Do you like Lenin?

[RedWorker]

I noticed we have a poll on whether people like Che or not but not one on Lenin. So here it is.
Edit: The poll means whatever you want it to mean. That's why it's in Chit Chat and worded like it is. Depending on how you want to answer, it may mean his politics, his actions, his personality, all three, or something else.

[motion denied]

I like him (critically).

Is probably the only acceptable option. Lenin ftw.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I don't really like him but I admire his shrewd prowess as a political operator. He understood power well.

[The Feral Underclass]

I never knew him...Though he seemed to be into cats, so I might have liked him.

I put "I don't care about him" (although there was no caveat for whether not caring about him also included if you knew his feeling towards cats, which would obviously change my choice to "I like him (critically)", on account of the really horrendously shit politics).

[Blake's Baby]

What has 'liking' got to do with anything? It's possible to be friends with people with shit politics, it's possible to dislike people who have politics close to your own.

But as this is Non-political forum, and maybe in that case politics doesn't have anything to do with anything, then, as The Feral Underclass says... I never met him, so have no opinions on his personality. But he did give up both chess and smoking for the revolution, I'm told, so he may have been really boring.

[The Feral Underclass]

Isn't the 'I neither like nor dislike him' option essentially the same as the 'I don't care about him' option?

[Blake's Baby]

I neither like him nor dislike him, as I don't know him; but I went into the thread thinking that it might be about politics - in which case if that means 'I neither like nor dislike his politics', it doesn't cover my position, which is 'I both like and dislike his politics (getting Russia out of war, all power to the soviets = good, suppression of Kronstadt, one man management, suppression of Anarchists/attacks on Makhnovists, creation of SovNarKom = bad)'.

I'm not indifferent to Lenin's politics. As a person, I am neither indifferent, nor not indifferent, to him - I have no information on which to make a call.

[The Feral Underclass]

What about the cat thing?

[motion denied]

have all of you never had an imaginary conversation with comrade Lenin? or a real one through psychics?


What is wrong with you

[Redistribute the Rep]

I read that Lenin would sometimes remark in private that he was "in love" with Marx, which I find pretty amusing. Also, he liked cats which is a plus. Some people who met him said he was almost like an ordinary guy, who seemed like he was indifferent to the power he had. I think that's an interesting quality. And he liked cats

[Redistribute the Rep]

have all of you never had an imaginary conversation with comrade Lenin? or a real one through psychics?


What is wrong with you

You haven't imagined a conversation with Lenin?

What is wrong with you?

[Sinister Intents]

Lenin is pretty cool; I like him

[Zoroaster]

Sorry, can't say that I like him. I'm a Marxist, but his actions, and his political views, conflict with my views. However, he was absolutely justified with overthrowing that liberal asswipe Kerensky.

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

I rather like him. Critically, of course. Can't say I agree with all of his actions (like executing the entire Romanov family), but I can sort of understand why he felt he needed to take them.

I also believe that his "The State and Revolution" is essential reading for any socialist, even if you don't agree with his conclusions.

[Slavic]

ISome people who met him said he was almost like an ordinary guy, who seemed like he was indifferent to the power he had. I think that's an interesting quality. And he liked cats


http://whereisthebinky.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/usweekly11dl.jpg

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

I noticed we have a poll on whether people like Che or not but not one on Lenin. So here it is.
Edit: The poll means whatever you want it to mean. That's why it's in Chit Chat and worded like it is. Depending on how you want to answer, it may mean his politics, his actions, his personality, all three, or something else.

I like him really well under glass

[The Feral Underclass]

Lenin is pretty cool; I like him

You are the strangest anarchist communist I have ever encountered.

[Rafiq]

Lenin was arguably the greatest Marxist to ever live. Lenin, or his break with the second international was the last harbinger of the mantle of Communism.

[Sinister Intents]

You are the strangest anarchist communist I have ever encountered.

