My introduction(& return to the left)

[brainiac3397]

Greetings.

I decided to join here because I've always been on the radical spectrum a bit(though not the crazy variant, if such a thing exists). I used to be a communist in my youth(having studied it extensively. I admit, I was more attracted to it by Engels than Marx. Maybe his beard just had better charm). Then I became a socialist(I was influenced by Eric Blair/George Orwell, especially his personal writings). Later moved into libertarianism(Ayn Rand mainly, and objectivism). I gave that up when I moved into a totalitarian mood(after reading 1984). Obviously this led me to The Doctrine on Fascism by Mussolini, making me interested in fascism.

Yes I know, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!".

Well, I later figured that my actual attraction was to nationalism, and not much of fascism appealed to me(a few main points of it didn't appeal that is). All this didn't really come up till I decided to join a fascist forum(a community of mature folk discussing serious fascism, what could go wrong?). IronMarch was it's name, some of you may have heard of it.

Well, it turns out they were nothing more than a 4chan-esque circle-jerking wannabe edgy "radicals" who believed fascism was "hardcore" and anyone who didn't adhere to their 4chan style sophmoric behaviors antics were "autistics spergers".

Needless to say...I pretty much just gave up on fascism on the spot, because "hey, they lost and the left won". I guess I returned to my roots as a communist(I spent most of my time as a communist, defending it against all the propaganda the education system spouts about it and ignorant people believe).

Of course my main beliefs are populism, progressivism and nationalism. No matter what ideology I supported, these 3 "tenets" always remained. Of course I'm always been a lefty, maybe because I've found a bit less hate on the left(and also that the hate is more of a system rather than a people).

I hope this forum doesn't turn out to be a mistake like my experience on IronMarch was, but from all I've seen from my short browse, I'm finding this place a place of camaraderie(in fact...I'm tempted to subscribe!)

[Bala Perdida]

You have an anarchist sign integrated with the hammer and sickle, but you're a nationalist. Weird. Well, welcome to the forum, and back to the "radical" left. Please feel free to post questions and concerns. Also don't go to strong on the nationalism. You seem nice so I don't see any reason to call you on it now, but nationalism isn't the forum's favorite tendency. I guess it depends on what kind of nationalism you preach.

[BIXX]

I have a tattoo of the symbol on your avatar.

However, I don't know that you understand what it means- it is an anarchist-communist symbol, and as far as I've heard/can tell, there is no place within the anarchist-communist movement for nationalism, unless you mean something that I don't when you say nationalism. Care to tell us about your opinions?

Nice to have you here! Don't take the harsh climate as a sign that we don't like you- it's like that for everyone, and it has to do with the charged nature of this site.

[Sinister Intents]

Greetings and welcome. I don't care at All for nationalism, but welcome none the less. Please enjoy your stay

[Os Cangaceiros]

Are you saying that you read 1984 and found the society described in the novel to be appealing? :ohmy:

[Ritzy Cat]

Welcome to Rev Left.

Why are you nationalist?

[brainiac3397]

I think civic nationalism is the proper term. Silly me, should have pointed that out. Not necessarily the usual interpretation of nationalist.

As for 1984, I didnt necessarily find the exact example appealing(it was pretty atrocious) but there were certain aspects of it I had plucked out and developed on. Course that phase didnt really last long(a bit longer than the fascist phase since there wasnt really a community with the same ideas. Ever hear of a populist totalitarian regime with civic nationalism?).

While the symbol isnt exactly too accurate, it stems from a previous belief that I had involving the creation of a socialist totalitarian regime that would be stripped down to anarcho-communism. I thought that a national identity through a soft form of nationalism would keep the society together as it glided into an anarchist community.

While I still have communist and leftist preferences, I retain the symbol because it represents a sort of sentimental reminder. Kind of reminding me of the good ideas hidden among all the bad ones(based on historical examples, if possible, and sometimes personal opinion).

So in simple, Ive left anarchy for civic nationalism, but retained the symbol as a reminder of where my beliefs stem from(seeing that Ive been using the symbol for quite some time).

