Any tips for identifying oneself to new folks that let you “skip intro” and get into the results-focused conversations about improving our condition?
In union work I’ve identified myself as a socialist for awhile, but now just say communist if I’m friendly with the party or avoid it all together. The west has so poisoned the lexicon that I feel variations of “pragmatist” are all that reliably skip the small talk and moves us straight into serious convos.
In my opinion, left/right framing is standard eurocentric good/bad BS that creates an antagonistic stage from the outset that passively endorses the current system and linear thinking. If the language itself comes out of the failed French Revolution, are there not better terms we can use to distance ourselves from the ideological lib stench surrounding Left/Progressive today and simultaneously indicate we’re here to get shit done?
Marxist or Communist. We have to take those words back.
You could just not use any political label when introducing yourself. Let them gradually figure out your opinions on things through the conversations you have.
thanks fam! that’s what works best overall so far. “sweetie pie socialist” worked well in 2020 and quickly got ppl talking without some hesitancy from folks who want to know where you stand on things before saying too much. Not as efficient now so I hope there’s a 2024 term ppl have found which indicates “this conversation is a wholesome space, go off”.
Scientific Socialist: The original Marxist Leninist. It’s way more descriptive to the average person and has zero cold war baggage, and the best part is if they want to know more you can segue right into dialectical materialism.
‘Marxist’
I agree with others about not labeling oneself in if you’re introducing yourself. Labels are useful exactly for the reason you stated:
identifying oneself to new folks that let you “skip intro” and get into the results-focused conversations
The problem is, you have no way to guarantee that when you say “leftist”, “progressive”, “Marxist”, “Communist”, or similar, they actually understand what you mean. If they have no idea what Marxism, Communism is, they will probably bring to mind the preconceived notions of bourgeois ideology, and they will either ask more useless and tiring questions or will completely shut off contact with you
I think I like some version of “I stand with the oppressed”.
It will take a while before bonjoursie is systematically oppressed and I have to think of something else. But for now, it feels like it mostly works.
Agree?
“I stand with people around the world who have to actually work for a living.”
Stalinist.
I remember when I caught up to someone I hadn’t talked to in a long time the way I revealed my political journey was to make a point about how you can make edgy jokes without being racist, for example: Stalin did nothing wrong.
They just went stone cold silent before going “… uuhhhmm… I don’t really… do extreme left or right…” the absolute stunlock was priceless.
Materialist works for me in most settings, but I usually don’t lead with my own label.
Soviet hardliner.
I call myself a red angry gamer.
to new people i just say anti-imperialist
