• Gsus4@mander.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    …no? There are plenty of white and non-white working people outside the “third world” who want a good job with rights and resent being exploited as well. The labour and socialist movements of the 19th century predate Marxism, which tried to coopt them.

    • Cowbee [he/him]
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      You’re misreading the meme, only Marxists are pictured, not all Socialists.

      Ultraleftism is a branch of Marxism that seeks the absolute purest form, and attacks all forms of Marxism that are not absolutely pure. Ultraleftism was popularized in the Italian Communist Party and Dutch/German splinter Marxist groups, though it was and is not exclusive to them.

      Most Marxists use Ultraleftism as a pejorative to refer to someone who puts ideals over Material Conditions, placing undue importance on purity over tangible improvements to the material conditions of the working class.

      This meme in particular is pointing out a trend of generally white Marxists in the Global North who are against all forms of AES, like people particularly harsh on Cuba for not being full luxury space gay Communism yet, for example. On the other hand, the Global South has historically placed more importance on Material Conditions than ideological purity.

      It’s only used correctly when it id used as a pejorative against unrealistic advocacy for purity, not all positions to the left of the given Marxist group. Setting targets too high, or sowing division, can be forms of Ultraleftism.

  • Cowbee [he/him]
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    3 months ago

    Generally, yes, being overly critical of AES and not having nuanced critique is usually found in circles where there isn’t a lot of actual organization. The west generally lacks strong Marxist orgs, so there’s less discussion and less building, resulting in academic purity testing and a lack of putting theory to practice.

    That’s not to say you cannot have good critique of AES, but the further removed from it you are, the more likely you are to be overly critical. Organizing is complicated and hard work, so putting theory to practice helps sharpen theory.