any ex-leftist here?

[campesino]

a

[Ostrinski]

I think trivias is an ex leftist but I haven't seen him post for a while.

[maskerade]

well, in terms of stories, i have one. a good friend of mine used to be a libertarian leftist, though not necessarily a revolutionary. he was an ardent supporter of the left wing of the swedish green party for a good time. until he turned into a neo-nazi.

the change was pretty much overnight. he now makes "intellectual" arguments in support of fascism (economic fascism that is) and hides behind a "non-racist" ethnopluralist ideology. it's extremely sad as he was one of my closest friends. i still see him every now and then but obviously don't discuss politics. i've told him that one day he will get his ass kicked by anti-fa and that i won't feel sympathetic for him when he does. there's no logical explanation behind the change. i suppose he just realized that he was a racist fuck who "feels sad when he sees white people in intimate relationships with non-whites" (direct quote btw).

bugs me to this day why he decided to go down that path, especially considering he was almost an opposite reflection of his current self way back. sucks.

[Questionable]

I could be wrong but I think the user "Deicide" who was an ardent anti-Stalinist renounced Marxism and started supporting Austrian Economics after he was banned.

[Fourth Internationalist]

well, in terms of stories, i have one. a good friend of mine used to be a libertarian leftist, though not necessarily a revolutionary. he was an ardent supporter of the left wing of the swedish green party for a good time. until he turned into a neo-nazi.

the change was pretty much overnight. he now makes "intellectual" arguments in support of fascism (economic fascism that is) and hides behind a "non-racist" ethnopluralist ideology. it's extremely sad as he was one of my closest friends. i still see him every now and then but obviously don't discuss politics. i've told him that one day he will get his ass kicked by anti-fa and that i won't feel sympathetic for him when he does. there's no logical explanation behind the change. i suppose he just realized that he was a racist fuck who "feels sad when he sees white people in intimate relationships with non-whites" (direct quote btw).

bugs me to this day why he decided to go down that path, especially considering he was almost an opposite reflection of his current self way back. sucks.

That's so sad :crying:
Did he ever say why he became a fascist?

[Ostrinski]

Also, some of our post-left anarchist comrades would probably identify as "ex leftists" i.e. they used to identify with "the left" but now don't and are still communists.

[GerrardWinstanley]

They're very common in the media, but the only one I know personally, who I won't name (he's reasonably well known on the blogosphere), is an ex-Green who later joined the Liberal Democrats, situated himself with the Orange Bookers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_Book:_Reclaiming_Liberalism) (the rightwing faction of the party) after the Lib/Con coalition government was formed and then left to become an independent libertarian.

I'll be honest. We used to be good friends, but our friendship soured a bit long before his views changed. I consider him a person of the Right, but he'd probably resent that. Maybe things would have been different if that hadn't happened, but I'm sure I'm not that important in the scheme of things. :lol:

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

How could anyone actually become an ex-leftist in the sense that they discover so many compelling pieces of evidence as to why society is degenerate and then discard it... for what?

[Grenzer]

if anyone has any right to left transition stories, I would love to hear them too.

I'm still more curious about the story of how you went from being an anarchist to a Stalinist. Can you share that one with us?

[campesino]

a

[Tjis]

How could anyone actually become an ex-leftist in the sense that they discover so many compelling pieces of evidence as to why society is degenerate and then discard it... for what?

Someone's class position can change. It is entirely possible to accept a materialist conception of history and a Marxist analysis of economics while still owning a company or financial capital, and sticking with one's own self-interest rather than giving up ones privilege for the sake of the working class.
Also, someone can be a communist for various reasons. Understanding Marxist theory is not a requirement for calling oneself a communist (or even a Marxist). People get involved with communist organizations for various reasons, such as being attracted to activism, liking a party's aesthetic, being inspired by its leadership, having friends within the organization, etc. When these things change, so can ones affiliation with communism and the left.

[campesino]

a

[GerrardWinstanley]

I'm still more curious about the story of how you went from being an anarchist to a Stalinist. Can you share that one with us?I think the avatar may be a clue. ;)

[Jack]

I'm still more curious about the story of how you went from being an anarchist to a Stalinist. Can you share that one with us?
There are a lot of us that have done that if you check out the Ex Anarchists group, my first 2 years here if any older users remember I was an anarchist.

[Grenzer]

There are a lot of us that have done that if you check out the Ex Anarchists group, my first 2 years here if any older users remember I was an anarchist.

Well not to derail this too much, but what caused you to consider Marxism-Leninism?

[Czcibor]

I once knew a libertarian, who said he was an ex-leftist, but I really didn't ask him why. By leftist he probably meant liberal.

I can't imagine someone being an ex-leftist.

if anyone has any right to left transition stories, I would love to hear them too.

