So, Facebook just made my partner the sole head of a group with more than a few thousand DemSocs in it
What steps should we take to achieve some actual radicalization among these potential recruits?
I mean, in addition to suggesting they join HexBear of course
That sounds like a good plan, I'll see about getting her in contact with some of youse
:geordi-no: telling libs to come straight to hexbear in the hopes that they turn coat and self-educate themselves to communism
:geordi-yes: reposting select memes from hexbear to gently shuffle them leftwards through a silly and palatable medium
Teach them history. Learning about an imperialist genocide or succdem betrayal doesn't feel like you're being agitated to and it feels removed from the dick measuring contest that is capital P politics. But learning about the past is key to understanding the present and the next time some imperialist war is being started out the working class is getting fucked they will be more likely to see through the propaganda.
This. They could probably start doing daily history posts with minimal effort, like mirror posts from the people's calendar sub or somewhere similar
Post:
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union does thing, mildly editorialized as good (negotiating for healthcare, must be good right? demsocs like healthcare!)
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look at this cool thing China or some pink South American country is doing, without editorializing (directly saying Thing Good conflicts with the propaganda and makes people reject it; better to just give them neutral-tone evidence until the propaganda sounds wrong)
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this progressive icon has failed us, we should ask them to do better ("we should ask them to do better" is necessary to slip this sort of news past people who believe in liberal/progressive politicians)
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look at this up-and-coming new progressive politician (you've gotta post about liberal politicians or the demsocs are gonna catch on. But if you build up a precedent of constantly posting new figures you can at least eventually slip them some from PSL or whatever)
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reshared memes that link to slightly more radical groups
Don't post:
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latest reason the US should do an imperialism (obviously? But apparently does need to be said)
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call to liberal political action / asking people to donate or canvas for whatever progressive politician (don't invite people to do something useless)
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obvious communist theory (you'll spook the demsocs)
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You can't do anything really good or radical on facebook so just keep the good times rolling. Post about union activity, post about history, dabble in a smidge of basic theory, reiterate that organizing happens in the real world not FB.
Shit (and some of you are going to hate me) plug the DSA or EWOC to get folks involved with actual ongoing campaigns.
We may laugh, but at a social center I was active in, a comrade once basically opened with "Stalin did nothing wrong" when a new person walked in. I never saw that new person come back.
Twist: that new person really resents that Stalin stopped at Berlin.
Have you done outreach to the politically uncommitted masses, or at least to strangers?
I mean that 100% as a joke. I just like imagining a person walking into a room, hearing "STALIN DID NOTHING WRONG", and immediately leaving muttering "liberal" under their breath.
And I'm telling you that I've had an actual experience of that mental image.
It was kinda funny in a way though.
counterpoint: normal is bad . look at what the normies have done with the place.
Hiding your power level and practicing subtle propaganda is the only option in a country indoctrinated by 100 years of hardcore anti-communism. Being a weirdo who runs around screaming bash the fash and carrying a copy of What Is to Be Done or acting generally off-putting or anti-social is bad optics. Imagine a group of people straight off r/moretankiechapo or something and acting like that in a union meeting.
I would say that deceiving the fools who still fall for the indoctrination isn't "being normal", it is using a mask for the greater good.
ok "act normal" jeez I thought I could avoid reddit conversations here
There is nothing normal about the current state of the world, comrade
This is a fantastic idea
hexbesr news is in syndication
- Recommended reading (e.g., The Jakarta Method or some Parenti classics), maybe try to get a monthly discussion group started
- Toss a bunch of Citations Needed links out there; maybe post about new episodes
- In time, slowly ramp up moderation against unsupported "State Enemy Bad" comments/posts; probably lead with some legit criticism like excerpts from Stasi State or Socialist Paradise/Blackshirts and Reds/actual Sovietologists like J. Arch Getty
- Plenty of posts about labor news/rights getting stripped away from vulnerable communities
- Criticism of the Democratic Party (there's a Citations Needed news brief on how they scuttled the rail strike), but let criticism of elecotralism as a whole come organically
None of this is as radical as it could be, but radicalization doesn't start at the end goal. Try to move a lot of people a little bit (and count on them to keep going down that path) rather than finding an advanced minority and catering to them. If that advanced minority is upset, reach out and explain your intentions.
Weekly latest union developments (around the world?) discussions? Or some extractivist news, idk what fb admin can do
Can you explain what it means to be the head of a facebook group to those of us who don't use the platform?
Immediately introduce a struggle session about outdoor vegan cats. Don't let it go. Make it clear that the only ethical cat is outdoors and vegan and if you disagree you're a fake leftist.
But for reals I second pro-labor stuff and maybe introduce some Richard Wolff. And if you're real ambitious, get some Blackshirts and Reds quotes or even a reading group going.
Make sure they are actually demsocs. Argue for an independent party for the working class and working class institutions to function as the base of that party. Try to examine authority and legitimacy in the context of colonialism. Promote anti-imperialism hard and educate them on how it works and how evil it is.
The masses don't need to all be the vanguard but they have to trust the vanguard more than the bourgeoisie.
Also try to hook them up with actual organizing materials or trainings.
Depending on what flavor of "DemSoc" they are, from SuccDems to actually socialist Kautskyites, you might need to be cautious. Better to play it safe and maintain a neutral tone, and not instantly resort to revolutionary rhetoric. When accused of "simping" for China or some [bad AES country], I just resort to "I can't do anything about there whereas I live here".
Hell, on foreign policy, most SocDems at least oppose more egregious instances of US imperialism like the Cuban Embargo, so you may be able to find a wedge with some probing.
