Stalin and Mao’s popularity has risen in recent years in tandem with the rising popularity of socialism. It’s obvious you don’t need to throw the prime examples of socialism under the bus to spread class consciousness, so why alienate actual communists and third-word leftists for seemingly no benefit?
Well she shouldn’t say things in an inflammatory and obtuse way, but there are ways to frame things better. Think to yourself how Richard Wolff would have answered this question. It still appeals to libs and it still defends socialism without distorting what socialism is.
She is part of a long tradition of social-chauvinism that will be coopted into the Democratic Imperialist party and accomplish nothing, like all her predecessors before her, because she is fundamentally compromised and not linked to the global proletariat movement
The least she could do is not spew imperialist and anti-communist propaganda from her pulpit, but even that is too much to ask.
Great man idealism. People aren’t becoming socialists because of Bernie. Bernie was popular for the same reason socialism in general is becoming more popular, deteriorating material conditions and economic collapses. Bernie is riding a wave, he is not creating it, and suggesting otherwise is idealism.
Your implication from this is the only way “socialists” (read: left liberals) can gain power is through electoral means. You baked your failure into your own assumptions.
Stalin and Mao’s popularity has risen in recent years
This is an extremely online take. The amount of people who will even say "you know, Stalin and Mao were good on balance" is small -- even here, you'll find some opposition to that. This isn't throwing anyone under the bus, either; it's sidestepping the subject of actual existing socialist countries altogether.
why alienate actual communists and third-word leftists for seemingly no benefit?
The benefit is getting significant numbers of people to soften their opposition to leftist ideas, and that's absolutely crucial because we're going nowhere unless we get tens of millions of more Americans to become leftists. American communists are already alienated from AOC -- look around this thread -- so there's no real cost to this, either. Similarly, third-world leftists, being outside the country, aren't going to be able to help bring socialism to the United States.
It’s not just AOC that’s alienating us, it’s people like you who defend her. You are creating a synthetic American “left” that is anti-communist and detached from the global proletarian movement.
How well did that work the last 50 times you yanks tried it? When will you learn solidarity?
How high bar. They aren’t as anti-communist as the arch anti-communist. Real high aspirations here. Plus, the radlibs were not as viscerally “anti-tankie” and anti-China just a couple years ago. Jacobin state department socialists are as deeply embedded into the synthetic American left as ever before.
If you're going to write off a generational openness towards communism as insufficient, have fun starting your protracted people's war with your five True Leftist friends. That's where you're headed if you shit on anything short of ideal.
How is there any openness to communism displayed here? How does AOC shitting on communism create openness to communism? It does the opposite. It’s a filter, a sheepdog.
That’s what you just said. It’s an “obvious trap” to say anything positive about real socialism whatsoever, so obviously AOC did the right thing by dodging the trap and shitting on socialism! - you the big brain socialist
I said Anderson Cooper asking a loaded question on national TV is a trap. That's not anywhere close to "no one can ever say anything good about socialism."
It may seem loaded to you because you are ashamed of the USSR and Cuba and Venezuela, but any principled communist would have affirmed their support and given reasoning why in a convincing snippet of rhetoric.
Instead the real big brain smart move is to denounce socialism and align yourself with bourgeois monarchies and look weak
you are ashamed of the USSR and Cuba and Venezuela
If you're going to tell me what I think just type out both ends of the conversation and save me some time.
Look, I know you want AOC to get up there and say Stalin committed zero crimes, and even then you'll attack her for not singlehandedly ending the Cuban embargo or something. It'll never be enough. But I can believe that's a terrible fucking idea that would be grossly counterproductive and still have no problem going out and talking to people about socialism myself. The optimal communication strategy for Some Guy On The Internet is a lot different than that of an elected representative.
What are you even talking about? A one-line redirection of a loaded question isn't anything approaching that.
Socialist ideas aren't fragile. Whatever slight you're perceiving here is far, far offset by stuff like making it acceptable to call yourself a socialist in American politics.
Stalin and Mao’s popularity has risen in recent years in tandem with the rising popularity of socialism. It’s obvious you don’t need to throw the prime examples of socialism under the bus to spread class consciousness, so why alienate actual communists and third-word leftists for seemingly no benefit?
