Excellent thread. Even suggesting Lenin has good ideas can get you immediate ire, because what he wrote is accurate and practicible.

For real, especially trying to get across Lenin’s analysis of Imperialism, or the necessity of Revolution, both of which are far touchier subjects than “Marx good” on the Fediverse.

Marx has been blunted and made tame and by those who haven’t read him.

Depends on the audience. It’s polarizing, hence the downvotes as well.

This meme isn’t saying Socialism will not prevail. Rather, it’s saying that even though Socialists can’t individually beat Capitalism right now, as Capitalism decays Socialists increase in number and Capitalists weaken in strength, making Socialist victory more probable over time.

The Communist Manifesto isn’t what I’m talking about. The CM is a worker pamphlet, not an explanation of Marxism. The Principles of Communism is a much better introductory work, and for Marx himself, Wage Labor and Capital as well as Value, Price and Profit are excellent texts describing Capitalism. I would also add Socialism: Utopian and Scientific for an introduction to Historical Materialism, and the failures of Utopian Socialists like the Owenites.

Lenin is absolutely worth reading, he was the leader of the first genuine Marxist state, and his contributions to Marxist theory are critical. Specifically, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism furthers Marx’s analysis into the modern era of Monopoly Capitalism, aka Imperialism, which Marx was only alive to see the very beginnings of before he passed away.

Those commenters have no idea what they are talking about. You are always stronger aligned with your fellow workers.

Don’t unions really restrict your salary growth in fields where there’s actual potential for it?

Nope.

I’m in software engineering and I reckon a whole bunch of people would be unhappy if their salary was in a direct relationship with their years of experience.

Why would increasing your bargaining power lower your wages?

Syndicalism is nice, but without a solid analysis of Imperialism it risks taking on a Nationalist character if you’re in the Imperial Core. Additionally, if you’re in a de-industrialized nation like the United States, worker organization is more difficult along union lines, which is partially why Unions have historically struggled in the United States in recent years.

100% agree on reading theory and joining an org, just wanted to add some caveats.

Read Marx, especially if you don’t think you need to.

The point of the meme is that as Capitalism deteriorates, and it must deteriorate, more Workers become aligned with Leftists and at some point there will be a shift from quantitative to qualitative, ie at some level there will be a dramatic change, like the boiling point of water.

23 pages? What are you referring to? Either way, what Marx analyzed is still relevant, even in his day overproduction led to crisis. Lenin took his analysis further once Monopoly Capitalism became the standard, but the same principles apply.

Read Marx, everyone, especially people that don’t think they need to.

If we are strictly speaking ideological purity, the DPRK’s Marxism-Leninism with Juche influences is probably the least revisionist overall. China is the most “relevant,” of course, plus SWCC is legitimately a return to Marxism as compared to Maoism.

Cuba has some Capitalist roading, yes, it heavily depends on the tourist industry and said industry is decently privitized.

Ultimately though, a strong understanding of Dialectics and the Base and Superstructure is necessary when judging the impact of “Capitalist Roading.”

I wouldn’t say there are any “orthodox” Marxist countries, most have taken some fair bit of revisionism, but are still Socialist and practice Marxism.

I didn’t claim only fascists were sent to gulags, the vast majority of political prisoners were fascists.

Historically there have been more, such as the USSR, but currently the DPRK, PRC, Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos are explicitly Marxist. There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding them, but they retain Marxism.

Marxism is Communism, yes. Communism has been proven to work multiple times, and does to this day.

I suggest reading Blackshirts and Reds if that goes against what you believe to be true, though if you have specific questions I can do my best to answer.

The idea of a “Jewish Genocide” by the Soviets is Double Genocide Theory. That’s why I said you’re free to correct your statements. Yes, the Soviets did some bad things, but you’re carrying water for fascists by defending them as “political prisoners” and claiming a Jewish genocide.

As a US citizen, the DNC and GOP ultimately serve the same donors and are aligned.

You claimed the USSR was murdering jews and non-Russians en-masse, not hard to see that you were calling to Double Genocide Theory from that. If you want to correct your statements you can.