- cross-posted to:
- chapotraphouse
Hot take: retire the hyperbolic term "struggle sessions" in favor of criticism sessions
Removed by mod- cross-posted to:
- chapotraphouse
Picture: 10th Panchen Llama getting downvoted to hell
Beginning:
Listen, as much as you guys like to sprinkle a bit of Maoist lingo at times, the way you make this term "struggle session" sound like is that of a petty squabble...
But, as Mao Zhuxi said, revolution is not a mere dinner party... and so was the argument
For that, I shall argue the champagne argument...
What you call a "struggle session" can be, at best more accurately referred to as an online argument, or in more MLM term, a criticism or even a 'self-criticism session;, to be specific...
You want to know the difference? Here I shall cite Wikipedia
Definition and Experience
Here's what a criticism
"Fu the Enforcer and Cadre Huang had frequently subjected Erica and me to criticism sessions. It was like being summoned to the principal's office in high school—not pleasant, but not devastating either. A struggle session, on the other hand, was brutal and vicious. I was relieved to hear that it had been merely a criticism session."[18]
You can imagine what that entails, but no need
To be more exact, according to Wikipedia, the definition of it is:
violent public spectacles where accused class enemies (or more accurately, capitalist roaders) were publicly humiliated and psychologically exhausted, if not beaten and tortured near to death by the local people (Partially edited)
If you have a better definition and source for this, inform me immediately
**Critique **
So, following by this definition, I will say for sure this:
If your "struggle sessions" were anything serious in their propositions, as to be spiritually faithful in the vein of true MLM ones, it would include: more modern Synanon-esque techniques, but with a twist of decentralized and democratic Maoist mob justice, to psychologize agonize reactionary elements...
Something like doxxing may even utilized in this contemporary era
All of this, with the purpose to break down the large landlording, industrialist, and financier capitalists, and their influence on society, which is culture, to make a new one.. Especially in regards to finance comprador and fascist elements
My conclusion: Thus, in my final thoughts on this, to utilize such as term is too reductive and hyperbolic to say the least...
That being said, these tactics seem wildly counter-intuitive and self-destructive, in my opinion, but that's for another time
However, for now, I should have now clearly made my case on the distinction between criticism sessions and struggle sessions
Notes: Damn me if you want with emojis, or even call me a Wyatt the Redditor, but I will stand by this point...
I say this half-jokingly but half-seriously on my point...
The joke is that struggle sessions were harsh and we are talking about cats
Replace sessions while you're at it. Make is snappier. Maybe Sittin' 'n Crittin'. Crit-sits. Sittings Of Criticism.
I want everyone to know that when I'm posting here, I'm lounging luxuriously.
The Wikipedia definition of a practice under Mao is typically not going to be the definition communists use. The Wikipedia definition is basically "kangaroo court that sometimes ends in lynching".
That's why I admitted it...
I couldn't find a damn article on Prolewiki for it
Plus, even the pro-ML-Maoist podcast Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution podcast talks about some of the the flaws of the it, especially done by the revisionist Work Teams, alongside its necessity and benefit to prevent the capitalist road from steering its helm...
It's not a theoretical thing but a historical practice, an extreme version of self-criticism in China...
I'm not sure the CPC would disagree too strongly with the Wikipedia definition. To my knowledge, the Cultural Revolution (and the violence of struggle sessions in particular) is criticized pretty heavily in modern China.
Liu Cixin begins The Three-Body Problem with a struggle session scene straight out of an American reactionary fever dream and it's not viewed as some dissident document.
Yeah, calling them struggle sessions is like joking about us all sharing the same toothbrush. Not saying we should stop altogether, but the careful use of language when posting can also help avoid playing into Western propaganda
In this context, yes, though I would say sharing the same toothbrushes and talking about Yaqub is a bit plainly ridiculous to anyone who can see...
and talking about Yaqub
we did mostly stop that one. you can have an actual discussion about the NOI but mods have been removing meme posts about the yakubian devils and so on.
Was the rationale for that opposing/disassociating with antisemitism in the NOI?
It’s also racist and I’ve been saying this for three years but every time I’m told I’m wrong and to shut up
what if we swap?
struggle support for reactionaries who oppose hegemony
critical sessions for cats going outside to stack rocks
afaik the term struggle session is used ironically, its not like an intentionaly planned thing here, we just call the arguments that get out of hand struggle sessions as a joke. like most of them are not planned discussions with rules as much as one or two power posters thoroughly dunking on a lib that wandered in or another user with a heterodox take or a rival power poster.
I don’t like the proposed change but I will say I’ve never liked the term ‘struggle session’ just because it reminds me of ”struggle snuggle,” a ‘humorous’ euphemism for sexual assault.
I like how guy on the right looks like he’s pointing at a completely different guy.
Maybe in keeping with the original distinction, we call organic disagreements where the post goes off the rails and tons of users catch bans "struggle sessions," but we also have planned, more formal ones (where we determine the best take on an issue) we call "criticism sessions."