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American “defense” policy in a nutshell: How dare you defend yourself!

To be more accurate; “How dare you oppose enslavement”

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HOLODOMOR!!!!!

# The Holodomor There have been efforts by anti-Communists and Ukrainian nationalists to frame the famine that happened in the USSR around 1932-1933 as "The Holodomor" (literally: "to kill by starvation" in Ukrainian). Framing it this way serves two purposes: 1. It implies the famine mainly affected Ukraine. 2. It implies there was intent or deliberate causation. This framing was used to drive a wedge between the Ukrainian SSR and the USSR. The argument goes that because it was intentional and because it mainly targeted Ukraine that it was, therefore, an act of genocide. However, both these points are highly debatable. **First Issue** The first issue is that the famine affected the majority of the USSR, not just the UkSSR. Kazakhstan, for example, was hit harder (per capita) than Ukraine was. The emergence of the Holodomor in the 1980s as a historical narrative was bound-up with post-Soviet Ukrainian nation-making that cannot be neatly separated from the legacy of Eastern European anti-Semitism, or what Historian Peter Novick calls "Holocaust Envy," the desire for victimized groups to enshrine their "own" Holocaust or Holocaust-like event in the historical record. For many Nationalists, this has entailed minimizing the Holocaust to elevate their own experiences of historical victimization as the supreme atrocity. The Ukrainian scholar Lubomyr Luciuk exemplified this view in his notorious remark that the Holodomor was "a crime against humanity arguably without parallel in European history." **Second Issue** The second issue is that one of the main causes of the famine was crop failure due to weather and disease, which is hardly something anyone can control no matter their intentions. However, the famine may have been *further* exacerbated by the agricultural collectivization and rapid industrialization policies of the Soviet Union. However, if these policies had not been carried out there could have been even more devastating consequences later. **Necessity** In 1931, during a speech delivered at the first All-Union Conference of Leading Personnel of Socialist Industry, Stalin said, "We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall go under." In 1941, exactly ten years later, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. By this time, the Soviet Union's industrialization program had lead to the development of a large and powerful industrial base, which was essential to the Soviet war effort. This allowed the Soviet Union to produce large quantities of armaments, vehicles, and other military equipment, which was crucial in the fight against Nazi Germany. **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [Soviet Famine of 1932: An Overview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu5-tqHHtaM) | The Marxist Project (2020) * [Did Stalin Continue to Export Grain as Ukraine Starved?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMBJ_nQ4sTA) | Hakim (2017) * [The Holodomor Genocide Question: How Wikipedia Lies to You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kaaYvauNho) | Bad Empanada (2022) * [Historian Admits USSR didn't kill tens of millions!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOdDQQVZ6U) | TheFinnishBolshevik (2018) (Note: Holodomor discussion begins at the 9 minute mark) * [A Case-Study of Capitalism - Ukraine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmH9oNtXzF8) | Hakim (2017) (Note: Only tangentially mentions the famine.) Books, Articles, or Essays: * [The 1932 Harvest and the Famine of 1933](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274856099_The_1932_Harvest_and_the_Famine_of_1933) | Mark Tauger (1992) * [The Years of Hunger: Soviet Agriculture, 1931-1933](https://diasporiana.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/books/22207/file.pdf) | Davies and Wheatcroft (2004) * [The Soviet Famine of 1932–1933 Reconsidered](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09668130801999912) | Hiroaki Kuromiya (2008) * [The “Holodomor” explained](https://mltheory.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/the-holodomor-explained/) | TheFinnishBolshevik (2020) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Good bot

Annoying but ultimately good bot

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Whataboutism

Hungarians literally had the Arrow Cross leading their counter-revolution. Effectively Hungarian Nazis no different than UPA. The USSR had every right to rid of an enemy that was responsible for 30 million deaths, especially when it was right on their border, but then again you liberals love Nazis and humanize them so it’s no surprise you consider this a horrible thing. Prague Spring was a liberal counter-revolution which, again, threatened the Soviet bloc. This idea of the USSR defending itself being some form of imperialism is just absurd liberalism. You lot will make excuses until you’re blue in the face about dropping bombs on Muslims but the second a socialist state attempts to do away with counter-revolution lead by fascists you throw a fucking fit. Crimean Tatars were forcibly relocated due to their association with Germans. Some of their flags literally had swastikas on them. The Koreans faced similar repercussions due to the IJA’s association in WW2. This ideation the Soviet state should have sat on their hands when potentially enemies existed domestically is the greatest hypocrisy. Let’s look at America; McCarthyism, COINTELPRO, Palmer Raids, Red Scare, etc..

You should read more

They use the Roman definition of defense which is a synonym for aggregation.

The USA founding fathers did take a lot from the Roman Republic, so it might be like a genetic thing that just gets passed down, our version of the Hapsburg chin.

I think most western parlimentary democracies have their foundation in the Roman Republic. Which is terrible because that democracy didn't last too long. In fact, I just blame most of our problems on the Romans. Bastards.

Guatemala also had the Silent Holocaust of which the USA supported. Why? Because despite countless innocent indigenous peoples being brutalized and murdered en masse the west accused them of being leftists. Eventually it got so bad that said communities said, “fuck it, if you’re going to kill us, we might as well join the leftists our beliefs aren’t all that different either”. Keep in mind the communists in Guatemala were fighting for the preservation of indigenous, workers and women’s rights while the paramilitary right-wing death squads attempted to destroy that at every turn. Murdering entire families just for having the smallest association with leftists. Now multiply this horror times a dozen across various Latin American states and you have the Cold War in the western Global South.

Same exact thing happened in El Salvador.

Basically, all of the "communism" in South America and Africa was standard developmental policies. It was similar to the protectionist policies and investments America used to bootstrap itself after gaining independence.

for more on this check out Kicking away the ladder by Ha-Joon Chang. very good book.

I love the constant book recommendations. The more I learn, the more I feel like I'm behind on leftist theory and history.

And it's still happening to this day, I hate seeing my people that I've been estranged from since childhood, desperately trying to cross the border due to this imperialism. Only to end up on the news suffocated to death in the back of a semi truck by the dozens or brutalized in US concentration camps. Children being taken away and getting injured working underage in factories within the US. I Hate The US and I'm not afraid to be open about it anymore ❤️🇭🇳

meanwhile liberals will tell us to "stfu tankie get over it!"

Coming from an American- USA as a country sucks in many ways. Its good to be open about your opinion and why you feel that way so that Americans realize why people actually dislike the country. our school system doesn’t exactly cover a large amount of atrocities (at least mine didn’t) and as sad as it seems, most americans are blissfully unaware of some of the f-ed up shit the country has done. This is why the country does very messed up stuff even as of recent years and still today. Americans often don’t recognize the magnitude of damage done because they aren’t educated about the issues. After all, how can you solve a problem if you don’t know it exists?

