Left Coast Reads 📚🌹
@leftcoastreads.bsky.social
📍Pacific Northwest
📚History. Philosophy. Political economy. Occasional sci-fi.
🌹Trying to show solidarity and keep an open mind. A veces posteo en español también.
📚History. Philosophy. Political economy. Occasional sci-fi.
🌹Trying to show solidarity and keep an open mind. A veces posteo en español también.
Pinned
Hi everyone! I'm JB and I like to share the books I read. I have an Instagram account with lots of book reviews. Moving forward I'll be sharing those here, too. 📚💙
Is this not the logical endpoint of what Lukacs called reification and Marx called commodity fetishism? Everything is treated as a commodity. Everything from human labor power to opinions (evidently?) are now treated as objects with value independent of the social relations which produce them.
December 4, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Is this not the logical endpoint of what Lukacs called reification and Marx called commodity fetishism? Everything is treated as a commodity. Everything from human labor power to opinions (evidently?) are now treated as objects with value independent of the social relations which produce them.
There are a lot of otherwise very intelligent liberals who don't understand that you are under no obligation to assume that your opponent is arguing in good faith.
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 11:08 PM
There are a lot of otherwise very intelligent liberals who don't understand that you are under no obligation to assume that your opponent is arguing in good faith.
This is true and a very good thing! However, we should provide the full context here. Roughly 19% of their electricity comes from "biomass" aka burning wood and straw. 44% of this is imported from other countries.
Energy transitions can happen faster than we think:
In 2000 almost 90% of Denmark's electricity was from fossil fuels.
In 2024 less than 10% of Danish electricity was from fossil fuels.
In 2000 almost 90% of Denmark's electricity was from fossil fuels.
In 2024 less than 10% of Danish electricity was from fossil fuels.
December 1, 2025 at 8:36 PM
This is true and a very good thing! However, we should provide the full context here. Roughly 19% of their electricity comes from "biomass" aka burning wood and straw. 44% of this is imported from other countries.
C.L.R. James said, "The race question is subsidiary to the class question in politics, and to think of imperialism in terms of race is disastrous. But to neglect the racial factor as merely incidental is an error only less grave than to make it fundamental." W. E. B. DuBois said, "the problem...
December 1, 2025 at 2:18 AM
C.L.R. James said, "The race question is subsidiary to the class question in politics, and to think of imperialism in terms of race is disastrous. But to neglect the racial factor as merely incidental is an error only less grave than to make it fundamental." W. E. B. DuBois said, "the problem...
Reposted by Left Coast Reads 📚🌹
"Don't follow illegal orders" would be more meaningful if Democrats had prosecuted literally any of the prominent war criminals of the last 30 years instead of, you know, fucking campaigning with them
November 30, 2025 at 3:21 AM
"Don't follow illegal orders" would be more meaningful if Democrats had prosecuted literally any of the prominent war criminals of the last 30 years instead of, you know, fucking campaigning with them
I lived in Texas and this hits hard. Everything in Texas feels pretend. Pretending you're rich in your McMansion. Pretending you need a giant pickup truck. Pretending climate change isn't real. Shit, even the state's history is pretending it's not racist (look up what the Alamo was really about).
I moved from Texas to Maine two years ago. Last month I went back for four days. I won't go again.
medium.com/@randythetoo...
medium.com/@randythetoo...
You’re not supposed to live like this
This is a story about Texas.
medium.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:08 AM
I lived in Texas and this hits hard. Everything in Texas feels pretend. Pretending you're rich in your McMansion. Pretending you need a giant pickup truck. Pretending climate change isn't real. Shit, even the state's history is pretending it's not racist (look up what the Alamo was really about).
Post-Thanksgiving rainy day. Leaves fluttering outside. Time to read with Juniper curled up next to me.
November 29, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Post-Thanksgiving rainy day. Leaves fluttering outside. Time to read with Juniper curled up next to me.
