Every time I think about joining a local socialist group, I remember the questionnaires that I saw about best praxis, thoughts on Marx, etc.

I think about that because it's kind of funny to me, as a black socialist. Does Fred Hampton's thoughts on socialism not count for as much as Marx's? Why is that? What about Claudia Jones? Kwame Ture? No? We don't wanna talk about them?

Oh, okay then, then I guess there's really no space for me in your group. Please continue handwringing about praxis.

@scarlet I really don't give a flying fuck about Marx. He's a dead white dude. He doesn't matter to me and he isn't going to solve any of my fucking problems. 🤷‍♀️

@Chel @scarlet i personally think he’s kinda funny. like he wrote the groundwork for a very large amount of economic and social systems but we can’t really use his systems as he imagined them because of how different our world is from his.

@Chel @scarlet he did have an amazing beard and haircut though. like the man has style.

@shroomie @Chel I actually have got to give that to him; you've got a point here.

@scarlet @Chel thank you <3

@shroomie @scarlet yeah, like... not trying to throw shade at people that study him or his ideas or anything like that, but good lord I've seen some folks try and lord over others with that

and... yeah, the dude definitely had a style

@Chel @scarlet nothing good ever comes from hero worship

@earthshine @scarlet extreeeeemely well put

@scarlet Also usually what emphasizing questions like that means, at best, is that the group in question is _very_ invested in its particular positions in various entrenched bits of leftist infighting.

So on the one hand you're likely not missing much, but on the other hand I get the hurt that there aren't better options.

@klara This is a good point, to be honest. I wonder if there's anything that overlaps with socialism but is less prone to aggressive idealogical wonkishness?

@scarlet Marxists get brain clots when you tell them you dgaf about Marx

@rabbit That's one of the reasons that I like saying this. I don't like the idea of hero worship defining a movement.

@scarlet this is why I tend to avoid overtly ideological groupings, because they never seem to be about the actual underpinnings so much as just debating some utterly meaningless datum to utter death.

Like sure, we could all sit around and chat about the communist manifesto (since apparently we forgot which meeting this is), but that really isn't discussing how we're going to better social programs and the wellfare of people by leveraging the influence of the state to the greatest potential effect.

Or really anyone at all, for that matter.

@scarlet showing up to the Helping People Club only to be given a gatekeeping-ass cool kid pop quiz that you can't even finish because you know more than them

"why does no one organize??" someone manages to warble without dislodging their own dick from their mouth

@coeurl I laughed at the mental image of this for so long that I started to worry that I would never stop.

@Chel @earthshine This is exactly right.

@scarlet I'm not an expert, but from observation I suspect it's worth it to look for groups that aren't General Leftist Organizations but that are focused on doing a specific thing-- food and other mutual aid, immigrant defense, supporting left-leaning candidates for local office, whatever-- with lefty ideals backing that.

Like, pragmatically speaking, a socialist/anarchist/etc. org is one that takes volunteer energy from socialists/anarchists/etc.. What does it put out in the world in return?

@scarlet Also good signs:
- something without a lot of money behind it / where the money comes in small amount from large numbers of people, so it's not vulnerable to the whims of the well-off people who make everything possible
- something with ties to a specific local community and a history within that community, which often means neighborhood (or city council ward or whatever other divisions are relevant) level work
- something with very few men or white people in leadership roles

@klara Ahh, thank you! This is actually very useful advice and I appreciate it.