#161

tsinava posted:

In other news, Neil deGrasse Tyson really likes fascism.(But we already knew that.)



Black Science Man noo

#162

cars posted:

c_man posted:

i dont agree. apparently who's voting for whom is important to care about, because we all know from baby newton that black people voting in democratic primaries means that racism is over, and a trump rally getting shut down is the beginning of real fascism in america

all right i declare you official sheriff of those guys and also anyone who gets the power to shoot gamma rays out of their eyes.


Thank u

#163
If any of you go to ifap im going to require 100 words in your assignment for every post you made arguing about trump hilary or sanders
#164
Bernie Sanders: "Travail, Famille, Patrie"
#165
No one is in favor of Trump. In fact I don't care about this election at all except as a decent reality tv show. What I am calling for is a revaluation of the left's policy towards fascism built on the great lie that the KPD refusing to cooperate with the SPD allowed the NAZIs to rise. Writing about the NAZIs is usually garbage because there's so much mysticism, let's instead look to Mao's analysis of Japanese fascism. While the concept of anti-fascist popular frontism survives, it only takes place under the leadership of communists. Also introduced again is the concept of social fascism (which describes Sanders perfectly) and the difference between the 'democratic' US occupying force in Japan and the nationalistic 'totalitarian' Japanese Empire becomes nothing more than window dressing. Fascism becomes rooted in imperialism again instead of nonsense like 'ur-fascism' and absolute surplus value returns from the depths of Marx's analysis.

That the Sanders thread is about whether he's an ally of the left while the Trump thread is about whether he's a fascist shows that the eurocommunist analysis of fascism is still alive and will be alive as long as socialists lack an understanding of the labor aristocracy.
#166
i think most of us know that social democracy is a variant of fascism, i think the point is that trump says a lot of alarmingly fascist things. i mean he technically has a cleaner policy record than bernie so i guess you can argue that bernie is more fascist but whatever.
#167
the fact that there are any threads at all about the US election shows that this entire forum should finally be shut down
#168

tsinava posted:

i think most of us know that social democracy is a variant of fascism, i think the point is that trump says a lot of alarmingly fascist things. i mean he technically has a cleaner policy record than bernie so i guess you can argue that bernie is more fascist but whatever.



Only because we've been trained to look at the superficial qualities of fascism instead of the material reality. This allowed America to point to West Germany, post-war Japan, post-War South Korea, etc and say "look they aren't fascist they don't talk about purity and virility or whatever." As Zizek would say, we know that fascism won the second world war and we live in a fascist world, and yet this is very hard to accept.

#169
was the sanders thread about how sanders might be good? it seemed instead to be about how he is a stinky man with flies buzzing on him and then about conec.
#170
the only reason that sanders is relevant to this forum is that he is a guy who called himself a socialist and got a bunch of liberals to vote for him in the united states which is new and a little funny. i think that just edges him into the realm where we can have a lot of fun calling him a dumb asshole in his own thread. now as i ascend this crystal staircase to the secret mod subforum, i say, avert your gaze
#171
Pulled off bwac

"Bernie voted in favor of HR 3107 - Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, which "imposes sanctions on persons exporting certain goods or technology that would enhance Iran's ability to explore for, extract, refine, or transport by pipeline petroleum resources, and for other purposes."

In 1997, Bernie voted for HR 2159 - Foreign Operations FY98 Appropriations bill, which included: $3 billion for Israel, including $1.8 billion in military assistance and $1.2 billion in economic assistance; $2.12 billion for Egypt, including $1.3 billion in military assistance and $815 million in economic assistance; $770 million for former Soviet Republics; and $215 million for international narcotics control and law enforcement.

He also voted for HR 4059 - Military Construction FY99 Appropriations bill, which provided $2.82 billion for general military construction.

In 1998, Bernie's name was included as a YEA vote on HR 4655, the Iraqi Liberation Act of 1998, which expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the aim of the United States to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

President George W. Bush later used the Iraqi Liberation Act to provide justification for military action for the 2003 invasion.

