I know, I like the meme, and we can have fun here :)

The Vietnamese textbook is phenomenal! It doesn't touch the areas my list goes into though, and just focuses on dialectical materialism, historical materialism, and political economy.

Hey, I'm having the same issue with the denser works — what's the name of the vietnamese textbook?

I don't think that's accurate, though. How do you explain dialectical materialism, historical materialism, imperialism, why capitalism is fundamentally unsustainable, revolutionary strategy, and more in under an hour?

With actual medicines, or horse dewormer?

You know, the communist nations, whatever their faults, have moved more people out of poverty than the rest of the world combined, helped many colonies achieve independence, and sent the first man and woman to space.

Whereas anarchist nations have- oh wait they don't even exist.

Maybe they should have read them books.

Look at you cashing in for some easy puns

Right, but then you need to know how to make a proper analysis grounded in material reality, identify the main contradiction and organize effectively. All of this can't be taught instantaneously. Especially when someone isn't class conscious and has no background in leftist struggle. How do you explain to some sheltered worker that's doing more or less well what imperialism is, what it does, why it should matter to them even if they've been trained to think exploitation abroad is justified, how do you help them become effective in their organizing?

I come from a leftist background, I grew up hearing words like neocolonialism and understanding what they meant, I worked with a leftist (but not communist) org in the past, and even then there's a whole lot I didn't know or understand, and what helped me was to sit down to read and listen to my comrades. We can't build socialism just with vibes and ideals, we need to be grounded in reality.

Both will be less effective than someone that balances both. It isn't either-or, but both/and.

Food pantries and soup kitckens have been feeding the hungry for more than 40 years and yet none of those places brought about political revolution. This is why theory is not negligible. If you wanna simply help the poor then a soup kitchen is fine, if you want a revolution you're going to need more than that.

On one hand it is incredibly funny that after such question only two books and one movie got mentioned by title in thread and two of which are a work of fiction, but then again, LeGuin is still better than Proudhon lol.

On the other hand, this anarchist society in Disposessed is a pretty good analogy in how it is essentially entirely on the mercy of the people on the Urras. Even the anarchist utopia is vulnerable. Also for some weird reason Anarres seems to represent USSR since it existence means states on Urras are giving workers some rights, analogically to Western Europe building social nets.

Fantastic book! For anyone interested, you can read it here.

Fully agree that that's the way to learn. Do praxis, theory will develop.

However, I recommend the bread book to anyone I think might enjoy reading something like it. It changed my life fundamentally to see some one lay out the math of how a society could function like that. As suggested above,nthe dispossessed is also an amazing work of theory disguised as a very fun sci fi read. I routinely quote "where do you go when you die in hell" ever since reading it

If you’re curious about theory there’s tons of alternatives to books: podcasts, film

Lol

Robert Evans

LOL

Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!

That's cool and all but that's local tier good-samaritan stuff. While it's good, it will never overthrow the system.

There are plenty of Socialist revolutions but they happen outside of the first world. Coincidentally anticolonial movements are often opposed by Anarchist because the victims aren't perfect enough.

on the side lines selling political newspapers

Anarchist 'zines are literally a meme term

There are some Marxists that don't put theory to practice, true, but the solution isn't to not read, but to do both. As a side-note, Marxist practice is less focused on mutual aid and more on organizing the working classes for revolution, though some ML groups like the Black Panther Party use things like free breakfast programs and such.

Meh. Reading is over rated

Now getting high, that's got substance

I mean, standing in the shoulders of giants and all that. May as well lean into the human ability to be more effective by learning from generations of experience.

Guess I wait for the advanced page.

You're going to trigger so many libs with this link.

Agreed, I just think we need to nurture how people relate to/ground their opinions before theory can take root properly. Currently both science and politics are treated like sophistry—it’s all a matter of argument

What I think is especially unhelpful is people who have not read enough theory to understand what they are talking about (let alone considered it in the context it was written), but they are passionate about an issue so they try to debate people using the logic of that theory and they end up just making the theory seem like nonsense because they didn’t understand it. Only in the context of debate does it make sense to argue for a theory you don’t really grasp. Debate is about winning an argument but not about what is ‘true’ or ‘right’. I would rather that person just stick to their guns on the basics of whatever the argument is over (ie. genocide is bad no exceptions). This way they stand firmly on their own feet but can also have confidence in their reasons even without a nuanced historical perspective of how things got to where they are.

Anyway I love reading and discussing theory and philosophy (including your guides) and find it extremely rich and rewarding. It should be used as fodder to help you think rather than a guidebook to inform what you should think.

You can help. There is still time to be an actual leftist militant.

Yeah, but so does just doing it. And talking to people about how to do it. The point isn't that people shouldn't read, it's that the should do (and shouldn't be prevented from doing because they can't or won't read).

Oh sorry. In twin peaks, the character Andy has trouble with his sperms (and talks about it funny). Worth watching the show, if not just for that

That would be Zero but Christians sure are convinced it's all of them.

Because he's the M in ML

[citation needed]

Bruh what

Yeah no I’m gonna step in and fully agree with you on the statement of “psychopaths shouldn’t be allowed to enact destruction on civilians.”

IDF, USA (and all its three letter agencies), whatever authoritarian fuckbags murdered Iranian protestors, etc.

It’s all bad. If these genocidal people who choose to reject their humanity have an axe to grind, they should be forced to do so amongst themselves.

Hiding behind bombs and armies is bullshit. Make the “leaders” go face to face, with little more than a rusty machete and keep the rest of the world’s people out of it.