hohohoSorry America
MrWafflesNBaconDoes anyone have a cure?
Yea we do! Pretty neat huh.
That was clever and dark as most of his works.
It’s not the original line
Lem Jukessaw damn really?
Sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
lol, all good, thanks tho
Cowbee [he/they]Yep, and Socialism is necessary to prevent it from cropping up again.
ᥫ᭡ 𐑖ミꪜᴵ𝔦 ᥫ᭡Violence?! 😑
Yes!
There are better ways… since you’re here on this platform you’re already doing one of them
That is incredibly naive. Just look at history. Fascists were always defeated by violent resistance. And nothing else.
Those who claimed to fight them peacefully all shut up right when they got into power and only quietly showed their discontent behind closed doors, while they kept on living under the fascists. Many even came to support the fascists after it wasn’t so uncouth to do so…
The people who were afraid of doing anything real at first, but certainly opposed fascism with their core, rose up and took arms against them when it became too much. Those were the partisans and their civilian allies in the cities and villages. And thousands and thousands died fighting the fascists alongside the Soviet communists. And that is the only thing that worked.
Commenting on a website will never defeat fascism. If the “holy institutions” of democracy and liberalism failed, how could a silly tiny insignificant postboard succeed?
So you want to challenge their ways by their rules!!
I think what’s naive is knowing history, and still repeating the past’s mistakes, a revolution may have all the flashy and beautiful themes like liberty and union but if it’s not built on a solid ethical foundation then it’s doomed to repeat the pasts mistakes ( war, genocides… Etc ) even if the near future outcome is what you’re hoping for, It will all collapse… again
I’m not referring to the act of commenting on a website as the sole method of change, this is just one tiny step, how do you think a small group of people ( some call them capitalists, billionaires, elites, whatever you wanna call them… ) are able to control the majority… It’s because they put their ideological differences aside, and They’re organizated and they plan for the future…
What I meant by that comment is that if you aren’t on their networks of surveillance they have less control over you, think about it from a bigger perspective now, their food system, their banking institutions, their schooling systems… etc etc…
And make no mistake, They’re not threatened by your philosophy, especially if it’s a philosophy like theirs ( uses violence as a solution ), They’re threatened by your action, try to exit their banking system and see how hard it is, try to evade Surveillance and see how hard it is… Try to be independent in terms of food and see how hard it is… you can’t do it alone, but with a group of like minded people, you have a chance
Took the words right out of my mouth
Is it rare? I doubt that.
Rare in that it doesn’t happen that often here.
It’s metastasized rather quickly, however.
It could be terminal if we don’t get the right people to excise it quickly enough.
“Right people” might be how we got it. /rimshot
Definitely not rare, more like malignant, aggressive, terminal…
But the cancer analogy does work, because you can’t cure it with band aids (like elections), you have to cut the fucker out at its core, radiate the remaining tissue to make sure none is left behind (via education and a complete overhaul of how society functions, with zero tolerance for bigotry), and continue to get regular check ups to make sure it hasn’t returned, and if it does, radiate the fucker again before it metastasises.
We did it to Germany, but it probably needs another dose of chemo at this point, like a disturbing amount of places around the world.
No one really did it to Germany at all, nor anywhere else, including the country Hitler got his inspiration from.
The truth is WWII wasn’t fought over bigotry and hate and the fact that people were being exterminated on an industrial scale, it was fought so those in power could stay in power and maintain the status quo, and also make a handsome profit. War always is.
Fascism is capitalism in decay, we will never be rid of one, without abolishing the other.
Sure It’s not low information voters who spend most of their time politically deactivated, feel disenfranchised from the economic controls that rule their lives, and have poor media literacy?
Those are symptoms of capitalism… So is fascism
you think socialists can’t be dumb? the russian propaganda sure is working on you
Ex NummisIt’s not that rare unfortunately. It’s spread across more than half the globe.
The last time this happened we needed a world war to root it out. It’s looking increasingly likely that we’re gonna need another one.
blaue_FledermausThe Nazis were copying the US practices towards blacks; was it really rooted out, or just some secondary tumours?
Germany lost, fascism won
IninewCrowFor that diagnosis, that will be $28,865.89 and an additional $56.76 per day of none payment.
Best not vote! That'll fix it.
If you think the leadership in the Democratic party currently isn’t like 80-90% of the way there already, please wake up.
Thank you for being the prime example.
This assumes that voting for managed fascism conducting genocide is going to solve the problem as opposed to chaotic fascism that will continue what the blue fascists started.
Few people here think it would’ve solved any problems, however it might have prevented some trans people being dead over the next few years.
