love, abuse, capitalism 2

The story that Succession tells is that it’s abuse all the way down. Every action of capitalism forces… lures you to it by obscuring damage and offering reward. It’s based on the idea that abuse is bearable because you receive something in return. Money, status, security, material things… it’s worth whatever means it takes you to get there. It provides escape from suffering in real ways. Another benefit for a lot of people is the ability to damage others too. I suffered, so I deserve to hurt others. It’s my right, my due, my act of balancing the world. I went through so much, so others gotta go through so much too. This mentality can lead to thinking that suffering is the reality of the world. Damage is inevitable, so does it really matter who’s abusing you? You were always going to be abused anyways. There’s seemingly no reward in abstaining and no change to you either because the suffering is the same, so why don’t you at least get something?

The Roys live in a world completely separate to what most people live in. They are physically sheltered from most of it; here's a sense that their presence has global significance but they don't ever see the real world like walking on a sidewalk or driving a car to work. In between their beautiful palaces is a world made out of a thick net of social rules trying to fill in the gaps lovelessness has created. But what joy is there inside castles if a tyrant rules? It seems improbable that a tyrant could have loving relationships in his life, when he treats the world with no regard. Logan Roy creates a part of the world, especially the part his family lives in. He abuses indiscriminately even to other white supremacists. He stands alone, no matter how many bridges he says he's made.

Love is always present. I think that’s why we have Tom and Greg together at the end of Succession. Love will always win, but it’s been thin. The system currently operating, dispensing abuse as love, has diluted the amount of true love that exists. I think society is designed to love all humanity, to an extent. Maybe those musty white founding fathers had the intention of true equality.... sure. But in reality, the white and rich, the top of the top live a life of unparalleled luxury and love (as this society defines it). The lowest of the low are treated beyond inhumanely. That is what we need to fix. 

What Succession shows us is that the top is terrible too. Of course it is. If you abuse the world, of course you are abusing the world directly around you as well. At its core, I think this abuse stems from untruthfulness. Lies about superiority and authority to other people, lies to yourself about how good of a person you are, and all the lies and fictional stories that stem off lying about your goodness. It’s the direct opposite of love-- honest and open communication. But love is always possible, I want to believe. Something that confuses humanity is that we love pain too. We need to, I think. It is part of the human condition. We feel both and are meant to feel both. Once we can love and appreciate that, we can move towards a society that provides hurt lovingly. Allows for healthy pain, manageable pain. People like Logan say that nature is ruthless. I think what life gives you is mostly what  you put into it. Somebody can always strike first which inevitably leads to getting struck back. But being conscious of the urge to strike, but not doing so? That is what we need to do. Act with love, because we know we can abuse.