Is the name important?

[benhur]

I am sure most of you must've experienced this. Every time we describe ourselves as communists, people give us that weird look, or get into an argument. :(

Is it better to drop the name and find something else more acceptable? Are names that important? Sometimes, I think they are, other times, I feel otherwise. It's conflicting.:crying:

What do others think? Is it more practical to replace certain words in order to generate appeal?

[Dóchas]

ye i totaly agree whenever iv said im a communist its either a total conersation killer or the person im talking to immediately becomes aggressive if we could kinda tone it down a bit it might seem more acceptable but then we might just be changing the name to suit the society we are fighting its a tough one

[Holden Caulfield]

i usually say im a socialist or marxist and then explain my views, as a lot of people think that communism = stalinism

[F9]

Definitely saying what you are, and dont care how others react!
This is being said from someone who when says that he is an Anarchist people connect me usually with hooligans, and in some cases with nationalists-facists :confused::rolleyes:!
So yeah fuck their reactions and try to prove their opinions wrong.Remember we DO want people asking questions about us(except police and state of course) so they get to know us better and who knows join us!

Fuserg9:star:

[piet11111]

i call myself a marxist when people ask but usually i avoid the label and just talk about the political standpoints i hold and end with the "and that is how communism as i see it works" just to see their faces after agreeing with me the whole time.

[Dóchas]

i call myself a marxist when people ask but usually i avoid the label and just talk about the political standpoints i hold and end with the "and that is how communism as i see it works" just to see their faces after agreeing with me the whole time.

i like that, thats pretty clever i might use that one!!

[#FF0000]

I say I'm a communist straight out. No one I ever met in class or work gave me trouble about it. They either don't say anything about it (the upper-level students do this, out of fear of me or something. I don't know) or they get curious and it starts a good discussion (lower-level students and co-workers do this).

[Plagueround]

I generally present my ideas, wait until I get a bunch of nodding heads and exciting faces, then tell people where they can find more on the subject. ;)

[redguard2009]

I am forthcoming about the fact that I am a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist, though I usually have to explain that it is a "type of communism", and present all of the major key points of Maoism. Chinese people usually love me for it, everyone else seems disinterested. I've only been heckled when I'm selling or handing out literature, and even then very rarely. But in my beligerent nature I do not shy away from making it known who and what I am. Gotta face that shit head on!

[Wanted Man]

Absolutely. I always tell people that I'm part of "Marxism Wow!" And instead of a hammer and sickle, my group uses a happy-looking Buddy Marx as its symbol.

[RedScare]

I rarely get any trouble for calling myself a communist, but I can usually see people's faces change slightly when I say that, and it becomes increasingly harder to convince them after that.

[JimmyJazz]

I generally present my ideas, wait until I get a bunch of nodding heads and exciting faces, then tell people where they can find more on the subject. ;)

This is the way to go imo.

[Catbus]

I usually refer to myself as a libertarian communist. Sometimes an anarchist. I guess it depends what mood I'm in and who I'm talking too. I always go in depth with my explanations though. I just hate when I refer to myself as an anarchist and get automatically written off (happened in a debate in an economics class last year).

[Sankofa]

I won't hide the fact that I'm a Maoist from anyone. However, the thing is, I have no one to tell since I so rarely have a chance to have an intelligent political conversation with anyone here.

If I were to have such a converstion, I agree that laying out all your points first is essential, because propaganda has gotten so thick that once people hear those four syllables: communism it mentally triggers a red flag (pun not intended! :lol: )

[Vendetta]

It's the negative connotations of the word, kudos to the Cold War.

[chegitz guevara]

What you call yourself, in the end, is less important than what politics you advance. In general, I think comrades ought to assess the situation and decide to label themselves accordingly. If you are talking to someone who likes the politics, but would be turned off by the name, fuck the name. It's just a name.

A comrade I knew back from my days in Spark worked at a job (after we had both split from Spark) where, during lunch, most of the woman would sit down at a common table and talk. Being the commie she was, a lot of the discussion centered around politics, and a lot of people were interested in her opinions. Finally, one of the women said to her at the table, "You're a communist, aren't you?" To which my comrade replied, "Yes, I am." The woman got up and left the table saying, "My husband warned me about people like you." But all of the rest of the women stayed. They said, "You're really a communist? All that stuff was communism? Tell us more"!!! That is what you want. You want people to become engaged and ask you questions.

