If people can't even realize their own power as workers and unionize, they're not about to rise up in some glorious revolution. And even if they did, the majority would just do capitalism again, because most people can't imagine anything else

But the economic system is collapsing. When it does, we need power. That's how this works. We take local, State, and federal positions and use them to do progressive things, to improve material conditions.

And then when we get to an inflection point, we need leaders who already have the support of the people. We need populist progressives in power

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Ernst Thälmann tried that

Many others within germany were also trying that too. It did not work

We must build duel power, not power within the bourgeois system

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social -5 points 2 weeks ago

Power exists where people believe it to be. You want to build up alternate systems? Go for it, I think that's great. I'd join up. Let me know when that's an option on the table

But you can't ignore where the power actually is. No revolution happens without organizing around people already in power.

And as much as you can learn from the past, we're well into uncharted territory. You can read all the praxis you like, but those are the writings of academics.

At some point you have to talk to people, you have to get average people on board. You can't do that by giving them pamphlets, they're not going to read them.

You do it by picking your strongest argument, like housing or taxing the rich, and you get them on board. You give them leaders to rally behind, you gain their trust by improving material conditions for them. You fix their problems and win their loyalty, you tell them you're going to fix their problems, and then you do everything you can to get money out of politics so that we can unfuck things

If you want to organize on the side, go for it... But we live in an extremely low trust and antisocial society. I just don't see it happening anytime soon

The perfect is the enemy of the good