Discussion Community for fellow Marxist-Leninists and other Marxists.
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Currently no, although I was in an armed leftist group in the US for a few years. I'm still feeling the burn-out from that and all the struggles from being in a big-tent org.
I want to join PSL (I'm in the US) badly but unfortunately they don't have a branch in the city I moved to. There is a DSA here but I don't have the patience for that.
I posted a response and mentioned it towards the end, but see if you can contact PSL and become an at-large member. There are plenty of comrades in the same situation as you. The party offers plenty of support and assistance in helping set-up a branch, no one's left alone to do it by themselves. Most branches start off like that, with a focus on recruiting to build up the ranks and become an official branch.
I'm just copying my reply from https://dev.lemmy.ml/post/37601
I’m currently in the process of joining my local communist youth. Its really cool, the people are nice and not at all like the stereotype if angry politics nerds. And compared to online leftist spaces, there isnt really any discussion on whether China or Cuba is communist or things like that. Its all about local organising, which is much more useful than arguing about countries on the other side of the world.
Even though I am completely new, they have already asked me to write a proposal about digital security, because I refuse to use things like Whatsapp, Google Hangouts or similar.
The only thing I can complain about is that all of them are quite busy, so they are quite slow at answering my questions, like how the party works or what exactly I am supposed to do during my premilitancy.
If there is a party near you, definitely contact them. If you dont get along with them, you can always decide not to join.
Nice, hopefully you can convince them to go with matrix.
I had the same experience, in my big-tent not even explicitly communist org, no one really cared all that much about bashing AES, that's mostly an online thing.
Now that its rebranded I might try and introduce them to it. So far they are already switching to Telegram and Jitsi (slowly).
I'm planning on applying to join a party in the next few months. There are several reasons why I can't do it right now though, which I'm working toward fixing.
Not sure what I'd do once joined though since I live in the middle of nowhere.
You don't have to be in a large city to be useful to the party! Being in the party means you aren't operating alone; the party will support you as you work to grow the party
Communist Party of Canada is excellent, and their youth wing, the YCL, are a great org for younger and student comrades.
I participate with IDC, we recently published a newsletter where I contributed 'Work in the age of pandemic' bit.
can you call yourself a communist if you're not active?
I honestly don't think so.
Organising is hard, thankless work and if you're not even doing the bare minimum of showing up for study sessions and doing at least some small piece of work I don't think these lazy comrades deserve to call themselves communist.
I don't actually call myself a communist, not because I despise the word and think it has too much historical baggage, but because I have a deep reverence for the label and as such do not feel I deserve it at the present moment. If someone wants to label me a communist though, I would not reject it.
Unfortunately for me, actual out and open organizing might land me in a prison cell, so I've been working on radicalizing people around me at the moment during this current economic downturn. Not having too much success at the moment because my immediate circle is full of labour aristocracy/petty bourgeoisie types and oh boy are they difficult to convince.
tough but fair
I joined my city's young communist league after graduating uni and attending a bunch of protests for the first time. It's great cause after years of isolation and lack of comrades, I now have a solid group of friends and we're going camping soon!
Yes. I'm a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization in a small city(less than 150,000 people).
I'm a at-large chair of my local DSA chapter, so no. lol
Yes. I organize with PCB here in Brazil.
salve, camarada!
I've recently joined the party's student/youth movement and I'm very excited to be a part of building communism. :)
Seja bem-vindo, camarada!
Remember that our communist social network also has a Matrix chat available
I'm in the process right now of joining PSL. I'm doing my write ups and haven't met anyone yet. I look forward to doing so soon, though.
Been a part of PSL since last year. I'd highly recommend the party to any MLs living in the United States.
It's probably the only party in the imperial core that doesn't suffer from the same deficiencies as the majority of the Western left. Internet "Marxists" like to shut them down for bullshit reasons like not draping themselves in the communist aesthetic or supporting countries like Iran from further imperialist conquest.
First, how would you expect a potential vanguard party from being a vanguard if it's not with the masses? Marching down the streets and waving hammer/sickle flags, while absolutely fucking cool, is not going to attract the masses in the US and could even push away people wanting to join who aren't already 100% ML. Plenty of comrades personally sport communist aesthetic and the party is very much Leninist where it counts: theory and practice.
