For context; how would I motivate someone to actually care about politics and class struggle? I’ve been with a partner of two years and she’s relatively left-leaning and I wouldn’t quite say liberal or any political ideology, really, hence the point of the title.
It’s one thing to radicalize liberals; fight reactionaries. How does one deal with apathy, rather, something beyond apathy/lack of ideology entirely?
Do you want her to stress about the same things you stress about or do you want to be able to talk to her about those things? I think the first one is sort of mean, not you for wanting that but if she can be ignorant and happy why not? If she doesn’t want you to talk about it at all that’s a different story
Talk to her about it, mostly. Also curious on experience with politically apathetic people. I’ve had success in turning some of my lib friends and exposed a few coworkers to radical theory but I’ve always found those who don’t really have any opinion or knowledge beyond just the US president to be difficult to speak to.
I can only tell you what worked for my partner. They were very politically apathetic for most of our relationship. They care deeply about the health of me and their family. They work in public health too. COVID has been a radicalizing force for them. I had already developed a pretty robust sense of class consciousness by 2020, so all I did was just engage them in conversation about public health. They know more about it than I ever will.
I work in education. We talked about the intersection of public health and education a lot that summer. During the protests and uprisings that summer, she remarked on how she appreciated the protestors wearing masks even though the science was undecided about their necessity outdoors. I told her about how it’s also a safety concern for the protestors to protect their identities. When schools in our area resumed with practically no safeguards, they took an interest in the understanding the reactionary forces that would place children in harms way. Independently they read about the successes combatting the virus in places like Vietnam and the devastation withholding vaccines did/continues to do to the global south.
As the pandemic continues they continues to use public health as their loadstone. They understand the connection between capitalism and ignoring public health. They are not a self-described socialist. Political theory does not interest them. But they’re a comrade.
Thank you! Similar situation with mine.
I’ll see if I could find a “loadstone” that intrigues her. If she shows no interest; that’s perfectly okay! Just wanted experience.
