How To Be A Good Communist?

[The Young Pioneer]

How does one put into practice their beliefs in their everyday life?

Most of the things we use each day (including computers, cough cough), are prime examples of corporations capitalising on the individual's desires and needs.

What can a communist do to live a lifestyle that is true to their beliefs in such a capitalist society? I attempt to be a good commie when possible, but any advice for what others do would be great. I guess I'm looking for things such as, utilising library resources instead of going to bookstores and purchasing, making coffee or tea at home instead of heading for a Starbucks (but even then, where are your coffee beans/teabags coming from?). It's a pretty loaded question and I realise that, but I'm interested to see others' opinions on such issue.

Thanks!

[ZeroNowhere]

Communism isn't a lifestyle. Full stop.

[Broletariat]

Communism isn't a lifestyle. Full stop.

This pretty much.

A Communist is just a worker who's aware of his exploitation and seeks to grasp an understanding of Capitalism.

The revolution isn't dependent on us, nor will the revolution likely be even carried out by (edit: self-identified) Communists at all.

What you can do is read more Marx, and discuss issues with other worker's when it's appropriate.

I added self-identified, because I consider worker's fighting in their interests to be Communists by definition.

[Proukunin]

Communism is a means of production. Not like Veganism or being a hippie.

[Broletariat]

Communism is a means of production. Not like Veganism or being a hippie.


Communism isn't a "means of production." Marx defined the means of production to be work itself and the tools involved in work.

Communism is the weapon of the international proletariat.

[Pretty Flaco]

How do you be a good communist?
Well, the only good communist is a dead communist.

[Kadir Ateş]

"Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence."

- Marx & Engels, The Germany Ideology

[Illuminati]

I disagree with the previous posters in that I believe Communism to indeed be a lifestyle. How does one become a good Communist? Make a commitment and show dedication to the cause. Unravel the cold-war programming of the misled and subjugated . Do anything in your power to awaken the revolutionary spirit of your comrades. Show qualities of leadership and moral vigor and stand up for the poor and down-trodden. Don't be afraid to speak your mind when you know a situation is not right. Self-criticize constantly. Reflect upon your activities and what you have learned, where you are going. Constantly set positive goals for yourself and strive to achieve them. Educate and re-educate yourself and others, the mind is our greatest asset. Follow the example of revolutionary leaders and learn from past mistakes. Mind is matter and you are in constant motion, where are your thoughts taking you?

[Broletariat]

I disagree with the previous posters in that I believe Communism to indeed be a lifestyle.


Engels owned a factory, was he not a Communist? The problem with slating Communism as a lifestyle, is that it runs entirely in the face of its founders.

You could say Anarchism is a lifestyle, but that's another story.

[∞]

Nothing...

http://webservice.imagesauce.net/image/596010/400x.jpg

[Red Rebel]

Prepare for revolution.

What I don't mean:

Stockpiling guns and prepare to storm government buildings.

What I mean:

Educate, Agitate, Organize.

For most folks who usually associate with Leninism this means building a vanguard party to drive the revolution.

[Illuminati]

Engels owned a factory, was he not a Communist? The problem with slating Communism as a lifestyle, is that it runs entirely in the face of its founders.

You could say Anarchism is a lifestyle, but that's another story.

He indeed was a Communist whom was born into, existed, and died in a capitalist system. Engels wasn't out slave-driving and dilly dapping his employees I'm sure, and where do you think his funds were going to? The revolutionary cause, to the life force of the Communist machine! What alternative did he have? Does claiming Communism as a lifestyle mean throwing reality and logic out the window? I say no :o, lets be practical here.

[Broletariat]

Does claiming Communism as a lifestyle mean throwing reality and logic out the window?


It pretty much does, but not in the way you're thinking.

We're not a sub-culture bro.

[Illuminati]

Prepare for revolution.

What I don't mean:

Stockpiling guns and prepare to storm government buildings.

What I mean:

Educate, Agitate, Organize.

For most folks who usually associate with Leninism this means building a vanguard party to drive the revolution.

^ ^ ^ x2

[Illuminati]

It pretty much does, but not in the way you're thinking.

We're not a sub-culture bro.

What of soviet culture in the USSR?

[Broletariat]

What of soviet culture in the USSR?

What of it? Culture is culture. If you've got to change everyone's culture to "Communist" before revolution can happen, then eff dat man. I like living in a culturally diverse world.

[Red Rebel]

We're not a sub-culture bro.


To paraphrase an awesome activist friend of mine, if we are considered a sub-culture then we are not doing good outreach.

