Parties? No. I personally am a Marxist-Leninist, which is the most common example of Marxism in practice. I would say that speaks to its practicality and relevance. If I were you, I would read my reading list (or another comparable ML focused reading list) before joining a party or org, then feeling out local orgs for yourself.
Trots are a strain of Marxism, just like Marxist-Leninists, so there are many groups that adopt either tendency. There are also Maoists, Marxist-Leninist-Maoists, and many other tendencies, so the best thing you can do is read theory, discover what tendency you align with, and find an org that fits that.
My personal bias is, again, Marxism-Leninism, and here’s my guide again for quick access. Let me know if you have any specific questions!
lemmy.mlRead Theory, Darn it! An Introductory Reading List for Marxism-Leninism - Lemmy“Without Revolutionary theory, there can be no Revolutionary Movement.” —
Vladimir Lenin, What is to be Done? [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/WD02.html] |
Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/seGAATanGtfufEkQoLH1X3] It’s time to read
theory, comrades! As Lenin says, “Despair is typical of those who do not
understand the causes of evil, see no way out, and are incapable of struggle.”
Marxism-Leninism is broken into 3 major components, as noted by Lenin in his
pamphlet The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism
[http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/CPM13.html]: | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/8yUvkgJ4m5ZHPdESAyjg8k] 1. Dialectical and Historical
Materialism 2. Critique of Capitalism along the lines of Marx’s Law of Value 3.
Advocacy for Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism As such, I created the
following list to take you from no knowledge whatsoever of Leftist theory, and
leave you with a strong understanding of the critical fundamentals of
Marxism-Leninism in an order that builds up as you read. Let’s get started!
Section I: Getting Started What the heck is Communism, anyways? For that matter,
what is fascism? 1. Friedrich Engels’ Principles of Communism
[http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/PC47.html] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/8JtpMuYQ6Ho6gzYtLLuL4k] The FAQ of Communism, written by
the Luigi of the Marx & Engels duo. Quick to read, and easy to reference, this
is the perfect start to your journey. 2. Michael Parenti’s Blackshirts and Reds
[https://c.encryptionin.space/epubs/blackshirts-and-reds/] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/uZFGgeJsE4bHHBTd1m3eFK] Parenti’s characteristic wit is
on full display in this historical contextualization and analysis of fascism and
Communism. Line after line, Parenti debunks anti-Communist myths. This is also
an excellent time to watch the famous “Yellow Parenti”
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP8CzlFhc14] speech. Section II: Historical and
Dialectical Materialism Ugh, philosophy? Really? YES! 3. Georges Politzer’s
Elementary Principles of Philosophy
[https://c.encryptionin.space/epubs/elementary-principles-of-philosophy/] |
Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/wv44hU6NjoLgn6yrnXBQjc] By understanding
Dialectical and Historical Materialism first, you make it easier to understand
the rest of Marxism-Leninism. Don’t be intimidated! 4. Friedrich Engels’
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific [http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/SUS80.html] |
Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/nhVVanPX5WPVor7Yy7TDrp?start=3h13m40s] Engels
introduces Scientific Socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the
conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into
monopolist syndicates and cartels. Section III: Political Economy That’s right,
it’s time for the Law of Value and a deep-dive into Imperialism. If we are to
defeat Capitalism, we must learn it’s mechanisms, tendencies, contradictions,
and laws. 5. Karl Marx’s Wage Labor and Capital
[http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/WLC47.html] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/nhVVanPX5WPVor7Yy7TDrp?start=1h35m58s] & Wages, Price and
Profit [http://www.marx2mao.com/M&E/WPP65.html] | Audiobook
[https://youtube.com/watch?v=TjhVZW3HJzM] Best taken as a pair, these essays
simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value. 6. Vladimir Lenin’s
Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism
[http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/IMP16.html] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/8STrUAEfwiFGRFcRsSNqtv] The era of Imperialism, which as
the primary contradiction cascades downward into all manner of related secondary
contradictions. Section IV: Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism Can we defeat
Capitalism at the ballot box? What about just defeating fascism? What about the
role of the state? 7. Rosa Luxemburg’s Reform or Revolution
[https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/k5tp58hyGPpTRUtpB79Kra] If Marxists believed reforming
Capitalist society was possible, we would be the first in line for it. Sadly, it
