How often do you engage in real life political debates/discussions

[Let's Get Free]

I'd say about 95%-98% of my political discussion/debate occurs on the internet.

[the Leftâ„¢]

I used to debate people and talk politics a lot. And then I wasn't a democrat anymore. And now its harder

[Yuppie Grinder]

Never assume people are familiar with far left lingo, never think they're stupid for not trusting the far left, and most importantly never be condescending because someone hasn't read as much political theory as you. Most people aren't familiar with my political ideas so I use language that will be familiar to them. I say blue collar instead of proletariat, for instance. I try and find common ground with people and point out the things we have in common so they'll be more sympathetic to my worldview.

[Ostrinski]

I try not to, honestly.

[Art Vandelay]

I used to, but as a radical and an alcoholic, I think I just came across as arrogant (audacious I would prefer) and I try not to anymore.

[Questionable]

When I first found out about Marxism and Leninism I literally could not stop talking about it. I was so fucking blown away by this new way of thinking that I'd never considered before and explained damn near everything about society.

But my liberal friends kept bringing up the same old tired arguments about human nature and that shit, and it turned into a thing where every time we saw each other we'd get into a heated debate about it. Finally they collectively told me they'd rather I not talk about Marxism to them anymore, so I stopped.

I also stopped liking a few of those people when that happened, but that's another story.

[helot]

I often discuss politics with friends, family and comrades. Im cautious about it at work because i don't want to hamper my organising efforts. At work it's all about how to solve our grievances and pushing for self-activity. I do mention 'working class' and 'working people' often though. As such colleagues generally see me as a militant and someone they can rely on as opposed to anything else. I find it's easier this way, you can't organise your workplace through talking politics; people just think you're crazy.

[Raúl Duke]

rarely...
if I do, I seldom initiate those conversations

[sixdollarchampagne]

I discuss politics with my best friend, just about daily, while watching the news. We agree on most things. Since I have just moved to a new city in a new (Southern) state, I am kind of isolated, otherwise.

[bad ideas actualised by alcohol]

Daily.
I have one very good friend that would be a Soc-Dem, or something like that, but he does use real arguments and not the usual stuff. Which is very fun.
He has agreed with me more and more recently.
I have an uncle, well I call him that but he really isn't, who I don't see often.
He does know a lot about history. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff is from a right wing stand.
But it is fun to talk about Soviet-History with him, because even though I disagree with on many things he does know a lot more than me. Especially the smaller details, like how soviets came about. As I said, I don't see him often but when I go there we talk for a whole day, which is tiring but also very fun.

[The Jay]

I talk to people and experience success if I decide to spend a few months doing it, avoiding rushing things. Be patient.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Not often but it depends on the situation and what I am doing and where the other person's views are at. If they are already revolutionary than I don't bother (likewise if they are too conservative). Other times there simply isn't much of a time to get in a real debate or conversation; fragments and statements mostly but a real talk about serious issues is rare.

I live rather secluded anyways but I enjoy the times when I do talk seriously even if I still have a lot of shyness to overcome.

[Omsk]

Because the entire movement is currently weak, almost every day. But that's not so important, the organizing, publishing and the propaganda work is what takes time. Talking with workers is not easy, since their problems are huge, and the reactionary chauvinist clique has a strong repressive machine. But it is getting better, and more comrades, workers, wage-slaves are joining the front. Live discussions at protest is also popular.

However, opinions, practise and attitudes like these should change:


Daily.
I have one very good friend that would be a Soc-Dem, or something like that, but he does use real arguments and not the usual stuff. Which is very fun.



I discuss politics with my best friend, just about daily, while watching the news. We agree on most things. Since I have just moved to a new city in a new (Southern) state, I am kind of isolated, otherwise.



rarely...
if I do, I seldom initiate those conversations



When I first found out about Marxism and Leninism I literally could not stop talking about it. I was so fucking blown away by this new way of thinking that I'd never considered before and explained damn near everything about society.

