Meike’s review of Love in Exile > Likes and Comments
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This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with my Gen-Z son and arguing about these concepts, I have limited patience with this oversimplified line of thought. Not to blame Mark Fisher, there is a flood of modern thought that ends with *blame the patriarchy/capitalism/zionism* for everything that is wrong and it is all so reductive ane creates an escape hatch that absolves individuals from taking action short of staging coups. All three of those things have had negative impacts (and positive impacts I would and have argued) but I agree entirely that when we are talking about the way in which people relate to one another and the planet, "it's actually individual people who make up a system and fuck up the body politic." A great review, Meike.
Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with my Gen-Z son and arguing about ..."
Thank you very much, Bonnie! This is such a tricky point, Anika and I are actually discussing it on podcast: On the one hand, it IS capitalism that tries to shift the blame away from the system to the individual, thus cementing the status quo (e.g. systemic racism or the lack of class mobility). On the other hand, we will not change the system by blaming it, individuals will have to act.
Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with my Gen-Z son ..."
Sounds like an interesting discussion, and such an important one. I think we all need to be as aware as you are of how the system invades our thinking to make us complicit in protecting structural inequality and work against it. Ignoring the tyranny of rules set by people working in their own interest is not taking personal responsibility. It is just acquiescing to servitude. Acknowledging the structures, protecting what works and working against what is deleterious for most and doing that from a thoughtful and nonreactive place, is taking effective and necessary personal responsibility. Or at least that is what I believe and try to practice.
Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with..."
Just this week, I had an outrageous conversation with a man telling me it is what it is because that's how the system works (that wasn't a critique of the system, but a defense of his actions). Well, who makes and upholds this system? If you mention this, YOU are suddenly the problem. *sigh*
Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co readin..."
LOL. People said essentially that about slavery. Perhaps he is one of the people the system works for?
Bonnie G. wrote: "LOL. People said essentially that about slavery. Perhaps he is one of the people the system works for?"
EXACTLY. :-)
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Bonnie G.
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Dec 17, 2025 07:52AM
This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with my Gen-Z son and arguing about these concepts, I have limited patience with this oversimplified line of thought. Not to blame Mark Fisher, there is a flood of modern thought that ends with *blame the patriarchy/capitalism/zionism* for everything that is wrong and it is all so reductive ane creates an escape hatch that absolves individuals from taking action short of staging coups. All three of those things have had negative impacts (and positive impacts I would and have argued) but I agree entirely that when we are talking about the way in which people relate to one another and the planet, "it's actually individual people who make up a system and fuck up the body politic." A great review, Meike.
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Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with my Gen-Z son and arguing about ..."Thank you very much, Bonnie! This is such a tricky point, Anika and I are actually discussing it on podcast: On the one hand, it IS capitalism that tries to shift the blame away from the system to the individual, thus cementing the status quo (e.g. systemic racism or the lack of class mobility). On the other hand, we will not change the system by blaming it, individuals will have to act.
Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with my Gen-Z son ..."Sounds like an interesting discussion, and such an important one. I think we all need to be as aware as you are of how the system invades our thinking to make us complicit in protecting structural inequality and work against it. Ignoring the tyranny of rules set by people working in their own interest is not taking personal responsibility. It is just acquiescing to servitude. Acknowledging the structures, protecting what works and working against what is deleterious for most and doing that from a thoughtful and nonreactive place, is taking effective and necessary personal responsibility. Or at least that is what I believe and try to practice.
Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co reading Mark Fisher with..."Just this week, I had an outrageous conversation with a man telling me it is what it is because that's how the system works (that wasn't a critique of the system, but a defense of his actions). Well, who makes and upholds this system? If you mention this, YOU are suddenly the problem. *sigh*
Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Meike wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "This sounds like a must read. I loved what you said about blaming capitalism, which I generally find a cop-out. As much as I have enjoyed co readin..."LOL. People said essentially that about slavery. Perhaps he is one of the people the system works for?
Bonnie G. wrote: "LOL. People said essentially that about slavery. Perhaps he is one of the people the system works for?"EXACTLY. :-)
