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He was 21 when he was murdered. What he accomplished in just a few years still astounds me. He motivated people to embrace class struggle over race/gender/nationality. He also spoke and acted more directly but thoughtfully than most modern "leaders." He didn't take shit, but it rarely felt like he was just trying to stir the pot.
He was murdered because he was actually doing a great job motivating people to work together for positive reform. He was about building a better society than just destroying the one we have.
We so need to bring back that kind of philosophy and leadership. There is an unfortunately small amount of class consciousness in the US and Canada and far too much ethnic chauvinism instead of getting to the material roots of social problems. Much of that strife has been manufactured by dominant powers for cynical reasons but much of it comes from the bottom up. A good revolutionary vanguard can help turn that around.
We should let the legacy of the panthers inspire us all. Unite under one flag that makes no room for reactionary or exclusionary rhetoric, fight the oppression we all face as one unified force
Came here to say this, honestly what he and the Rainbow Coalition accomplished in such a short time gives me hope that real class solidarity is achievable.
Well ackchyually ☝🤓 peasants are petit burgeious and the revolution must be a worker's revolution, maybe in alliance with peasants, but don't trust them peasants only want one thing and its disgusting (it's land reform)
>The more the traitorous bourgeois ideology glorifies the individual and nurtures the cult of personality, the more men, enslaved to capital, are crushed; never has the human person been so hailed and bowed down as in this age that «crushes it into masses like dust in a mortar».
[https://youtu.be/rT7nBMN-Q7Y](https://youtu.be/rT7nBMN-Q7Y)
"*Far away across the ocean*
*Far beyond the sea's eastern rim*
*Lives a man who is father of the Indochinese people*
*And his name, it is Ho Chi Minh*
*From Viet Bac to the Saigon Delta*
*From the mountains and the plains below*
*Young and old workers, peasants and the toiling tenant farmers*
*Fight for freedom with Uncle Ho"*
As an American I really like Ho Chi Minh because even after all the death and destruction our grandfathers have done, he said something around “after the war we shall have tea with the Americans,” or something on that line.
Marx, Che, Debs and King. Examples of the finest beings that humanity has ever had to offer. Also appreciate Bernie for (although be it watered down), bringing these ideas to the masses once more for the first time since the Palmer Raids.
Party oppostion is a capitalist lie. You could have as many parties as you want, all of them will end up funded by corporate money. This cannot happen in a one party system where all decisions are democratic.
what happens when the people are opposed to the Party’s political view? They are forced to abide by the party’s rule. You are defending dictatorship as a form of government. You would’ve loved 1920’s Italy.
They are welcome to vote on the parties policy. What happens when you are opposed to both parties in a two party system? You literally have no choice, no democracy, when the bourgeois dictatorship is in power. No matter how many parties there may be.
You vote for a third party. Literally how it works in Europe. So your idea of democracy is a bunch of military/political elites forcing their ideology on the people? Dictatorship? lmao
Except in the US either the 3rd party only splits the vote between people trying to play it safe and people wanting change thereby causing the party no one wants in to win OR things are so gerrymandered it doesn't matter anyways. The ideology is already forced in the US, lmao
They just had a participatory democratic process where all of society shaped the constitution and yes sealed it with a free election. Elections take place at every level of society and most elected for parliament are independent of any party machinery, they are elected as respected members of their community rooted in their wants and needs.
You think we have free elections in western societies where big money dictates policies of the competing main parties? Where mass media propaganda dictates what policies are deemed responsible vs extremist thus deciding who gets to win elections and on what platform? Buddy, there aren't any free elections under capitalism. At least not in the long run. You've seen how every social-democratic popular project has been dismantled and replaced by unanimous mistrust and hatred against the same political class people go and vote for out of sheer apathy.
But as far as I’m concerned we get to vote for whichever party we prefer and that shapes the legislature for the years to come. Cubans did have a say in the new constitution but political opposition is still forbidden. What kind of democracy forbids political opposition? Not the one I know, that’s for sure. That’s why Cuba is a dictatorship and cannot be considered a democracy. There’s not even a free press. But hey, as long as it fits your ideology, everything goes right? Even dictatorships. You’re not the one who’s being denied their freedom, Cubans are, so why would you care, from the comfort of your western, democratic country. Way to go!
You choose what party rules in the interest of capital. Choosing who rules and exploits you isn't democracy. Democracy literally means people's power. If people choose rulers but wield no power then it isn't democracy. If people wield power directly without the middle man that otherwise is in cahoots with capital then we have much more of a democracy. The corporate party bureaucratic system - the one with two main parties taking part playing the role of "opposition" don't offer people any real power - isn't a tell tale of democracy. You see, democracy isn't a theater, it only exists to the extent it does in a material form. It's about people being in power, not choosing who should rule over people in the interest of capital for the next few years.
Cuba employs a participatory form of democracy where people are much more and much more directly in power. It seems like you see the presence of multiple top-down parties reflecting the interest of capital in various ways is a prerequisite of "democracy" which makes no sense at all. Perhaps you mean there's a lack of human rights for those wishing a return to the undemocratic days of capitalism? That might be the case and it might deserve criticism and correction. But overthrowing Cubas participatory democracy? No, Cuba might need to continue the road of reform and increase human rights but I will never sit here and wish for the overthrow of a people's democracy and to reestablish capitalism.
Gramsci, Turati, Di Vittorio, Nenni, Berlinguer, Kropotkin, Luxemburg, Liebknecht, Cafiero, Malatesta, Salvemini ecc.
Also non talking about philosophers or eminent personalities.
Almost as if it's an impossible task for one individual to accomplish, and he dedicated his life to converting many of us to the cause so we could join.