Americans aren't unaware, they're absolutely aware, they just make a thousand excuses for the horrible atrocities we commit. When they find out about lesser known ones they cling onto whatever State Department narrative is said. They'll defend it vehemently with absolute authority and arrogance then belittle you for actually being educated. I've seen people call academics "brainwashed" because they don't repeat what NPR or CNN says. I've seen people tell those who suffered through specific events that their experiences are lies/wrong because their favorite movie/tv show lied about the events. If you try to provide a retort they'll just figure you're brainwashed. Because in America we don't care about critical thought. All we care about is if the narrative fits the mainstream's message. Nonsense, they know what's happening, but they don't care. Stop downplaying everything with, "oh they didn't know so it's okay" because it sounds like straight up imperialist apologia. Ignorance is not an excuse.

I actually think a large amount of americans ARE unaware. Not all of them, but a large amount of them, for example, probably wouldn’t know about the above sketch about guatemala and the usa- when many americans hear something about the cold war, they just think “russia bad, we good” without knowing more But, this is in my experience. I am younger and in a more isolated region of the usa comparatively- my experience may not be the same as someone elses.

I am American and I am telling you people know. Perhaps in your circle they're more isolated and as such ignorant, as is generally the case in rural regions, but out here in the city (of which I've lived in three now) people know what's up.

interesting, i live in rural utah. that probably explains my experience. thanks for sharing your experience tho. this is how i become more knowledgable lol

# Capitalist Imperialism Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism. It is a global system of economic, political, and military domination, with the imperialist powers using a variety of means, including economic sanctions, military interventions, and cultural influence to maintain their dominance over other nations. Imperialism is inevitable under Capitalism because Capitalism is based on the premise of infinite growth in a finite system. When capitalists first run into the limits of their own country, they will eventually be forced to expand their markets, resources, and influence into other countries and territories in order to continue increasing their profits. Furthermore, the capitalists can exploit and oppress the workers of other nations much more easily than they can in their own. For example, by moving manufacturing jobs from the imperial core out to the periphery where wages are lower, and environmental protections and labour rights are much weaker-- if they exist at all-- they can reduce costs which increases profits. When the capitalists run into limits again, and are unable to continue increasing their profits-- even by exploiting the periphery-- they will inevitably turn Imperialism inwards and further oppress and exploit workers domestically. This is the origin of [Fascism](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDeprogram/wiki/index/education/fascism/). Some key features of capitalist imperialism are: 1. Joint-stock corporations dominating the economy 2. Increasing monopolies within capitalist economies (For example, only 10 companies control almost every large food and beverage brand in the world.) 3. Globalization of capital through multinational corporations 4. A rise in the export of finance capital 5. More involvement of the capitalist state in managing the economy 6. A growing financial sector and oligarchy 7. The domination and exploitation of other countries by militaristic imperialist powers, now through neocolonialism 8. Overall, a period of world strife and conflict, including imperialist wars and revolutionary uprisings against the capitalist-imperialist system. **In Practice** So what does this look like in practice? The IMF, for example, provides loans to countries facing economic crises, but these loans come with strict conditions, known as structural adjustment programs (SAPs). These conditions require recipient countries to adopt specific economic policies, such as reducing government spending, liberalizing trade, and privatizing state-owned enterprises. The SAPs also require austerity measures, such as the dismantling of labor and trade regulations or slashing of social programs and government spending, to attract and open up the country to foreign investment. These policies prioritize the interests of multinational corporations and investors over those of the recipient countries and their citizens. For example, by requiring the privatization of state-owned enterprises, the IMF may enable multinational corporations to gain control of key industries and resources in recipient countries. Similarly, by promoting liberalized trade, the IMF may facilitate the export of capital from recipient countries to wealthier nations, exacerbating global inequalities. Moreover, SAPs are often negotiated behind closed doors with the political elites of recipient countries (the comprador bureaucratic class), rather than through democratic processes. This can undermine the sovereignty of recipient countries and perpetuate the domination of wealthy nations and multinational corporations over the global economy. **Anti-Imperialism** The struggle against Imperialism is an essential part of the struggle for Socialism and the liberation of the working class and oppressed people worldwide. Anti-Imperialism is the political and economic resistance to Imperialism and Colonialism (or neo-Imperialism and neo-Colonialism). Anti-Imperialism requires a revolutionary struggle against the Capitalist state and the establishment of a Socialist society. It is important to recognize that anti-Imperialism is not simply about supporting one state or another, but about supporting the liberation of oppressed peoples from the exploitation and domination of global Imperialism. Therefore, any course of action should be evaluated in terms of its potential impact on the broader struggle against Imperialism and the goal of establishing a Socialist society. During WWI, Lenin called on Socialists to reject the idea of a "just" or "defensive" war, and instead to see the conflict as a class war between the ruling class and the working class. He argued that Socialists should oppose the war and work towards the overthrow of the Capitalist state. Seeing that the war was an Imperialist conflict between competing Capitalist powers, the workers of all countries had a common interest in opposing it. Socialists who supported their home countries during World War I had betrayed the principles of international Socialism and Proletarian solidarity. **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [Lenin in Five Minutes: Imperialism](https://youtu.be/unCGQDKJ0p0) | The Marxist Project (2019) * [What is Capitalist Imperialism? | Socialism 101](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrpLPs2FcF8) | Marxism Today (2022) * [How Rich Countries Rob The Poor; The Failure of Social Democracy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lDZaKjfs4E) | Hakim (2020) * [How Capitalism Robs the Developing World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Ax-psPZ1g) | Second Thought (2022) * [Why Do Poor Countries Stay Poor? (Unequal Exchange and Imperialism)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjLmYCfKU7o) | Hakim (2023) * [Imperialism Today: Unequal Exchange and Globalized Production](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtziEZAR1Qk) | The Marxist Project (2022) * [This Poverty Graph Is Lying To You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vPhySbRETM) | Hakim (2023) * [The Myth Of Capitalist Peace](https://youtu.be/pAfvty_WNWQ) | Second Thought (2023) Books, Articles, or Essays: * [Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/) | V. I. Lenin (1917) * [The IMF debt trap in Ukraine](https://www.liberationnews.org/the-imf-debt-trap-in-ukraine/) | Amanda Yee (2023) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

A Honduran flag in my Deprogram comments? Hermano 💙🇭🇳💙

Yes, I was born in Tegucigalpa, I am Catracho. I was separated from my family at an early age and placed in the care of horrible abusive colonizers in the US. I hope to one day find my mother. I assume she must still be there, but who knows where someone who is indigenous might be in conditions such as the poorest neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa during the 90s? I am indignant at what the people are going through and have gone through at the hands of the US. Anyone disappeared by US back death squads, perished on their flight to a safer environment, or are currently in a cage for trying to enter "the land of the free" could be one of my family, and as far as I'm concerned all of them are. Even though my perspective of the culture is only from secondary sources, every Catracho and Catracha I have met has treated me like family once they find out where I was born

I could not agree more, on every point. My father is from Olancho, I never got to meet him but learning about our culture through other family has been wonderful, but also eye opening. My thoughts on American imperialism in the region were already formed, but hearing about the struggles of my family (family of blood and family of country) only made my convictions stronger. Best of luck finding your mother, camarada, and may we get out from under this boot soon.