But my liberal friends kept bringing up the same old tired arguments about human nature and that shit, and it turned into a thing where every time we saw each other we'd get into a heated debate about it. Finally they collectively told me they'd rather I not talk about Marxism to them anymore, so I stopped.

I also stopped liking a few of those people when that happened, but that's another story.



I used to, but as a radical and an alcoholic, I think I just came across as arrogant (audacious I would prefer) and I try not to anymore.



I try not to, honestly.



I'd say about 95%-98% of my political discussion/debate occurs on the internet.


Don't take this personally comrades, it's not mean-spirited criticism.

[l'Enfermé]

There is hardly a person I don't pester with politics. The downside is that at any given time, I've lent about a third of my political books to people. This is good for them but I long for my books :(

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Honestly, I'm a fan of leading by example and framing political discussions as common-sense matters of daily life within/against the rule of capital.
On the other hand, when dealing with politicized situations (e.g. I'm going to "Powershift" this weekend), I tend to be like, "SRSLY, FULL COMMUNISM."

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

My dad is a reactionary and i have a bad temparament and am very tenascious. If someone cannot refute my argument, I expect them to submit to it. Seems like basic argumentating rules. But since nearly every argument given to me I can refute definitively and mostly aggressively, i've stopped talking about politics at home, basically stopped talking... but i argue with friends and aquaintences still, kind of hard not to since the political times are getting rather interesting now.

[Bronco]

Depends who I'm talking to, one of my friends we talk about politics a fair bit but not in an annoying argumentative way and I don't be a douche and try to "convert" him or whatever, we just talk casually about current events and stuff. I do sometimes end up in political debates with my parents though, which never end well

Edit - the post above is the sort of attitude I really fucking hate when talking politics

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

i have a bad temparament and am very tenascious. If someone cannot refute my argument, I expect them to submit to it. Seems like basic argumentating rules.

[flamebait removed]

That sounds like a great recipie for convincing people that communists are dogmatic assholes, and not for meaningful political conversation.
Like, srsly, learning from people's disagreement, and trying to understand their frameworks, is way more useful than "winning".

[Lowtech]

Nearly all my debates occur online. Though its developed my ability to argue points quite a bit. I don't subscribe to being overly aggressive, this is actually employing intimidation and doesn't mean one is giving a strong argument. However, participating in revleft has lead to great IRL responses like "thats only a problem because the car industry is not nationalized"

[Ele'ill]

I often discuss and debate stuff.

[GiantMonkeyMan]

I'm very cautious about immediately diving into 'i can haz revolution' mode when discussing politics but I always point out the contradictions within the system and say there needs to be fundamental change. Most people would never have thought about such things. The other day I was having a discussion with a co-worker about some article in a paper to do with criminals and I think I literally blew their mind when I said people resort to crime not because they are inherently evil but because they are in a situation where their only option is crime. So these discussions need to happen.

[Rugged Collectivist]

I say blue collar instead of proletariat.

These terms don't have the same exact meaning though. There are plenty of "white collar" proletarians. Working class would probably be more accurate.

I only argue politics with my sister, who is under the impression that I'm an anarchist because I'm afraid to tell her I'm a communist. Mostly she doesn't know what I'm talking about and doesn't care. It's not that I use commie jargon or anything either, she just knows fuck all about politics and doesn't like talking about it.

I would probably argue with strangers but I refuse to bring this stuff up around my acquaintances out of fear of becoming a pariah. I will probably tell them when I become more independent of my family. I do discuss politics with my family, but my refusal to talk about communism makes me look like some kind of liberal. Honestly most people think we're crazy/stupid so I don't know how far I would get advocating communism anyway.

[Lowtech]

These terms don't have the same exact meaning though. There are plenty of "white collar" proletarians. Working class would probably be more accurate

...

Honestly most people think we're crazy/stupid so I don't know how far I would get advocating communism anyway.

