I disagree with the notion that these are “losing causes.”

1. Socialism is necessary. Not only is the largest economy in the world by PPP a socialist country, and is using it to dramatic effect, capitalism and by extension imperialism are dying systems that have no future. Despite governing more of the world, capitalism is in decay, and is thus the “losing side.”

2. Veganism is ethically correct. Not only is animal liberation a valuable pursuit, but it has far lower of an environmental impact. It isn’t a “side,” it’s the correct conclusion.

3. FOSS isn’t losing, it doesn’t need mass adoption because it doesn’t need profit. FOSS is growing though.

4. Anti-car urbanism is improving, socialist countries like the PRC are building huge amounts of effective urban transit. Between the car centric society of today and the urbanist future we desire, there is a transitional period marked by electrification and building up urban transit.

5. Lemmy/fediverse is healthy and stable, and already does what it needs to: provide an alternative for those who want one.

At the end of the day, framing movements as “winning” or “losing” purely on adoption rates is an error. What is important is trajectory and the material basis for transitioning from the present state of things to the next, ie how do the problems of today make the solutions of tomorrow physically compelled? For socialism, it is the decay of capitalism due to its inevitable contradictions, as well as capitalism’s centralization making public ownership and planning in a post-capitalist society remarkably effective. How does that apply to others?

I’ve been vegan foss-using anti war anarchist since high school, once I figure out what’s right social pressure doesn’t particularly sway me. In addition to all of the above I’m trans and still mask too.

I can’t really point to anything in particular that “switched” other than legitimately not caring about fitting in.

I don’t agree with causes to win. I agree with causes because they’re correct. If everyone stopped believing in gravity I wouldn’t follow suit.

There are no lost causes, just struggles you don’t face.

Morality and ethical behavior are not defined by popularity

I don’t really understand why you think a lot of these things are losing causes. FOSS is the backbone of IT. Anti-car urbanism is common in some areas of the world. Lemmy and the Fediverse have been doing great over the last 2 years. Socialism/leftist ideology is on the rise alongside the fascist takeover—it would have been unheard of to have “the squad” in the 90’s.

So where you see losing, I see slow and steady progress happening alongside capitalist fascism that is trying and failing to stop it completely.

I want to live in a better world. You can’t change the world (win) by giving up. You can’t change the status quo easily and I can’t live with myself if I do nothing.

I don’t think of them as “losing causes”. While it’s important to be realistic about the current state of your cause, framing it this way assumes they have already and permanently lost, so nothing can ever change. Assuming a mindset of defeatism is demoralizing even if it is only in the language you use.

I follow my conscience, and I work hard to live up to my principles. If I didn’t, I would have a hard time living with myself.

I think the interesting thing about the US is that its propaganda sews the seeds for eventual dissent. It runs on ideals about freedom, democracy, equality, individualism, progress, prosperity, etc. The national mythology isn’t “fuck all the poor people.” The trouble is, the US isn’t any of these things. It just makes it hard to recognize that or what the alternatives are. So I wouldn’t say I moved along the political spectrum as much as I slowly started to notice that I wasn’t where I thought I was. You grow up seeing Obama go from “Hope and Change” to continuing to do all the wars, torture, and spying… it makes you realize “hey I don’t think these people were being honest about sharing my values.” And it’s just a long, slow trip from there to figuring out what movements actually represent your politics.

I know you phrased it as “losing” here, but it still made me think of that moment in Firefly when somebody refers to Mal having fought on the wrong side in a battle, and he says “May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.”

When a person has convictions and is put at a certain sort of fork in the road, they would rather do anything else before ever seeing themselves transform into the sort of person who would take one of those paths. Some would sell their souls to survive, and some know that their cause is worth several times more than their souls are worth, and the bill comes due at some point.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

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It’s the right cause, and if enough people join it won’t be losing anymore.

I think you’re treating all these mostly unrelated initiatives as an “ideology” in itself and not just things people are interested in.

On the flip side the capitalist consumerist alternatives to all of these benefit from there popularity and thus offer a better value to most people. The question is about what made you defer that better immediate material value in favor of something else.

What makes you think a given person prefers the capitalist options? There are plenty of reasons to like all of these things which is why some people do.

Socialism on a small scale cannot solve the inherent issues of a capitalism that surrounds it.

No, but socialist countries are routinely sheltered from the capitalist driven cataclysms due to their control of the economy. Look at how much China was affected by the 2008 crisis vs Western countries.

Also, socialism in places like Canada necessarily means decolonization of both the Indigenous peoples here and ending our corporate exploitation of both people abroad and Canadians. If that’s not a reason to support it I don’t know what is.

Veganism benefits from more people becoming vegan and restaurants and grocery stores providing vegan options.

The WHOLE DAMN POINT of veganism is to get rid of a luxury (animal products) because you think it’s unethical. Vegans are not bothered by restaurants not catering to them because they simply won’t go.

Also, grocery stores providing grocery options? Ah yes the flop of the vegan tomato left the vegan community reeling. What are you buying at the grocery store of all places that you don’t think it’s always been possible to be vegan? You know you can just buy plants and make your own food right?

FOSS, or more specifically desktop Linux, benefits from more people being on it and software developers designing for and maintaining applications for it.

Linux is measurably more efficient. Like seriously compare the background resource usage of Linux to Windows, Linux can be up to twice as light giving you more resources for your actual applications. Linux is also a lot more private which a lot of people care about over the convenience of a mainstream big tech OS.

Also, the simplicity and dare I say “non-technical user unfriendliness” of Linux is also a draw for technical users who don’t want their computer coddling them. It’s a niche for a reason.

the fediverse benefits from more people veing on it and more diverse communities so those with niche interests besides the above causes can find community here.

Can you elaborate on this one? I don’t know what it means.

Hope that the work we do will over time become the shade of a tree our grandkids will be able to enjoy.