IDFK what the hell I am.
I believe communism can only be achieved through revolution, and that the proletariat will need to take over and control the state to protect itself from sabotage from capitalist interests at least until global communism is achieved and the infrastructure to support a worldwide mutualist society has been established, at which point the state could be dissolved.
I'm not a very good leftist, I don't even know what I am
You're none of the above, nor should you be (in my opinion). The leftist ideologies of the past have enormous value and can help guide us into the future, but none of them have all the answers and all of them have the same major flaw: they are of the past. This is why I'm such strong believer in leftist unity.
I couldn't agree more. I got into all this through the bread book, and if pressed I still generally call myself an anarchist. But I don't think this divide matters at all. I'm a communist first and foremost, and I want to work with whoever's going to advance us closer to a communist society.
There are genuine differences in philosophy and while I'd agree if someone said they were like, a sankaraist or ho chi mihnist (unless maybe they're from Burkina Faso or Vietnam, that maybe could make sense) they're both under the wider umbrella of Marxist lennism, which is part of broader Marxism, which is part of broader socialism which is part of broader leftism.
I'd analogize it with music genres. Say Darkthrone and Black Sabbath are both metal bands, they're therefore also both rock bands and also both music. That doesn't mean they're the same. Categories are useful but should be used as descriptors of how you already are rather than a code to follow. I thought I was an ancom with ideas of how best to get to communism, turned out that was more or less the same as the essential elements of Marxist Lenninism, therefore I'm an ML. I didn't begin by saying "when I grow up I want to be a Marixist Lenninist" and then studied the theory and modified my beliefs around that, it described how I already felt. And like how unless I'm talking to other punks I wouldn't distinguish between a dbeat or stenchcore band, I'd just call it punk, I'll just call myself a communist to normies, to those involved, I'll be more specific.
I would say that "Marxist" is fine, since that describes sort of a methodology/worldview, but when it comes to actual politics it's all about who you organize with. If you aren't active in a party or other org, you're functionally a liberal with better than average political ideas (still idealism tho).
Get organized, and then figure out if "communist" "anarchist" or some other such term applies to your group imo
--signed, a liberal with better than average political ideas....
I'm not an anarchist but every org I'm in is cause it's sorta the only game in town. It's mutual aide stuff so it's not like I have anything against it, but I would prefer the mutual aide have any angle of political advancement rather than doing what the state should be doing and calling it activism and not necessary charity. So yeah, it's where I gotta go if I want to help feed and shelter homeless people thst isn't lib but it doesn't align with how I think.
Yeah and some people don't have anyone to work with at all.