Like it’s really about how if you go to a mutual aid group and start talking about communist theory, you’re going to be shunned, stalked or worse.
No. You won’t be, IF you can set your ego aside.
From an abundance of personal experience, you can talk about class consciousness to almost anyone across the political spectrum. We’re pretty much all working class schmucks who don’t like smug insufferable wealthy out-out-touch elites. We all just want our basic needs to be in reach.
Imho the biggest problem that most budding young communists run into is that they want so badly to be a symbol of communism, convert everyone to stalinism, revert all CIA propoganda, and rehabilitate the image of Russia and the DPRK.
You have to pick your battles. You can’t get the average USian to love the word “communism”, but you can easily get them to hate billionaires and federal establishment corporatists.
You have to pick your battles. You can’t get the average USian to love the word “communism”, but you can easily get them to hate billionaires and federal establishment corporatists.
So this is something I’ve observed. I can get right wingers to agree with leftist positions by identifying these problems as long as I don’t use the word “Communism.” But that does not make them end up joining up, they just take those ideas and go with strasserite shit. My big fear is that if we do not get people to understand that functional and effective solutions can only be found on the Left, they will turn to the Right for their solutions. They’ll want ‘socialism’ but only in one country, and only for themselves, hang the rest of the world.
but you can easily get them to hate billionaires and federal establishment corporatists
The effect of blunting revolutionary language like this is to defend capitalism. How often have we all heard “the problem isn’t capitalism, it’s corporatism” or “it’s oligarchy”, often closely followed by an unfavorable comparison between America and one of its enemies. This leads directly into reformism at best, which leads directly nowhere.
I’m not trying to attack you here, but I have never seen the word “corporatism” used outside the context of either obscure discussions of Italian fascism or (much more commonly) defending American capitalism from criticism.
Yeah you’re probably right. I would be a coward and pick a different battle if I could choose to not be born as a marginalized person, who wouldn’t want to do that? Be thankful you’re able to make that choice. I hope you can understand why I would prefer if people actually tried to help me though? “Yeah, but helping you is unrealistic, sorry we have to think of the grand strategy.” Doesn’t make it any better.
It’s just basic materialism. I’m obviously going to cheer for the people who fight for me, even if they hurt your big plan. It’s within my interest.
No. You won’t be, IF you can set your ego aside.
From an abundance of personal experience, you can talk about class consciousness to almost anyone across the political spectrum. We’re pretty much all working class schmucks who don’t like smug insufferable wealthy out-out-touch elites. We all just want our basic needs to be in reach.
Imho the biggest problem that most budding young communists run into is that they want so badly to be a symbol of communism, convert everyone to stalinism, revert all CIA propoganda, and rehabilitate the image of Russia and the DPRK.
You have to pick your battles. You can’t get the average USian to love the word “communism”, but you can easily get them to hate billionaires and federal establishment corporatists.
So this is something I’ve observed. I can get right wingers to agree with leftist positions by identifying these problems as long as I don’t use the word “Communism.” But that does not make them end up joining up, they just take those ideas and go with strasserite shit. My big fear is that if we do not get people to understand that functional and effective solutions can only be found on the Left, they will turn to the Right for their solutions. They’ll want ‘socialism’ but only in one country, and only for themselves, hang the rest of the world.
The effect of blunting revolutionary language like this is to defend capitalism. How often have we all heard “the problem isn’t capitalism, it’s corporatism” or “it’s oligarchy”, often closely followed by an unfavorable comparison between America and one of its enemies. This leads directly into reformism at best, which leads directly nowhere.
I’m not trying to attack you here, but I have never seen the word “corporatism” used outside the context of either obscure discussions of Italian fascism or (much more commonly) defending American capitalism from criticism.
Yeah you’re probably right. I would be a coward and pick a different battle if I could choose to not be born as a marginalized person, who wouldn’t want to do that? Be thankful you’re able to make that choice. I hope you can understand why I would prefer if people actually tried to help me though? “Yeah, but helping you is unrealistic, sorry we have to think of the grand strategy.” Doesn’t make it any better.
It’s just basic materialism. I’m obviously going to cheer for the people who fight for me, even if they hurt your big plan. It’s within my interest.
Oh yeah I fully agree with you, and you can educate me on what’s the best way to fight for you and your better material outcome, I’m all ears.