Social Justice, Intersectionality, and Privilege

[Cisairse]

This seems particularly divorced from reality, for a number of reasons:

1. Members of racial, ethnic, gender, and religious minorities demonstratably face oppression — although it is my earnest belief that the oppression they face is not superior to (or even coequal with) the oppression faced by proletarians as a group.
2. Intersectionality is in fact only about social justice, often to the point of anguish of classical-minded revolutionaries.
3. I am not sure what "real tyranny" you think leftists espouse; the entire idea behind Marxism is proletarian liberation (and the entire idea behind intersectionality is the liberation of all oppressed groups). Trust me when I say that if you're a proletarian, I fight for you; and if you're an oppressed minority of any flavor, intersectionalists will probably fight for you.
4. Identifying structures of oppression against minorities with individuals in majority groups is not only extremely fallacious, I would argue that it is downright malicious.

Feel free to provide further evidence for any of your claims; I find your post lacking in that department.

In what way is intersectionality only about social justice?
I personally have a lot less skepticism toward intersectionality because it hasn't gone off the deep end, which is more than can be said for some theories. Of course, the nature of it's theory draws suspicion from a paranoid fool like me.

In the sense of its definition. Social intersectionality attempts to defend the interest of those facing social oppression in alliance with those who are facing other types of oppression, or not, in order to advance the interest of those being oppressed socially. Social justice is in fact the only goal.

[Ricksolot]

Honestly the United States of America is the least oppressive country in the world. I think identity politics is just a tool for planting the seeds of hatred and contention. By their fruit you will recognize them. Just take a look at what people do versus what they say. BLM is just a Marxist organization bent on brainwashing colored people. And antifa is a terrorist group. Additionally Marx was a racist himself soooooo. Not to mention that no communist or socialist government has ever existed without the mass execution of millions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7C6tNjiRKY

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboo ... ist-164792

[West Leas Oros 2]

In what way is intersectionality only about social justice?
I personally have a lot less skepticism toward intersectionality because it hasn't gone off the deep end, which is more than can be said for some theories. Of course, the nature of it's theory draws suspicion from a paranoid fool like me.

In the sense of its definition. Social intersectionality attempts to defend the interest of those facing social oppression in alliance with those who are facing other types of oppression, or not, in order to advance the interest of those being oppressed socially. Social justice is in fact the only goal.

Cool, but how do we decide who faces social oppression, or far more importantly, how we remedy oppression. I'm all for advancing the interest of the socially oppressed, but at what cost?

That is what worries me. The left currently has a reputation as violent, racebaiting haters. I would hope our theories would disprove that conception, rather than cast even the slightest hint of legitimacy.

[Alternamerica]

Afrocentrism, like Eurocentrism, is a biased view of social science from the lens of those groups.
Critical Race Theory is basically breaking things down to race relations. It's the founder of Microaggression and "Whiteness as property"

So different, but similar in that they're both ridiculous bullshit?

In a weird way, yeah. It's a rabbit hole you're best not looking too deep into and I speak as someone that is not white but also has white privilege so take it as it may

[-Astoria-]

Honestly the United States of America is the least oppressive country in the world. I think identity politics is just a tool for planting the seeds of hatred and contention. By their fruit you will recognize them. Just take a look at what people do versus what they say. BLM is just a Marxist organization bent on brainwashing colored people. And antifa is a terrorist group. Additionally Marx was a racist himself soooooo. Not to mention that no communist or socialist government has ever existed without the mass execution of millions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7C6tNjiRKY

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboo ... ist-164792

Bugger it, I need another bingo card.

[West Leas Oros 2]

Honestly the United States of America is the least oppressive country in the world. I think identity politics is just a tool for planting the seeds of hatred and contention. By their fruit you will recognize them. Just take a look at what people do versus what they say. BLM is just a Marxist organization bent on brainwashing colored people. And antifa is a terrorist group. Additionally Marx was a racist himself soooooo. Not to mention that no communist or socialist government has ever existed without the mass execution of millions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7C6tNjiRKY

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboo ... ist-164792

I personally don't care that Marx was racist. Especially considering he lived at a time when slavery was still a thing for much of his life. Who wasn't at least somewhat racist then? Nobody is perfect.

Also, LOLing at the hilariously stupid take that BLM or Antifa are Marxist.

Also also, nice "Communism killed 10 quintillion people" there. It's almost as stupid as the "What about Venezuela?!?!?!?"

