Greetings from Berlin, Comrads!

[RedScarf]

Greetings Comrads,

I am RedScarf. I use to be a constitution worshipping Right-Wing "Capitalist". I use to think that the world was based in libertarian principles and everybody had a Chance... Or so I thought.

After moving to Germany, I found that as an immigrant I had a much harder time in the job market and after actually studying business I saw how my previous views were wrong. I see refugees suffering and how badly they are treated. Finally we got a minimum wage law and already the CDU wants to get rid of it. The people are oppressed , once I was blind but now I see.

Recently joined the SPD and I am happy to join the fight!

[Q]

Welcome

If you have political questions, you can ask them in the Learning forum. That's why it's there after all!

If you have questions about your account, don't hesitate to send me a PM or ask here.

Why did you join the SPD and not Die Linke if you don't mind me asking? The SPD is hardly a workers party these days.

[RedAnarchist]

Welcome to the forum!

[Guardia Rossa]

Welcome, comrade!

[RedScarf]

@Q

That is true. It has unfortunately changed considerably since it's inception. Still, it is a good strategy since I'm hoping to forward the communis cause and short term help the Working class which I belong to and immigrants which my wife and I are. Ive had Bad contact with the grüne here in Berlin. As I See it, Die Grüne are progressive but also less reasonable in their goals, kinda the Occupy fiasco :-/ . Personally, I favor the MLPD most of all but they are vanguard and really small, and as far as I know you cant be in two parties at once. Im a Marxist and I study lenin's writings.

[RedScarf]

Oh, you asked about Die Linke. Sorry

Well, I suppose you could also apply my criticism to them.

[Q]

Oh, you asked about Die Linke. Sorry

Well, I suppose you could also apply my criticism to them.

So, if I understand correctly, your critique towards Die Linke is that they're unrealistic in their goals, yet you are a Marxist? That seems to be somewhat of a contradiction to me as Marxist politics often seem "unrealistic".

Speaking of realism, how are you working on getting the SPD Marxist again? I'm genuinely interested in your approach.

[Armchair Partisan]

Hello!

You won't forward the cause of the working class by joining the SPD. They've been throwing revolutionaries into canals a hundred years ago and haven't been any more friendly to the proletariat since then. You can tactically vote for them to oppose the right if that makes you feel better, though don't entertain the illusion that your vote will matter or that a SPD government will be friendly to working class interests (not sure about the SPD specifically, but "left wing" parties like it tend to be quite neoliberal nowadays in Europe). Though parliamentary politics won't help us anyway - but the SPD does not even have a proletarian character or a nominally communist platform.

[RedScarf]

@Q

"Often seems" is correct. I feel Die Linke are filled with many different ideological currents similarly with the first International. Not that differences are necessarily Bad but I think the differences lie also in the goals which may be counter produktive.

Well, as you noted, to make the party Marxist AGAIN may just require education and Propaganda. Social democracy is the main ideaology represented but as I am unter 35 I am automatically a member of the Jusos, a more Marxist leaning subparty which I feel will better educate the younger Generation , who know the horrors of the modern market Situation to fill the parent Party more with Marxist thought. HECK! The 150 year celebration marked Marx as the ideological founder. Their Position seems to me to still be closer to Marx even if their practice is closer to Bernstein and Kautsky .

I would like to hear a little on your take, I can see from your profile info that you are definitely way more experienced than I am and so would like to hear a veterans thought so I can correct any errorings I may or definitely do have.

[RedScarf]

@Armchair Partisan

Not going to say your Pessimismus about the Party is wrong, infact It's quite justified. Still, wouldnt it be better to seek to influence a party with a higher Party membership, who historically was Marxist and still celebrate his influence ?

[Q]

@Q

"Often seems" is correct. I feel Die Linke are filled with many different ideological currents similarly with the first International. Not that differences are necessarily Bad but I think the differences lie also in the goals which may be counter produktive.

Well, as you noted, to make the party Marxist AGAIN may just require education and Propaganda. Social democracy is the main ideaology represented but as I am unter 35 I am automatically a member of the Jusos, a more Marxist leaning subparty which I feel will better educate the younger Generation , who know the horrors of the modern market Situation to fill the parent Party more with Marxist thought. HECK! The 150 year celebration marked Marx as the ideological founder. Their Position seems to me to still be closer to Marx even if their practice is closer to Bernstein and Kautsky .

I would like to hear a little on your take, I can see from your profile info that you are definitely way more experienced than I am and so would like to hear a veterans thought so I can correct any errorings I may or definitely do have.

A lot can happen in a century. Personally I don't see the SPD as worthy of salvage. Any proletarian potential moved off to Die Linke, which is effectively a product of a leftwing split from the SPD merged with the former ruling party of the DDR.

I don't oppose your approach in principle though: I myself am a member of the Socialist Party in the Netherlands, a party which is ideologically close to Die Linke and also quite problematic in its own ways. What matters is that it has a genuine proletarian base and has a big influence in Dutch politics as it has tens of thousands of members and many local branches which have many activists. Contrasting this, the Dutch sisterparty of the SPD, the PvdA, is also very neoliberal and lost any proletarian base as a consequence.

I do think that Marxists should engage with the existing workers movement though. We should aim to win it for the ideas of communism. I just think that the SPD is not part of the workers movement.

Also, I do suggest to reread Kautsky. In many respects he was the "original Lenin" and his work when he was still a Marxist (basically his political work before 1914) is a great source of inspiration today.

[RedScarf]

@Q

Also, I do suggest to reread Kautsky. In many respects he was the "original Lenin" and his work when he was still a Marxist (basically his political work before 1914) is a great source of inspiration today.

Will definitely do. I appreciate your suggestion.

As to your opinion that Die Linke are a better Option, well, I do not know. I suppose I will need to talk to someone in Die Linke to better unterstand the Position and mentality of the Party. I am soon to receive my parteibuch from the SPD, I will remain in the Party, go to the meetings and consider what the voices are saying then decide if it's worth it. thank you