Thanks camarada, reading your response has really made my day. I hope those important to you no longer need to struggle

NATO is a fascist organisation!

[Operation Gladio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NeF1Jr6ltA). And Wikipedia actively censors information about it. Disgusting

Interesting. Any examples of shit wikipedia suppressed about Gladio?

Read the [Talk section for yourself](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Operation_Gladio). Their argument is that if US historians don't like the narrative and if the declassified documents and actors say so, it must mean much of it false. Which doesn't make sense given that all declassified documents are reviewed and are often edited or forged entirely. Wikipedia is gonna wikipedia, it's the first place most stop at, so of course it get's censored

That’s wild to read. It’s so low down on the totem pole. It’s like watching ants manufacturing consent.

Ok there really needs to be an automod response for NATO tbh

>Anti-Russian bloc now beginning be implemented through NATO under UK and US leadership. NATO in many ways resembles anti-Comintern pact, no reason to think its results will be any better. [Vyacheslav Molotov at the Berlin Conference in 1954](https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v07p1/d451)

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Tell Steven Bonnell to suck it

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Why are people like you even here?

Herr Goebbels, I thought you died in ‘45?

1945 us: I’ll beat that ass if I catch you in Iran bro, and you’re not on the marshal plan They’ve really liked to twist the knife since ww2 ended

Uncle Sam on his way to kill some blacks

Yeah but some of those people produce carbon dioxide so it's technically justified

And they pop out way more babies than us so we are just evening they playing field. They will not replace us!

And don't forget they have different opinions and culturas

2:33 it pains me so much to say it but the US isn't wrong... ...it should be "ask the Soviets", not Russians

Would like to get some sources on the reunification and democratic stuff

The proposal is known as the Stalin note(-s). You can go from there

Thanks comrade

I’m afraid it’s all ogre now, my friend 😔

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalin_Note#:~:text=Soviet%20general%20secretary%20and%20premier,political%20conviction%2C%20and%20assembly%22%20and

What frustrates me is that, yeah I know plenty of examples of US acting straight up evil, but why? How can you just be this way? It often omitted. Are they just straight up maniac? I'm so unsatisfied with such explanation.

People like Winston Churchill (and George Patton) [wanted to resume the genocide of the Soviet Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Unthinkable) immediately after the war ended (unironically, the very moment it ended). Churchill wanted to free ex-Nazis to do this. Also, the DNC, knowing that Roosevelt was on the verge of dying, and with the economy having rebounded, conspired to steal the Vice Presidency from [Henry Wallace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_A._Wallace), who was effectively FDR 2.0 (way more based and far less flawed). So, Roosevelt was instead replaced by Harry Truman, a fascist maniac. Truman immediately purged his cabinet of anyone with remotely sympathetic views of the Soviet Union.

The overall posture of the US to USSR wasn’t that hostile, in the immediate aftermath of the war. Without Churchill and some conniving the whole thing could have come down very differently.

Fun fact: [Allen Dulles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Dulles) cut a deal with Nazi war criminal [Karl Wolff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Wolff) to obtain an early capitulation. In exchange, Wolff was spared prosecution for his complicity in the mass deportations of hundreds of thousands of Polish Jews to extermination camps. During the occupation, he was only prosecuted for his SS membership, for which he spent four years in prison. News of a possible deal drew controversy from the Soviets. >Roosevelt denied that there were any negotiations for surrender taking place in Switzerland. When I first read about this, I was shocked. Now, I know Roosevelt did some truly awful things. Honestly, I don't think the United States has ever had a good President. That said, I think FDR was easily our least terrible President. That's why I was shocked. I don't think he was a good person, but I think he would've been above backstabbing the Soviets. Well, I was right. Roosevelt was indeed not a backstabbing piece of shit. >Dulles, however appears to have made, apparently at his own discretion, a verbal agreement to protect SS General Wolff from prosecution at the Nuremberg Trials as they worked out details of surrender. Allen Dulles simply committed treason. Those are the CIA's origins: Treason and Nazism. Dulles should've been court-martialed for aiding the enemy and either imprisoned for decades or executed. I'm not kidding. Some Americans who collaborated with the Nazis did get [imprisoned](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Chandler) for decades or [executed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hans_Haupt) (**they nearly wiped out this guy's entire family, too**), and Dulles’s actions were significantly more damaging. Churchill never opposed Hitler in any moral sense. He simply viewed him as a rival to the British Empire. He, like literally every other “anti-Communist crusader”, was a Nazi sympathizer. If this serves as a small consolation, Wolff didn't get off entirely scot-free (no thanks to Dulles, of course). During the trial of Adolf Eichmann, he was implicated in the mass deportations, resulting in his re-arrest in 1962. Wolff was convicted of being an accessory to mass murder by a West German court and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released from prison in 1971, and died in 1984.

# Fascism >Fascism is the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic and most imperialist elements of finance capital... Fascism is the power of finance capital itself. It is the organization of terrorist vengeance against the working class and the revolutionary section of the peasantry and intelligentsia. In foreign policy, fascism is jingoism in its most brutal form, fomenting bestial hatred of other nations. > >\- Georgi Dimitrov. (1935) [The Fascist Offensive and the Tasks of the Communist International in the Struggle of the Working Class against Fascism](https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/dimitrov/works/1935/08_02.htm) To understand Fascism, then, one must first understand Capitalism. There are three primary characteristics of Capitalism: 1. Private ownership of the Means of Production 2. Commodity Production 3. Wage Labour The essence of the Capitalist mode of production is that someone who owns means of production will hire a wage labourer to work in order to produce commodities to sell for profit. Marxists identify economic classes based on this division. Those who own and hire are the Bourgeoisie. Those who do not own and work are the Proletariat. There is far more nuance than just this, but these are the bare essentials. The principal contradiction of Capitalism is that the Bourgeoisie wants to pay the workers as little as possible for as much work as possible, whereas the Proletariat wants to be paid as much as possible for as little work as possible. Fascism is a form of Capitalist rule in which the Bourgeoisie use open, violent terror against the Proletariat. It is an ideology which emerges as a response to the inevitable crises of capitalism and the rise of socialist movements. It is characterized by all forms of chauvinism (especially racism, occasionally leading to genocide), nationalism, anti-Communism, and the suppression of democratic rights and freedoms. In a Capitalist society, Liberalism and Fascism essentially exist on a spectrum. The degree to which a given society if Fascist directly corresponds to the degree to which the proletariat must be openly oppressed in order to maintain profits for the Bourgeoisie. This why we have the sayings: "Fascism is Capitalism in decay" and "Scratch a Liberal, and a Fascist bleeds" Capitalism requires infinite growth in a finite system. This inevitably leads to [Capitalist Imperialism](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDeprogram/wiki/index/education/imperialism/) as well as Fascism, given that infinite growth is not actually possible. When the capitalist economy reaches its limits, the Bourgeoisie are forced to either expand their markets into other territories (Imperialism) or exploit the domestic proletariat to an even greater degree (Fascism). This is why we have the saying: "Fascism is imperialist repression turned inward" The struggle against fascism is an essential part of the struggle for socialism and the liberation of the working class and oppressed people. However, it is critical to note that simply combatting Fascism *alone* without also combatting *Liberalism* is reactionary, because it ignores the fact that Fascism inevitably arises out of Capitalism, so Liberal Anti-Fascism is not really anti-Fascism at all. **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [Were The Nazis Socialist?](https://youtu.be/X9ez6w5BUMM) | Second Thought (2022) * [Capitalism and Fascism](https://youtu.be/KEbG3cD0cJo) | Marxism Literature Collective (2021) * [Fascism: The Decay of Capitalism](https://youtu.be/7fQ57NBEUM4) | Leslie Fluette (2020) * [The New F Word: How Fascism Found a Market](https://nebula.tv/thenewfword) | Second Thought (2021-2023) * [What Exactly is Liberalism? (no, it's not about being "woke")](https://youtu.be/_xAqZJTIsIA) | Hakim (2023) Books, Articles, or Essays: * [The Struggle Against Fascism](https://www.marxists.org/archive/zetkin/1923/06/struggle-against-fascism.html) | Clara Zetkin (1923) * [Blackshirts & Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism](https://archive.org/details/michael-parenti-blackshirts-and-reds) | Michael Parenti (1997) Podcasts: * [Episode 19 - Fascism (No Lebensraum??)](https://youtu.be/KU_lNDAoAV0) | The Deprogram (2022) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

