I don't really want to engage in that lone of questioning in the conversations I have here because it feels personal and mean, but I think the level of negativity around prominent figures on the western left on here makes me wonder how active people are in building a movement IRL. maybe everyone lives in a compund in the mountains with a revolutionary militia, but I live in a liberal city with a mix of socialist and liberal friends that I also organize with (to varying degrees of success).

I get frustrated with the bitterness in encounter on this site. Critiques, criticisms and moderating expectations of socdem and leftward figures and movements operating in a liberal society are great and good. Leveraging them against current and potential comrades is not good.

The most prominent example to me is how quickly I see the "fell for it again award" posted when Mamdani libs out on something. Why demean your own comrades, very few of whom are surprised that he makes certain liberal compromises? Is this how users are toward their friends and colleagues in real life? You actually need a certain amount of support from liberals to have a successful movement, the Overton window is a gradient!

[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Critiques, criticisms and moderating expectations of socdem and leftward figures and movements operating in a liberal society are great and good.

Good to hear

Leveraging them against current and potential comrades is not good.

What do you mean "leveraging them"? Using an error someone else made as a point of comparison? Why is this "not good"? That seems bizarre to me, especially given that you go on to use what you deem an error (and I agree) made by others on this site as a point of comparison as well. I personally don't like the "fell for it again award" meme for similar reasons.

[–] spectre@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago

My phrasing is probably unclear

I personally don't like the "fell for it again award" meme for similar reasons.

but this was my main point so if we agree on that there no point in clarifying I don't think 🤝🏻.

[–] Llituro@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago

yeah, i agree wholeheartedly.

everyone wants to act like they have the great key to more successful and effectual agitprop than prominent leftists, and then refuse to answer when you ask if they go outside.

i have my criticisms of prominent leftists. but i don't think they're my enemies that are on the verge of betraying the revolution or so wrong as to be causing great harm. that's such a prominent misunderstanding of the current state of things in material terms. there's a pervasive fatalism around that seems to want to act like the errors of a former revolutionary in 1918 mean that they really should have been purged and disregarded as not counting towards the project of revolution in 1900.