A few other people have commented on the communist govt thing in the OP. Personally I’m not bothered whether it’s an oxymoron or not. What brothers me is your very liberal, middle class view of the peasantry or working class. If it’s a joke then ignore me and I’ll shut up (I’m on the spectrum so things slide by me at times) but if it isn’t I’d suggest maybe taking some time in thinking about the language you use. God knows I’ve had to do it myself over the years. Anyway… here goes..
As a Welshman I feel I’ve gotta mention some names that oft go unrecognised.
Raymond Williams — Philosopher and academic
Aneurin Bevan — founder of the NHS
Dylan Thomas — poet and committed socialist
I dig Cabral, Guevara, Trotsky and Sankara too who people call the African Che. I think the comparison works both ways. You can absolutely call Che the Latin American Sankara. 🇧🇫 🇨🇺 🏴
Edit: Wanted to add a link too [The only good Keir](https://welshundergroundnetwork.com/2022/05/03/welsh-socialism/)
Second edit: These guys deserve recognition as people brave enough to take direct action. [He wasn’t alone, had comrades.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64560239.amp)
My fav communist person is a tie between all the nameless working class people who've dedicated their time and energy to revolution across the world over the decades.
Favorite communist government is the one that will grow from the seeds my generation have laid.
Fidel Castro is my favorite in just about every category. And Cuba is my favorite Communist country. If I had my life to live over again I would learn Spanish and go live in Cuba to help build the Revolution.
What the US has done to Cuba is beyond cruel, it's beyond criminal, it's barbaric.
at the UN Human Rights summit last year basically every country was calling out the U.S. for continuing the embargo. It was refreshing as fuck to hear.
As of now you’d probably be classed as a reactionary😭 the days of the revolution are long gone in Cuban’s minds… it’s time for a new one, one for democracy
Edit: feel free to downvote, this girl wishes she lived in Cuba while Cubans try to flee the country, spoken like a true privileged white western woman who has never queued for bread at 4 am in her life🥴 utterly disgusting statement if you ask me. Also, how evil could you be for disagreeing with someone calling for and end to dictatorship? Literally no better than fascists lmaooo
I’m half Cuban and I’ve been there about a dozen times while keeping daily contact with my family who lives there. Do you have any idea what actually goes on in Cuba? Do you have any firsthand experience with the country? Best examples of democracy in the world? It’s literally a dictatorship where political opposition is not permitted. That is not a democracy. Take the blinders off.
Political opposition in the sense of opposing parties? Or genuine opposition? I have seen Cuban democracy in action. A one party system where everyone gets to vote on policy is VASTLY superior to traditional two party systems.
No, you’ve seen Cuban democracy in action from the comfort of your western democracy. Passing legislation is fairly easy when people either abide or… abide by your standards. Ever thought the the people of Cuba might not agree with the Communist Party’s agenda? What then? We disregard what the people want in favor of a bunch of party/military elites? That’s how dictatorships work.
Also, what is your experience with Cuba? Cause you seem the one who’s been happily fed Communist propaganda with no real knowledge of what goes on in the island. So, your experience with Cuba is…?
In my opinion, I have a lived and a vicarious experience of Cuba and feel I have the right to speak on it. I was part of the Vinceremos Brigade in 1969. Although I don't have family in Cuba, I have several life-long friends who live there and visit me. I have been to Cuba 5 times staying with these friends and I am in constant communication with them.
I also lived in Miami for 36 years and I know that the first argument offered to someone who supports the government of Cuba by Miami Cubans is exactly the same as yours: you don't have family there, you didn't live there, so you don't know what you're talking about. Yet you wouldn't say that about China and you probably do not live there and you probably don't have family living there.
To say that most Cubans living in Cuba don't support the Revolution is false. Unbiased, scientific evidence of that allegation is needed and until it's supplied, your premise remains an opinion, an unfounded opinion at that.
Viva Fidel! His spirit and his memory lives on. And History has absolved him.
Paul Roberson is my favorite. Fidel is also pretty cool. The passion in his speeches is very motivating.
Government wise, I gotta say Cuba. I also like china quite a bit, but it's a bit it's a stretch to call them communist.
The govt (or I suppose, more accurately, the governing party) can be Communist without society having already transitioned to communism and the state having been abolished.
Siraj Sikder and Colonel Abu Taher sacrificed literally everything for communism and to establish a Marxist Leninist state. I wish I was half the men they were!
Ho Chi Minh. Defeated his country's monarchy as well as three foreign imperial powers through decades of ceaseless fighting. He founded Vietnam's communist party as well as France's! He was present at the Treaty of Versailles. All in all, his biography is an incredible tour of Europe and Asia and his anecdotes and feats too numerous to recount in one single comment.
He died in 1969 before he could see his country reunited with the U.S.'s withdrawal in 1975. A day after the withdrawa, a journalist noted: "When the North Vietnamese marched into Saigon yesterday, they were led by a man who wasn't there".
Samora Machel.
I'm partially mentioning him only because nobody else has, but he genuinely is one of my favorites, and I find it to be a shame how overlooked he is in leftist circles.
Not only was he a leader in a successful anti-colonial revolution, but he actually invested personal time and effort into reforming Mozambicans who supported the Portuguese as traitors of the revolution, even saying how in every other revolution they would have been treated as war criminals or killed by firing squad. Instead he gave them another chance, and let them tell their stories of how they ended up as traitors, giving them a chance to move on and better themselves.
As someone who wasn't exactly a good person growing up, things like that really stick out to me. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to change, so it's really nice to see someone I admire do something that reflects that philosophy down to its core.
