It is no coincidence that in a time when the counterrevolutionary tide which has gripped the world since the fall of the Soviet Union is finally starting to fracture and retreat, that birding as a hobby is once again on the rise.
While at first the connection between Marxism and birdwatching may seem somewhat tenuous, a historical and material analysis of the two fields soon brings out a number of points of intersection.
Birding, even at its most basic level, encourages an appreciation of the dialectical structure of the natural world. Most birds are migratory creatures, and such are constantly changing their habits and habitats in response to the material conditions around them. Not only that, but over time the birds will change as well, leading ornithologists to constantly reclassify different species in a great display of the principles of dialectical materialism.
Also, unlike bourgeois hobbies such as WW2 re-enacting, horse breeding or bdsm, birding can be enjoyed by virtually everyone in anyplace without a large initial outlay of capital. While it's true that a decent pair of binoculars can be a huge asset, it's by no means a necessity in order to appreciate birds. Similarly, while many birders do travel in order to spot rare species, I've found that one of the best parts of birding is finding unexpected birds in your own backyard. Even if you live in a large city, you may be surprised by the diversity of species which can be found there, especially during certain migration seasons.
A good barometer for judging someone's revolutionary politics is often how they feel about birds. Rosa Luxembourg wrote frequently in her letters of watching birds while imprisoned in Germany, and her interest in nature is well documented as a lifelong passion. Trotsky, on the other hand, was evidently fond of duck hunting.
In this context we can also note the significance of the fact that the Zimmerwald Conference was organized under the cover of a bird-watching convention.
The significance of birding in contemporary left politics is strong as well. Cuba, for example, is renowned worldwide as an excellent destination for birding, containing 26 "endemic" species which are only found on the island. As this article makes clear (http://www.freethefive.org/updates/Comuniques/COVisit021215.htm), birding has been for some time not only one of the few ways for Amerikans to travel to Cuba, but a source of solidarity and strength for those trapped in imperialist prisons.
Of course, the one glaring exception to the strong solidarity between Marxism and birding that we must sadly note here is Mao's inclusion of sparrows among the Four Pests campaign. And unfortunately that shortsighted break did almost certainly increase hardships for the Chinese people, as the party itself realized by 1960. While it's all too easy in hindsight to second-guess the Great Helmsman, I think it's safe to say that if only Mao had been himself a birder, the successes of the Great Leap Forward could have been perhaps even greater.
Nonetheless, birding in recent times continues to inspire militant action and resistance. In early 2016 during the standoff with the Bundy ranchers at the Malheur Wildlife Preserve, an open letter from a member of the local birding community ended with the warning: "We are watching you and our years of birding photography have made us endlessly patient and determined."
Well said.
blinkandwheeze posted:please restore the rules sticky that had the "even though we're miles apart a computer screen connects our hearts" gif in it. I dread to think of where our forum might go without such an affirming message at its head.
here you go
thank you for continuing to love pupkin
roseweird posted:i will take this opportunity to reaffirm my intent to spy on birds with a drone, ty to op for providing ideal venue for documenting the results in the future
roseweird posted:i will take this opportunity to reaffirm my intent to spy on birds with a drone, ty to op for providing ideal venue for documenting the results in the future
pls add a tiny very bad quality speaker and a tiny very low res screen to the front of it so it's a drone of you and you can say HELLO BIRD. I AM ROSEWEIRD HOW ARE YOU while flying beside them
chickeon posted:i've half seriously htoguht about writing a book on birding and marxism a bunch of times
do it
content:
shriekingviolet posted:People don't actually abbreviate birdwatching to "birding." That's not real. You are all just fucking with me.
it's a specific subform, when you ride horses to do it. often women who are birding wear "birding tiaras" and they're referred to as birdlady, and their male escort is referred to as birdsir. it's quite bracing, you know, being out amongst nature itself. i quite recommend it
my friends had some guests in their back garden for a couple days this april. the elevated hay pile on the left is a microclimate made in a crazed attempt to overwinter grapes in our frozen hell. the ducks found it very cozy.
shriekingviolet posted:clearly i, an uninitiated novice, have much to learn...
my friends had some guests in their back garden for a couple days this april. the elevated hay pile on the left is a microclimate made in a crazed attempt to overwinter grapes in our frozen hell. the ducks found it very cozy.
quite so birdsir!