"An oppressed class which does not strive to learn to use arms, to acquire arms, only deserves to be treated like slaves" - Vladimir Lenin
"An oppressed class which does not strive to learn to use arms, to acquire arms, only deserves to be treated like slaves" - Vladimir Lenin
cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5628797
I might be joining my local gun club in the near future. It's something I've contemplated for a long time but now I'm taking concrete steps in that direction.
I'm a white dude in the imperial core
As long as you aren't joining a pro-US-imperialist group like the socialist rifle association, there's nothing wrong with arming up.
I'd never actually looked closely into the stances or activity of the SRA, but I'd only ever heard positive things about them, so it's surprising to hear that they are pro-US-imperialism. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that a moderately large organization right in the heart of Seppoland would be doing Seppo shit. Still, I would like to know more about why you classify them as pro-US-imperialism.
I've got minimal experience with SRA, but I would say that if that's your only local option, then join up. Whatever issues they may or may not have as a national org, you're going to be meeting friendly people in your area that you can learn from and/or teach about firearms.
So snag a gun? Its easiest for us
...And?
Was Lenin a Stalinist or a Maoist?
I think that he was a Pat Soc /j
clearly he's a Republican with how much he loves guns
Very much in two minds about this, because while I do understand left objections to gun control in principle, I also like living somewhere where I don't have to worry about my kids' school getting shot up.
Leftist objections to gun control in the US are entirely half-baked:
- The US obsession with gun ownership draws entirely from its history as a settler country and the need for people on the frontier to be armed so as to defend the land they are squatting on.
- No successful socialist revolution has ever gone into battle with the country's military; all have relied on mass defection from the military.
- 99% of US "leftists" spouting the "under no pretexts" line are coming out of settler society and are very dubiously working class.
Under what pretext would any of you disagree with this?
What I've said before is that certainly yes any revolution requires guns and knowing how to use guns. And communists/minorities/women in the USA probably should own guns if it's safe for them for a variety of reasons.
But there's definitely a type of US based socialist, who loved guns before they developed their left wings politics, and instead of doing any analysis or self criticism, just substitute "Shall not be infringed" with "under no pretext" as a replacement position. And Marxist-Leninists should oppose dogmatism and just firing off cliched quotes. Instead looking at the material conditions on the ground. Both Marx's quote and this quote by Lenin is definitely good advice, but also very basic of course a revolution needs guns, but they're also not a binding edict that applies to all time before, during and after a revolution.
I tend to think Mao hits the nail on the head with "Political power grows from the barrel of a gun". The capacity to do violence is political power. In the USA the 2nd amendment gives this political power to millions of petit bourgeoises and reactionaries. It's only an accident when communists or minorities get a small slice of this power (which we see the state will time and again stamp out when it feels it needs to). That isn't to say US communists shouldn't utilize this accident, they definitely should, but as a transient and temporary thing. Use the 2nd amendment to arm and then when in power remove the 2nd amendment and it's protections for reactionaries.
Like I used to follow the various socialist rifle association sub-reddits, there was constantly complaints about how countries like Cuba, China etc were authoritarian because the average citizen couldn't have a personal AR15 in their home and it's like everything exists in it's historical and revolutionary context.
What's that quote from?
The first paragraph of The Military Programme of the Proletarian Revolution: II. Full of bangers like
If the present war rouses among the reactionary Christian socialists, among the whimpering petty bourgeoisie, only horror and fright, only aversion to all use of arms, to bloodshed, death, etc., then we must say: Capitalist society is and has always been horror without end.
i hear you can even 3d print them nowadays
I wish I could hold a gun without The Bad Thoughts, it will probably be useful to be able to shoot. alas,