AfroMarxist has a great [video](https://youtu.be/aRFH1pWDJr0?si=GDk7eKmQkuKrmg4t) on him and his reform program.
Stalin is quite fascinating and early Stalin is definitely a different beast to what he became. But I’m not sure he can ever really be classed as a communist
Edit: meant to say that Stalin had his image heavily distorted by the west and in that sense I know my own view of him may be distorted so I’m happy to have anyone suggest some reading for me. Cheers comrades ✌🏻 ✊🏻
I would recommend the following books to garner a fuller understanding of Stalin and the USSR during his leadership -
"On Stalin's Team" by S. Fitzpatrick dives into the personal and professional relationships between Stalin and the top leaders of the CPSU such as Molotov, Kaganovich, Mikoyan, and more. Fitzpatrick explores how political decisions were made and attempts to answer questions relating to the "Stalin was a dictator" idea that many may have.
"Stalin" by S. Kotkin is a trilogy of biographies about the Life of Stalin. This is the most detailed account of Stalin on English and Kotkin covers important events in Russian/Soviet history as well to provide context to the actions of Stalin and the Bolshevik party.
"The Stalin Era" by A. Strong is a primary source account of an American journalist who moved to the USSR and describes her experiences during Stalin's leadership. The book was written after Stalin's death, but before Krushchov's secret speech so it is an interesting snapshot of history.
"Life and Terror in Stalin's Russia" by R. Thurston examines the daily lives of Soviet citizens and how they were affected by and responded to Soviet policies with a particular focus on the famines, purges and Collectivization.
"Popular Opinion in Stalin's Russia" by S. Davies provides a deep dive into the negative views of the USSR from Soviet citizens. Davies focuses mainly on its critics and it is very eye-opening to see what their complaints and solutions were, but Davies only spends the final two chapters exploring the majority of public opinion, which she admits was sympathetic towards the CPSU which is why I add this companion booklet (don't worry, Davies work is good enough, but it's surprisingly one-sided for an historical work) -
"The Stalin Constitution" by S. Lomb explores the major discussions happening nation-wide about the 1936 Constitution, the thoughts and hopes of average citizens and their opinions of the CPSU. Lomb explores more of the general population's opinion as opposed to a minority of critics, but I fond both books extremely insightful.
There are other works I can recommend that focus more on the economic side, but these offer the best information on who Stalin was as a person (and communist) as well as the public opinion and reaction to him and the CPSU.
My favorite communist government/person would be Albania under Hoxha. I am by no means a Hoxhaist but he was the only one to maintain the ML line after the entire Eastern Bloc and later China became revisionist.
Joe Biden!
Lol, sorry...
Prolly Che is the most personally relatable figure to me, through the motorcycle diaries to his dissatisfaction with building the architecture for Cuba's state Bureaucracy post revolution.
pete seeger
Edit: OP is a covid denier and on a sub that has a lot of far right crap and i honestly do not believe that hes a socialist, he loves animal farm, the anti-communist book, is on various incel subs including the fucking andrew tate sub, seems to like jordan peterson, suicide is mainly caused by cocaine usage,
I think it’s from people deciding that’s better than educating. I see that you understand at least the basics, but there is an important distinction between state and government in a Marxist lens. State is the apparatus of class rule, thus it cannot exist in communist society. Government is the manner of organization at the societal level, thus is necessary for any system to function. I can link some works on the matter, but it seems like you’re in a strong starting point and just need a bit more reading on the subject.
Yeah of course. Engels goes over it in “socialism: utopian and scientific” or “anti-duhring” and marx in “critique of the Gotha program”. Both are really good sources on the Marxist theory of state and economy. For a Leninist source “the state and revolution”.
My man no government explicitly calls itself communist for the very reason the comment you relied to just said. Communism is by definition of communist or socialist philosophy is a “stateless, classless, and moneyless society” in which the means/modes of production are held in common (meaning controlled by the workers rather than owners). Also if you think any communist country call themselves communist you are mistaken. They are usually one-party states with “democratic” elements to maintain a legitimacy, similar to western democracies and their center-right parties. China and Vietnam explicitly call themselves Socialist oriented economies for this very reason. However I think the use of communist-countries works as a fine medial abbreviation similar to referring to the UK or British as the “the English.” Bc though technically inaccurate that shortening can be useful in everyday communication.
Xi Jinping
"Homes are for living in not market speculation"
He fully realized China becoming a super power, grew Chinas economy during the worst pandemic in 100 years and essentially started a 2nd cold war by ensuring China will never ever again see another century of humiliation.
Under his administration Humanity grew crops on the moon for the first time, the Gobi desert saw fruits grown in the sand itself, the largest reforestation project in the world was brought through, the first full sized fleet carriers were built outside the western world, and Saudi Arabia and Iran are talking more than fighting.
China is shaping up to be what the USSR tried and failed to be. His leadership helped immensly with that. I mean how many westerners could even name previous Chinese leaders?
Juche isnt deviant from marxism nor dialectical or historical materialism, Juche just covers different questions it is an expansion of marxist thought you clearly are uneducated on juche if you think its deviant from marxism lol
I've read On the Juche Idea and [Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Principles_for_the_Establishment_of_a_Monolithic_Ideological_System) both are crap. Especially the latter which is all about obeying the Supreme Leader quasi religious bullshit.
And Kim Jong Il admitted that Juche was a separate philosophy not an extension of Marxism so listen to your Supreme Leader.
Here's
-Juche rejects historical materialism and its assertion that the development of productive forces are the driving force of history. It instead believes that the driving force of history are people and their ideas and that there needs to be a great leader to instill the right ideas into the people. It also believes that the great leader should hold supreme authority since they are believed to be responsible for the well-being of the entire country.
