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MoonlightFox @lemmy.world

Curious about socialism/communism

I also asked this on socialism and communism at lemmy.ml, but was advised to also ask on a non .ml community.

I watched this video, and it made me want to take a deep dive into socialism/communism, with as much objectivity as I can. https://youtu.be/BeRjTtKFlVM

I understand how capitalism works, and I have doubts that it is a sustainable system for society long term, but social democracy has been a good way of keeping capitalism in-check in Norway. So even if capitalism is not ideal, it is in theory possible to tax the rich more and keep the whole thing going in the future. I also understand the exploitation and the extraction of surplus value, rent seeking etc.

Other capitalist countries such as the US is currently struggling with basic human needs. And that is "the shining beacon of capitalism".

In Norway it has for a long time been common to use the US as an example of what not to do.

What I am interested in learning is how society would operate and function under socialism / communism. More about the differences. Preferably from less dry sources than The Capital from Marx. Where can I learn more? Preferably a bit entertaining.

It is important to me that it is historically accurate and factually correct.

Look forward to your replies šŸ˜Š

9 comments

  • First off, it's fantastic to see that you're willing to learn! That's great, it's really commendable. Consider making an account on Lemmy.ml, Hexbear.net, Lemmygrad.ml, or even Lemm.ee, so you can see more of what the so-called "tankies" are actually saying, rather than having them blocked from view on Lemmy.world.

    As for answering your questions, I want to speak on Norway first. Norway, and the western countries in general, are "Imperialist" by Marxist standards. Norway essentially bribes its proletariat with a portion of the spoils it reaps from hyper-exploiting the Global South, through methods such as IMF loans and outsourcing production. Norway keeps Capitalism temporarily in check simply for its own workers, but acts parasitically towards the Global South.

    Of course, the United States, despite being worse for its workers, is by far the largest and worst Empire, it's just that the spoils of Imperialism are divied up even more lopsided, where the 1% earn unfathomable sums off of it.

    When looking at Socialism and how it functions, look to "AES" countries, or "Actually Existing Socialism." These include Cuba, Vietnam, the PRC, Laos, DPRK, the former USSR, etc. Right off the bat, alarm bells are probably ringing for you, but keep 2 things in mind:

    1. You are not immune to propaganda. The Red Scare and Anticommunism in the West is deeply penatrating, and likely clouds much of how you see these countries.
    2. A system being Socialist does not make it a wonderland Utopia, they still exist in the real world and face real problems, both internal and external.

    In Marxist terms, Socialism is where Public Ownership is the Principle aspect of the economy. Large firms and key industries being publicly owned means that the Public Sector is the one with power over the economy. The PRC, for example, has its large firms and key industries overwhelmingly publicly owned, while the private sector is dominated by cooperatives, sole proprietorships, and small firms. This is because Marx believed you had to develop out of small ownership, not simply make it illegal, hence why you'll see Socialists talk about the Productive Forces all the time. Norway, as an example, has the large firms in the Private Sector, and the Public Sector is in service of the Private.

    That's a quick overview! I skipped over so much because it's really a vast topic that unfortunately does require reading. I keep an introductory Marxist-Leninist Reading List I designed to be easy to get into and not be quite so dry. This is the best path to get a firm understanding of theory, and is what @Fidel_Cashflow@lemmy.ml tagged me here for (thanks, comrade!).

    Alternatively, I will recommend reading just the first section for now, made up of Principles of Communism, followed by Blackshirts and Reds, and Dr. Michael Parenti's 1986 Lecture. Afterwards, Blowback is an excellent podcast talking about US Imperialism, and frequently touches on sympathetic portrayals of Socialist movements. You won't be a theory expert, but those will help drive interest in theory in general. I'd also read Dessalines' Crash Course Socialism if you go this route!

    Feel free to ask me any questions if you have any about Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, etc, and I'll do my best! šŸ«”

    Sorry for copying and pasting this response to your other 2 threads, but I figured it would be beneficial for you to see the various responses to my comment on the different communities, in how they differ.

    Also, side-note! I don't think asking this question will be complete without asking on a Lemm.ee account or other more broadly federated account will get you the full picture, most Communists on Lemmy are on Lemmygrad.ml and Hexbear.net, and you can't see any of their responses.

  • If you're looking for video makers, i would recommend Zoe Baker, which has an academics background, and Andrewism, who is may be less strict on reference than you are looking for, though. Both are quite focusing on anarchism, but Zoe sometimes talks about relations between anarchism and marxism.

    If you happen to speak french, or if anyone speaking french finds this comment, i also love the Minutes Rouges videos.

    I'd recommend that you try to learn from different movements, communism is very prone to diversity (aka groups and movements are splitting and fighting all the time), so you cannot really know one movement without knowing what its detractors say.

9 comments