The metaphor I've used most often to explain this is the military one. We are preparing to wage a class war, and we're not out here for fun. In an actual War when actual lives are at stake, no Nation would just give a soldiers a bunch of weapons and tell them to go for it. Instead, they put their soldiers, and especially their officers through years of rigorous training to study the history of war, the philosophy of war, and everything it takes to become an expert in the subject. They will study in detail the course of past wars, and the specific course of certain engagements. They study the mistakes that past commanders made, as well as what made others successful. That way, when they step on to the battle field they are not so likely to be outsmarted by the enemy. They know the old tricks, they know what works and what doesn't. Without such education it is completely irresponsible to send troops into battle. Why pay for lessons in the blood of your comrades when you can learn to avoid mistakes ahead of time just by sitting down and reading? The purpose of a Marxist party is above all to serve as the military academy for the working class fighters in the class war. For every page of Marxist text explaining past mistakes, a thousand workers had to die so that we can do better. Don't be arrogant. There is a right and a wrong way to organize, there is a right and a wrong way to carry out a revolutionary struggle. If someone is unwilling to study that method, they have absolutely no right trying to get others to risk their lives for a revolution. It's not privelaged or 'elitist' to study, its privelaged to preach revolution without caring enough about the people you're leading to raise yourself up as a leader.
I am begging you to keep posting bro. These videos are 10/10 both in style and substance!! Your videos have actively pushed me to be more active in real life, in both reading theory, active political engagement, and care for myself and others to foster the quantitative change needed for the correct qualitative change. So…regardless of whatever numbers you pull algorithmically I would highly recommend you stay the course of this type of video that’s in your style. Your voice in this work is excellent, the mix of frankness in this video for example was very endearing and I think a lot more people need to experience the abrasive rejection of lukewarm ideology or lack of integrity in action. Although I’ve already started reading more theory due to your videos, wanted to share these words of support. This style of leftist expression is desperately needed in our media landscape. Thank you for all this hard work and for being the change!
to me it comes across as someone who hasn't quite gotten out of the cryptobro alt right pipeline owing to the strong self-improvement aesthetic. it sounds a little bit like a sales pitch. That's not to say i don't like the videos, and i really strongly support the sentiment, but the "style of presentation" is somewhere around the bottom of the list of things i would praise, so it's super weird for me to see someone singling that out as its biggest strength. i really like the part where he ate the lego though, to be fair. that was dope.
@@kylezo IMO it is also it's strength. I also strongly support the sentiment and I agree the presentation's really sounds like self-improvement stuff. This can be seen as sorta toxic 'man-up' talk but the right wingers in the alt-right pipeline don't care and thrive on that, having a left-wing 'alternative' is a very good thing. With more theory jargon that I hope I'm not misusing: without the moralist look on this and from a dialectical standpoint there are people that look for this kind of guidance and currently only find it in the alt-right pipeline having an alternative that brings people to become better people instead of becoming self-centered assholes is a positive for me. Edit: Just read the comments on his videos tbh, there are a lot of people this is helping :) Brings me a smile to my face
I definitely will start reading up on theory as you have inspired me to finally take the first step and do so. We should be learning from our history, and collecting information that has been available to us to use. You're one of the few people I have notifications on for, so thank you for speaking truth!
As someone who identified as a leftist for roughly 8 years, i just now started reading theory and its truly eye opening in a way that consuming normal leftist content will never compare. After starting its only built a fire under me to read more and more.
It’s like eating pot noodles everyday, then trying a fresh wok of rice noodles and veg in homemade broth. You can NEVER GO BACK… until Novara drops a fresh downstream
Hey, one of your video's got me picking up the trash on the walks I take instead of just looking at it and being annoyed. It's not much, but it's more than the nothing I've been doing, there's no reason not to, and I'm able, so I do it. Thanks for the pep talk I guess XD ♥
I think this comment section is discounting the unimaginable communicative power we have at our fingertips. We should focus the power of our modern Guttenberg Press at reaching people where they are at and more importantly, reaching them in the language / medium they are interested in understanding. We should focus on instilling a curiosity in those interested in theory instead of derriding them for not having the willpower (or more likely, the context required) to read it. Instilling curiosity in a person is the only thing that causes them to self-motivate to then be able to further themselves intellectually. Show people why theory is interesting by describing it and giving a perspective on in instead of lecturing them on how necessary it is. We should be embracing a plurality of ways to reach the same goal such as video education, especially when those ways of education are completly free and significantly more captivating to a wider portion of the population. Teach instead of preach: let's not repeat the mistakes of our dead education system. We need to be flexible in our approach and the most obvious way to do that is to transform our theory into a medium that fits the time instead of being conservative / reactionary and refusing to do that for some reason. To illustrate this, even though I have found countless theory audiobooks on this platform including capital, I would not have been interested enough to read them had I not been exposed to multiple differing perspectives on them. Tldr: The problem isn't that people aren't reading theory and therefore they just need to read theory. The problem is that people are not curious about reading theory because they have no context to connect it to their material condition. We need to create and disseminate more context. The theory is accessible once they are interested in it.
Thank you for making a Gumroad link to the starter pack. A lesser TH-camr would put it behind a paywall, but you're committed to the cause. Massive respect.
one thing i like to point out is that "theory comes from struggle, not the other way around". you don't want to read theory, that's fine, so long as you're organizing and participating in the struggle instead.
Your channel has helped me jump back into reading. Since watching how to win over conservatives I have for the first time in over a decade read a book front to cover. It was a murder mystery, but it was engaging. I have since picked up "How Propaganda Works" by Jason Stanley. Highly recommend!
to any1 who finds themselves hesitant to read, i recommend the essay (also found on spotify) "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)" by ismatu gwendolyn. reading is a tool, and realistically there are powers at play that demotivate us or keep us away from powerful information. reading is resistance.