Hope Im not straying here. I sometimes have a habit of going on about a topic...

[motion denied]

I don't know if I fully understood the reason why you're a nationalist. :unsure:

That might be because I'm drunk though.

[Bala Perdida]

Hope Im not straying here. I sometimes have a habit of going on about a topic...
Most of us do that, you'll fit right in.

[Q]

Welcome :)

If you have political questions, you can ask them in the Learning forum. That's why it's there after all!

If you have questions about your account, don't hesitate to send me a PM or ask here.

I too find your nationalism also strange. It indicates to me some elementary confusion on your politics as, someone else indicated earlier, communism and anarchism are incompatible with nationalism in basic philosophy (although quite a few groups in practice hold socialism-in-one-country notions).

Anyway, I hope you'll clear up your views soon :)

[brainiac3397]

I hope to clear up my confusion too...especially since I wasn't a big fan of the idea of nationalism.

Maybe I should get back to reading some leftist literature, and revisit that marxist site with all that communism info. Then Ill be left with only populism and progressivism! :)

Course if there's one biggest influence...Its the beard. I wonder how long it'd take me to get to Marx or Engel size.

[Sinister Intents]

I hope to clear up my confusion too...especially since I wasn't a big fan of the idea of nationalism.

Maybe I should get back to reading some leftist literature, and revisit that marxist site with all that communism info. Then Ill be left with only populism and progressivism! :)

Course if there's one biggest influence...Its the beard. I wonder how long it'd take me to get to Marx or Engel size.

Here is this: Anarchy Archives (http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/)
This: Anarchist FAQ (http://anarchism.pageabode.com/afaq/index.html)
and this: Marxists Internet Archive (https://www.marxists.org/)
All just to help with reading material :)

[ArisVelouxiotis]

Nationalism is a 18th century bourgeiosie invention and it's stupid but whatever.I don't think it's obvious that socialism lead you to fascism.Care to explain?(Yeah I know mussolini was socialist at first)

[Thirsty Crow]

Hi and welcome.
Right off the bat, don't you worry, the crazy variant you mention exists :lol:

Now, as for nationalism. I hope you're open to reconsidering your views, and there are a lot of resources and discussions, especially in learning sub-forum that could provide you some insight into the communist view on nationalism. Though, there's no such monolithic, single view. I'll just comment on one of your statements:


I thought that a national identity through a soft form of nationalism would keep the society together as it glided into an anarchist community.
Have you asked yourself which forces actually tend to drive society apart? This is implicit in your recognition that soft nationalism is necessary to keep it together.

In short, one of the most profound causes is class division and its consequences - and I maintain that nationalism is in fact one of the latter, capital being a global phenomenon and force, as much as the working class is a global class.
For this reason, radical social transformation is also necessarily global. How do you think nationalism works here? I'd say that it is in fact a grave threat for the outspread of revolution.

Also, can you clarify your views on populism and "progressivism"?

[brainiac3397]

After some thinking and analyzing, I think it proper that nationalism be shoved under the bus of the proletariat. Im starting to remember why I was anti-nationalist a while back.

As for populism...I'm finding it improper a term now. Perhaps vanguardism is what I really aim for.

As for progressivism, I'm going to stick to it as a social progression to better the human condition(I have a liking for the Age of Enlightenment).

I'm starting to see why I was a communist longer than any other ideologies Ive sampled(and obviously felt displeased or unfilled, considering how I made a circle back).

I recall being a fan of Trotsky, but that was probably due to my dislike of how Stalin was running the show(though appreciative of Lenin, intrigued by Marx while fascinated by Tito, invigorated by Mao at first, and revolutionized by Castro). I think Ill stock to "Communist" plain and simple for now. :)

[brainiac3397]

*Pardon the double post. I wasnt entirely sure the first post had gone through. Some differences because I wrote them hours from one another and obviously didnt have a copy of the first one to make it verbatim*
After some reflection and analysis, I've decided to climb aboard the bus of the proletarians and commit a hit & run on nationalism. It's now under the bus! :)

I also think populism is now in fact the wrong term(and thus wrong idea I've had). I've found vanguardism to be the more appropriate term to have as a thought.