[Glorious Hong Kong]

It could just as easily be the case that SJWs are coercing celebrities, rich people, and large, multinational corporations into toeing the woke line under pain of cancellation and/or a (possibly minor and insignificant, but that won't stop those fat cats) loss in revenue. These same celebs and corporations (e.g. LeBron James, Disney, Blizzard, Facebook, Google, etc.) have been known to simultaneously appease the CCP all the same, although there is currently no proven link between the CCP and American leftists other than shared ideology.

Most American leftists loath the CCP, so I don't know what you're on about.

Protestants and Catholics, Sunnis and Shi'ites, Stalinists and Maoists, Stalinists and Trotskyists, China and Vietnam, all turned their guns/swords on each other despite ostensibly sharing broadly similar ideals. That most American leftists do not back the CCP or vice versa is entirely beside the point. This is like claiming the 9/11 terrorists "weren't real Muslims".

Fear is what drives compliance among non-Marxist "allies" as much as greed and self-interest. Both Marxists and rich, virtue-signaling non-Marxists view the other as useful idiots. This is similar to the unholy alliance between wealthy businessmen and the CCP in Hong Kong. It would explain the existence of state capitalism.

This warrants further explanation.

Non-Marxist, neoliberal businessmen feel the need to appease the mob in order to secure their moneyed interests either out of greed or a fear of cancellation. In Hong Kong, conservative businessmen formerly loyal to the British Crown opposed democratization because it meant that moderate, left-leaning social democrats would be able to seize political power and improve the rights of working-class people. Thus, in the 1980s, they formed an unholy alliance with CCP-affiliated groups operating within HK to form the pro-Beijing camp that has governed the city with an increasingly iron fist since the Handover in 1997. Capitalism and communism are not mutually exclusive. While communism is anathema to a genuine capitalist, capitalism is a means to an end for these Marxist-Leninists. I consider them to be as communist as you are. They just happen to be a different kind of communist.

As for intersectionality itself, I do not support the idea that a rich, black, trans, lesbian, Muslim woman is "oppressed" while a poor, white, cis, hetero, Christian man is "privileged".

Congratulations! You're more Marxist than the "Marxists".

Genuine equality is compatible with liberalism, particularly social liberalism and its emphasis on the creation and maintenance of a social safety net. Liberalism is not "Marxist" in any way.

Intersectionality has never been about social justice. This is an attempt by leftists to seize power at all costs by inciting racial, gender, and other forms of resentment and hatred between certain groups of people. This is about divide & conquer.

Now this is some wacky shit. What do we have to gain by inciting bigotry? The only people that win under that arrangement are the powers that be. If the people are divided into identitarian sects trying to kill each other, then good luck overthrowing capitalism. You know how people like Trump draw up fear of immigrants to keep workers in line? So too do the liberals preaching their brand of identity. They want us fighting each other, not fighting the capitalists.

Not necessarily you. I'm referring here to American and European Marxists of the identitarian sort. What they're practicing is a form of accelerationism. A civil war and a total breakdown of law and order will create an opening for both fascists and communists alike to seize power by force similar to what happened in China in 1949. That's if they don't seize power via the ballot box and gradually transform and co-opt the Democrat Party into a de facto communist party little by little similar to what happened to the conservative business elite in Hong Kong. If this happens, then communism in America will have a much more singular focus and an actual conspiracy may actually begin to take root.

The real intersectionality involves identitarian Marxists aided and abetted by unprincipled or fearful non-Marxists oppressing ordinary Americans of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and gender identities. The oppression Olympics is nothing more than a smokescreen and a prelude to real tyranny.

Total citation needed. You have to realize not everything you hate is some Marxist conspiracy. In fact, plenty of Marxists reject this line of thinking. We don't want any ordinary American oppressed, and we are rooting out our ranks of those that do. The truth is, these identitarian nutjobs have nothing to do with Marxism, and in fact, their goals run counter to it.

You hesitate to consider these nutjobs as Marxists and leftists, but neither are they in any way liberal in their stated goals and intentions. They are not one of us either. I do not necessarily view everything through a conspiratorial lens. The CCP has no involvement in efforts to destabilize America, and there is no hard evidence that the BLM and social justice riots are part of some overarching conspiracy. But what is clear is that all these movements are inspired by Marxist principles, albeit with an identitarian SJW twist.

If you oppose these identitarian Marxists and consider them to be "not really Marxist", then you must also oppose intersectionality, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa whether you consider them to be Marxist or not.