2:15 another thing about poltiical theorists vs streamers and online people: people who write books STAY IN THEIR GODDAMN LANE. So each one of their "bricks" isn't just the ideas of experts, but the ideas of experts IN THEIR EXPERTISE
I cannot describe how positive it is for our cause for a thumbnail to straight up have the hammer and sickle portrayed as the good option and when you click on the video you see a healthy, good-looking and calm person. Thank you so much for this, your channel is inspiring
Keep in mind, and remember - Reading political theory is valuable, but do not take political theory as gospel. Much of the political theory that acts as the foundation for our current discussions on politics was written during a period of time where daily life was fundementally different from how it is now. Marxist theory, for example, provides a fantastic foundation for discussion on industry and economy, but as an economic political theory, largely fails to account for the intangible needs that people have. No political or philosophical theory can account for everything, and so we have to understand many different kinds to gain a more well-rounded perspective. Also do not be afraid to read or discuss capitalist theory. Better understanding the philosophical foundations of capitalism can actually better prepare you to confront the ideologies and contest them. I grew up in a very conservative environment, and one of the things that ultimately pushed me away from capitalism was developing a real understanding of capitalist theory, and how much its weaknesses has been utilized to warp the existing institutions. I.e, seeing what capitalism SHOULD be doing, and then seeing how far from reality that was, and how much further it was getting, day by day.
If that's your take on Marxist theory, unfortunately, I'm afraid you've misunderstood it quite seriously. Marx talked extensively on matters of human spirituality, the need for art, and on all that makes us human. It's A common misconception that Marxism is simply a vulgar materialistic ideology. It is not. It's fundimentally a dialectical materialist philosophy which means that it takes real life as it really is at its starting point, but it does not simply reduce everything to just raw economics. Real life-like and vibrant Marxism seeks to understand the interconnection between all aspects of human life and the general rules that seem to govern our society. I think this misconception is really perpetuated by these so-called Marxist academics who have a really profound disconnect from the class struggle, and see Marxism as something that happens inside of classrooms. Classrooms. They tend to see Marxism as formulaic, dry, and fundamentally. Fundamentally nothing more than an economic analysis rather than a far-reaching philosophy that has a lot to say about all corners of human knowledge. For instance, in the University lecture halls, it's very common to hear Marxist theory the declining rate of profit as the cause for capitalist crises. When you actually read Marx, It's clear that this theory is more of a footnote next to his actual theory of overproduction. The reason it's so popular among professors is because it requires absolutely no recognition of the class struggle, no recognition of exploitation of the working class, it doesn't even require the admission that the working class exists. It's simple, dry, formulaic, and ultimately leaves us with no path forward, and no deeper understanding. When you actually Read Marx without the distortions applied to him by the academics, the cynics, and liberals, he comes across as strikingly lifelike and deeply intimate.
Great videos from ya' always mate! I bet you that formats like this genuinely will work great for throwing folks into the left pipeline of self-improvement rather than the right pipeline of 'self-improvement.'
I do think online activism is a good start, because it is lightyears better than reactionary hate-posting / trolling. But if you have the energy and are able to do more then it’s even better. I’m just now starting to read theory, and also just started playing Disco Elysium. And a big thanks to all the people that do praxis and real-world activism, it’s very admirable and very much appreciated.
‘Estranged Labour’ is a GREAT starting point anyone looking to understand the loneliness epidemic and why society appears to be degenerating. It honestly changed my life.
Reading theory is something you should be doing with a group. For one, it's more motivating that way. Second, just because you're reading it, doesn't mean you're interpretting it correctly.
Reading theory has only alienated me further from my fellow ape man peers. Have not stopped and the world is bleek abyss of the mundane and simple minded. Great vidoes!
Harper, thank you. I know you, myself and many other leftists have done the thinking without doing the reading, today you have inspired me to finally pick up my copy of Blackshirts and Reds by Parenti. Please don't stop what you're doing, you've already inspired 100's of socialists to do the same. Fantastic work you are incredibly inspiring.
I started consuming polital education via some german TH-camrs and soaked in all information. I was so hyped about the fact that i grew so much knowledge. After sharing my new information people thought i would be super smart. I said that that might be true but im a good listender. We leftis dont need to be the smartest people on earth. We have so many good thinkers from the past. We need to understand them and share theire values across our society. My interest in politics made me more intersted in reading. I just started a Zettelkasten and try to take notes from the books i read.
absolutely. reading has been a game changer. It's the opposite of brainrot i recently enjoyed "the subject supposed to recycle" as well as capitalist realism by Campell Jones and Mark Fisher. I can't recommend them enough! I've also been enjoying Parenti a lot. He's undeniably biased but he writes good and easy compared to 99% of 20th century translated prose. Open Veins of Latin America and Killing Hope are both also excellent, the latter is a must read. Something I enjoy about reading personally is understanding the lineage of ideas. You can see when a book is published but also authors directly reference others very often. just browsing through the footnotes of anything will generally give some idea of something to read next
i recommend the essay "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)" by ismatu gwendolyn. reading is a tool, and realistically there are powers at play that demotivate us or keep us away from powerful information. but reading is resistance.
blackshirts and reds is good but it's really overrated in leftist circles in my experience. parenti has a lot of problems. i mean sure it's still a good one for folks to read but i wouldn't consider it a priority lol
Exquisite my friend! I am sure you have thought of this already, but have you considered doing a video on how you got involved in your local community in more detail, and give some standardized advice on how others can use their skills to help out locally?
FINAL EDIT: "You still gotta read theory-" Fun fact: You can also make observations and form hypotheses about the world too! I can come to the same (or in some cases, better) conclusions all without the headache of dense texts written well before my time. You don't need to read the founding literature on a subject to familiarize yourself or even fully understand the concepts within it. To say otherwise rejects the realities of modern education. Again, theory can be useful in academic discussions on said topics, but this does not mean it translates to and certainly is not a prerequisite for effecting political change. If you read my original comment, this was my claim. Going into politics and helping enact progressive policy is about as much as you can realistically achieve here in the US. I don't need theory to do any of that, strong community ties, civic engagement, and rhetoric does that. Listen, I should really be studying right now instead of arguing into the void of a youtube comment section. Enjoy your theory, I genuinely hope you are right and it serves you well in influencing change. It's just not necessary to be a useful asset to the cause. --- I feel like you imply that reading theory will somehow automatically improve your ability to engage politically, but honestly i think the most important thing one should do is to become deeply involved in one's own community. To be a leader isnt to just be knowledgeable, you need to talk to people, make friends, help communities, this is where the true battle is won. Besides, most political theory can be consumed in a variety of different ways other than just reading the original source material, and there are modern theorists and writers that have put in the work to make theory more approachable. I dont think there isnt any less value in consuming video essays and leftist political content than reading the books yourself honestly. Im not saying reading theory is bad or elitist, but lets not overstate our case here.
