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Psychiatric hegemony (hexbear.net)
submitted 11 months ago by to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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[–] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Sure, and they believe that agitation (to THEIR correct way of thinking, breaking down ideology through STRONG ARGUMENTS and promoting the advancement of self-interests) is the absolutely only way to... do nothing. Because all you need is to advance scientific debate and promote reason and the enlightenment, so it doesn't really matter if there is any result in their agitation, be it socialism or not.

It's an intellectual ultraleft (actual, not in the insult sense) circlejerk of absolutely insufferable people who want to be 18th century enlightenment thinkers. Because clearly, if you don't agree completely with their argument, you simply don't understand it enough yet, and have to keep debating.

Eventually, GSP supporters either burn out / are thrown out by the group like someone like Renate Dillmann or base basically all their political knowledge from reading GSP publications and discuss them with each other to write more GSP stuff.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 11 months ago* (1 child)

    You’re not wrong they don’t do that much, but it would be really nice if these critiques could actually inform people who do praxis. There are real errors our movements which they identify.

    If you read the important Marxist literature too and engage in reality they are correct that their critiques hold up better than others.

    For example, the usual ultra left “not real socialism” circlejerk is surpassed by the criticizing the content of people’s words and actions instead of holding them up to an ideal standard. I found their articles on antifascist liberal collaboration unusually hard hitting.

    Their critiques attract superfans for a reason, they just ought to be better taken up. You can understand it much faster than the usual “reinventions.” Also much better than piles of Hegel or historical minutiae defending Stalin.

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    They dislike Praxis. Really, ALL you need to do is argue with people. If you reach a critical mass of people, capitalism MIGHT fall apart by itself. That's really ALL they believe in (and you can recognize them by this exact enounciation I'm using rn) - so there is literally 0 reason for doing anything beyond posting. Praxis is thus seen as useless at best, damaging at worst.

    "Destructive Criticism" is what they call it. Basically everyone who isn't entirely on the GSP line is an enemy, someone to combat and convince, even internally. And the GSP line is always correct.

    They'd scorn at this characterization, because it gives them an attribute, instead of examining the exact content (which I do have little specific to say against - I am undoubtedly influenced by my time reading their stuff and listening to the lectures with shitty audio), but it's the cult version of a left communism.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

    People who spend their time reading and thinking tend to think that’s the most important activity. Since Plato, we’ve known this.

    There are many more equivalent or greater organizations of ML or Maoist bent. The difference is that they think it’s “critically supporting AES” or “thinking dialectically” that are the miracle solution for dissatisfaction with the left. For example, RedSails thinks all three are the key to mass popularity. Going to activist-rallies and handing out pamphlets isn’t much better than giving lectures. Every worker must learn that Trotsky was a punk ass bitch and exactly why Hegel was 99% right!

    I don’t think mass popularity of strong critique is the key to revolution, but I’m certain there are elements of rhetoric, communication, and action that hold us back and deserve criticism.

    Call me an entryist, but I think people should organize where they can, wielding critiques that matter to “spread class consciousness.”

    You don’t have to join a tiny reading circle to be informed by their strongest messages. You don’t have to be a theorist to use theory as a weapon.

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