What is a Marxist?

Communist, democratic socialist, social democrat and liberal are all different terms for different political understandings. Of course there is some overlap between [i]adjacent [/i]terms. For example, Paul Krugman is a liberal but [i]some [/i]of his ideas are social democratic. There are different distinctions on the right too. Ron Paul is not the same as Paul Ryan, who is not the same as Trump, who is not the same as Mussolini, who is not the same as Hitler. Though again there is some overlap.

Karl Marx wrote nothing about the specifics for a future society and his focus was on critiquing the developments of capitalism. Marx was of course a revolutionary socialist though he would have hated what regimes of the 20th century did in his name. I have read some of his work and I agree with some of his analysis, even though I myself am a democratic socialist.

No folks, CNN is not Marxist. To call something 'Cultural Marxism' is an insult which is baseless on about fifteen different levels. Marx would have hated 'Cultural Marxism', both in any real sense and as the utterly imagined post-McCarthyite straw-man argument.

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Cierzo · M

If you do not like the term 'Cultural Marxism', let's call it Gramscianism, since the idea of controlling and changing popular culture came from Gramsci (who was a marxist).

Agree that the term marxist is used too much, like the terms fascist, or nazi.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

'Cultural Marxism' implies a deliberate conspiracy to control culture. Also (given what the layman right understand Marxism as) it has connotations of authoritarianism. The terms 'political correctness' and 'cultural marxism' are often used interchangeably.

I do like the ideas of Gramsci actually and I am aware that he informs the strategic thinking behind my favourite party in your country. Gramsci did write about changing culture, though through challenging the dominant hegemonic powers in society. He wasn't a Marxist in the strictest sense because he was not a strict economic determinist and not a revolutionary per-say.

However, he was a socialist and an anti-authoritarian. What the right see as liberals providing a strict code for acceptable ideas on culture (we can debate the merits of that and the extant that it exists) is not Gramscian.

Cierzo · M

@Burnley123: Anyone who wants changes from above to create a new culture, a new society or a new human kind without having been chosen for it or without asking those who will through the changes is authoritarian.

And PC is a deliberate attempt to control and change culture and make accepted believes that were rejected in the past and the opposite.

It can or cannot be marxist, but certainly it is authoritarian

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Cierzo: My main contention, is that PC is not Gramscian.

When you talk about PC it depends what you mean.

Is it anti-racism? If so then it is a good thing and it has made Western societies much better than they were in the 1970s.

Is it student no-platforming or over-sensitivity to things not intended to offend? If so then that it serves no good purpose.

Cierzo · M

PC is not only the change of ideas, with which I may agree on certain terms, but also a social and political pressure to make you feel guilty, and what is much worse, to keep you away from the public tribunes if your thoughts on a number matters do not match certain points of view.

It is therefore authoritarian, and Gramsci is one of its inspirations. There are others, like the philosophical Frankfurt School.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Cierzo: I disagree on the intellectual origins. Gramsci is really only of interest to the readical left, not liberal institutions

[quote]a social and political pressure to make you feel guilty, and what is much worse, to keep you away from the public tribunes if your thoughts on a number matters do not match certain points of view[/quote]

I'm interested. Can you give me some concrete examples?

Cierzo · M

@Burnley123: Milo Yannopoulos having his twitter account censored

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@Cierzo: I disagree with him getting banned but apparently Milo got what he wanted. He should be allowed to speak, then criticised. His language is hateful but he is trolling anyway.

He is/was kind of friends with Laurie Penny, a socialist feminist journalist from my country. Her account of him makes interesting reading and is utterly believable.

https://medium.com/welcome-to-the-scream-room/im-with-the-banned-8d1b6e0b2932#.doqqc413b

Cierzo · M

@Burnley123: He wanted to be banned to become famous? Probably. Like every smart troll, he knows of the Streisand effect. But Twitter got carried away by the PC way. It was their decision anyway.