self-flagellation helps no-one, join with anti-imperialist comrades and do what you can

"In the final analysis, the economic development of the United States and the need of its workers to maintain their standard of living means that our struggle for national liberation is not waged against a given social regime, but rather against the whole nation... Let us prepare, then, to fight against the entire people of the United States, for the fruit of victory will be not only economic liberation and social equality, but the acquisition of a new and very welcome younger brother: the proletariat of that country." - Che Guevara

You are correct in your analysis that the West is parasitic, and that its people are complicit, but it is ridiculously hyperbolic to say that westerners "shouldn't be kept around" after the revolution. Is this pessimistic exaggeration or are you seriously proposing we commit a mass genocide against the West? It's ridiculous.

We are not guilty of the sins of our fathers and grandfathers. We did not choose to be born in the West. I god damn well know I did not choose to be born in this fucking hellscape we call Florida. The people of the West are a product of their material conditions. No matter how caustic, twisted, and vile their opinions may be—you change the conditions and you change the rules of engagement for the Western people.

There will come a time in the future where even the treatlerite Westerners will give up their treats—or rather, lose access to their treats—and become properly proletarianized. There will be a day in the future where, over the ashes of the United States of America, and of the European Union, and of every hegemonic imperialist to ever exist, a new people will be born—a Western people forged and tempered in an era of scientific socialism instead of bathed in endless YouTube videos, plastic toys, porn, and addictive poisons they call foods. A Western people willing to take part in the emancipation of the international proletariat, and willing to move the wheel of history forward yet another revolution. No matter how impossible it may seem today, this will happen. Some day.

Socialism will win.

In the meantime, downtrodden Western comrade, we must struggle on! We struggle from within the belly of the beast! Perhaps the most significant of all struggles! The struggle is here, at our very doorstep! We must take every opportunity we can—we must allow this struggle to consume us! For every sin that this empire has committed—for every sin that this empire has forced us to commit—we must strike back a thousand fold! It is we who will make the change here, and it is only we who can end this empire of evil.

The way I see it, us western Marxist-Leninists have three choices:

1. Despair. Give up. Be complacent. Make deranged claims like those you made right here, in this post. Ideate and fetishize your ineptitude and allow yourself to succumb to the empire. Simply await whatever may happen to you, and hope the third world comes to save you.

2. Hope. Struggle. Fight on right here, right now. Organize your community and play your part in breaking the back of colonialism.

3. If you really cannot take it, and you have the means. If your spirit is broken and the dangers crush you from within, then do this. Learn every skill this empire can give you. Take its knowledge, its investment, and its training, and then pick up and move before you allow this economy to recoup its investment in you. Move to China, Vietnam, Laos, hell, even Russia or Iran. Wherever you can go. Take part in building up the axis of resistance, in defending the third world from the West. Depending on where you go, you may even help in building socialism across the seas. Fight back against the empire from outside of it.

Steel yourself, comrade. We have a world to win.

What you're doing is taking the western mindset, a mindset that is typically used to justify genocidal/oppressive action against other countries, and pointing it inward toward the imperial core population. This (can be) a dangerous mistake in thinking if translated to organized action, as it'd make you more aligned with internal fascists forces who use various narratives to justify abusing and oppressing the internal imperial core people.

1. Liberation is not about revenge: Although liberation is far from a "peaceful protest" and it may be that some revenge-like action will happen in the short-term during a given revolution's struggle for power, a desire for revenge is at best a fuel to take action. It is not in itself a revolutionary strategy and it is deeply impractical to think primarily in terms of getting revenge. The primary strategic question for the oppressed masses, externally from the empire, or internally, is the question of power; who controls it, what they can do with it logistically, what they enact with it in policy, and whose interests it serves. Revenge alone does not answer any of these questions.

2. Wearing a hair shirt won't free imperialized peoples: When an imperial core person is like, "Ugh, we're such parasites", what does that offer to a place like Venezuela in solidarity? When Cubans are being starved, can they feed on the guilt of westerners who are coming to terms with their sordid legacy? It is good to become aware and to do something with that awareness, but it doesn't help the oppressed masses of the world if that awareness becomes only self-flagellation. Imperialized peoples can gain something from people within the imperial core pushing back against the imperial system. They can gain something from those same people offering them material aid where possible. They don't get anything from the imperial core westerner who actually recognizes the atrocities of the empire to wallow in guilt and crave punishment instead of trying to dismantle the empire. If you want to see yourself as making amends, then work toward a world free of the empire's hold. Which circles back to the strategic questions outlined in point 1.

yeah imma say you're being a little pessimistic... everyone goes thru a quick third worldist phase

Find the best ML organization where you're at and put your all into it, beating yourself for being a member of the imperial core leading you into complacency is a waste of time. The imperialist nations need those within willing to struggle to fight against their machine inside, and to be prepared when the imperial apparatus devolves and revolution becomes possible

Eh, what are you gonna do? You are overthinking it, comrade. Just try your best. It's okay to not be perfect and that the world isn't perfect. As long as you try to do what you can to make it better you are doing great. You are not a God, are you? So why do you insist on taking the sins if the world on your shoulders?

And how can you be useful? Comrade, the fact that the imperial core are imperialist parasite states only means that anti-imperialist work is more important! A successful anti-imperialist movement in your country could help prevent it from entering an imperialist war. It could change some of it's imperialist policies. The movement could help develop the productive forces of exploited nations. A strong proletarian movement with even a little internationalism could prevent a slide into more reactionary and violent social or haute bourgeois fascism, and ensure a tough but comfortable imperial decline for you, your loved ones, and vulnerable minorities in your country.

Ultimately, you are making the world system of imperialism about yourself. You are taking an economic and political fact, and using it to justify running with an emotional impulse. It is of course understandable to be distraught about the imperial lifestyle, it is in fact good to recognize the inherent parasitism! What is not good is reacting so strongly to it that it debilitates you politically. I think it is ultimately a form of liberalism to react in such a personal way, and would recommend you have a look at Combat Liberalism by Mao.

yes, you can send me 10 bucks and you'll be helping fight imperialism in argentina. /s

on a serious note, someone needs to kill the fascists in the us so yes you can be helpful. don't torture yourself.

If you're from turtle island, just please try to control your neighbours. Shit is bad here.