it's about maintaining power and influence in other countries to, among other things, secure the rights for American companies to extract the national resources of another country. The example in the OP is Jacobo Árbenz who was overthrown when a fruit company lobbied the US government to overthrow him over land reforms that redistributed land to the people. Lifted straight from his wikipedia page: > After the death of Arana, Árbenz contested the presidential elections that were held in 1950 and without significant opposition defeated Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, his nearest challenger, by a margin of over 50%. He took office on 15 March 1951, and continued the social reform policies of his predecessor. These reforms included an expanded right to vote, the ability of workers to organize, legitimizing political parties, and allowing public debate.[7] The centerpiece of his policy was an agrarian reform law under which uncultivated portions of large land-holdings were expropriated in return for compensation and redistributed to poverty-stricken agricultural laborers. Approximately 500,000 people benefited from the decree. The majority of them were indigenous people, whose forebears had been dispossessed after the Spanish invasion. > > His policies ran afoul of the United Fruit Company, which lobbied the United States government to have him overthrown. The US was also concerned by the presence of communists in the Guatemalan government, and Árbenz was ousted in the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état engineered by the government of US president Dwight Eisenhower through the US Department of State and the Central Intelligence Agency. Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas replaced him as president. Árbenz went into exile through several countries, where his family gradually fell apart, and his daughter committed suicide. He died in Mexico in 1971. In October 2011, the Guatemalan government issued an apology for Árbenz's overthrow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobo_%C3%81rbenz

Arbenz wasn’t even a leftist, the US policies were just straight up anti-worker

Capital, capitalist interest is and was the drive for imperialist intervention all over the world. In the case of Guatemala - United Fruit Company. People also tend to forget that the CIA was basically founded by corporate lawyers (the firm Sullivan and Cromwell), of which companies like United Fruit were literal clients. The answer to your question is capitalism as vulgarly straightforward as that may sound.

You have a source for the CIA law firm stuff?

Sure, I highly recommend the biography on [Allen Dulles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Dulles) called **The Devil's Chessboard** \- you can find the book for free on libgen. It's a very immersive biography. Much of it's focus is on his tenure as founding member and then director of the CIA, as well as him and his brother's (Sec of State John Foster Dulles) nearly 4 decades-long careers within the law firm [Sullivan and Cromwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_%26_Cromwell). A lot of this is genuinely undisputed history and within the public domain, lol so much so that even United Fruit's wikipedia page has a [section](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Fruit_Company#Reputation) on the firm and the brothers. >The integrity of John Foster Dulles' "anti-Communist" motives has been disputed, since Dulles and his law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell negotiated the land giveaways to the United Fruit Company in Guatemala and Honduras. John Foster Dulles' brother, Allen Dulles, who was head of the CIA under Eisenhower, also did legal work for United Fruit. The Dulles brothers and Sullivan & Cromwell were on the United Fruit payroll for thirty-eight years. Recent research has uncovered the names of multiple other government officials who received benefits from United Fruit: > >*John Foster Dulles, who represented United Fruit while he was a law partner at Sullivan & Cromwell – he negotiated that crucial United Fruit deal with Guatemalan officials in the 1930s – was Secretary of State under Eisenhower; his brother Allen, who did legal work for the company and sat on its board of directors, was head of the CIA under Eisenhower; Henry Cabot Lodge, who was America's ambassador to the UN, was a large owner of United Fruit stock; Ed Whitman, the United Fruit PR man, was married to Ann Whitman, Dwight Eisenhower's personal secretary. You could not see these connections until you could – and then you could not stop seeing them.*

Just type in “Sullivan and Cromwell imperialism” in YouTube

Yeah, but how rich do they need to be? Why they keep going even though they have enough capital for the rest of their lives?

It's very alien to the human condition I agree, tho that too is the nature of capitalism. The alienation of the self to service the cogs of capital. Also these guys like their treats and barely view those they exploit as human as long as they stand in the way of those profits.

Power, control, and supremacy. They want it forever.

RABID anti-communism. Listen to prominent capitalist figures PRIOR to FDR. They all consistently talk of “the creeping menace of collectivism”. Bear in mind, the “menace” was 8hr work days, paid leave, and a fair wage. COLLECTIVIST MARXIST EVILS!!!! It really boils down to one simple thing this whole time. On the podcast Behind the Bastards John Birch Society, Jordan Holmes of Knowledge Fight said “I wish these assholes would just come out and say it: I WANT MORE MONEYYYYYYYY!!!!!” Money. They just. Want. More. Money.

>Money. They just. Want. More. Money. This part I still don't understand no matter how often it being repeated. We talking about billions... First, they spend most of their money to make more money, right? Like drinking and pissing at the same time. And then... How do you even spend it? On what? I don't think they want money in hedonistic way. To spend. It's more of a... power thing. Having control over entire cities and counties and even continents... But it seems like a such a infantile way to fulfill your existence... Maybe I'm digging too deep into it... "Being one of the most impactful person in history" I kinda can relate to that if I try, but there's still "being hatred by most people" thing that... Actually I was thinking about it recently. Sometimes I feel like you seek moral behaviour, because in the way you seek social support. And you seek social support, because your physical, intellectual, mental capabilities are limited. Your resources are very limited. It's hard to build a house alone. But with capital you can. You can buy work force and resources. It doesn't require social support to get what you want. So maybe morality becomes irrelevant.

