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The Id and Socialism

    For literally anyone who has been alive for the past few hundred years, the negative effects of capitalism are obvious. We steadily destroy our earth, impoverish entire countries, and fuel our ruthless military-industrial complex, all in the name of profit. These are the natural results of our economic system, whether you admit it or not. There are, in addition to the consequences of capitalism you can physically see, less examined consequences of the mind. Capitalism directly contradicts our basic human nature, by forcing us to participate in a system that is directly opposed to our species’ needs, both mental and physical.     The most basic, fundamental, human desires are contained in a part of the mind called the id. This is a characteristic of our mind that is present from birth. It is the part of us that seeks our own survival, and experiences that are immediately gratifying to us. The subject of our first analysis will be the first objective of the Id...
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The Dialectic of the Mind

   Hegel’s dialectical analysis model is one of the most useful tools when studying humanity. History, economics, and sociology have all had the idea of the dialect applied. The Historical Materialism of Marx, and the Critical Social Theory of the Frankfurt school are houses built upon the solid foundation of the Dialectic. However, one area of the social sciences that seems ripe for dialectical analysis, but hasn’t been explored extensively in such a way is psychoanalysis. The structure of thesis+antithesis=synthesis can guide us to the truths about our own ego.     Before we begin to look at the contradictions within the psyche, let's begin by defining our terms. Each of us are defined by a superego, ego, and id. The superego is where our societal concepts of morality and righteousness are held. Where we feel guilt, and daydream about what is possible in an ideal world. The id is what expresses our deepest, most hedonistic desires. It is what instinctively cau...
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Conservatives, don't sit near me while I'm enjoying my coffee

      I go to the same coffee shop almost everyday. Café Amadeus in Indiana Pennsylvania is cozy, sophisticated, and a great place to work if you're a freelance journalist like myself. This particular day I walked in to write an article about the Biden administration considering another pause student loan repayment, but as soon as I sat down with my gingerbread latte, I couldn’t help but overhear two old white men sitting next to me talking about crime in Philadelphia (word of the wise for anyone not from Pennsylvania , when you hear any conservative talk about Philadelphia , you can bet that they are blowing a huge dog whistle for people of color). “You see all these shoplifters just walking out of stores! The police can’t even go after them.” “I know, well that’s what happens when you let criminals get away with anything.” “And you know what’s crazy, they're out there robbing Louis Vuitton, not trying to feed their families like you’d think.” At this point in the...
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