In 1999, Bernie voted for HR 2465, which provided $4 billion for military construction, and he voted for HR 3196, which provided: $2.16 billion for military and economic assistance to Israel; $760 million for military and economic assistance to Egypt; $535 million for Eastern European and the Baltic States, including $150 million for assistance to Kosovo; $300 million for military and economic assistance to Jordan; and $285 million for international narcotics control.

Writes Ron Jacobs of Counter Punch, 3/31/2003:

"For those of us with a memory longer than the average US news reporter, we can remember Bernie's staunch support for Clinton's 100-day bombing of Yugoslavia and Kosovo in 1999. I served as a support person for a dozen or so Vermonters who sat-in in his Burlington office a couple weeks into that war. Not only did Sanders refuse to talk with us via telephone (unlike his Vermont counterparts in the Senate-Leahy and Jeffords), he had his staff call the local police to arrest those who refused to leave until Sanders spoke with them. The following week Sanders held a town hall meeting in Montpelier, VT., where he surrounded himself with sympathetic war supporters and one university professor who opposed the war and Bernie's support for it. During the question and answer part of the meeting, Sanders yelled at two of the audience's most vocal opponents to his position and told them to leave if they didn't like what he had to say."

In 2001, Bernie supported HR 1954, which extended the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act of 1996.

Following the 9/11 attacks, Bernie voted in favor of H J Res 64 - Authorization for Use of Military Force, which allowed President Bush to use the United States Armed Forces against anyone involved with 9/11 and any nation that harbors these individuals.

In 2002, Bernie voted against H J Res 114, which authorized President Bush to use military force against Iraq. However, he would continue to support bloated military defense bills that would ultimately be used to sustain the war he allegedly disagreed with.

In 2003, Bernie supported HR 5010, which provided $355.1 billion in appropriations for the Defense Department for fiscal year 2003 - an increase of $37.5 billion from 2002 - as well as: $71.6 billion for procurement of aircraft, missiles, weapons, combat vehicles and shipbuilding; $7.4 billion for ballistic missile defense; and $58.4 million for foreign aid, which includes humanitarian assistance, foreign disaster relief and de-mining programs.

He also voted in favor of HR 2800 - Foreign Operations Appropriations, FY 2004 bill, which granted $1.8 billion in military and economic assistance to Egypt and $2.2 billion for Israeli military assistance.

In 2004, Bernie supported HR 4613, which allocated $25 billion for emergency defense spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and $77.4 billion for the procurement of new weapons.

In 2005, Sanders supported HR 2863 - Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill, which provided $50 billion for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2006, Bernie voted for HR 5631, which provided $70 billion for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2007, he supported HR 1585 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which granted $187.14 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

In 2009, he voted in favor of HR 2647, which authorized $309 million for research and evaluation, procurement, or deployment of an alternative Missile Defense System in Europe, and also allowed the Secretary of Defense to increase the active-duty number for the US Army to a number greater than otherwise allowed by law up to the 2010 baseline plus 30,000 troops.

During the same year, he called closing the torturous gulag at Guantanamo a "complicated issue" and ultimately rejected a proposal to shut it down.

In 2011, Bernie co-sponsored S. Res. 85, which urged the UN Security Council to take action to protect civilians in Libya from attack, including the possible imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory.

In 2014, Bernie came out in favor of levying economic sanctions (an act of war) against Russia: "The entire world has got to stand up to Putin," he said. "We've got to deal with sanctions."

That same year, Bernie didn't object to having his name included - by unanimous consent - in S.498, which backed Israel's brutal, summer-long military assault against Gaza.

Most recently, he vowed to continue Obama's murderous international drone war. Bernie also supports funneling weapons into Iraq to fight ISIS as well as airstrikes, and he continues to spread the myth that Iran seeks to build nuclear weapons.

