The German “Left” loves yapping and loathes practice. And I’m not even talking about the SocDem party “Die Linke,” but self described communists.

It’s actually depressing trying to find a proper party/org since it doesn’t seem to exist…

Exactly 👆 💯

As someone who only recently became a full-fledged adult, I’ll be honest, I never know what the hell I’m supposed to do other than try to make people around me understand that imperialism is bad. Basically all of the organizations I could join are co-opted by mainstream politics (DSA), are nazbol parties (ACP), are the same pressure valves mentioned in this analysis (mutual aid and anarchist orgs), I’ve heard bad things about (CPUSA but I don’t recall where or why I was told kinda sucks), or I don’t think have a local chapter or something I could join and do something beyond paying for a newsletter (PSL). I just don’t know what the hell to actually do beyond trying to push everyone around me to the left and actually sitting down and reading the theory instead of just absorbing the ideas through osmosis on reddit.

I’m not writing this to do anything more than vent my frustrations as a western leftist. I’m not trying to avoid critique for not doing enough, or make excuses. It’s just frustrating growing up as a leftist when basically all my options either suck or don’t exist. Then there’s my possibly unfounded fear that some of my friends/family who aren’t US citizens could be put at risk if I join one of the few good orgs like PSL. Again, I’m not here to make excuses, I’m here to look for guidance and good-faith criticism from comrades to put me on the right track. I want to do more, but I just don’t know what the hell to do.

Usually is a strong word but the fact that the guy in the first slide is one of the biggest figures among the anti-imperialist left (who still has some issues in said space) is telling frankly.

Dont get me wrong its more the result of the culture and material conditions American workers find themselves in that they are often self centered and prone to fracturing. But doesn't change the fact that they are this way. Similar to how socialism with chinese characteristics can raise some eyebrows, I've little doubt socialism with American characteristics will as well if not more.

No, the majority of the American left isn't anti-imperialist. There is a more radical subset of the left here that is anti-imperialist, but it takes years of campaigning before there is even a slight budge in the wider left. To be honest with you, most "leftists" here view anti-imperialist stances as a distraction from the "real" issues like our abysmal healthcare system.

The American left, including the DSA, didn't take a strong stance on Palestine until the general population started to gain consciousness on the issue. It took years of campaigning by far smaller, more radical orgs before those changes started happening. Generally left wing orgs tend to put what they view as "foreign policy issues" on the back burner, because they believe it burns too many bridges within the system and puts mild social reforms at risk. The only orgs who are truly anti-imperialist as a rule tend to be more revolutionary communist orgs, which tend to have much lower membership and support, but eventually can inject some anti-imperialist narratives into the mainstream (such as with Palestine). Unfortunately outside of revolutionaries, which are a tiny subset of the "left" in this country there are very few who take a principled anti-imperialist stance.

Sakai's Settlers is literally a part of what Rockhill was talking about at 20:30 in one of his latest talks about his new book. Settlers is a perfect example of a psyop via "doctrinal warfare" that fought against Marxism-Leninism in favor of denying the revolutionary potential of segments of the working class along racial lines. Maoist third-worldism has been a detriment to labor organization in the US since the 60s. In his load of slop, Sakai slanders William Z. Foster with lies and calls China's liberation of Tibet from feudal theocracy "settler-colonialism". That should tell you all you need to know about this fed. If you want thorough critiques:

• "Don’t bother reading Settlers" - Noel Ignatiev (1985)

• "The Anti-Marxist Elitism of J. Sakai’s ‘Settlers’" - Erich Arbor (2020)

dsa is a joke man, its just democrat party paying lip service but not actually giving them anything. Id much rather that energy be spent on a 3rd party whos voter base the democrats have to actively court