Communism rising again? Communism on the rebound

[Tim Cornelis]

Is it just me, or is communism slightly increasing in popularity since 2009 or so?

I just read an article on the Labour Party of Belgium, a communist party — whose chairman, Mertens, wrote a best-seller called "How dare they?" on the eurocrisis — which is now polling at 3 percent of the votes compared to "0" percent at first. (though admittedly, it's kinda becoming a reformist party, which seems to be the fate of so many socialist parties in order to attract more voters).

A French far-left candidate is polling at 10 percent (though admittedly he is also not really revolutionary).

And now I'm reading "Communism on rise in recession-hit Japan", an article from 2009.

Does anyone have any information to share on falling or rising popularity of socialism or communism in their region, country?

[Ostrinski]

While Occupy hasn't really been an effective movement I think it does reflect a resurgence of interest in leftist politics. I think it's also fair to note the increased use of anti-socialist rhetoric from the right. Unaccountable power is silent. If you step on and crush a bunch of ants, you don't turn to the rest and threaten them if they retaliate. I think the increase in anti-socialist rhetoric is the result of conditions that lead to people becoming more interested in it, and also is a demonstration of the bourgeoisie's fear of class consciousness spreading.

[Omsk]

Unfortunatelly,communist parties in my country are either complete reactionary jokes,or 'anti-imperialist' parties (Supporting Gaddafi,Syrian leadership) or they are completely marginalized.(There are some decent organizations,but they are hardly important,or big.)

The "Socialist" parties are either democratic socialist or social democratic,they are quite opportunistic and definitelly not on 'our' side.

The Anarchists are also,marginalized and completely unimportant.

The 'strongest' are neo-conservatives and ultra-nationalists,and right behind them are liberal-bourgeois and pro-capitalist parties.

I imagine the situation to be similar to that in many other countries.
Sigh.

[MustCrushCapitalism]

This is really just wishful thinking, right now.

In the United States, though, we could have a revolutionary situation in a few years. We have an economic crisis going on, things just haven't gotten to the level where a revolutionary situation arises.

[Omsk]

Greece has a lot of potential,and a lot of left wing parties.

Russia,on the other hand,is also,cought in the post-'90 situation with the conservatives and nationalists being the biggest and strongest political options.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

Germany's state capitalist LINKE party is quite low in the polls, at 7% instead of 12% three years ago. Most germans turn to "non-ideological" pirate parties that capital media does not destroy, as they have been doing with the LEFT party since three years non stop. I just saw a video from AlJaseera that also said Japan's communist party is getting ten-fold member signups a month. China seems to have increasing labor organisation and a bit of a nostalgia for maoism it seems. The Russian communist party is most likely higher than 14% what Putin says, and generally one can even create a certain moral hegemony when using communist arguments on the net now. 5 years ago this would have been nearly impossible without having anti-communist propaganda thrown at one en masse, but the important thing that has happened is that the trust and belief in capitalism is being degenerated. I wouldn't say the left has resurged, i think it has awoken from the dead.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

Really i think that although there is mass dissatisfaction and for instance workers here in germany are pushing their unions to be a lot more aggressive in wage demands, there is a failure in strategy at putting communist ideas into "Kleinbürgerliches gedankengut" or petty-bourgeois propagated culture. Liberal culture is utter despotism, absolute close-mindedness, the only thing that works is trying to... i have no clue. Radical party organisation needs to happen now, otherwise in a couple years there will be huge problems i think.

[Omsk]

We should not make the mistake of considering some obviously non-communist parties as true genuine organizations for the struggle against capitalism and the current situation.The KPRF,and the parties i mentioned,are leeches that drain the productive energy of left-wing orientated people and try to attract people trought symbolism and 'communist' rhetoric.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

Communism of the Marxist-Leninist variety that we saw in the 20th century is dead. People have moved on from the simplistic notion that we can either have economic equality without political, social and cultural freedoms, or have more social and cultural freedoms + superficial political democracy but be locked in economic equality.

[MustCrushCapitalism]

Communism of the Marxist-Leninist variety that we saw in the 20th century is dead. People have moved on from the simplistic notion that we can either have economic equality without political, social and cultural freedoms, or have more social and cultural freedoms + superficial political democracy but be locked in economic equality.
>Implying that Marxist-Leninists oppose all social and political freedom

[lombas]

In the Netherlands, SP is doing quite well in the polls. Of course, SP has shifted to the center-left and is right where the PVDA is supposed to be.

In Belgium, there is no real "left" (and too much "left" at a non-represented level).

In Luxembourg, I don't really know where LSAP and Die Linke stand. I got the impression LSAP is more to the left than other social democratic parties in Western Europe.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

>Implying that Marxist-Leninists oppose all social and political freedom

Yes comrade, and especially since we in the west have experienced a genuine amount of political and social freedom, chances are that we won't act totalitarian unnecessarily as revolutionaries of the past who themselves were put in labor camps and forced into exile etc.; this certainly has an effect.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

by the way, can someone help me how to set my "tendency" please?

