What can I do?

[flaming bolshevik]

So schools starting soon and I was thinking about trying to "convert" (for lack of a better word) people to marxism. Pretty much everyone in school is reactionary and I doubt many people would take me seriously but is there any way to spread the word? Should I even try?

[Buzzard]

So schools starting soon and I was thinking about trying to "convert" (for lack of a better word) people to marxism. Pretty much everyone in school is reactionary and I doubt many people would take me seriously but is there any way to spread the word? Should I even try?

Look in student clubs, I turned a student or two into socialists through amnesty international and environmental clubs. people without interest are without interest, but a lot of students ARE interested in change but dont know where to look other than reformist, mainline junk

[LiaSofia]

I think student clubs are the way to go. First see whether there is activism of any kind within your school - environmental volunteering is maybe the most mainstream thing you could find out about. There could be other ways of getting involved such as through student councils or Model UN. I realise most of the issues brought up at those meetings will not be marxist in any way, but it is an opportunity to meet politically inclined people, as well as to engage students in lengthier discussion than you'd get by just approaching them in hallways. If your school really is that reactionary and it doesn't have any of those things then you can always start your own club.

Find out who is a democrat. You know they will be more sympathetic to leftist views, all you have to do is get them to consider a few new concepts.

I'd advise against doing the 'hi, have you ever thought of converting to marxism?' kind of introduction for a number of reasons. Mainly because those labels have a very negative connotation and using far-left jargon will immediately make people defensive. Trust me, if they see the words 'dictatorship of the proletariat' at the top of your flier this will stop them from being open to anything else you're saying. The indirect way is best.

But also don't be afraid to challenge reactionary comments whenever they come up, especially if they're being made by teachers. ;)

[Hrafn]

(You could try to stop turning Chile into an anti-imperialist force)

I personally would advise against trying. People in high school usually aren't interested at all, or will turn to other ideologies when they're done with yours.

[LiaSofia]

I personally would advise against trying. People in high school usually aren't interested at all, or will turn to other ideologies when they're done with yours.

I've found the opposite to be true. Teenagers don't think they're interested in politics but that's just because they're disillusioned with the current system and don't feel as though their actions have any impact in real life. If you start a group discussion about current affairs you'll find that everyone has an opinion but nobody seems to realise that what they're talking about actually is political.

In my school's philosophy class we studied political philosophy and the level of interest in those lessons was greater than in any other subject I took. People liked it because it went beyond learning what was in a textbook and into real questioning and debate.

Another more recent example happened at the place where I work. We organised an event with a local secondary school, so there were a few students visiting and helping out for a day. A lot of young people have a low opinion of immigrants, but after we explained the work we did and introduced them to real asylum seekers their attitudes began to change. Find a teenager who starts off thinking immigrants are taking advantage of our benefits system and get them to distribute donated clothing to a family or let them hear the experiences of someone their own age who has had to travel to the other side of the world and leave behind all their friends and relatives. Then give them a booklet explaining the 'myths' about refugees. If they're still listening you might be able to tell them about why the tabloids can't be trusted as accurate sources of information. The teenager says he'll speak up the next time he hears someone making anti-immigration comments. Proof that you can 'convert' a person in a short space of time.

Teenagers are still forming their own opinions and looking for meaning in their lives. Younger teens and older children usually have a stronger sense of fairness than adults and appealing to this sense of justice is a great way to introduce basic ideas about communism. Don't wait until they're adults.

[The Jay]

I would focus on studying yourself and talk casually with people.

[Blake's Baby]

I don't think there's any harm in clubs, and you could get a certain amount out of it (no matter what anyone else does with it, or afterwards). A political discussion forum might be a good idea. Even if it attracts Right-'Libertarian' types, you'll become more familiar with their arguments and develop your own against them. But you might find some people who are coming at politics from some sort of 'left' or anti-capitalist perspective.

Hmm. Why isn't there an 'Occupy High School' movement?

[Orange Juche]

So schools starting soon and I was thinking about trying to "convert" (for lack of a better word) people to marxism. Pretty much everyone in school is reactionary and I doubt many people would take me seriously but is there any way to spread the word? Should I even try?

People don't like to listen if you get up in their face, start more with just engaging with people where they're at, and ask questions. "Wouldn't it be better, though, if you got to vote at the workplace", things like that. See who's more open to checking out new ideas rather than who already has concrete opinions, try and engage with the people who are open to new ideas.