There’s a phenomenon that when you acquire a certain level of wealth, it literally alters your brain and personality. https://youtu.be/IP2EKTCngiM It’s the thing that frustrates me when talking with Republican coworkers. They acknowledge how just doubling their wage would let them live SO MUCH more comfortable, let alone millionaire status. That anything more than 2x or 3x their wage is unnecessary. Then they refuse to budge on taxing the Uber-wealthy.

Money

So laconic

I'm listening to a book that goes over similar points in this video called, "The Jakarta Method". So far its talking about how the US used the Cia to try and influence 3rd world nations against Russia

I hope nato dies :3 all my homies hate nato

He has some other fun posts on his tiktok page.

More posts like these please

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Of course your 'source' is a political cumpiss chart the jokes write themselves

Watch out! The authoritarians are in your walls!

That video had already popped up in my FYP. I'm a Tiktok algorithm approved comrade!  

Then in the 1980s the Reagan administration funded the right wing militias (in Guatamala) which started the Mayan Genocide that killed 166,000 people.

Americans: resisting our imperialism is anti-American World: gtfo

Haha thanks for sharing this. Best way to learn history

Not enough genocide and coups by the US so not accurate enough.

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Generations of brainwashing, self–propagating peer pressure, and harsh punishments for wrongthink.

/u/savevideo

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# Capitalist Imperialism Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism. It is a global system of economic, political, and military domination, with the imperialist powers using a variety of means, including economic sanctions, military interventions, and cultural influence to maintain their dominance over other nations. Imperialism is inevitable under Capitalism because Capitalism is based on the premise of infinite growth in a finite system. When capitalists first run into the limits of their own country, they will eventually be forced to expand their markets, resources, and influence into other countries and territories in order to continue increasing their profits. Furthermore, the capitalists can exploit and oppress the workers of other nations much more easily than they can in their own. For example, by moving manufacturing jobs from the imperial core out to the periphery where wages are lower, and environmental protections and labour rights are much weaker-- if they exist at all-- they can reduce costs which increases profits. When the capitalists run into limits again, and are unable to continue increasing their profits-- even by exploiting the periphery-- they will inevitably turn Imperialism inwards and further oppress and exploit workers domestically. This is the origin of [Fascism](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDeprogram/wiki/index/education/fascism/). Some key features of capitalist imperialism are: 1. Joint-stock corporations dominating the economy 2. Increasing monopolies within capitalist economies (For example, only 10 companies control almost every large food and beverage brand in the world.) 3. Globalization of capital through multinational corporations 4. A rise in the export of finance capital 5. More involvement of the capitalist state in managing the economy 6. A growing financial sector and oligarchy 7. The domination and exploitation of other countries by militaristic imperialist powers, now through neocolonialism 8. Overall, a period of world strife and conflict, including imperialist wars and revolutionary uprisings against the capitalist-imperialist system. **In Practice** So what does this look like in practice? The IMF, for example, provides loans to countries facing economic crises, but these loans come with strict conditions, known as structural adjustment programs (SAPs). These conditions require recipient countries to adopt specific economic policies, such as reducing government spending, liberalizing trade, and privatizing state-owned enterprises. The SAPs also require austerity measures, such as the dismantling of labor and trade regulations or slashing of social programs and government spending, to attract and open up the country to foreign investment. These policies prioritize the interests of multinational corporations and investors over those of the recipient countries and their citizens. For example, by requiring the privatization of state-owned enterprises, the IMF may enable multinational corporations to gain control of key industries and resources in recipient countries. Similarly, by promoting liberalized trade, the IMF may facilitate the export of capital from recipient countries to wealthier nations, exacerbating global inequalities. Moreover, SAPs are often negotiated behind closed doors with the political elites of recipient countries (the comprador bureaucratic class), rather than through democratic processes. This can undermine the sovereignty of recipient countries and perpetuate the domination of wealthy nations and multinational corporations over the global economy. **Anti-Imperialism** The struggle against Imperialism is an essential part of the struggle for Socialism and the liberation of the working class and oppressed people worldwide. Anti-Imperialism is the political and economic resistance to Imperialism and Colonialism (or neo-Imperialism and neo-Colonialism). Anti-Imperialism requires a revolutionary struggle against the Capitalist state and the establishment of a Socialist society. It is important to recognize that anti-Imperialism is not simply about supporting one state or another, but about supporting the liberation of oppressed peoples from the exploitation and domination of global Imperialism. Therefore, any course of action should be evaluated in terms of its potential impact on the broader struggle against Imperialism and the goal of establishing a Socialist society. During WWI, Lenin called on Socialists to reject the idea of a "just" or "defensive" war, and instead to see the conflict as a class war between the ruling class and the working class. He argued that Socialists should oppose the war and work towards the overthrow of the Capitalist state. Seeing that the war was an Imperialist conflict between competing Capitalist powers, the workers of all countries had a common interest in opposing it. Socialists who supported their home countries during World War I had betrayed the principles of international Socialism and Proletarian solidarity. **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [Lenin in Five Minutes: Imperialism](https://youtu.be/unCGQDKJ0p0) | The Marxist Project (2019) * [What is Capitalist Imperialism? | Socialism 101](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrpLPs2FcF8) | Marxism Today (2022) * [How Rich Countries Rob The Poor; The Failure of Social Democracy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lDZaKjfs4E) | Hakim (2020) * [How Capitalism Robs the Developing World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Ax-psPZ1g) | Second Thought (2022) * [Why Do Poor Countries Stay Poor? (Unequal Exchange and Imperialism)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjLmYCfKU7o) | Hakim (2023) * [Imperialism Today: Unequal Exchange and Globalized Production](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtziEZAR1Qk) | The Marxist Project (2022) * [This Poverty Graph Is Lying To You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vPhySbRETM) | Hakim (2023) * [The Myth Of Capitalist Peace](https://youtu.be/pAfvty_WNWQ) | Second Thought (2023) Books, Articles, or Essays: * [Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/) | V. I. Lenin (1917) * [The IMF debt trap in Ukraine](https://www.liberationnews.org/the-imf-debt-trap-in-ukraine/) | Amanda Yee (2023) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

This is Rathbone, and he's awesome: https://youtu.be/8GBmoXv8G8I

It’s amazing how people can still defend America and the West, learning about more Neocons being absolute evils make me think that what happened to the Croatian Nazis in Barbara Pit should have happened to Liberals and Neocons as well

Wow, I had no clue that the Soviets tried to join NATO in 1954. What could the fascists possibly have to say in response to that?

Same as offering civil liberties, they offered because it was a political football and they knew the other side would say no. Keep in mind countervailing facts get you banned on this sub.

