Convincing cappies

[Ism]

Hi all! I've been following this board for the last two or three months I think.

I once posted here in Learning as well but then held a break. Whatever, here's the deal:

Since high school started again, a new kid has been in my class. I am the only leftist in my class and the only one who is not a right-winger in fact. That of course sucks balls, but it's rather interesting busting everyone's arguments because they are not politically interested and/or active. But this new kid is a right-winger at heart and loves to tell the class about how marxism has been proven wrong numerous of times and shit.

I said that most of the class are right-wingers. However, they are not as ultra-right as he is (he's no actual fascist, but a liberalist conservative or whatever that's called), so I thought it'd be possible to get people overthrown at least just a little to become moderate or semi-left like social democrats or something like that by making him the great enemy of the class by confronting him on various subjects.

I don't know if I express myself clearly enough, but can you follow me? By using this dickhead, I will turn the class as much to the left as I can by pointing out the major faults of the right-wing capitalist ideology.

The big question is: What subjects would be preferable to attack him on? I cannot make the class socialist or communist AFAIK because most of the people in the class are rich kids to an extreme degree, but at leat I can do a little.

I thought about attacking him on US foreign policy, the drug and especially marijuana question, sexism (he is anti-feminist) and surveillance and harsher penalties.

AFAIK, the class is against the aggressive US policy even though those sheep do believe that the invasion of Afghanistan is necessary to prevent terrorism (easy and understandable counter-argument, anyone?). It is also pro-legalization of marijuana, believes that men and women should receive equal rights (I don't know the English word for that term that is not actual feminism) and against more state control such as surveillance, cops and harsher penalties.

1. Sorry for the long post.

2. Would this be a good strategy? At least, social democrats are less worse than libertarians or conservatives IMO.

3. Also, for a 1-1 discussion with this fucker, how can I prove to him that marxism and especially imperialism/the dependancy theory is a valid theory for explaining how the world is set up? He will never be converted, but it's just for the joke of it if I can own him big time in a discussion.

I'll give you a review if this strategy even works the slightest. Making the bourgeoisie class revolutionary might be impossible, but giving them a greater feel of solidarity is important I believe. Making the bourgeoisie less reluctant to the revolution is important in our work I believe.

[Revolution starts with U]

A timeline;
natives are forcibly removed from their lands by the capitalist system
ownership of former native lands is given to the highest bidder
(white) man makes a fortune off these stolen lands
man passes his wealth down through inheritance
descendant, using money obtained by stolen goods, buys an apt complex
because he "owns" this complex, he forces the tenants to pay the cost of maintenance and upkeep, energy, taxes, insurance, and whatever neccesary costs... and also a stipend for himself, merely because he owns it.
(hypothetical future) real socialism steps in, allowing the tenants to own the building democratically. Tenants would only be forced to pay for the maintenance, upkeep, etc, not some ridiculous penance to some far off owner, not connected to the building in any way.

[Soseloshvili]

On Afghanistan... point out that the vast majority of the bombers who attacked the twin towers (including Osama himself) were from Saudi Arabia and that none of them were actually Afghans. Ask him why America isn't in Saudi Arabia, where al-Qaeda is strongest, and when he fails to provide an answer tell him its because Bush and Cheney were heavily invested in Saudi Arabian oil, and had connections with the Saudi Royalty which they defended heavily after 9/11.

Also ask him why America invaded Afghanistan, a nation which was not ruled by al-Qaeda but the Taliban, who were actually unaffiliated and an ally of the USA until the declaration of the war on terror.

Well, you're in a school with rich kids. On an economic issue, I really can't help you. Maybe try using an environmental argument, that by motivating production solely by profit companies will never respect the delicacy of the environment.

Hope I helped on Afghanistan.

[Revolution starts with U]

Cuba has extremely low poverty rates compared to capitalist Brazil, and it isn't even real socialism.
The USSR, once again not real socialism, took a backward aggrarian society to an industrial superpower (rivaling the US and stronger than the UK) in what... 2 decades? It took the states 2 centuries to obtain that kind of power.
Capitalism is inherently a plutocracy. The have's will always have more sway than the have-nots. Capitalism will always be someone running your life for you; try wearing a "fuck you" shirt to work. Try setting up your own schedule.
Explain to him the difference between socialism and state-capitalism, and how real socialism is economic democracy, nothing more, nothing less. Capitalism is economic dictatorship; the ownership class makes and enforces the rules.

[Victus Mortuum]

A basic introductory argument is simply
1) Is democracy/self determination in government important? (assuming they say yes)
2) Isn't democracy/self determination in the workplace (by control and ownership) also important?

Yes - you've got yourself a changed individual
No - Ask them why, and then simply explain how their justification for economic dictatorship should theoretically extend to their position on government, and that in order to be consistent, one of their two positions must change.

[iwwforever]

Since most right wingers are Christians, it may be fun to make him try to defend the futility of his religious delusion. His credibility will be diminished when the contradiction between religion and conservatism come out in the discussion. Good luck comrade.

[Revolution starts with U]

Never let him run away from the brutal history of capitalist society. THat's the trick they use nowadays; to say capitalism means a peaceful democratic world.
In fact, capitalism has been a brutally oppressive system since its inception. Don't let him claim america is a capitalist nation, but that the brutal aspects of american history were not capitalism. They are one and the same.

[WeAreReborn]

Talk about how Capitalism is purely designed to make a tiny elite rich and how Communism is meant so that everyone gets their share. You could cover how Capitalism needs to operate, talk about brutality domestically and foreign. Just in general I found kids in high school respond best to concrete details so you could name a few companies which such abuses, Coca-Cola being a prominent one and also show state abuses. For an example, Vietnam war, Wolfowitz doctrine just to name two. The more quotes and examples you use, the more convincing you will be. So good luck comrade. :)