I think you will rarely find video essays with sufficient depth of detail to provide a wide picture understanding of a subject like a good book does. Though there are some definitely, you tend to trudge through a fair bit of slop in between. Where as with reading good theory, every line is a bomb of meaning. Just read stuff you are interested in. Pick something at random which sounds enigmatic or evocative then reverse engineer your way back. I recently read Blitzed, about all the ways drugs were used in Nazi Germany on a whim and it gave me such an insane depth of understanding in so many areas I will never see the world the same. Every book is life changing, even a good video essay I probably forget most of in a day.
No, thats not whats being implied, and the practical action has been discussed on multiple videos within this channel. If you need the video essays or summarized writings than all power to you, after all thats what the manifesto was written for, but you still need to get into the original material at some point. Every person that explains theory to you is making their own interpretation of that material and you wont know if youre being misled accidentally or purposefully without having read the theory yourself. Also, without having read the source material, you are stuck with the information theyve presented to you, meaning you dont know the criticisms against the arguments youre now presenting yourself. Further, theres so many great books out there on theory to where you dont need to slog through all 3 volumes of Kapital to have a good framework. Youre right that being a leader isnt JUST being knowledgeable, but that doesnt mean you should slack on it. Trying to present leftist ideas as a leader without having actually done the research is how we ended up with Matt Walsh and Ben Shapiros ascent to prominence following their "crushing leftists at college" videos. Every time a leftist talking point was presented both those fucks were able to make the kid look like an idiot because they only took the time to learn the talking points, not the theory.
@judedavisdibb4784 I think that has to do more with individual learning styles more than anything else, because then you are claiming that the medium itself is the issue, not the content.
@@tlpineapple1 part of what irks me is this obsession with theory as if it's this sacred text, almost religious in nature. It's just a theory, it's in the name. You can derive use from the source text sure, but honestly there's more than enough content outside of the originals that expand and recontextualize different concepts much better imo
@@tlpineapple1 also to be clear I've never really watched this channel before, but I am familiar with this sort of attitude and I still feel like my overall point (the video makes reading theory out to be a critical step towards making a difference, specifically) still stands
I'd also make the point that it, in my opinion, the most important, most fundamental thing to learn is the philosophy of Marxism. I think that today what the left really lacks the most is an understanding of basic revolutionary philosophy. It's all well and good that we know that we're oppressed and that we need to rise up, but the first step to learning how is learning the science of where even to begin. To take the analogy of learning a new language, the study of philosophy is like learning the grammar. It's a bit more abstract, And to the vulgar pragmatist, it can seem like no real progress is being made. After all, you're not learning any real "words". However, without an understanding of that basic structural thread that interlinks every other idea, you will end up with a jumbled mess that conveys everything and nothing, and will ultimately leave you lost when you take your ideas offline and try to put them into practice. Today on the left, it's precisely the grammar of Revolution that we are lacking. We have plenty of vocabulary, but what is needed is a deeper structural understanding. For instance, the very notion that theory is unimportant stems from an idealist philosophical misunderstanding. It's a very typical prejudice that academics have who operate under an idealistic philosophy, where one theory is just as good as any other, and where a theory survives. Not on how accurately it reflects reality, but on how closely it follows the "innate" nature of formal logic. At its root, the rejection of theory really stems from a rejection of material reality, and a rejection that there is such a thing as objective truth. For reasons I won't get into here, this is decidedly, a Bourgeois philosophy that is emerged now together with a decay of capitalism. Before we can even really begin to understand theory properly. We have to get a solid grasp on dialectical materialism or else we will constantly fall into traps like these.
Personally I'd suggest checking out the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI). They've been on the rise lately and have really been doing the utmost. If you're in the US look up "Revolutionary Communists of America". They have branches in most areas and are extremely sharp on theory, and pretty victorious in its application.
@@Anna-1917 no they're not, they're a vanguard party that promotes democratic centralism. my advice would be to join a local tenants union, mutual aid group, or something to that effect.
unfortunately I will never be able to read this me when read (need subway surfers & satisfying content top & bottom): Oh boy time to read some parenti! (5 pages in) Wow this is great, it’s really easy to think philosophically about his work. Hm I wonder what Anti Oedipus has to say (3 pages in) Need know more Marcuse & his resistance … I don’t know much about Habermas … I need to learn more about Sartre … Anyway time to get back to some more concrete stuff, Red Sun Over China? … this got me thinking about soviet, I heard getty is ok when read correctly … not enough das kapital, I need fundamentals … I need to work on this part of my essay more, foucault … At best I’ll be able to read ~12 pgs before switching to: an article, another book to follow my train of thought, working on my writing tragic. And pulling up GTA car videos is too much effort. Guess I’ll just watch fin bol
Glad to find out the gumroad thing is real but...still very strange way to give a list of 5 books. Maybe if there were pdf versions available or something but no...its just an image of 5 books.
@kylezo ? Chill? You think I'm overreacting by pointing out that it's strange? It's not like I insulted anyone or came up with conspiracy theories lol. I said it's strange.... How about you chill lol
i didn't say it's too hard, i said you are alienating potential comrades, including me, because since you have nothing to say to me, i'm leaving to go watch someone who is about putting the things you only read into action. keep the click, for your patreon
i recommend the essay "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)" by ismatu gwendolyn. reading is a tool, and realistically there are powers at play that demotivate us or keep us away from powerful information. but reading is resistance.
Really crazy how low, or rather high, the bar has gotten for "pure value no distractions". This isn't the only video I've seen like this and consistently there are still a bunch of jump cuts that would've still gotten people uppity as recently as 2016. I'm not asking you to record the whole thing in one take, but complete sentences would be nice. Great video otherwise, Lego analogy was good
I'm a fan of minimal cuts too (I guess) but it doesn't undermine the material presented here in any fundamental way. Leftist spaces don't need in-fighting, let alone over arbitrary things.
okay, but i do not need to read every word written on the subject to be qualified to have an opinion. it's a hell of a thing to expecxt to build a popular movement with a required reading list. don't gatekeep the movement. you thin k the gop has a readingf list? and no, most of 'em haven't read the bible, which unlike marx actually has a few interesting parts. so arendt it is
I'm doubtful that you've read much marx if you don't think he has "a few interesting parts". and no one has argued that you much "read every word written on a subject", but maybe do your best? like, more than literally nothing. reading (or listening to) _a book_ is not a high bar. just make _any_ effort at all to actually know what you're talking about before expecting people to listen. sure, the gop doesn't have a reading list. and you know what? they're f*cking stupid as f*ck! just completely gullible clowns led by the nose by by some of the nastiest people in our society. their strategies are not compatible with building a society that anyone who isn't some sort of sick freak would actually want to live in. why would you ever want to emulate them?
someone sounds butthurt, almost anyone with a computer qualifies as petite bourgeoisie bro. check your ego. class conscious doesn't mean you are free from your own class, it means you understand to what degree you are complicit.