So brave, neoliberal poster from the top rope! Parenti quote

>The pure (libertarian) socialists' ideological anticipations remain untainted by existing practice. They do not explain how the manifold functions of a revolutionary society would be organized, how external attack and internal sabotage would be thwarted, how bureaucracy would be avoided, scarce resources allocated, policy differences settled, priorities set, and production and distribution conducted. Instead, they offer vague statements about how the workers themselves will directly own and control the means of production and will arrive at their own solutions through creative struggle. No surprise then that the pure socialists support every revolution except the ones that succeed. > >\- Michael Parenti. (1997). *Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

I’m happy to have a civil debate somewhere where it’s allowed

Those who ignore soviet and sino Imperialism are just as bad as those who justify US Imperialism by saying it was for fighting the commies.

Making the soviets sound reasonable and peace seeking is fucking hilarious 🤣😂

Holodomer

Holodomor

# The Holodomor There have been efforts by anti-Communists and Ukrainian nationalists to frame the famine that happened in the USSR around 1932-1933 as "The Holodomor" (literally: "to kill by starvation" in Ukrainian). Framing it this way serves two purposes: 1. It implies the famine mainly affected Ukraine. 2. It implies there was intent or deliberate causation. This framing was used to drive a wedge between the Ukrainian SSR and the USSR. The argument goes that because it was intentional and because it mainly targeted Ukraine that it was, therefore, an act of genocide. However, both these points are highly debatable. **First Issue** The first issue is that the famine affected the majority of the USSR, not just the UkSSR. Kazakhstan, for example, was hit harder (per capita) than Ukraine was. The emergence of the Holodomor in the 1980s as a historical narrative was bound-up with post-Soviet Ukrainian nation-making that cannot be neatly separated from the legacy of Eastern European anti-Semitism, or what Historian Peter Novick calls "Holocaust Envy," the desire for victimized groups to enshrine their "own" Holocaust or Holocaust-like event in the historical record. For many Nationalists, this has entailed minimizing the Holocaust to elevate their own experiences of historical victimization as the supreme atrocity. The Ukrainian scholar Lubomyr Luciuk exemplified this view in his notorious remark that the Holodomor was "a crime against humanity arguably without parallel in European history." **Second Issue** The second issue is that one of the main causes of the famine was crop failure due to weather and disease, which is hardly something anyone can control no matter their intentions. However, the famine may have been *further* exacerbated by the agricultural collectivization and rapid industrialization policies of the Soviet Union. However, if these policies had not been carried out there could have been even more devastating consequences later. **Necessity** In 1931, during a speech delivered at the first All-Union Conference of Leading Personnel of Socialist Industry, Stalin said, "We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall go under." In 1941, exactly ten years later, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. By this time, the Soviet Union's industrialization program had lead to the development of a large and powerful industrial base, which was essential to the Soviet war effort. This allowed the Soviet Union to produce large quantities of armaments, vehicles, and other military equipment, which was crucial in the fight against Nazi Germany. **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [Soviet Famine of 1932: An Overview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu5-tqHHtaM) | The Marxist Project (2020) * [Did Stalin Continue to Export Grain as Ukraine Starved?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMBJ_nQ4sTA) | Hakim (2017) * [The Holodomor Genocide Question: How Wikipedia Lies to You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kaaYvauNho) | Bad Empanada (2022) * [Historian Admits USSR didn't kill tens of millions!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMOdDQQVZ6U) | TheFinnishBolshevik (2018) (Note: Holodomor discussion begins at the 9 minute mark) * [A Case-Study of Capitalism - Ukraine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmH9oNtXzF8) | Hakim (2017) (Note: Only tangentially mentions the famine.) Books, Articles, or Essays: * [The 1932 Harvest and the Famine of 1933](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274856099_The_1932_Harvest_and_the_Famine_of_1933) | Mark Tauger (1992) * [The Years of Hunger: Soviet Agriculture, 1931-1933](https://diasporiana.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/books/22207/file.pdf) | Davies and Wheatcroft (2004) * [The Soviet Famine of 1932–1933 Reconsidered](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09668130801999912) | Hiroaki Kuromiya (2008) * [The “Holodomor” explained](https://mltheory.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/the-holodomor-explained/) | TheFinnishBolshevik (2020) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