Absent any kind of grand conspiracy, the simplest explanation is that the sudden resurgence of identitarian Marxism within the past 5-10 years, or whatever it is you want to call it because it's definitely not liberal, is like the sudden emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, and the mode of transmission is via word of mouth. It's more like a mind virus that slowly turns its unwitting victims little by little with intersectionality here and safe spaces there until they are full-blown superspreaders. Many of those turned may not even identify as Marxists, communists, or leftists. Liberals like myself seem to be more susceptible to indoctrination than conservatives because its grand promises of equality and social justice are more appealing and intoxicating to us. That's what makes communism so insidious. While this may not have been Karl Marx's original intention, it is what it is.

I could go on about my views on communism, but a full analysis would take up exactly nine sides of A4. If you want to know more, the link (The case against communism) is in my sig.

[Arkhane]

That's the thing. You're under the delusion that social justice and intersectionality is a product of the disenfranchised and the oppressed.

Under-privileged people who face actual oppression and unfairness haven't got the time of day to discuss and study the finer points of intersectionality, nor do they have the PRIVILEGE of accepting or rejecting which social power of society will voice or endorse their plight.

Starving, cold beggars on the streets aren't going to debate which fastfood charity is more sincere in feeding them over promoting their brand or which hotel housing them actually has their best interest at heart. They'll just be grateful that finally, regardless of intent, SOMEBODY is alleviating their struggles and suffering, even if for just a while.

If you can take your time and choose which among the celebrities, companies, media, organization, politicians or special interest groups should be included in your list and that you can lounge and debate or discuss amongst your peers on which group is allowed to speak or help you out and which to reject and publicly shame.

Then maybe you might want to entertain the idea that you're not really badly oppressed or disenfranchised as you think you are.

[Ostroeuropa]

The observation that the experience of white men is different to white women, is different to black men, is different to black women, and also different based on class and so on, is fundamentally sound.

Everything else they advance is a pile of horseshit though.

[Glorious Hong Kong]

That's the thing. You're under the delusion that social justice and intersectionality is a product of the disenfranchised and the oppressed.

Under-privileged people who face actual oppression and unfairness haven't got the time of day to discuss and study the finer points of intersectionality, nor do they have the PRIVILEGE of accepting or rejecting which social power of society will voice or endorse their plight.

Starving, cold beggars on the streets aren't going to debate which fastfood charity is more sincere in feeding them over promoting their brand or which hotel housing them actually has their best interest at heart. They'll just be grateful that finally, regardless of intent, SOMEBODY is alleviating their struggles and suffering, even if for just a while.

If you can take your time and choose which among the celebrities, companies, media, organization, politicians or special interest groups should be included in your list and that you can lounge and debate or discuss amongst your peers on which group is allowed to speak or help you out and which to reject and publicly shame.

Then maybe you might want to entertain the idea that you're not really badly oppressed or disenfranchised as you think you are.

Privileged, upper-middle-class college students screaming about privilege and intersectional oppression and who never have to worry about going hungry fail to appreciate the, to borrow an SJW term, lived experiences of actual working-class people. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the U.S. Democrats are full of these types. That's why Trump won in 2016 and people voted for Brexit TWICE in 2016 and 2019.

[Genivaria]

I've encountered plenty of positions and rhetoric from self-proclaimed SJWs that are extremely problematic and toxic.
Someone here said that American leftists despise the PRC and god I wish that were true, I keep seeing people worshipping Stalin and Mao and making justifications for the genocides both are responsible for.

It's fucking heinous.

[Genivaria]

That's the thing. You're under the delusion that social justice and intersectionality is a product of the disenfranchised and the oppressed.

Under-privileged people who face actual oppression and unfairness haven't got the time of day to discuss and study the finer points of intersectionality, nor do they have the PRIVILEGE of accepting or rejecting which social power of society will voice or endorse their plight.

Starving, cold beggars on the streets aren't going to debate which fastfood charity is more sincere in feeding them over promoting their brand or which hotel housing them actually has their best interest at heart. They'll just be grateful that finally, regardless of intent, SOMEBODY is alleviating their struggles and suffering, even if for just a while.

If you can take your time and choose which among the celebrities, companies, media, organization, politicians or special interest groups should be included in your list and that you can lounge and debate or discuss amongst your peers on which group is allowed to speak or help you out and which to reject and publicly shame.