...class is a material category, not a moral one. you either are or are not a member of a particular class. someone isn't being an "@sshole" by describing a material relationship to the means of production, and they aren't judging you personally by doing it.
You said that leftists' goal is to dismantle capitalism. So, what system should replace it? How would that system work? And how would you transition to it? I'm not a big fan of capitalism but I still haven't heard any convincing answers to those questions. I know that this might seem a provocative question, but I think that those are crucial points. I've been an anti-capitalist myself and too many times I heard only vague ideas about how to really transform the world. And I think socialist countries of XX century are the perfect example that socialism might become authoritarian and inefficient.
Here’s a video by Richard D. Wolff, I recommend you listen to other lectures by him. th-cam.com/video/xUr1sSh-ED4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=fDXCsBsbMV0ROvmt Basically, the next system needs to be decided democratically by the workers. In my opinion, the way the socialist movement is and ought to be moving towards is a model built around worker cooperatives. The key difference in a post-capitalist society needs to be the structure of the workplace. We need a decentralized movement through many political parties and unions. A political system you could look at is called sociocracy.
Capitalism > socialism > communism. Communist manifesto is in the thumbnail so we can assume that is the trajectory. We have everything we need to produce comfortable surplus of energy, food, shelter, fulfillment and leisure for every human on earth. While people rightfully complain about inefficiency under 1900s state communist regimes, capitalism today is staggering inefficient at providing for people’s needs. Any version of a more equal society with democracy in the workplace will be labeled socialism, by left and right. So we just have to own it, despite its baggage. Ultimately if you call it socialism or anything else, it will be attacked viscously with unanimous state and corporate power if it interferes with profits.
"So, what system should replace it?" Socialism, IE, worker control of the means of production. "How would that system work?" Depends on the leftist. Id argue either direct populace ownership like in working, housing, and consumer cooperatives, or some form of syndicates where companies are owned by the unions. As for the politics, some form of a "workers democracy" rather than our current "liberal democracy". Whether that government run by syndicates, or a more liberal style government that imposes protections against corporations buy politicians. "And how would you transition to it?" Theres a lot of debate behind this question, because the answers are reform or revolution. Personally i think its through both. The power isnt going to be just granted to the workers, but we dont need a Soviet style revolution, that is just begging for totalitarian takeover. No, most realistically is a combination of civil resistance, general strikes, and friendly politicians will be required. Violence will happen, just as it happened during the original efforts to gain workers rights in the late 1800s to early 1900s, but it will be on the part of the state as the rich refuse to give up their power. "...but I still haven't heard any convincing answers to those questions." Id be surprised if its because you havent heard convincing answers and more to do with not wanting to be convinced.
@@tlpineapple1 I don't have to answer everything but I've been a communist and a democratic socialist (my views changed in the past too so that's why I mention both) for 5/6 years and I also have been part of 2 organizations. So at least in the past I was very open to those ideas
@@Shingo_Aoi Luckily the internet is completely anonymous and anyone can say anything. Of course, this demonstrates to me my suspicions, this was a disingenuous comment.
Commies pleas be more calm. JUST CHILL BROS. Intergrate into the society, benefit your communities, help them to organise it. AND BROOOOOO U MASTERED THEORY NO CAP, ONLY ACAP
um, sorta elitist to tell people they ain't entitled to an opinion because they haven't read every book you have. if you don't think so, you need to read the dictionary
The metaphor I've used most often to explain this is the military one. We are preparing to wage a class war, and we're not out here for fun. In an actual War when actual lives are at stake, no Nation would just give a soldiers a bunch of weapons and tell them to go for it. Instead, they put their soldiers, and especially their officers through years of rigorous training to study the history of war, the philosophy of war, and everything it takes to become an expert in the subject. They will study in detail the course of past wars, and the specific course of certain engagements. They study the mistakes that past commanders made, as well as what made others successful. That way, when they step on to the battle field they are not so likely to be outsmarted by the enemy. They know the old tricks, they know what works and what doesn't. Without such education it is completely irresponsible to send troops into battle. Why pay for lessons in the blood of your comrades when you can learn to avoid mistakes ahead of time just by sitting down and reading?
The purpose of a Marxist party is above all to serve as the military academy for the working class fighters in the class war. For every page of Marxist text explaining past mistakes, a thousand workers had to die so that we can do better.
Don't be arrogant. There is a right and a wrong way to organize, there is a right and a wrong way to carry out a revolutionary struggle. If someone is unwilling to study that method, they have absolutely no right trying to get others to risk their lives for a revolution. It's not privelaged or 'elitist' to study, its privelaged to preach revolution without caring enough about the people you're leading to raise yourself up as a leader.
teory may be the weapon itself
✊
This channel is genuinely so underrated
I bought "Manufacturing Consent" because of your recomendation. Thank you!
Inventing Reality enjoyers:
Western Democracies show pretty well what happens if political education is neglected
I am begging you to keep posting bro. These videos are 10/10 both in style and substance!!
Your videos have actively pushed me to be more active in real life, in both reading theory, active political engagement, and care for myself and others to foster the quantitative change needed for the correct qualitative change. So…regardless of whatever numbers you pull algorithmically I would highly recommend you stay the course of this type of video that’s in your style. Your voice in this work is excellent, the mix of frankness in this video for example was very endearing and I think a lot more people need to experience the abrasive rejection of lukewarm ideology or lack of integrity in action. Although I’ve already started reading more theory due to your videos, wanted to share these words of support.
