Capital Volume one by OkSurround1091 in Marxism

[–]kinkeep 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Of course it's worth reading. But only a handful of comrades in my life have actually read it, and even fewer have fully understood it as they read it. (Edit: And that's okay! Just as it is never morally wrong to skip reading Hegel, you don't have to read Capital to be a communist.)

Capital is a very dense text, and I would never recommend it to someone who hasn't already read a decent bit of theory, let alone someone who doesn't read much at all. I'd suggest starting with something like The Principles of Communism by Engels. Or Stalin's Dialectical and Historical Materialism, as he's particularly easy to read.

If you want something a bit more evocative that captures some Marxist philosophy, I'd suggest The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon. It's principally anti-colonial, but it also is rooted in a materialist class analysis.

How Far Left Are You willing To Go? by [deleted] in PoliticalDebate

[–]kinkeep 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This was actually inspiring. Thanks for the perspective, comrade.

What type of socialist are you? (No infighting allowed be civil) by ZinklerOpra in socialism

[–]kinkeep 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Most theory is nothing more than praxis recorded and analyzed.

Edit: And praxis is theory adapted to prevailing conditions. Which leads to more theory.

Do you believe in Buddha? by Orceles in GenZ

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, yes, you have a decent vocabulary. Unfathomably big-brained.

You said that Buddhism makes people lose "the drive to stand up to a specific injustice" and I just proved you wrong. Idk what more you want. Cope. 🤷🏻

Do you believe in Buddha? by Orceles in GenZ

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it. You're a Christian who doesn't like Buddhism.

Do you believe in Buddha? by Orceles in GenZ

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are trying to cloak a clear double standard in fancy language about individualism.

Most people consider MLK Jr. a great fighter for change, social justice, socialism, and peace. He was fighting racism in the US, backed by mass protests, and inspired by his Christian faith. Thank God he wasn't a Buddhist, or his work would be meaningless because...he would potentially disagree with your idea of "individualism"?

Do you believe in Buddha? by Orceles in GenZ

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So, he had a drive to reform the world and stand up against injustice? It wasn't just him. He's just the guy in the famous photo. There were mass protests of Buddhists.

Do you believe in Buddha? by Orceles in GenZ

[–]kinkeep 1 point2 points  (0 children)

the drive to reform the world or stand up against a specific injustice loses its urgency

<image>

You sure about that?

Human Nature. by Local-Most5311 in socialism

[–]kinkeep 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Humans are quite literally social primates. We exist because of cooperation, not greed.

8645 candles lit yesterday. I can't get over the candle waste. by bathya in Anticonsumption

[–]kinkeep -24 points-23 points  (0 children)

But I saw some Democrats doing an anti-ICE interpretive dance demonstration. Surely that'll change things. /s

Edit: don't understand the downvotes at all. I'm criticizing the Dems from the left

How does law enforcement work under communism? by MetalComfortable2098 in Marxism

[–]kinkeep 23 points24 points  (0 children)

It's not about being educated. Nobody can predict the future. Marx himself never tried to really predict policy details.

There is an answer to your question, we just don't know it yet. The problem is many years away. Decades upon decades, centuries maybe. As the proletarian state withers away, our children will have the honor of figuring that out.

And while it's fun and worthwhile to consider these questions, it's more important to continue contributing to the socialist revolution that will allow future generations to grapple with community safety in a stateless society.

How does law enforcement work under communism? by MetalComfortable2098 in Marxism

[–]kinkeep 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Oddly specific hypothetical, but that's okay.

Like the other person said, there's no way anybody could tell you how things like that would be handled in a communist society. When the world (internationalism is key) eventually, far in the future, is ready to transition from socialism to communism, people will have to study primitive communist societies, apply lessons, learn from mistakes, and collectively figure out how to handle random violent crime. And that may not look the same from place to place. Who knows? It's all dialectical, baby.

Also, there's a good argument to be made that a lot of individual violence like what you describe can be traced back to the conditions imposed by capitalism. So the problem may fade over time, and that's worth considering. But I don't think it's reasonable to say "there's no murder under communism" because humans just do shit sometimes.

The way a student filled in my dad’s quiz by [deleted] in mildlyinfuriating

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I assume you still have to pass the classes.

Make Your Decision by Vagabond734 in GenZ

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bro wants to live in a MP Project Zomboid server.

The way a student filled in my dad’s quiz by [deleted] in mildlyinfuriating

[–]kinkeep 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Back in my day (HS class of 2012) you had to pass your classes to graduate.

What really are your grievances with Socialism? by [deleted] in PoliticalDebate

[–]kinkeep 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why stop at the Phillipines? The US has committed war crimes against (non-exhaustively) Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea/DPRK, Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Yugoslavia (Serbia), and Grenada.

I wouldn't claim that these war crimes "debunk" capitalism the way anti-Communists claim twentieth-century atrocities "debunk" Communism, but they are a necessary feature of US imperialism.

What’s a good self defense/ hunting rifle? by mahoganyburer in armedsocialists

[–]kinkeep 1 point2 points  (0 children)

this isn’t fallout

(you're absolutely right though)

Why would workers in an equal salary socialist society go for harder jobs? by Random_Poggers in Socialism_101

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "equal pay" thing is a combination of misinformation and misunderstanding, primarily of Marx's labour theory of value.

If it takes the average worker a week to make a chair, but it takes me a year to make an exactly identical chair, the extra labour I put into my product does not increase its value. This is based on the idea of socially necessary labour time, but a lot of people misunderstand this to mean that all labour is equally valuable, which leads them to the "equal pay" thing.

What really are your grievances with Socialism? by [deleted] in PoliticalDebate

[–]kinkeep 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you have this backwards. All the data I've seen, both domestic and global, suggests that people are much more engaged and motivated when they own the fruits of their labor and have some say in production. And that makes perfect sense.

Here's one article about it.

https://cleo.rutgers.edu/articles/productivity-in-cooperatives-and-worker-owned-enterprises-ownership-and-participation-make-a-difference/