Then maybe you might want to entertain the idea that you're not really badly oppressed or disenfranchised as you think you are.

Privileged, upper-middle-class college students screaming about privilege and intersectional oppression and who never have to worry about going hungry fail to appreciate the, to borrow an SJW term, lived experiences of actual working-class people. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the U.S. Democrats are full of these types. That's why Trump won in 2016 and people voted for Brexit TWICE in 2016 and 2019.

Pretty sure Brexit won because of fear-mongering about foreigners and people forgetting that Britain was worse off before joining the EU, but hey facts are inconvenient for demagogues.

[-Astoria-]

Privileged, upper-middle-class college students screaming about privilege and intersectional oppression and who never have to worry about going hungry fail to appreciate the, to borrow an SJW term, lived experiences of actual working-class people. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the U.S. Democrats are full of these types. That's why Trump won in 2016 and people voted for Brexit TWICE in 2016 and 2019.

Pretty sure Brexit won because of fear-mongering about foreigners and people forgetting that Britain was worse off before joining the EU, but hey facts are inconvenient for demagogues.

This.

[West Leas Oros 2]

Most American leftists loath the CCP, so I don't know what you're on about.

Protestants and Catholics, Sunnis and Shi'ites, Stalinists and Maoists, Stalinists and Trotskyists, China and Vietnam, all turned their guns/swords on each other despite ostensibly sharing broadly similar ideals. That most American leftists do not back the CCP or vice versa is entirely beside the point. This is like claiming the 9/11 terrorists "weren't real Muslims".

This warrants further explanation.

Non-Marxist, neoliberal businessmen feel the need to appease the mob in order to secure their moneyed interests either out of greed or a fear of cancellation. In Hong Kong, conservative businessmen formerly loyal to the British Crown opposed democratization because it meant that moderate, left-leaning social democrats would be able to seize political power and improve the rights of working-class people. Thus, in the 1980s, they formed an unholy alliance with CCP-affiliated groups operating within HK to form the pro-Beijing camp that has governed the city with an increasingly iron fist since the Handover in 1997. Capitalism and communism are not mutually exclusive. While communism is anathema to a genuine capitalist, capitalism is a means to an end for these Marxist-Leninists. I consider them to be as communist as you are. They just happen to be a different kind of communist.

Congratulations! You're more Marxist than the "Marxists".

Genuine equality is compatible with liberalism, particularly social liberalism and its emphasis on the creation and maintenance of a social safety net. Liberalism is not "Marxist" in any way.

Now this is some wacky shit. What do we have to gain by inciting bigotry? The only people that win under that arrangement are the powers that be. If the people are divided into identitarian sects trying to kill each other, then good luck overthrowing capitalism. You know how people like Trump draw up fear of immigrants to keep workers in line? So too do the liberals preaching their brand of identity. They want us fighting each other, not fighting the capitalists.

Not necessarily you. I'm referring here to American and European Marxists of the identitarian sort. What they're practicing is a form of accelerationism. A civil war and a total breakdown of law and order will create an opening for both fascists and communists alike to seize power by force similar to what happened in China in 1949. That's if they don't seize power via the ballot box and gradually transform and co-opt the Democrat Party into a de facto communist party little by little similar to what happened to the conservative business elite in Hong Kong. If this happens, then communism in America will have a much more singular focus and an actual conspiracy may actually begin to take root.

Total citation needed. You have to realize not everything you hate is some Marxist conspiracy. In fact, plenty of Marxists reject this line of thinking. We don't want any ordinary American oppressed, and we are rooting out our ranks of those that do. The truth is, these identitarian nutjobs have nothing to do with Marxism, and in fact, their goals run counter to it.

You hesitate to consider these nutjobs as Marxists and leftists, but neither are they in any way liberal in their stated goals and intentions. They are not one of us either. I do not necessarily view everything through a conspiratorial lens. The CCP has no involvement in efforts to destabilize America, and there is no hard evidence that the BLM and social justice riots are part of some overarching conspiracy. But what is clear is that all these movements are inspired by Marxist principles, albeit with an identitarian SJW twist.

If you oppose these identitarian Marxists and consider them to be "not really Marxist", then you must also oppose intersectionality, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa whether you consider them to be Marxist or not.

