A few days ago we had May Day, the international day of labour and labour resistance. It commemorates all the of hero struggles radial workers have taken to improve their lives and resist exploitation. The history of the day is rich with magnificent feats and well earned victories. It is remained a positive symbol under socialism, the highest form of worker’s power yet expressed. In all the great socialist countries May Day has been a celebration of the power of workers to overcome their oppressors. Historically it is a magnificent day.
Not revolutionaries, a handful of protesters
Unfortunately today, that meaning is dead in our society, it has been reduced to an empty secular ritual. The day has lost meaning in the First World as the so-called working class parades around acting like they’re carrying out revolution, not honouring those who have sacrificed in the past. The day has been reduced to petty posturing as First Worldist groups running around with banners declaring themselves the revolutionaries of the modern age. Boys with red flags gather together and demand even more than their already inflated global share of wealth. As they do so they arrogantly proclaim themselves the new vanguard of global revolution. A bunch of privileged White college kids who very often have never even had a job.
That’s the problem, they don’t know what revolution is. First Worldists are quick to say that they are doing it, but they’re not. The vast overwhelming majority consider merely protesting to be revolution itself, thus justifying calling themselves revolutionaries. They march proudly in groups of eight screaming proletarian slogans as if they were matching off to war.
They all take pictures and post them all over Facebook declaring themselves to have done something great when they haven’t. In their minds this is a time to shine, to put it out there while the rest of the year and the rest of the time they do nothing revolutionary. May Day is supposed to be celebration of a day of action, they’re not celebrating that, they’re going out and cosplaying revolution. This is how they bolster themselves up and morally justify the fact they don’t do revolution. They’re just doing a little cosplay for a day like an anime convention. They live this fantasy for a few hours then they go back to their completely unrevoutionary acts, theory, and lives. They make a mockery of those who are actually out there fighting for workers rights. They mock those who are putting their lives on the line so that they can feed their families. The only people these cosplayers celebrate are themselves and their own egos.
No, this is not a guerrilla base camp
In the proper jargon this is called is called movementism. It’s a very common phenomenon in the First World. People who are out to look like they’re doing something without actually doing something. They’re out for the image of an activist, but really they’re just jumping on the bandwagon of whatever they think is the popular trend. They’re not serious in their half-hearted activism, they’re out to celebrate their phony self-image that makes them look and feel like they’re doing something magnificent. We see plainly that this is a form of egoism, a form of self-congratulation. A way of boosting themselves up in the eyes of others for their own self satisfaction, not for achieving the goal of the movement. (Assuming that the particular movement even exists; often it’s a figment of the activist’s minds.)
Needless to say such activity is dangerous to those genuinely seeking change, even if it is not outright revolution. When people who are not serious about making change, only interested in boosting their own self-important image, they detract from those trying to do real work. We could look at it as a kind of passive wrecking activity. Often such people; try to get into leadership positions, attempting to take control a real movement which may exist. We see this commonly with privileged White collage activists who usually come from very wealthy backgrounds. As a result of this they try to falsely portray themselves as radical as possible in order to try and shed the gloss of their privileged lives and rich parents. They have to try extra hard to look like they’re one of the community when really they live lives of excess from their wealthy families. They are fakes who threaten to destabilize and wreck real movements and the oppressed all because of their own inflated egos.
This is what First World resistance looks like
All of this is a disservice and an insult to those who genuinely struggle for emancipation. Despite the sever lack of revolutionary potential in the First World, there are people who are oppressed and struggle against it. Baltimore is a prime example of people who are rebelling against real oppression. The Black population in Baltimore face life imprisonment and possible death for daring to challenge the system that is literally killing them. I don’t mean some petty flag waving, I mean actual violence against the police. There are people who are really oppressed in the First World and run the risk of dying because of it. Such people should be commended for the risks they take to challenge a system that literally murders them. A bunch of White collage kids from wealthy families waving flags in their own names are absolutely incomparable to the Blacks in Baltimore rebelling against police murder and oppression. When such people dare to claim they are the leading force in resistance of oppression they don’t’ suffer, but in fact benefit from, they insult those whose lives are threatened by the system. Protesting against police repression right now Baltimore can get you killed or imprisoned for life. No privileged White collage kid should dare to compare themselves, say they speak for, lead, or claim to be oppressed as they are. May Day is supposed to be a celebration and remembrance of those who have risked their lives to fight real oppression.
