A little help?

[Cheif45]

Hello. I am having.. conflicting views of things, as an adamant Communist, I strongly dislike Capitalism, I dislike our current world affairs, and I dislike the Pseudo-Democracies we have. But.. I rely heavily on the fruits of Capitalism. The Internet, for one.. my electronics (Phone, Computer, Television and others) for every day use.. is it, "Ok" to use Capitalism to boost Communism? Everytime someone brings up politics around me, we talk of the different ideologies and we talk about the fact that, even though I "label" myself as Communist, I still use my smart phone, my laptop, I still spend money at private corporations, and I even work for the symbol of Capitalism; McDonalds. Does this make me a bad Communist?

[ellipsis]

moved to learning.

[Jesus Saves Gretzky Scores]

Of course not. You have to live based on capitalism, that's the society we live in. You wouldn't blame a capitalist in a communist society for having to do communist things.

[Nom De Plume]

One has to do what they can to survive. If a person was to avoid supporting capitalism absolutely, they would not be able to survive in a Western country. Simply living in a capitalist state perpetuates capitalism - there is no way to escape it. However, one can, as you partly alluded to, use these 'capitalist' tools as a way of spreading communism. I don't see this as particularly bad communism, more a communist who knows how to adapt to his/her context. The old methods are all but obsolete, so perhaps there is no way to spread communism without somehow supporting capitalism - kind of ironic.

Seems the ends do justify the means here.

[BIXX]

I don't think you are. I too have A smartphone which my grandpa bought me, and I can't support morally its existence, because I know that there are people in china who work insanely hard to build this essentially useless technology. If it was created under conditions that actually benefitted the worker then I might feel better about it. But this led me, for a while, to feel bad about myself as an anarchist communist. I felt like a traitor, in a way. Especially as I live in an area where people are constantly trying to be "more prole than you". I eventually decided that the best thing I could do is when my grandpa (who isn't rich, he just has no idea about how to save money) stops making the service payments for it, I'll either sell it at a pawn shop or give it to someone who is less fortunate than I am.
Overall, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't my fault due to the impossibility of living a communistic life in a capitalist society.

[La Guaneña]

Even if you decide you're not buying a new tablet and a notebook, and stop eating mcdonalds, you're still paying rent, buying food somewhere and using a payphone on the street.

We live in a capitalist society, and it's impossible not to use it's fruits, as you said.

Communism is not about boycotting McDonalds, but abolishing private property. Consuming is a necessity in capitalism, and a boycott won't be it's gravedigger.

[Blake's Baby]

As everyone else has said. We need to eat, and for most of us that means we have to work. Working for McDonalds is I'm sure something you don't relish doing . Still, no-one is made to eat there, as far as I know. It's just a shit job. But it's not your decision as to whether society needs you to get a job. If you think about it, it's capitalism's fault, not yours. I think you're the victim in this situation.;)1

Why shouldn't you use the advantages previous societies have given you? When capitalism came along, people didn't give up the wheel or the use of fire or pottery - all invented in previous epochs. Maybe you should mock your tormentors in return for living in houses or wearing clothes - they did that in Ancient Rome after all. The bag was invented 2.5 million years ago - but I bet everyone who mocks you has pockets. Do these things make them 'bad capitalists'? Why haven't they rejected the things of the previous civilisation, if that's how it's supposed to work?

[Comrade Nasser]

Hello. I am having.. conflicting views of things, as an adamant Communist, I strongly dislike Capitalism, I dislike our current world affairs, and I dislike the Pseudo-Democracies we have. But.. I rely heavily on the fruits of Capitalism. The Internet, for one.. my electronics (Phone, Computer, Television and others) for every day use.. is it, "Ok" to use Capitalism to boost Communism? Everytime someone brings up politics around me, we talk of the different ideologies and we talk about the fact that, even though I "label" myself as Communist, I still use my smart phone, my laptop, I still spend money at private corporations, and I even work for the symbol of Capitalism; McDonalds. Does this make me a bad Communist?

You have no choice Comrade. Hell, you could argue that the Revolution needs the internet to thrive.

[Winkers Fons]

Criticizing you for working at McDonald's is especially stupid. All they are doing is pointing out that you are a member of the proletariat! Obviously there is nothing very capitalist about that.

[cantwealljustgetalong]

There's a quote attributed to Lenin that goes something like this: "when we hang the capitalists, they will sell us the rope."
so no. communism isn't based on consumer politics.

[ind_com]

Hello. I am having.. conflicting views of things, as an adamant Communist, I strongly dislike Capitalism, I dislike our current world affairs, and I dislike the Pseudo-Democracies we have. But.. I rely heavily on the fruits of Capitalism. The Internet, for one.. my electronics (Phone, Computer, Television and others) for every day use.. is it, "Ok" to use Capitalism to boost Communism? Everytime someone brings up politics around me, we talk of the different ideologies and we talk about the fact that, even though I "label" myself as Communist, I still use my smart phone, my laptop, I still spend money at private corporations, and I even work for the symbol of Capitalism; McDonalds. Does this make me a bad Communist?

Those are not fruits of capitalism, those are the fruits of the labour of the working classes. The embryo of communism grows inside communism. The working classes already produce everything. Now we want to consume all we produce without leaving most of it for capitalists and their stupid competitions. All of us are entitled to the luxuries that we create, and we will overthrow capitalism in order to take back what is rightfully ours.

[#FF0000]

Peasants needed to eat food from their lord's field. That doesn't mean they supported feudalism.

Communism nor capitalism are lifestyles -- they are modes of organizing society. And they are global and inescapable. There is literally no escaping capitalism and the ~hEgEmOnY oF tHe BoUrGeOiSiE~ unless you live in the heart of the Urals or something. If you want, buy more ethically, but understand that doing so is just a aloe for your ego and doesn't do a whole lot, if anything, to make anything better.