The ABCs of Jacobin • Hacker News Board

Re: The ABCs of Jacobin

#51

Post by uxp100 » Thu, Jan 03, 2019, 10:42 PM UTC

icebraining wrote: post #49

uxp100 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's true, though I think mainly because of things that changed as the decades went along, but people were calling the USSR economy a "command" economy since nearly the beginning.

No, critics of the Bolsheviks, such as anarchists and left-wing communists, were warning against that since the revolution, and just a little time after people from other countries were doing the same, such as Emma Goldman in her article titled "There Is No Communism in Russia" from 1935.

I see. I was thinking of Goldman's earlier writings that more about the NEP, but I see that "There Is No Communism in Russia" has the distinction between nationalization and a true "public" ownership. (And it is true that most anarchist writing I've really just skimmed or read many years ago)

Re: The ABCs of Jacobin

#52

Post by ghostcluster » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 12:47 AM UTC

dang wrote: post #47

ghostcluster wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobin - the second paragraph talks about the guillotining of 17,000 political opponents. I apologize if my comment seemed too ideological, but I think it's fair to assert that they're a provocative thing to name your magazine after, and the piece mentions Jacobin's featuring the guillotine as well.

The presence of a provocation doesn't mean we need to get provoked.

The magazine sells guillotine posters: https://jacobinmag.com/store/product/1

Re: The ABCs of Jacobin

#53

Post by djrobstep » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 2:49 AM UTC

testrun wrote: post #18

djrobstep wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your version of "across the political spectrum" stops short of democratic socialism, perhaps it's time to try harder to expand your mind.

What is democratic socialism?

If you'd like to find out more I can recommend a great magazine.

Re: The ABCs of Jacobin

#54

Post by rustyboy » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 11:58 AM UTC

tuxxy wrote: post #50

rustyboy wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with Crimethinc and that quote, I can't seem to get into their writing anymore. Most of their writing comes across as defeatist or exhausting, but it's understandable because they've been promoting leftist ideals for decades now while the world slides into more and more authoritarianism.

Perhaps so, but I see the writing as more of a "The status quo will continue until we take action." I think there is something to be said about defeatism in this regard. Things absolutely will not change until there is action. Crimethinc is simply stating the obvious -- there is no action. Lately, The Invisible Committee's books have kept me very enthusiastic. If you haven't read those yet (specifically, "Now" and "T…

I havn't read the books, thanks for the recommendations i'll check them out.

Crimethinc/AdBusters has seem to be more about fostering counter culture rather than interesting leftist thought not to say one's more important than the other, but seeing even the most radical members of our party still consumed by selfies and starbucks makes me really dissapointed. Crimethinc taught me to about Buy Nothing Day, how to make my own soap, and go vegan/local.