YOU are speaking!
Have you made any poignant commentary on the recent election in the U.S.? Do you have a good response to liberals who are upset with the results or process of the election? Have you written or seen something as a comment reply/post that you think has standalone value? Did you see a new take or analysis you hadn’t previously considered?
Whether it’s a long idea with lots of context, or a short and sweet one liner, we want those thoughts aggregated here. This post is intended to be a resource for comrades to draw from when having actual discussions outside of Hexbear both online or IRL regarding the election.
Consider this a mini-effortpost aggregator. This is not for shitposts, but humor is completely acceptable if it helps make the point.
Here's a little "intro to Marxism-Leninism" list I threw together, modified a bit. It's critically missing Queer Theory, Feminist Theory, and National Liberation theory, so any additions on that matter would be excellent. I am working through intersectional theory right now, which is why it is missing from this present list, the goal is to be as straight to the point as possible.
A good intro for someone with no familiarity is Engels' Principles of Communism and if you are anti-AES but willing to read I recommend Parenti's Blackshirts and Reds.
From there, it becomes more important to understand that Marxism-Leninism is broken into 3 major components:
Dialectical and Historical Materialism
Critique of Capitalism along the lines of Marx's Law of Value
Advocacy for Revolutionary Socialism
And as such, I recommend, in order:
By far my favorite primer on Dialectical and Historical Materialism. By understanding DiaMat first, you make it easier to understand the rest of Marxism.
Further reading on DiaMat, but crucially introduces the why of Scientific Socialism, essentially explaining how Capitalism itself preps the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates.
Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value.
Absolutely crucial and the most important work for understanding the modern era and its primary contradictions.
Excellent refutation of revisionists and Social Democrats who think the State can be reformed, and not replaced. Also a good call to action to cap off the intro.
After reading all of this, whoever has completed these works should have a good grasp of the basics of Marxism-Leninism and be equipped to do their own Marxist-Leninist analysis, though tons of excellent and fairly critical works were dropped for the sake of limiting the scope to an intro reading list.
maybe for 6. you could add foundations of leninism i thought it was pretty good as an summary of lenin, maybe add one that focuses on colonialism like Wretched of the Earth
Leaning heavily towards Fanon, need to read it myself first but additionally I am trying to find a good, easy link for it that isn't just anna's archive. Epubs and online versions are much nicer for quick agitprop IMO.
Foundations of Leninism is good, but I do think the rest of the works thus far touch the same bases. Plus, since this is directed at libs, I fear linking Stalin may scare too many away, when the primary purpose is churning out MLs who will read Stalin at some point anyways, still going back and forth on that one in my head. Trying to capture the radical sentiment of disillusioned American libs in the aftermath of having their worldview rocked, not existing comrades. (Don't want to create ultras, but if you ask me reading the works listed should logically prevent ultrafication due to the inclusion of Blackshirts)
cowbee i remembered that our comrades at ChunkaLutaNetwork had an online archive-library maybe there are some good book pdfs about decolonial stuff
Oh shit, forgot about that! Gotta dig into that, I don't feel right not including decolonial theory in an American-targeted list. I'll give it a dig, thanks!
If you get Fanon, that would be fantastic. Feinberg and maybe Bell Hooks are also on my radar for reading, though other comrades can make more specific recommendations as I am working through intersectional theory right now (and these books are long).
Go to sleep!
Black Belt Thesis Reader is a great add
Will look into that, thanks!