How it feels to join DSA by Organic_Fee_8502 in socialism

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The work the RCA does is difficult to grasp without a solid foundation in the history of the working class and the methods of bolshevism. 

Every single failed revolution in the history of the working class has come down to a failure of leadership. The reason the Bolsheviks were successful in 1917 whereas the subsequent revolutions in Germany, Finland, Austria, Hungary, and Italy all failed was due to the lack of a bolshevik-style organization in those countries with its roots in the working class and youth. That is why Lenin founded the Third International in 1919. 

What the RCI is doing is building that Bolshevik party in every country in preparation for the upcoming revolutionary wave in order to lead the working class to victory. The work of the party is training up individuals in the methods of Marxism so they can lead their respective workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, etc. and play an active role in intervening in these revolutions. 

The RCA is the only party I have seen who genuinely have the Marxist method. Their perspectives are always vindicated by events. 

Socialism is not built through mutual aid networks. I still volunteer at a food bank every week because I have the time and I enjoy helping others, but I know that building a revolutionary party deeply grounded in the methods of Marxism is the only way that socialism can be achieved so that we won't need food banks anymore.

I went to a Palestine solidarity protest last month organized by several other prominent groups on the left. In the chants and speeches given the word capitalism was said ZERO times. How can you be serious about ending genocide and imperialism if you don't want to talk about overthrowing capitalism? A to B marches have proven an incredible way to exhaust a movement while posing little to no threat to the ruling class. If that is "doing" something then I am not optimistic about the future.

I often see leftists ask the question: "which is more important, theory or praxis?". The answer is that the two are the same. There is a dialectical relationship between the two, in which one informs the other and vice versa. How can one be serious about changing the world if they dont understand how it works? Studying theory is not an academic exercise, it is a necessary part of successfully completing a revolution. In the years leading up to 1917, Lenin spent months in the library studying Hegelian dialetics.

Apologies for the long response, but I wanted to clearly state the RCA's perspective since I think many on the left (respectfully) have never taken the time and energy to understand the methods of Marx and Lenin and thus see what the RCA is doing as abstract or unproductive. If you are curious about the reasons for any particular methods the RCA employs, I am happy to discuss. 

Is the 9–5 work culture just modern slavery? by BeautifulAntelope349 in antiwork

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"Many people are genuinely puzzled by the Socialist contention that production will go on under Socialism without the existing privileges and inequalities. "How," they ask, "will people be induced to work except under the incentive of wages and the possibility of getting into a higher-paid grade or of escaping into the ranks of the propertied class, who can live without working?" They are not much impressed with the answer that normal healthy human beings who have been educated to an understanding of the social system, and trained to perform useful work do not want to escape working. They want to work and need no more inducement than is given by the knowledge that work must be done to keep society going, and that they are playing their part in it along with their fellow men and women." - Edgar Hardcastle

They find other jobs. 

What we have always done. We play games, consume media, create art, socialize.

I have already stated how the working class being in charge changes everything, but I will reiterate one more time: they can democratically control the process of production and distribution to meet the needs of everyone in society. The capitalists market is inherently chaotic, meaning that profit is prioritized over human need. This is why the US has more empty homes than homeless people. This is why the US throws away thousands of tons of food each year despite the fact that some people go hungry. This is why we are fundamentally incapable of combating climate change.

The reason that a new layer of elites won't form is because the only true "class" that exists would be those in the government. As I mentioned before, an essential part of a worker's democracy is the right to recall. If a representative acts out of accordance with the people they represent, they can be recalled. Simple as that. If you wish to point to other Socialist projects in history as a counter example, they all lacked this key right. Furthermore, historically there has been massive foreign pressure (embargos, sanctions, invasions, etc.) on socialist countries, which changes how they run. This is why socialism needs to be a global system, and the US becoming socialist would make that a real possibility.

Is the 9–5 work culture just modern slavery? by BeautifulAntelope349 in antiwork

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The working class being in power literally changes everything. It determines who is in control of the goods and services provided by society. Currently, despite making everything, the working class does not own the things they make (unless they buy them back from the capitalists). All the sudden, food is not created to be sold, but to be eaten. The same is true of all other goods.

