Capitalism Hits Home: The Family - Does It Work? Did It Ever?

[S07 E10] The Family Does It Work? Did It Ever?
The family is a sacred cow, It is presented as instinctual, and eternal. It isn't. Family is breaking down. It's time to study it, question it, and create new alternatives and study the successful alternatives whose stories have been repressed. If we do, we can find ways to empower and free each other on every level.
Capitalism Hits Home with Dr. Harriet Fraad (CHH) is a @democracyatwrk production. The show addresses the intersection of capitalism, class, and personal lives, and explores what is happening in the economic realm and its impact on our individual and social psychology. Learn more about CHH: www.democracya...
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[@Wraithing]

One of my favourite (among many) Kurt Vonnegut Jr. quotes is: 'A husband, a wife and some kids is not a family. It's a terribly vulnerable survival unit.'

[@vansmoken4172]

Go on and flush this down the toilet

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@vansmoken4172 OK, we will flush your comment down the toilet.

[@bluewater454]

It would seem that, like other obvious concepts (gender, men, women, who can give birth, ect.) we can now add the term “family” to things that the far left is confused about.

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@bluewater454 Hilarious that you would accuse Kurt Vonnegut Jr., one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, of being confused about the word (not term) "family." Obviously, you are confused about metaphors, among many other things. Trolls like you are like that.

[@bluewater454]

@@kevinschmidt2210 Sorry comrade, the word family is not a “metaphor”. It is the word we use to describe a human relationship that occurs when a husband and wife living together in a committed civil union procreate and have something called children. This is a word that has been recognized both legally and culturally for centuries, if not millennia. Anyone who questions that is either confused, or is simply a fanatical left wing ideologue wishing this were not so.

[@theageofgoddess]

💯 Thank you so much Dr Fraad 🙏 Marriage can never work in a society that generally doesn’t support CHILDREN, in so many cases children are exploited in the US. It can absolutely change. We need to question it all, the whole system and we need to re-evaluate our priorities.

[@bluewater454]

Children are the least likely to be exploited in the protection of a traditional family environment.

[@CristianAquino-b9q]

​@@bluewater454"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." (Jiddu Krishnamurti)

[@bluewater454]

@@CristianAquino-b9q A fine quote. Too bad it has no application to the conversation.

[@a.randomjack6661]

Anthropology 1972: 'We did not evolve to live in the societies we have erected'. We evolved to live cooperatively in tribes of up 150 people or less.

[@robincrowflies]

As someone who is introverted, I have thought about this a lot. I've spent most of my emotional energy throughout my adulthood maintaining work relationships. It seems such a waste. Now, at 56 years old, my main focus is on putting down roots and building community.

[@theageofgoddess]

💯

[@matthewingerson]

Dunbar's Number.

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@matthewingerson I had to look that one up. Thanks, I did not know of the expression.

[@Wraithing]

A good new take, on how human society developed very differently from the Hobbes/Rousseau model of tribal savagery to agriculture then civilisation, is The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity (2021) by Graeber and Wengrow. It's quite optimistic really. Humans appear to have lived in far freer and more playful societies for many millennia before we 'got stuck' in our present social (far from inevitable) historical moment. If we can survive as a species (obviously with some extremely large jeopardies on the near horizon), it is entirely plausible that the passing of our era of 'civilisation' could once more give way to something eminently more livable and friendly to our humanity.

[@AprilWatters]

Saying it, and being criminalized for it, since the 70s! That just because women get pregnant doesn't mean you're a "parent"

[@jillfryer6699]

It, that is giving birth, is a good start for being a parent. (at least it used to be). Having a baby brings on a rush of caring chemicals. Unlikely people suddenly become warm and cuddly. I cannot believe this has not been noticed. Unless someone has an agenda or strong desire not to. The children run children's homes described sounds like hell and a cult to me. This brass band and burning the kids clothes and putting them in uniform is pure cult stuff. And imagine the manipulation and emotional blackmail that would go on where children can move from house to house if they dont like whatever/ cannot have their own way? "Just because you get knocked up doesn't mean you're a fit parent" is an offensive elitist remark. It sounds like a social worker's excuse for removing a child because someone else wants it, or the State has plans for it. We have had more than enough of people in authority taking children away on any excuse they like, whether the children are in somewhat tribal situations, nuclear or extended families, or worst of all a single woman. We've had govt reports of generations of damage and broken hearted parents and now someone wants to start it up again from a different angle.

[@AprilWatters]

Thank you Harriet! For looking closer at the "family". I have studied it since the 70s due to experience. Children have been treated like slaves for decades. Micro of the macro abuse system

[@AprilWatters]

The "family/community" is only as healthy as the Government

[@bluewater454]

Society is only as healthy as the family unit - which is why Marxists have always opposed the traditional family unit.

[@a.randomjack6661]

This is the regime we are under Pathocracy, or how psychopathy takes over a society More scientifically known as “Political ponerology”. Enjoy learning about this 🤓 There is a lot to uncover ,

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@bluewater454 You have absolutely zero proof that, "Marxists have always opposed the traditional family unit."