Why is it so weird? I prefer him significantly over Trotsky and I prefer Trotsky over Stalin. I'd have to say Lenin is alright, though his criticism of anarchists is rather daft.

[The Feral Underclass]

Why is it so weird? I prefer him significantly over Trotsky and I prefer Trotsky over Stalin. I'd have to say Lenin is alright, though his criticism of anarchists is rather daft.

Have you ever actually read anything by any of these people?...Or of anyone for that matter...

[Sinister Intents]

Have you ever actually read anything by any of these people?...Or of anyone for that matter...

Yeah, I'm an ex-marxist, but consider myself an anarchist communist mixed with libertarian Marxism. I've read quite a bit Lenin years ago

[The Feral Underclass]

Yeah, I'm an ex-marxist, but consider myself an anarchist communist mixed with libertarian Marxism. I've read quite a bit Lenin years ago

I mean, what anarchist communist talks about the preferences of Bolshevik leaders? What kind of an anarchist analysis comes to the conclusion that one was better than the other? From your reading of all these texts what is it that is so demonstrably different that you can somehow grade them by preference?

You can't wing it, man. You're gonna get busted sooner or later.

[Bala Perdida]

I like when he comes out in the Simpsons and rises from his tomb, to complete the ancient task.

[Sinister Intents]

I mean, what anarchist communist talks about the preferences of Bolshevik leaders? What kind of an anarchist analysis comes to the conclusion that one was better than the other? From your reading of all these texts what is it that is so demonstrably different that you can somehow grade them by preference?

You can't wing it, man. You're gonna get busted sooner or later.

I can't pick a favorite? I like his writings over the other two I mentioned because Trotsky is too wordy, and Stalin, I haven't read any Stalin so I can't judge. I'm highly fascinated by all things Soviet and such. I've read enough Lenin to say I like quite a bit of his stuff even if I disagree a lot now. I'm not a man ;) also what will I get busted for? Making a favorite Bolshevik?

[The Feral Underclass]

I can't pick a favorite? I like his writings over the other two I mentioned because Trotsky is too wordy, and Stalin, I haven't read any Stalin so I can't judge. I'm highly fascinated by all things Soviet and such. I've read enough Lenin to say I like quite a bit of his stuff even if I disagree a lot now. I'm not a man ;) also what will I get busted for? Making a favorite Bolshevik?

https://imgflip.com/readImage?iid=412211

[Sinister Intents]

I love trolling TAT/sTFU :lol: I only like Lenin for things I've read about the person, I can agree with parts of his politics, but not all, I disagree with the Vanguard and the DotP vehemently, to a lesser degree that of the latter.

[Sinister Intents]

Is that supposed to be Jackie Chan? I'm rusty on memes

[Sinister Intents]

I also trolled you with calling Bakunin an antisemite, I've known he's not ;) I've seen you/'ve discuss(ed) that multiple times and you're the reason I know he's not antisemitic

[Sinister Intents]

Who was Lenin to you TAT?

[Slavic]

I mean, what anarchist communist talks about the preferences of Bolshevik leaders? What kind of an anarchist analysis comes to the conclusion that one was better than the other? From your reading of all these texts what is it that is so demonstrably different that you can somehow grade them by preference?

You can't wing it, man. You're gonna get busted sooner or later.

That kind of shit will get you stabbed at your local college's "Communist Club".

[Redistribute the Rep]

http://whereisthebinky.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/usweekly11dl.jpg

Yea that's not what I meant. There's a huge difference between a celebrity doing their grocery shopping and a guy with immense power acting like it's nothing.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

Lenin was arguably the greatest Marxist to ever live. Lenin, or his break with the second international was the last harbinger of the mantle of Communism.