I'd start just by casually talking and engaging.

[NextElement]

I've started doing it as well, subtly, with my own very conservative group of friends. You don't have to come out and use the words "socialism" or "communism", but I think you'll find a lot of people will agree with the ideas attached to those words. What I've found is that young Christians are a great group to start with.... It's hard to ignore the fact that Jesus probably would've been a socialist!

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I think there are important life lessons you can apply to teaching others about radical politics. If you became a radical, it probably means the methods applied in school and church didn't work (since their purpose is, obviously, not to produce communists). It follows that one should avoid emulating their methods if one wants to successfully teach anything: Don't preach. Don't school.
I highly recommend Paulo Friere on this matter - what you want to do is have dialogue - to share with your peers. Don't go into it with an attitude of having "the answer". You likely have the questions (ie - the very questions that led you to your conclusions), so make that your starting point. Share your questions. Study the answers you get, and refine the questions. Repeat.

[Red Economist]

So schools starting soon and I was thinking about trying to "convert" (for lack of a better word) people to marxism. Pretty much everyone in school is reactionary and I doubt many people would take me seriously but is there any way to spread the word? Should I even try?

I would say that this is a skill that takes a lot of time and building up your confidence. You should not expect to 'convert' people as becoming a radical is never an entirely rational process of "changing your mind"- it involves a lot of emotional 'weighing up' of more moderate alternatives before dismissing them.

Best thing is to make yourself available and open about your politics and wait for people to come to you because they want to find out about it and are genuinely interested. There is kind of a "dripping tap" effect, where simply by being there and bringing up subjects they wouldn't normally talk about, you end up changing people's views or behavior in subtle and unexpected ways. The main thing is getting past the point where they feel intimidated by you because you're "different" and feel uncomfortable in case the stigma of having 'different' ideas is 'contagious'.

It is important to keep in mind that often trying to 'convert' someone else is really a way of covering up our own insecurities, doubts and that profoundly uncomfortable sense of isolation that comes from standing from the crowd. It's not easy to deal with and when you feel vulnerable like that, it can make you become very anti-social because you feel 'under attack'. Their is a lot of peer pressure to give up or change your beliefs; most people are oblivious to it, but the pressure to conform is very real and tough. The difference between trying to 'convert' someone to 'forcing' your beliefs on to them is a thin line and is not a good way to go, but to some extent is part of learning to have your own convictions irrespective of what others think. I think the best advice is to find a group of relatively left-leaning liberals, who enjoy being around different ideas, like being free and rebel occasionally and most importantly- don't take things too seriously ad are good to be around, but you will probably feel like their 'pet' radical for a while. Politics and relationships is a difficult mix no matter where you are.

oh, and don't let the politics take over you're life; from personal experience I can promise you will miss out on a lot of things and when you start to grow up it really sucks to look back and think your a jerk/nerd because of your politics. don't let it stop you having fun.

[LiaSofia]

most importantly- don't take things too seriously ad are good to be around, but you will probably feel like their 'pet' radical for a while. Politics and relationships is a difficult mix no matter where you are.

This is very true. If you're well liked and fun to be around then people will automatically be more open to your ideas than if they don't like you. Sounds obvious but it can get overlooked. When you're determined to get your message across, you can forget that the message is not just what's being said but who's saying it.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

sell papers for an organization and argue over who was better: trotsky or stalin.

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

sell papers for an organization and argue over who was better: trotsky or stalin.

don't forget to wear Russian military surplus and remember that the most important issues in the world today are about something that happened almost a hundred years ago.









E:
but seriously it would be a great idea to study Paulo Friere's work for the reasons TGDU set out. Honestly I think all communists should consider reading him.

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

I think there are important life lessons you can apply to teaching others about radical politics. If you became a radical, it probably means the methods applied in school and church didn't work (since their purpose is, obviously, not to produce communists). It follows that one should avoid emulating their methods if one wants to successfully teach anything: Don't preach. Don't school.
I highly recommend Paulo Friere on this matter - what you want to do is have dialogue - to share with your peers. Don't go into it with an attitude of having "the answer". You likely have the questions (ie - the very questions that led you to your conclusions), so make that your starting point. Share your questions. Study the answers you get, and refine the questions. Repeat.

I support this completely. Avoid labels, dogmas, buzzwords etc. and just present a view openly, encourage pluralism.

[The Idler]

Free food.
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Good speakers.