Still, makes us generally immune to a charismatic con man taking over the entire party.

Yeah, I once got interested like a bored person with a special interest in 70s sci-fi, Asimov, Star Wars, Wiener's "Cybernetics", all those aesthetics. Because leftist ideologies are kinda associated with them.

You come to trots, they seem fine and tolerant (they even consider tolerance and humanism as their main difference from stalinists), until you mention anarcho-syndicalism as something normal or ask questions (in the spirit of normal brainstorm) about the ideal society they describe in their articles. Here they either become hostile or ghost you.

Cause it's their (trots) fucking religion that every cook can guide a state, that a military of a trot state looks like every adult having a gun at home, and in case of war them all assembling, making a shot each and going home (quoting that Swiss joke).

And that their direct democracy and planning system too should not be really designed. Some "modern technologies" will do that.

They are just not interested in discussing how to actually build that shit. Only in the daily activity of a couple of obscure trade unions and in hating "the rich" or/and "the bourgeoisie".

You come to ansyns, they react like "you're already one of us if you want, now get off us, we're not interested in that shit".

You come to ancoms, admittedly some conversations are interesting, but talking specifics with them is like Napoleon going into Russia - the conversation seems to be going on, but you're increasingly feeling that you're getting lost without gaining anything.

You come to stalinists, they tell you your opinions will be considered when they kill everyone they don't like.

You come to usual left anarchists and may get a good conversation occasionally, but in the end realize that they are mostly interested in their hydroponic farms.

YMMV, but I don't see much consolidation.