New comrades.

[AGITprop]

I've noticed that over the last couple months, there has been a more rapid influx of comrades on this site than usual.

I think this is reflective of the fact that social relations are changing. The economy is spiralling downward and people are looking for solutions, and those who know the solutions want somewhere to focus their energy.

What do you all think? Is it just me?

[Awful Reality]

Well I don't think people are like "Oh my god I just found out I'm being exploited I'm going to RevLeft.com," but I do think you are right in that 1) The economic situation is having immediate impact, and 2) There have been many new members. Can a mod remove this from chit-chat?

[Os Cangaceiros]

Personally, I've found that there has been a resurgence of interest in anarchism and radical positions in general within the last few years in the U.S.

I think that the future is bright for inspiring political awareness, which is refreshing after the 90s. Let's just hope that it's the "right kind" of political awareness that gets inspired.

[AGITprop]

Can a mod remove this from chit-chat?

And put it where?


But I agree with your points.

I wasn't implying that people are purposely seeking out Revleft, exactly.

[Awful Reality]

And put it where?

In politics, maybe. I think it's too, what's the word, serious for Chit-Chat.

LOL at your avatar. Kicks ass.

[Sentinel]

I've moved this to Learning for now. Let's see how it develops, maybe we can move it to Theory if it gets 'indepth'.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

Worsening economic conditions spur resentment, but I don't think that's a curious occurrence. People become disillusioned with different organizations whenever the environment turns sour, whether it be the government, economy, community, or even family.

I would say that the hype associated with the 80s and 90s has faded. All the problems associated with the Soviet model have been shuffled aside and a new generation of thinkers have come to question the very same system. We're probably experiencing one of the worse periods in economic activity for quite sometime: the poverty rate has rebounded to 15%, education is terrible, the cost of necessities have increased by over 150% since the '70s, job security is nonexistent, small businesses are making less and less - it's natural that people would break from social norms and explore heterodox theories.

Indeed it's a vindication of materialism.

[Awful Reality]

Why is this back in Chit-Chat?

[Dust Bunnies]

Now its in Learning I guess... Well I came here after looking up Cold War propaganda (I love that stuff). I had already learned about Socialism and Communism before, but when I found an active Socialist board, I came. I think the influx is a good sign of that people are looking out there, trying to learn now. I think this influx will last for a while.

[Post-Something]

Nah, I've been interested in communism for ages, you're looking at this too structurally.

I just so happened to search "leftist forum" one day :)

[Forward Union]

I've noticed that over the last couple months, there has been a more rapid influx of comrades on this site than usual.

I think this is reflective of the fact that social relations are changing.

I think the claim that society is becoming class concious and that revleft is growing as a result is absurd. Class concious workers get active in their unions. People who like to discuss things a little less serious come on revleft.

Do you think any of the new members here, came here because they have been involved in the class struggle, in their workplace or community and thought, "im taking this to the next level - Im joining revleft" I certainly hope not, or it's a poor reflection on the working class.

It's probably got more to do with the fact that Rage Against The Machine have started touring again, and Red Alert 3 is coming out.

http://ecetia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/redalert3.jpg

[Kropotesta]

Do you think any of the new members here, came here because they have been involved in the class struggle, in their workplace or community and thought, "im taking this to the next level - Im joining revleft" I certainly hope not, or it's a poor reflection on the working class.

no one insinuated this. Isaak merely pointed out a possible increasing interest in this site, that could be related to the potential economic collapse.

[Pacifistic Liberty]

For me as a new comrade I've always been interested in communism and joined up once i found the site as a want to learn more about socialism/communism in a more serious environment with having to attend formal meetings or anything of that sort, it just seemed like a simply way to compare my viewpoints and theories with other like minded persons.
Also speaking as a high school student I'm seeing alot of others who are at the very least liberal and most leaning to the far left.

[rampantuprising]

I think the claim that society is becoming class concious and that revleft is growing as a result is absurd. Class concious workers get active in their unions. People who like to discuss things a little less serious come on revleft.

Do you think any of the new members here, came here because they have been involved in the class struggle, in their workplace or community and thought, "im taking this to the next level - Im joining revleft" I certainly hope not, or it's a poor reflection on the working class.

It's probably got more to do with the fact that Rage Against The Machine have started touring again, and Red Alert 3 is coming out.

i think thats a very unfair assumption. if people want answers, and they have the internet, i would think that revleft would be a place that they would not only look to be educated about certain agendas, but to be able to discuss various viewpoints as well. i know many rage against the machine fans, and most of them wouldnt be able to tell you the difference between a communist and a capitalist, let alone get in involved in Revleft just because rage told them to.

[#FF0000]

http://ecetia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/redalert3.jpg


Oh hell yes.

But seriously, I don't think it's that people are becoming more class-conscious. I think they're just becoming a bit disillusioned with the system and are becoming interested in alternatives.

I wouldn't call this interest "class consciousness", though.