Just so all of you with Berning friends have a handly list for ya

#172
[account deactivated]
#173
A great advantage to the dictatorship of the proletariat that yall probably overlooked: no more election threads lmfao
#174
dont know what bwac is but thats a nice list
#175
That's damning. Thanks, I appreciate that a lot more than people just calling me an idiot.
#176
[account deactivated]
#177

Red_Canadian posted:

That's damning. Thanks, I appreciate that a lot more than people just calling me an idiot.



youre an iudiot

#178

ilmdge posted:

dont know what bwac is but thats a nice list

"Bro, We Are Communist." Its a facebook group, but communist.

#179
for individual communists there is no question about who to vote for in u.s. presidential elections, that the differences between the candidates is so marginal the essential character of the regime wouldnt change is a given so we know that a vote for any candidate is near meaningless; given that, i dont really see anything objectionable if you decide to do a chomsky and vote the soc-dem in your primary state of you think he has a reasonable shot at winning. the explicit discrediting of social democracy in the u.s. would be of at least minor use. again, it really doesnt matter one way or the other what you do personally, at all, you're either going to fill out your ballot or sit at home jerking off to sarcastic commentary over minecraft videos, thats about as important a decision it is.

but the question of u.s. elections really only matters organizationally, and the rhizzone isnt an organization, nor are many of us in any communist orgs. it is for the social movements to evaluate the candidates and decide if its worth their time, energy, resources on any agitprop for a particular campaign. it has literally been said in this thread -- by a revleft expat admittedly -- that the perfect (do we mean communism?) is the enemy of the good (sanders). the movements only need to glance at sanders record and rhetoric to know that its the good here who makes an enemy of the perfect, and we don't even need to resort to vulgar third worldism to see that, as if foreign policy isnt interdependent on teh domestic scene in a country that is an empire within its own borders ; if we take the bpp to be the avatar of the furthest advance for democracy in this country we know what to do when we know that sanders has voted to extradite and imprison assata shakur. do whatever you want personally, honestly, but don't dare ever tell anyone they " should "vote for sanders.
#180
[account deactivated]
#181
if you're not in an org you need to get in an org
#182

cars posted:

if you're not in an org you need to get in an org



whats a good irony option?

#183

elias posted:

if we take the bpp to be the avatar of the furthest advance for democracy in this country we know what to do when we know that sanders has voted to extradite and imprison assata shakur.

tbh you're better off listing his numerous votes in favor of war and Israel than this, which is somewhat arguable:

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/089.html

#184

soicowboy posted:

cars posted:

if you're not in an org you need to get in an org

whats a good irony option?



Democrats

#185

HenryKrinkle posted:

elias posted:
if we take the bpp to be the avatar of the furthest advance for democracy in this country we know what to do when we know that sanders has voted to extradite and imprison assata shakur.
tbh you're better off listing his numerous votes in favor of war and Israel than this, which is somewhat arguable:

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/089.html


The signature on that letter actually belongs to a person named bold maxine waters bold and not , in fact, the man named bold bernie sanders bold.

#186
[account deactivated]
#187

babyhueypnewton posted:

tsinava posted:

i think most of us know that social democracy is a variant of fascism, i think the point is that trump says a lot of alarmingly fascist things. i mean he technically has a cleaner policy record than bernie so i guess you can argue that bernie is more fascist but whatever.

Only because we've been trained to look at the superficial qualities of fascism instead of the material reality. This allowed America to point to West Germany, post-war Japan, post-War South Korea, etc and say "look they aren't fascist they don't talk about purity and virility or whatever." As Zizek would say, we know that fascism won the second world war and we live in a fascist world, and yet this is very hard to accept.



Could you go over the material reality of fascism?
I'm sure you have done so before but I'm dumb and repetition helps

#188
Xipe:
https://thecapitalistholocaust.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/chapter-3-fascism-a-capitalist-phenomenon/
#189
[account deactivated]
#190
whats your favest org tuppins
#191
mine is the heritage foundation
#192
[account deactivated]
#193

babyhueypnewton posted:

tsinava posted:

i think most of us know that social democracy is a variant of fascism, i think the point is that trump says a lot of alarmingly fascist things. i mean he technically has a cleaner policy record than bernie so i guess you can argue that bernie is more fascist but whatever.