Absent any kind of grand conspiracy, the simplest explanation is that the sudden resurgence of identitarian Marxism within the past 5-10 years, or whatever it is you want to call it because it's definitely not liberal, is like the sudden emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, and the mode of transmission is via word of mouth. It's more like a mind virus that slowly turns its unwitting victims little by little with intersectionality here and safe spaces there until they are full-blown superspreaders. Many of those turned may not even identify as Marxists, communists, or leftists. Liberals like myself seem to be more susceptible to indoctrination than conservatives because its grand promises of equality and social justice are more appealing and intoxicating to us. That's what makes communism so insidious. While this may not have been Karl Marx's original intention, it is what it is.

I could go on about my views on communism, but a full analysis would take up exactly nine sides of A4. If you want to know more, the link (The case against communism) is in my sig.

1. Except you're claiming that the American left is working with China, aren't you? Or am I mistaken.
2. Fine by me. But at least accept that the Marxists who oppose that have more in common with you than they have in common with the MLs. A lot of Marxist-Leninists would rather work with capitalists than ancoms. No need to make every Marxist your enemy.
3. Sure, but still, plenty of Marxists would agree with you. Most argue class matters more than other identities. Even the OP said so.
4. I doubt that tactic will work. America isn't likely to go down that path. I particularly doubt that the Democrats will ever be a de facto communist party.
5. As a matter of fact, I do have a beef with Antifa, intersectionality, and BLM. Not a particularly strong one, but I know they have a capacity for identitarianism of the most harmful sort. I am a Marxist in the sense that I follow the beliefs that Marx laid out. Obviously, anything that I see that deviates from Marx's belief I would consider "not Marxist", just as say, a Christian would say that teachings that run against the teachings of Jesus would be "not Christian". I would consider identitarianism antithetical to the Marxist goal, so therefore, whether they think so or not, they are undermining the Marxist goal.

[Kexholm Karelia]

I would rather have SJWs than communism. SJWs are annoying, but they aren’t maliciously dangerous like communist governments are

[West Leas Oros 2]

I've encountered plenty of positions and rhetoric from self-proclaimed SJWs that are extremely problematic and toxic.
Someone here said that American leftists despise the PRC and god I wish that were true, I keep seeing people worshipping Stalin and Mao and making justifications for the genocides both are responsible for.

It's fucking heinous.

I have seen some legit China apologists, but I've seen just as many denounce the PRC. Like all leftism, there is much infighting.

And yeah, I've seen some of the worst from "SJWs" as it were. I used to be one, until I learned the error of my ways.

[West Leas Oros 2]

I would rather have SJWs than communism. SJWs are annoying, but they aren’t maliciously dangerous like communist governments are

Communists don't want to kill you based on your skin color or gender.

[Cordel One]

I would rather have SJWs than communism. SJWs are annoying, but they aren’t maliciously dangerous like communist governments are

I really prefer strawman A to strawman B. I don't like either of them, but strawman B killed everyone on the planet. That's right, every person on the planet is DEAD because GOMMUNISM killed EVERYONE.

[Alternamerica]

That's the thing. You're under the delusion that social justice and intersectionality is a product of the disenfranchised and the oppressed.

Under-privileged people who face actual oppression and unfairness haven't got the time of day to discuss and study the finer points of intersectionality, nor do they have the PRIVILEGE of accepting or rejecting which social power of society will voice or endorse their plight.

Starving, cold beggars on the streets aren't going to debate which fastfood charity is more sincere in feeding them over promoting their brand or which hotel housing them actually has their best interest at heart. They'll just be grateful that finally, regardless of intent, SOMEBODY is alleviating their struggles and suffering, even if for just a while.

If you can take your time and choose which among the celebrities, companies, media, organization, politicians or special interest groups should be included in your list and that you can lounge and debate or discuss amongst your peers on which group is allowed to speak or help you out and which to reject and publicly shame.

Then maybe you might want to entertain the idea that you're not really badly oppressed or disenfranchised as you think you are.

Privileged, upper-middle-class college students screaming about privilege and intersectional oppression and who never have to worry about going hungry fail to appreciate the, to borrow an SJW term, lived experiences of actual working-class people. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the U.S. Democrats are full of these types. That's why Trump won in 2016 and people voted for Brexit TWICE in 2016 and 2019.

