What am I, politically? - What -ism do I fit into?

[CubanFox]

Is there any sort of test that tells me what slice of the leftwing movement I fit into? Socialism? Stalinism? Castroism?

Or, failing that, could someone ask me some questions then determine what I am?

[Pete]

You are CubanFoxist

[Ian]

Stuff tests mate, just say you are one of these (marxist, socialist, or communist) and just remember not what you are, but what you most definately are not, in our age of ultra-left sectarianism thats the way many people think.

[革命者]

Quote: from Ian Rocks on 1:39 pm on June 3, 2003
Stuff tests mate, just say you are one of these (marxist, socialist, or communist) and just remember not what you are, but what you most definately are not, in our age of ultra-left sectarianism thats the way many people think. don't use communist-- states are communist, not ppl.


Sub-Comandante Scotty

ps. you almost have 1000 posts, Ian. How exiting!! :biggrin: :)

[Sensitive]

Shrug, don't worry about labels.

Personally, I like and agree with a variety of communist thinkers and revolutionaries (Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Che, etc). However, the endless debates between various sectarian leftist factions (Marx "purists" vs. Leninists, Stalinists vs. Trotskyists or Anarchists vs. Everyone Else) annoys the fuck out of me. We all agree on establishing a just, classless and democratic society (socialism). We just don't always agree on how to reach that final point. All of the various leftist factions need to begin working together to achieve the common goals that we all desire (socialism; ending racism, sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, patriarchy, etc; the preservation of our environment). Instead of looking at the negative aspects of various leftist thinkers, revolutionaries and leaders we should instead look at the positive (what they accomplished), and be inspired by them! The only individuals that should be rejected are those that are not truly left. The homophobes, the sexists, the racists and the supporters of imperialist aggression - these, along with our class enemy and its fascist defenders are our true enemies. They are the ones we should be attacking, not other pure leftists!

[redstar2000]

I think labels are not very useful as well...but many people seem to need them as some kind of "short-cut" to "understanding".

People ask "what are you, anyway?" and are usually unwilling to spend several hours listening to you briefly summarize your views.

One way to respond is to turn the tables on them: "What do you think I am? What do I sound like to you?"

However they respond, there's an opening for a lengthy political conversation...always a good thing, right?

Sometimes a label just "feels right"...I have always been comfortable with "Marxist" even though many "religious Marxists" would consider my views "heretical".

But my advice is not to "force it"...keep reading, keep discussing, until you find yourself a place where you start to feel really confident about your ideas...where things really start to fit into a coherent political "world-view".

There's no "rule" in the left (though sometimes it "looks" that way) that says you must take a particular stand and you have to do it right now.

Better to take your time and get it right.

:cool:

[革命者]

"leftist" "supporters of imperialist aggression" can be persuaded, i am sure.

and quite frankly they are more helpful than the sectarians(hence the word!!)

[Fiskebat]

Whats special with Castroism?

[Kez]

fuck labels,
just keep reading, and once you like the values of certain revolutioaniaries stick to it, let others call u a label. Important is to have wide knowledge, otherwise ur shanked

[peaccenicked]

I am nothing I should be everything just like everyone else.

''A Millennium To Win!

Well, at least the Millennium is over. All we have gained is the world's third largest hangar (the Dome) and possibly the world's largest hangover. But, looking through bleary eyes onto yet another morning of wage slavery, do we have anything to look forward to?

We do. Bear in mind that the "Millennium celebrations" are an attempt to dislocate our genuine hopes for the future onto a Dome and a date. Our excitement for the marvels of our technology and self-understanding, and the changes in life that they would permit, is transmuted into an expensive symbolisation of these wishes, and a hangover. But the fact that the "powers that be" felt the urgent need to provide the Dome, to pander to our aspirations even as they are denied in reality, is a clear and present demonstration that THOSE ASPIRATIONS ARE THERE. It might be worth going to see the Dome, just to see how scared the ruling class has become of our imaginations.

The new century sees a dichotomy in needs between the West and the Third World. Whereas, in world historical terms, the Third World is at about the point we were in 1900 at best, needing socialism as an end to hunger and material deprivation of all kinds, the Western working class now suffers from a more general malaise. The irony of starvation on the one hand, and obesity on the other, merely demonstrates that the root cause of all our problems lies not just in the deprivation of material goods, but the deprivation of human life in general. "I am nothing, and should be everything!" is Marx's revolutionary slogan. The Left merely insisted that we were nothing, and should be fed.

So, where to from here? The answer is already emerging. The demise of the Left is allowing genuine revolutionary sentiment for the OVERTHROW OF CAPITALISM AS A SYSTEM to re-emerge: demonstrations over the last year, however imperfect, are signs of this. Our problem, if any, is that the world is overripe for change! But we need always to remember that when Marx referred to socialism as a NEW MODE of production, he meant a new mode of social life, not some equalisation of the capitalist work process. We have to realise that socialism is not utopia, but better than utopia, a different way of life revealed by the poverty of this one; invest our hearts and minds in this our real future; and fight for it single-mindedly. We have nothing to lose but our chains: we have a world to win.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Worldsocialism page. The Dome is a Brit thing.

[the SovieT]

"don't use communist-- states are communist, not ppl. "
NO!.... states are SOCIALISTS there is no such thing as a communsit state...
communism is the absent of state...
the final stage of socialism..
communist state = grosse stupidity
socialist state = a pre communist society..
get that in your heads geeezus how many times do i have to repeat myself?


"fuck labels, "

funny a couple days ago you were defending the ban on stalinists and anarchists...

sounds like labeling and stupidity to me...

[Comrade Raz]

I agree with most of you when you state that there is no need to catagorize where someone fits into society, but if you do want to take a test there is a very good one at:

http://www.politicalcompass.org

There are many statements and you have to express youre opinions on them whether you disagree etc.
There are also estimations at where certain famous political figures such as Stalin, Hitler, Ghandi and others fit into the equation the results are presented on a graph with four extremes communism and it's opposite capitalism and the anarchism and it's opposite facism.
It's fairly simple.

[Faceless]

I did that political compass thing a while back. Its not that good though. I'm more of an anarchist than Ghandi! (to my great surprise)