Very often I am forced to respond to a large number of straw man attacks, or misconceptions regarding my beliefs, and political positions. I'm making a short, and general outline so that I can direct detractors here instead of wasting my time with superfluous explanation.
First some explanation of terms and concepts:
First some explanation of terms and concepts:
- Labor: Working people are the source of all wealth in the world. Even naturally occurring resources cannot be used for human needs unless someone has expended the time and energy necessary to put these resources in a usable form. Working people (The Proletariat) do not have ownership over productive property, and are obliged out of necessity to sell their labor power in order to survive. Capitalist profits are derived from the difference in what is paid to a worker in wages, and the value of the total products or services generated by the worker.
- Over-Production and Crisis:The same means by which capitalism produces profits, is the very reason for economic crisis. The disparity between what is paid to workers, and total production prevents the working class from being able to afford all the products which have been produced by the market. Effective demand will always fall behind actual demand, and supply unless extended by credit - which is a temporary fix, which leads to a more exacerbated crisis down the road (as debt forces working people to decrease consumption even more).
- Socialism: This is a word which is thrown around by people of many political stripes, with very different and contradictory meanings. To a Marxist, the only valid meaning is that of a system in which production is controlled by the working class, in a democratic manner. There can be disagreements about exact implementation (Whether through representatives, direct democracy, workers' cooperatives, or voluntary associations) but Marxist socialists as a whole believe that this system must be democratic, expropriate major industry, and plan production in a rational manner in order to meet human wants and needs.
- Communism:
Communism is another word which is often thrown around with different meanings - usually the mainstream conception is highly influenced by Stalinism - Giving a bleak view of a Bureaucratic dictatorship. Another slightly less common conception which has some currency in pop culture is that of the "Hippie Commune", a Utopian community which cuts itself off from the rest of the world, and usually endorses ideas such as pacifism, community-oriented activity, and libertarian views on personal behavior. (Such as toleration and promotion of drug use). The standpoint of Marxists (excluding some Stalinist sects) is that Communism is neither of these things, but a hypothetical stage of human society in which Socialist planning has increased production to such levels that scarcity and social classes are abolished, and the state ceases to exist in any recognizable form. The definition does not necessarily exclude the existence of government (as democratic institutions of economic planning), but rather the "state" in the Marxist definition of "Armed bodies of men" - a coercive force by which one class in society oppresses another.
- Now a bit on my own personal positions:
- Trotskyism:
Leon Trotsky was one of the main leaders of the October Revolution (And the leader of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War). In addition to this, Trotsky was one of the main opponents to the rise of Stalinism on both the Russian and International stage. What Trotskyism really means, is the continuation of Marxism and Leninism in opposition to Stalinism and other ideologies which arose from bureaucratic counter-revolution in post-Capitalist states. Trotskyists tend to emphasize democracy, workers' control, Internationalism, and United Fronts of workers' organizations when fighting against Fascism or other forms of dictatorship. (As opposed to the Stalinist "Popular Front", which included pro-Capitalist Liberals)
- Feminism and Women's Liberation: Although I tend not to describe myself as a Feminist (I prefer Pro-Feminist) I do recognize that women's rights must be fought for both for the cause of Socialism, and as an end in themselves. This should not however, be taken to mean that I am a supporter of what is often called feminism in popular culture - that being separatism, "misandry" (or rather, the idea that men are the direct cause of patriarchy), or the focus solely on reproductive rights. Inequality between men and women has its historical genesis in the rise of property, and true equality between men and women is not possible under a system of private property. This does not mean that gender equality will come about magically under socialism. The only way for gender and sexual liberation to be realized is for women to take a direct and leading role in revolutionary movements. Sexism and heterosexism exist even in Leftist circles, and the best way to fight against these trends is to have strong women involved in the movement - simultaneously giving a great example to other women, and serving to enrich the discussion and theory around liberation.
- Queer Politics and Liberation: I am a committed Ally to Queer causes, not because I am gay - I'm not - but because queer people (especially trans*, and queer people of color - who are not even readily defended by all other queer identifying people) are the group in society which is still given the fewest legal protections. Despite what right-wingers might maintain, it is truly a moot point whether or not queer people choose to be attracted to someone with the same chromosome combination as them, or if gender identity is determined at birth. Same-sex relationships and trans* people expressing their identity in the way that they are most comfortable does nothing to cause harm to society. Heterosexism on the other hand, has a long history of creating violence, mental and emotional pain, dividing working people, and robbing countless people of their rights - and even their lives.