Trump won because of the electoral college, states that went blue turned red because Clinton is the exact image of anti-workers while Trump, despite being a billionaire that steps on other people, has a populist pro-worker message during his campaign. Hillary doubled down on her urban elite persona

But dead on your hill that college leftists don't understand the plight of the poor and downtrodden. But it should also include the infamous "Google is free" mindset many leftists have when someone who may otherwise consider leftist viewpoints asks for direction on theory. Or how linking a vox article equates to giving $15 to their venmo as 'emotional labor'. If I wasn't already set on my own beliefs, I'd run away from leftist circles, it's a mindset only the privileged could have because I'm sure the starving miner being exploited won't have the time, energy, or money to "google" mindlessly and have the resources to 'compensate' someone for answering a question. Direct action isn't an option to these types

[Kexholm Karelia]

I would rather have SJWs than communism. SJWs are annoying, but they aren’t maliciously dangerous like communist governments are

Communists don't want to kill you based on your skin color or gender.

No, "they just want to kill you for fun"

At least that’s what my grandfather, survivor of the Cultural Revolution had said.

[West Leas Oros 2]

Communists don't want to kill you based on your skin color or gender.

No, "they just want to kill you for fun"

At least that’s what my grandfather, survivor of the Cultural Revolution had said.

Glad to know every communist ever is a hardcore Maoist.

[Alternamerica]

Communists don't want to kill you based on your skin color or gender.

No, "they just want to kill you for fun"

At least that’s what my grandfather, survivor of the Cultural Revolution had said.

Totalitarianism =/= Communism. Alexander Dubcek is a communist and he resisted Soviet totalitarianism in favor of a "Socialism with a human face". Right-wing dictatorships are also just as likely to kill you for fun (See Imperial Japan and Francoist Spain) as left-wing totalitarian states

[West Leas Oros 2]

No, "they just want to kill you for fun"

At least that’s what my grandfather, survivor of the Cultural Revolution had said.

Totalitarianism =/= Communism. Alexander Dubcek is a communist and he resisted Soviet totalitarianism in favor of a "Socialism with a human face". Right-wing dictatorships are also just as likely to kill you for fun (See Imperial Japan and Francoist Spain) as left-wing totalitarian states

Even some of the authoritarian communists weren't terrible maniacs. Lenin did some nice things. A lot of which Stalin ruined. It bothers me when people act like their ideology has no blood on it's hands. No matter what quadrant, ideology, country. Anarchism is bloody. Marxism-Leninism is bloody. Fascism is bloody. Liberalism is bloody. No ideology has clean hands. So we should accept that.

[Genivaria]

Privileged, upper-middle-class college students screaming about privilege and intersectional oppression and who never have to worry about going hungry fail to appreciate the, to borrow an SJW term, lived experiences of actual working-class people. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the U.S. Democrats are full of these types. That's why Trump won in 2016 and people voted for Brexit TWICE in 2016 and 2019.

Trump won because of the electoral college, states that went blue turned red because Clinton is the exact image of anti-workers while Trump, despite being a billionaire that steps on other people, has a populist pro-worker message during his campaign. Hillary doubled down on her urban elite persona

But dead on your hill that college leftists don't understand the plight of the poor and downtrodden. But it should also include the infamous "Google is free" mindset many leftists have when someone who may otherwise consider leftist viewpoints asks for direction on theory. Or how linking a vox article equates to giving $15 to their venmo as 'emotional labor'. If I wasn't already set on my own beliefs, I'd run away from leftist circles, it's a mindset only the privileged could have because I'm sure the starving miner being exploited won't have the time, energy, or money to "google" mindlessly and have the resources to 'compensate' someone for answering a question. Direct action isn't an option to these types

Ah yes, 'emotional labor' I remember a BLM FB page where people kept demanding payment before they would back up any of their bullshit claims.
Get a degree in what we're talking about and write a book and then MAYBE I'll pay for your fucking opinion you entitled shit.

[Kexholm Karelia]

Totalitarianism =/= Communism. Alexander Dubcek is a communist and he resisted Soviet totalitarianism in favor of a "Socialism with a human face". Right-wing dictatorships are also just as likely to kill you for fun (See Imperial Japan and Francoist Spain) as left-wing totalitarian states

Even some of the authoritarian communists weren't terrible maniacs. Lenin did some nice things. A lot of which Stalin ruined. It bothers me when people act like their ideology has no blood on it's hands. No matter what quadrant, ideology, country. Anarchism is bloody. Marxism-Leninism is bloody. Fascism is bloody. Liberalism is bloody. No ideology has clean hands. So we should accept that.

Communism is on a level of its own. Even today, the CCP continues to sterilize Uyghur and gas protestors in Hong Kong, Chinese Communist leaders are sadistic maniacs who enjoy killing people for fun