My friend started as left wing and evolved somewhere around centrist with leaning towards free market. I started with monarchist (free market, slightly against nationalism but authoritarian) leanings when I was at the end of secondary school. Now I'm presumably unorthodox, but according to pools moderate right wing.

Reason? In both cases the same. More life experience and in both cases MA in economics. With increased knowledge it's simply harder to endorse some policies, regardless whether that mean ceasing believing in perfectly working markets or ceasing believing in high efficiency of state.

[Jack]

Well not to derail this too much, but what caused you to consider Marxism-Leninism?

The completely juvenile attitude and positions taken by anarchists pushed me into a more serious revolutionary group, I read what I could after that and here we are.

If you look at some of my old posts you'll see typical imperialist-apologizing posts from my anarchist days, railing against Stalin, Trotsky, FARC, etc.

[Makarov]

I think that when some people claim they are of the left-wing, when they are "poor" (lack of better term). And by some miracle have more money, maybe getting into management at a job, they become more right-wing. (thus ex-left)

I know people like this, who are not real leftists. Just "temporary".

[Domela Nieuwenhuis]

I once knew an ex-leftist...he was just never right...:D

[JamesH81]

I have considered myself a Left Communist and that is not Leftism ! .... :-)))) !

[Rafiq]

All ex-leftists were always consistent bourgeois ideologues and never did away with those ideological presupposions. They were essentially just waiting to be devoured by them.

[Tjis]

The completely juvenile attitude and positions taken by anarchists pushed me into a more serious revolutionary group, I read what I could after that and here we are.

If you look at some of my old posts you'll see typical imperialist-apologizing posts from my anarchist days, railing against Stalin, Trotsky, FARC, etc.

Really though, how much of that juvenile attitude and imperialist-apologizing was because of anarchism? You seem to be suggesting here that these are inherent traits of anarchism and I take offense to that. Just because you can now look back at a 2 years younger you and notice that there's a lot of positions you now disagree with doesn't mean anarchism is shit. It just means you grew politically, an expected development if you join an organization and read things.

[Bronco]

I can't imagine someone being an ex-leftist.


Why can't you imagine it? I think it's relatively common for people to consider Socialism to be for the naive and idealistic, or whatever, and renounce it as they grow older. There's quite a few prominent members of the Labour party (UK) who used to identify as communist


I could be wrong but I think the user "Deicide" who was an ardent anti-Stalinist renounced Marxism and started supporting Austrian Economics after he was banned.

lol seriously, always thought he had a fair amount of sense

[Zukunftsmusik]

I could be wrong but I think the user "Deicide" who was an ardent anti-Stalinist renounced Marxism and started supporting Austrian Economics after he was banned.

anyone has some more info on this?

[Zealot]

I could be wrong but I think the user "Deicide" who was an ardent anti-Stalinist renounced Marxism and started supporting Austrian Economics after he was banned.

Why am I not surprised. But I also have the same question as Zukunftsmusik.

[Anarchocommunaltoad]

Well I'm not ex leftist but this site definitely has turned me off of most forms of anarchism and a elite permanent vanguard (mods and their committed user acolytes)

[Domela Nieuwenhuis]

Well I'm not ex leftist but this site definitely has turned me off of most forms of anarchism and a elite permanent vanguard (mods and their committed user acolytes)

Vanguards i get, but i got to ask: why turned off of anarchism?

[Anarchocommunaltoad]

Vanguards i get, but i got to ask: why turned off of anarchism?

Irrational double talk (we should kill the pigs and put workers militia's in their place. How are they not redcops? They're not pigs!) and my realization that anarchism may create an odd form of competition that would devolve and is incapable of controlling things like space exploration

[Domela Nieuwenhuis]

Irrational double talk (we should kill the pigs and put workers militia's in their place. How are they not redcops? They're not pigs!) and my realization that anarchism may create an odd form of competition that would devolve and is incapable of controlling things like space exploration

I have to ask...aren't you fed up with your name then?

[Anarchocommunaltoad]

I have to ask...aren't you fed up with your name then?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

[RedHal]

I could be wrong but I think the user "Deicide" who was an ardent anti-Stalinist renounced Marxism and started supporting Austrian Economics after he was banned.

lol, I would like to see proof of this too. But if true, that is some sad shit right there. His whole political position is based on his experience on an internet forum?

[freehobo]

Yeah I am an ex leftist. I think EVERYBODY is a leftist when they are 16?

However I reject the left/right characterization of politics in general.

[Jason]

Yeah I am an ex leftist. I think EVERYBODY is a leftist when they are 16?

However I reject the left/right characterization of politics in general.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. A lot of kids are solidly right wing. In fact, they incorporate that feeling into thier rebellious outlook.

[The Machine]

im an ex leftist in real life. i havent done leftist shit or associated with leftists in years. im still a leftist in my head though, most of the time.