Base and Superstructure

Thoughts on production, alienation, and ideology

Month: December 2023

2023 Review

December 28, 2023 /

OK, so 2023 was a big year for the blog! Not only did I put in another year of blogging, but I also opened a new Medium page. You can check that out here.

But here’s a quick look at some of the things that happened on the blog this year.

Most Viewed Posts

I know it’s a regular theme, but once again, the most popular posts in 2023 were mostly written in 2019 or 2020. However, with that said, here are a few posts from 2023 that did especially well with readers:

1. Why Is The DSA Shrinking?
2. Socialism Isn’t Ultra-Progressivism
3. DSA Criticism of Anarchism

In short, the most popular posts this year have been about socialist organizing and theory! Readers turned to theory in these troubling times. This is a contrast to the usual split, where the most popular posts of past years were a mix of socialism, local activism, and international politics.

I should note that there’s a huge divide between number 1 and number 2 on that above list. ‘Why Is the DSA Shrinking?’ hit at something like the right time. Not only was it widely read and shared among DSA members before the 2023 Convention, but it is also cited in the Wikipedia article on DSA! That brought it to a much wider readership than my usually much smaller group of readers for most ordinary posts.

Preview for 2024

So, I no longer select an annual theme for the blog. But that doesn’t mean the posts aren’t thematic!

What’s coming up next year?

I have some ideas, but it’s mostly open ended at this point. I’ve hit most of the major themes I intended to cover in this blog. So most new posts will likely apply those fundamentals to new developments in our world and politics.

At the very least, it’s an election year in the U.S. I’ll surely have a few things to say about the lead up to that.

That means readers could be in for some surprises in 2024!

A Seasonal Break

December 18, 2023 /

Happy (late) Saturnalia, readers!

As I often do this time of year, I’m taking a short break from blogging for the holiday season.

I’ll still have an end of year review post popping up in about 10 days. But aside from that, this will be my final post of 2023. I’ll be taking some time for family and travel over the next few weeks.

Expect a return to the regular posting schedule by the second week of January.

faq

FAQ #11: What Do You Think About [Pop Culture Controversy]?

December 11, 2023 /

Every now and then, someone asks me for my hot take on someone else’s social media or pop culture hot take. Or they ask me what I think about something a famous actor or influencer said.

I’d say something snarky here. But to be honest, I probably haven’t heard about whatever controversy the person asks me about. In the rare event I have heard about it, I probably don’t care.

It’s not that these things are totally unimportant. People can do damage with problematic remarks. Rather, it’s that the media figures, podcasters, bloggers (!), et al. who people get worked up about usually have far less influence than people think they do. They have an impact on the world, but not as big as people think they do.

How should we respond to them? In most cases, it’s best to quit paying attention to them. Social media figures and influencers live on the attention people give them. Try giving them less.

So, it’s not that I think pop culture is unimportant. I don’t think that. But I do think pop culture figures are less important than most believe. And their importance depends essentially on the attention we provide them.

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