If that’s your take, I respect that.
Voting is not even the bare minimum required to prevent fascism. Fascism is Capitalism in decay, you can’t just vote Capitalism forever and somehow not end up at fascism.
Organize outside the electoral system.
Yes, exactly. It’s best to just not have your voice heard. Don’t vote now, and don’t protest later.
I think capitalism is the cancer. Fascism is just the symptom of late stage capitalism.
Agreed
100%. Fascism is a defense mechanism for dying Capitalism. Dr. Michael Parenti helps explain fascism’s causes, interests, and characteristics in the first chapter of Blackshirts and Reds.
gedaliyahThat’s a myth, it’s actually quite common.
The cure is Socialism. Fascism is Capitalism in decay, ergo to prevent fascism we need to prevent Capitalist decay, and the only way to do that is to move beyond Capitalism and into Socialism.
For any new Leftists, I created a Read Theory, Darn it! introduction to Marxism reading guide, complete with a section on how to conduct yourself as a Leftist. It also includes a section on fascism, what causes it, and how we can banish it forever, right in the beginning with Michael Parenti’s Blackshirts and Reds.
Read Theory, Darn it! An Introductory Reading List for Marxism-Leninism - Lemmy
“Without Revolutionary theory, there can be no Revolutionary Movement.” — Vladimir Lenin, What is to be Done? [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/WD02.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/seGAATanGtfufEkQoLH1X3] It’s time to read theory, comrades! As Lenin says, “Despair is typical of those who do not understand the causes of evil, see no way out, and are incapable of struggle.” Marxism-Leninism is broken into 3 major components, as noted by Lenin in his pamphlet The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/CPM13.html]: | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/8yUvkgJ4m5ZHPdESAyjg8k] 1. Dialectical and Historical Materialism 2. Critique of Capitalism along the lines of Marx’s Law of Value 3. Advocacy for Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism As such, I created the following list to take you from no knowledge whatsoever of Leftist theory, and leave you with a strong understanding of the critical fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism in an order that builds up as you read. Let’s get started! Section I: Getting Started What the heck is Communism, anyways? For that matter, what is fascism? 1. Friedrich Engels’ Principles of Communism [http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/PC47.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/8JtpMuYQ6Ho6gzYtLLuL4k] The FAQ of Communism, written by the Luigi of the Marx & Engels duo. Quick to read, and easy to reference, this is the perfect start to your journey. 2. Michael Parenti’s Blackshirts and Reds [https://c.encryptionin.space/epubs/blackshirts-and-reds/] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/uZFGgeJsE4bHHBTd1m3eFK] Parenti’s characteristic wit is on full display in this historical contextualization and analysis of fascism and Communism. Line after line, Parenti debunks anti-Communist myths. This is also an excellent time to watch the famous “Yellow Parenti” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP8CzlFhc14] speech. Section II: Historical and Dialectical Materialism Ugh, philosophy? Really? YES! 3. Georges Politzer’s Elementary Principles of Philosophy [https://c.encryptionin.space/epubs/elementary-principles-of-philosophy/] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/wv44hU6NjoLgn6yrnXBQjc] By understanding Dialectical and Historical Materialism first, you make it easier to understand the rest of Marxism-Leninism. Don’t be intimidated! 4. Friedrich Engels’ Socialism: Utopian and Scientific [http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/SUS80.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/nhVVanPX5WPVor7Yy7TDrp?start=3h13m40s] Engels introduces Scientific Socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates and cartels. Section III: Political Economy That’s right, it’s time for the Law of Value and a deep-dive into Imperialism. If we are to defeat Capitalism, we must learn it’s mechanisms, tendencies, contradictions, and laws. 5. Karl Marx’s Wage Labor and Capital [http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/WLC47.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/nhVVanPX5WPVor7Yy7TDrp?start=1h35m58s] & Wages, Price and Profit [http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/WPP65.html] | Audiobook [https://youtube.com/watch?v=TjhVZW3HJzM] Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value. 6. Vladimir Lenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/IMP16.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/8STrUAEfwiFGRFcRsSNqtv] The era of Imperialism, which as the primary contradiction cascades downward into all manner of related secondary contradictions. Section IV: Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism Can we defeat Capitalism at the ballot box? What about just defeating fascism? What about the role of the state? 7. Rosa Luxemburg’s Reform or Revolution [https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/k5tp58hyGPpTRUtpB79Kra] If Marxists believed reforming Capitalist society was possible, we would be the first in line for it. Sadly, it isn’t. 8. Vladimir Lenin’s The State and Revolution [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/SR17.