Coming out of the closet, politically speaking

[Stephen Colbert]

So I've struggled over the past two weeks or so with my political identity.

All my life I've considered myself a democrat. I grew up being socialized by my parents to adopt moderate politics views. I enjoyed politics. I have always been a spirited debate. Definitely something I see myself doing with my career or something.

In High School, I was not very well known. Most of the students I knew were artisans or musicians or what have you, as I never really got into sports that much because I found it petty and stupid.

However, over the past I'd say, year, in college, I have been starving for intellectual stimulus and intellectual exploration. My suitemates were all the FOX News watching businessman rabble, and I couldn't stand any of them really. I discovered RevLeft and I realized that a lot of the people who use this site are insanely intelligent and very interesting to listen to and read.

While conflicting with my own political views. I have been taught time and time again:
1) Communism cannot exist. Ever. It is impossible with the current state humanity is in.
2) Sounds nice in theory, but never works in real life.

The usual liberal bourgeois explanation for why they don't like some of the more further left ideologies.

However, my best friend turned me onto Chomsky, and it was semi refreshing to listen to someone who was actually critical of U.S. foreign policy and had some insight other than some status quo horse shit propagated by most mainstream political figures.

That being said, after reading Chomsky's collected works, I do consider myself an anarcho-syndicalist, or at least a sympathizer. And it is SO refreshing to find minds as interested in changing the world for the better as I am.

So, with that in mind, and with myself still learning, I will be posting tons of learning questions and such, but for now I am a Libertarian Socialist, or for lack of a better term, a classical libertarian.

Greetings all! An official announcement post finally after some on and off posting. I look forward to learning about and helping to progress revolutionary struggle.
:thumbup1:

[Adil3tr]

haha
this is the same story as me man! still in high school. best thing you can do? READ!

[Adil3tr]

i always liked howard zinn better than chomsky

[Stephen Colbert]

I'll definitely look into him.

Any good anarcho-syndicalist readings that you know of?

and btw id really like my name changed, im definately not a vanguardist. just thought it would be cool to make a name like this for a revolutionary site zz

[The Fighting_Crusnik]

lol, congrats. I went from being Conservative to being a moderate libertarian... and then my socialist English teacher along with some personal experiences helped me to realized that there are a lot of people who are suffering because of trivial things like hunger just because they don't have money... Afterward, I did a bit of research and discovered Libertarian Socialism, but because socialism seeks power through a government, I chose to follow Anarcho-Communism because of its desire to give the power to the people; the ones who should ultimately have it. With that said, if I were to see Socialism arise in America, I'd be happy just because it's one step closer. Also, morally I am pretty liberal with Abortion being the only thing that I don't like... but with some thought I have come to realize that laws are really just powerless words written on paper. With that said, I came to realize that if I didn't like something, that I should push things that can help to prevent them. In the case of abortion, I'm fully okay with giving birth control to kids in school; fixing the adoption system; I support the safe haven laws and think that they should be made a little more well known; and I think that embryonic and fetal transplantation should be advanced and encourage because... if a woman could go and have the kid taken out of here and then paid $20-50 for it, then abortion is surely going to drop :D

[Stephen Colbert]

lol, congrats. I went from being Conservative to being a moderate libertarian... and then my socialist English teacher along with some personal experiences helped me to realized that there are a lot of people who are suffering because of trivial things like hunger just because they don't have money... Afterward, I did a bit of research and discovered Libertarian Socialism, but because socialism seeks power through a government, I chose to follow Anarcho-Communism because of its desire to give the power to the people; the ones who should ultimately have it. With that said, if I were to see Socialism arise in America, I'd be happy just because it's one step closer. Also, morally I am pretty liberal with Abortion being the only thing that I don't like... but with some thought I have come to realize that laws are really just powerless words written on paper. With that said, I came to realize that if I didn't like something, that I should push things that can help to prevent them. In the case of abortion, I'm fully okay with giving birth control to kids in school; fixing the adoption system; I support the safe haven laws and think that they should be made a little more well known; and I think that embryonic and fetal transplantation should be advanced and encourage because... if a woman could go and have the kid taken out of here and then paid $20-50 for it, then abortion is surely going to drop :D

Yea. I mean my house almost become foreclosed upon and my mom works probably 45+ hours a week without being able to afford food sometimes. If that doesnt make you wanna do something, I feel bad for ya haha.

