"Ask Five" for Gene Costa

[Chileice]

This is taken from AMR's idea on this thread:
http://www.theologyonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40575
to ask five questions of a fellow member.

1. Do you believe in marriage? why or why not?
2. How would your socialist revolution survive into the future, once all of those who formed it are gone?
3. How do you think your thinking will evolve in the next 40 years?
4. If you don't build a socialist paradise, what do you plan on doing with your life?
5. How do you want your grandchildren to remember you?

 

[Chileice]

Hello, ¿Gene?

 

[GeneCosta]

1. Do you believe in marriage? why or why not?

If by marriage we're talking about commitment, yes. More people should be going out of their way to form healthy relationships with those they bond with, be it with any number of people, of any gender, of any race, creed, or identity. I just wish we would see the whole world community as a larger extension of our family.

But as for statutory marriage, it should be completely removed in favor of marriage by habit and repute. At least that's my opinion. You should prove you're commited; not point at a legal contract.

2. How would your socialist revolution survive into the future, once all of those who formed it are gone?

If it was a socialist revolution, the generations which follow would continue to work towards eliminating political and economic hierarchy. To quote a great movie, " We are told to remember the idea, not the man. Because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten. But four hundred years later an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed firsthand the power of ideas. I've seen people kill in the name of them; and die defending them. But you cannot touch an idea, cannot hold it or kiss it. An idea does not bleed, it cannot feel pain, and it does not love."

3. How do you think your thinking will evolve in the next 40 years?

If my current plans do not give way to something completely different, I will hold a double-major in History and Economics. From there I plan to work as a teacher in a poor school district -- I've told myself there are other people for thriving campuses. My goal is to help the following generations be the most well-informed, well-educated, and well-prepared. Christian, atheist, black, conservative, capitalist, libertarian, gay -- it's soon to be their world, their messes, their days of glory. The kids graduating from my current high school [largely] have it made, but when I visit neighboring districts it's a completely different story. They're working with a foundation that is more unstable -- I think the greatest travesty is the community not taking care of their children. It's never a child's fault he's poor.

I can only assume I will process new knowledge from this experience and update some ideas. If I commit to a woman, which I plan on, and have a kid, which is a good probability, I'll have more to work from.

4. If you don't build a socialist paradise, what do you plan on doing with your life?

I'd like to think my political activism will have no bearing on my career choice. I have talked with Shwirly about us opening a book store and allowing it to operate with as much workplace democracy and collective ownership as we can muster from the current system, but we're still trying to figure that out -- her career choice isn't exactly the best paying, either.

5. How do you want your grandchildren to remember you?

I'd like them to think of me as someone who commited to making the world a better place for everyone.

 

[Chileice]

Thank you, Gene. Very interesting to hear from someone who is "starting out" so to speak.

 

[GeneCosta]

No problemo. Also, if you want to learn more about how a socialist revolution could survive with outside influence, look up criticism of the Paris Commune. It was probably the closest example of socialism in history [universal suffrage, workplace democracy, delegates instead of representatives, free education for everyone, worker-determined hours and pensions, no conscription, fair judges, democratized guard units, little crime]. Although I disagree with Marx to the extent that there should have been more blood during the commune, I definately agree they should have basically flipped off the capitalists, siezed the bank, and kicked the French army into the sea. The democratized Guard actually did better than the top-down French military, but was taken by numbers and brute force. Women and children fought to protect the commune.

If the bank had been siezed and the money frozen, we could have seen a completely different turn of events in terms of capitalism and socialism.