NOVEMBER, DECEMBER
down from
the high
hill of Fall
a road goes
through dark
to cold
past a ring of great grey-shouldered stones that keep the secret of the moment when the unseen sun
stops
and turns
-Ursula K. Le Guin
down from
the high
hill of Fall
a road goes
through dark
to cold
past a ring of great grey-shouldered stones that keep the secret of the moment when the unseen sun
stops
and turns
-Ursula K. Le Guin
November 27, 2025 at 8:12 PM
NOVEMBER, DECEMBER
down from
the high
hill of Fall
a road goes
through dark
to cold
past a ring of great grey-shouldered stones that keep the secret of the moment when the unseen sun
stops
and turns
-Ursula K. Le Guin
down from
the high
hill of Fall
a road goes
through dark
to cold
past a ring of great grey-shouldered stones that keep the secret of the moment when the unseen sun
stops
and turns
-Ursula K. Le Guin
Will. Amigo. Please. He won an outright majority in a three-way race against an extremely well-connected, well-funded former governor running as a same-party spoiler. All in a place where historically even mentioning Palestine would be disqualifying.
Also, when you say people saying "Dems would win everywhere with a Mamdani-style platform," I think it's important to remember that that platform delivered the most charismatic candidate in recent history a whopping 50.4% of the vote against a street vigilante and actual vampire, in New York City
November 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Will. Amigo. Please. He won an outright majority in a three-way race against an extremely well-connected, well-funded former governor running as a same-party spoiler. All in a place where historically even mentioning Palestine would be disqualifying.
As a socialist with strong yimby sympathies (yes in OUR back yard?)...I just want to build more housing. Like...have these people ever been to an IRL yimby meetup? It's the most nonthreatening urbanist nerds imaginable.
sometimes you just need to take a step back and marvel at the absurdity that is the left-NIMBY mindset
these are not normal, rational people. they have descended into a bespoke form of madness
these are not normal, rational people. they have descended into a bespoke form of madness
November 26, 2025 at 7:29 PM
As a socialist with strong yimby sympathies (yes in OUR back yard?)...I just want to build more housing. Like...have these people ever been to an IRL yimby meetup? It's the most nonthreatening urbanist nerds imaginable.
Anarchists and Marxists have often disagreed on key aspects of political strategy and theory. In this book--Worker Cooperatives and Revolution: History and Possibilities in the United States--Chris Wright tries to reconcile the two with worker coops as the lynchpin.
November 23, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Anarchists and Marxists have often disagreed on key aspects of political strategy and theory. In this book--Worker Cooperatives and Revolution: History and Possibilities in the United States--Chris Wright tries to reconcile the two with worker coops as the lynchpin.
TRUMP: he tells me--what was it called--commodity fetishism. I said, what like feet or something? Zohran's a smart guy. I dunno why he likes feet but he's gonna be the best mayor. The best.
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:40 PM
TRUMP: he tells me--what was it called--commodity fetishism. I said, what like feet or something? Zohran's a smart guy. I dunno why he likes feet but he's gonna be the best mayor. The best.
TRUMP: he says it's dialectical. di-a-lec-tic-al. beautiful word. no one really knows what it means but we're doing it.
TRUMP [after spending 5 minutes with Zohran]: surplus value, it’s a very wonderful thing, very wonderful, and they’re stealing it. Can you believe that?
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
We’re going to be looking very strongly at the bourgeoisie, what they’re up to
November 21, 2025 at 9:37 PM
TRUMP: he says it's dialectical. di-a-lec-tic-al. beautiful word. no one really knows what it means but we're doing it.
Yuval Harari as he wrote this book
November 20, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Yuval Harari as he wrote this book
The meme is about the people under the bombs, you chucklefuck. And a lot of them are gay and have brown skin. The fact that the bombs are being dropped already shows that the flags on the bomber are being used cynically.
I hate this sort of meme.
“The only difference between the parties is whether the power to destroy human civilization rests in the hands of leaders who think gays, women, and black people should have their rights acknowledged.”
Even if true, how is Rainbow B-52 not infinitely preferable?
