Not talking about politics

[TheRedAnarchist23]

I have noticed in a lot of posts here on revleft people saying they don't talk about politics, I talk about anarchism all the time, so I have managed to get 3 people interested and 1 turned anarchist.
If you don't talk about your political philosophy how are you going to achieve revolution, you need people to know the alternatives to capitalism in order to end it, if you don't tell them how are they to know?

I tell people about anarchism, I criticize authoritarianism, and I spread propaganda.

In conclusion I am an activist: once in history class my teacher said that portugal after the 1974 revolution became a democratic country, I laughed and explained why it was not democratic and that true democracy is rule of the people; when my math teacher spoke about the school system I did a critic of it and explained that it could be made much better; When some of my fellow students were doing a presentation they had made about telecommunications and they said that globalization could spread capitalism, I of course knew that if they said that was because it was written online, so I asked what capitalism was, they could not answer and I was then envited by the teacher to explain, so I managed to explain capitalism, anarchism and socialism that day to the whole class.


You should follow my example and become activists.

[Per Levy]

so I managed to explain capitalism, anarchism and socialism that day to the whole class.

i hope you explainnation was better then "comment 52 explains everything". besides that your understanding of anarchism and socialism might be somewhat faulty, judging from the discussions with you about that topic on here.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

i hope you explainnation was better then "comment 52 explains everything". besides that your understanding of anarchism and socialism might be somewhat faulty, judging from the discussions with you about that topic on here.

Trust me I explained it well, I explained that the system of the Soviet Union was not socialism and that anarchism and communism are similar, and that capitalism is bad for your health.

EDIT: Post #52 does explain something, I don't know what it is, but I am pretty sure it explains it; you guyd were saying that anarchism was a tendency of socialism, I needed a break to explain why it was not in another thread, so I came up with "read post #52 it explains everything" to keep you guys distracted whille I was making the other thread.

[honest john's firing squad]

This.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/blog.php?b=7720

This is not activism.

[honest john's firing squad]

^On the other hand, one could say that is actually a perfect parody of "activism".

[TheRedAnarchist23]

How is it not activism, it is better than not talking about politics and "having a life".

[honest john's firing squad]

How is it not activism, it is better than not talking about politics and "having a life".

talking smack in math class doesn't make you an activist

[TheRedAnarchist23]

talking smack in math class doesn't make you an activist

Not doing anything to achieve revoltion and calling oneself a revolutionary doesn't either.

Whille you are "having a life" I am contributing towards revolution by telling people about anarchism, if you can't do even that then you are not a revolutionary

[NorwegianCommunist]

That's really cool.
I would like to do the same sometimes =)
Almost all of my friends are not interessted in politics so it's really hard to bring it up sometimes.
I also don't feel I know enough about communism to explain it to several people at once or an entire class, it's also a little bit taboo to bring up communism in my school for some reason :/

[Bronco]

I wouldn't blow your own trumpet too much, there's a lot more to activism than doing a bit of playground preaching and having the odd rant in a maths lesson, that isn't how you're gonna bring about a revolution

[honest john's firing squad]

Not doing anything to achieve revoltion and calling oneself a revolutionary doesn't either.

You and I share something in common, then. The spread of ideology, and the mere persistence of pro-revolutionaries does as much for revolution as sitting in your armchair eating cheetos, only the latter is actually enjoyable and consequently advisable.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

You and I share something in common, then. The spread of ideology, and the mere persistence of pro-revolutionaries does as much for revolution as sitting in your armchair eating cheetos, only the latter is actually enjoyable and consequently advisable.

You are an idiot, telling people about anarchism is what makes more anarchists, if all revolutionaries taught their philosophies to others, then revolution would happen soon, you not talking about politics are the cause of inexistance of revolution, do you expect people to just come up with communism and figguring out how it is going to work without the help of others!?

You are doing what the government and capitalists want you to do: stay quiet and work for their profit.

[Tim Finnegan]

You are an idiot, telling people about anarchism is what makes more anarchists, if all revolutionaries taught their philosophies to others, then revolution would happen soon, you not talking about politics are the cause of inexistance of revolution, do you expect people to just come up with communism and figguring out how it is going to work without the help of others!?

With any luck.

[honest john's firing squad]

if all revolutionaries taught their philosophies to others, then revolution would happen soon

Flagrant idealism.

You are doing what the government and capitalists want you to do: stay quiet and work for their profit.

Now if someone actually stopped work and participated in industrial action, that would be revolutionary. Putting up posters at school doesn't hurt the boss one bit.

[Tim Finnegan]

I'm going attempt to carve some sort of middle ground and say that I don't think that there's anything wrong this sort of propagandising, but that building it all around grand ideals is going to lead you down a dead end. You might get the attention of a few people who are naturally sympathetic to your politics, but that's about it. It's a bit of fun, I don't disagree, a subversive wink to those who know what's up, but ultimately nothing more than that. (Personal confession time: when I'm bored, I write anti-capitalist slogans on money. It doesn't achieve a damn thing, but it makes me feel good to know that, at some point, somebody else will see that and get it. It's a coping mechanism, a way of dealing with the frustration of life under capitalism; valid within those terms, but nothing more than them.)

