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Despair is typical of those who do not understand the causes of evil, see no way out, and are incapable of struggle.
-Vladimir Lenin
Very applicable today, there's no better time than the present to read theory and get organized. If anyone wants, I can post a short introductory reading list on Marxism.
Thank you. Been thinking about finding good leftist quotes to as my phone wallpaper. Are there shorter quotes?
I'm curious about the intro reading list. I've tried the manifesto and listened to some audiobooks by Dessalines. Are there newer articles that are recommended, that summarise/improve the pre-existing content? Especially ones that talk about how the things were/are to be applied.
Lenin is a huge yapper, he has tons of fantastic quotes. Another good one is "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen."
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.
For your specific question regarding modern, easier to get into theory, I really love this person's essays on Marxism. They are more advanced, but focus on modern Marxist analysis. I think Why Do Marxists Fail to Bring the "Worker's Paradise?", Socialism Developed China, Not Capitalism, and Why Public Property? are 3 of the best modern essays and primers on Socialism. The first goes over the Materialist theory of Democratic Structures and how they can be built while critically analyzing AES through an AES-positive viewpoint, the second goes over misconceptions about the PRC, and the last helps explain why Marxists advocate for public ownership and central planning, and why Capitalism makes way for this through decentralized markets coalescing into monopolist syndicates.
Let me know if you have any questions!
"Some people deserve to be punished." - Amos Burton (actor Wes Chatham), The Expanse season 2, in reference to an opportunist who had been enriching himself during a humanitarian crisis; comparing him to pimps that force kids and vulnerable people into prostitution.
Full quote
(after beating up an uncooperative person and threatening him at gunpoint, then getting confronted about it)
I didn't kill him. Not yet. He's a bully, and where I come from, bullies take desperate young girls like your daughter and force them into prostitution. And when they finally get knocked up, they peddle them to johns who get off on that. After they have the kid, they push them right back out on the streets even before they have a chance to heal. And those kids, they use them, too. Some people deserve to be punished.
The Expanse has so many memorable quotes.
And Amos was so great. Both the actor and the character. The books are possibly even better
Reminds me of bash.org RIP https://bash-org-archive.com/?top
Another one came to mind.
"Because he's my man."
From the series Legion on FX. The main female lead Sydney wanted to safe her boyfriend and others doubted her on her reasoning, since her boyfriend turned out to be a shady guy. When questioned "Why?" She gave that answer. I've never heard a female character be this positively possessive over her love interest before. Usually its the guy that saves the girl.
"Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final."
-- Rainer Maria Rilke
This was used at the end of the movie Jojo Rabbit (one of my favorite movies btw). I often remember this line when I feel like everything is going wrong. It helps me hold on to hope.
No one can change everything but everyone can change something.
Maya Angelou: "Do your best until you know better, then do better"
"How active you are in middle-age determines how active you will be able to be in old age. And that applies to any given decade of one's life.
Meanwhile, on Lemmy, we got people whining about sore backs and knees once they turn 30.
Work with elderly. Use it or lose it.
Amount of people who struggle to walk because they got in a wheelchair at some point is fucking high
Your dog might not be your entire life, but you are the entire life of your dog
That is exactly the same for your kids, it is not until their world expands a bit when they are 3-5YO; before that you are literally everything to them.
Thats a good one, also along the lines "In our dogs eyes we are the immortal elves."
Yeah, that's a good one too.
Every time I think about how important we are to them and how loyal they are, I end up thinking about the "Jurrasic Bark" episode in Futurama π
Lol F you, I'm not clicking on that π’
"I'm a leaf in the wind."
Said by Wash the pilot in the movie Serenity. I tend to whisper that to myself when things aren't going my way and I need a reminder to just go with the flow.
I'm surprised that works for you, given what happens to him immediately after
I hope you haven't missed the series
The standard you walk past is the standard you accept
βMay I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.β
it's a variation of the serenity prayer and it's helped me immensely for the last 40ish years
βBe excellent to each otherβ.
Happiness is for pussies.
Frankie from The Goon comics.
In my twenties life was a continual slog in a cycle of disappointment and desperation. That gave me something I could "steel myself" with.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
The whole poem by Dylan Thomas is fantastic but that line in particular often pops into my head during difficult times, like these.
I give myself a "Dammit, Steve" from Life Aquatic maybe twice a week. I'm a woman, and my name isn't Steve.
I've also got a lot of mileage out of, "everyone knows when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of you and umption."
Oh nice, I knew "when you assume you make an ass of u and me"
Similar with "get up, Trinity" from the matrix.
I don't have time for-/I didn't have time to-
What you are really saying is, "I didn't prioritize-" and that's OK sometimes. But be real with it. Sometimes it's OK to prioritize other things, but when you start rephrasing it this way, you realize that you may be putting yourself, your partner, your kids, your family, in second or even third place.
the ironic thing about common sense is that it is not that common.
The only peace you will find at the top of a mountain is the peace you bring there with yourself.
"The sun will rise and set regardless of your life""
"There's no such thing as retard/idiot proof, only retard/idiot resistant."
'A business should never buy idiot proof systems they should just stop hiring idiots"
"Those who never try, never find out"
In a similar line, "the world belongs to the brave"
Sometimes life's a bitch and you keep on living.
"The only person who won't fire you is you."
There's a guy on Youtube by the name of Chris Boden. Slightly controversial figure but he seems to mean well. A video of his that seemed to be venting/reconciling himself included the phrase
"So you wake up one morning in your impact crater and you start. Again."
"Growing hurts... but it's always worth the pain."
-My sister
(breathe in)
Gusfraaaaaba.
(Breathe out)
"The purpose of discipline is to live more fully, not less"
Confident, Cocky, Lazy, Dead.
The serial killer in the Tad Williams books, but it makes sense to me.
"Silence deafens everything." At first it seems counterintuitive, but being silent can "deafen" those around you (or society) to an issue or problem.
And my friends dad commented on his wanderlust need : "It doesn't matter where you travel to, you will never get away from yourself"
Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.
Cynical is a word used by the frightened to describe the realistic.