For the country being a white supremacist settler-colonist state that's doing a slow (now fast) genocide on Palestinians. It's nice to be on the correct side for once, as I used to believe that Israel controlled the USA and not vice-versa, I've learned so much more about the world thanks to leftism. Being a reactionary I was seriously ignorant and in the dark, fueled by dumb ass racist thoughts and a baby's understanding of the world.
I was heavily into drinking and posting on 4chan. I bought into racism and antisemitism first ironically, then eventually, unironically and started hating poc and Jewish people. It was indeed a very dark time. It's wild because I started out as a libertarian and then slowly began adopting fash talking points. But now I'm an MLM so I guess there can be a bridge from libertarianism to it.
I see.
Well, the reason you gave me mixed feelings is that I come from a community that would've banned you (I think) for even saying what you just said, but you're not the same person, clearly, and you're in a rough spot, from what I can tell, so I... guess I can't judge.
I wouldn't say things like this out loud even if I had ever done anything like this during by pre-Marxist days. Even so, you chose to admit it and I think that was due to profuse guilt on your part.
I think I need to realize that not every place on the Internet is like my own abode. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong here in how I'm reacting to this situation.
It's probably less here than it used to be on the subreddit, but you'd be surprised how many people back on the subreddit had some 4chan in their history. The sub was one of the few places on reddit where instead of being strangled by liberal civility politics, you could just openly tell fascists and other terrible people to fuck off and die. In hindsight the crossover appeal was pretty obvious, despite the polar opposite politics.
Which subreddit?
r/ChapoTrapHouse. Originally an unofficial fan sub for the podcast of the same name, but it quickly outgrew them and just became a general hive of leftist shitposting and theoryposting. This site was made to replace it after the sub got banned a little over 3 years ago I think.
Oh yes, I remember those days.
People forget that it's not just former liberals or "disaffected BernieBros" that become communists.
Also, it was banned, but later, you got people gravitating to /r/communism (which, I think, was already there since 2007) and other versions of Chapo subreddits, which would balloon in activity.
Now, after /r/GenZedong was suspended of being on the front page of Reddit, a lot of people have gravitated to /r/TheDeprogram, from what I can tell and a few smaller subreddits.
TheDeprogram can't be long for this world imo but I like their vibe. Probably both for the same reason lmao, reddit doesn't like cool people being cool.
lol I hate both /r/GenZedong and /r/TheDeprogram; the general culture is not good, but /r/TheDeprogram is better than /r/GenZedong was at its height, from what I can tell.
Actual discussion, even if not always a friendly atmosphere.
The atmosphere here has absolutely mellowed out compared to the sub and its direct parallels. I for one don't mind some raucousness and shitposting (I've got 4chan in my own history too despite "only" being a dumb lib at worst, so big surprise there) and I'm pretty forgiving of the occasional brainworm when the overall community is saturated with better takes to drown out and eventually replace the brainworms. But I love the chill vibes here too.
Are we talking about /r/TheDeprogram or Hexbear?
I'm from a community that's all pretty serious. We study theory and all that. We have discussion consistently. We have a lot of Chinese members, an academic scholar who saves books from extinction, and a journalist from outside the USA. We're not that shit-posty and I think that's good for actual learning, whereas Stalin memes, for example, are known for being exaggerative or even false to a degree. Also, a lot of us are in orgs rather than being lower-case "c" communists.
Both to different extents, although tbf I'm less familiar with the deprogram sub.
This isn't explicitly or even implicitly a place for deep discussions, although that's not at all unwelcome with the book club threads and such. CTH and its descendants have always been this idiosyncratic mix of a place to vent and commiserate about capitalism, posting bits of theory (sometimes for discussion and sometimes just into the void, contributing to the ambient leftist atmosphere), and digesting theory into more-postable memes that then leak out into the wider internet. Posting obviously doesn't hold a candle to actual praxis (and mad respect to you and anyone else for the praxis btw), but I like to think that generating ambient leftism on the internet, even if it's a bit shitposty, is a net positive too.
I agree. You have my word on that. We're at least winning culturally thanks to you all. I think that that's worth something, at least.
idk about winning yet, but seeing "stalin saved the world from fascism" in the wild on twitter and reddit gives me some hope
Folks here are directly responsible for me joining the org that I did and in part the work we are doing out on Pine Ridge and eventually elsewhere.
Posting can be praxis, but it can also be a distraction.
On another note, I do like the chill vibes here too.
I've shared on here a bunch of times my own journey from being a reactionary to coming around to leftism, I think it was before you joined. But I make no excuses for it, I was bad, I fucked up a lot, but now I have to admit I feel some pride in myself for becoming a better person.
That's good! Perhaps that's how it should be. We have to feel a sense of pride in getting from point A to point B, even if point A was rock-bottom.
Okay, thanks for being with us, SorosFootSoldier.
I consider it a bottom for sure, a very low point in my life, thanks.
I was also at a low point and believed bad things, but it's whatever at this point. Past is the past, I suppose.
Tell you what, it feels a hell of a lot better to be where I'm at today. Like I still get angry and shit, but it feels like a righteous anger, stuff I should be upset at for the right reasons.
That's great!
My life has also improved and I've been nearing the end of my depression so I'm cautiously optimistic that I will beat it for good this time.
Wish you the best comrade.
Same to you!
Oh yeah, and if you ever need funds again, like last time, I'll try to send some your way.
Appreciate it.