As was foretold in the Prophecy. He carried from birth the other half to the most honorable amulet of the people, containing the rare Voxx Populi crystals, thereby allowing Him to become the Voice of the People. His birth was heralded by 5 red birds flying aloft over his birthing place. He bore a hammer and sickle birthmark on his crown. It's often told to children that he was transfixed with a preservation spell by the magi Stalin; to one day, rise once more, and smash the Kremlin imperialists, strangle the two-headed eagle plaguing the land and bring about a golden age of wisdom and merriment. That he is also the famous Ded Moroz, so celebrated for redistributing gifts to the children. Oh what glee they enjoy.

Lenin be praised. All knowing, Ever Merciful.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

I don't like it, its too scratchy against my skin. On top of that I'm hostile to the flax industry's stance towards hemp.

[Rugged Collectivist]

I like like Lenin :wub: (critically)

[sixdollarchampagne]

I was a Russian language major as an undergraduate, and I attended university in a city with a Russian language bookstore, which had plenty of znachkí (buttons to wear) celebrating Lenin. Trotsky famously held that, without Lenin, the Bolshevik Revolution would not have taken place, so I always thought Lenin was super-cool: we have the great Lenin to thank for State and Revolution, an absolutely essential work that restored Marx' understanding of the state. Lenin also fought for the notion of the party as an association of professional revolutionaries. Furthermore, he made a tremendous contribution in organizing the Communist International. So hurrah for Lenin!

[Rusty Shackleford]

I like like lenin.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Some days when I start to think "People need to wake the fuck up and realize capitalism sucks before it's too late", I feel my inner Leninist surfacing and almost like the idea of backward masses being strong-armed through a revolution, even if that means redefining socialism.

Sorry if that's too serious for Chit-Chat. I guess Lenin's personal history is pretty interesting, and he had a nice hat.

[Art Vandelay]

Some days when I start to think "People need to wake the fuck up and realize capitalism sucks before it's too late", I feel my inner Leninist surfacing and almost like the idea of backward masses being strong-armed through a revolution, even if that means redefining socialism.

Sorry if that's too serious for Chit-Chat. I guess Lenin's personal history is pretty interesting, and he had a nice hat.

There is nothing about Leninism that conforms to the notion of strong arming the masses through the revolution. He also didn't redefine socialism, that's a Stalinist distortion.

[The Intransigent Faction]

There is nothing about Leninism that conforms to the notion of strong arming the masses through the revolution. He also didn't redefine socialism, that's a Stalinist distortion.

Oh don't be so daft or I'll have you sent to a gulag...

[Prometeo liberado]

Lenin was arguably the greatest Marxist to ever live. Lenin, or his break with the second international was the last harbinger of the mantle of Communism.

Lenin did what almost all reds said they would do, commit, study, examine and action. A life spent on Praxis. had he lived ......well no one can say but he was a great leader and organizer.

[Blake's Baby]

Is that what the working class needs then? It can't manage to lead and organise itself, it needs a great man to come along and mould it into the right shape?

[Palmares]

Get preserved in a public glass display, or die tryin'.

Putin is the next Lenin! :tt2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-IG3u38Sjg

EDIT: Man... can never get this youtube coding right!

[Asero]

:wub:oh lenin:wub:

Why is there no "I love him" option.

[Mass Grave Aesthetics]

:wub:oh lenin:wub:

Why is there no "I love him" option.
Oh Lenin
and you came
and you gave
without taking.

I'm very ambivalent about the guy myself.

[Futility Personified]

I'm not really academically read or even generally read apart from snippets from here or there. My answer is the cop-out of I liked some of the things he said, not all.

On that note, I should probably read some actual leftist theory instead of half-assing it based on stuff I read on the internet in articles already interpreted by someone else. It's like eating food that someone else has been tasting.

[Ele'ill]

good thread revival glad this one is back

[Brandon's Impotent Rage]

I like Lenin both as a thinker, and as a character.

He's like one of the ultimate byronic heroes of human history. An extremely charismatic, idealistic, intelligent, and driven individual who gets so very close but ultimately fails in his end goal of a socialist society.

He didn't just leave his mark on history, he seared it into history's skin with a hot iron.