This style of leftist expression is desperately needed in our media landscape. Thank you for all this hard work and for being the change!
to me it comes across as someone who hasn't quite gotten out of the cryptobro alt right pipeline owing to the strong self-improvement aesthetic. it sounds a little bit like a sales pitch. That's not to say i don't like the videos, and i really strongly support the sentiment, but the "style of presentation" is somewhere around the bottom of the list of things i would praise, so it's super weird for me to see someone singling that out as its biggest strength. i really like the part where he ate the lego though, to be fair. that was dope.
@@kylezo IMO it is also it's strength. I also strongly support the sentiment and I agree the presentation's really sounds like self-improvement stuff. This can be seen as sorta toxic 'man-up' talk but the right wingers in the alt-right pipeline don't care and thrive on that, having a left-wing 'alternative' is a very good thing.
With more theory jargon that I hope I'm not misusing: without the moralist look on this and from a dialectical standpoint there are people that look for this kind of guidance and currently only find it in the alt-right pipeline having an alternative that brings people to become better people instead of becoming self-centered assholes is a positive for me.
Edit: Just read the comments on his videos tbh, there are a lot of people this is helping :) Brings me a smile to my face
Putting the lego in your mouth is crazy
I know, you’re supposed to eat the books 🤦♂️
so THAT is what they mean with "ingesting knowledge"
burst out laughing at that act it was pretty comedic
This channel has unironically changed my life
oh no
I definitely will start reading up on theory as you have inspired me to finally take the first step and do so. We should be learning from our history, and collecting information that has been available to us to use.
You're one of the few people I have notifications on for, so thank you for speaking truth!
I actually started reading theory because of you bro
As someone who identified as a leftist for roughly 8 years, i just now started reading theory and its truly eye opening in a way that consuming normal leftist content will never compare.
After starting its only built a fire under me to read more and more.
It’s like eating pot noodles everyday, then trying a fresh wok of rice noodles and veg in homemade broth.
You can NEVER GO BACK… until Novara drops a fresh downstream
Hey, one of your video's got me picking up the trash on the walks I take instead of just looking at it and being annoyed.
It's not much, but it's more than the nothing I've been doing, there's no reason not to, and I'm able, so I do it.
Thanks for the pep talk I guess XD
♥
I think this comment section is discounting the unimaginable communicative power we have at our fingertips. We should focus the power of our modern Guttenberg Press at reaching people where they are at and more importantly, reaching them in the language / medium they are interested in understanding. We should focus on instilling a curiosity in those interested in theory instead of derriding them for not having the willpower (or more likely, the context required) to read it. Instilling curiosity in a person is the only thing that causes them to self-motivate to then be able to further themselves intellectually. Show people why theory is interesting by describing it and giving a perspective on in instead of lecturing them on how necessary it is. We should be embracing a plurality of ways to reach the same goal such as video education, especially when those ways of education are completly free and significantly more captivating to a wider portion of the population. Teach instead of preach: let's not repeat the mistakes of our dead education system. We need to be flexible in our approach and the most obvious way to do that is to transform our theory into a medium that fits the time instead of being conservative / reactionary and refusing to do that for some reason. To illustrate this, even though I have found countless theory audiobooks on this platform including capital, I would not have been interested enough to read them had I not been exposed to multiple differing perspectives on them.
Tldr:
The problem isn't that people aren't reading theory and therefore they just need to read theory. The problem is that people are not curious about reading theory because they have no context to connect it to their material condition. We need to create and disseminate more context. The theory is accessible once they are interested in it.
Thank you for making a Gumroad link to the starter pack. A lesser TH-camr would put it behind a paywall, but you're committed to the cause. Massive respect.
it's a free list and there's STILL a one star review saying "is that all???" lmao. some people just need to hear themselves complain
one thing i like to point out is that "theory comes from struggle, not the other way around". you don't want to read theory, that's fine, so long as you're organizing and participating in the struggle instead.
It’s never been easier to read theory, most of it is online or in free audio books
Your channel has helped me jump back into reading. Since watching how to win over conservatives I have for the first time in over a decade read a book front to cover. It was a murder mystery, but it was engaging. I have since picked up "How Propaganda Works" by Jason Stanley. Highly recommend!
to any1 who finds themselves hesitant to read, i recommend the essay (also found on spotify) "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)" by ismatu gwendolyn. reading is a tool, and realistically there are powers at play that demotivate us or keep us away from powerful information.
reading is resistance.
2:15 another thing about poltiical theorists vs streamers and online people: people who write books STAY IN THEIR GODDAMN LANE. So each one of their "bricks" isn't just the ideas of experts, but the ideas of experts IN THEIR EXPERTISE
I cannot describe how positive it is for our cause for a thumbnail to straight up have the hammer and sickle portrayed as the good option and when you click on the video you see a healthy, good-looking and calm person. Thank you so much for this, your channel is inspiring
This is the best political channel on TH-cam. The only necessary channel.
Keep searching buddy.
Keep in mind, and remember - Reading political theory is valuable, but do not take political theory as gospel. Much of the political theory that acts as the foundation for our current discussions on politics was written during a period of time where daily life was fundementally different from how it is now.
Marxist theory, for example, provides a fantastic foundation for discussion on industry and economy, but as an economic political theory, largely fails to account for the intangible needs that people have. No political or philosophical theory can account for everything, and so we have to understand many different kinds to gain a more well-rounded perspective.
Also do not be afraid to read or discuss capitalist theory. Better understanding the philosophical foundations of capitalism can actually better prepare you to confront the ideologies and contest them. I grew up in a very conservative environment, and one of the things that ultimately pushed me away from capitalism was developing a real understanding of capitalist theory, and how much its weaknesses has been utilized to warp the existing institutions. I.e, seeing what capitalism SHOULD be doing, and then seeing how far from reality that was, and how much further it was getting, day by day.
If that's your take on Marxist theory, unfortunately, I'm afraid you've misunderstood it quite seriously. Marx talked extensively on matters of human spirituality, the need for art, and on all that makes us human. It's A common misconception that Marxism is simply a vulgar materialistic ideology. It is not. It's fundimentally a dialectical materialist philosophy which means that it takes real life as it really is at its starting point, but it does not simply reduce everything to just raw economics. Real life-like and vibrant Marxism seeks to understand the interconnection between all aspects of human life and the general rules that seem to govern our society.
