I'm going to try keeping this as anonymous as possible, so I won't be going into where I am, of course.
An IRL comrade told me several years ago that the only way ahead in political organizing where I am is to start something myself. I disagreed at the time and I've spent the intervening years trying to find an org that was doing something and not handicapped by a poisonous national committee. The benefit to that was that I've found some good IRL comrades from various shitty orgs that would be worth joining with in the struggle, but that first comrade was right and I hate it.
I want democratic-centralism. I want political education. I want praxis.
So, I come to you with this question: How do?
More specifically, regarding political education, does anyone have a good, well-ordered reading list? Like, from babby's first socialism to contemporary political analysis.
I'm much less worried about the praxis side, as the majority of my experience is in labor organizing and the other comrades I want to propose this idea to have experience in other community organizing.
Invite friends and do shots (unironically, a lot of parties are started at beer outings from a union meeting)
Where are you that there is no democratic centralist communist party?
years trying to find an org that was doing something and not handicapped by a poisonous national committee
If that is a national committee of a democratic centralist org, it just sounds like you are guilty of the fourth type
Bro I'm not voting for Democrats or selling newspapers.
Also, please stick to the question. Do you have a good, well-ordered reading list or not?
Here is a good document to help guide you.
Building a communist party from scratch is a big task, and ideally it would begin with a diverse group of organizers or a collection of organizers from different community groups. The working class is always organizing itself, and identifying those atomized individuals and groups, forming helpful relationships and ultimately uniting with them is a good way to grow outside of the bubble of a clique of friends or college activist circles. If it is centered on a small group of friends at first it isn’t the end of the world, but I have observed a lot of problems and weirdness from that, which is something that can take time to overcome. There are plenty of reading lists out there, but if you don’t have a core set of theory in mind already, do you think you are up to the task of creating your own party? idk, i would start with a few essentials like on practice, “left-wing” communism an infantile disorder, imperialism the highest stage of capitalism, foundations of leninism, and dialectics historical and material… there are many more essentials and I think tbh those are things that a small group of organizers (experienced and inexperienced) would benefit from reading together and discussing, but more contemporary analysis and readings that help confront weaknesses within the group would be appropriate, or even better. Decisions should be made based on the context of where and who you are organizing with. Things can quickly become overwhelming with a small set of organizers which is why having a larger organization with acceptable flaws is often times much better than creating yet another faction that seeks to grow and compete with “the left”
i would start with a congress, which could be held over multiple sessions, where the collective creates its centralizing documents and political program democratically. Without a political program or centralizing documents it will be unclear to the masses of people what you are even trying to accomplish. if it isn’t a collective work and only centers around the work of one individual, you aren’t creating a communist party at that point.
good luck
there is a list of reading lists on the sidebar of the Marxism channel!
I usually start by inviting my friends over under the pretence of a normal party, then I turn it into a political party by opening my mouth after couple of beers
Find a pre-existing similar party and try to splinter off. Historically speaking, this is how to do it