[Hebrew Hammer]

1. Grow beard.
2. Get Cuban fatigues.
3. Buy Fidel hat available at your local walmart but tell no one.
4. Buy red star.
5. Buy a shit ton of Garcia y Vegas.
6. Buy USSR flag and hang in room.
7. Print off a picture of Stalin, frame it, hang on wall.
8. Buy little red book.
9. Buy a soap box.
10. Harass mall goers.
11. Have Das Kapital and the Manifesto as shitter reading material and this only.

This completes phase 1, for phase 2 inquire further.

[Manic Impressive]

Illuminati does have a point but I wouldn't personally describe it as a lifestyle. All communists should be trying to educate other members of the working class and raising class conciousness.

Being a communist does not mean that you have to punish yourself because you live in an exploitative system.

[Broletariat]

To paraphrase an awesome activist friend of mine, if we are considered a sub-culture then we are not doing good outreach.

I think this sort of misses the point. There's not much "outreaching" to do. Most worker's are aware of the fact that they get shit all over by their bosses. Our role as Communists is to help explain the specific ways that the shit falls and how to stop the shit from falling. Largely material conditions will hearken the revolution, not us.



Illuminati does have a point but I wouldn't personally describe it as a lifestyle. All communists should be trying to educate other members of the working class and raising class conciousness.

Being a communist does not mean that you have to punish yourself because you live in an exploitative system.


I don't oppose talking to worker's about things, but I think calling Communism a life-style is definitely a stretch.

[Red Rebel]

I think this sort of misses the point. There's not much "outreaching" to do. Most worker's are aware of the fact that they get shit all over by their bosses. Our role as Communists is to help explain the specific ways that the shit falls and how to stop the shit from falling. Largely material conditions will hearken the revolution, not us.



I don't disagree (double negative) with the above statement; however, I would consider outreach important to my previous post of educate/agitate/organize. If the "left" is percieved as a sub-culture such as wearing Che t-shirts (or whatever we do) we are doing a poor job at reaching a large enough population.

[Broletariat]

I don't disagree (double negative) with the above statement; however, I would consider outreach important to my previous post of educate/agitate/organize. If the "left" is percieved as a sub-culture such as wearing Che t-shirts (or whatever we do) we are doing a poor job at reaching a large enough population.

I don't think we should be "perceived" at all, that would imply we are outside of the working class. We're not.

[Hebrew Hammer]

I don't think we should be "perceived" at all, that would imply we are outside of the working class. We're not.

This however I do think it's important as those whom are more class conscious among the working class to inform others the specifics of why things are so shitty and what we can do to fix it. Essentially agreeing with your other post cited below:



I think this sort of misses the point. There's not much "outreaching" to do. Most worker's are aware of the fact that they get shit all over by their bosses. Our role as Communists is to help explain the specific ways that the shit falls and how to stop the shit from falling. Largely material conditions will hearken the revolution, not us.



This is certainly true, the material conditions will play the primary role for revolution but even with this said I don't think it diminishes the importance of laying out the specifics, educating fellow workers, etc.

[Yazman]

Nothing...
http://webservice.imagesauce.net/image/596010/400x.jpg

Hey! This isn't fucking chit chat! You're only allowed to post a picture if it has direct relevance or importance to the subject matter in the topic itself.. and even if it does, you're still not supposed to just post it in a one-word post!

Do it one more time and its infractions for you. The Learning forum of all places is the last one for fucking around.

This post constitutes a warning to Blackened Marxist for spam.

[Pioneers_Violin]

1. Grow beard.
2. Get Cuban fatigues.
3. Buy Fidel hat available at your local walmart but tell no one.
4. Buy red star.
5. Buy a shit ton of Garcia y Vegas.
6. Buy USSR flag and hang in room.
7. Print off a picture of Stalin, frame it, hang on wall.
8. Buy little red book.
9. Buy a soap box.
10. Harass mall goers.
11. Have Das Kapital and the Manifesto as shitter reading material and this only.

This completes phase 1, for phase 2 inquire further.

But you forgot the all-important and essential Red Scarf!

Otherwise, that sounds about right. What about Phase 2?

[The Dark Side of the Moon]

Have a hammer and sickle on everything
EDIT: also try to spread the word of socialism

[The Young Pioneer]

I don't think I actually said "Communism is a lifestyle."


What can a communist do to live a lifestyle that is true to their beliefs in such a capitalist society?

But I do believe that if one has such beliefs, their life and their actions should reflect the values they hold, no?

My question stems mostly from the fact that when someone declares they are a communist/anti-capitalist/what-have-you, many people around that person will view them as hypocritical and ask, "Why do you drink Coke, then? Why do you have a Mac?"

I'd like to be perceived as someone who embodies my values, so perhaps instead of asking "How can I be a good communist?" I should have phrased it, "How do I answer questions about hypocrisy?" (Or even, "How do I avoid being hypocritical in my beliefs (communism) and my lifestyle (as existent in a capitalist world)?"

