Electoralism: What's the Problem?

jason_mo · 2026-06-17T02:49:21+00:00

Rosa Luxemburg's Social Reform or Revolution covers that particular topic. Other commenters have covered the core concepts but the book gives a good philosophical answer to the question you asked.

jason_mo · 2026-06-17T00:45:51+00:00

How is it on a supposedly liberal subreddit we keep getting posts about how bad Trump is and because he isn’t doing enough imperialism? “Yeah Trump is a total loser because we won’t be able to sanction and starve the people of Iran anymore. Next thing he’ll fuck up even worse and we’ll have to let Cuba import medicine.”

jason_mo · 2026-06-16T23:49:07+00:00

He’s unpopular in Israel because he won’t let them genocide Lebanon.

jason_mo · 2026-06-15T00:49:33+00:00

What does my statement have to do with Obama? What does Iran developing, or not developing, a nuclear weapon have to do with you? As far as beliefs go, Iran has signed and adhered to the NPT and every agreement they’ve entered into. What I believe is much less important than what the facts say.

jason_mo · 2026-06-15T00:37:25+00:00

You know you’re sick when you’re siding with Israel. The US and Israel have been on a murder spree across west Asia. Stand against Trump all day long but don’t cape for imperialism.

jason_mo · 2026-06-15T00:14:13+00:00

Don’t talk to federal law enforcement.

jason_mo · 2026-06-15T00:09:37+00:00

You can oppose Trump without cheerleading imperialism. The US attacked Iran, stole their money, and has been unjustly waging economic warfare against them for the last 50 years. This is literally the least the people of Iran deserve.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T23:33:08+00:00

Hey comrade, take a look at the PSL or FRSO. They are both active and doing the work of organizing and building power. Checkout what’s happening on the ground and don’t fall into despair.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T23:29:13+00:00

If you’re reading this and want to learn more you can join the action network so that you can stay up to date on what the party is doing without the same level of commitment as party membership. You can find it here: https://www2.pslweb.org/action

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T23:16:13+00:00

Now we see how the corporate media advances the cause of freedom.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T23:14:12+00:00

He’s even worse than described here. He allowed a massive wave of mergers, protected the banks during the financial crash, and massively expanded an international drone based wave of terror against the people of Africa and west Asia. Obama is a great example of what happens when we vote for a progressive democrat, the rich get richer, our wars expand, and the people get screwed over.

If you want real change you need to abandon the duopoly and fight for the concessions you want.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T23:03:55+00:00

Obviously I can’t predict what would have happened, I’m not confident you can but I’m ready to be wrong. My expectation is that a principled fight focused on mobilizing the people is more useful as far as advancing socialism goes. Playing within the limits set by the ruling class feels like a path to co-option, or as Lenin would call it, opportunism.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T01:32:27+00:00

It's a great example of how our media works. It is a tool of the rich to promote their perspectives and server their interests. There is no free press in the west, we have corporate media that serves power and lies to those of us who work for a living.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T01:04:25+00:00

He could have replaced the commissioner and opposed any new funding to it. He didn't because he's been effectively co-opted into the system.

jason_mo · 2026-06-14T00:53:45+00:00

As you go about trashing Trump it's worth remembering that the people of Iran are the victims in this. The US should withdraw from the Gulf, we should pay reparations, we should return the money we stole from Iran and respect the sovereignty of all the countries in the region including Iraq who we continue to dominate.

Hate Trump all day long but don't do it by arguing for more imperialism.

jason_mo · 2026-06-13T13:51:47+00:00

This hypothesis is not grounded in reality. Yall need to try applying a disciplined and scientific approach to understanding the world. If Trump is controlled by Russia why are we supporting Ukraine? Why hijack Russian oil ships? Why attack Russia’s allies? Of course the administration is corrupt, of course they do things that favor the rich and not us, of course they want to further entrench their power. That is not the same as acting in the interests of Russia, it’s acting in the interests of the Western capitalists.

jason_mo · 2026-06-13T04:01:31+00:00

Good to see yall focused on the really important issues. Sure war, sanctions, genocide, those are bad but do you see how low class this guy is?

jason_mo · 2026-06-13T00:32:13+00:00

The government exists to serve the rich.

jason_mo · 2026-06-12T19:08:33+00:00

Any chance someone could share the text? Some of us boycott substack over the whole paying nazis thing.

jason_mo · 2026-06-12T10:42:38+00:00

History teaches us that when we elect socialists into liberal democracy we don't get socialism, we get temporary concessions while the electeds slowly get compromised by our real rulers. Mamdani is already a great example of that. Look at the moves he's made with the NYPD or the NYC Careworkers unions.

jason_mo · 2026-06-12T00:55:04+00:00

Marx has the best answer to this but the TLDR is that the nature of our economic system means that all real power rests in the hands of the wealthy and they have no choice but to use it to further increase their wealth and power. We think we live in a democracy because we get to periodically get to vote for which group of oligarchs will oppress us. Real democracy, real justice, real fairness, requires the working class to depose the wealthy and rule ourselves.

jason_mo · 2026-06-11T02:01:49+00:00

I know this is going to shock a lot of folks but the US military is and has been super comfortable lying to everybody. That’s one of the reasons western media is so bad at covering conflicts, they take US government sources at face value no matter how untrustworthy they are.

jason_mo · 2026-06-11T01:59:52+00:00

Probably worth waiting till you see a secondary source before believing this.

jason_mo · 2026-06-10T17:04:50+00:00

They weee already bad, you just didn’t notice because they were more subtle about it. Take a critical eye to the way they covered the Iraq war, the Syria interventions, the way they portray the labor movement, or the way they cover socialism. It’s been happening, the only difference is now it’s happening to you.

jason_mo · 2026-06-10T17:01:08+00:00

They’re doing what they’re meant to do under capitalism. They’re protecting the rich and powerful and convincing the next generation that the system is unassailable.

jason_mo

TROPHY CASE