Instead, try to address more immediate, concrete issues concerning your student body and local area. Things that people are aware of, and they will have considered if only briefly. That helps them to realise that these are more general concerns, that they are not alone in realising that X, Y or Z is bullshit, that other people share their frustrations or disillusionment; in short, it can help open up a space, however small, for subversive communalities to emerge.

Revolution, y'see, doesn't become because people have all decided that it would be a good idea, but because daily life has become intolerable to them. This means that the role of radicals isn't to enlighten, but to push the situation to that sort of breaking point, and that means addressing concrete, everyday issues. The grand abstractions come later, as and when it's appropriate for them to do so.

[Left Leanings]

Now if someone actually stopped work and participated in industrial action, that would be revolutionary. Putting up posters at school doesn't hurt the boss one bit.

Hey. Hang on a minute. Go on easy on the young comrade. He is in school still. It's kind of hard to take industrial action, when you're not yet in the workforce.

Everyone has to start somewhere. And talking to others about your politics and propagandizing, does have its part to play.

Hopefully this guy will go on and take up the struggle as he leaves school, becomes a student, joins the workforce.

At least he is enthusiastic. Perhaps one day he will be one such worker who downs tools, goes on strike, and mounts the barricades....

[The Idler]

I'm going attempt to carve some sort of middle ground and say that I don't think that there's anything wrong this sort of propagandising, but that building it all around grand ideals is going to lead you down a dead end. You might get the attention of a few people who are naturally sympathetic to your politics, but that's about it. It's a bit of fun, I don't disagree, a subversive wink to those who know what's up, but ultimately nothing more than that. (Personal confession time: when I'm bored, I write anti-capitalist slogans on money. It doesn't achieve a damn thing, but it makes me feel good to know that, at some point, somebody else will see that and get it. It's a coping mechanism, a way of dealing with the frustration of life under capitalism; valid within those terms, but nothing more than them.)

Instead, try to address more immediate, concrete issues concerning your student body and local area. Things that people are aware of, and they will have considered if only briefly. That helps them to realise that these are more general concerns, that they are not alone in realising that X, Y or Z is bullshit, that other people share their frustrations or disillusionment; in short, it can help open up a space, however small, for subversive communalities to emerge.

Revolution, y'see, doesn't become because people have all decided that it would be a good idea, but because daily life has become intolerable to them. This means that the role of radicals isn't to enlighten, but to push the situation to that sort of breaking point, and that means addressing concrete, everyday issues. The grand abstractions come later, as and when it's appropriate for them to do so.

Revolution happens precisely because people have decided that it would be a good idea. Daily life is intolerable to many and has been for a long time. Without talking about what revolution is for, people aren't gonna make it, especially if you focus on concrete everyday issues. Reformists can always talk better about concrete everyday issues. Keep up the good work TheRedAnarchist23.

Hey. Hang on a minute. Go on easy on the young comrade. He is in school still. It's kind of hard to take industrial action, when you're not yet in the workforce.

Everyone has to start somewhere. And talking to others about your politics and propagandizing, does have its part to play.

Hopefully this guy will go on and take up the struggle as he leaves school, becomes a student, joins the workforce.

At least he is enthusiastic. Perhaps one day he will be one such worker who downs tools, goes on strike, and mounts the barricades....

Perhaps if he listens to advice like this topic, he will join the workforce, forget the grand abstractions, limit his aspirations to strikes for higher wages/better working conditions and sink to trade union consciousness and fulfill Lenin's claim that this is all workers are capable of.

[Tim Finnegan]

Revolution happens precisely because people have decided that it would be a good idea. Daily life is intolerable to many and has been for a long time. Without talking about what revolution is for, people aren't gonna make it, especially if you focus on concrete everyday issues. Reformists can always talk better about concrete everyday issues. Keep up the good work TheRedAnarchist23.

When I say "intolerable", I literally mean "cannot be tolerated", I don't just mean "really shit". People are obviously tolerating capitalism, or they'd have offed themselves years ago.

Revolution happens when, for whatever reason, they refuse to go on as they have been doing, and the impossible contradiction between the present state of things and their rejection of the present state of things drives them towards the remaking of things. It does not happen when you distribute your ten millionth pamphlet full of arcane jargon and vague haranguing. Whether that comes with a big basket of Marxist theory or with nothing but frustration and gut instinct is, in the most fundamental sense, a coincidence of history.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I would talk more about my politics but I am a shy person by nature and chatting about revolutionary situations kinda takes me out of my comfort zone. I do what I can in writing though: during my ENG101 class I incorporated socialism into every essay and made quite the impression on my teacher.

[Ostrinski]

Political activists generally seem like insecure people that do their deeds out of a misplaced sense of self-righteousness.