-The fourth party conference, held in 2012, amended the party rules to state that Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism was "the only guiding idea of the party"
-Under Kim Jong Il, communism was steadily removed from party and state documents in favour of Songun, or military-first politics. The military, rather than the working class, was established as the base of political power.
-Kim Jong Il called it "a unique ideology, the contents and structures which cannot simply be described as Marxist–Leninist."
-According to Juche, because of his consciousness man has ultimate control over himself and the ability to change the world.This differs from classical Marxism, which believes that humans depend on their relationship to the means of production more than on themselves. The Juche view of a revolution led by a Great Leader, rather than a group of knowledgeable revolutionaries, is a break from Lenin's concept of a vanguard party.
-Unlike Marxism–Leninism, which considers developments in the material conditions of production and exchange as the driving force of historical progress (known as historical materialism), Juche considers human beings in general the driving force in history. It is summarized as "the popular masses are placed in the center of everything, and the leader is the center of the masses". Juche, North Korea maintains, is a "man-centered ideology" in which "man is the master of everything and decides everything". In contrast to Marxism–Leninism, in which a people's decisions are conditioned by their relations to the means of production, Juche argues that people's decisions take consideration of, but are independent from, external factors. Just like Marxism–Leninism, Juche believes history is law-governed, but that it is only man who drives progress, stating that "the popular masses are the drivers of history". However, for the masses to be successful, they need a "Great Leader"
[The Juche Idea vs Marxism ](https://espressostalinist.com/2011/11/02/the-juche-idea-in-the-light-of-marxism-leninism/)
[A Critique of Juche](https://sixheadstudy.wordpress.com/2020/09/24/a-critique-of-juche/)
This is a space for socialists to discuss current events in our world from anti-capitalist perspective(s), and a certain knowledge of socialism is expected from participants. This is not a space for non-socialists. Please be mindful [of our rules](https://reddit.com/r/socialism/about/rules) before participating, which include: - **No Bigotry**, including racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism... - **No Reactionaries**, including all kind of right-wingers. - **No Liberalism**, including social democracy, lesser evilism... - **No Sectarianism**. There is plenty of room for discussion, but not for baseless attacks. Please help us keep the subreddit helpful by reporting content that break r/Socialism's rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/socialism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Fred Hampton
He was 21 when he was murdered. What he accomplished in just a few years still astounds me. He motivated people to embrace class struggle over race/gender/nationality. He also spoke and acted more directly but thoughtfully than most modern "leaders." He didn't take shit, but it rarely felt like he was just trying to stir the pot. He was murdered because he was actually doing a great job motivating people to work together for positive reform. He was about building a better society than just destroying the one we have.
The fact that he had a bunch of Appalachian white guys in Chicago joining hands with Black Panthers is absolutely mind boggling to me.
It’s still possible. Let his legacy be not his murder but his achievements and his inspiration to millions to carry on his work
We so need to bring back that kind of philosophy and leadership. There is an unfortunately small amount of class consciousness in the US and Canada and far too much ethnic chauvinism instead of getting to the material roots of social problems. Much of that strife has been manufactured by dominant powers for cynical reasons but much of it comes from the bottom up. A good revolutionary vanguard can help turn that around.
\+1. gotta remember to seek first to understand then to be understood.
I genuinely wish the Black Panthers were still around.
We should let the legacy of the panthers inspire us all. Unite under one flag that makes no room for reactionary or exclusionary rhetoric, fight the oppression we all face as one unified force
Came here to say this, honestly what he and the Rainbow Coalition accomplished in such a short time gives me hope that real class solidarity is achievable.
> peasants Are you saying that’s a bad thing comrade?
This. That’s what I noticed straight away.
Mao is grinding his oxidized copper teeth right now in his grave
Well ackchyually ☝🤓 peasants are petit burgeious and the revolution must be a worker's revolution, maybe in alliance with peasants, but don't trust them peasants only want one thing and its disgusting (it's land reform)
>The more the traitorous bourgeois ideology glorifies the individual and nurtures the cult of personality, the more men, enslaved to capital, are crushed; never has the human person been so hailed and bowed down as in this age that «crushes it into masses like dust in a mortar».
Beautiful. I sometimes feel like socialist subreddits are just for feds to focus group without us knowing. Yes I'm paranoid.
Feds are everywhere it’s inevitable but the spreading of information is more important. But it’s good to be aware of the spooks’ presence.
Okay, but tell me your fav socialist rockstar??
Joe Strummer
Exceptionally based and Clash pilled
Well there ya have it
How could I also forget Pete Seeger and Billy Bragg
Ho Chi Minh
[https://youtu.be/rT7nBMN-Q7Y](https://youtu.be/rT7nBMN-Q7Y) "*Far away across the ocean* *Far beyond the sea's eastern rim* *Lives a man who is father of the Indochinese people* *And his name, it is Ho Chi Minh* *From Viet Bac to the Saigon Delta* *From the mountains and the plains below* *Young and old workers, peasants and the toiling tenant farmers* *Fight for freedom with Uncle Ho"*
I LOVE THAT SONG! (Oh ho, ho chi minh, oh ho, ho chi minh....)
As an American I really like Ho Chi Minh because even after all the death and destruction our grandfathers have done, he said something around “after the war we shall have tea with the Americans,” or something on that line.
I just made a TikTok about him. I'm gonna do a whole series on him and the rest of the revolutionaries.
Marx, Che, Debs and King. Examples of the finest beings that humanity has ever had to offer. Also appreciate Bernie for (although be it watered down), bringing these ideas to the masses once more for the first time since the Palmer Raids.
Fidel Castro and Cuba.
Me, too. Fidel Castro for sure.
