First reply:
All the anti-communists pick out "Communist" countries that are not real communism. Every serious communist does not view the stereotypical communist countries as legitimate forms of communism.
I don't know what's more annoying: anticommunists who oppose communism based on baseless stereotypes, or anticommunists who give lip service to communism while pulling the "all AES is actually not real communism" shit.
I think part of the problem is that most people (including self-professed socialists and communists) don’t read any theory.
AES isn’t communism, that’s kind of the point. Socialism is the next stage on the road to the theorized end stage that is communism. Communism will never sustainably be the organization of society 5 minutes (or even 5 years or probably 5 decades) after the revolution. That shit takes time and a lot of work, and AES systems were/are the attempts at doing the necessary work to reorganize society and eliminate the bourgeoise and their influence through socialist (as opposed to capitalist) proletarianization.
True, but the people who say "AES countries are not communist 🤓" mean it to say that those countries are actually tyrannical regimes. Saying that these places are socialist isn't gonna work because these people don't know what that word means either.
Anyway, you can argue that these countries are communist because they're working to build communism, the same way that a communist party is communist. Because really, these words are synonymous to everyone but scholars.
Saying that these places are socialist isn’t gonna work because these people don’t know what that word means either.
True. Exactly why these people need to shut up until they read more (or any) theory lol
Anyway, you can argue that these countries are communist because they’re working to build communism, the same way that a communist party is communist.
Indeed, good point. I do think it ought to be an educational priority to get people to understand and more commonly use this definition of "communist" as opposed to the "classless, moneyless" definition.
… the people who say “AES countries are not communist 🤓” mean it to say that those countries are actually tyrannical regimes.
They're kinda right but for the wrong reasons: as you say, AES haven't reached full communism yet because there's still a bourgeoisie; so they have to be tyrannical to the bourgeoisie to usher in the new world.
AES isn’t communism, that’s kind of the point.
If you're using communism to refer specifically to the classless, moneyless society where production is done for common need/want instead of individual profit, that is correct. However, communists have used the term to refer to something that actually does currently exist as well.
From the very first point in Principles of Communism:
What is Communism?
Communism is the doctrine of the conditions of the liberation of the proletariat.
This quote from The German Ideology is both very important and too often overlooked:
Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence.
With this in mind, while no AES has abolished class society, the people directing these states are communists, and the movement they are taking to liberate the proletariat is communism.
True, fair points. When I see the "real communism has never been tried" type statements, my head tends to get stuck on the definition being used by the person making the statement (i.e. as the classless, moneyless society). I do, however, recognize and stand behind the definition you're pointing out.
The quotes you've provided illustrate perfectly the value of reading theory.
The dual use of the word communism is a major sticking point for those who don't understand this already.
Yes we tell people to read theory, but many wont, and newcomers have a hard time separating the two, possibly leading some to turn away out of confusion that might otherwise embrace the theory.
Besides just using the socialism --> communism explanation, is there a better way to clarify definitions for new people? I'm a new concert and I figured it out, but it was quite the journey, but I'm quite persistent in my research.
Easily the "nOt ReAl CoMmUnIsM!" guys. The anti-coms are so far off base that their arguments make no sense and are easily disproven, even for a left-lib. The #notmycommunism people are far more insidious, as they keep people trapped in a doomer mentality, where communism "works in theory but in practice turns into a dictatorship."
A true anticommunist believes both at the same time!
You joke (maybe?) but you might have hit the nail on the head.
I have looked around, and I see that capitalism doesn't work. That's why I may be a communist.
It's like how "IQ" is word filtered to "autism" on leftypol, but in reverse.
On the imageboard leftypol.org, some words get replaced by other words when the post reaches the server. The word "IQ" gets replaced with "autism".
You believe it is theft (and subversive behavior) when someone else makes a profit from your labor, even though they pay you fair-market wages.
Is it theft if you make something and I take it? What about if I let you keep a little bit of what you made?
fair-market wages. 😂
been happy in a real-world anarcho-syndicalist state.
Wait, did anarcho-syndicalist wrote all that shit? Lmao, down with them.
did anarcho-syndicalist wrote all that shit?
Definitely not.
But who else even know the term “anarcho-syndycalism” except us and them?
Someone who just watched Monty Python
Anarcho-syndicalists may make what are effectively states with another name, but I doubt one of them would refer to it as such.
But who else even know the term "anarcho-syndycalism" except us and them?
"These gentlemen think that by changing the names of the things, they are changing the things themselves"
My IQ identifies as Freedom.
the name "Wrong Planet" is top-tier projection, not every society discriminates against neurodivergent people
Anti-communism is one hell of a drug.
You may be a liberal if:
- You don't know crap about communism
You don't get to call capitalism "subversive" when the last thing it subverted died 200 years ago. It's like saying the steam engine is "disrupting" current industry practices
What brilliance it is to violently cling onto the decaying tool of capitalism when humanity has a much younger, sharper alternative right in front of us in the form of socialism.
We might as well have never invented anything if we are so unwilling to move forward as a species. "We"(stern and comprador governments), that is. There is an alternative.
i mean, it looks like "50% capitalist projection" and "50% relatively true fax about communism"
You believe it is theft (and subversive behavior) when someone else makes a profit from your labor, even though they pay you fair-market wages.
I can feel the hesitation they had while writing the first part because of how bad it sounds. They had to add “even though they pay you fair-market wages.” to make it halfway agreeable.
What is this forum?
From the description: "Wrong Planet is the web community designed for individuals (and parents / professionals of those) with Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, PDDs, and other neurological differences. We provide a discussion forum, where members communicate with each other, an article section, with exclusive articles and how-to guides, a blogging feature, and more."
Lol holy hell. I have ADHD and sure, "wrong planet" might describe how I feel sometimes, BUT WHAT MIGHT BE THE PREVAILING ECONOMIC SYSTEM ON THIS PLANET OF WHICH I FEEL I DO FIT IN TO?? Oh, that's right, CAPITALISM.
God damn, if it was a wood chipper they would have walked right into it.
The most no take only throw motherfuckers
Thank you very much
My favorite Jeff Foxworthy bit /s