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Well she shouldn’t say things in an inflammatory and obtuse way, but there are ways to frame things better. Think to yourself how Richard Wolff would have answered this question. It still appeals to libs and it still defends socialism without distorting what socialism is.
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She is part of a long tradition of social-chauvinism that will be coopted into the Democratic Imperialist party and accomplish nothing, like all her predecessors before her, because she is fundamentally compromised and not linked to the global proletariat movement
The least she could do is not spew imperialist and anti-communist propaganda from her pulpit, but even that is too much to ask.
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Great man idealism. People aren’t becoming socialists because of Bernie. Bernie was popular for the same reason socialism in general is becoming more popular, deteriorating material conditions and economic collapses. Bernie is riding a wave, he is not creating it, and suggesting otherwise is idealism.
Your implication from this is the only way “socialists” (read: left liberals) can gain power is through electoral means. You baked your failure into your own assumptions.
deleted by creator
This is an extremely online take. The amount of people who will even say "you know, Stalin and Mao were good on balance" is small -- even here, you'll find some opposition to that. This isn't throwing anyone under the bus, either; it's sidestepping the subject of actual existing socialist countries altogether.
The benefit is getting significant numbers of people to soften their opposition to leftist ideas, and that's absolutely crucial because we're going nowhere unless we get tens of millions of more Americans to become leftists. American communists are already alienated from AOC -- look around this thread -- so there's no real cost to this, either. Similarly, third-world leftists, being outside the country, aren't going to be able to help bring socialism to the United States.
It’s not just AOC that’s alienating us, it’s people like you who defend her. You are creating a synthetic American “left” that is anti-communist and detached from the global proletarian movement.
How well did that work the last 50 times you yanks tried it? When will you learn solidarity?
The American left today is as communist-friendly as it's been since McCarthyism.
How high bar. They aren’t as anti-communist as the arch anti-communist. Real high aspirations here. Plus, the radlibs were not as viscerally “anti-tankie” and anti-China just a couple years ago. Jacobin state department socialists are as deeply embedded into the synthetic American left as ever before.
If you're going to write off a generational openness towards communism as insufficient, have fun starting your protracted people's war with your five True Leftist friends. That's where you're headed if you shit on anything short of ideal.
How is there any openness to communism displayed here? How does AOC shitting on communism create openness to communism? It does the opposite. It’s a filter, a sheepdog.
Sidestepping an obvious trap question =/= shitting on communism.
And the openness to communism exists independent of AOC, anyway. For example, she's endorsed by the DSA, and the DSA has plenty of communist caucuses.
Imagine thinking that endorsing communism is a trap and then pretending you are a communist. Just admit you are a liberal already. Stop the charade.
AOC isn't a communist. Anderson fucking Cooper asking "so you're socialist, right?" is obviously intended as a trap.
I’m talking about you. You believe that saying anything good about socialism is a trap. That’s saying a lot about your beliefs.
lmao not remotely, keep guessing
That’s what you just said. It’s an “obvious trap” to say anything positive about real socialism whatsoever, so obviously AOC did the right thing by dodging the trap and shitting on socialism! - you the big brain socialist
I said Anderson Cooper asking a loaded question on national TV is a trap. That's not anywhere close to "no one can ever say anything good about socialism."
It may seem loaded to you because you are ashamed of the USSR and Cuba and Venezuela, but any principled communist would have affirmed their support and given reasoning why in a convincing snippet of rhetoric.
Instead the real big brain smart move is to denounce socialism and align yourself with bourgeois monarchies and look weak
If you're going to tell me what I think just type out both ends of the conversation and save me some time.
Look, I know you want AOC to get up there and say Stalin committed zero crimes, and even then you'll attack her for not singlehandedly ending the Cuban embargo or something. It'll never be enough. But I can believe that's a terrible fucking idea that would be grossly counterproductive and still have no problem going out and talking to people about socialism myself. The optimal communication strategy for Some Guy On The Internet is a lot different than that of an elected representative.
The absolute bare minimum is don’t throw the entire projects under the bus and denounce them as wholly unconnected to you. Got it?
What are you even talking about? A one-line redirection of a loaded question isn't anything approaching that.
Socialist ideas aren't fragile. Whatever slight you're perceiving here is far, far offset by stuff like making it acceptable to call yourself a socialist in American politics.