That is a bizarre subreddit, but I kinda of get why their content makes no sense given the premise is based on linking to an urbandictionary definition. It very much seems like what happens when someone thinks communism is a cool aesthetic, but never learns a single thing about dialectical and historical materialism, about contradictions, about the power struggle between classes, and hangs out on the edges of “authority is bad and scary.” I had a period where I was sort of in that “libertarian left” identifying sphere of thought and IIRC, two of the most important points of getting past that was recognizing the nature of imperialism and what makes something imperialist vs. not, and reading into the basics of contradictions and the class struggle and the state’s monopoly on violence via Lenin.
I think it’s sort of hard to see how the monopoly on violence works in practice and decide that the means of liberating from that repression is some kind of pacifist thing where nobody has state power. History and present day repeatedly shows us that armed struggle is the defining factor in liberating from imperialism and not being able to defend yourself properly in that way means the imperialists will be the ones bringing in tanks. I do wonder if some of this comes down to the sort of No True Scotsman approach to communism, that if a socialist project is suspected of doing something repressive in a way that goes against what they are supposed to be about, you’re supposed to view it as some kind of attack on communism itself and do everything you can to question the legitimacy of the project as a whole. In effect, holding communists to a standard they can never live up to in practice. That realm of thinking, in other words, seems to be about viewing it as a betrayal of the people if you take the actions of socialist projects in the context of the contradictions they are navigating rather than viewing them through a lens of moral purity. That socialist projects have at times done repression that was unhelpful to the goals of communism and the people’s liberation I think is an idea no one with any sense with regards to communism or the mechanisms of reality would challenge. But then there is this sort of litmus test thinking, are you being mad enough about the right (alleged) incidents of state repression. If you sound like you’re making excuses for it, you must be corrupt too (“tankie!”). You know, it goes back to that thinking centered around corruption of the mind and desire rather than material conditions.
Not sure if that’s all clear. I guess I am using this as an opportunity to process and try to better understand that sphere where people take on certain elements of causes that communists also take on, but place a fear of authority over what is effective for liberation.
That is a bizarre subreddit, but I kinda of get why their content makes no sense given the premise is based on linking to an urbandictionary definition. It very much seems like what happens when someone thinks communism is a cool aesthetic, but never learns a single thing about dialectical and historical materialism, about contradictions, about the power struggle between classes, and hangs out on the edges of “authority is bad and scary.” I had a period where I was sort of in that “libertarian left” identifying sphere of thought and IIRC, two of the most important points of getting past that was recognizing the nature of imperialism and what makes something imperialist vs. not, and reading into the basics of contradictions and the class struggle and the state’s monopoly on violence via Lenin.
I think it’s sort of hard to see how the monopoly on violence works in practice and decide that the means of liberating from that repression is some kind of pacifist thing where nobody has state power. History and present day repeatedly shows us that armed struggle is the defining factor in liberating from imperialism and not being able to defend yourself properly in that way means the imperialists will be the ones bringing in tanks. I do wonder if some of this comes down to the sort of No True Scotsman approach to communism, that if a socialist project is suspected of doing something repressive in a way that goes against what they are supposed to be about, you’re supposed to view it as some kind of attack on communism itself and do everything you can to question the legitimacy of the project as a whole. In effect, holding communists to a standard they can never live up to in practice. That realm of thinking, in other words, seems to be about viewing it as a betrayal of the people if you take the actions of socialist projects in the context of the contradictions they are navigating rather than viewing them through a lens of moral purity. That socialist projects have at times done repression that was unhelpful to the goals of communism and the people’s liberation I think is an idea no one with any sense with regards to communism or the mechanisms of reality would challenge. But then there is this sort of litmus test thinking, are you being mad enough about the right (alleged) incidents of state repression. If you sound like you’re making excuses for it, you must be corrupt too (“tankie!”). You know, it goes back to that thinking centered around corruption of the mind and desire rather than material conditions.
Not sure if that’s all clear. I guess I am using this as an opportunity to process and try to better understand that sphere where people take on certain elements of causes that communists also take on, but place a fear of authority over what is effective for liberation.