Also I used to work at one of the best bookstores ever. The owner and I would get real chummy and talk politics , music, movies whatever. However, his bookstore went under :(

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

haha
this is the same story as me man! still in high school. best thing you can do? READ!
Seconded.

[BeerShaman]

I'll definitely look into him.

Any good anarcho-syndicalist readings that you know of?

and btw id really like my name changed, im definately not a vanguardist. just thought it would be cool to make a name like this for a revolutionary site zz
Read Piotr Kropotkin: Conquest of bread.
Check here: http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/spaindx.html (it's nice)
Also the anarchist alphabet is nice if you can find it in english... It's a greek writer: Kastanos

[BeerShaman]

Read about the revolution of Catalonia 1n 1936 in Spain. This will help you a great lot...

[Muzk]

Change your name here (http://www.revleft.com/vb/name-change-requests-t137468/index.html)

[RED VICTORY]

Read Indeed. Your story is like many others comrade. Let your thought develop. I would suggest reading the classics though to get a background on Marxism and revolutionary thought. Embrace the fact that you have been fortunate enough to overcome capitalist conditioning against the odds.

[Stephen Colbert]

Read Piotr Kropotkin: Conquest of bread.
Also the anarchist alphabet is nice if you can find it in english... It's a greek writer: Kastanos

yea i actually have it bookmarked on my computer ^^

[JacobVardy]

haha
this is the same story as me man! still in high school. best thing you can do? READ!

I'm not sure reading is the most important thing you can do. I'd say first join a union, working class struggle is what we're about. Even if its not a revolutionary union, it can still do a lot of good. Second, visit the local anarchist and Marxists groups, find out how they work day-to-day, and which one you feel comfortable with. Its far more important to find some comrades you can work with but don't entirely agree with, than a group that has absolutely the correct line but is ineffectual.

As for reading material, i'd suggest Mutual Aid: A Factor in Evolution by Kropotkin. The most common argument i've heard as an activist is that people are naturally selfish. This book just smashes that claim.

[Buffalo Souljah]

That being said, after reading Chomsky's collected works, I do consider myself an anarcho-syndicalist, or at least a sympathizer. And it is SO refreshing to find minds as interested in changing the world for the better as I am.

Quite a feat, given the man's written at least 100 books!:lol:

[DaComm]

I own all of you! I went from being your average Rush Limbaugh/John McCain to a Lenin. Your gunna need a better word than "transition" to describe that...anyway, the best advice I can give is be open to all sorts of different ideological fields, while maintaining common sensibility, and always, ALWAYS, feel free to think for yourself and add your own insight. Otherwise you'll be switching ideologies daily.

[A Revolutionary Tool]

Have you come out to your family yet?

[Stephen Colbert]

No but I am fairly sure some my extended family knows. My mom doesnt care for politics at all-- she's one of those overworked, blame the unions, I <3 Jesus people who I just don't see anything eye to eye with. My dad knows I'm very liberal and I tell him over and over that I am a "progressive" and that I hate big business and things like Wal-Mart... so if he ever wants to know more I'll tell him, but we usually just have light more mainstream convo's about right-wing stupiditea.



Quite a feat, given the man's written at least 100 books!:lol:

I meant, "The essential Chomsky"

[Buffalo Souljah]

I meant, "The essential Chomsky"

Well, alot of his work references the same trends and sentiments, and amounts to alot of repetition, but there's some pretty detailed analysis there, always. Try his studies of Vietnam, for instance, Vietnam War in American Power and the New Mandarins. Chomsky generally writes very broadly, which is something you have to take into account. If you're interested in anarchosyndicalism, I would recommend the book by Rudolf Rocker by that name (published in 1947, but still as relevant as ever).

[MarxSchmarx]

Because there aren't particularly specific questions, this thread is better suited for introductions. However, keep coming with the excellent suggestions, except Chomsky's ponderous foreign policy writings.

[Q]

Wow! I missed one, I'm shocked at my failing ;)

Welcome :)