Bestway to Create Class Conciousness in the Worker

[The-Spark]

Now what would be the best tactic to create class conciousness in the proletariat. Definatly when there is such a harsh anti-communist propaganda everywhere.
Personally i think we should reexplain what communism really is, what socialism is, why imperialism and capitalism is bad, and how communism would work in that specific country (say Canada). if we distribute this information massively to the proletariat and such than maybe they'll have a better understanding of what we stand for and that we are there for them

What are your opinions and/or tips.

[Faux Real]

Explaining the horrors capitalism has created since it's inception and how it relates to everyday people, including them.

[More Fire for the People]

Originally posted by [email protected] 06, 2007 07:17 pm
Explaining the horrors capitalism has created since it's inception and how it relates to everyday people, including them.
The reverse of this.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

In a word: Struggle.

So, give up trying to force it down their throats.

When their experience clashes with the bo**ocks they been fed on, then they will be ready to listen.

[RNK]

Twofold. First, we've got to start to really work at undermining the anti-communist propaganda in ways that will be understandable to the masses. Second, like rev0lt said, highlighting what capitalism is, what it means and what it's done. Of all the time I've spent talking to people about communism, most of them know nothing about it, know very little about what capitalism actually is, and very little about what's going on in the world. This is important. Many people simply don't think about it because they don't have to.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

The above method will appeal to idealists and to those who treat Marxism as a religion (which Maoists do), but not materialists who hold that changed material circumstances, brought on by struggle, are what change ideas.

This 'teach the masses' sort of idealism meshes well with the top-down approach to 'socialism practiced by the CCP.

It has nothing to do with Marx, for whom social being determined consciousness.

[Cencus]

A political zealot sounds as bad as a religious zealot to the uninitiated. Be subtle, leave questions unanswered so people have to think for themselves. Use people's own intellegence to your advantage. Even getting folks to fill out online political quizzes can bring people to new insights. Use 21st century language, not obscure terms. Proletariat=working class bourgaise=rich etc sounding like an intellectual snob pisses folks off.

There's nowt more offputting than someone trying to ram an idea down your throat.

[rouchambeau]

In a word: Struggle.

So, give up trying to force it down their throats.

When their experience clashes with the bo**ocks they been fed on, then they will be ready to listen.
Seconded. Class consciousness is a product of struggle.

[bloody_capitalist_sham]

I'm trying to convince this guy at my work that the BNP aren't going to make things any better and that trade unions aren't useless.

However he's worked at my place for 20 years and knows a thing or two so i don't want to alienate him and come over all commie.

He's basically saying, look at the miners, and the fact that they went on strike loads, and now there is no miners union or really even a mining industry left.

Also, he's not racist (I'm pretty sure about that) but he's under the impression that the BNP will make Britain a better place to live.

If anyone has got any good arguments that i can work with, but they must not sound socialist or left-wing or i fear he might disregard it.

[Dr Mindbender]

ive contemplated distributing propaganda around my workplace, round the desks and canteen etc. If i got caught though id be down the benefit office before i knew about it! :(

[Dr Mindbender]

Originally posted by [email protected] 07, 2007 05:57 pm
I'm trying to convince this guy at my work that the BNP aren't going to make things any better and that trade unions aren't useless.

However he's worked at my place for 20 years and knows a thing or two so i don't want to alienate him and come over all commie.

He's basically saying, look at the miners, and the fact that they went on strike loads, and now there is no miners union or really even a mining industry left.

Also, he's not racist (I'm pretty sure about that) but he's under the impression that the BNP will make Britain a better place to live.

If anyone has got any good arguments that i can work with, but they must not sound socialist or left-wing or i fear he might disregard it.
Hmm youre asking a lot there cause frankly the best arguments to beat the fascists are 'socialist' and 'left wing'. I suppose you could appeal to his base interests and say, '' do you like curries and kebabs?'' (or anything else which is a benefit of multiculturalism) if he says ''yes'' then you can say ''if the BNP ever get into power then all of those things will be gone''. Might seem petty but in some cases it might just work.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Of course, this does not mean that we should not argue our case where we can -- but without ramming it down anyone's throat!

This is the difference between agitation and propaganda.

