bearboiblake [he/him]

I understand the frustration of seeing the criticisms of liberals seemingly echoed here, but I assure you that I am a communist, and I call it authoritarian when you wield the power of the state. It is a violent thing, and violence cannot be controlled. It will inevitably harm the working class, even with the best of intentions.

With that said, I would still vastly prefer a dictatorship of the proletariat to the current system we have. I just think there are better alternatives to a transitional state.

I’ve tried my best to be nice and try to communicate with you through the slew of insults you just keep hurling, but I have a limit. At the end of the day, you’re acting like nothing but a bully.

Solidarity forever.

I don’t think that’s the issue here, no, at least from what I can understand but I admit I am kinda confused about what you’re asking me here.

I believe that the transitional state advocated for by MLs would impose the will of those running the state upon the working class, in a similar way as the ruling class uses the power of the state, except with a different goal: instead of maximizing profit/power/etc., the goal is to transition towards communism. e.g. this would make it authoritarian, but with the justification being, this is how we achieve communism.

I do not believe that a transitional state is required to achieve communism, which is why I’m not an ML, but I’m not even arguing that point, just that MLs are inherently auth-left - heck, it’s the archetypical auth-left position.

You are relentlessly behaving in a very chauvinistic and reactionary way. I don’t need to agree with every word Engels wrote to be a communist. Marx, Engels, et al. aren’t prophets sharing mystical secrets from on high. They were intelligent and visionary but ultimately flawed humans capable of mistakes. You should not treat theory as your bible.

I agree with everything that you wrote, except this:

a transitionary proletarian state is required in order to achieve [communism]

I do not believe a transitional state is necessary, in fact I believe it is counter-revolutionary, but I understand why you feel the way you do, and I respect your beliefs.

I think the militant revolution approach is entirely wrong to begin with. The revolution needs to be able to defend itself of course, but I believe violence and authoritarian tendencies need to be tools of last resort, not our opening move.

I believe that societies are living things, and the conditions surrounding societies as they are growing up go on to shape what life will be like as that society reaches maturity.

If we want a classless, moneyless, stateless society, we should start the way we intend to go on. I don’t think we can impose freedom. It needs to grow naturally in an environment that nurtures it. This is why I advocate for a social revolution.

Comrade, I think you have confused me for an enemy. MLs have a pretty decent argument that a transitional state is necessary to achieve communism. I understand all of that, and I’ve read more than my fair share of theory over the years.

Just because someone disagrees with you, it does not mean that they are stupid, not reading, ignorant, etc. That is an extremely reactionary approach to criticism which prevents you from ever having to have your viewpoints truly challenged.

I’m sure you’re not shy about being an ML, but are you shy about openly accepting that it is an authoritarian leftist position?

“Marxism-Leninism isn’t authoritarian! It isn’t authoritarian because I said so. You can’t achieve shit without authoritarianism anyways! Even if you can achieve things without authority, words are inherently meaningless symbols for meanings which are constantly in flux, so who can really say where authoritarianism begins and ends. Either way, you’re wrong and also an ILLITERATE LIAR who I will accuse of being a lib for good measure”

Very convincing, thank you for sharing, it’s always a real pleasure interacting with MLs.

I think the joke is meant to be the absurdity

Yes, and it was the same for alt-right political compass memes, too. Plausible deniability has always been the approach of crypto-fascists - you point out the implied fascist ideology, they say you’re taking a joke too seriously then when you say something else they hit you with the 🤡🌍.

I don’t think a format like this is fascist in nature

Nor do I, that wasn’t what I was getting at. It’s not the format at all that is an issue, nor am I implying this meme is fascistic in nature. I’m just saying this meme is doing for the auth-left what classic political compass memes did for the auth right.

Thank you for sharing!

Do you realize that what you shared doesn’t argue that Marxism-Leninism is not authoritarian, but instead just reframes it as necessarily authoritarian?

As in, it implies authoritarianism is necessary to achieve communism. Argue that it is good, necessary, be my guest, but it is authoritarian.

I will leave you with an excerpt from the writing you shared which resonated with me deeply, and highlights essentially the root issue I have with MLs:

A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is the act whereby one part of the population imposes its will upon the other part by means of rifles, bayonets and cannon

Authoritarians calling themselves centrists, but with a socialist twist, I see.

Reminiscent of mid 2010s alt-right political compass memes, complete with the true political alignment of the subject (auth left marxist-leninists in this case, but auth right fascists in the originals) being depicted as edgy and cool.