First Set:
1. Where did you find ProleWiki from? How familiar are you with it? Comment what made you want to join ProleWiki and what areas you are interested in contributing to.
I found ProleWiki from hexbear.net; I also thought that CriticalResist's writing on applying scientific principles to the organization of ProleWiki was really fucking cool. I am concerned that it may appear to just be a silly project that nobody will take seriously ala ConservativeWiki; but I know that ultimately if the work is put in then it can become an even more valuable asset than marxists.org. I want to make this account to essentially create a page about apklis, the app distribution method found in Cuba that has literally zero coverage in the english speaking world despite being very fucking cool; anything else will come after.
2. What current of Marxist thought do you uphold? Describe as thoroughly as needed your path towards your current political perspective.
I'd describe myself as a Marxist Leninst, I used to fashion myself an anarchist but that's because I was an American teenager who didn't have the organizational chops to understand socialist history. I've now worked with enough socialist and anarchist projects in person to understand both the historical perspective that actors in the past were working through, and the ability to appreciate their insight which I still consider timeless and invaluable.
3. Have you read our principles? Comment your agreements or objections to their points.
Political line; cool. Anti-Imperialism; cool. Anti-oppression; cool, I really have a deep frustration with LaRouchites as I've seen them at many Palestine marches and I'd hate to imagine anyone would fall for their bs. Goals; sick asf, all looks good to me. This all seems good to me, zero qualms, very reasonable.
4. What is your understanding of gender? Should Marxists support the LGBT community?
I'm a transgender woman who's been living out for my entire adult life, so I'd say that I've got a pretty good insight on these kinds of things. Marxists should support the LGBT community and always should have, I consider this very important.
5. What is your position on Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong? How would you describe their historical role? Share any comments or critiques you have regarding them.
I'm actually reading a book right now, Kruschev Lied. It's very shocking, frankly. I think I'm starting to get a sense of the important and yet unimportance of Stalin, I definitely don't think he was personally very important as in an unreplaceable historical figure, but I know his role within the greater workings of the SU was fundamental to saving the world from Naziism. Additionally, I have a surface level understanding and appreciation of Mao Zedong withing the greater history of China; enough to understand that Deng was spitting facts when he said 70% right 30% wrong. I'm studying Chinese at the moment with the hope of emmigrating from the USA to 中国 (not totally for ML reasons, mostly because queer persecution in the USA is reaching a fever pitch, I expect that as an immigrant I may not have a lot of say or ability to act politically within the PRC for good reason) so that's where most of my insight has been gained. I'd be remiss not to state that the historical role of Stalin in approving the moving of "volatile" ethnic groups in the SU to be a very very shitty thing, but I'd be wrong in saying that disavows him of having done any good at any point.
6. What are your thoughts on China, Vietnam, Cuba, DPRK and Laos? Do you believe any of these countries is socialist? Why or why not?
I've been to Cuba many times and seen the effects of the embargo at it's worst point right now. From my experience I understand that it, and others, are states which are guided by a socialist party but have clearly not achieved the material abundance required for socialism. Without the communist party there would be no Cuba, but that doesn't mean that Cuba is already a communist state clearly.
7. What is settler-colonialism, are there any countries that still fit that description and what should be done regarding them? Further, what is to be done about the decolonization and liberation of indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, and immigrant groups in your country?
Settler-colonialism still clearly is enacted by the state of Israel, as well as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (as well as others that I'm not as clear on the character of, like Finland etc). The fate of Israel should and will be decided by the Palestinians, and I ultimately believe that for other states that the final decision for what their character should be after any kind of potential revolution (as far away as I believe that to be) should be decided with large influence by these indigenous groups. I understand that I don't fully know or could be looked to to implement in any way the real process of decolonization, so I will simply say that that's a bridge that I will hopefully understand more if and when I and others will cross it. Regardless, the opinions of these groups targeted by Settler-Colonialism is of the utmost importance.
8. What is your analysis of the situation in Palestine? What do you think of the 2023 October 7 events and the groups involved from both sides of the conflict?