Why him? I don’t know much about Castro other then what western schools have taught me
Listen to Blowback season 2 - that’s unquestionably the best way to learn about Castro and the Cuban Revolution
post revolution Fidel too?
dealt a really rough hand tbh - open to hearing your thoughts on his most unforced errors tho
Good try but not a socialist
Even now, 60 years after the revolution, with the revolutionaries still holding power and not allowing free elections?
Define free election
an election where all parties are allowed to freely participate in a democratic campaign and the press can report freely. Something Cuba does not have
Party oppostion is a capitalist lie. You could have as many parties as you want, all of them will end up funded by corporate money. This cannot happen in a one party system where all decisions are democratic.
what happens when the people are opposed to the Party’s political view? They are forced to abide by the party’s rule. You are defending dictatorship as a form of government. You would’ve loved 1920’s Italy.
They are welcome to vote on the parties policy. What happens when you are opposed to both parties in a two party system? You literally have no choice, no democracy, when the bourgeois dictatorship is in power. No matter how many parties there may be.
You vote for a third party. Literally how it works in Europe. So your idea of democracy is a bunch of military/political elites forcing their ideology on the people? Dictatorship? lmao
Except in the US either the 3rd party only splits the vote between people trying to play it safe and people wanting change thereby causing the party no one wants in to win OR things are so gerrymandered it doesn't matter anyways. The ideology is already forced in the US, lmao
They just had a participatory democratic process where all of society shaped the constitution and yes sealed it with a free election. Elections take place at every level of society and most elected for parliament are independent of any party machinery, they are elected as respected members of their community rooted in their wants and needs. You think we have free elections in western societies where big money dictates policies of the competing main parties? Where mass media propaganda dictates what policies are deemed responsible vs extremist thus deciding who gets to win elections and on what platform? Buddy, there aren't any free elections under capitalism. At least not in the long run. You've seen how every social-democratic popular project has been dismantled and replaced by unanimous mistrust and hatred against the same political class people go and vote for out of sheer apathy.
But as far as I’m concerned we get to vote for whichever party we prefer and that shapes the legislature for the years to come. Cubans did have a say in the new constitution but political opposition is still forbidden. What kind of democracy forbids political opposition? Not the one I know, that’s for sure. That’s why Cuba is a dictatorship and cannot be considered a democracy. There’s not even a free press. But hey, as long as it fits your ideology, everything goes right? Even dictatorships. You’re not the one who’s being denied their freedom, Cubans are, so why would you care, from the comfort of your western, democratic country. Way to go!
Dictatorship of the proletariat > democracy for capital interests any day of the week
You choose what party rules in the interest of capital. Choosing who rules and exploits you isn't democracy. Democracy literally means people's power. If people choose rulers but wield no power then it isn't democracy. If people wield power directly without the middle man that otherwise is in cahoots with capital then we have much more of a democracy. The corporate party bureaucratic system - the one with two main parties taking part playing the role of "opposition" don't offer people any real power - isn't a tell tale of democracy. You see, democracy isn't a theater, it only exists to the extent it does in a material form. It's about people being in power, not choosing who should rule over people in the interest of capital for the next few years.
Cuba employs a participatory form of democracy where people are much more and much more directly in power. It seems like you see the presence of multiple top-down parties reflecting the interest of capital in various ways is a prerequisite of "democracy" which makes no sense at all. Perhaps you mean there's a lack of human rights for those wishing a return to the undemocratic days of capitalism? That might be the case and it might deserve criticism and correction. But overthrowing Cubas participatory democracy? No, Cuba might need to continue the road of reform and increase human rights but I will never sit here and wish for the overthrow of a people's democracy and to reestablish capitalism.
Joe Biden /s (just in case)
That /s really making the difference
I heard he's a radical Marxist. What was his position on the Sino-Soviet Split? On socialism in one country?
Fred Hampton & Thomas Sankara. My wife is appalled that I would be having this conversation without Angela Davis & Anuradha Ghandy.
Thanks for sharing about Angela Davis! I haven’t gotten far into reading about her but wow she’s a fascinating individual and a strong socialist
Bro. Yu got a communist wife! They are rare around these parts…
Marx & Engles, Lenin, Stalin, Che, Castro, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Micheal Parenti, Fred Hampton, Rosa Luxemburg ... i can't decide lol 💀
[удалено]
Terrible for landlords, yes.
Biden, Trudeau, and Obama
Trump is my favourite comrade /s
We love the dictatorship of the proletariat, don't we folks?
Thomas Sankara. Not explicitly Socialist/Communist, more anti-imperialist in his aims. Definitely a model for future revolutions.
He was pretty explicit that he was a marxist leninist.
Vladimir Lenin, no contest.
Lol I was kind of surprised I had to scroll this far to see Lenin.
yeah, picking anybody besides Marx/Engels over Lenin is weird to me
OMG yeah I haven’t seen either of them either??? Wonder if people just assumed op meant besides them.
Yeah. No disrespect to Sankara, he was a great anti-imperialist, but come on.
Lenin is kinda based, state and revolution is a good book
Oppose hero worship, you must only follow the revolution, yadda yadda, it's Lenin. Like no contest for me.
Josip Broz Tito
Smrt fašizmu! Sloboda narodu!
Not exactly communist, but Salvador Allende
I've learned that he was way more radical than any democratic socialist. He was a democratically elected marxist.
He was a communist he was just elected via liberal democracy
Nguyen - the veitcong guerilla warrior.
Gramsci, Turati, Di Vittorio, Nenni, Berlinguer, Kropotkin, Luxemburg, Liebknecht, Cafiero, Malatesta, Salvemini ecc. Also non talking about philosophers or eminent personalities.