The consciousness of ordinary people (workers and those from other classes) is uneven.

In some cases we can win people to our ideas, in ones or twos.

But, en masse, it takes struggle to shift hundreds, if not thousands of workers.

I saw this in the UK miners' strike back in 1984/5.

At the start they were largely homophobic, but the gay community supported them financially (etc), and later, the miners were happy to have gay banners at the front of their marches.

At the beginning they had their own 'page 3' pin-ups in The Miner, but as they received support from women's groups, they removed them.

You just could not have won them over on these issues otherwise.

In the StWC in the UK: back in 2002 muslims were largely suspicious of the left. As we organised the huge anti-war marches, they changed. Practice altered their view of us, and of women.

I can recall on the first march I went on (the huge one in London on Feb 15 2003) young muslim men were arguing that no non-muslims should be there, and definitely no women. Later, say in Novemeber 2003 (when we 'welcomed' Bush to London), you just did not hear those arguments anymore -- they did not fit --, and I saw young muslim men happy to march alongside 'infidels', and women.

[RNK]

Originally posted by Rosa [email protected] 07, 2007 10:33 am
The above method will appeal to idealists and to those who treat Marxism as a religion (which Maoists do), but not materialists who hold that changed material circumstances, brought on by struggle, are what change ideas.

This 'teach the masses' sort of idealism meshes well with the top-down approach to 'socialism practiced by the CCP.
Funny. Next time, try being more consistent in your crazy ultramaterialist ramblings. :rolleyes:

Get off your ass, agitate for change, and stop focusing on creating some obscure ideology that removes all responsibility for carrying out any action.

As I said, education and agitation.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

RNK:


Funny. Next time, try being more consistent in your crazy ultramaterialist ramblings

Get off your ass, agitate for change, and stop focusing on creating some obscure ideology that removes all responsibility for carrying out any action.

As I said, education and agitation.

As I said:


The above method will appeal to idealists and to those who treat Marxism as a religion (which Maoists do), but not materialists who hold that changed material circumstances, brought on by struggle, are what change ideas.

This 'teach the masses' sort of idealism meshes well with the top-down approach to 'socialism practiced by the CCP.

It has nothing to do with Marx, for whom social being determined consciousness.

Thanks for confirming it.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Depends on which worker and who is doing the creating, though.

Personally, I think I'm only capable of enhancing class consciousness (albeit enormously), not creating it. That my education is unusual for a typical leftist or "leftist" - business and finance - is both an enormous "asset" and a "liability" (business-speak).

Business school or some other non-traditional education (the stereotypical leftist and "leftist" having taken merely the humanities, philosophy, "political science," and even economics bereft of business applications) helps in that it forces students to start asking structural questions.

My class consciousness, believe it or not, may have been triggered back at high school (albeit from a "moral" perspective), but was really enhanced when I took up business and finance. I never read any key Marxist (specifically "Leninist") work first-hand until afterwards (although I read articles and commentaries on socialism and history before).



Rosa, I must counter you a bit with Gramsci's theory of hegemony and Say's Law. Agitation and propaganda go hand in hand. The problem is that the wrong propaganda is being disseminated, based on the assumption that workers are incapable of knowing what you're talking about.

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Thanks for that Hammer; I did not intend to counterpose them.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Originally posted by Rosa [email protected] 07, 2007 04:06 pm
Thanks for that Hammer; I did not intend to counterpose them.
^^^ Here's an "interconnectivity" curve ball at you (just kidding :D ):

What about activity amongst single-issue groups (thread) (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=69803&st=0&#entry1292375628)?

[Rosa Lichtenstein]

Nice one, Hammer, but I have never denied inter-connectivity, I just deny we could ever know that everything is interconnected, and worse, wtf that could possibly mean.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Originally posted by Rosa [email protected] 08, 2007 09:45 am
Nice one, Hammer, but I have never denied inter-connectivity, I just deny we could ever know that everything is interconnected, and worse, wtf that could possibly mean.
^^^ I said that was a joke (and I did read your PMs). Geez&#33; <_<

Anyhow, back on topic with class consciousness and my question (how single-issue groups can create class consciousness through their agitprop).