If not, why not?
I’m actually a member of my local group, but have been too intimidated to actually go join a meeting. Which isn’t great. They seem to lack a “hello new member, let me guide you through your first meeting”-kind of contact. Of course, this also comes down to my social anxiety of just meeting up in a way that feels unannounced and intruding. Like tagging along with a friend-group you’ve never met before.
i feel if you contact someone in your group about this issue they wouldn’t mind helping you with it. just shoot a message or email.
They seem to lack a “hello new member, let me guide you through your first meeting”-kind of contact.
This is actually a very valid criticism. If orgs like to build and retain membership then they really ought to make an effort to make the party as accessible as possible to prospective members.
I’m currently in the process of joining my local communist youth. Its really cool, the people are nice and not at all like the stereotype if angry politics nerds. And compared to online leftist spaces, there isnt really any discussion on whether China or Cuba is communist or things like that. Its all about local organising, which is much more useful than arguing about countries on the other side of the world.
Even though I am completely new, they have already asked me to write a proposal about digital security, because I refuse to use things like Whatsapp, Google Hangouts or similar.
The only thing I can complain about is that all of them are quite busy, so they are quite slow at answering my questions, like how the party works or what exactly I am supposed to do during my premilitancy.
If there is a party near you, definitely contact them. If you dont get along with them, you can always decide not to join.
Was just recently considering reaching out to the Canadian party. Would like to go meet with them in person once the pandemic is over to see how they operate. From what I’ve read they’re a classic Marxist-Leninist party, so that part sounds solid.
The reason I haven’t bothered joining so far is because they appear to be politically irrelevant at the moment. They have no seats and no serious political presence. So one of the things I’d like to find out is whether they have a strategy for that and plans to grow.
Seats in house wont matter. Electoral politics isn’t the goal of most socialist parties.
Bolsheviks saw value in participation and Lenin strongly encourages it here. I’d argue that it’s important to pay attention to their experience since they did manage to run a successful revolution in the end.
Electoralism doesnt work, except maybe for propaganda/agitation. If a communist party doesnt take part in that, its probably a good sign.
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It looks like my party has some members in parliament through Izquierda Unida (united left), but I had to look that up.
I agree with the argument Lenin lays out in the Should We Participate in Bourgeois Parliaments? section of his “Left-Wing” Communism essay. The whole essay is an excellent read on effective tactics.
Thanks I might read that later. Regardless, conditions in your country today are likely different from conditions in Russia 100 years ago, so your local party may have good reasons to choose other tactics. I’m sure they would discuss it with you.
For sure, I definitely will talk with them and I don’t really see any reason not to join. I’d like to see the party grow obviously.
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