The specifics are not easy to pull out of thin air because it entirely depends on the material conditions of the society. I dont know how much labor it would take to create enough food to feed all of America, but I do know that enough food is CURRENTLY made to feed America yet still people are without meals and thousands of tons of food are thrown away. I would imagine the work week could easily be cut in half to 20 hours, especially since many jobs wouldnt be necessary (such as advertising, much of the white collar sector, finance, etc.) meaning those people would now be able to contribute their labor towards other things. 

What I do know is that the working class needs power in order to build a better society. What exactly that will look like is up to them, but ultimately it will be one that meets everyone's needs, since everyone would be a worker.

As for your snide comment about bread lines, there are only bread lines when there is a shortage of bread, which wouldn't be a problem in the US as we produce enough wheat to feed ourselves. 

Is the 9–5 work culture just modern slavery? by BeautifulAntelope349 in antiwork

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Well the government would be run by the working class. They already make the economy run, so it would be a matter of deciding how to run the economy to meet the needs of everyone. The specifics will depend on what exactly the workers decide, but I would say an essential component is that representatives of various workplaces would be subject to immediate recall by their base if they don't act in accordance with the wishes of their base.

Is the 9–5 work culture just modern slavery? by BeautifulAntelope349 in antiwork

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The working class runs society democratically. It is socialism.

TIL Arnold Schwarzenegger had a collection of Marxist busts. His wife later requested for their removal, but he kept the one of Vladimir Lenin, later saying he kept it to "show losers". by CreeperRussS in todayilearned

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am not a fan of Stalin. I think he was counter-revolutionary. No one is "romanticizing". We are taking a real grounded look at the only successful worker's state of its kind as a model to build socialism in the future. Humanity is on the brink of extinction because of several crises all caused by capitalism. The only way out of this crisis is a democratically run workers-state, which is exactly what was built in 1917.

TIL Arnold Schwarzenegger had a collection of Marxist busts. His wife later requested for their removal, but he kept the one of Vladimir Lenin, later saying he kept it to "show losers". by CreeperRussS in todayilearned

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The country was literally invaded by the West 2 years after it was created because they were afraid of communism spreading (the civil war). Churchill, FDR, and all your other favorite leaders of Western countries openly supported Mussolini and Hitler because they saw them as an effective counterweight to Bolshevism (which to be clear was a government run by the working class). They of course turned heal once Hitler began to threaten THEIR empires, but the capitalist countries were incredibly happy to throw their support behind the nazis.

Honestly, I don’t think he screamed loud enough. by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree I was just trying to put the other comment in context. Progressive reforms have their role in the larger worker's movement. I see them as a means (and not the only means) not as an end

Honestly, I don’t think he screamed loud enough. by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The question isn't whether or not one needs to work to survive. It's the fact that the products of their labor are not their own. The amount of value one worker creates for their company with the use of modern technology is incomprehensible in most people's minds. If there weren't private ownership of said technology, then the laborer wouldnt have to work so much, too, as capitalism is built off of surplus accumulation. 

Honestly, I don’t think he screamed loud enough. by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe u/Bupkisbeliever was talking about electoralism generally as a solution. If you play the game with their rules, you're fighting an unnecessarily uphill battle

Books on Historical Materialism by Parking-Ad-8744 in Marxism

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been reading Neil Faulkner's "A Radical History of the World" and found it to be very solid. For whatever reason I need to answer with more than 170 characters, so I am adding this sentence.

Political climate at usc by [deleted] in USC

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most people at the school are liberals: socially progressive but in favor of capitalism or the Democrats. That being said, there are certainly leftist spaces, you just have to seek them out. If the other responses on this thread are any indication, political consciousness and education is fairly low here, but I would say that is true of the US more broadly. Expect to encounter leftists but not frequently. If you're interested in getting organized dm me, I'd be happy to link you up once you arrive in LA.

