this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2026
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Theory is a guide to action, not a dogma. This is a core tenet of Marxism-Leninism. Theory and practice mutually reinforce each other, truth comes from practice and this informs theory. How have you studied Marxism-Leninism in an academic setting, and what is incorrect about it? What is "missing" from it that a well-rounded view has? Perhaps the academic setting is impressing upon you conclusions friendly to capitalism and dismissive of socialism.
Unlikely, considering the professor was a communist who lived in China and did his PhD on the history of female silk workers in China.
I'm honestly not really interested in a wider conversation regarding the merits of Marxism and its variants at the moment. I might be willing to speak privately about my thoughts if you're really interested in them, but I think in this forum it lends itself to dogpiling and I've already received comments I don't consider very conducive to civil discussion, so I'm not going to engage here.
Communists aren't a hive mind, expats from socialist countries, even if they believe themselves to be communists, may have faulty lines or flawed understanding. You don't have to speak if you don't want to, but surely you can understand how an expat teaching in a western country has certain understandings that likely go against proletarian Marxism-Leninism.
Again, you don't have to speak if you don't want to, but I would argue that you're inviting more dogpiling by not expounding on what you mean. Conversation can only really happen when both parties participate, when someone lays out an assertion without backing it, it can only be attacked directly, not as a point but as the assertion it is, which lends itself more to dogpiling.
I think you're leaving such a narrow window for who is allowed valid thoughts on socialism as to be essentially exclusive to people you think are right, which doesn't seem super useful or insightful to me.
The block feature is easy enough to use, and I'm happy with it. It isn't really your business, honestly.
I didn't really lay out an assertion though, the other person did. I just said I don't buy their premise that my comment was an example of why study of Marxism-Lenninism is strictly necessary and why. The onus isn't really on me to do anything, even in formal debate, which this is not.
I was interested in the initial conversation, just not the more general topic on theory that it was moving to. I think it usually ends up in navel-gazing at best and toxicity at worst, and I gave it up years ago. In person or private when there's less want for performative argument and point scoring, it can be more interesting. The tone is just very different when people talk directly to you vs when they publicly debate you. Just my personal take, I just don't do it anymore as I've gotten older.
Marxism is broad. There are correct lines, incorrect lines, and hotly contested lines. An expat from a socialist country that serves as an academic for a liberal university is going to have certain class interests and outlooks that set them apart from a communist building socialism in a socialist country. With only that information, there isn't really anything else to help build a case for or against how Marxism was taught to you, through what frames, and in what manner and depth.
As for you making an assertion, you did:
You don't have to defend this assertion if you don't want to, but this is what people who understandably want to defend Marxism are going to latch onto and try to address. This is what manifests in "dogpiling," when you have a clear statement like this one, but with little backing it beyond your experience with Marxism in western academia, this understandably causes people to raise issue with your claims. Block if you want to, but this seems like you want to have your cake and eat it too, raise your opinion on a subject and shield yourself from talking about it on a social media platform focusing on discussion.
Again, do what you want. Nobody should be forced to debate.
But this is a counter to their assertion, which they would have to prove first, even in a formal setting. Which again, this is not. Are you bugging them to prove their assertion? Why or why not?
I literally did not raise this topic, I responded to someone else who moved the topic to this and why I don't agree with them. That comment, by the way, was a similar offhand opinion about why they think I'm wrong with nothing supporting it but their opinion. I don't think countering it withe same minimal effort is out of place or on me. You're free to disagree. The topic I was discussing is whether the tyranny of the majority can exist or not. That, I could understand wanting to prove, but I did indeed open with what I feel are solid examples thereof. I can think of non American examples though too if that's the issue.
I'm not talking to Meow, and this is not a formal debate setting. I agree with Meow, and am fine to back up Meow's points if you wish, after all, I put together the reading guides Meow mentioned. That's my personal investment in this discussion, defending the utility of guides I put together (even if the advanced list isn't really a list at this point but a remnant of the prototype basic list).
I feel that if you want to avoid discussing Marxism-Leninism, it's better to not make a counter-assertion at all, and instead just indicate from the get go that you don't want to discuss it. I agree with Meow that it's critically relevant to the discussion at hand, though, which is why it was brought in.