Unfortunately, The leadership of many Queer organizations is Pro-Capitalist, wealthy, white, and often times even sexist, racist, and transphobic. Just as is the case with the feminist movement - It's not just a question of formal equality, the rights of Queer people will not be safe until all people are free to express their own identity under their own terms. Real Liberation in this sphere, like all others, requires the end of the capitalist system which subjects trans* people to homelessness and murder, and the queer community as a whole to second-class citizenship.
- Race: Racism is not just the dislike or discrimination of an individual based on their skin color, it is the systemic oppression of people of color by the capitalist system, government force, and white supremacist cultural norms. We cannot "move past" racism simply by changing the minds of racists - This is because capitalism, and modern society was built on the back of slavery, genocide, and is to this day propped up by the super-exploitation of people of color. White Supremacy serves the dual purpose of perpetuating and normalizing racism in general consciousness, and of convincing white workers that they are not oppressed because they hold a privileged position in relation to non-whites. Identity Politics offer no road out for people of color - they teach that people of color must unite on the basis of skin color, or language (regardless of class) in order to struggle for national demands. Nationalist groups of this kind will often have radical rhetoric, but they fail to confront capitalism because much of the leadership is itself drawn from more privileged classes. Oppressed people of color have some of the most devastating experiences of capitalist exploitation, and have the potential (and often are) great leaders of revolutionary movements.
- Intersectionality Race, gender, sexuality, and class do not exist in a vacuum separate from each other. People who are members of multiple minority groups will often find themselves both exploited to a higher degree, and often cut unrepresented by the organizations which claim to represent the minorities they belong to. A big example being the treatment of Queer people of color - They are under-represented, and often ostracized in both queer organizations, and in organizations made up of other people of color. A similar thing happens often to transgender people in the wider LGBT movement - the movement will focus on the issues of the cisgender (and white) majority, while ignoring, or potentially even sabotaging transgender issues in order to assimilate in to heteronormative institutions. The liberal middle-class leadership focuses on "equality", at the expense of liberation - of allowing people to define their own needs, identity, and relationship to society.
- Religion: I am an unapologetic Atheist, and I very much agree with Marx on the old saying "Religion is the Opium of the People". The problem of course, is that people rarely look in to the context of this statement. This is important because Marx viewed religion as something which was a result of people trying to rationalize their exploitation i-and deal with the pain that society inflicts upon them. Religious people aren't stupid, nor are they inherently reactionary - This is why Lenin's stance was not that people should be forced to disavow religion, but that religion must be a personal issue, and not even mentioned in official documents. Lenin was also of the opinion that religious workers must be organized as well, not on the basis of their religion, but of their class position. The majority of people in this country are religious, so any change in the system is going to require the participation of large numbers of religious people - and they should be welcomed with open arms. Many of these people will come to their own conclusions throughout time. Atheist propaganda on the part of the Bolsheviks had a very definite role - not to force people to abandon religion as an end in itself, but to break the power of the Orthodox Church which was deeply intertwined with the state, was a huge property owner, and a supporter of Fascist reaction. (Such as the anti-Semitic and Anti-Communist Black Hundreds pogromists)
Ecology, and Eco-Socialism: I consider myself to be an Eco-Socialist for two reasons: 1. The capitalist system is responsible for an environmental crisis which requires decisive action to reverse it.2. In modern times, any program of Socialist economic planning must recognize that the environment is important for the long-term survival of the species, I am of the opinion that the environment and non-human animals have their own rights as well - but the central issue is this - either we have a rational economic plan which strives to protect the environment in addition to providing for more immediate human needs, or else the survival of the human species, and even the planet, is not guaranteed in the long-run.
- Weapons, Self-Defense, and Violence There can be no moral equivalency between the violence of the oppressed, and the violence of the oppressor. The marginalized have the right to defend themselves, even with lethal means if necessary. Gun control is also a matter of class, and race - Gun control laws have a history of being used for the disarmament of working-people and people of color in order to perpetuate the rule of the capitalist class, and white supremacy. This does not mean that I think everyone should have a gun just for the hell of it, but I do believe that efforts must be taken to stop the capitalist state from enforcing its monopoly on arms and violence, the best way to do this is of course by training the the masses of people in the use of arms in an organized manner, ideally through the trade unions - as was often a practice in the past. Unless the masses of working people know how to defend themselves against tyranny, it is impossible to talk about moving beyond the need for police forces, and state violence.
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