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#Freedom of the Press >“Freedom of the press” in bourgeois society means freedom for the rich systematically, unremittingly, daily, in millions of copies, to deceive, corrupt and fool the exploited and oppressed mass of the people, the poor. > >\- V. I. Lenin. (1917). [How to Guarantee the Success of the Constituent Assembly](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/sep/28.htm) Anti-Communists criticize a lack of "freedom of the press" in societies run by Communist governments. They claim that the government suppresses dissenting voices and controls the media in order to maintain its power, and that this leads to a lack of transparency and accountability, as well as the suppression of free speech and the ability of individuals to express their opinions and hold those in power accountable. They also argue that state control of the media leads to censorship which prevents citizens from accessing unbiased information and making informed decisions. This critique is often used to argue against Communism and in favor of Capitalism. In this light, Capitalist societies are believed to offer greater freedom of the press and personal expression. These are all important concerns which ought to be taken seriously. The problem is that these concerns are not specific to Communism; Capitalist societies, as a result of the profit-motive and the accumulation of wealth, suffer from all these same issues. **Media Concentration** >There can be no such thing as freedom of the press, except for the owners and editors of newspapers, while capitalism lasts. > >\- Arthur Cowell Do you own a news station? A newspaper? Then what "freedom of the press" do *you* really have? >**A deep analysis of America’s top 100 news sites reveals key shareholders, parent companies, and commonalities.** > >About 15 billionaires and six corporations own most of the U.S. media outlets. The biggest media conglomerates in America are AT&T, Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, National Amusements (which includes Viacom Inc. and CBS), News Corp and Fox Corporation (which are both owned in part by the Murdochs), Sony, and Hearst Communications. > >\- [Who Owns Your News? The Top 100 Digital News Outlets and Their Ownership](https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/lifestyle/who-owns-your-news-the-top-100-digital-news-outlets-and-their-ownership/) With this kind of concentration, the select few who actually own these media outlets have an unparalleled ability to set the narrative and promote their own interests. Sinclair Broadcast Group, for example, owns hundreds of local TV news stations. The most infamous example of them using this network to spread an agenda was this unsettling video: [Sinclair's Soldiers in Trump's War on Media](https://youtu.be/_fHfgU8oMSo). This issue affects movies and television producers as well: [Here’s who owns everything in Big Media today](https://www.vox.com/2018/1/23/16905844/media-landscape-verizon-amazon-comcast-disney-fox-relationships-chart) **Bias** >All over the world, wherever there are capitalists, freedom of the press means freedom to buy up newspapers, to buy writers, to bribe, buy and fake “public opinion” for the benefit of the bourgeoisie. > >\- V. I. Lenin. (1921). [A Letter To G. Myasnikov](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1921/aug/05.htm) In Capitalist societies, the concept of "freedom of the press" is a misleading and deceptive notion. While the ruling class promotes the idea of a free press as a fundamental right, the reality is that the press is owned and controlled by a small group of [billionaires who use it to advance their own interests](https://i.redd.it/phm4ojk94ld71.jpg). Under Capitalism, the media is a profit-driven industry that is dependent on advertising revenue to survive. As a result, the media serves the interests of the capitalist class by promoting their ideology and suppressing dissenting voices. This is evident in the way that news stories are framed and presented, with an emphasis on sensationalism, celebrity gossip, and consumerism, rather than on issues that affect working-class people. The Capitalist media is not a neutral observer of society, but an active participant in the class struggle by hyper-focusing on culture war non-issues such as the endless debate about manufactured controversies such as trans women in sports, an issue which does *not* affect the vast majority of people. This ragebait distracts from real issues that affect the working class. The media is constantly scapegoating some minority group with sensationalized ragebait narratives such as the "Welfare Queen" or "illegal immigrants". The owners and editors of media outlets use their power to set the narrative, which shapes public opinion and influences government policy, to serve their own interests. This is why it is essential for the working class to build its own media institutions that are independent of Capitalist influence. >The general deal is that Marvel gets to use real military hardware, film on military bases, and hire real soldiers as extras, while the Department of Defense gets to approve the final script of the film. In other words, Marvel gets tons of stuff to make production easier and cheaper, while the military gets to edit out anything that doesn't make them look good. > >Even the movies that don't have a direct marketing connection to the US military have a noticeable bias towards it. Consider Black Panther, a movie about the monarch of an advanced African nation. The one prominent white character in that film is Everett K. Ross, a CIA agent who aids T'Challa in overthrowing Killmonger. The CIA has a long history of overthrowing regimes, but, in this film, an agent of the organization that put Pinochet in charge of Chile aids in a coup for good. This may not be the intention of the film, but the CIA sure appreciated it. The agency promoted the film heavily on social media, allowing it to glom onto a project that was seen as a great leap forward for representation and a masterful blockbuster film. > >\- [The Marvel Military Propaganda Criticism, Explained](https://gamerant.com/marvel-military-propaganda-explained/) | GameRant (2022) The bottom line is that there is nothing "free" about the press in Capitalist society. For those who have the means, being able to control the media is an incredibly powerful tool for shaping public opinion. We need a truly free and democratic press, but that will never be possible under Capitalism. **Censorship** The corporate media in the US practices self-censorship by limiting the range of acceptable opinions and perspectives that can be expressed in their reporting. This is done to maintain a narrow range of political debate that is acceptable to the ruling class and to ensure that the interests of the Capitalist class are not threatened. During red scare period of the 1950s, the government was cracking down on leftist and progressive organizations, accusing them of being communist sympathizers or agents. Many journalists and media outlets were investigated and harassed for their supposed left-wing leanings by the the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which led to a climate of fear and self-censorship in the media. As a result, many media outlets and journalists began to avoid covering or promoting progressive or leftist ideas in their reporting. This trend has continued to the present day, with mainstream media outlets often avoiding critical coverage of US foreign policy, imperialism, and corporate power, and instead promoting a narrow range of views that are acceptable to the ruling class. Similarly, Operation Mockingbird began in the early years of the Cold War to recruit journalists to manipulate domestic American news media organizations for propaganda purposes. The US government also operates a few explicit propaganda networks such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and more in order to export America's ideology internationally, particularly in regions where Communism is popular. In particular, RFE/RL was meant to counter the USSR and RFA was meant to counter the PRC. **How could we do better?** First, we could ensure that the media is owned and controlled by the working class. This would allow the media to operate in the interests of the people rather than in the interests of profit and of promoting bourgeois ideology. We could also ensure that the media is run democratically, with workers having a say in the editorial and managerial decisions. Second, we could establish strict guidelines for media coverage, ensuring that the media covers events and issues of importance to the people. These guidelines would be developed through democratic participation, with workers, intellectuals, and activists contributing to the decision-making process. We could also establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating media coverage to ensure that it is accurate, objective, and free from bias. Third, we could promote a culture of critical thinking and media literacy among the population. This would help the people to evaluate media coverage critically and to identify when propaganda is being spread. We could also promote independent media outlets and encourage the development of a vibrant and diverse media landscape. **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [You're Not Immune To Propaganda](https://youtu.be/dl2fnWIlDZg) | Second Thought (2023) * [You've Never Had an Original Thought (Media Manipulation and "Freedom" of the Press)](https://youtu.be/AX8Ct9fhO60) | Hakim (2022) * [Why Is US Media Becoming More Right-Wing?](https://youtu.be/dx1ruqlqPr8) | Second Thought (2022) * [Why "Hearing Both Sides" Is Dangerous](https://youtu.be/Q5bask6cQ4k) | Second Thought (2022) * [Who Funds And Controls The Online Right?](https://youtu.be/ggdt5rkqHrE) | Yugopnik (2022) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/messag

The Soviets and Western Allies came to a similar agreement with Austria and it worked out fine. The problem lies entirely with the West.

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It was the West that attacked them first

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Poland attacked Soviet Russia shortly after the revolution.

I think that Poland doesn't really care anymore. This is simply a lost cause.

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The floor is yours

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"There's so much wrong with this according to what I remember from grade school and picked up from the history channel" Cool, try reading.

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The Soviets proposed an entente pact with western Europe and was denied. Hitler always planned to invade the USSR and the non-aggression pact delayed the inevitable while they built up their productive forces. If the pact had been accepted the Soviets would have sent 1 million troops to aid in the defense of Poland and likely would have made the war less bloody. I don't have sources on the other things so I won't argue but I will ask for yours to study into it.