Hope that clears it up, comrades. ;)

[Aurorus Ruber]

The best way to start is probably reading some of the essential texts of the communist movement so that you understand just what you are advocating and why. Some general history and philosophy would help a lot here as well since much of what Marx and other socialist thinkers are describing relates to trends in philosophy or historical events when they were writing.

As others have already noted, individual lifestyle probably won't make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. The socialist movement will ultimately need to encompass people from a wide variety of backgrounds and lifestyles to succeed anyway. If it depends on everyone living in precisely the same way, it just won't work. That said it wouldn't hurt to consider the impression your lifestyle makes both on others and yourself. It does not work wonders for your credibility to indulge a fondness for David Allen Coe while giving speeches on racial equality, for instance.

[Mettalian]

My best advice is to join an organization, which will help give you direction, and read the 'essentials' from Marxist scholars. In my opinion it's best not to get lumped in with a particular ideology, sectarianism is killing the far left. I feel that whether the revolution comes as an anarchist movement, or a state one, as long as we bring in socialism and defend the working class, I'll be there.

[The Man]

How to be a good Communist?? Be yourself.

[The Man]

1. Grow beard.
2. Get Cuban fatigues.
3. Buy Fidel hat available at your local walmart but tell no one.
4. Buy red star.
5. Buy a shit ton of Garcia y Vegas.
6. Buy USSR flag and hang in room.
7. Print off a picture of Stalin, frame it, hang on wall.
8. Buy little red book.
9. Buy a soap box.
10. Harass mall goers.
11. Have Das Kapital and the Manifesto as shitter reading material and this only.

This completes phase 1, for phase 2 inquire further.

I have #6, #7 (But it's a huge portrait from china, not a print off), and #11 already done :P

[Dimitri Molotov]

How does one put into practice their beliefs in their everyday life?

Most of the things we use each day (including computers, cough cough), are prime examples of corporations capitalising on the individual's desires and needs.

What can a communist do to live a lifestyle that is true to their beliefs in such a capitalist society? I attempt to be a good commie when possible, but any advice for what others do would be great. I guess I'm looking for things such as, utilising library resources instead of going to bookstores and purchasing, making coffee or tea at home instead of heading for a Starbucks (but even then, where are your coffee beans/teabags coming from?). It's a pretty loaded question and I realise that, but I'm interested to see others' opinions on such issue.

Thanks!

I don't think we can truly live as Communists until we have truly achieved Communism, what I do is I try to share my books and if I get extra food at school I give it out to other people who are often generous, I just help people with things they need assistance in, I try to spend the least amount of money as possible, and I often give money to my friends who need a few extra bucks, sometimes they pay me back but I never charge interest, and I usually don't expect them to pay me back anyway. I try to hunt and grow as much of my own food as I can, but I can't do too much of that.

I am also very heavily into the punk rock scene, and as you may know the clothing and appearance is a big part of it, I try to make as much home-made DIY accessories as possible, such as my large collection of hemp jewelry, patches, punk jackets, spikey dog chokers, and I do allot of sewing and painting. I pretty much make and decorate all of my own clothes, and when I need materials I either mooch them from people who I frequently make clothes for or I will buy them from some back-ass third party source who is as far from a corporation as possible.

I modify all of my own clothes too, and I never EVER go to the mall and I despise Hot Topic. . . I especially hate that place because all of the kids nowadays who think they are being rebels or punks can just show up at the mall and pick up the newest I Set My Friends On Fire or Ke$ha shirt and get some stupid bracelets and neon skinny jeans while your at it, and these huge corporations just completely exploit the desires of the counterculture and turn it into a mainstream demand, but these "rebellious" kids are too stupid to realize it, they aren't rebels, they are just conformist consumer posers like everyone else around them that they thought they despised. Sorry for the mini rant, but that is my advice! :)

[Spawn of Stalin]

Honestly the good thing about Communists is that we are human. I do buy things, I do go to Starbucks, I live the capitalist lifestyle as much as everyone else. If we acted the way the op is implying we perhaps should we would be even more of a joke than we already are.

If you want to alienate the working class then yeah, boycotting society as a whole would be a pretty good way to go about it

[Hebrew Hammer]

But you forgot the all-important and essential Red Scarf!

Otherwise, that sounds about right. What about Phase 2?