I think this misconception is really perpetuated by these so-called Marxist academics who have a really profound disconnect from the class struggle, and see Marxism as something that happens inside of classrooms. Classrooms. They tend to see Marxism as formulaic, dry, and fundamentally. Fundamentally nothing more than an economic analysis rather than a far-reaching philosophy that has a lot to say about all corners of human knowledge.
For instance, in the University lecture halls, it's very common to hear Marxist theory the declining rate of profit as the cause for capitalist crises. When you actually read Marx, It's clear that this theory is more of a footnote next to his actual theory of overproduction. The reason it's so popular among professors is because it requires absolutely no recognition of the class struggle, no recognition of exploitation of the working class, it doesn't even require the admission that the working class exists. It's simple, dry, formulaic, and ultimately leaves us with no path forward, and no deeper understanding.
When you actually Read Marx without the distortions applied to him by the academics, the cynics, and liberals, he comes across as strikingly lifelike and deeply intimate.
a good way of putting this is "theory comes from struggle, not the other way around".
Great videos from ya' always mate! I bet you that formats like this genuinely will work great for throwing folks into the left pipeline of self-improvement rather than the right pipeline of 'self-improvement.'
Thanks! Don't really have a word for what I'm advocating. Self-improvement vs "social improvement"? Idk...
I do think online activism is a good start, because it is lightyears better than reactionary hate-posting / trolling.
But if you have the energy and are able to do more then it’s even better. I’m just now starting to read theory, and also just started playing Disco Elysium.
And a big thanks to all the people that do praxis and real-world activism, it’s very admirable and very much appreciated.
As always Great Videos. Such an amazing consistency in high quality
Commenting to appease the algorithm gods. Keep up the good work!
‘Estranged Labour’ is a GREAT starting point anyone looking to understand the loneliness epidemic and why society appears to be degenerating. It honestly changed my life.
Reading that rn actually
@@HarperOCoh, awesome! I think we’d all love to hear your thoughts when you’re done. Thanks for public service you’re doing with this channel!
Entire books are not the only source of knowledge, but they are more likely than laypeople on social media to express unique, researched perspectives.
amazing video harper, thank you for putting this beautiful piece out here for us and for people to fall into
Reading theory is something you should be doing with a group.
For one, it's more motivating that way.
Second, just because you're reading it, doesn't mean you're interpretting it correctly.
hol up you have friends?
@kylezo No, I don't. It doesn't need to be friends though.
Reading theory has only alienated me further from my fellow ape man peers. Have not stopped and the world is bleek abyss of the mundane and simple minded.
Great vidoes!
Harper, thank you. I know you, myself and many other leftists have done the thinking without doing the reading, today you have inspired me to finally pick up my copy of Blackshirts and Reds by Parenti. Please don't stop what you're doing, you've already inspired 100's of socialists to do the same. Fantastic work you are incredibly inspiring.
I really don’t get why TH-cam is recommending me this guy so often, and yes I’m a leftist
I started consuming polital education via some german TH-camrs and soaked in all information. I was so hyped about the fact that i grew so much knowledge. After sharing my new information people thought i would be super smart. I said that that might be true but im a good listender.
We leftis dont need to be the smartest people on earth. We have so many good thinkers from the past. We need to understand them and share theire values across our society.
My interest in politics made me more intersted in reading. I just started a Zettelkasten and try to take notes from the books i read.
Wonderful video, shout out from a Brazil Comrade
even outside of marxian analysis, the prevalence of people who just don't or even cannot read books, in general, is disturbing nowadays.
Appreciate these videos my man keep it up you’re doing a good job
Okay fineeee
absolutely. reading has been a game changer. It's the opposite of brainrot
i recently enjoyed "the subject supposed to recycle" as well as capitalist realism by Campell Jones and Mark Fisher. I can't recommend them enough!
I've also been enjoying Parenti a lot. He's undeniably biased but he writes good and easy compared to 99% of 20th century translated prose.
Open Veins of Latin America and Killing Hope are both also excellent, the latter is a must read.
Something I enjoy about reading personally is understanding the lineage of ideas. You can see when a book is published but also authors directly reference others very often. just browsing through the footnotes of anything will generally give some idea of something to read next
In general, we should be reading more
I'm very dyslexic but ihonestly want to learn. I would say I'm a leftist and believe strong in progressive values
There are audiobooks as well.
i recommend the essay "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)" by ismatu gwendolyn. reading is a tool, and realistically there are powers at play that demotivate us or keep us away from powerful information. but reading is resistance.
Okay but how do I transfer the knowledge through psychic energy to my friends brains
Saw the reading list, Blackshirts & Reds is a phenomenal book. Read it earlier this year & it definitely started me onto some other works as well!
blackshirts and reds is good but it's really overrated in leftist circles in my experience. parenti has a lot of problems. i mean sure it's still a good one for folks to read but i wouldn't consider it a priority lol
Me when I pull up:
Thanks for the free theory pack btw
Exquisite my friend! I am sure you have thought of this already, but have you considered doing a video on how you got involved in your local community in more detail, and give some standardized advice on how others can use their skills to help out locally?
FINAL EDIT:
"You still gotta read theory-" Fun fact: You can also make observations and form hypotheses about the world too! I can come to the same (or in some cases, better) conclusions all without the headache of dense texts written well before my time.
You don't need to read the founding literature on a subject to familiarize yourself or even fully understand the concepts within it. To say otherwise rejects the realities of modern education.
Again, theory can be useful in academic discussions on said topics, but this does not mean it translates to and certainly is not a prerequisite for effecting political change. If you read my original comment, this was my claim.
Going into politics and helping enact progressive policy is about as much as you can realistically achieve here in the US. I don't need theory to do any of that, strong community ties, civic engagement, and rhetoric does that.
Listen, I should really be studying right now instead of arguing into the void of a youtube comment section. Enjoy your theory, I genuinely hope you are right and it serves you well in influencing change. It's just not necessary to be a useful asset to the cause.
---
I feel like you imply that reading theory will somehow automatically improve your ability to engage politically, but honestly i think the most important thing one should do is to become deeply involved in one's own community. To be a leader isnt to just be knowledgeable, you need to talk to people, make friends, help communities, this is where the true battle is won.
Besides, most political theory can be consumed in a variety of different ways other than just reading the original source material, and there are modern theorists and writers that have put in the work to make theory more approachable. I dont think there isnt any less value in consuming video essays and leftist political content than reading the books yourself honestly.