When handed a criticism such as the one I’ve given they answer with the following: “Yea, well, what have you done? ” I answer telling them that I didn’t pretend to be doing revolution. I didn’t pretend to be a part of the exploited classes. I didn’t go out in public dressed up like a revolutionary pretending to be tacking the system which I massively benefit from. I didn’t march around cosplaying revolution while being from a rich family. I didn’t fake anything. I spent time thinking about those who came before me that actually suffered. I did what I always do, what I’ve done for nearly six and a half years. I made videos and blog posts trying to get the right revolutionary information and perspective to the public. I try to be the media that is needed to combat the bourgeois propaganda machine. I’ve done the best that I can, without the need for self-aggrandisement, or faking being a part of the oppressed masses. I’ve never passively sabotaged those who genuinely suffer and struggle.
The reason I say this is because we have to admit that this is not revolution. These First Worldists need to be reminded that they are not doing revolution. They are protesting. If we took them at their word it would seem like they’re celebrating their heroic actions that never took place. There are those who are really struggling right now, there are those being killed in the streets of Baltimore and all around the Third World. These cosplayers who get together once a year to pretend revolution are an insult to those who do fight.
maoistrebelnews.com 
Hardly surprising since the original name of May Day is supposed to be International Workers’ Day but got renamed as such in the US.
This is a country that considers the CPUSA as a legitimate Communist Party and defends the ISO’s support for toppling Gaddafi (who was actually a good leader for Libya). It’s not even Socialist either. They’re just liberal hating liberals.
Interesting points, but the wrong message. I’ll preface this by saying that I come from a rich middle class childhood, but have also faced some periods of poverty and experiencing the way wealth and inheritance of wealth effect social interactions, as the victim in this case. This was not a full experience of Western poverty, let alone third world (I can imagine how confused they are, and how much they want help from any person that cares), but my mindset of experiencing has made me able to understand in the Marxist philosophical sense; this understanding that a persons perception is founded on material experiences and that it is difficult, if not impossible for one man to fully understand another persons experiences or suffering. This is an extremely wise thought by Marx, probably quite close to the truth. It shouldn’t lead us to be ideologically or creatively lazy when interacting with First Worlders though. I also strongly disagree, and find it almost parasitic to say that simply because you are not in the worst hit poverty and genocide zones, you have no responsibility to right those wrongs. The genocidal levels of poverty, 7+ million yearly must be dealt with by everybody.
There are frequently positive and negative aspects of all aspects of a political strategy. Getting a few rich kids, even 1 rich supporter could help disassociation and educational strategies in the USA or their local area. 1 rich supporter can actually help so much. That’s why this is the wrong message. I agree that you should show sternness and valor in the face of overwhelming genocidal poverty, but beating up on them is incorrect. Admitting that there is no network, an underground railroad of sorts, from which to organize doesn’t justify you belittling people for not taking the risk and doing something like that as well.
Average middle class first worlders are very immortal, they’ve never faced the struggles of life. They have been indoctrinated harshly in various ways and are often quite stubborn in irrational beliefs. Picking up a rifle and firing would be irrational in itself because we would be immediately be crushed by a strong foe, with no way to defend ourselves. I admit it, people should want to do this in the first world, but they have been mis-educated. The best we can do is chip away and weaken the evil system, and win from an intelligence and educational aspect, while avoiding being accused of charges of murder or other high crimes. High crimes will mean death or very long prison terms and it’s something that the few of us First worlders who know and even give the slightest shit to not let the masses die should avoid.
I think if this were put to a vote, of the few of us that care and want to dedicate some time to this, the would agree with my chipping away and education strategy.
I feel you that they piss you off, First world mis-educated revolutionary whatever they believe tend to piss me off too.
Might be interested in some sort of private chat as well. I heard torchat is strongly encrypted, but I can’t verify that. There is Tox with voice and video also. I honestly despise that these services are used by child abuser type people, but it would probably be better to avoid surveillance in general, especially if someone wants to simply theorize an illegal thought(Martin Luther King Jr was jailed and imprisoned) and then they have to pay the price in an unjust state.
“Admitting that there is no network, an underground railroad of sorts, from which to organize doesn’t justify you belittling people for not taking the risk and doing something like that as well.”
When that action they take is useless and is counterproductive, I am not “belittling” them, I am denouncing it.
“Picking up a rifle and firing would be irrational in itself because we would be immediately be crushed by a strong foe, with no way to defend ourselves.”
This an excuse. You think 3rd World people don’t get killed by superior forces when they rebel? Just because you’ll die fighting does not excuse you for letting your country continue to slaughter another. The people, civilians of Iraq and Afghanistan can’t just say, ‘Yea well I’ll die if I rebel.”