[Mala Tha Testa]

i don't remember exactly how i found revleft, but i joined because i had become more class-conscious, but didn't know exactly what i identified with and here i am looking

[Bastable]

Like a number of fellow new comrades have already said, I too have been interested in communism for a while, I only just made any move to act upon that interest.

[gla22]

Nah, I've been interested in communism for ages, you're looking at this too structurally.

I just so happened to search "leftist forum" one day :)

same story here.

[Os Cangaceiros]

http://ecetia.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/redalert3.jpg

I'm not very fond of the USSR, but Soviet kitsch is awesome. :lol:

[Dean]

I think the claim that society is becoming class concious and that revleft is growing as a result is absurd. Class concious workers get active in their unions. People who like to discuss things a little less serious come on revleft.

Do you think any of the new members here, came here because they have been involved in the class struggle, in their workplace or community and thought, "im taking this to the next level - Im joining revleft" I certainly hope not, or it's a poor reflection on the working class.

It's probably got more to do with the fact that Rage Against The Machine have started touring again, and Red Alert 3 is coming out.

I disagree with your assertion. I think it may mirror the economic conditions, but I seriously believe that people are turning to libertarianism much more than marxism recently. I noticed this long before the Ron Paul bullshit, too.

The site is probably growing as a result of increased internet usage, which is a continual process, and the election season.

[gla22]

I think there is too much negativity toward Ron Paul. He would be an improvement for the U.S. He is similar to us in a few ways

Protection of personal freedoms
Ending U.S imperialism

Libertarians are much more refreshing than dems or repubs.

BTW. love soviet propaganda posters from an artistic standpoint.

[Dean]

I think there is too much negativity toward Ron Paul. He would be an improvement for the U.S. He is similar to us in a few ways

Protection of personal freedoms
Ending U.S imperialism

Libertarians are much more refreshing than dems or repubs.

BTW. love soviet propaganda posters from an artistic standpoint.

Ugh.

[RHIZOMES]

Libertarians are much more refreshing than dems or repubs.

yeah free market capitalism is soooo refreshing! There's nothing I'd want more than monopolies, cartels and collusion with no interference from the government!

[Kwisatz Haderach]

I think there is too much negativity toward Ron Paul. He would be an improvement for the U.S. He is similar to us in a few ways

Protection of personal freedoms
Ending U.S imperialism

Libertarians are much more refreshing than dems or repubs.
No, he would bring the US back to the 19th century, with all the exploitation and horror that entails.

I have explained why libertarianism is dangerous and a threat to the working class in this thread (http://www.revleft.com/vb/libertarianism-t76628/index.html?p=1145525#post1145525).


I disagree with your assertion. I think it may mirror the economic conditions, but I seriously believe that people are turning to libertarianism much more than marxism recently. I noticed this long before the Ron Paul bullshit, too.
I have noticed a similar worrying trend, but I have always reminded myself that my personal experiences are not representative of the general population so it may just be that I tend to run into more libertarians than the average person. What is your experience on this matter? Do you think that the number of libertarians really is growing overall at the expense of other ideologies? If so, we should start doing something about it.

[Peacekeeper]

I think there is too much negativity toward Ron Paul. He would be an improvement for the U.S. He is similar to us in a few ways

Protection of personal freedoms
Ending U.S imperialism

Libertarians are much more refreshing than dems or repubs.

BTW. love soviet propaganda posters from an artistic standpoint.

I can't understand what Kucinich sees in him. He's a goddam Anarchist (no disrespect meant towards Anarchists. I exaggerate).

[Os Cangaceiros]

I think there is too much negativity toward Ron Paul. He would be an improvement for the U.S. He is similar to us in a few ways

Protection of personal freedoms
Ending U.S imperialism

Libertarians are much more refreshing than dems or repubs.

BTW. love soviet propaganda posters from an artistic standpoint.

The problem with Paul (and the American school of libertarian capitalism in general) is that it combines an anti-state ideology with laissez faire capitalism (which has historically needed the state to perpetuate itself, often involving heavy state intervention, contrary to popular belief). If one wishes for the state as a political body to be done away with, people first need to have certain principles in place (like egalitarianism, a sense of community, etc.) to perpetuate a tolerable society in the state's absence. Capitalism hasn't (and never will) perpetuated these values. But of course most informed people already know this; I'd go as far as to say that this belief is not limited to leftists, as well. Most people would balk at the idea of unbridled capitalism and the extermination of social programs.

Actually, Paul is a curious case: he counts people like Mises and Rothbard amongst his chief ideological influences, yet worships at the altar of the United State's Constitution, and is himself mired in what fellow loony Ayn Rand called the "God-family-country swamp", plus he is against abortion. These positions differ considerably from the traditional fringe of libertarianism, so for this reason I'd actually hesitate to label him as belonging to said group. I'd classify him more as a paleoconservative.

However, Paul does earn my grudging respect for opposing the Iraq War from the beginning.

[RedAnarchist]

I can't understand what Kucinich sees in him. He's a goddam Anarchist (no disrespect meant towards Anarchists. I exaggerate).

Who is? Neither Paul or Kucinich come close to being Anarchists.