[Brosip Tito]

by the way, can someone help me how to set my "tendency" please?
Join a group -> go to that group -> go to group tools -> Set as primary tendency

[CommunityBeliever]

Communism of the Marxist-Leninist variety that we saw in the 20th century is dead.

Indeed. That variety of communism died with the collapse of the USSR and Hoxhaist Albania in 1991. Rather then sticking to any variety of communist thought (Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, etc) we should allow for our understanding of communism to evolve through the application scientific communist principles.

All old forms of communist thought such as Marxism-Leninism and Hoxhaism shall die out and they shall get replaced by new generations of thought such as Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, just as old generations of organisms die out and get replaced forms of organism. Communism of the Maoist variety still plays a considerable role today, especially in India and China.

[Grenzer]

>Implying that Marxist-Leninists oppose all social and political freedom

He's not implying, he's stating it outright.

Time and time again, Marxist-Leninists have stated their outright intention to create a regime of the most brutal state sponsored terrorism and repression. This is nothing new, and declarations of such an intent are a daily occurrence here. This is not an insult, this is not an accusation, this is not an attempt to start a tendency war; it's just a simple statement of fact, and I don't feel compelled to go quote mining. Just look in any thread that is about the Cheka or the Great Purge and you will see the proof, though it can be found anywhere and in any given topic.

Stammer and Tickle is saying that this monstrosity has already been tried in the 20th century on numerous occasions, and it failed on each. I agree with him entirely; and I think that people still think that a Leninist style vanguard is going to lead us to socialism are entirely delusional. This is the age of smartphones, internet, and viral videos. If you think that people are going to be satisfied to let the kind of crimes and injustices that would occur daily in such a regime slide, then all I can say is that I think you are sorely mistaken.

[Althusser]

I think the increase in anti-socialist rhetoric is the result of conditions that lead to people becoming more interested in it.

Exactly

[Grenzer]

And now I'm reading "Communism on rise in recession-hit Japan", an article from 2009.

Does anyone have any information to share on falling or rising popularity of socialism or communism in their region, country?

I think I should mention a few things so you don't get the wrong idea.

What passes as "Communism" in Japan is more akin to the phenomenon which is known as "Eurocommunism" (i.e. not communism at all). The Communist Party of Japan is even worse off than the CPUSA. In the 1970's they officially made the position that they are giving up the goal of communism, and that they are officially pro-capitalist(they don't even believe in reaching socialism democratically through parliamentary means). It might be a bit of an exaggeration to call them social-democrats.. they are more like left-liberals than anything else.

The problem is that the communist movement is divorced from the labor movement, so that despite being in a situation which should be greatly to our advantage, we are only seeing microscopic gains.

[lombas]

I always thought the JCP was doing quite a good job in a country like Japan where a leftist perspective is hard enough to sell (pun intended). They are also quite well received in a country like Cuba...?

[Ostrinski]

20th century communism is dead, which necessarily means that Marxism-Leninism is also dead. Our political strategy will correspond with capitalist forces in their current, modern form, not in their early 20th century form where Marxism-Leninism still had relevance. When the next wave of communist revolution has its day, Marxism-Leninism, Trotskyism, anarchism, and all other tendencies will be shown to be obsolete.

[marl]

OWS has been bringing the Socialist Alternative and PSL into public spotlight.

If I may elaborate, I see a lot of PSL and SA guys down at Occupy, which may make people curious and interested. A.N.S.W.E.R. has also done a great deal in promoting the PSL.

[Lev Bronsteinovich]

20th century communism is dead, which necessarily means that Marxism-Leninism is also dead. Our political strategy will correspond with capitalist forces in their current, modern form, not in their early 20th century form where Marxism-Leninism still had relevance. When the next wave of communist revolution has its day, Marxism-Leninism, Trotskyism, anarchism, and all other tendencies will be shown to be obsolete.

Replaced by Brospierreism?:D

[Ostrinski]

Replaced by Brospierreism?:DIn all its glory.

[Comrade Samuel]

If we ever want to see communism ever resurface as a global power I believe we should start with finding a way to stop publics schools in major countries to stop filling every Kid's head with lies and propaganda regarding communism. It's true movements like occupy and its many offshoots are a good sign that some people are fed up with capitalism but in addition to it's instability, it constantly being broken up by police and lack of public support there was also the issue that relatively few of the protesters had an understanding of Marxism and therefor did not want much if not reform.

I predict communism will rebound in the next 100 years, the people of the world will eventually say to themselves that the corruption, imperialist war and exploitation is too much and should be destroyed it probably won't be in my life or any of yours but it is inevitable and from this point revolution can and will occur.