“The best we can do is chip away and weaken the evil system, and win from an intelligence and educational aspect, while avoiding being accused of charges of murder or other high crimes. High crimes will mean death or very long prison terms and it’s something that the few of us First worlders who know and even give the slightest shit to not let the masses die should avoid.”
This is what I expect a First Worlder to say. They don’t want to fight, they don’t want to sacrifice. They have the luxury of not doing so because they live in the First World and are not being killed. I’d also like to see how you’re going to win from an “educational aspect” when the ruling class controls education, private or not.
I think you’re ignoring the material conditions that keep people from rebelling, that is the problem. You’re trying to justify not rebelling. Those suffering don’t need excuses they need action. First World people are not going to fight, you just admitted it. They will waste time on useless action because they have the luxury of doing so. This is not much different than White people telling Black masses not to rebel and wait for justice to take its course.
I do think every person in every USA aligned country should rebel, for any reason honestly, but as you and I agree, they choose not to. The inner city blacks pissed off about police murder, nice, that’s like $10,000,000 in damages. They are pretty untactical and confused though, they could be doing better honestly. I don’t neccesarily condone taking the violence to the killing level in general because that can seriously end your life. Yea, there are a few hundred people mildly rioting and looting in a couple cities. And you have your liberals too, who come out, i give them credit for at least caring though.
The main problem is educating them of the status of the world. If they knew the massive suffering experienced by third worlders, like Jews in the holocaust, many would rise up, even with force I predict.That is part of my initial point. There is virtually no chance of success for a tiny force of keyboard warriors and mild rioters to remove the current people from power. We will continually be crushed. They are still victories though because they cost them, and barely anyone even got hurt. We can crank that up maybe, that would objectively strengthen the third world man and the average worker internationally. Bro, I honestly agree that if people had a fair education, they would espouse military war against the source of the genocide.
I’m not convinced of material conditions as a dogmatic theme. I do put credence into the idea though. If you want to theorize about high crimes, or things that would vastly offend a potential jury, you are within your rights as a human being I think, seeing the kind of evil we have to face down, but I would say your life is more valuable than that to the revolution. There is a lot of potential to chip away the resources over time. Over time how much could you do? Can you imagine how much I have done personally? You probably could not. Do it out of pure love for your brother man. The third world should rise up, but communicating with them in a way they can understand is incredibly important. It’s one of the key themes of socialist revolutionary thoughts. I understand even more why victims of third world poverty should rebel, in fact, all human kind should rebel against the genocidal economy if given the proper psychological input of this truth. The third world desperately need aid also, so it may be better for them, the people we are struggling for most deeply, to not bring them attention that would cause aid to be slashed. Most non-killing actions would probably increase their attention and aid though in my humble opinion.
“I’m not convinced of material conditions as a dogmatic theme.”
So… On what basis do you think people build revolution? Material conditions the key ingredient. To ignore this is to also spit in the face of historical materials, it is to resort to idealism.
“If you want to theorize about high crimes, or things that would vastly offend a potential jury, you are within your rights as a human being I think, seeing the kind of evil we have to face down, but I would say your life is more valuable than that to the revolution. There is a lot of potential to chip away the resources over time. Over time how much could you do? Can you imagine how much I have done personally?”
Again an excuse not to take radical action. Again we return to anything but revolution. On what basis should you consider a fair trial would even take place? It’s capitalism defending itself. To even expect one I think is foolish. If capitalism stood for a sense true justice it wouldn’t even exist.
This is coming from the guy who claims “I never intended to portray Markit as a revolutionary. So you’ll talk down to them Even when you know their lack of experience ie material conditions, are the reason for their apathy. I see life as a materialist, but also the wisdom to criticize its failings like any other philosophy. I would add education as being very valuable for preparing first worlders to revolt. I made clear points in my other posts about strategy. You are being divisive clearly. No military action would be sane until we have at least 1000 people. Even then, I would predict massive losses. There are so few of us that are educated or even care about these issues. Stupid war strategies would just leave the few first worlders who have better disassociation oppurtunities, silent and killed. The US surveillance wire tapping idea very thick. It would be a win to get police, military, NSA on our side, and quite simple given the obvious truths, like I laid out in my posts. Thus I question if revolution with weapons is the right strategy in the first world currently . Clearly not.
“So you’ll talk down to them Even when you know their lack of experience ie material conditions, are the reason for their apathy. I see life as a materialist, but also the wisdom to criticize its failings like any other philosophy.”
I don’t know who or what Markit is.
Material conditions does not equal experience. It equals revolutionary potential. If they aren’t willing to fight then they aren’t will to fight. Their non action is based on their benefit of it, that is causing harm to those who do have revolutionary potential. You are ignoring this fact.
