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 via a post on reddit and I've become fairly familiar with it and have used it multiple times. I’d like to join because at present there are only 96 editors and lots of the articles are very bare bones, even ones about such important figures as Rosa Luxemburg. With more help I think this site could become a very valuable tool for working class people. The areas I’d like to work on are possibly creating articles about prominent marxist feminists such as Angela Davis and Vilma Espin. Other areas I could contribute to include -
French Imperialism Medieval European History Modern French History United States History Identifying Hate Symbols and Slogans Liberal/Bourgeois Feminism Firearms History and Basics
2. What current of Marxist thought do you uphold? Describe as thoroughly as needed your path towards your current political perspective.
I would describe myself simply as Marxist-Leninist. I believe this strain of Marxism to be the most tested and effective due to it being the guiding ideology of most socialist projects in the past and current day. My journey left towards Marxism-Leninism began with me as an American conservative gradually exposing myself to moderate social democratic content, such as Secular Talk on youtube. For many years I described myself as a Social Democrat and believed that change could be brought through voting within the current system. I became more radical when I was recommended Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg, which challenged my faith in the liberal “democratic” system. Since then I’ve read several other works by Parenti, Lenin, Marx, and others and gradually become more radical. I’m still relatively new to Marxism-Leninism and have much to still learn, but I’m confident I can contribute to this project more and more as I develop my knowledge.
3. Have you read our principles? Comment your agreements or objections to their points.
I agree with the principles of ProleWiki and particularly like the premise of the project itself. I think it's an excellent idea to create an encyclopedia from an openly communist perspective. Given the popularity of wikipedia and the prevalence of bourgeois funded editors on that site, I think it's essential for a working class alternative to be created that properly vets and examines potential editors.
4. What is your understanding of gender? Should Marxists support the LGBT community?
In my understanding gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and characteristics assigned to women and men. I believe gender norms and roles are harmful to society and hold back not only women, but men, and other individuals who deviate from the socially accepted gender norms. The overwhelming majority of the LGBT community is of the working class, and therefore their struggle for liberation must be supported by Marxist like we would support any other sect of the proletariat.
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.
Joseph Stalin, like any historical figure, is complex, however I believe when examining the historical context of his tenure, the majority of his actions were justified. His role in defending the Soviet Union from western sabotage and invasion was absolutely vital to its survival. All of the achievements made by the USSR would not have been possible had Stalin not worked tirelessly to defend the nation. That being said, I have a number of criticisms for him. For example, the suppression of religion to such an extreme extent deserves condemnation, as it not only limited the freedom of the Soviet people, but also created an angered base of religious citizens for the bourgeoisie and counter-revolutionaries to manipulate for their benefit. As for Mao Zedong, I am admittedly more ignorant about his life and policies when compared to Stalin. Of course, his role in defeating the Japanese and Kuomintang is commendable, as was his commitment to advancing the rights of women within the PRC, but overall I don’t think I know enough to give an educated opinion on Mao Zedong.
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 critically support all these nations as they work towards advancing socialism and resisting imperialism. I believe all of them to be socialist, and or working towards achieving socialism in the near future. To my knowledge, Cuba seems to be the closest to the “pure” socialist states seen during the Cold War, having a centrally planned economy, full political and economic democracy, and other features seen in past socialist projects. Others, such as China, differ from past socialism, but have made clear strides towards achieving it in the future, and the leadership of the nation repeatedly attests to their goal of achieving socialism. 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 refers to the forced or coerced displacement of the native population of a region to make room for foreign colonizers to settle. The most obvious current example is the State of Israel, where settlers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Morocco, and other regions come to Palestine and can evict the native residents with direct support from the Israeli government. Other possible modern examples could be Brazil and Ecuador, where illegal settlers encroach on native land, albeit with nowhere near the same government support as seen in Israel. My country was once a settler-colonial project as well, or arguably still is. The best first step in my eyes aligns with the goals of the Land Back movement, which seeks to restore indigenous control over lands outlined in the treaties with the United States. A hypothetical example could be returning control of the Black Hills region in South Dakota to the Lakota Sioux in accordance with the Treaty of Fort Laramie.
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?
The current Israeli offensive in Palestine unquestionably constitute a genocide, with roughly 30,000 civilians having been killed by Israel as of writing this, a third of which are children. The events of October 7th were a direct result of Israel concentrating millions of Palestinians into an open-air prison within Gaza while also withholding food, water, and medical supplies from the population. I support the Palestinian resistance in their struggle against the genocidal Zionist regime, despite any reactionary elements that may be present within the various resistance groups.
Set 2
2. What are your thoughts on national liberation or the concept of land back (either one)?
I believe national liberation to be an essential part of Marxism-Leninism in the sense that all working class people have the right to oppose imperialism and assert self determination. In the modern day, I see national liberation, particularly of the imperial periphery, as one of the foremost goals in advancing socialism and dismantling imperialism.
5. What do you think is the most pressing issue for communists in your country? What is your opinion of communist parties there?
Within the United States I believe the most pressing for us as communists to focus on is spreading class consciousness to the American population. Due to over a century of anti-communist propaganda, the majority of the United States populace has an irrational fear of the words communism and socialism. Educating and earning the trust of the people through organization, mutual aid, and other means should be the top priority for communists within the United States. The main Communists Parties within my country, CPUSA and PSL, are both imperfect and have had major controversies, such as the sexual harassment coverup within the PSL. However, they still provide organization and education to like minded people and are growing in membership. Additionally, both parties have news wings which from what I’ve read tend to be in line with Marxist-Leninist principles. The work from the militant journalists at Liberation News are particularly enjoyable and informative to read.
3. Have you read anything on Marxist feminism? What are your perspectives on it?
As of now the only explicitly Marxist Feminist content I have completely read is Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis. It was among one of the first Marxist books I read following Reform or Revolution, so it was very eye opening for me in understanding the ways capitalism uniquely oppresses and commodifies women. Additionally, based on my study of former and current socialist projects, marxist states have proven to be the quickest and most effective to elevate the status of women and abolish their subservient roles.
4. Do you think abolishing the nuclear family should be a goal of the communist movement? If so, how would it be abolished? The nuclear family as I understand it, a heterosexual couple and their children, where the mother carries out all domestic work and the father works a standard job, should be opposed and eventually abolished for a number of reasons: It promotes heteronormativity, puts women in a subservient and financially reliant role to their husbands, and promotes harmful gender roles surrounding the division of labor within a family. Society can go about abolishing the nuclear family through education of the youth, removal of the nuclear family from media, and the promotion of gender equality in all workplaces.
6. What do you believe is the main difference between Marxism and other anti-capitalist movements?
The main difference between Marxism and other anti-capitalist movements in my opinion is that Marxist movements are the only ones to lead a successful anti-capitalist revolution and establish states that provide a superior and stable alternative to capitalist states. All anti-capitalist revolutions and projects to my knowledge have failed, such as Nestor Makhno’s anarchist project in Ukraine, or the Zapatista’s libertarian socialist project in Chiapas.
Optional Questions
2. Do you have familiarity or skill with any programming languages or MediaWiki?
I am familiar with the mediawiki software and have made several contributions on wikipedia such as on the articles about Operation Dragoon and the Normandie Niemen Fighter Squadron. However, outside of mediawiki I have very little skill with any other programming.