How big of a threat are we?

[Ready4Revolution]

How big of a threat are we, the worldwide Revolutionary Left, to the oppresive capitalist regime? Do you think governments are at least wary of us?

[Kamos]

Of course they are. Anarchist groups are hunted more than neonazi warbands in Europe. We're not much of a threat yet, but we're growing, and we do pose a potential threat at least.

EDIT: And the potential threat is what matters. A huge majority of the Earth's population is oppressed by capitalism. If these people unite under the flag of communism, you can guess what happens next.

[Terminator X]

There is no force on Earth that can suppress the might of the united working class. The ruling elite is of course aware of this. That's why they use every tool at their disposal to keep us oppressed, fractured, and marginalized.

[Broletariat]

Not very.

edit: 2 words, 22 thanks, awww yea.

[tbasherizer]

I don't think that our organizations pose much of a threat either militarily or politically (in the sense of election winnings and such). As Comrade V would probably say, it's our idea of which those who make up the ruling class are afraid. If you combined the election tallies of every self-proclaimed leftist group, got all the troops of the disparate guerrilla armies together, and sent them against the forces of oppression like a commie Armageddon, we'd probably lose miserably. Our victory manifests itself in the ever-advancing consciousness of the global working class, which we can only advance with agitation, and which makes speaking in terms of who's a "threat" to whom kind of silly.

[Geiseric]

i'd guess not much of a threat at all, however that's as much our faults as the capitalists.

[RadioRaheem84]

I think at this point they see us as much more of an annoyance.

When I look at the faces of liberals and conservatives alike in the media when confronted by Marxist or left rhetoric, they look more annoyed than frightened, as if they wish we would just go away because they thought we had already been banished from the political discourse anyway.

Since the 90s, the media especially has been more likely to describe leftists as old relics of a time when such justice was needed but are now just a thorn in people's sides.

When journalists question leftists like Chomsky, David Harvey, Zizek, etc. they talk as though anti-leftism is already an established fact. They get questions like, "well, that's already been tried and was a total failure" or " we all know that capitalism is the best system because all other alternatives failed".

[L.A.P.]

I think at this point they see us as much more of an annoyance.

When I look at the faces of liberals and conservatives alike in the media when confronted by Marxist or left rhetoric, they look more annoyed than frightened, as if they wish we would just go away because they thought we had already been banished from the political discourse anyway.

Since the 90s, the media especially has been more likely to describe leftists as old relics of a time when such justice was needed but are now just a thorn in people's sides.

When journalists question leftists like Chomsky, David Harvey, Zizek, etc. they talk as though anti-leftism is already an established fact. They get questions like, "well, that's already been tried and was a total failure" or " we all know that capitalism is the best system because all other alternatives failed".

As far as the United States goes that's spot on.

[Magón]

As far as the US Government is concerned, me and every other Mexican/Hispanic, regardless of legality, is a bigger threat than Radical Leftists are to the status quo. I just happen to be both, so it's a double whammy! :lol:

[Dimmu]

At the moment, not very big one..

But if things will keep going the way they do at the moment with people losing their jobs and countries collapsing then we will grow quite large and competent..

Just now in Finland and in Europe in general i keep getting the feeling that the socialist views on the economy and other issues is getting more and more acceptable.

[RadioRaheem84]

In Europe, I can see the threat being a bit larger, but the European media still treats leftists like an annoyance with a larger voice, and tries to marginalize them.

In the US, there is an established notion before any show begins that leftism is bad, outdated and utterly un-American, even old Americanisms like unions, and social programs.

You have a whole host of new neo-liberal ways to combat leftism by outshining us in terms of looking out for the poor; "social enterprises", "NGOs", "micro-financing", and various non-profits that do not even put a dent into globalization's destructive efforts.

Then you have the faux-anti establishment types like Paul Krugman, who despite his disdain for the right wing in the States and in Europe, he still links the anti-globalization movement with creationists who are against evolution.

They do not help at all as they create this strange distinction up between themselves (the rational left) and the "far left" who are just "kooks" and not worthy of inviting to a Manhattan cocktail party.

The only thing that I think has a chance of gaining national acceptance, at least from an academic pov, is the Monthly Review School, which for all it's faults has managed to really create something unique. They've taken American style journal-ism and made socialism still relevant to Western political discourse (if anyone bothers to read it that is).

It reads like a socialist New Republic or something.

I know there are many that think of the MR school as Left Keynesianism and touting underconsumptionalist crap, but I really think that they've made socialism pretty chique, which is what most liberals in the States care for anyways. That could be an inroad for which socialism in the States gains intellectual credence again and becomes a force.

[Red Future]

As far as the United States goes that's spot on.

Indeed as far as security services are concerned we are a pest which has the constant potential to grow and continually perpetuates itself through generations.

[28350]

There is no force on Earth that can suppress the might of the united working class.

false

[Luisrah]

We are not really a threat. With the worker's on our side, that's another story.

It's not just us that consciencialize the workers. Heck, we don't even do the biggest part of it.

[ColonelCossack]

hell, we're the biggest threat to the bourgeoisie! they've spent trillions trying to sully our names!

the reason we're such a threat is because we're the people that show that their oppressive way of life will not last forever because there are people to stand up to them- and with the worker on our side, we'll be an even bigger threat.

is sully the right word? :drool:

[SJBarley]

Certainly we are a threat, just wiki redwatch and you'll see how terrified the facists are. The fact that in Obama's address to the house of commons (which I watched for future use in reasons why he's not the hero people believe) he mentioned the united front from the US and the UK against communism, I'd say thats pretty damn worried :laugh:

[Coggeh]

Not very.

Wrong. Not only are we a threat. We are the only threat to capitalism and the ruling classes. A united working class with a socialist program is the most powerful thing on this planet. We don't base ourselves on the working class for the sake of it but that it is those who have the real power in society and those who are the only ones capable of overthrowing capitalism.

Even today the capitalism establishment is using every tool in the book except for fascism to hold back the workers movement.

[Coggeh]

false
Becauseeeeeeeeeeeee?:drool:

[JustMovement]

To be honest as far as I can see environmental degredation and nuclear apocalypse are bigger threats to capitalism than Leftism at the moment

[ColonelCossack]

To be honest as far as I can see environmental degredation and nuclear apocalypse are bigger threats to capitalism than Leftism at the moment

But loads of us leftists are trying to stop capitalist exploitation of the world's resources, etc... so what do we do??????? If we want to be a threat to capitalism do we support deniers of environmental degradation? WTF??? identity crisis! :confused::scared::confused::scared::confused::sca red:

[The_Outernationalist]

How big of a threat are we, the worldwide Revolutionary Left, to the oppresive capitalist regime? Do you think governments are at least wary of us?


Revleft? no one even cares. Anarchists? Hell, anarchists are the laughing stock of the left.they're a punchline.

Now real communists? well they're threatening the Indian government everyday...and they sure showed Nepal what happens when they're not taken seriously, so it depends on what you mean by "leftist", because not all leftists are created equal.

[Dumb]

If anything, I'm sure the U.S. government only monitors us so they can point and laugh.

[Ocean Seal]

Leftists are in no way shape or form a threat to capitalism. Capitalism is its own threat. As it continues to devolve the masses begin to associate and form the true threat to capitalism. The international working class. The workers conscious under the banner of labor is the greatest threat that the ruling class can or will ever see.

[JustMovement]

The big question then becomes will the contradictions in capitalism cause its collapse before it consumes the planet, and civilisation in the process.