Today I learned that my stepfather is planning on becoming a landlord. I’m absolutely devastated.
My mom visited me today and as we were talking I told her how I planned to move out of the province I live in, as at this point it’s a lost cause. She agreed with me and told me she planned to move back to the Azores with my stepdad, of course. She then mentioned how they’d be financially well off due to my stepfather wanting to set up businesses. I didn’t know what this business was until she told me how they wanted to make money off of renting properties out.
She told me this in relation to how when she and him are gone (dead) their house and the one I live in will be mine to do with as I please. Because the house I live in is a property they own she made reference to other properties they would invest in in the future.
I don’t think my mom really understands this whole ordeal but my stepfather definitely does and it breaks my heart that he would resort to doing something so evil. I’m incredibly lucky that my parents were more than willing to help me move out of a horrible living situation by paying the down payment for a home while I pay the mortgage. Most people can afford mortgages, it’s the down payment that stops anyone from being able to afford to buy. So I’m lucky and incredibly privileged. I feel like I don’t have the right to be angry at them since they’ve done so much for me but at the same time it hurts to know they want to exploit people for profit.
I didn’t know what to say to her. Was I supposed to lecture her on the nature of landlording? I don’t think she deserves that since she’s never been savvy with this stuff. Do I lecture my stepfather? Maybe, but he’d fight me hard on that and it might screw me over. My stepdad has always been a hyper individualist and has little to no hope in the world improving, anytime I’ve talking about dense housing and better public transit he treats it like a childish daydream. He also hates unions so there’s that. It makes sense why he’d want to be a landlord but I don’t want to be tied to such a deplorable act.
But I look over this whole thing and ask: Does it make me a hypocrite?
As a communist, but I’m living in a house bought by my parents. I’ll have landlords as parents too. What then? Am I disqualified? I’m in genuine distress over this whole thing. I’m scared and confused and I don’t know what to do but cry.
Does anyone have any advice? Anything at all? I feel so alone…
There is nothing wrong with living in a house one owns.
Landlording is a systemic practice of using government contracts to take money from people without doing labor. Which we as communists seek to abolish.
Is there a party to support? Then support your local party, or build something useful for the revolution. That is what matters more than your parents means of income. You can’t have agency over other people. You can try to convince them but that’s about it.
Even then, I would not chastise you even if you started landlording or being a petite bourgeoisie business owner. Sure other people might find it harder to take you seriously, but we are in a war of position to convince people. We are not in a war of maneuver where your life is on the line at the moment so don’t worry.
Separate these 2 things: 1 the things you have now because of your past and things given to you, 2 the things you can do later. What you have gives you power to act in some ways that others can’t. If you have privlidge, don’t dwell on guilt for what you don’t have control over. Think of what was given to you as tools to help you do more for the communist movement. Use that steady security brought to you to help the working class out in what ways you are able.
This has helped tremendously and has given me a clear mind. I always knew that I had the privilege to go to university and I’d use that to help the movement, but in this moment I lost that perspective as I unfortunately let my anxiety take over and spiralled from there. But your comment and everyone else has helped ground me and I appreciate it more than you know.