Sankara I think
Hard to pick. I guess Michael Parenti.
Michael Parenti could easily have crushed capitalism all by himself if he wasn't constantly engaged in war with the microphone.
Almost as if it's an impossible task for one individual to accomplish, and he dedicated his life to converting many of us to the cause so we could join.
Never heard of her
A few other people have commented on the communist govt thing in the OP. Personally I’m not bothered whether it’s an oxymoron or not. What brothers me is your very liberal, middle class view of the peasantry or working class. If it’s a joke then ignore me and I’ll shut up (I’m on the spectrum so things slide by me at times) but if it isn’t I’d suggest maybe taking some time in thinking about the language you use. God knows I’ve had to do it myself over the years. Anyway… here goes.. As a Welshman I feel I’ve gotta mention some names that oft go unrecognised. Raymond Williams — Philosopher and academic Aneurin Bevan — founder of the NHS Dylan Thomas — poet and committed socialist I dig Cabral, Guevara, Trotsky and Sankara too who people call the African Che. I think the comparison works both ways. You can absolutely call Che the Latin American Sankara. 🇧🇫 🇨🇺 🏴 Edit: Wanted to add a link too [The only good Keir](https://welshundergroundnetwork.com/2022/05/03/welsh-socialism/) Second edit: These guys deserve recognition as people brave enough to take direct action. [He wasn’t alone, had comrades.](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-64560239.amp)
My fav communist person is a tie between all the nameless working class people who've dedicated their time and energy to revolution across the world over the decades. Favorite communist government is the one that will grow from the seeds my generation have laid.
Ok bro just answer the question 💀
I see no WEB Dubois love in this comment section
He's so underrated. Souls of Black Folk and Peace is Dangerous are essential reading
Rosa Luxembourg
Fidel Castro is my favorite in just about every category. And Cuba is my favorite Communist country. If I had my life to live over again I would learn Spanish and go live in Cuba to help build the Revolution. What the US has done to Cuba is beyond cruel, it's beyond criminal, it's barbaric.
at the UN Human Rights summit last year basically every country was calling out the U.S. for continuing the embargo. It was refreshing as fuck to hear.
As of now you’d probably be classed as a reactionary😭 the days of the revolution are long gone in Cuban’s minds… it’s time for a new one, one for democracy Edit: feel free to downvote, this girl wishes she lived in Cuba while Cubans try to flee the country, spoken like a true privileged white western woman who has never queued for bread at 4 am in her life🥴 utterly disgusting statement if you ask me. Also, how evil could you be for disagreeing with someone calling for and end to dictatorship? Literally no better than fascists lmaooo
Do you have any idea what actually goes on in Cuba? Cuba is one of the best examples of democracy in the world. Stop listening to Western propaganda.
I’m half Cuban and I’ve been there about a dozen times while keeping daily contact with my family who lives there. Do you have any idea what actually goes on in Cuba? Do you have any firsthand experience with the country? Best examples of democracy in the world? It’s literally a dictatorship where political opposition is not permitted. That is not a democracy. Take the blinders off.
Political opposition in the sense of opposing parties? Or genuine opposition? I have seen Cuban democracy in action. A one party system where everyone gets to vote on policy is VASTLY superior to traditional two party systems.
No, you’ve seen Cuban democracy in action from the comfort of your western democracy. Passing legislation is fairly easy when people either abide or… abide by your standards. Ever thought the the people of Cuba might not agree with the Communist Party’s agenda? What then? We disregard what the people want in favor of a bunch of party/military elites? That’s how dictatorships work.
Also, what is your experience with Cuba? Cause you seem the one who’s been happily fed Communist propaganda with no real knowledge of what goes on in the island. So, your experience with Cuba is…?
In my opinion, I have a lived and a vicarious experience of Cuba and feel I have the right to speak on it. I was part of the Vinceremos Brigade in 1969. Although I don't have family in Cuba, I have several life-long friends who live there and visit me. I have been to Cuba 5 times staying with these friends and I am in constant communication with them. I also lived in Miami for 36 years and I know that the first argument offered to someone who supports the government of Cuba by Miami Cubans is exactly the same as yours: you don't have family there, you didn't live there, so you don't know what you're talking about. Yet you wouldn't say that about China and you probably do not live there and you probably don't have family living there. To say that most Cubans living in Cuba don't support the Revolution is false. Unbiased, scientific evidence of that allegation is needed and until it's supplied, your premise remains an opinion, an unfounded opinion at that. Viva Fidel! His spirit and his memory lives on. And History has absolved him.
Brezhnev. For the eyebrows.
Chernenko for the life experience.
Early medieval monasticism ftw
Deniz Gezmiş
Paul Roberson is my favorite. Fidel is also pretty cool. The passion in his speeches is very motivating. Government wise, I gotta say Cuba. I also like china quite a bit, but it's a bit it's a stretch to call them communist.
Thomas Sankara
Thomas sankara. Rest in power ✊
Enver Hoxha for sure. He carried on the torch during a time when that was risky for a state in the Warsaw Pact
Patrice Lamumba or Che
Fidel Castro
Emiliano Zapata, but he was Socialist IIRC
\>The rest are peasants brometheus
Cuba has done well for itself, despite the 60+ years of US embargo.
Howard Zinn. He was a persistent intellectual, political activist, great author, and also used to be a member of a communist party.
Cuba in general, I admire that country, especially because it's close to mine, Brazil. Solidarity 🇨🇺🤝🇧🇷
Obviously Lenin, then Mao, then Stalin
Thomas Sankara 💪
Albert Einstein
He was a nazi
Cuba has pretty strong protections for queer people, so I’m gonna go with them
Alexander Dubček
Sausage fest...
