chapotraphouse

Go the exact opposite direction

Pretend not to know who Joseph Stalin is. Assume it was a T shirt of Groucho Marx.

And if people tell you to look him up, pull up a communist source and say things like "oh wow this guy beat the Nazis?"

Refuse to debate anyone. Just make jokes anout large spoons Enjoy yourself. Be the party you and the world needs

I'd really examine your motive here to be honest

Do you want to be funny? What's probably going to happen is people are going to want to engage in conflict with you and think you're despicable, so it probably won't be funny. If being funny only for you and a couple of your friends and unpleasant for everyone else works, that's fine.

Do you want to convert people to communism? Again, this is more likely to be read as "look at this, a communist is being argumentative and worshiping le evil red fash, I hate that and I hate communism". There's a reason it's a pipeline, of the many people I have ever converted I have never not even once mentioned Stalin to any of them within the first six months of discussion, except to cede ground that he wasn't perfect and fucked a lot of things up.

Do you want to engage in conflict for the sake of conflict? Probably a good fashion choice then. In that case, there's not really any point in learning any of the history or rebuttals, because they're going to see that the same way you see defending Hitler. Your best bet in this case is to just be prepared to meet abrasion with abrasion.

Do you want to wear it because it's your shirt and you like it and it makes you happy? Sure, 100% valid. Be prepared to engage in conflict and have rapport shut down before it begins, but don't let that stop you from living your truth.

I think the clear play here is to have multiple copies of Blackshirts and Reds passed out to everyone as required reading

Yeah honestly I would recommend not doing this

the 30's stalin letter about the ills of antisemitism is iconic. also the list of his possessions at death being a woefully small amount of personal material. really shits on the idea that he lived as an opulent dictator when you realize he lived in an apartment and the ussr essentially just didn't value destroying the previous architecture. also the contradiction about how marvelously rapid the standard of living was raised when the ussr came to power.

I mean it’s not a brand. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Only do it if it would be very funny.

People are saying it's a bad idea on "don't argue at a party" grounds, but that's missing the point. Is it a good shirt? Does it make you look in the mirror and feel pretty? Or does it look goofy? Does it match the rest of the outfit? You will shame yourself and Stalin by being dweebie but if it looks fashion you will inspire the revolution

luv 2 seek out needless confrontation at a social event

Death to America

Why bring politics to a party? I would instead focus on who to get laid with.