Farther than you think. Only the economically unaware believe communists to be idiots. and as far as how to define the elites versus the working class, I agree with you, and I found the mathmatic distinction is that the plutocratic class consumes more than it produces. And the working class produces more than it consumes via forced artificial scarcity.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

Post-Rev, Post-Left

That sounds like a great recipie for convincing people that communists are dogmatic assholes, and not for meaningful political conversation.
Like, srsly, learning from people's disagreement, and trying to understand their frameworks, is way more useful than "winning".


[flamebait removed]

It's not hard to understand the mental framework of a reactionary. I "win" arguments when i actually do win them with arguments. People who do not accept arguments do not accept logic and their brain is being seriously manipulated by a force i cannot control. I'm not going to argue with Nazis and i'm not going to waste a lot of time with anyone else who does not have an interest in the truth or shares basic values of justice, compassion, equality etc.

EDIT: Btw., i am also quite intolerant of people who logically agree with what i am saying but do not agree with my stance. If someone does not share a relative normal human compassion for other people i could give a fuck about them because the work required to turn such persons into leftists would be beyond my power.

[bcbm]

not very often. if i do there is usually alcohol involved and a lot of the time i just troll instead of having real discussions.

[Jesus Saves Gretzky Scores]

Most of it's just people coming up to me at school and saying, "Hey, so are you a communist/anarchist?" They almost seem bored about asking me. It's rare though.

[Raúl Duke]

When I actually do, I usually don't talk about leftist ideologies. I mostly talk about what crap capitalism is and what BS mainstream electoral politics are; things people are quite open to actually...I noted that if you jump to talking about whatever particularly strand of leftism at best you tend to get a reaction that you're some sort of utopian ("I wish but that would never work because human nature, people are greedy, people are stupid, whatever, etc").

I feel leftist ideologies only truly have a better and receptive audience in times of heightened class struggle and potential revolutions. Outside of that it may be possible that the revolutionary left will remind more or less like "some sort of fringe" so I try not to bother "spreading" my radical left ideas (instead just talk anti-capitalism) unless they asked me directly what politics I have.

[Lowtech]

I noted that if you jump to talking about whatever particularly strand of leftism at best you tend to get a reaction that you're some sort of utopian ("I wish but that would never work because human nature, people are greedy, people are stupid, whatever, etc")

I'm glad they do it (eventhough calling communism utopian is a vomit statement). They force us into developing a simple explaination as to why thier belief is false.

Calling it utopian is to imply that it is something good in concept but unfeasible. It's very feasible. it happens now, however the elites sell above production cost to profit or in other words retain value they have not produced themselves. this causes artificial scarcity. causes poverty. Enough value or resources are available to sustain everyone, and everyone capabable will work, the only reason the elites enjoy 80% of resources is because of thier false sense of superiority; there's nothing economic or natural that supports this.

[sixdollarchampagne]

I invite any "Marxist-Leninst" group to come to the US deep South and try peddling their "everlasting glory to Stalin" politics on any street corner down here and see just how long they survive. Anyone who has not lived here – and I grew up in the US South – has no idea of the depth of the political backwardness that exists here.


Because the entire movement is currently weak, almost every day. But that's not so important, the organizing, publishing and the propaganda work is what takes time. Talking with workers is not easy, since their problems are huge, and the reactionary chauvinist clique has a strong repressive machine. But it is getting better, and more comrades, workers, wage-slaves are joining the front. Live discussions at protest is also popular.

However, opinions, practise and attitudes like these should change: ...

[Omsk]

You don't go out to the workers with that you dummie.;) Stalin is a legend, but it's pointless to mention such things on a workers strike. Because, one day, every classroom will have a nice picture of Stalin above the chalkboard.


And don't you even talk about political backwardness, how do you think it is in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, etc, etc.

[Decommissioner]

Depends. People who know me know about my political beliefs. But I don't talk about politics proactively, no one sees me as "the communist guy" because there are other things I'd rather talk about or do in social situations. Despite this, I will discuss politics when it comes up and usually people can see where I am coming from if not totally agreeing with me.

