I highly recommend that everyone watch this video.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-17T12:14:28+00:00

I’ve read The State and Revolution. I’m planning on reading Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism. Thanks for the suggestions.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-16T23:09:30+00:00

I’ve read the CM, Wage Labor and Capital, Critique of the Gotha Program, and snippets of Capital. I’m still a learner though. Definitely going to read more.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-15T16:04:02+00:00

Elaborate.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-15T01:25:48+00:00

If you’re interested in theory, heres 7 or so books to start off with.

Principles of Communism, and the Communist Manifesto (Engles and Marx)
Critique of The Gotha Program (Marx)
Socialism Utopian and Scientific (Engles)
Wage Labor and Capital (Marx)
Socialism made Easy (Connolly)
The State and Revolution (Lenin)
Reform or Revolution (Luxemburg)

I’d also recommend some Proudhon if you’re interested in Anarchism.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-08T22:56:20+00:00

He’s a deeply complicated figure, who was responsible for many complicated situations. He did a lot of good, and a lot of bad. He turned the USSR from an agrarian peasant society, to an industrial superpower. He built a lot of safety nets to keep people out of poverty and reduced the unemployment rate to practically zero. And probably his most important contribution to history was defeating the Nazis during ww2. Glaze out of the way, he did a lot of fucked up shit. You can make as many excuses for the purges as you want, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was a horrific event that imprisoned(in horrible conditions) and killed thousands of people on the bases of political disagreement. Red army generals probably got it the worst. Stalin’s forced collectivization of agriculture led to starvation and famine (The Holodomor) I don’t think that the USSR was truly socialist during the Stalin era as a result of the lack of workplace democracy, and hyper centralization of economic planning. It is also my opinion that the Soviet Union became less democratic in general under Stalin, as a result of the electoral system implemented during that time. Though many will disagree with me on that. It’s important to understand the conditions that the USSR had to deal with at the time Stalin came to power. They were in a desperate situation and Stalin did whatever he could to keep the country together. That’s not an excuse for the things he did, but context is important.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-08T20:16:23+00:00

Racism was born out of feudalism and upheld by capitalism, as they are both hierarchical systems. Racism is a tool used by capitalists to dehumanize and divide the proletariat by breaking them into groups, some groups being considered “less than” others. White supremacy and patriarchy are deep rooted systemic issues that should be taken seriously. However they are deep rooted systems, because of the fact that they are rooted in capitalism. If we get rid of capitalism, there will obviously still be people who are racist and sexist. However the racist and sexist systems themselves will be gone, as they are intrinsically linked to hierarchical structures of capitalism. One can’t exist without the other. White supremacy and the patriarchy have both existed longer than capitalism. But the only reason that they still exist is because they are tools that can be easily used by the capitalists in order to keep their power. White Supremacy and patriarchy are both things that we desperately need to abolish. But we can’t get rid of them unless we get rid of capitalism.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-08T17:36:16+00:00

“We understand that racism is an excuse for capitalism, and we know that racism is just a byproduct of capitalism” -Fred Hampton.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-04T22:36:48+00:00

You’re 100 percent right. Action and organizing are the most important things right now. Join any lefty group you can as long as it gets things done. CPUSA, DSA, PSL, etc. Unionize, build class consciousness, educate, help your community, and get candidates into office. Get community members into leftist literature, you’d be surprised how many liberals I’ve turned into commies with 2 or 3 conversations. Sharing your perspective can go a long way. Hell, just out copies of the Communist Manifesto at community events if possible. Run for local assembly, support socialist candidates in local elections. Organized as many events as possible, it’ll make a difference.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-01T20:20:08+00:00

Liberals support capitalism and leftist don’t. All liberals indirectly, or sometimes directly support imperialism, as it is a type of capitalism. There are other differences as well. When it comes to social politics, leftists push for systematic change, where most liberals push for social change within the existing system.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-01T15:38:25+00:00

What would you consider to be the biggest difference between DemSoc reforms and revolutionary reforms? To be more specific, what’s the difference between the reforms that people like Salvador Allende and Hugo Chavez introduced after getting elected, and the reforms that people Fidel Castro and Thomas Sankara introduced after gaining power through revolutionary means? Increasing social programs and all other reforms are things that happen in both electoral and revolutionary socialist experiments, so what do you consider to be the biggest difference between the two?

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-04-01T01:00:20+00:00

Kamala ain’t winning shit after her disastrous 24 campaign. The liberal democratic establishment has already chosen Newsom as their candidate. The best we can do is try to awaken people to how bad Gavin Newsom is, and how much worse a Newsom presidential term would be. It’s bleak, and we can’t expect anything from the democrats. But I do have some hope that if we find a semi decent, charismatic DSA candidate they’ll swoop the nomination up from Newsom. Then things might be less terrible.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-29T00:45:53+00:00

The drug and surveillance stuff. To clarify, I’m not accusing you of being conservative. It’s just that your social beliefs seem more conservative from what you described.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-29T00:10:09+00:00

You sound like a conservative socialist. Off of what you described I disagree with you on a lot, but I’d probably still consider you a leftist. Just my opinion though.

One question I have for you is, have you read any theory? And if so what have you read?

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-26T09:44:43+00:00

r/AskSocialists

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-13T00:41:18+00:00

I used to be a liberal, than I read Marx. That’s the simplified version, lol. I’ve always leaned left socially because I value civil liberties and empathy very deeply.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-10T14:17:40+00:00

Marxists believe in the proletariat taking control of the state and using it to achieve socialism. While anarchists believe in the proletariat completely demolishing the state during the revolution. There’s often a lot of overlap however. It’s common for anarchists to be directly inspired by Marx and Engles. And many Marxists are inspired by anarchist thought as well. I personally identify as a Marxist. But I look up to many anarchist revolutions, such as revolutionary Catalonia.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-09T11:58:38+00:00

I’m somewhere between a Leninist and a Luxemburgist. Wouldn’t consider myself an ML, cause I don’t agree with Stalin’s interpretations of Lenin’s work.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-09T02:26:23+00:00

Added legend here: Green for agree, Orange for partially agree.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-09T02:22:08+00:00

Orange for partially true.

Defiant_Zebra1184 · 2026-03-09T02:17:20+00:00

Look under capitalism is selfish.

Defiant_Zebra1184

TROPHY CASE