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+2 votes
I Say I would be prefiguative no matter what approach I took. I see these choices as part of my prefiguative attempts.

Is that consistent with your understanding of it? If not, what am I missing?
related to an answer for: Phones, computers, Netflix
by (330 points)
I'm not completely sure what you are asking in this question. Can you elaborate some? Which approaches and choices? Based on the linked question I am wondering if this has to do with consumer choices?
Yes, that is what I mean, ingrate. Are the choices i make to distance myself from capitalism and other forms of oppression part of prefigurative anarchy? That could be consumer choices I make. Or where I live or my meager attempts at growing some food and beauty. Or any choices I make that are intentionally towards living a way of life I hope will happen in the future.
Is your question about prefigurative politics? I think that's what Jim Jones and the People Temple shit was practicing, but not sure

Is your question an ingrate specific question about an answer they left on another thread?

if the question read "do you consider the choices you make as prefigurative?" (and then defining "prefigurative", which this spellchecker underlines red...."choices" might need more definition too, but i assume it relates to choices of buying or not buying), then i'd give a crack at an answer.

Yes it was attached to another thread.
BA@

"Do you consider the choices you make prefigurative? "
mostly not (95%ish).......i'll expand more later.
zz, when talking about "choices", do you mean specifically about what i buy, and/or choosing not to buy?

and how do you define "prefigurative"? (because i don't use the word).

1 Answer

+2 votes

Based on what I understand you to be asking, I would say that most people make a differentiation between consumer choice and prefigurative politics, though there is perhaps some overlap. Choosing to limit one's entanglement with capitalism is sort of about making do in the here and now, whereas at least as I would use the term prefigurative politics might be more like building in ways that is "building a new world in the shell of the old."

Here might be the differences as I see them:

Lifestyle/consumer choices:

  • gardening
  • shoplifiting from home depot
  • dumpsterdiving food
  • shared living situations
  • squatting as an individual or group of friends
  • shopping at a worker's collective

Prefigurative politics:

  • urban community farm that supplies the neighborhood with fresh food
  • creating a community tool bank
  • Food Not Bombs or grocery distribution programs
  • creating intentional communal living situations
  • squatted social centers/ cracking squats for refugee housing
  • starting a worker run collective that is part of a network of others who share and exchange between them.

Does this sort of clarify how I would think of the difference? I can provide some more concrete examples of some of these in comments if that seems helpful.

by (22.1k points)
Very much so. Thank you. Bottom line: day to day choices versus living in such a way that those choices are built into the daily choices.

The life style choices as you call them might be prefigurative of prefigurative.
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