I never debate strangers, for one I don't often get myself in that situation and secondly I am not patient enough to engage in a debate with a stranger because that sucks all the fun out of a social situation for me and everyone around me, and is generally just annoying. I also realize the kind of person looking for political debates with strangers is not the kind of person looking to change their mind, so it is pointless to discuss with them. I talk with friends and family only when the situation calls for it because it is natural and comfortable and on a propaganda level (if you want to look at it that way) it has the most effect.

[Quail]

I do talk about politics a lot with people, but I don't go out of my way to initiate those conversations if you know what I mean. Most interesting conversations contain some kind of political element and I find that people are often quite open to a lot of my ideas (for example I had quite a good conversation with my grandma about why I admire Emma Goldman) if I ease into them gently. If I tell people I'm an anarchist communist before I've talked about any of my ideas, I think people have this preconceived notion that anarchism/communism is kind of wacky so anything I say will probably also be wacky.

It's good to discuss politics, but at the same time, I don't want to be one of those people who sits at a party and launches into a monologue about anarchism/communism/feminism/etc at anyone who will listen. I want light-hearted social interactions too!

[KafkaesqueWorld]

I discuss mainstream politics with people, and if I get the impression that they would be open to "radical" ideas, I will discuss my ideology. Mind you, I tend to avoid using words like communism, socialism, proletariat, bourgeois, etc. I also avoid using the term capitalism. I find that people are more receptive to ideas when you introduce them as hypothetical situations instead of using buzzwords that people have been taught to react negatively to.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I mean, I'm partial to using the word "communism" because it can be like letting somebody in on a filthy secret. Certainly, there are situations where it's not appropriate, but I think it's necessary. It's like asking, "Want me to go down on you in the janitor's closet?" In the right moment, it can fundamentally transform a social relationship.

[Doflamingo]

I've only ever debated my democrat friends in real life, but I discuss my hatred of the republican party with my Dad quite often.

[Sentinel]

How often do you engage in real life political debates/discussions

Pretty much every single day, either on our activities on the streets, network meetings, calling newspaper subscriptors, and at work. I understand that this isn't possible for everyone, in countries where the government or the social atmosphere doesn't allow it, but we must all do it to the extent it's possible. It's what we are here for.

But one also hasn't, and shouldn't, bring up revolution and communism in the first sentence when approaching a random worker or person on the street. Instead we must apply the transitional programme and talk about and get involved in issues that concern the workers directly and urgently. And then move on from there.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I am about to go have a very serious conversation about grounding environmental organizing in a common anticapitalist/anticolonial projectuality. Then, maybe, we are going to fuck in a park.
Either way, it is going to be great.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I am about to go have a very serious conversation about grounding environmental organizing in a common anticapitalist/anticolonial projectuality. Then, maybe, we are going to fuck in a park.
Either way, it is going to be great.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Rarely...I end up getting quite angry and obnoxious if confronted with a staunch belief / opinion that's opposite to my own. I get frustrated that I can't 'win' the arguement, forgetting it doesn't have to be about 'winning' and being right all the time.

[Quail]

Rarely...I end up getting quite angry and obnoxious if confronted with a staunch belief / opinion that's opposite to my own. I get frustrated that I can't 'win' the arguement, forgetting it doesn't have to be about 'winning' and being right all the time.
I get frustrated because a lot of people think that arguments are about "winning" and I get really annoyed when they try to use logical fallacies to "win" instead of trying to demonstrate their points logically.

[Philosophos]

I'm in Greece everything from the best time to the worst is about politics... Even though they are stupid to vote the same crap.... Anyway I talk with lots of people about politics and I try to hide the fact that I'm left unless if I have to or if I discuss with a friend but I talk a lot about politics it's like 4/10 of my discussions....

[LordAcheron]

don't have a whole lot of opportunities to do so. The drummer in my main band is a right wing christian so I try to avoid politics at all costs (other than our opinions on how much Obama sucks). I'm in another anarchist band so pretty much everyone involved there is on the same (or a similar) page as I am, and I spend most of my time hanging out with those guys.