Greetings from Dem_Soc

[Dem_Soc]

Hello

Im a 21 year old student from the UK. Currently regard myself as a democratic socialist and have only recently (well about a year or 2 years) become interested in politics and
left wing politics in particular. Still got a lot to learn and im open minded with regard to political ideas.

Iv'e read the big boys like marx and Engels, currently reading Gramsci's prison notebooks ,haven't got passed the introduction at the moment so know more about the history of his life rather than his actual thought , though I understand his concept of cultural hegemony from web based sources. Im also interested in Rosa luxemburg's ideas and her criticism of lenin.

I am undecided as to wherever I favour an evolutionary or revolutionary path to socialism, though I am wavering towards the revolutionary.

Anyway hoping I can learn from more experienced left wingers and that I can contribute something positive to this community.

[Comrade J]

Hey, welcome to RL, you sound like a decent member to have in debates.

Hope you like it & stick around.

[Dem_Soc]

Thanks for the welcome

[Qwerty Dvorak]

What do you study?

[Raúl Duke]

Hello...

Welcome!

I suggest a revolutionary course because history shows that after many years (practically a full century) of evolutionary path/reformism we haven't even reach any closer to communism and many of the old reforms are being dismantled as we speak by the elite (and they have no intentions of putting them back unless it's in the most temporary way). Most social democratic/socialist democratic parties have turned away from the goal of socialism...like the Labour party, CPUSA (although they're a communist party...yet who act as the Democratic Party's "rrrevolutionary" cheerleaders), etc. Those are my 2 cents.

Well, hope you enjoy the boards ;)

[Dem_Soc]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22, 2007 09:01 pm
What do you study?
I study computing and i'm in my final year of study. It's alright as a subject, though I am mainly doing it for possible employment opportunities, rather than having a genuine passion for the subject.

I used to be more passionate about it and actually enjoyed some aspects of it, but now a lot of it bores me. I was thinking of doing a philosophy degree before I undertook my current degree but I sacked that off at the last minute because I figured it wouldn't give me skills a potential employee would want (not to demean philosophy students or graduates, I think it is a very important subject, but more of an acedemic one than job centered one).

[Dem_Soc]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22, 2007 09:06 pm
Hello...

Welcome!

I suggest a revolutionary course because history shows that after many years (practically a full century) of evolutionary path/reformism we haven't even reach any closer to communism and many of the old reforms are being dismantled as we speak by the elite (and they have no intentions of putting them back unless it's in the most temporary way). Most social democratic/socialist democratic parties have turned away from the goal of socialism...like the Labour party, CPUSA (although they're a communist party...yet who act as the Democratic Party's "rrrevolutionary" cheerleaders), etc. Those are my 2 cents.

Well, hope you enjoy the boards ;)
Yeh I am starting to believe that a revolutionary path is the only way to a workable socialism, but on the other hand i'm not for the extermination of political dissenters and poltical opposition to a socialist party as eventually happened during the russian revoloution....

Bascially if there was a revoloution tommorow and a ruling socialist party started silencing political oppostion I would be fundamentally opposed to that socialist party. I would support propaganda against people who would be against said revolution, but I would not want a silenced media/political repression to an unwanted degree.

To me socialism isn't about oppression of alternative views, but a steady progression towards an ideal, I think a vital part of that progress is a free and open debate about politics and ideas, a free exchange of ideas in an open community.

So I spose I would support a revolution as long as the masses were behind it and guided it's actions, I would hope any such revolution would not lead to the gulugs as it eventually did in the degenerated soviet union.


This quote from Rosa Luxemburg covers how I feel on this matter preety accruatly

'Without general elections, without unrestricted freedom of press and assembly, without a free struggle of opinion, life dies out in every public institution, becomes a mere semblance of life, in which only the bureaucracy remains as the active element. Public life gradually falls asleep, a few dozen party leaders of inexhaustible energy and boundless experience direct and rule. Such conditions must inevitably cause a brutalization of public life: attempted assassinations, shootings of hostages, etc.'

Basicaly I think I'm still struggling to forumulate my ideas related to how a socialist world could be achieved in any workable sense, but I guess that's the question on the brain of every socialist since the theory of socialism was invented, it is indeed the question of socialism.

[Raúl Duke]

Basicaly I think I'm still struggling to forumulate my ideas related to how a socialist world could be achieved in any workable sense, but I guess that's the question on the brain of every socialist since the theory of socialism was invented, it is indeed the question of socialism.

Don't worry comrade, this is what this site is for. It provides everyone with lots of information and the opportunity to debate on theoretical and practical questions.

:)

[spartan]

Welcome comrade!

I hope that you enjoy your time here at revleft!

[luxemburg89]

Welcome, you're at the right place to learn. I'm sure we'll all learn from you too :D .

[blackstone]

Originally posted by Dem_Soc+October 22, 2007 05:33 pm--> (Dem_Soc @ October 22, 2007 05:33 pm)
[email protected] 22, 2007 09:01 pm
What do you study?
I study computing and i'm in my final year of study. It's alright as a subject, though I am mainly doing it for possible employment opportunities, rather than having a genuine passion for the subject.

I used to be more passionate about it and actually enjoyed some aspects of it, but now a lot of it bores me. I was thinking of doing a philosophy degree before I undertook my current degree but I sacked that off at the last minute because I figured it wouldn't give me skills a potential employee would want (not to demean philosophy students or graduates, I think it is a very important subject, but more of an acedemic one than job centered one). [/b]
Sheesh, you sound like me. Growing up i loved computers and programming. But that was for fun, i hate being forced to do things. Why do i gotta program the fibonacci sequence? Why do i gotta do bubble sort? I just wanna make silly programs. :)