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Identifying as a Marxist or Communist
I am just wondering what you guys think about referring to oneself as a Marxist or Communist as it relates to community matters and political activism around non-communists. Here recently I've actually ceased using these labels in reference to my own political beliefs in many situations, and I've done this for a couple of reasons:
First off, I've come to notice that a large segment of the population will immediately shut down and refuses to engage in any sort of useful dialogue at all once you've identified yourself as a communist. I've had this happen to me more times than I can count. If asked, then I will say that communism is the ideology that best describes my views. Among close friends/family or among other far-leftists I have no problem identifying as such. But unless explicitly asked, I'm just a guy who is anti-capitalist and believes in social justice for working class people.
Additionally, I've noticed there's quite a few people who fetishize the movement and have embraced the superficial aspects as a means to be cute and stand out. They use communist symbols (which I almost never use) and throw around words like "comrade" (which I rarely use). Often times these people will feign great passion and specificity concerning certain factional ideas and attempt to start an argument with other leftists over the stupidest shit. These people want attention - communism for them is a way to get attention. They are only in it to stroke their ego. Certain themes are dead and in the past - they're not coming back. Stalin is dead and gone, as is Trotsky. The present day movement is rife with it's own unique conditions and challenges, and will produce it's own theme. The favorite pastime of reactionaries is to glorify the past. The left-wing of the early and mid 20th century are seen in retrospect as bad-asses so certain types of people find that seductive - either that or they want to piss of their parents and get attention.
So it's for these reasons that I've grown a little reluctant to calling myself a communist unless directly asked. It's also why I, as George Carlin said, leave symbols to the "symbol minded". At the end of the day I'm just a guy with revolutionary ideas who cares about the workers and social justice for everyone.
Agreed on your analysis -- the problem with terms like 'communist' is that they have *multiple* meanings, and so are easily open to misinterpretation (by the standard of the speaker's intentions). If one uses the term 'communist' specifically, it's open to making the person think that you're pro-Stalin (which you may or may not be).
I've found in recent impromptu meetings that it's good (and succinct) to say that 'the workers have to control everything'. I then go on to explain briefly that workers don't need capitalists in order to handle production for society, for human needs, since it's the workers themselves who do the actual work and know the machinery best of all. I'll also say that society no longer needs *capital* at all, and I might mention the basics of my 'labor credits' model, if appropriate to the conversation and where the person is at politically.
I sometimes feel that it's more difficult to utilise the term 'communist' than it is to utilise the term 'Marxist'. People are generally curious about the term 'Marxist' and usually I can explain that I am a 'Marxist' because I agree with a lot of the analysis of capitalism and have come to similar conclusions to Marx but whenever I suggest that I am a 'communist' it's all "why don't you go to North Korea then?". I have also occasionally used the term 'economic democracy' - it's generally useful in that most people find their bosses to be a bit shit so suggesting that you want workplaces to be organised democratically and to make any supervisors or bosses accountable to the decisions of the workforce is an idea that has some traction.
I generally agree with using a transitional approach in that we have to engage with people within the conditions that they are living in and getting into a discussion about the history of Stalinism or whatever because people don't understand the terminology of 'communism' is completely useless when you could be discussing the things that affect them personally that could only be solved by communism - ie, shit work, shit pay, shit rent etc.
Modern democracy is nothing but the freedom to preach whatever is to the advantage of the bourgeoisie - Lenin
When I was in high school, I thought it was "edgy" to refer to myself as a Communist; as I stated in one of my earlier posts, I even quoted Marx in my yearbook. In college, I stopped using the term around strangers or acquaintances; it just seemed unnecessary. My family and closest friends know that I'm on the far-left, but I tend to downplay it with anybody else.
I'd say it would be best to ditch the terms "communist" and "Marxist" when approaching non-communists. The terms are pretty loaded as-is and do nothing but alienate those who may be sympathetic to our cause. If some stranger off the street asked me about my political leanings, I'd simply tell them that I support the working class and policies that advance their interests. If pressed further, I'd just talk about the workers being the foundation of modern society and how they get screwed on a daily basis; I find that to be much more productive than talking about the Communist Manifesto and the distinctions between exchange value and use value.
An injury to one is an injury to all -Industrial Workers of the World
The free development of each is the condition for the free development of all -Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
While there is a lower class, I am in it, while there is a criminal element, I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free -Eugene V. Debs
Great Idea ! Comrade
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Reflective thought , great point but why should I grant Marx to be the absolute leader ? Communism itself is self explanatory ....A leader brings in elements of capitalism
It's not that we consider Marx to be an 'absolute leader' and, indeed, one of Marx's points is to question everything, to always develop a greater understanding and challenge preconceptions and traditions - he wouldn't have wanted to be considered an 'absolute leader'. The socialist movement has virtually existed in some form or another for as long as humans have existed, even if people haven't used the term. Marx created a body of work that specifically analysed socialism as a movement existing within the capitalist mode of production - he offered the first scientific analysis of capital, the first rigorous study of the class system under capitalism and so 'Marxism' is a term used for socialists who are not utopian but have a understanding of socialism grounded in the realities of the world around them.
Modern democracy is nothing but the freedom to preach whatever is to the advantage of the bourgeoisie - Lenin
Absolutely right and Marx never told communist party's members to regard themselves as "marxists" .A veteran commie told me this and I would like to know more regarding the same from other pro-seniors like you , me being an amateur teenager
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Is it scientific , I mean such nomenclature thats quite reactionary indeed