Israel is committing a genocide, it doesn't represent Jewish people, and any resistance is justified. This acts as the biggest, most outrageous condemnation of "western values" by their own actions; and I was there in the megathreads on October 7th when it went down. It's a good thing, a necessary thing, and I wish all groups fighting for the decolonization of Palestine a very big "good luck" (especially Ansarallah).
Second Set:
6. What do you believe is the main difference between Marxism and other anti-capitalist movements?
Marxism is a science which, ultimately, is a tool for correctly analyzing industrial societies and their complexities. It's different from other anti-capitalist movements because it is not simply the ideas of one man, but the foundation for an entire field of economic and societal study which can be used to fundamentally change it. Anarchists, all love to them, and other anti-capitalist movements ultimately end up fighting ghosts because their theoretical framework is ultimately too abstracted from reality and very much in the eye of the beholder (meaning two people might disagree on the very foundations of it and both be correct, leading to endless and fruitless discussion). Marxists and Marxism are able to engage with the complexities of life and the good and bad that comes with fundamentally changing the world the way it needs to be; something that other tendencies I have found unable to do. It's also been proven, historically, to be the most long-lasting and hardiest strain of anti-capitalism; something which when I noticed led me to understanding it more and coming to the conclusion that Marxism may be the best toolset for changing things in the modern era.
7. What is Imperialism and how do institutions and programs like the IMF, Belt and Road Initiative, and the World Bank relate to it?
Imperialism is, as often refrained, the highest stage of capitalism. It is the system from which material abundance is transferred from the imperial periphery to the imperial core, and is an inevitable consequence of capitalists seeking to "resolve" their falling rate of profit over time. Institutions like the IMF and World Bank help to prop up the modern system of American Led Neo-colonialism; and the BRI acts as a counter to it from the PRC. I can't pretend to understand the BRI fully, but I know that common myths about it being Chinese neocolonialism are demonstrably false, and that it's meant to act as an outlet for exporting and important across the old world entirely removed from American influence.
1. In your own words, how would you describe dialectical materialism?
I have to admit, my understanding is very shaky and I find myself unable to confidently say for a fact what dialectical materialism is because I find dialectics very hard to understand properly, but I understand it takes time. From a very basic perspective I understand that dialectics are a union of opposites, where two opposing forces in history and society come into conflict and ultimately result in a third new thing. I also understand that materialism in a Marxist sense is a focus and priority on how the material circumstances of the world and economy are ultimately the largest influence on a society. So, clearly, dialectical materialism is the unification of these two modes of analysis into one good and full mode of analysis utilized by scientific socialism. I hope that explanation demonstrates that I understand on a surface level, but wish to understand more and realize I don't truly have a full grasp on the concept.
2. What are your thoughts on national liberation or the concept of land back (either one)?
Both are vital in anti-imperialist contexts. National liberation in an imperial core sense is a waste of time, they're essentially free as nations to do what they want, but nationalism in an imperial periphery context is essential to reaching a democratic state of things. All anti-imperialist struggles lead to national liberation. That's my understanding atleast.
4. Do you think abolishing the nuclear family should be a goal of the communist movement? If so, how would it be abolished?
Clearly. I've experienced in my own life that the nuclear family is a tool of reproduction of labor and the status quo, and leads to a ton of really unnecessary hardship. Abolition of the nuclear family will hopefully occur as a natural result of communities being allowed to come together again, removed from the atomizing force of capitalism, but I'm not clear on the exact mechanics of *how* it would be done or if and how it has been done in modern socialist projects. I'm a big fan of Cuba's family code though!
Optional Questions:
1. Do you have any comments or feedback about this application process? We will use it to improve the process.
It seems good enough, seems to grasp at the basic things that demonstrate whether one has a full understanding required for the ML perspective. No criticism atm, good work, very nice.
2. Do you have familiarity or skill with any programming languages or MediaWiki?
I'm experienced with picking up random projects and working on them, as well as some online projects of my own and selfhosting. If there's software I can be asked to contribute to I'm open as a book.