[@falsificationism]

This was one of the most fascinating bits of family/history I've ever heard. All those years of education and I've never heard any of this. Thank you, Dr Fraad!

[@johnniesykes7422]

This too was most interesting to me also. History always reveals!

[@advandepol7537]

I am following you and your husband for 6 years now without missing any episode or video. You are always such a sociological treasure trove, and I am surprised that it gets relatively speaking a handful of views. I hope that more people will discover you from the almost 400K.

[@meowzic]

Hey Dr. Wolff, I just saw you on the JD show. I noticed several years ago talk about modern monetary theory where federal funding is nothing but ones and zeros and the federal taxes we pay is a sham because the government just keystrokes money into the system. Could possibly explain your take on this and how federal spending actually works?

[@julieweiner1623]

Thank goodness I had my child in the early 70s. I did by myself. Head start was a great program.

[@olgacvetkova114]

VThank you so much for remembering Anton Makarenko! His novel "The Pedagogical Poem" ("Педагогическая поэма") is one of my favourite books.

[@LolaBgcps]

Interesting. Thankyou Dr. Fraad.

[@jimdennis7284]

Web Staff, Please make sure audio of the newest "Capitalism Hits Home with Dr. Harriet Fraad " is placed on her "Democracy at Work" audio page. Great series!

[@audiho]

Interesting topic. I appreciate your examples of alternatives. I'll have to check out the three volume book you mentioned.... eventually!

[@olgacvetkova114]

Very interesting. Thank you Dr Fraad! 👍👍👍

[@geraldinegranger9186]

I love this topic! The nuclear family is not a natural survival unit, and only works for a very select few. Unfortunately these select few hold a lot of power. I remember Hillary Clinton getting thoroughly smacked down for saying it takes a village to raise a child. The glorification of the traditional nuclear family is very deliberate.

[@a.randomjack6661]

I did a search 🔎 This is pasted from the source *Anthropology:first nuclear families* Anthropology suggests that the concept of a nuclear family, consisting of a married couple and their dependent children, is not a universal or timeless institution. In fact, the term “nuclear family” emerged within anthropology during the 1940s, and it is not justified to assume that this form of family structure is modern or unique to Western societies. Historically, the nuclear family has existed in various forms and has been observed in different cultures and time periods. For example, archaeological discoveries have found evidence of nuclear family graves dating back to 2600 BCE, such as the one found in a late Neolithic community in Germany. In some societies, the nuclear family has been a common form of social organization, while in others, it has been less prevalent or even non-existent. For instance, in many agricultural societies, families have worked together to till the land, and the nuclear family structure has been less relevant. Anthropological research has also highlighted the variability of family structures and the importance of considering cultural and historical context when studying family forms. The nuclear family is just one type of family structure, and its significance and prevalence can vary greatly across cultures and time periods.

[@jeanetteschulthe1andOnly]

It works when criminals under the guise of (the right to make money, even if throwing people under the bus) are imprisoned/institutionalized. Send jobs over seas while millionaires turn into billionaires. It doesn't take much to figure out what happens to the family. That is what poverty does. Why do you think the scumbags are doing it to us?

[@a.randomjack6661]

It does not work because those criminals imposed it upon us. I recommend you relisten.

[@manleom2260]

it's always a pleasure to hear your talks about family in a capitalistic society...thank you very much.

[@lukeolson5177]

The nuclear family is extremely important to conservative Christians because it's the fathers duty to teach the children which out groups to hate. The father is the one who teaches the kids to use slurs against POC and the father also teaches the children to treat women like shit which is a lynchpin for conservative politics. A community approach to raising children would be a devastating blow to the Bible thumpers.

[@bluewater454]

Sounds like you have been drinking some seriously poisoned koolaid

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@bluewater454 Ain't it weird that the highest proportion of unwanted teen pregnancy happens in the most conservative states in the USA.

[@bluewater454]

@@a.randomjack6661 And…?

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@bluewater454 And...You'd know why if you hadn't deleted your previous comment Mr. Snowflake

[@a.randomjack6661]

I should have entered your first name, Mr. Narcissistic Snowflake.

[@shellb1633]

Thank you so much, for speaking on these things. We are so oblivious to the past. 💙

[@christinepark1398]

I remember being at a nat'l gathering in DC in our bus in '67 with my husband, a friend, and our two small kids. There were other busses there with families and we had the busses in a circle. Some people were visiting all the busses talking about how harmful families are to kids and how wonderful it would be to put all the kids together somewhere and have 2 of the parents take turns watching them. They were saying things like "Tell the truth, don't they get on your nerves?" "Think of all the free time you could have to be yourself instead of waiting on the family all the time" and "Is it healthy for you to feel like you have to have someone to take care of all the time? Are you just using them so you can feel needed?" We just saw them as some kind of perverts that wanted to remove the kids from the people that loved them so that they could do whatever game they wanted to do on the kids. The one thing they said that I found hard to dismiss UNTIL NOW was "That's how they do it in Israel and Israeli kids are much more emotionally healthy than kids in this county."