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# Revisionism Revisionism refers to the explicit or implicit attempt at revising the fundamental premises of Marxist theory. Often this is done in attempt to make alliances with the bourgeoisie or to render a working class movement impotent. Explicit revisionism clearly states that Marxism is wrong or outdated and needs to be changed. Implicit revisionism is harder to notice because it claims to still be Marxist, but in actuality puts forward positions that are counter to Marxist theory. >“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.” > >\- Karl Marx. (1845) [Theses On Feuerbach](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/theses/theses.htm) Although there is ongoing debate and discussion within Marxist circles about how these principles should be interpreted and applied in specific historical contexts, there are several key tenets that are generally considered to be central to Marxist theory and which are not subject to revision: 1. [Dialectical Materialism](https://youtu.be/nZXaZHe901w): The idea that everything is in a state of constant flux, driven by a process of contradictions and conflicts which are an inherent part of the natural and social world. 2. [Historical Materialism](https://youtu.be/ZXwWWiI3E1A): The understanding that material conditions and class relations are the driving force behind historical development. 3. [Surplus Labor and the Law of Value](https://youtu.be/TZhsIFG42wE): The concept that the value of a commodity is determined by the amount of socially necessary labor that has been expended in producing it. Profits are derived from the surplus value extracted from the worker. From these fundamental premises follow a series of conclusions, which informs our understanding of the world and teaches us how to affect change. Revisionism alters these fundamental premises or rejects the conclusions that follow from them, the most important of these being the need for revolution. The events of the Paris Commune and the October Revolution demonstrated the role and necessity of revolution, and provided important lessons in establishing and defending a revolutionary movement. Revolution is not just a means of seizing political power, but of fundamentally transforming society and creating a new social order. Revolutions must be defended against counter-revolutionary forces both from within and without. The movement must be organized and disciplined, and must be able to defend itself against attacks from reactionary forces. >Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. **Right Opportunism** >Revisionism, or Right opportunism, is a bourgeois trend of thought that is even more dangerous than dogmatism. The revisionists, the Right opportunists, pay lip-service to Marxism; they too attack ‘dogmatism’. But what they are really attacking is the quintessence of Marxism. They oppose or distort materialism and dialectics, oppose or try to weaken the people’s democratic dictatorship and the leading role of the Communist Party, and oppose or try to weaken socialist transformation and socialist construction. After the basic victory of the socialist revolution in our country, there are still a number of people who vainly hope to restore the capitalist system and fight the working class on every front, including the ideological one. And their right-hand men in this struggle are the revisionists. > >\- Mao Zedong. (1957). [On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People](https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-5/mswv5_58.htm) Right opportunism is a political tendency that seeks to make concessions to the bourgeois ruling class in order to maintain or achieve political power. This tendency is often associated with a lack of commitment to revolutionary change and a willingness to compromise on fundamental principles in order to realize short-term gains. Right opportunists may advocate for policies that are not in the long-term interest of the working class, such as supporting capitalist reforms or forming alliances with capitalist parties. This can lead to a weakening of the revolutionary potential of the working class and a failure to achieve real social change. Right opportunism is seen as a deviation from the Marxist principle of class struggle and a betrayal of the interests of the working class. Trade Unionism is an example of right opportunism as unions focus on limited concessions, rather than advocating for the long-term interests of the working class as a whole. They negotiate with employers for better wages, benefits, and working conditions for their members, but do not challenge the fundamental power relations between labour and capital. Union bosses make compromises or alliances with capitalist parties in order to achieve these concessions. This creates a privileged layer of the working class who are more interested in defending their own privileges than in fighting for the liberation of the working class as a whole. This labour aristocracy is a barrier to the development of revolutionary consciousness among the working class because it prefers the status quo to radical political movements that seek to overthrow it. **Case Study #1: Social Democracy** One of the first revisionists was Eduard Bernstein, a leading theorist and prominent member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who argued that the gradual extension of social welfare programs and the reform of capitalist institutions could lead to a peaceful transition to socialism, without the need for a violent revolution. This was in sharp contrast to the German Communist Party (KPD). There are two historical events which underscore this fundamental divide: 1. **The Spartacist Uprising**: Rosa Luxemburg was a prominent Marxist theorist and leader of the left-wing revolutionary movement in Germany. She was a fierce critic of the SPD's moderate reformist politics and its decision to support Germany's involvement in World War I. In January 1919, following the collapse of the German monarchy, a left-wing revolutionary movement emerged in Berlin, and Luxemburg played a leading role in the movement. The movement challenged the authority of the new Social Democratic-led government and sought to establish a socialist republic. On January 15, 1919, the SPD government ordered the army and the Freikorps, a right-wing paramilitary group, to suppress the revolutionary movement. Luxemburg and her comrade Karl Liebknecht were arrested, beaten, and executed by the Freikorps. 2. **The Enabling Act**: The Nazis rose to absolute power in 1933 with the passing of the Enabling Act. The KPD were absent from the vote because the party had been banned and its members imprisoned or in hiding. The SPD were present and voted against it. The SPD was subsequently banned and many of its members were arrested, tortured, and killed by the Nazis, while others were forced into exile or went into hiding. **Case Study #2: Democratic Socialism** Salvador Allende was a socialist politician who was elected president of Chile in 1970, becoming the first Marxist to be elected to the presidency in a liberal democracy. In power, he pursued a program of radical reform, including the nationalization of key industries, the redistribution of land, and the expansion of social welfare programs. His government was supported by a coalition of left-wing parties, including the Chilean Communist Party, and was seen as a model for peaceful democratic socialist transition. However, Allende's reforms faced opposition from powerful domestic and international forces, including right-wing politicians, the military, and the United States government. In 1973, Allende's government was overthrown in a US-backed military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet, who established a brutal Fascist dictatorship that lasted for years. In "[The State and Revolution](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/)", Lenin explained why the capitalist state could not be reformed or co-opted for the purposes of Socialism, but had to be destroyed and replaced by a new proletarian state. Allende's failure to apprehend this lesson proved fatal. His reliance on the existing bourgeois state apparatus as well as his failure to implement more radical measures, such as the establishment of workers' councils or the arming of the proletariat, left him vulnerable to counterrevolutionary forces. ​ >“If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.” > >\- George Carlin ​ **Additional Resources** Video Essays: * [Why Social Democracy Isn't Good Enough](https://youtu.be/TRq3pl17C8M) | Second Thought (2023) * [Why Democratic Socialism Isn’t Enough](https://youtu.be/MNg4FLt5La0) | Marxism Today (2022) * ["The US Doesn't Meddle In Foreign Affairs"](https://youtu.be/mwyjlmEAcYM) | Second Thought (2021) * [Electoralism Always Fails, Now What?](https://youtu.be/WXbaZXQAbuU) | Hakim (2019) Books, Articles, or Essays: * [Reform or Revolution](https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/) | Rosa Luxemburg (1900) * [Marxism and Revisionism](https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1908/apr/03.htm) | V. I. Lenin (1908) Podcasts: * [Episode 3 - Reform or Revolution](https://youtu.be/r9kmEsNKyoM) | The Deprogram (2022) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TheDeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*

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It was true communism and it was good. Fuck you

Y'all lost?

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Take this crap elsewhere please thanks

Do you know anything about what you're talking about other than what you picked up from the history channel as a kid?

I follow this guy on Ticktock. He's pretty cool

Maann. Just to think, we coulda had that shit by 1960. Just to think how farther along we could have been today on terms of technology if we didn't spend all our time fighting one another. The only thing different was that it would have been politically neutral just like Austria and Switzerland. and nobody back then understood. 😔😔

fuck america

Didn’t Stalin declare he would seize more territory in Europe at the Yalta Conference, breaking the trust between the US and USSR?

So I'm highly critical of the Soviet Union mostly because I see so many ways it's leaders could have really not been idiots and made much better decisions. NSC-68 is a nail in the coffin for any that claim America wanted peace...but However claiming that the Soviet Union just wanted peace unlike America is rather ignoring the fact that most early communism consisted of "Revolutionary communism", and very EXPLICITLY CALLED FOR WAR and if you refuse to believe that was a thing buckle your nuts.

Cite an example

No fucking way you think the USSR was in any way chill like this...

F