Only because we've been trained to look at the superficial qualities of fascism instead of the material reality. This allowed America to point to West Germany, post-war Japan, post-War South Korea, etc and say "look they aren't fascist they don't talk about purity and virility or whatever." As Zizek would say, we know that fascism won the second world war and we live in a fascist world, and yet this is very hard to accept.



:jehusay:

#194

tpaine posted:

bwac. it's not just for chickens anymore.



lol

#195

EmanuelaBrolandi posted:

Xipe:
https://thecapitalistholocaust.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/chapter-3-fascism-a-capitalist-phenomenon/



Thanks this is good (and I'd even read it before see what I mean about repetition)

He explores the material basis of fascism in Italy Spain and Nazi Germany, would be good to see some examination of Taiwan ROK West Germany Japan etc examples which Huey mentioned (EU regime would be of interest for me too)

#196
.
#197

babyhueypnewton posted:

tsinava posted:

i think most of us know that social democracy is a variant of fascism, i think the point is that trump says a lot of alarmingly fascist things. i mean he technically has a cleaner policy record than bernie so i guess you can argue that bernie is more fascist but whatever.

Only because we've been trained to look at the superficial qualities of fascism instead of the material reality. This allowed America to point to West Germany, post-war Japan, post-War South Korea, etc and say "look they aren't fascist they don't talk about purity and virility or whatever." As Zizek would say, we know that fascism won the second world war and we live in a fascist world, and yet this is very hard to accept.


yeah i don't buy that. umburto eco's definition of fascism might be not marxist and consistently erasing class, but that's more or less appropriate because fascism itself not only does the same, but is very specifically designed to do the same. fascism, as brolandi's link notes, is what capitalism turns to when the threat of socialism leaves it no other choice, so of course it emphasizes the aspects of Western culture that are best suited to block class consciousness--racism, nationalism, martial glorification, fetishized masculinity. the differences between liberalism and fascism are meaningful for both the bourgeois (liberal rights are illusionary for the proletariat but they are real for the bourgeois, and by trading them for security the class enters a distinctly different mode) and the proletariat (which suffers "egradation and intensified exploitation" and which the fascist state ultimately aims to eliminate, be it through conscription, through bourgization via seized capital, or replacement by slave labor and extermination of the remainder--conta liberalism, which wishes to continue exploitation and has no desire to eliminate its golden goose). i don't feel it is necessary to conflate liberalism and fascism when it's perfectly possible to simply note that liberalism is willing and able to match the monstrosities of fascism

also while I don't have strong feelings on zizek my understanding is that he went Full Fascist himself and as such i'm not really inclined to listen to him try to tell me that the soviet union didn't win WWII

all that said, apply the necessary grains of salt to account for the fact that i am, of course, a liberal

#198

xipe posted:

babyhueypnewton posted:

tsinava posted:

i think most of us know that social democracy is a variant of fascism, i think the point is that trump says a lot of alarmingly fascist things. i mean he technically has a cleaner policy record than bernie so i guess you can argue that bernie is more fascist but whatever.

Only because we've been trained to look at the superficial qualities of fascism instead of the material reality. This allowed America to point to West Germany, post-war Japan, post-War South Korea, etc and say "look they aren't fascist they don't talk about purity and virility or whatever." As Zizek would say, we know that fascism won the second world war and we live in a fascist world, and yet this is very hard to accept.

Could you go over the material reality of fascism?
I'm sure you have done so before but I'm dumb and repetition helps



a cool book on fascism you should read if you have the time is called "mussolini's intellectuals" by a. james gregor

#199
It's time, time for the BernieBros to become radical leftist and get accounts!
#200
bernie is done bros time to get behind hillary45