does anyone think drew gooden should study socialist theory, and if so, do you have anything good for him?
oh and do you have any good socialist theory books for me to study, and is there any way i can study in simple terms and without losing focus quickly and also encourage myself to study?
🇵🇸antifa_ceo - 2hr
I thought Gooden's video was like a decent video on the ills of capital from like a liberal or slightly left of liberal political perspective. Which is to say he's very clearly been thinking about this stuff lately and has very clearly moved further to the left (if marginally) from previous videos and I encourage him to continue his political development and ask more questions. Once we start hearing him talk about class conflict and all that that I'll get excited. Generally I think this also speaks to "normies" waking up more which is great.
As for theory recs I just want to say that theory is something you should try to engage with in a reading group or something if you can. Its something meant to be discussed and digested not only through your eyes but through the other unique perspectives of others as well. You'll get so so so much more out of it being able to talk to others as you go through it.
I think the classics are good. Read Marx (please do Capital in a group if you attempt it lol), Engles, Lenin. Get your basics down there. Maybe through some Kautsky in there (pre renegade era) because I think there's a lot of good shit on social democracy that informs Lenin's views more. You'll want to hit the Manifesto, Wage Labor and Capital, Value Price and Profit (these two are like mini Capital) from Marx. Socialism: Utopian and Scientific and Principles of Communism from Engles. What is to be Done, Imperialism the highest stage of capitalism, and Left Wing Communism an infantile disorder at least from Lenin. Actually at least for all of these because these can be a lot. Theres a lot of work you need to do to slot these in their historical contexts to make sure you're getting everything out of them. Reading groups help with this a lot imo. Theres also prob a lot more to read from these dudes but this is just a starting point.
I would also recommend some modern stuff. Read some Parenti. Actually just read all of Parentis shit (I like Black Shirts & Reds and Inventing Reality a lot but they all bang he's a great author)
If you're American read Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States. Read Vincent Blevins If We Burn and The Jakarta Method.
Read Are Prisons Obsolete by Angela Davis. Read Marxism and Politics by Ralph Milibrand.
I'm just listing good books from my book shelf at this point lol
Edit: Oh I might throw in Combat Liberalism and On Practice from Mao too
2
DylanMc6 [any, any] - 2hr
what about studying socialist theory? i've heard of a study method which involves taking long paragraphs and boiling them down into very short ones. however, sometimes i CAN'T find the right words to a point where i preferred NOT to say anything, so studying on marxism-leninism would be a lot to me. do you have any tips and very easy methods on studying?
1
🇵🇸antifa_ceo - 2hr
Idk I just take lots of notes. I was never great at studying in school. For theory I try to like summarize my thoughts on what I'm reading to myself every few paragraphs. Maybe that's kinda what you're talking about.
The reality is this stuff isn't the easiest to read so its just gonna be work. Take it slow. Its a journey not a race. Watch videos to help reinforce stuff. Trying to do reading groups if you can and talk about it with others because that alone will help solidify things.
Also maybe dont start with theory. Start with some of the more accessible stuff first and ease into it. You'll learn a lot of the concepts that theory will then pick apart and explain more.
2
DylanMc6 [any, any] - 2hr
do you have any recs on that? oh and i CAN'T go outside without permission - are there any online reading groups?
1
🇵🇸antifa_ceo - 1hr
You'd have to look in your area or find communities online to that do them. I know for instance that lemmygrad.ml has a rolling theory reading group that seems pretty active but I've never engaged with it to know.
One last recommendation for socialist theory would also be like YouTube channels. The Deprogram Podcast is a great entry point there - the hosts all have amazing YouTube channels that might be an even more accessible entry point. That was actually how I got started learning theory before I knew that's what i was doing.
DylanMc6 in socialism
what do you think of drew gooden's video on greed?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Z3MfNpJpE&pp=0gcJCSkKAYcqIYzvdoes anyone think drew gooden should study socialist theory, and if so, do you have anything good for him?
oh and do you have any good socialist theory books for me to study, and is there any way i can study in simple terms and without losing focus quickly and also encourage myself to study?
I thought Gooden's video was like a decent video on the ills of capital from like a liberal or slightly left of liberal political perspective. Which is to say he's very clearly been thinking about this stuff lately and has very clearly moved further to the left (if marginally) from previous videos and I encourage him to continue his political development and ask more questions. Once we start hearing him talk about class conflict and all that that I'll get excited. Generally I think this also speaks to "normies" waking up more which is great.
As for theory recs I just want to say that theory is something you should try to engage with in a reading group or something if you can. Its something meant to be discussed and digested not only through your eyes but through the other unique perspectives of others as well. You'll get so so so much more out of it being able to talk to others as you go through it.
I think the classics are good. Read Marx (please do Capital in a group if you attempt it lol), Engles, Lenin. Get your basics down there. Maybe through some Kautsky in there (pre renegade era) because I think there's a lot of good shit on social democracy that informs Lenin's views more. You'll want to hit the Manifesto, Wage Labor and Capital, Value Price and Profit (these two are like mini Capital) from Marx. Socialism: Utopian and Scientific and Principles of Communism from Engles. What is to be Done, Imperialism the highest stage of capitalism, and Left Wing Communism an infantile disorder at least from Lenin. Actually at least for all of these because these can be a lot. Theres a lot of work you need to do to slot these in their historical contexts to make sure you're getting everything out of them. Reading groups help with this a lot imo. Theres also prob a lot more to read from these dudes but this is just a starting point.
I would also recommend some modern stuff. Read some Parenti. Actually just read all of Parentis shit (I like Black Shirts & Reds and Inventing Reality a lot but they all bang he's a great author)
If you're American read Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States. Read Vincent Blevins If We Burn and The Jakarta Method.
Read Are Prisons Obsolete by Angela Davis. Read Marxism and Politics by Ralph Milibrand.
I'm just listing good books from my book shelf at this point lol
Edit: Oh I might throw in Combat Liberalism and On Practice from Mao too
what about studying socialist theory? i've heard of a study method which involves taking long paragraphs and boiling them down into very short ones. however, sometimes i CAN'T find the right words to a point where i preferred NOT to say anything, so studying on marxism-leninism would be a lot to me. do you have any tips and very easy methods on studying?
Idk I just take lots of notes. I was never great at studying in school. For theory I try to like summarize my thoughts on what I'm reading to myself every few paragraphs. Maybe that's kinda what you're talking about.
The reality is this stuff isn't the easiest to read so its just gonna be work. Take it slow. Its a journey not a race. Watch videos to help reinforce stuff. Trying to do reading groups if you can and talk about it with others because that alone will help solidify things.
Also maybe dont start with theory. Start with some of the more accessible stuff first and ease into it. You'll learn a lot of the concepts that theory will then pick apart and explain more.
do you have any recs on that? oh and i CAN'T go outside without permission - are there any online reading groups?
You'd have to look in your area or find communities online to that do them. I know for instance that lemmygrad.ml has a rolling theory reading group that seems pretty active but I've never engaged with it to know.
One last recommendation for socialist theory would also be like YouTube channels. The Deprogram Podcast is a great entry point there - the hosts all have amazing YouTube channels that might be an even more accessible entry point. That was actually how I got started learning theory before I knew that's what i was doing.
Good luck on your journey to education comrade!