And second, it baffles me that communists would think it's bad to support countries like Iran in the face of imperialism, saying we should support the Iranian people. Yes no shit Iran isn't socialist, but calling for the overthrow of the Iranian government for the "people's will" is an imperialist talking point. As communists living in the belly of the beast, we must critically support countries trying to escape the grasp of the empire. We're not some Trot party who's going to side with the US, hoping that further sanctions and acts of war will destabilize the country; that's just the perfect avenue for color revolutions and making things worse.
So yes, join PSL if you're a serious ML in the US. Even if there's no branch in your city, you can contact the PSL and become an at-large member. They will help you set up and offer plenty of support and assistance as the branch gets built up.
We're not some Trot party
Doesn't the PSL have Trotskyist (Marcyite) origins?
Not really. Sam Marcy was a member of SWP, yes, but he fought SWP leadership over their failure to support the USSR, PRC, and DPRK.
He and others developed the concept of "global class warfare" in which the international bourgeoisie will work to stifle and snuff out any people's movement. Knowing this, already-existing socialism must be defended by socialists across the world. Criticism may be made, but we must stand against imperialism.
PSL split from WWP and is a Marxist-Leninist party.
Criticism may be made, but we must stand against imperialism.
Even this has to be done with the utmost caution these days. The liberals, shameless as ever, delight to turn our every word into weapons for their agendas. Just earlier this week, they wielded Angela Davis' opinion on voting for Joe Biden against us, while also conveniently ignoring her positions (things she's known for I might add) on abolition and of course communism.
I basically hold the view that if someone wishes to criticize AES states they should do it to my face offline in a private setting or behind closed doors between comrades (also offline). Give the libs an inch and they will take a goddamn light-year. We've all seen what the precious nuance of the DSA types have led us to with regards to VZ and Bolivia.
Not taking away from anything you said, but please look at my earlier post: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5334 Problematic leadership doesn't necessarily mean PSL on the ground isn't a valid and worthwhile organization, but just wondering if you were familiar with this. I am saying this as somebody who still pays DSA dues.
That article is constantly reposted to try and smear PSL from an ultra-left standpoint and PSL members are constantly having shoot it down.
The view that PSL is "tainted" because someone's day job is working on a podcast is really reaching. Loud and Clear isn't a PSL podcast, PSL has no ties to it; it's not a PSL-sponsored publication of any sort, it's not even Marxist. It's simply Comrade Becker's job. Whenever a guest espouses reactionary views or even the main host, Becker calls them out on it. He's simply using the platform he's been given to hopefully give a more Marxist opinion on current-day events, push anti-imperialism, etc.
He's been organizing for a while, there's no doubt what his intentions and views are. Cancelling Marxists with a huge history of being dedicated communists because they work in reactionary environments is just counter-productive. It's obviously not a 1:1 example, but working in reactionary environments is a must to continue to spread class consciousness and an ML viewpoint.
PSL has had their media arsenal grow now to include BreakThrough News alongside Liberation News, which is a direct PSL publication and supports the party's line.
Literally every org has problematic leadership.
This demand for pure perfection is ridiculous amongst some comrades that are turned off organisations due to whatever problematic feature is in them.
“We are not utopians, we do not “dream” of dispensing at once with all administration, with all subordination. These anarchist dreams, based upon incomprehension of the tasks of the proletarian dictatorship, are totally alien to Marxism, and, as a matter of fact, serve only to postpone the socialist revolution until people are different. No, we want the socialist revolution with people as they are now, with people who cannot dispense with subordination, control, and "foremen and accountants".” ― Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, The State and Revolution
These deficiencies could be corrected if enough decent comrades joined and became active.
I'm currently in the process of joining the PSL and am really quite excited to join my first leftist organization! Unfortunately, there's isn't a branch in my state but I'm hoping to help it grow with the other at large comrades.
Unfortunately, no. I've told myself for years I'd join the PSL "as soon as I get my shit together" but sadly it seems my shit will likely remain apart until the end of time. Hopefully I'll figure it out someday regardless.
The party will meet you where you are. Being in a party does require a certain level of commitment, but you take on as much as you're able to.
Yeah. My ability has just been nothing. Have had to devote all my efforts to struggling through disability and mental illness. Things have only continued to get worse instead of better though so I don't know if I'll ever end up joining. Fingers crossed.
Sorry to hear that, comrade. I hope for the best for you
I appreciate the support. I'll keep fighting if you will.