Im not saying reading theory is bad or elitist, but lets not overstate our case here.
I think you will rarely find video essays with sufficient depth of detail to provide a wide picture understanding of a subject like a good book does. Though there are some definitely, you tend to trudge through a fair bit of slop in between.
Where as with reading good theory, every line is a bomb of meaning.
Just read stuff you are interested in. Pick something at random which sounds enigmatic or evocative then reverse engineer your way back. I recently read Blitzed, about all the ways drugs were used in Nazi Germany on a whim and it gave me such an insane depth of understanding in so many areas I will never see the world the same.
Every book is life changing, even a good video essay I probably forget most of in a day.
No, thats not whats being implied, and the practical action has been discussed on multiple videos within this channel.
If you need the video essays or summarized writings than all power to you, after all thats what the manifesto was written for, but you still need to get into the original material at some point. Every person that explains theory to you is making their own interpretation of that material and you wont know if youre being misled accidentally or purposefully without having read the theory yourself. Also, without having read the source material, you are stuck with the information theyve presented to you, meaning you dont know the criticisms against the arguments youre now presenting yourself. Further, theres so many great books out there on theory to where you dont need to slog through all 3 volumes of Kapital to have a good framework.
Youre right that being a leader isnt JUST being knowledgeable, but that doesnt mean you should slack on it. Trying to present leftist ideas as a leader without having actually done the research is how we ended up with Matt Walsh and Ben Shapiros ascent to prominence following their "crushing leftists at college" videos. Every time a leftist talking point was presented both those fucks were able to make the kid look like an idiot because they only took the time to learn the talking points, not the theory.
@judedavisdibb4784 I think that has to do more with individual learning styles more than anything else, because then you are claiming that the medium itself is the issue, not the content.
@@tlpineapple1 part of what irks me is this obsession with theory as if it's this sacred text, almost religious in nature.
It's just a theory, it's in the name. You can derive use from the source text sure, but honestly there's more than enough content outside of the originals that expand and recontextualize different concepts much better imo
@@tlpineapple1 also to be clear I've never really watched this channel before, but I am familiar with this sort of attitude and I still feel like my overall point (the video makes reading theory out to be a critical step towards making a difference, specifically) still stands
Before I watch, I say this title, word for word, weekly at least
Can you make a video on political ideology
I think you need multiple information points which is not simple
to get a overview
I'd also make the point that it, in my opinion, the most important, most fundamental thing to learn is the philosophy of Marxism. I think that today what the left really lacks the most is an understanding of basic revolutionary philosophy. It's all well and good that we know that we're oppressed and that we need to rise up, but the first step to learning how is learning the science of where even to begin.
To take the analogy of learning a new language, the study of philosophy is like learning the grammar. It's a bit more abstract, And to the vulgar pragmatist, it can seem like no real progress is being made. After all, you're not learning any real "words". However, without an understanding of that basic structural thread that interlinks every other idea, you will end up with a jumbled mess that conveys everything and nothing, and will ultimately leave you lost when you take your ideas offline and try to put them into practice.
Today on the left, it's precisely the grammar of Revolution that we are lacking. We have plenty of vocabulary, but what is needed is a deeper structural understanding. For instance, the very notion that theory is unimportant stems from an idealist philosophical misunderstanding. It's a very typical prejudice that academics have who operate under an idealistic philosophy, where one theory is just as good as any other, and where a theory survives. Not on how accurately it reflects reality, but on how closely it follows the "innate" nature of formal logic. At its root, the rejection of theory really stems from a rejection of material reality, and a rejection that there is such a thing as objective truth. For reasons I won't get into here, this is decidedly, a Bourgeois philosophy that is emerged now together with a decay of capitalism. Before we can even really begin to understand theory properly. We have to get a solid grasp on dialectical materialism or else we will constantly fall into traps like these.
I have been going into reading group where we read marx's capital and its fun but I dont know what else to read
Check the reading list I mentioned at the end
And sisters ?
first theory book i read was the manifesto... tough start. But once you understand it, the path is open.
Thank you, this is useful
What local or national organizations are you a part of that could help get young leftists involved in the movement?
Personally I'd suggest checking out the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI). They've been on the rise lately and have really been doing the utmost. If you're in the US look up "Revolutionary Communists of America". They have branches in most areas and are extremely sharp on theory, and pretty victorious in its application.
@@Anna-1917 I AGREE ON THEORY AND UNDERSTANDING ; ON APPLICATION AM AFRAID THEY WONT GROW ENOUGH
@@Anna-1917 no they're not, they're a vanguard party that promotes democratic centralism.
my advice would be to join a local tenants union, mutual aid group, or something to that effect.
_A New Introduction to Karl Marx_ by Ryuji Sasaki.
good points but no classicals 😢
Love
unfortunately I will never be able to read
this me when read (need subway surfers & satisfying content top & bottom):
Oh boy time to read some parenti! (5 pages in) Wow this is great, it’s really easy to think philosophically about his work. Hm I wonder what Anti Oedipus has to say (3 pages in) Need know more Marcuse & his resistance … I don’t know much about Habermas … I need to learn more about Sartre … Anyway time to get back to some more concrete stuff, Red Sun Over China? … this got me thinking about soviet, I heard getty is ok when read correctly … not enough das kapital, I need fundamentals … I need to work on this part of my essay more, foucault …
At best I’ll be able to read ~12 pgs before switching to: an article, another book to follow my train of thought, working on my writing
tragic. And pulling up GTA car videos is too much effort. Guess I’ll just watch fin bol
only for bros ??!
^ This
Nonmale bros too, bro
Glad to find out the gumroad thing is real but...still very strange way to give a list of 5 books. Maybe if there were pdf versions available or something but no...its just an image of 5 books.
it's free, chill.
@kylezo ? Chill? You think I'm overreacting by pointing out that it's strange? It's not like I insulted anyone or came up with conspiracy theories lol. I said it's strange.... How about you chill lol
Calm down bro i have school.
i didn't say it's too hard, i said you are alienating potential comrades, including me, because since you have nothing to say to me, i'm leaving to go watch someone who is about putting the things you only read into action. keep the click, for your patreon
i recommend the essay "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)" by ismatu gwendolyn. reading is a tool, and realistically there are powers at play that demotivate us or keep us away from powerful information. but reading is resistance.
