utterp1gwAnk2k20 • Page 1225

I think if you’re serious about being a lefty in a capitalist country, you NEED to read Marx. Dude literally wrote the book on criticizing capitalism. Now I’m not saying you need to read Kapital (I sure as shit haven’t) but at least try and look into Marxism, especially historical materialism and his theory of labor.

Lenin was a smart guy but his actions very much didn’t follow with his ideas. His writings on imperialism are fundamental.

 

I think you need to look into Lenin, because this view is very reductive. Like we have 3 times the amount of people in prison rn than the gulags ever had. Not to say forced labor is okay but there is so much more to all of that than just anti capitalism = good forced labor = bad

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the history of the Russian Revolution but if you aren’t maybe start there!

 

The first man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine 1921-1923 (11/06/88)

this old ass article has a lot of stuff that I learned growing up


Russia in the 20s yes mostly, but I was referring to other Soviet states. Also my entire family is from Ukraine and I have heard the horror stories of communist armies and Holodomor. Every family I know is missing several grandfathers due to the wars that lasted generations cause of Lenin’s ideology to purge certain religions.

edit: but again these are my own personal thoughts which of course come with the bias of being from there. But I think most discussions have a slight western bias anyway so I’m just sharing my view

 

From my understanding it’s sort of still up for debate if the Holodomor was man made or not, but it’s like debating if 10 mil died in The Great Leap Forward or 30 mil, it’s a nightmare regardless.

 

I deleted my last post because it’s Sunday morning and I’m gonna get fuckin lit and try to not think about potential genocides

 

Literally so upset no gas stations near me sell blunt wraps or Dutches

 

None at all? That’s crazy

 

Yeah. Fuck Charlie Baker

 

Now I gotta drive 30 minutes to go to CT if I want to smoke a blunt

or find a store not following the law

 

Smh.

 

I feel like this is directed at me based on what I said and I just want to be clear I meant I don’t know the full history of each person and how they implemented their theory. But I actually know a fair amount about Marxism learning it through school and that’s what I meant by realizing that the theory overlapped with views I already had before ever calling them “Marxist” or even “anti capatlist” views. Hope that makes more sense

but yeah I agree with you

also I think that’s been the most major attitude is that a lot of these ideas are good in theory but then people in power put them into practice in problematic ways

 

yeah, i don't know, i still think it's unfair to blame lenin for things that happened after he died but also i'm not from there and if someone came in here praising the british leaders who caused the famine in ireland it would make me Big Mad so i understand haha

 

anytime i make a serious post my ratio goes down so here's a non-serious post to balance it out

 

I also try and mostly refrain from talking about international situations tbh lol including history

Mostly bc as @alina pointed out, the shit is endlessly complex and nuanced. A situation looks one way to outsiders and then a completely different way to people inside the country.
Or, even just within the country.

to take the example of Cuba I have heard such conflicting things from different people many of which whose families are from there- many of which having escaped during the revolution. I try and listen and not invalidate their opinions and feelings bc of course they’re valid...they’re just not the only feelings about the situation.


I basically think of it like- If there was a revolution here right now there would be plenty of people who feel its for the better and are happier for it but that same revolution would also flip a lot of other people’s lives upside down.

 

No it wasn’t directed at you! I think a ton of people feel a certain type of way (that we all do) but don’t know a thing about Marx. You’d have to learn about Marx with a gender studies (right?) degree dude is the most cited author in all of the social sciences.

I’m not even a Marxist tbh ( I would say that is mostly the foundation of my beliefs but I wouldnt call myself that)

 

Totally. I love history and am a history major. You definitely don’t want to and frankly can’t invalidate and ignore someone’s experience, but I think it’s important to realize one persons experience is just that, like you said. It’s a singular perspective. Obviously I can’t really expand on that much but I think with for example Cuba to America...those people that left were the ones that could afford to leave.

 

I was in bed by 11:30 last night, it was glorious

 

How do you feel about the Scotts @aliens exist ? Apparently I am Scotch Irish (mostly, am a million other things)

 

pro the scottish (great bunch of lads)

anti the welsh (wankers)

 

that's how you know they be getting high af over there at Jolibee

welcome to getting old. have a cup of coffee

 

Yeah I’ve seen some Scottish tweets and they seem like they have a good time. Maybe one day I can visit my homeland and we can hit the pub

 

No I know I definitely need to look way more into Marx and Lenin. I guess I'm just saying I hate seeing unwavering praise for someone when I doubt everyone on the left even has done full on research on them and how they affected people living at that time. I feel like people just jump on the bandwagon sometimes. I know they had some good initial ideas tho so I will pick up some books on them. Any recommendations?

 

Haha for the record I may be from Ukraine but I was very uneducated on most history and have been trying to pick up the pieces over the last few years by doing my own research. In the end I kinda hate all of it lol both Stalinism and Ukrainian white nationalism, every side has many many faults to pair with the good things that may have come out of it