[alpharowe3]

I get dirty looks when i say im a commie & no1 has any interest in politics, usually my peers talk about sex, drugs or violence

[ev]

When the term 'communist' is bought up a lot of people think back to whatever pro-capitalist propaganda that they have been taught in the past and then they verbally regurgitate it. As if in a capitalist society people would be taught another political ideology, they want people to be ignorant. If they do teach you it will only be the negative aspects of the ideology like how many people have died under the name of communism among other trivial shit. I wont hide under another name or technicality, fuck ignorant people. I'll teach anyone who has an open mind.

[LOLseph Stalin]

The name makes a huge difference. When my conservative friends accidently found out I was Communist they completely ignored me until I said I was "Socialist". Oddly enough they didn't mind that. They're the kind of people who believe Communism=Stalinism.

[alpharowe3]

Most ppl i talk to think the terms capitalism, democracy, & republicanism are interchangeable...

[LOLseph Stalin]

Most ppl i talk to think the terms capitalism, democracy, & republicanism are interchangeable...


Sad... They're not.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I have a story related to this.

I know a friend from Cuba, who emigrated to the U.S. on a raft with his father when he was in his mid-teens. He hates communism, or at least what he perceives as communism (his native country, in other words). And when I say hate, I mean detest...he has many choice words about Fidel Castro.

One day, though, the subject of surplus value came up (I can't remember how it came up). Anyway, I explained the concept to him, without mentioning communism at all, and a very thoughtful look came over his face and he said, "Huh. I never really thought about it like that."

I've found that many people find socialist ideas more acceptable if you don't attach certain buzzwords to them. Or, rather, point them in that direction before hand by explaining concepts, then explain some of the history.

[ZeroNowhere]

I am sure most of you must've experienced this. Every time we describe ourselves as communists, people give us that weird look, or get into an argument. :(

Is it better to drop the name and find something else more acceptable? Are names that important? Sometimes, I think they are, other times, I feel otherwise. It's conflicting.:crying:

What do others think? Is it more practical to replace certain words in order to generate appeal?
Why not try joining the 'Campaign for a Working Democracy', formerly the officially De Leonist 'New Union Party'?
Otherwise? I usually don't bother using the terms 'socialism' and such unless it is to defend socialism/Marxism/communism, for example, when a teacher brought up how Obama would bring socialist policies to the US (she supported it). I also occasionally use the term Marxism-De Leonism when asked what I believe.
However, if you are, say, a Leninist or Trot, it would make more sense to tell them your beliefs before naming them.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

The popular response to words like communism and socialism largely depends on which country you're in.

"We often react to party labels rather than to the actual proposals which are put before us. This was demonstrated very clearly in a study in which farmers and workers in the United States were interviewed with respect to their voting intentions, their party preferences, and their approval or disapproval of various lines of action. They were found to disapprove of Socialist and Communist parties and candidates, and yet approve of the measures proposed by these parties rather more than those proposed by their more conservative opponents. When it is a question of election, therefore, these people would have voted against the measures which they actually favoured because of their stereotyped view of Socialism." -H.J. Eysenck, Uses and Abuses of Psychology

[Foldered]

I usually say Socialist or Communist depending on the context.

[ashaman1324]

people are generally taken aback by myself saying im a communist and the reaction varies. some people dont care, but most try to argue with me though. its only the assholes who make a big deal about it, and they can't really do anything about it except *try* to argue about it.

[benhur]

Seems as if almost everyone has had experiences similar to mine.:(

Maybe, we should go with Left-Libertarianism, it sounds cool.:cool:

[chegitz guevara]

Left-Libertarianism, however, means anarchism.

[cop an Attitude]

I normally say somthing along the lines of marxist or anarcho-communist. If I ever say right out I'm communist, people just think that I'm for a heavy state power, some even call me other things (i've had signs for a left club with stuff like hippie and nazi wrote on it, which makes no sense anyways.) :glare:. I normally dont even give it a name, people dont understand it so I might as well just say individual views and have them peice it together. If they ask then I would but besides that I normally dont tell them what I concider myself.