Are communist publications too "strident?"

[Ol' Dirty]

I read PLP publications -a lot of people I know are in it- sometimes (Challenge, their Manifesto), but sometimes the things they write are very boisterous: "Save Darfur For Who? For U.S. Rulers Oil Empire," "Wanted For Murder: Racist NYPD KKKop." Does the language they uses help them or hurt them? Why or why not? :huh:

[dannthraxxx]

I dont think it hurts them. I would say it helps them if anything. They're attention catchers to say the least. If the things they print are truthful things, why would it matter if they headline them in a loud manner? I think it makes them seem passionate about what they're writing if anything. Being passionate and straightforward with your writing is the only way to come across to some people.

[BreadBros]

I would say it hurts them in terms of attracting a wider readership. It portrays society as being a cartoon-ish struggle between good and evil and omits any of the complexity inherent in a materialist assessment of capitalism. Most people, even those lacking formal education, are sophisticated enough to look at headlines like that and (correctly) assume the newspaper either offers a very basic and simplistic assessment or does not offer much analysis at all and is instead hyperbolic and aimed 1. solidifying the theoretical unanimity of group members 2. recruitment.

[Wanted Man]

Well, we are talking about the PLP here. It's like asking if communists are a bit weird after having read MIM's webpage.

In my opinion, it's very important to set a certain goal when making a communist publication: what are your priorities? Your target audience? Will it be a mostly internal party paper about party life, theory? Or an activist paper about organization and some light theory, to be sold at demonstrations? Or a mass paper with a revolutionary slant that you can approach randoms on the streets with?

For the third, and sometimes the second, it's obviously not a good idea to have headlines like "The AmeriKKKan Empire murders millions" or whatever.

[Kropotkin Has a Posse]

Reducing capitalism and its ills into mere catch phrase and ad-homs is not going to foster the free thinking mentality a revolution needs.

[Janus]

Does the language they uses help them or hurt them? Why or why not?
The PLP's use of extreme rhetoric is actually quite rare particularly when compared to some other leftist organizations. However, this language is used for a specific reason; mainly to catch the reader's attention and incite him/her. Yes, it is likely to turn someone off but that person is most likely not the target audience that the PLP envisioned for their paper. In the end though, I think it's best if such strong bias and sensationalist material were to be avoided for credibility reasons.

[dannthraxxx]

Originally posted by [email protected] 13, 2007 03:25 am

Does the language they uses help them or hurt them? Why or why not?
The PLP's use of extreme rhetoric is actually quite rare particularly when compared to some other leftist organizations. However, this language is used for a specific reason; mainly to catch the reader's attention and incite him/her. Yes, it is likely to turn someone off but that person is most likely not the target audience that the PLP envisioned for their paper. In the end though, I think it's best if such strong bias and sensationalist material were to be avoided for credibility reasons.
exactly, i agree completely.


i'm not really familiar with plp. but the titles of what he posted seemed like news headlines to me, and if it's sort of a news publication, i think those headlines are fine.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

This sort of chest-beating bluster has been around for generations; it helps cover up the fact that our movement is a long term failure.

I have no doubt it will continue for some time, since that fact has not yet sunk in, nor is it likely to while we not only do not learn from our mistakes, we refuse even to admit to failure.