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/6M8bL2HGs5rGXmvThU1JG5] Further analyzes the necessity of Revolution and introduces the economic basis for the withering away of the State. Section V: National Liberation, De-colonialism, and Solidarity The revolution will not be fought by individuals, but by an intersectional, international working class movement. Solidarity allows different marginalized groups to work together in collective interest, unifying into a single broad movement. Marxists support the Right of Self-Determination for all peoples and support National Liberation movements against Imperialism. 9. Vikky Storm & Eme Flores’ The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto [https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/vikky-storm-the-gender-accelerationist-manifesto] | (No Audiobook yet) Breaks down misogyny, and queerphobia, as well as how to move beyond the base subject of “gender” from a Historical Materialist perspective. 10. Leslie Feinberg’s Lavender & Red [https://www.workers.org/book/lavender-red/] | Audiobook [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXUFLW8t2snsEPC7kkMKkZf-45FrnJTO7] When different social groups fight for liberation together along intersectional lines, they are emboldened and empowered ever-further. 11. Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth [https://archive.org/details/the-wretched-of-the-earth] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/p/f3tK7UC2HAK1WLUNg4yVen] & Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed [https://archive.org/details/FreirePedagogyOfTheOppresed] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/koxxesz38QPVKaAFr8iVTF] De-colonialism is essential to Marxism. Without having a strong, de-colonial, internationalist stance, we have no path to victory nor justice. These books are best taken as a pair, read in quick succession. Section VI: Putting it into Practice! It’s not enough to endlessly read, you must put theory to practice. That is how you can improve yourself and the movements you support. Touch grass! 12. Mao Tse-Tung’s On Practice [http://www.marx2mao.com/Mao/OP37.html] & On Contradiction [http://www.marx2mao.com/Mao/OC37.html] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/qnzYg56huhwgKYk9Py3mcR] Mao wrote simply and directly to peasant soldiers during the Revolutionary War in China. This pair of essays equip the reader to apply the analytical tools of Dialectical Materialism to their every day practice. 13. Vladimir Lenin’s “Left-Wing” Communism, an Infantile Disorder [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/LWC20.html] | Audiobook [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh84f8czc7g] Common among new leftists is dogmatism over pragmatism. Everyone wants perfection, but dogmatic “left” anti-Communists let perfection become the enemy of progress. 14. Jones Manoel’s Western Marxism Loves Purity and Martyrdom, But Not Real Revolution [https://blackagendareport.com/western-marxism-loves-purity-and-martyrdom-not-real-revolution] | (No Audiobook yet) Common among western leftists is fetishization of Marxism, rather than using it as a tool for analysis and social change. This article helps rectify that. 15. Liu Shaoqi’s How to be a Good Communist [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/liu-shaoqi/1939/how-to-be/index.htm] | Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/kzi58GMjH9DzSBqz1eTXVb] Organizing is a skill. If we are to be successful, we must work to better ourselves. Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course! With your new understanding and knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, here is a mini What is to be Done? of your own to follow, and take with you as practical advice. 1. Get organized. The Party for Socialism and Liberation [https://pslweb.org/], Freedom Road Socialist Organization [https://frso.org/], and Red Star Caucus [https://redstarcaucus.org/] all organize year round, every year, because the battle for progress is a constant struggle. See if there is a chapter near you, or start one! 2. Read theory. Don’t think that you are done now! Just because you have the basics, doesn’t mean you know more than you do. If you have not investigated a subject, don’t speak on it! 3. Aggressively combat white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, and other attacks on marginalized communities. Cede no ground, let nobody go forgotten. 4. Be industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your knowledge. 5. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others. 6. Be persistent. If you feel like a single water droplet against a mountain, think of canyons and valleys. With consistency, every rock, boulder, mountain, can be drilled through with nothing but water droplets. “Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent.” — Mao Tse-Tung Credits [https://lemmy.ml/comment/15046925]
Thank you for putting in this effort!
No problem, feel free to offer any input!
samus12345
TheReturnOfPEBTrotsky’s Permanent Revolution actually describes what has happened in the United States.
The few mega-rich will bend the national discourse with money to stop capitalist decay.
This isn’t meant to be some kind of “hurr durr Stalin” kind of rebuttal or anything like that, and I hope it doesn’t come across that way. I’m as dissatisfied with everything as you are. But I’m not well versed in socio-politico-economics, so I’m genuinely curious: what is the plan for avoiding what happened in the USSR with a socialist nation? What pitfalls did they fall into that spoiled the word “socialism” for everyone else?
