this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2026
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“The very concept of "revolutionary violence" is somewhat falsely cast, since most of the violence comes from those who attempt to prevent reform, not from those struggling for reform. By focusing on the violent rebellions of the downtrodden, we overlook the much greater repressive force and violence utilized by the ruling oligarchs to maintain the status quo, including armed attacks against peaceful demonstrations, mass arrests, torture, destruction of opposition organizations, suppression of dissident publications, death squad assassinations, the extermination of whole villages, and the like.”

― Michael Parenti, Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism

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Also be sure to tell me how "two things can be true" and that people should participate in sham elections, USians and their vassals

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[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 14 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Loving your Parenti-series of posts as of late! For anyone that hasn't read or listened to the late Michael Parenti before, I highly recommend the "Yellow Parenti" Speech on US interventionism, the third world, and the USSR and Blackshirts and Reds | Audiobook. His lecture on "Inventing Reality" is also excellent.

For more works on the general question of reform vs. revolution, I recommend Rosa Luxemburg's Reform or Revolution | Audiobook, as well as Lenin's The State and Revolution | Audiobook.

For learning about Marxism-Leninism in general, I recommend my intro ML reading list.