Really crazy how low, or rather high, the bar has gotten for "pure value no distractions". This isn't the only video I've seen like this and consistently there are still a bunch of jump cuts that would've still gotten people uppity as recently as 2016. I'm not asking you to record the whole thing in one take, but complete sentences would be nice.
Great video otherwise, Lego analogy was good
I'm a fan of minimal cuts too (I guess) but it doesn't undermine the material presented here in any fundamental way. Leftist spaces don't need in-fighting, let alone over arbitrary things.
My fault g, will hopefully get a teleprompter soon
@@TheKnightguard1 You did NOT just turn a critique of the videomaking into an infighting bit
@@HarperOC Idk all the sentences seemed complete to me
i'm not so freakin' illiterate i don't know what theory is. i'm a yt addict not an idiot
It's not available in my location
🔥
3:00 LMAO
okay, but i do not need to read every word written on the subject to be qualified to have an opinion. it's a hell of a thing to expecxt to build a popular movement with a required reading list. don't gatekeep the movement. you thin k the gop has a readingf list? and no, most of 'em haven't read the bible, which unlike marx actually has a few interesting parts. so arendt it is
the fuck are you talking about lmao
I'm doubtful that you've read much marx if you don't think he has "a few interesting parts". and no one has argued that you much "read every word written on a subject", but maybe do your best? like, more than literally nothing. reading (or listening to) _a book_ is not a high bar. just make _any_ effort at all to actually know what you're talking about before expecting people to listen.
sure, the gop doesn't have a reading list. and you know what? they're f*cking stupid as f*ck! just completely gullible clowns led by the nose by by some of the nastiest people in our society. their strategies are not compatible with building a society that anyone who isn't some sort of sick freak would actually want to live in. why would you ever want to emulate them?
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmno :3
AVAA
lmao what 1000 pages is like two books
Progress is progress.
yeah, just as long as you ain't gonna call me petiote bourgousie like thatr @sshole hakim
someone sounds butthurt, almost anyone with a computer qualifies as petite bourgeoisie bro. check your ego. class conscious doesn't mean you are free from your own class, it means you understand to what degree you are complicit.
...class is a material category, not a moral one. you either are or are not a member of a particular class. someone isn't being an "@sshole" by describing a material relationship to the means of production, and they aren't judging you personally by doing it.
You said that leftists' goal is to dismantle capitalism. So, what system should replace it? How would that system work? And how would you transition to it? I'm not a big fan of capitalism but I still haven't heard any convincing answers to those questions.
I know that this might seem a provocative question, but I think that those are crucial points. I've been an anti-capitalist myself and too many times I heard only vague ideas about how to really transform the world. And I think socialist countries of XX century are the perfect example that socialism might become authoritarian and inefficient.
Here’s a video by Richard D. Wolff, I recommend you listen to other lectures by him. th-cam.com/video/xUr1sSh-ED4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=fDXCsBsbMV0ROvmt
Basically, the next system needs to be decided democratically by the workers. In my opinion, the way the socialist movement is and ought to be moving towards is a model built around worker cooperatives. The key difference in a post-capitalist society needs to be the structure of the workplace.
We need a decentralized movement through many political parties and unions. A political system you could look at is called sociocracy.
Capitalism > socialism > communism. Communist manifesto is in the thumbnail so we can assume that is the trajectory.
We have everything we need to produce comfortable surplus of energy, food, shelter, fulfillment and leisure for every human on earth. While people rightfully complain about inefficiency under 1900s state communist regimes, capitalism today is staggering inefficient at providing for people’s needs.
Any version of a more equal society with democracy in the workplace will be labeled socialism, by left and right. So we just have to own it, despite its baggage.
Ultimately if you call it socialism or anything else, it will be attacked viscously with unanimous state and corporate power if it interferes with profits.
"So, what system should replace it?"
Socialism, IE, worker control of the means of production.
"How would that system work?"
Depends on the leftist. Id argue either direct populace ownership like in working, housing, and consumer cooperatives, or some form of syndicates where companies are owned by the unions. As for the politics, some form of a "workers democracy" rather than our current "liberal democracy". Whether that government run by syndicates, or a more liberal style government that imposes protections against corporations buy politicians.
"And how would you transition to it?"
Theres a lot of debate behind this question, because the answers are reform or revolution. Personally i think its through both. The power isnt going to be just granted to the workers, but we dont need a Soviet style revolution, that is just begging for totalitarian takeover. No, most realistically is a combination of civil resistance, general strikes, and friendly politicians will be required. Violence will happen, just as it happened during the original efforts to gain workers rights in the late 1800s to early 1900s, but it will be on the part of the state as the rich refuse to give up their power.
"...but I still haven't heard any convincing answers to those questions."
Id be surprised if its because you havent heard convincing answers and more to do with not wanting to be convinced.
@@tlpineapple1 I don't have to answer everything but I've been a communist and a democratic socialist (my views changed in the past too so that's why I mention both) for 5/6 years and I also have been part of 2 organizations. So at least in the past I was very open to those ideas
@@Shingo_Aoi Luckily the internet is completely anonymous and anyone can say anything.
Of course, this demonstrates to me my suspicions, this was a disingenuous comment.
The planet is primary.
Like all great thinkers of the *past,* 'theory' is a "climate denier."
cooking is practice, not theory.
Thanks bro you inspired me to join a neoliberal reading group! :) I’m gonna help the new left
Commies pleas be more calm. JUST CHILL BROS. Intergrate into the society, benefit your communities, help them to organise it. AND BROOOOOO U MASTERED THEORY NO CAP, ONLY ACAP
I dont know im kinda a Wittgenstein guy dont really trust a lot of these theory books
That’s why you gotta find the right ones!
If you havent read them, how do you know you cant trust them?
@@tlpineapple1 because i know a lot of leftist who are very deep into theory and they are larpers and so unpopular and unsympathetic
Theory drives one insane, then you find the answer and feel less insane; the insanity never leaves you once it’s taken root however.
um, sorta elitist to tell people they ain't entitled to an opinion because they haven't read every book you have. if you don't think so, you need to read the dictionary
I have it was shit.
what did you read?
Most of that stuff was already deboonked so it doesn't matter much imo
what "stuff"?