isn’t. 8. Vladimir Lenin’s The State and Revolution
[http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/SR17.html] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/6M8bL2HGs5rGXmvThU1JG5] Further analyzes the necessity of
Revolution and introduces the economic basis for the withering away of the
State. Section V: National Liberation, De-colonialism, and Solidarity The
revolution will not be fought by individuals, but by an intersectional,
international working class movement. Solidarity allows different marginalized
groups to work together in collective interest, unifying into a single broad
movement. Marxists support the Right of Self-Determination for all peoples and
support National Liberation movements against Imperialism. 9. Vikky Storm & Eme
Flores’ The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto
[https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/vikky-storm-the-gender-accelerationist-manifesto]
| (No Audiobook yet) Breaks down misogyny, and queerphobia, as well as how to
move beyond the base subject of “gender” from a Historical Materialist
perspective. 10. Leslie Feinberg’s Lavender & Red
[https://www.workers.org/book/lavender-red/] | Audiobook
[https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXUFLW8t2snsEPC7kkMKkZf-45FrnJTO7] When
different social groups fight for liberation together along intersectional
lines, they are emboldened and empowered ever-further. 11. Frantz Fanon’s The
Wretched of the Earth [https://archive.org/details/the-wretched-of-the-earth] |
Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/p/f3tK7UC2HAK1WLUNg4yVen] & Paulo Freire’s
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
[https://archive.org/details/FreirePedagogyOfTheOppresed] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/koxxesz38QPVKaAFr8iVTF] De-colonialism is essential to
Marxism. Without having a strong, de-colonial, internationalist stance, we have
no path to victory nor justice. These books are best taken as a pair, read in
quick succession. Section VI: Putting it into Practice! It’s not enough to
endlessly read, you must put theory to practice. That is how you can improve
yourself and the movements you support. Touch grass! 12. Mao Tse-Tung’s On
Practice [http://www.marx2mao.com/Mao/OP37.html] & On Contradiction
[http://www.marx2mao.com/Mao/OC37.html] | Audiobook
[https://tankie.tube/w/qnzYg56huhwgKYk9Py3mcR] Mao wrote simply and directly to
peasant soldiers during the Revolutionary War in China. This pair of essays
equip the reader to apply the analytical tools of Dialectical Materialism to
their every day practice. 13. Vladimir Lenin’s “Left-Wing” Communism, an
Infantile Disorder [http://www.marx2mao.com/Lenin/LWC20.html] | Audiobook
[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh84f8czc7g] Common among new leftists is
dogmatism over pragmatism. Everyone wants perfection, but dogmatic “left”
anti-Communists let perfection become the enemy of progress. 14. Jones Manoel’s
Western Marxism Loves Purity and Martyrdom, But Not Real Revolution
[https://blackagendareport.com/western-marxism-loves-purity-and-martyrdom-not-real-revolution]
| (No Audiobook yet) Common among western leftists is fetishization of Marxism,
rather than using it as a tool for analysis and social change. This article
helps rectify that. 15. Liu Shaoqi’s How to be a Good Communist
[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/liu-shaoqi/1939/how-to-be/index.htm]
| Audiobook [https://tankie.tube/w/kzi58GMjH9DzSBqz1eTXVb] Organizing is a
skill. If we are to be successful, we must work to better ourselves.
Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course! With your new
understanding and knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, here is a mini What is to be
Done? of your own to follow, and take with you as practical advice. 1. Get
organized. The Party for Socialism and Liberation [https://pslweb.org/], Freedom
Road Socialist Organization [https://frso.org/], and Red Star Caucus
[https://redstarcaucus.org/] all organize year round, every year, because the
battle for progress is a constant struggle. See if there is a chapter near you,
or start one! 2. Read theory. Don’t think that you are done now! Just because
you have the basics, doesn’t mean you know more than you do. If you have not
investigated a subject, don’t speak on it! 3. Aggressively combat white
supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, and other attacks on marginalized communities.
Cede no ground, let nobody go forgotten. 4. Be industrious, and self-sufficient.
Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you
elevate your knowledge. 5. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready
to protect yourself and others. 6. Be persistent. If you feel like a single
water droplet against a mountain, think of canyons and valleys. With
consistency, every rock, boulder, mountain, can be drilled through with nothing
but water droplets. “Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is
excellent.” — Mao Tse-Tung Credits [https://lemmy.ml/comment/15046925]
Edie [it/its, she/her, fae/faer, love/loves, null/void, des/pair, none/use name] 