No you are not a materialist, you already argued against it.
” I would add education as being very valuable for preparing first worlders to revolt. I made clear points in my other posts about strategy.”
You gave no strategy, you only said that it was important.
“You are being divisive clearly. No military action would be sane until we have at least 1000 people.”
No, the divide is already there between the First and Third World. Don’t complain about inadequate numbers. They aren’t there because of the material conditions. You’re going around in circles. You acknowledge that the material conditions are not there but then make the excuse for not taking actions because of the material conditions. You are refusing to acknowledge that the potential is not there because of the exploitation carried out on the Third World which makes First World people culpable. You’re doing everything you can to ignore this.
“It would be a win to get police, military, NSA on our side, and quite simple given the obvious truths, like I laid out in my posts.”
You’re not even trying anymore. You’re advocating allying with the very people who are the enforces of the bourgeois. An easy thing to claim when you’re not locked in war with them. There was no obvious truths, only idealism.
Sorry, was literally an auto-correct or typo or something. I don’t know why it typed out “Markit.” Meant to write, “myself.” So what is your plan, if you don’t think my strategy which I typed out is good, what exactly is your strategy. Also, what do you want to do to change the material conditions? Education obviously is one thing. I meant to mention this in my previous posts, and it’s probably the logic you would give for your news and commentary.
Calling me “not a materialist,” because I slightly disagree with you… you barely know me unfortunately. if you knew me better you’d probably be less insulting. I wasn’t trying to insult you but build constructively and revise.
Experience… well, from my perspective, which I believe is closer to the heart of the materialist philosophy and Marx’s hypothesis… What i typed about experience, which also ties into the idea and core of what “class” is is textbook Marxist materialism. I don’t follow a dogmatic philosophy though. I elaborate more on what my philosophy is in my posts.
“Calling me “not a materialist,” because I slightly disagree with you… you barely know me unfortunately.”
I’m only answering what you said.
Remember that Marxism and Socialism were formed before modern formations of laws against genocide. I think Marx would firmly say, were he alive today, that the crimes against the poor, denial of surplus medicine and basic supplies, are genocide. It clearly falls within the current UN definition under national and racial bounds. The majority of the poorest and most vulnerable are in Africa and Asia. The privileged world versus the former colonial world. They are being systematically denied our most basic surplus resources and wealth under the basis of capitalism. Therefor, capitalism, particularly in it’s current form, is genocide. It may be advantageous for the anti-capitalist to make this clear frequently. South Africa’s minister of health often accuses US pharmaceutical companies of genocide, and implicitly the US state, for denying access to life saving drugs. This is not a new accusation against the USA.
Marx was way off on some racial things, ironically so, now that the anti-capitalist struggle takes it’s flash point in the third world. I don’t think anyone would suggest following an unrevised form of Marxism, thus, it may also be logical to additionally revise, or even try shedding all communist labels, especially those in the US, in hopes of making some progress to educate them about third world poverty and disease. The anti-communist propaganda is too strong and publicly espousing any communist relations is likely to get you fired at work or ostracized. It might be possible in the longer term to educate Americans with a more honest view of communism. There have been literally estimated billions spent in resources over the years in PR against communism. If you had to compare the amount of success you could gain by dropping communist (or any frightening) labels, compared to not, which would be better in the short term? Is the short term important? It definitely is, 1 day is 30,000 human lives very painfully exiting the planet Earth through the slums.
Anyway, it doesn’t look like it ends well for the genocidal USA, they genocide my ancestors, so i’m not too sad to see them go. China’s industrial force seems to give them a dominant power. Their military is vast and impressive, as is their technology. Their living standards are going up and they are embracing green energy after years of pollution. Russia too. The BRICS economic alliance is cool with me and I embrace the change. The USA government are tricky, and i agree with others who say that wars on foreign land actually help the US economy. Any cent of money you can prevent being spent on wars to prop up their evil is likely a good thing. We should intelligently organize, those of us that give a shit. Jason, you could be more constructive in organizing and self criticize, though you partly admit that I think.
You;re not espousing anything of substance here, you’re just criticizing me at the end for not agreeing with you.
I think I give some insight and suggestions as someone who has been interested in politics and behavior for a long time, as a USA citizen. I try to give some reasoning behind my assertions that we need a new non-openly-red movement in the USA, as well as secret non-killing action which could add up over time to weaken the genocide system. I put some credence that USA people are dangerous, doomed by their failed system, but those of us here have full responsibility to resist the genocide.
I think I will start an open green party like, but not dogmatic, media and news service as I described.