this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago (62 children)

Im not sure what that tangent about China is about.

China is a socialist state run by communists, my point was about the reason Marxists are excluded from the electoral process. It has nothing to due with "purity," and is entirely due to the fact that we actually stand to change the status quo.

I am saying that mls observably care about purity of their members and methods. Case in point here at the outright objection to even show up to an election.

No Marxist gives a shit about "purity." Marx laughed at "moralists," because that's not how Marxists see the world. We don't give a shit if you vote, what we take issue with is the idea that voting will get necessary change, be it short or long-term.

Its not just about getting some policy it is also about showing numbers and credibility of our movements. If you can get your group to show up and vote you can get them to show for a protest or strike.

Why is voting connected to striking and protesting? Take PSL, for example. They run candidates for exposure, and to prove the futility of using voting as a mechanism for change within capitalism. They also organize strikes, protests, and organize unions. This is a growing, effective movement.

As it stands ml types won’t be able to do either as they are not really interested in pushing for common goals out of vague purity issues. We can get candidates like Mamdami if we support them.

Again, you haven't proven any of your points on "purity." I don't know why I need to repeat this, but the point is that electoralism cannot bring change, not that it's "impure." Even if a Mamdani-style president were to be elected, the state would resist any meaningful change, see how Allende was treated for proof of this, or how Venezuela's democratically elected government still faces intense opposition from capitalists and compradors. Revolution remains necessary, and the legacy of the Bolivarian revolution 2 decades ago is why Venezuela's Chavista government is still standing.

Why are you trying to make a strawman about the Marxist position? It's about practicality. To return to the now tired metaphor I've been using, what makes you think a stepladder can reach the lightbulb 16 feet above it? Are you waiting for some mythical tall person, a legendary candidate, to be able to stand 16 feet above the 4 foot stepladder and change the lightbulb? This is "Great Man Theory."

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