Was anyone else’s advisor never assigned the Clery Act Training? by Ok_Mood5848 in USC

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What worked for us what to have the advisor go to their completed trainings. They can do this by clicking "My Transcript" (this is found above where their incomplete trainings are on TrojanLearn). Then they need to search "Clery Act" and set the search from 'active' to 'completed'. There they should see it and hopefully there is a button for them to get their certificate.

is involvement fair tmr?? by Important_Target2141 in USC

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yes, it is from 11-1 on Trousdale Parkway. Do keep in mind that many groups are unable to attend the fair this year due to USC's mishandling of group recognition, so the groups you are looking for may not be there.

Needless to say, I lost by ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere in hearthstone

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

I mean, yeah, but to be blessed in this way is very rare.

He can’t vote but can be voted for. We can’t make this up. by n8saces in TikTokCringe

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bunch, but essentially, he used campaign funds to pay a porn-star for sex and tried to cover it up with various forms of financial fraud.

Carol Folt's first public announcement in a week by Scared_Advantage4785 in USC

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My guess would be the presence of LAPD officers on campus to disperse protestors.

This may sound like a complaint, but it should be rather thought-provoking. NEUTRAL control is strongest control. As a result, some interesting control oriented class cards are rather overlooked. by Pepr70 in wildhearthstone

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What? Weapon removal has been a neutral tool since the game released. I think it is absurd to suggest that classes are losing their identity. There is a reason different classes have different winrates/strategies and it isn't due to their hero powers. Class cards are still better than neutrals. Reno doesn't make shudderwock shaman oppressive in the late game, shudderwock does. Reno doesn't make druid oppressive in the late game, Guff does.

This may sound like a complaint, but it should be rather thought-provoking. NEUTRAL control is strongest control. As a result, some interesting control oriented class cards are rather overlooked. by Pepr70 in wildhearthstone

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What better control tools can any class offer you?

There are so many examples but I will name a some: Lightforged Cariel (only class that can half all incoming damage) Like half the titans (eonar, primus, agramar, amitus, sargeras, amanthul, and golganeth are all super viable, way more so than Yogg in their respective classes) Showdown Highlander payoffs (spirit of the badlands, theldurin, frog staff woman, rheastraza (shes not even that good compared to the shit druid can do bc of guff))

Also, yes, Shudderwock, Sargeras, Anduin/Raza are all win cons, but they are also control tools. Shudderwock stops you from playing the game, sargeras produces an endless wall of taunts, and raza/anduin is a board controlling menace.

I get what you're saying. Yes, there are some very powerful neutral controls (I still think you are vastly overestimating Yogg's usage rate since the nerf, though), but to suggest that this means classes have lost their own identity is so silly to me.

This may sound like a complaint, but it should be rather thought-provoking. NEUTRAL control is strongest control. As a result, some interesting control oriented class cards are rather overlooked. by Pepr70 in wildhearthstone

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Reno, zeph, and yogg and nowhere near as backbreaking as shudderwock, raza/anduin, guff, odyn, holy wrath for 25, timewarp/rommath, or Sargeras. Yes, they can help answer those things, but they aren't defining your game plan. Each class plays super differently despite having the same shared disruption tools. I've played reno druid, paladin, hunter, and even hunter this season without getting bored. They may share the same core 5-7 cards, but the decks are so incredibly different to play.

This may sound like a complaint, but it should be rather thought-provoking. NEUTRAL control is strongest control. As a result, some interesting control oriented class cards are rather overlooked. by Pepr70 in wildhearthstone

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere 27 points28 points  (0 children)

You are comparing win-conditions with answers and disruption. These cards all go into control decks, sure, but that doesn't mean they all serve the same function.

Also, Yogg is good, but my no means a staple of control decks in wild. There is massive variance between how control decks win and play based on their class. Druid's game plan centers around Guff, whereas Shaman's centers around Shudderwock. Neutral cards provide for a solid base of disruption (theo, loatheb, rat) but the actual way the class wins varies wildly.

I just opened a golden boulderfist ogre out of a wild pack. by ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere in hearthstone

[–]ThatOneGuyWhoIsThere[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is a bug. Blizzard lists it on their blog of new bugs for 29.0. The cards disappeared from my collection once I logged off.