“The only difference between the parties is whether the power to destroy human civilization rests in the hands of leaders who think gays, women, and black people should have their rights acknowledged.”
Even if true, how is Rainbow B-52 not infinitely preferable?
November 20, 2025 at 4:53 PM
The meme is about the people under the bombs, you chucklefuck. And a lot of them are gay and have brown skin. The fact that the bombs are being dropped already shows that the flags on the bomber are being used cynically.
💪
Algorithmic Price Fixing Ban — sponsored by @councilormorillo.bsky.social & @councilorgreen.bsky.social — passes with 8 yes votes, 2 no votes, and 2 absences.
We’ll be there to support the Algorithmic Price Fixing Ban and the Detention Fee Ordinance!
November 20, 2025 at 5:10 AM
💪
Reposted by Left Coast Reads 📚🌹
Data from the National Association of Realtors paints a painful portrait of American home buying:
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
November 20, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Data from the National Association of Realtors paints a painful portrait of American home buying:
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
All-cash buyers at 26% of the market.
Median age of the typical homebuyer: a stunning 59 years old.
nar.realtor/research-and...
Question for married folks: if you take a new surname that's closely associated with a particular ethnicity that is not your own, does that ever impact your interactions with people? Like, are people surprised to see a white person with the last name Nguyen?
November 19, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Question for married folks: if you take a new surname that's closely associated with a particular ethnicity that is not your own, does that ever impact your interactions with people? Like, are people surprised to see a white person with the last name Nguyen?
Is there research on the long term health consequences of the constant vigilance required to avoid being ripped off in our economic system? The stress and distrust cannot be good psychologically. I think this is at least part of the reason for such low social trust in our society.
And the rest of the public that isn’t good at haggling feels like they’re getting taken for a ride by the big corporations because, uh, they often are. People don’t read fine print and are constantly terrified of being ripped off.
November 18, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Is there research on the long term health consequences of the constant vigilance required to avoid being ripped off in our economic system? The stress and distrust cannot be good psychologically. I think this is at least part of the reason for such low social trust in our society.
I am once again reminding you not to give any money to the New York Times.
November 18, 2025 at 12:31 AM
I am once again reminding you not to give any money to the New York Times.
Old enough to marry but not old enough to divorce. Really gives the game away, doesn't it?
Child marriage is heinous, but one thing I never see brought up in those discussions is that if you are under 18, you cannot file for divorce. If you are under 18 and married to an adult, they are your legal guardian and make decisions for you. That is not a partnership.
Most Minors Who Are Married Can't File for Divorce — Even if They Want To
The final installment of Wedlocked, our series about child marriage in the U.S., explores divorce.
www.teenvogue.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Old enough to marry but not old enough to divorce. Really gives the game away, doesn't it?
Amigos hispanohablantes: ¿Es Jeannette Jara tan genial como parece? ¿Qué probabilidad tiene ella de ganar? #chileelecciones #jeannettejara
November 17, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Amigos hispanohablantes: ¿Es Jeannette Jara tan genial como parece? ¿Qué probabilidad tiene ella de ganar? #chileelecciones #jeannettejara
"el DSA ha crecido entre jóvenes urbanos precarizados, conectando con algunas de las principales contradicciones del capitalismo estadounidense “realmente existente”, en particular en lo referido al sistema de acceso a la vivienda."
Always fascinated by foreign coverage of American politics.
Always fascinated by foreign coverage of American politics.
La izquierda estadounidense gana también la alcaldía de Seattle - www.diario-red.com/articulo/int...
La izquierda estadounidense gana también la alcaldía de Seattle
Katie Wilson, descrita a sí misma como socialista democrática, es la nueva alcaldesa de Seattle
www.diario-red.com
November 16, 2025 at 6:32 AM
"el DSA ha crecido entre jóvenes urbanos precarizados, conectando con algunas de las principales contradicciones del capitalismo estadounidense “realmente existente”, en particular en lo referido al sistema de acceso a la vivienda."
Always fascinated by foreign coverage of American politics.
Always fascinated by foreign coverage of American politics.