That’s an incredibly complex question, and if you aren’t well-versed in economics, politics, sociology, etc then I promise you, you aren’t going to be able to walk away satisfied from a Lemmy conversation. The best answer is that the USSR came with a ton of good, and a lot of difficulty in being the first Socialist state, including a great deal of bad, unfortunately. Additionally, there aren’t really any states currently in the same conditions and predicaments with the same limited access to modern technology as 1917 Russia, so we can’t make a 1 to 1 comparison even if we tried. The USSR was planned almost entirely by hand using good old pen and paper for its entire existence, and never fully embraced computers, which contributed to struggles as the economy got more complex, as an example.
I recommend you check out my reading list, and read the two books in section 1. Well, the essay and the book in section 1. Principles of Communism is very short and can help with terminology, and Blackshirts and Reds is a historical analysis of both fascism and Communism as they have existed, and their adversarial relationship.
Alternatively, I recommend the “Yellow Parenti” lecture in section 1 from the same author as Blackshirts, though I won’t stop you from reading and listening to all 3. I invite you to read them with a critical eye and question whatever seems off.
I apologize if this is unsatisfactory for you, but analyzing AES properly takes a great deal of myth dispelling and contextualization in a world dominated by the US, which has material interests in slandering AES states at every single opportunity. That does not mean AES states are perfect, but that they are real, and come with real problems and real victories.
Hope that answers your question in a semi-satisfactory way, at least! You can also ask questions in the linked thread, which would selfishly be beneficial because common questions can be answered in one space that I plan on linking whenever it’s relevant, and having readers capable of seeing questions answered in the comments I think would be a good thing for my list 😉
I really did put a lot of thought and effort into picking works that answer questions just like yours right off the bat, this is like iteration 5 or 6 of the same initial list, finally ready for release after a lot of feedback from comrades around the world, designed to be accessible as possible with the inclusion of audiobooks for every work (except 1 for now) and a focus on intersectionality, decolonialism, LGBTQ+ rights, history, and more.
You’ll find that some of your questions are likely already answered there (among the jokes and jests from fellow comrades).
WWI complicated things, eg Ukraine was given up as part of the deal to get the Leninists out of the war. WWII probably didn’t help, at least in some ways. It did help with unity but a lot of Soviets died, either directly in combat or as part of the Nazi purge (Slavs/Russians weren’t seen as much better than Jews by the Nazis).
There were several factions in a civil war (Leninists, other communists, anarchists, capitalists) and all the alliances and betrayals that goes along with that. Plus outside capitalists didn’t want to see socialism or communism succeed and played interference, though I don’t think that ramped up that much until after WWII, where wars were fought to stop the spread.
Stalin had a bias for “communist-like” scientific theories, and there was one about how to grow food that came up just as a lot of farm land was being reallocated from long time landowners to people who didn’t have much experience farming. These theories weren’t very successful but those involved had a personal vestment in making others think it was working rather than failing (because gulag vs living nicely). So reports said there was tons of food being produced while there wasn’t, leading to famine, which makes it harder to bring up a brand new economy.
China also fell for those false reports and adopted the fake science themselves, which contributed to their own famine.
I don’t recall a lot of the details of that fake science, but a couple of the ideas I do remember: fit as many seeds/plants as possible into any given area because the plants will work together to strengthen their comrades. If you store seeds in the cold, it will make them more cold resistant, allowing crops that wouldn’t normally grow in some areas to thrive there.
Just those two things plus the land redistribution resulted in people who didn’t know how to farm trying to grow more crops than the land would support, sometimes picking a crop that wouldn’t even grow in that area over less desirable ones that would.
And of course it didn’t help that the Kremlin still feasted while (false) reports said there were tons of crops being produced, which were also taxed as if the production numbers were valid, so those farmers were also starving, which killed the public support momentum and they had to deal with Stalin’s brutality on top of that.
алсааас [she/her]““Rare””
you mean common symptom of capitalism :p
zing! You said the fascism word, and you made it “clever”!
Seriously, it’s time to quarantine the US and seriously purge Europe before it gets any worse
Cancers aren’t contagious, which means this is a pox.
Unless you think of earth/humanity as one organism.
UltraGiGaGiganticLaws do not apply to the terminally ill.
I’ve been mulling over getting some “I DID THAT!” stickers of an ass Trump pointing with that text above his head when he inevitably raises prices of everything.
I cannot emphasize this enough. Do NOT make it trump. His health will likely take him out before that.
Bring it on to point directly at 2 people: Musk and Vance.
We actually will see those two in 2028. Stop focusing on the distraction. All Trump is right now is a distraction.
Passing doesn’t mean he didn’t contribute to it. I see your point nonetheless.
MoahRare?