Phase 2:

1. Continue growing beard, once you have the Fidel down go for the Engels, you're only as experinced/commited as the length of your beard.
2. Slowly collect a massive number of leftist t-shirts until it's the only thing in your wardrobe.
3. ***** about corporations and how people "buy into them," when out when friends but then visit Starbucks, Wal-Mart and Borders when you're alone.
4. Master Leftist terminology but don't bother learning what said words mean (that comes partially in phase 3).
5. Start your own channel on Youtube and upload videos daily. Comment on all the latest news but also offer vids on Marxist analysis of topics such as pokemon to keep it light.
6. Buy a megaphone to really get your message across at the malls and corporate stores you've been trolling.
7. Attend any protest, any protest at all, in your area to show you're active and "down for the cause."
8. In any social gathering, even if you're dining out with your parents, try converting everyone you come into contact with, even you parents and even if it's for the 1.000th time. Everyone must accept Socialism.
9. Begin beating off to Enemy At The Gate.
10. Only watch Leftist vids on Youtube.
11. Make all your updates on the various social networking sites you frequent strictly and solely about Socialism and the plight of the proletariat. If you chose to write a personal update make it sound real Soviet-ish like you're living in the USSR circa 1945.
12. If you chose to upload songs or vids on Youtube, Facebook, etc. make sure they are only the anthems of the USSR, a Socialist leader such as Stalin or Mao giving a speech or of the most recent protest or riot.
13. Steer all conversations towards Socialist history, theory or personal factoids about the Socialist leader you most admire.

For phase 3, inquire further.

[Trigonometry]

By becoming an all powerful capitalist

[Rocky Rococo]

There are certain personal responsibilities that accompany being a proper communist, and a young person new to a radical view of life may not be fully aware of them.

Here's one example: A true communist never crosses a picket line. You never take a job nor make a purchase with a business that is being picketed by its workers. Ever.

I hope nobody views that sort of personal responsibility to act in solidarity as "lifestylism", but part of what makes one a communist.

[Broletariat]

Here's one example: A true communist never crosses a picket line.

Certainly, here you are acting as a conscious worker.


You never take a job nor make a purchase with a business that is being picketed by its workers.

Here you are acting as a consumer, I'd be dubious that this will always be the case. If there's some sort of big movement going on to boycott that business then sure, but otherwise I don't think I see a problem.

[Franz Fanonipants]

give me all yr money

[Rss]

What makes me a good communist? If I were a bad communist, I wouldn't be sittin' here, discussin' it with you now would I?

[Astral_Disaster]

To be a good communist you must say communist prayers 3 times per day, especially before you go to bed. It's also recommended that you thank Lenin before eating and perhaps before or after you use the restroom.

Lenin permits all good things to happen to us and we should be thankful. Also, to be a good communist, you must wash yourself daily and brush your teeth at least 2wice per day.

To be a good communist, you must also read at least a few posts from RevLeft every day. If you spend just a few minutes each day reading RevLeft, sooner or later you will have read the entire site! Just think of that.

If you do all these things properly then perhaps when you die comrade Stalin will meet you at the pearly gates and let you in.

[Pioneers_Violin]

Phase 2:

1. Continue growing beard, once you have the Fidel down go for the Engels, you're only as experinced/commited as the length of your beard.
2. Slowly collect a massive number of leftist t-shirts until it's the only thing in your wardrobe.
3. ***** about corporations and how people "buy into them," when out when friends but then visit Starbucks, Wal-Mart and Borders when you're alone.
4. Master Leftist terminology but don't bother learning what said words mean (that comes partially in phase 3).
5. Start your own channel on Youtube and upload videos daily. Comment on all the latest news but also offer vids on Marxist analysis of topics such as pokemon to keep it light.
6. Buy a megaphone to really get your message across at the malls and corporate stores you've been trolling.
7. Attend any protest, any protest at all, in your area to show you're active and "down for the cause."
8. In any social gathering, even if you're dining out with your parents, try converting everyone you come into contact with, even you parents and even if it's for the 1.000th time. Everyone must accept Socialism.
9. Begin beating off to Enemy At The Gate.
10. Only watch Leftist vids on Youtube.
11. Make all your updates on the various social networking sites you frequent strictly and solely about Socialism and the plight of the proletariat. If you chose to write a personal update make it sound real Soviet-ish like you're living in the USSR circa 1945.
12. If you chose to upload songs or vids on Youtube, Facebook, etc. make sure they are only the anthems of the USSR, a Socialist leader such as Stalin or Mao giving a speech or of the most recent protest or riot.
13. Steer all conversations towards Socialist history, theory or personal factoids about the Socialist leader you most admire.

For phase 3, inquire further.

Ah, I see. I could probably manage most of that.

But what about people who can't grow beards? Should we buy a fake one? Is there some other measurement of commitment that we poor beardless people can use? :confused:
Or are the Beardless multitudes doomed to a life of being considered inexperienced and non-commital? :ohmy:

Even though it appears pointless for me because of my unfortunate Beard handicap, others may want to learn of phase 3 so please do elaborate.

PV

[Yazman]

give me all yr money

HEY! I just warned a user in here not to make spam posts and you've just gone and made one! Don't let me see this kind of post again or else you're getting shitcanned!

This post constitutes a warning to Franz Fanonipants for spam.