Today I learned that my stepfather is planning on becoming a landlord. Iām 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 itās 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 theyād be financially well off due to my stepfather wanting to set up businesses. I didnāt 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 donāt 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. Iām 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, itās the down payment that stops anyone from being able to afford to buy. So Iām lucky and incredibly privileged. I feel like I donāt have the right to be angry at them since theyāve done so much for me but at the same time it hurts to know they want to exploit people for profit.
I didnāt know what to say to her. Was I supposed to lecture her on the nature of landlording? I donāt think she deserves that since sheās never been savvy with this stuff. Do I lecture my stepfather? Maybe, but heād 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 Iāve talking about dense housing and better public transit he treats it like a childish daydream. He also hates unions so thereās that. It makes sense why heād want to be a landlord but I donāt 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 Iām living in a house bought by my parents. Iāll have landlords as parents too. What then? Am I disqualified? Iām in genuine distress over this whole thing. Iām scared and confused and I donāt know what to do but cry.
Does anyone have any advice? Anything at all? I feel so aloneā¦
This reminds me of Lenin talking about the influence of the bourgeois intelligentsia (Marx, Engels) on working class consciousness What is to be Done?
spoiler
(Original emphasis and most footnotes removed. Some para breaks added for legibility.)
Chapter 2:
Text of footnote [15]:
Conclusion to ch 2:
Chapter 3:
Yeah, thatās what I had roughly in mind when I wrote the comment. Though it has already been a while since I read What is to be Done? I should reread it sometime soon. Always a treat to read Lenin.