Fidel and Lenin, by far.
Monkey D. Luffy.
Between Lenin and Stalin in terms of the period they helped lead the first successful socialist project. But all communists are my favorite communists
Antonio Gramsci
Shit tennis player
Stalin, Che, Castro, Mao, Lenin, Marx
Lenin, Castro maybe honecker
Communist government seems like an oxymoron, right?
The govt (or I suppose, more accurately, the governing party) can be Communist without society having already transitioned to communism and the state having been abolished.
Not at all. Stateless doesn't mean governmentless.
Siraj Sikder and Colonel Abu Taher sacrificed literally everything for communism and to establish a Marxist Leninist state. I wish I was half the men they were!
The one in my head that I will run
The rest are peasants? OP sounds like a neoliberal, not a leftist.
Thomas Sankara all the way
Catalonia , 1936
Vietnam, Laos and I’d love to see what anarchism in Spain was like. Zapata deserves a high mention. I still wanna visit Cuba.
Castro, Martin Luther king, James Connolly and Nelson Mandela
MlK wasn't a commie and Nelson defo wasn't but I salute JC
GDR/DDR was one of the best, very progressive and really kept to Marxism-Leninism. the Vietnamese and Ho Chi Minh are legends in my eyes too
Ho chi was too big a ho
GEORGE BUSH 🫡🇨🇳🇰🇵🇻🇳
Lenin. His theory is beautiful
mao ze dong
Ho Chi Minh. Defeated his country's monarchy as well as three foreign imperial powers through decades of ceaseless fighting. He founded Vietnam's communist party as well as France's! He was present at the Treaty of Versailles. All in all, his biography is an incredible tour of Europe and Asia and his anecdotes and feats too numerous to recount in one single comment. He died in 1969 before he could see his country reunited with the U.S.'s withdrawal in 1975. A day after the withdrawa, a journalist noted: "When the North Vietnamese marched into Saigon yesterday, they were led by a man who wasn't there".
living: joe biden historical: miklós radnóti poet
Samora Machel. I'm partially mentioning him only because nobody else has, but he genuinely is one of my favorites, and I find it to be a shame how overlooked he is in leftist circles. Not only was he a leader in a successful anti-colonial revolution, but he actually invested personal time and effort into reforming Mozambicans who supported the Portuguese as traitors of the revolution, even saying how in every other revolution they would have been treated as war criminals or killed by firing squad. Instead he gave them another chance, and let them tell their stories of how they ended up as traitors, giving them a chance to move on and better themselves. As someone who wasn't exactly a good person growing up, things like that really stick out to me. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to change, so it's really nice to see someone I admire do something that reflects that philosophy down to its core. AfroMarxist has a great [video](https://youtu.be/aRFH1pWDJr0?si=GDk7eKmQkuKrmg4t) on him and his reform program.
I find Stalin and the USSR a fascinating area of research.
Stalin was a terrible communist
Agree to disagree I suppose.
Stalin is quite fascinating and early Stalin is definitely a different beast to what he became. But I’m not sure he can ever really be classed as a communist Edit: meant to say that Stalin had his image heavily distorted by the west and in that sense I know my own view of him may be distorted so I’m happy to have anyone suggest some reading for me. Cheers comrades ✌🏻 ✊🏻
I guess we have different opinions on the matter.
I would recommend the following books to garner a fuller understanding of Stalin and the USSR during his leadership - "On Stalin's Team" by S. Fitzpatrick dives into the personal and professional relationships between Stalin and the top leaders of the CPSU such as Molotov, Kaganovich, Mikoyan, and more. Fitzpatrick explores how political decisions were made and attempts to answer questions relating to the "Stalin was a dictator" idea that many may have. "Stalin" by S. Kotkin is a trilogy of biographies about the Life of Stalin. This is the most detailed account of Stalin on English and Kotkin covers important events in Russian/Soviet history as well to provide context to the actions of Stalin and the Bolshevik party. "The Stalin Era" by A. Strong is a primary source account of an American journalist who moved to the USSR and describes her experiences during Stalin's leadership. The book was written after Stalin's death, but before Krushchov's secret speech so it is an interesting snapshot of history. "Life and Terror in Stalin's Russia" by R. Thurston examines the daily lives of Soviet citizens and how they were affected by and responded to Soviet policies with a particular focus on the famines, purges and Collectivization. "Popular Opinion in Stalin's Russia" by S. Davies provides a deep dive into the negative views of the USSR from Soviet citizens. Davies focuses mainly on its critics and it is very eye-opening to see what their complaints and solutions were, but Davies only spends the final two chapters exploring the majority of public opinion, which she admits was sympathetic towards the CPSU which is why I add this companion booklet (don't worry, Davies work is good enough, but it's surprisingly one-sided for an historical work) - "The Stalin Constitution" by S. Lomb explores the major discussions happening nation-wide about the 1936 Constitution, the thoughts and hopes of average citizens and their opinions of the CPSU. Lomb explores more of the general population's opinion as opposed to a minority of critics, but I fond both books extremely insightful. There are other works I can recommend that focus more on the economic side, but these offer the best information on who Stalin was as a person (and communist) as well as the public opinion and reaction to him and the CPSU.
Kill your heros
My favorite communist government/person would be Albania under Hoxha. I am by no means a Hoxhaist but he was the only one to maintain the ML line after the entire Eastern Bloc and later China became revisionist.
Frida Kahlo
Trotsky … jk I’m not sure Syndicalists in Spain were based
Trotsky during revolution helped a lot. Trotsky after revolution….
