As I understand it, the black Panthers were so successful, laws were passed to stop them; why don't people LEGALLY walk in groups open carrying to keep ICE polite?

In states that allow open carry without a permit, do so; in ones that require a permit or license, get one; of course again, keep everything within the bounds of the law.

Edit: also travel in groups, the larger the better

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[–] XiaCobolt@hexbear.net 41 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Walking around with guns wasn't what made them successful, it was building an actual connection to the people and working to build dual power structures to provide for them and to prove to them a better alternative system can exist

This. This post. Sadly 9/10 times the Black Panther party comes up it's always about their guns and not the feeding kids, solidarity, dual power etc.

[–] Alaskaball@hexbear.net 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)

everyone who wants to play communist comes for the looks and the action but always disappears when theres work to be done rizzing up some warehouse workers into knowing how and why they hate their bosses, slapping tasty food together for folks in need consistently, and going to endless meetings!

Being a communist is as boring and mundane as being a normal person who wants to actually have nice things without selling a kidney to keep a roof over their head

[–] RedSturgeon@hexbear.net 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I really wish people understood this right here. It's so important if we're to achieve anything tangible. How can anyone expect a person to be a big communism builder, in a system that will isolate you, when you do so openly, someone has to provide alternative means to acquiring a shelter and food, at the very least. Communism isn't supposed to be some kind of a martyrdom cult where you sacrifice yourself for the "greater good".

[–] heresiarch@hexbear.net 16 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I run into this kind of thinking sometimes in my own work. Comrades want the left to "get serious" and start doing "cool shit" like having guns and confronting the police. I want that too, but we aren't there yet, and I think that kind of talk comes from a place of frustration with the current level of organizing. People don't want a decades long struggle built on countless conversations and committee meetings, they want a final, dramatic confrontation with capital right now that will decide everything forever. I think it's the same thing behind doomer-type rhetoric about how the government is about to "really crackdown" or that you're going to get arrested for being a commie or whatever.

[–] RedSturgeon@hexbear.net 8 points 2 months ago

Trying to figure out how to keep things grounded and realistically plausible without sounding overly pessimistic and ending up turning people away is one of those frustrating things, isn't it? That we just got to keep on dealing with, because this is always going to be effected by our current conditions and there's never gonna be a "perfect" answer. At the end of the day it is a collective effort and we can only do the best we're able to, life's already hard enough under the boot of capitalism.

[–] Collatz_problem@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago

People want the Great Patriotic War, but without industrialization and collectivization beforehand.