[@noahparslow295]

how are israeli kids more emotionally healthy? Don't they believe that palestinians and other Arabs are literal monsters? sounds pretty unhealthy to me. Great story btw thanks for sharing christine

[@yogi4lyfe]

Thank you !

[@tanujSE]

As said in manifesto, capitalist have turned family relations into mere money relation,and it do feel bad but nothing can be done,people are historically facing such problems and have become used to it

[@bluewater454]

Marx made no distinction between the “bourgeoisie” family and any other family. Marxists have always sought to undermine the traditional family structure. The State is the Marxist family. The State is the Marxist god.

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@bluewater454 LOL! Meanwhile, the real danger is the fascist oligarchy family that not only undermines the traditional family structure, but also capitalizes off of its demise.

[@bluewater454]

@@kevinschmidt2210 A “fascist oligarchy” family? WTF is that comrade? 😄 You people just throw around words without meaning. Do you even understand what a traditional family is, or how to define it? The left has opposed traditional family values and structures for generations, and now you are acting like you support it somehow? That’s funny comrade.

[@bluewater454]

@kevin WTF is a “fascist oligarchy family” comrade? 😄 Do you ever get tired of simply pulling terms out of your south facing blow hole?

[@EonSlemp]

one of the biggest problems i have when discussing communism with people that are not proper comrades is that they keep comparing basic quality of life metrics of places like east-west germany, north-south korea, or taiwan vs china. the problem is that anyone with phone can quickly look things up that directly refute the one true philosophy as taught by karl marx. how do we conceal these differential outcomes from the masses long enough achieve power over them?

[@Andre-qo5ek]

wow... i mean.. that was shocking actually. i knew marriage was really a financial thing.. and kids were a way to get labor ... but wow... im not shocked very often but that narrative was very disconcerting. it really puts a new lens on the topic. i've seen anti-natalism content that didnt cover even 1/8 of what was shared here. and from the anarchist angle on this, yeah the family can certainly be an unjust hierarchy, but even on that front i have not heard these facts. well done.

[@bluewater454]

Yes, it seems that Dr Fraud has sewn the seeds of doubt about the traditional family into the brain of another trusting mind, who simply absorbs what is said by the Dr without question. Well done, Dr Fraud 👏

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@bluewater454 The irony of your "seeds of doubt" trolling escapes your feeble mind.

[@nihilgeist666]

"You are not the first to try and buy a grunt with a third party check and you won't be the last..."

[@oldreprobate2748]

Before money came around i believe family worked.

[@a.randomjack6661]

Except that money/wealth accumulation came way before families. It cane with agriculture which allowed for surplus which then needed to be guarded and distributed while allowing more people to live in one area. This then required writing to be invented. The idea of nuclear families is rather recent. I'd need to do more research to understand when/where/why the idea of nuclear families came along.

[@rcmrcm3370]

Tribe... Not nuclear.

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@a.randomjack6661 The family worked when we were still apes living in trees.

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@kevinschmidt2210 🐒

[@kevinschmidt2210]

@@a.randomjack6661 You still live in trees?

[@bernardheathaway9146]

❤❤

[@Pharockgod]

That was Deep 🤔

[@a.randomjack6661]

Yep! I'm listening to it for the 3rd time. There is a lot to unpack and understand in there. "Sugar, the bitter truth" video. Different topic but as interesting as this one. ☮

[@pokemercenary6511]

No disrespect, but I’d never start a family today. Most of the potential mates I meet already have kids and I’m not bankrolling a child that isn’t mine. Plus, family court laws are so predatory. You can lose most of your property in court for simply failing to make your spouse happy.

[@jillfryer6699]

But you'd make a few lawyers happy, surely they matter too. They are human, so I am told. Don't doom yourself to a lonely old age. Take a chance.

[@pokemercenary6511]

@@jillfryer6699 1. Lawyers are NOT human. 2. I already tried 🫤

[@piku5637]

Society really treats kids like crap, WtAF?! Things need to change.

[@bluewater454]

A society that despises the family will despise children.

[@jeanetteschulthe1andOnly]

nothing wrong with families, just the criminal and inept in places they should not be.

[@CesarGarcia-og8rz]

Doesn't it seem more and more that the criminals and inept are the ones running the government institutions?

[@a.randomjack6661]

@@CesarGarcia-og8rz 'Our politicians are interchangeable figureheads on the pirate ships of the Corporatocracy Empire'

[@CecilliaDonald-u9f]

Rodriguez Jeffrey Smith Melissa Anderson Sandra

[@Nemesisnxt]

You are insane, ma’am.

[@a.randomjack6661]

Did you listen, or did you just comment on the title? What do you know about Anthropology? Don't you notice all those suffering people? Question how come they suffer? Do you know anything about behavioral biology?

[@bluewater454]

Not insane. A Marxist. Admittedly it is hard to tell the difference sometimes because their ideas are so insane.

[@livingstonem10]

@@a.randomjack6661 It's easier to dismiss and call someone insane than to engage honestly on a topic.

[@piku5637]

This is one heck of a conversation that’s needed.