Tons.

Definitely true as well.

Failing to have a coherent understanding of how imperialism works. A lot of westerners seem to think they live in developed countries developed purely by their own industry, while not realizing how financial capital continues to plunder the global south.

Long story short, Europe was slightly ahead of Africa in terms of development when they began to really interact, around the time Europe found out about the Americas they had a bunch of new land from genocide of the natives and needed manpower Europeans could never hope to fulfill, so the slave trade started in earnest.

Europeans would only trade their goods for slaves, which started the slave industry in various African nations that wanted these goods, which stalled development in Africa while dramatically increasing development in Europe, widening the gap until the colonial era. Over time, this gap began to increasingly be seen as its own justification, and Europeans became increasingly racist towards Africans.

It isn’t about inherent evil. Europe was beginning to become capitalist while the most developed nations in Africa were developed feudal kingdoms, and the geography of Africa and Europe had more to do with that than any genetics could ever hope to cover. The narrow gap was exploited by Europeans and widened until the modern era of imperialism and neocolonialism.

I highy recommend How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney. We’re doing a readalong over in Hexbear.net if you want to join!

All good!

Fair enough, apology accepted.

For clarity, I’ve expressed skepticism that Russia genuinely cares about de-Nazifying Ukraine. Ukraine is run by those who uphold Stepan Bandera, has been since the Euromaidan coup in 2014, and has significant neo-Nazi batallions like Azov, but Russia isn’t waging some glorious anti-fascist war for the sake of fighting fascism. At the same time, it fails to meet the definition of imperialism, Russia is largely driven by its own insular production and relies on exports, typically of oil and millitary equipment. It doesn’t have the same immense financial capital or domination of the global south that the west has, and as such has no room to be genuinely imperialist.

Russia’s real goals aren’t really for plunder, but for maintaining control of the land bridge to their territory in the Donbass region. Ukraine exists, and is a real nation, but the Donbass region is ethnically Russian, and is a real seperatist movement. Russia wants the Donbass region not for love of the people, but because Ukraine has been cozying up to the west and increasingly been anti-Russian, and thus Russia wants control of the land-route into the Russian heartland.

Those are my views. I don’t hold the strawman views you claimed I did. My views are in line with orgs like PSL’s statement and FRSO’s statement - NATO provoked the war, Russia is going to win regardless, Ukraine is being hollowed out by the west on one side and losing to Russia on the either, the best outcome is an expedient peace agreement.

So you’re just lashing out and insulting me personally because I called out how useless an insult like “tankie” is, including inventing a worldview for me and calling me an incoherent Marxist? As you admit, you’re just outraged and aren’t thinking clearly or coherently, even if I wanted to discuss my views on the Russo-Ukrainian war right now there’s no reason I’d expect a good-faith response from you when you’re already inventing my responses.

Also, because I am curious at this point, what Marxist works should I read to pass your test? I’ll add em to the list. Are the various ML orgs I agree with also confused in your eyes?

Where have I said any of that? You’re deeply unserious, and deflecting. What Marxist works should I read to pass your test? I’ll add em to the list. Are the various ML orgs I agree with also confused in your eyes?

I read books, which ones do I need to read to pass your arbitrary test? My views align with the various Marxist-Leninist groups around the world, broadly, are all of them also confused?

I wonder when liberals will realize that Marxists really don’t care about being called “tankies,” just like we don’t care about being called “commies.”

Socialism has existed on a large scale for over a century. The USSR was the first, and now we have countries like Cuba, Vietnam, the PRC, etc, all economies where public ownership is the principle aspect of society. I’m not arguing from an “ideal,” I’m speaking purely about existing material reality. Using the PRC as an example, the large firms and key industries are overwhelmingly publicly owned:

The PRC did introduce Reform and Opening Up after struggles within the Cultural Revolution and the Gang of Four. These reforms didn’t change that public ownership is still the principle aspect of the economy, though. Private and cooperative ownership existed even under Mao, and economic growth was positive under Mao, just unstable, which the market reforms and introduction of special economic zones helped make stable and regular:

Pre-Reform and Opening Up Post-Reform and Opening Up

You didn’t bring any facts to the table or any analysis, you just said “no” then insulted me. It"s insulting and utterly insufficient for proving your claims.

To the contrary, socialism can only work at scale. Small-scale cooperation exists, yes, but isn’t really “socialism” as we understand it. A business cannot be “socialist,” socialism is a descriptor for an entire mode of production, not a quantum unit of an economy. Socialism is a mode of production where public ownership is the principle aspect, and regularly is proven to be superior to capitalism. The largest economy in the world by PPP is socialist, the PRC, and it’s a broad, diverse, multi-ethnic society of billions.

I think you’d do well to research more on socialism. “Human tribalism” is more of a response to immediate conditions within capitalism, a system dominated by private property. It isn’t some eternal genetic fault in humans, over time we have become increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Socialism is the natural evolution from that point now that capitalism has already centralized the broad majority of production, meaning coherent and deliberate planning of the economy is more feasible.

The GOP and DNC are both liberal parties, but the GOP is more right-wing, thus they call the DNC “liberals” in a negative manner while upholding themselves as “conservatives.” Liberalism is pro-capitalism, though, and cannot be seen as left.

Liberals are pro-capitalism. The DNC are liberals.

Jokes on y’all, I wear jackets year-round even when I am melting.

The system isn’t formed based on the wills of individuals, nor is there an inherent “nice” or “mean” quality to people. If we all decide we want to live in a perfect utopia, that still won’t take form, because that’s not how societal progression works. We live in capitalism, because capitalism emerged from preceding modes of production like feudalism. It wasn’t a choice people made, but an economic progression on the basis of private property and free-moving capital, which leads us to today where a tiny handful own the lion’s share of production.

Capitalism is riddled with contradictions, however, and these contradictions sharpen over time. We move onto socialism by organizing, where we can actually take control of production and run it along a common plan to suit the needs of the people.

Edit: figured it’s a good chance to plug my introductory Marxist-Leninist reading list, if what I said makes sense to you!

Incredible levels of racism here, holy shit.

This is idealism. It’s fantasy. Nobody is trying to pursue endless power like a marvel villian, there’s an immense pursuit of profit. The crimes of the wealthiest capitalists are in pursuit of that end, if you mistake the reasons you’ll end up blundering your predictions.

Kinda? But not because anyone pushes the “utopia” or “dystopia” button. The US Empire is in serious decay, and is fighting to stay hegemonic. It isn’t a thinking process with the express purpose of evil, but a tremendous pursuit of profit.

I think you might benefit from reading theory, this is all more fantasy. The huge issues we have today aren’t like that, they are usually accidental and economically compelled by capitalism. There’s no “dystopia” button or “utopia” button.