As for progressivism, well that still stands. Firstly because I'm a fan of the Age of Enlightenment, and secondly because I do believe that there should be progress to improve the human condition.

I guess I'm getting a bit more re-acquainted with my old self. Interesting how I traveled across the political spectrum, and ended up coming back to communism. A interesting experience though, personally experiencing most of what those ideas offered and the truth about them.

Glad I joined this forum really...helped bring back what I had thought lost. Now I'll go through the various people of communism and list them by favorites(Marx-Engels, though I've been a bigger fan of Engels as a person. Trotsky was a favorite of mine, followed by Lenin...or derived from Lenin. Tito was pretty unique in my opinion. Mao was interesting in the beginning. Castro and Guevara were invigorating, as people and revolutionaries. Not a big fan of Stalin)

I think "communist" will suffice for now, plain and simple. I've also remembered my dislike of nationalism now. Course maybe I've "mellowed" and there isn't necessarily a form of rage, but I find it...destructive? or disruptive?

[leukotripsy]

Well, it turns out they were nothing more than a 4chan-esque circle-jerking wannabe edgy "radicals" who believed fascism was "hardcore" and anyone who didn't adhere to their 4chan style sophmoric behaviors antics were "autistics spergers".


I could say the same about this site, though I haven't been here very long.

"Well, it turns out they were nothing more than a 4chan-esque circle-jerking wannabe edgy "radicals" who believe anarchism/communism/marxism was "hardcore" and anyone who didn't adhere to their 4chan style sophomoric behavioral antics (fixed that for you) were "racist, sexist, capitalists".

Pot, meet kettle.

[motion denied]

I'm seriously offended by the association.

I have not browsed 4chan in years, mmkay?

[Zoroaster]

Greetings.

I decided to join here because I've always been on the radical spectrum a bit(though not the crazy variant, if such a thing exists). I used to be a communist in my youth(having studied it extensively. I admit, I was more attracted to it by Engels than Marx. Maybe his beard just had better charm). Then I became a socialist(I was influenced by Eric Blair/George Orwell, especially his personal writings). Later moved into libertarianism(Ayn Rand mainly, and objectivism). I gave that up when I moved into a totalitarian mood(after reading 1984). Obviously this led me to The Doctrine on Fascism by Mussolini, making me interested in fascism.

Yes I know, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!".

Well, I later figured that my actual attraction was to nationalism, and not much of fascism appealed to me(a few main points of it didn't appeal that is). All this didn't really come up till I decided to join a fascist forum(a community of mature folk discussing serious fascism, what could go wrong?). IronMarch was it's name, some of you may have heard of it.

Well, it turns out they were nothing more than a 4chan-esque circle-jerking wannabe edgy "radicals" who believed fascism was "hardcore" and anyone who didn't adhere to their 4chan style sophmoric behaviors antics were "autistics spergers".

Needless to say...I pretty much just gave up on fascism on the spot, because "hey, they lost and the left won". I guess I returned to my roots as a communist(I spent most of my time as a communist, defending it against all the propaganda the education system spouts about it and ignorant people believe).

Of course my main beliefs are populism, progressivism and nationalism. No matter what ideology I supported, these 3 "tenets" always remained. Of course I'm always been a lefty, maybe because I've found a bit less hate on the left(and also that the hate is more of a system rather than a people).

I hope this forum doesn't turn out to be a mistake like my experience on IronMarch was, but from all I've seen from my short browse, I'm finding this place a place of camaraderie(in fact...I'm tempted to subscribe!)

Nationalism? I, uhh... Well, I... You see...

http://www.marxists.org/archive/deleon/works/1900/000726.htm

[LiaSofia]

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone going through such a wide range of political ideologies. :lol: At least it means you haven't stopped thinking and questioning.

Though I'm glad you moved past the Ayn Rand stage. And the fascism thing...