Wtf were they thinking releasing this photo lmao

If the Soviets refused to negotiate a point, they were intransigent and belligerent; if they appeared willing to make concessions, this was but a skillful ploy to put us off our guard.

By opposing arms limitations, they would have demonstrated their aggressive intent; but when in fact they supported most armament treaties, it was because they were mendacious and manipulative.

If the churches in the USSR were empty, this demonstrated that religion was suppressed; but if the churches were full, this meant the people were rejecting the regime’s atheistic ideology.

If the workers went on strike (as happened on infrequent occasions), this was evidence of their alienation from the collectivist system; if they didn’t go on strike, this was because they were intimidated and lacked freedom.

A scarcity of consumer goods demonstrated the failure of the economic system; an improvement in consumer supplies meant only that the leaders were attempting to placate a restive population and so maintain a firmer hold over them.

If communists in the United States played an important role struggling for the rights of workers, the poor, African-Americans, women, and others, this was only their guileful way of gathering support among disfranchised groups and gaining power for themselves. How one gained power by fighting for the rights of powerless groups was never explained.

What we are dealing with is a nonfalsifiable orthodoxy, so assiduously marketed by the ruling interests that it affected people across the entire political spectrum.

- Michael Parenti, Blackshirts and Reds

Misread this as “pipe” and was smiling 😔

Common lemmy.world L

Where’s all the lemmings damn it

Where’s the inconsistency

And you’re not invited

Not “bizarre” at all; saying that just shows how out-of-touch MSM is.

Trump’s base is mostly the same as AOC’s and Bernie’s: working class people who hate the status quo and want change. Only difference is Bernie and AOC’s change is for the positive because they blame the correct people — corporations and the capitalist class — while Trump’s change will be for the negative because he scapegoats marginalized people instead. And we know which one of them will receive corporate funding and thus come to power under a liberal “democracy”

If socialist parties like the PSL or FRSO were influential enough, most of Trump’s supporters (and Dems) would be there instead. Because at the end of the day, most people are workers with the same interests.

BRICS will probably accelerate when Trump comes to power and fucks up US foreign policy even more lol

The tweet

Primarily referring to Germany and Italy’s descent into fascism, and we’re currently seeing this happen in France, and now in the US. These countries only see a shift to the left with an external force, like Scandinavian states giving concessions to the working class when the nearby USSR posed the threat of a good example — and by extension, the threat of a working class revolution; of course, these concessions are gradually being taken away now.

Imperial core countries refers to colonizer countries that now control financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, and depend on the continued exploitation of former colonies.

• How Capitalism Robs The Developing World
  ⠀

I specify liberal democracies in imperial core countries because we have seen limited successes for the left outside it. Like Allende coming to power in Chile (before being overthrown in a US-backed coup 2 years later), or now Lula and Claudia coming to power in Brazil and Mexico.

• Read Blackshirts And Reds

• Why The US Is not A Democracy

• Why Social Democracy Isn’t Good Enough

• “Yeah Capitalism Is Bad… But What Can We Do?”

He’s right. In a declining capitalist state like the current US, workers want change. In the absence of a genuine working class party that correctly blames capitalism and the capitalist class for a revolution, you get a “radical” capitalist-funded party that at least points the blame at someone — marginalized people.

The dems only offer to preserve the status quo, and no one fucking wants the status quo.

Get organized. Liberal democracies in the imperial core historically always slide to fascism.

Who could’ve guessed that appealing to far-right republicans — who are going to vote republican anyway — wouldn’t be a winning strategy?

Shame we won’t get to see elon malding

So many scratched liberals on r*ddit right now

Fucking over microsoft is always good

Why would you “do nothing”? Go out and organize. Writing some shit on a piece of paper won’t change anything.

A KGB spy and a CIA agent meet up in a bar for a friendly drink

“I have to admit, I’m always so impressed by Soviet propaganda. You really know how to get people worked up,” the CIA agent says.

“Thank you,” the KGB says. “We do our best but truly, it’s nothing compared to American propaganda. Your people believe everything your state media tells them.”

The CIA agent drops his drink in shock and disgust. “Thank you friend, but you must be confused… There’s no propaganda in America.”

Yeah I’ve noticed that almost every post and comment seems to get at least some engagement here, whereas on reddit it’s very common to make a post/comment that no one ends up seeing.