I'm mostly talking about Animal Farm and 1984, not only because they are more well known, but also because Orwell drew inspiration from the USSR in writing them.

I'm a beginner at communism, I'm not exactly the most well-read, and in trying to broaden my horizons, I read these two.

I'm simply curious to see what all of you have to say about them.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 31 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Negative. Orwell is an alleged sex pest, and a confirmed snitch.

Animal Farm, when read critically, essentially amounts to an aristocratic view of workers that sees us as stupid, gullible, and doomed to forever follow the whims of charismatic leaders with no critical thinking of our own. It erases our class interests and replaces class analysis with the idea that there are smart people, and there are workers, and the majority of smarter people will be unable to educate workers and so will inevitably abuse and take advantage of them.

1984 isn't as bad as Animal Farm, but it's not great either. It's still founded on Orwell's aristocratic view of humanity that focuses on "Great Man Theory" above all.

I recommend reading On Orwell, A Critical Read of Animal Farm, and Isaac Asimov on 1984.

If you want to read more about communist theory, I also made an introductory reading list, feel free to check it out! You could also wait until @Edie@lemmy.ml begins a weekly reading group for it over on Hexbear.net in a couple of weeks, and discuss the works on it with others!

  • source
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] [S] 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

    I particularly enjoyed " A critical read on Animal Farm". I am deeply grateful to have been bestowed with all this knowledge. Thank you.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

    Jones Manoel is an amazing communist (marxist-lenilist) intellectual, author, agitator, and has recently been elected to the Brazilian congress. one of the few good things to have happened in this election cycle.

    I hate youtube's auto-dub, but I'll put up with it if it means he can reach more people

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] [S] 3 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    Thinking about the parenthes you put around marxist-leninist, what exactly constitutes a 'communist'?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

    I was just being specific. But there are many communist traditions. Some care more about the class structure (Marxists), some about power structures (anarchists). And then the subdivisions multiply like fruitflies.

    Besides the class / power divide there's the utopian / materialist divide. The only communist movements that achieved anything so far have been ML and ML-Maoist (MLM), both materialist lines. Anarchists are usually utopian, like, I agree with anarco-communists' philosofical positions and what the end goal should be, but how does one protect its people and revolution without the Autority and Power of the State? The proletarian state can only be abolished (practically) after all couter revolutionary states have been abolished

    uh, and now I realize I copletely avoided your question. Honestly, idk. I can list some gloabal characteristics, and anti-characteristics, but that's about it. I can also tell you that if a first worlder say they are a commie I find it highly suspicious, 9/10 they don't know what they're talking about

  • source
  • parent