within the system.
Now, maybe paranoia is a problem with some people and maybe
there are some wacky conspiracy theories out there. I don’t know.
But this guy went on to say that even the dissident who sees
government as the problem is suffering from a form of paranoia, and
even went so far as to say that the American Revolution was a
result of British paranoia.
Ever since the Oklahoma City bombing, a host of articles have
displayed alarm at the irrational violence people have expressed
towards the government. There have been appeals to tone down
inflammatory talk radios, caricatures of "white trash"
soldier-of-fortune types, the list goes on and on. But most of all,
the trend of decrying people who do not trust the government
continues, be they on the right or left.
You know, maybe I had some odd teachers, but I grew up thinking
that the truly patriotic citizen should take a rational look at the
institutions of government and society and, in a rational
discourse, ask, "What reason is there for me to support my
country?" If there isn’t a reason, I felt it was my duty as a
citizen to eliminate the present government and establish a new
one.
Pretty stupid philosophy, huh? But in the years I’ve been
looking, I haven’t found a single reason  other than ideology
 that our government or society cares about us at all. Now I
ask, is there something wrong with going beyond just questioning
authority, to realizing that the only reason authority exists is
because it has the guns behind it?
I guess now is a good time to say I’m a Marxist. No, I wasn’t
hit with a psionic mind ray experiment from the Communists on Bruin
Walk. I’m not the product of brainwashing as an infant. And as far
as I know, I’m not mentally unstable.
I wasn’t always a Marxist. It took about two or three years of
grappling with the theory and a five-year drift from conservative
middle class roots. I’ve arrived at this theory because I was
looking for answers to my life and after thinking things through,
this seems to offer them. If someone has a better idea of what we
need to do, I’m all ears.
I say this because ever since I’ve become a Marxist I’ve put up
with the most amazing amount of sheer crap possible. People tell me
I’m going through a phase. I hear about how I’m paranoid,
pessimistic, a rebellious youth, etc. I don’t think I’ve gone
through a day where someone doesn’t tell me "don’t you know
socialism doesn’t work?" I’ve had everything thrown at me but
reasoned discussion.
Do you know what it’s like to be a dissident? We honor it in
theory, we love to look at Martin Luther and how he stood up to the
Church because he believed in his convictions. We romanticize Ralph
Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau because they valorize the
"nonconformist."
But in practice it’s another world. Everywhere we go we’re
reminded that what we’re thinking is not right. We have to put up
with being called the freaks, the fringe, those who are so far
removed from political discourse they’re not worth talking to.
It really is degrading to pick up a paper and read an article
where the author calls you mentally unstable or part of the
"irrational fringe." It’s very much alienating to read that we’re
all just scared about the uncertainties of the future or have some
unfounded distrust of our leaders. There’s a real brutality to it
all.
But, then again, radical politics goes beyond alienation from
the mainstream to realizing they have nothing to do with you. I
mean, it’s kind of ironic to read one story that laments how
uninterested Americans are with politics and then turn the page and
read all about Wall Street, the latest $1,000 fashions and the
hottest resort towns.
But that’s what being a radical is all about. We speak to the
apolitical. We speak to the alienated. We point out that the reason
mainstream politics is not interesting is because it has nothing to
do with us. It’s the discourse of the same old politicians, wealthy
businessmen, stockholders, bureaucrats, accountants and others in
the upper crust. Be it NAFTA, welfare reform, etc. it’s their
issues, their concerns, their problems.
We care about what kinds of things the average schmuck worries
about and we seek to understand them. Why is it that most Americans
don’t vote? Maybe it’s because there’s some truth to the fact that
politicians are liars. When a 45-year-old tells you he has no faith
in politicians, maybe he has about 30 years of solid experience to
back his claim.
We look at how wages for all of us are declining and show where
they stem from. We look at why people like to listen to Rush
Limbaugh and vote for Proposition 187 and point out that they’re
worried about their own well-being and are looking for solutions.
The sad part is that neither liberals nor conservatives of the
mainstream are offering any.
Now I know there are a lot of dogmatic Communists on this
campus. I deal with them all the time. But there are a lot of us
out there who enjoy talking to people and discussing issues with
them. And it really tests your faith in the human race to try and
discuss things on an equal level with peo
ple and hear them spout out time and again the same old B.S.
they’re fed when they don’t even listen to what you have to
say.
Yet we have no other choice than to spread our ideas and bring
people together, to discuss issues and work for a better life for
ourselves. We leave the door open to discussion and stick by our
beliefs no matter how much flak we take for them. In a world where
nothing seems certain, our ideas are the only things we have.
Bassilian is a third-year student majoring in political science
and mathematics. His column appears on alternate Fridays.