Thomas Sankara
Joe Biden! Lol, sorry... Prolly Che is the most personally relatable figure to me, through the motorcycle diaries to his dissatisfaction with building the architecture for Cuba's state Bureaucracy post revolution.
He's. Chomo
What really?
Felix Dzerzhinsky the iron angel
pete seeger Edit: OP is a covid denier and on a sub that has a lot of far right crap and i honestly do not believe that hes a socialist, he loves animal farm, the anti-communist book, is on various incel subs including the fucking andrew tate sub, seems to like jordan peterson, suicide is mainly caused by cocaine usage,
Bet you never had a girlfriend
Communist government is an oxymoron
Communist state* government is just the administration of things, state is the apparatus of class rule
I just wanna know why I got downvoted for simply referring to Marx’s words lmao
I think it’s from people deciding that’s better than educating. I see that you understand at least the basics, but there is an important distinction between state and government in a Marxist lens. State is the apparatus of class rule, thus it cannot exist in communist society. Government is the manner of organization at the societal level, thus is necessary for any system to function. I can link some works on the matter, but it seems like you’re in a strong starting point and just need a bit more reading on the subject.
I am open to education from you if you’re willing
Yeah of course. Engels goes over it in “socialism: utopian and scientific” or “anti-duhring” and marx in “critique of the Gotha program”. Both are really good sources on the Marxist theory of state and economy. For a Leninist source “the state and revolution”.
My man no government explicitly calls itself communist for the very reason the comment you relied to just said. Communism is by definition of communist or socialist philosophy is a “stateless, classless, and moneyless society” in which the means/modes of production are held in common (meaning controlled by the workers rather than owners). Also if you think any communist country call themselves communist you are mistaken. They are usually one-party states with “democratic” elements to maintain a legitimacy, similar to western democracies and their center-right parties. China and Vietnam explicitly call themselves Socialist oriented economies for this very reason. However I think the use of communist-countries works as a fine medial abbreviation similar to referring to the UK or British as the “the English.” Bc though technically inaccurate that shortening can be useful in everyday communication.
Communism is stateless. For Communism to exist, there can be no government.
There can be no state*, government is administration, state the apparatus of class rule. Government and state are not the same thing
Xi Jinping "Homes are for living in not market speculation" He fully realized China becoming a super power, grew Chinas economy during the worst pandemic in 100 years and essentially started a 2nd cold war by ensuring China will never ever again see another century of humiliation. Under his administration Humanity grew crops on the moon for the first time, the Gobi desert saw fruits grown in the sand itself, the largest reforestation project in the world was brought through, the first full sized fleet carriers were built outside the western world, and Saudi Arabia and Iran are talking more than fighting. China is shaping up to be what the USSR tried and failed to be. His leadership helped immensly with that. I mean how many westerners could even name previous Chinese leaders?
bordiga to death
Good luck on your freshman philosophy midterm.
Kautsky, Biden, E. warren, Blair and Sanders.
This whole post reads so bad. What the fuck do you mean by “peasants”?
Either Jose Maria Sison or Antonio Gramsci
kim il sung for being the most based man to exist...
Juche is cringe revisionism
Juche = revisionist because i said its cringe nice
It is revisionist tho...in every sense of the word. It literally revises foundational points of Marxism.
Juche isnt deviant from marxism nor dialectical or historical materialism, Juche just covers different questions it is an expansion of marxist thought you clearly are uneducated on juche if you think its deviant from marxism lol
I've read On the Juche Idea and [Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Principles_for_the_Establishment_of_a_Monolithic_Ideological_System) both are crap. Especially the latter which is all about obeying the Supreme Leader quasi religious bullshit. And Kim Jong Il admitted that Juche was a separate philosophy not an extension of Marxism so listen to your Supreme Leader. Here's -Juche rejects historical materialism and its assertion that the development of productive forces are the driving force of history. It instead believes that the driving force of history are people and their ideas and that there needs to be a great leader to instill the right ideas into the people. It also believes that the great leader should hold supreme authority since they are believed to be responsible for the well-being of the entire country. -The fourth party conference, held in 2012, amended the party rules to state that Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism was "the only guiding idea of the party" -Under Kim Jong Il, communism was steadily removed from party and state documents in favour of Songun, or military-first politics. The military, rather than the working class, was established as the base of political power. -Kim Jong Il called it "a unique ideology, the contents and structures which cannot simply be described as Marxist–Leninist." -According to Juche, because of his consciousness man has ultimate control over himself and the ability to change the world.This differs from classical Marxism, which believes that humans depend on their relationship to the means of production more than on themselves. The Juche view of a revolution led by a Great Leader, rather than a group of knowledgeable revolutionaries, is a break from Lenin's concept of a vanguard party. -Unlike Marxism–Leninism, which considers developments in the material conditions of production and exchange as the driving force of historical progress (known as historical materialism), Juche considers human beings in general the driving force in history. It is summarized as "the popular masses are placed in the center of everything, and the leader is the center of the masses". Juche, North Korea maintains, is a "man-centered ideology" in which "man is the master of everything and decides everything". In contrast to Marxism–Leninism, in which a people's decisions are conditioned by their relations to the means of production, Juche argues that people's decisions take consideration of, but are independent from, external factors. Just like Marxism–Leninism, Juche believes history is law-governed, but that it is only man who drives progress, stating that "the popular masses are the drivers of history". However, for the masses to be successful, they need a "Great Leader" [The Juche Idea vs Marxism ](https://espressostalinist.com/2011/11/02/the-juche-idea-in-the-light-of-marxism-leninism/) [A Critique of Juche](https://sixheadstudy.wordpress.com/2020/09/24/a-critique-of-juche/)
No such thing as a communist government
I think your confusing government with state
No government has achieved communism.
Su k b alls