• Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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        1 month ago

        Marxists are absolutely leftists. Fascism is Capitalism when it needs to violently defend itself, meanwhile Marxist movements throughout history have established Socialist systems that dramatically improved the lives of the working class. I suggest you read Blackshirts and Reds, Marxist movements and fascist movements are in no way similar and Dr. Michael Parenti does a great job analyzing them historically.

        • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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          1 month ago

          tankies (ie people who endorse violence as a valid path forward from right here) == marxists?? man, i don’t know jack

          • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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            1 month ago

            “Tankie” is the modern terminally online equivalent to “commie” or “pinko.” It’s just a pejorative for those who support Marxist movements around the world.

            By your definition, though, the belief that the use of force is necessary to progress, ie revolution, Marxists are indeed “tankies.” Marxism is thoroughly revolutionary, a fact made clear repeatedly by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, and proven by their successors.

            • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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              1 month ago

              Would you have quibbled less if I had said “authoritarianism” instead of “violence”? I wasn’t trying to be slanted, that was genuinely my impression of what the term meant.

              You cannot have Marxist views if you are not in favor of using violence to impose Marxist ideals?

              • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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                1 month ago

                All states are authoritarian, in that all represent primarily one class in society that is dominant, and weild state power to subjugate those who would resist the system. In Capitalism, that class in power is the bourgeoisie, in Socialism, that class is the Proletariat. Revolution is necessary to bring about Socialism, ergo use of authority is also necessary, and core to Marxism, just as it was authoritarian for the French to overthrow the Monarchy, no matter how justified morally said use of authority was.

                I recommend reading Friedrich Engels’ On Authority if you want a Marxist perspective from the Luigi of the M&E duo.

                • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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                  1 month ago

                  All states are authoritarian

                  It is not a binary distinction. It is also not something all ideologies seek to use as a tool. Rather, some seek to minimize it. I think you are telling me Marxism is an ideology that seeks to fully utilize authoritarianism, almost as though it WERE a binary distinction, and there is no point in going half way.

                  Overall I take your response to mean you would have found that a less objectionable definition.

                  • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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                    1 month ago

                    Use of authority is driven as reaction, not action, typically. The United States putting down the Confederate rebellion was a good use of authority, but was driven because of the Confederate rebellion. The extent authority is applied depends on the circumstances a country finds itself in, in Socialist countries we often see invasion and active subterfuge from Capitalist countries seeking to undermine the system, and Capitalists are oppressed. This is painted as “authoritarian” by Capitalist dominated media.

                    You don’t reduce the use of authority by saying “no, don’t do that,” you do so by abolishing the conditions that give rise to its necessity. It is much better for the working class to weild its authority than the Capitalist class.

                    I don’t support something as vague as “authoritarianism.” I support the working class being in control of the state and using it in its own interests, depending on the circumstances it finds itself in, minimizing excess wherever possible.

              • Count042@lemmy.ml
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                1 month ago

                You know what the single most powerful force in human history is?

                Organization. Which is always hierarchal. It doesn’t have to mean socially, but definitely organizationally.

                If anarchism didn’t exist, the CIA would have had to create it.

                You know what the most common attribute of Anarchist revolutions is? They all failed. Every single one of them. That is what you want. Failure.

                • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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                  1 month ago

                  You know what the single most powerful force in human history is?

                  Organization.

                  This is a subjective statement.

                  Organization. Which is always hierarchal.

                  This is an untrue statement.

                • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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                  1 month ago

                  You know what the most common attribute of Anarchist revolutions is? They all failed. Every single one of them. That is what you want. Failure.

                  Save this one until you are crowing at me from the parapets of your Utopia. Oh wait, it has to be global, so I guess I’m the one inside the walls.