• hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    This is a bad idea, because it'll produce all sorts of "look, they're openly authoritarian!" takes. A much better approach is "authority isn't inherently good or bad, and using it to do stuff like give everyone healthcare is good."

    • ElGosso [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      They're already gonna do that when they find out we're Communists

      • CommieTommy [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        most libs will initially, but they can be persuaded to become gradually more ambivalent to the concept IF we don't immediately do something dumb like purposely misrepresent our own position in order to set them off. As I'm sure you experienced with your radicalisation too, no-one gets radicalised and changes all their views immediately just because they saw one person give some examples of how socialism has succeeded - rather they will get nudged on bit by bit by various people, and given time to acclimatise to the ideas that maybe some of the things that have been drilled into them with decades of propaganda aren't actually true.

        saying 'AUTHORITY GOOD!' will seem like a complete confirmation to them that every proponent of socialism is a braindead, dictator-worshipping, propaganda-consuming tanky.

        • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          no-one gets radicalised and changes all their views immediately just because they saw one person give some examples of how socialism has succeeded - rather they will get nudged on bit by bit by various people, and given time to acclimatise

          We really need to talk more on here about how radicalization works (and it works exactly as you describe for most people). It's a conversion funnel, not a revelation.

    • excusemewtf [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      You think explaining yourself to libs is gonna get you anywhere?

      • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        A non-negotiable component of any path to socialism is convincing (at least) tens of millions of more people to become socialists. Where are you going to get all those new socialists if you write off every single lib?

        • excusemewtf [he/him]
          hexagon
          ·
          4 years ago

          Easy, you just change their material conditions, that convinces then every time.

          • Kappapillar [comrade/them,undecided]
            ·
            4 years ago

            We're going to need a lot more popular support before we can appreciably change material conditions. Speaking as a former lib who used to be scared of the word authoritarianism.

          • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            It's not easy, and no, it doesn't work every time. Plenty of people who see their material conditions improve do not become socialists (or even properly credit whoever caused their improved conditions), just like plenty of people who see their material conditions deteriorate do not become socialists. You have apolitical folks and reactionaries at all economic strata. Material conditions play a large part in people's political beliefs, but framing things in political terms and convincing them your politics are right plays an enormous role, too.

    • Huldra [they/them, it/its]
      ·
      4 years ago

      It doesnt matter that much, not doing it will produce "Look, they're covertly authoritarian!".