EDIT: if you found this site because you searched for “what is a communist?” in some internet search, this is not going to help you. Go somewhere else. If you don’t believe me, read the comments below. If you do read this site and don’t find it helpful then don’t complain to me. I warned you.
Before Angelica and I moved from Chicago to Minneapolis, we had a going away party at Loyola Beach. We had a sandcastle building competition. Jay from the IWW and my brother Trent competed against Jen and my nephews. Jen made a joke, “I’m a socialist. Should I be building sandcastles? Wouldn’t sand-housing be better?” Kathy, who is rightwing, said “I’m a capitalist so I can build sandcastles if I want to.” Jen said “No you’re not, you don’t own the means of production,” making a sort of socialist-realist (ie, crappy) joke. I walked away to eat some chips.
Later I thought about this, and about what it means to be a communist. There are capitalists, and capitalism. Are there communists, too? In a sense parallel to being a capitalist, a concrete social position? If the product which accompanies all other products under capitalism is that of social relations in the form of capitalism, is there communism which produces social relations in the form of communism? To my mind, the answer is yes. Then, what in the hell is a communist?
Kathy is not a capitalist, she is some sort of wage-slave like most of us (though if memory serves she is management, ie a scab, a kapo). She is rightwing and has what she thinks is justification and approval of capitalism. Similarly, being a communist is not the same as having justifcatory ideas and moral approval of communism.
Taken to its conclusions, this implies the breakdown of ‘capitalist’ and ‘communist’ as people, as fixed positions. Rather, in an admittedly cliched move, they are relations and practices. (Hence, despite much dumb shit that Bakunin said, I can quote this happily: “We do not want the death of men but the abolition of positions and things.” http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5065/revolution.html )
What is a communist? Someone acting in a communist fashion, as a moment of (a) communism. But then … what the hell does that mean?
you suck
Comment by sophie — February 25, 2007 @ 12:47 am
likewise.
Comment by Nate — February 25, 2007 @ 1:04 am
do you even know what you are talking about, that doesn’t make any sense at all.
Comment by Kimmy Moung — March 23, 2007 @ 2:03 am
hi Kimmy,
You’ve answered your own question. Assuming that making sense demonstrates knowing what one is talking about, since what I’ve said doesn’t make any sense at all I clearly must not know what I’m talking about.
yours,
Nate
Comment by Nate — March 23, 2007 @ 10:07 am
yee….um this hasn’t helped me at all…(i.e it’s crappy)
Comment by aneta — May 22, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
hi Aneta,
That’s a real shame, because this blog exists to help the helpless, such as yourself, Kimmy, and Sophie.
Fortunately your comment was immensely useful to all of us … (i.e., not crappy)
All the best,
Nate
Comment by Nate — May 23, 2007 @ 2:13 am
i didnt understand any of that
but thanks anyway
maybe i should be sareching for Communism for dummie
Comment by dee — August 30, 2007 @ 5:25 pm
hi Dee,
Nah, the failing here is mine, poor writing and only halfway worked out ideas. Here’s an attempt: someone who is for capitalism is a “capitalist” in the sense that someone who is for democracy could be called a “democrat.” Someone who lives by employing others is a capitalist in a different sense, as an economic category. Most people who call themselves “communists” are communists in a way analogous to the first sense. (I’m one of these people, though I will say that I disagree with a lot of people’s definitions of the term. The USSR, for instance, is not at all something I’m for and is not what I mean by communism.) These people are for communism. What I was wondering about was if it’s possible to be a communist in a way analogous to the second sense of “capitalist”, in an economic sense or a material sense.
Is that clearer? (Other than the issue of what the word “communism” means for various people, which I’d be happy to talk about.)
take care,
Nate
Comment by Nate — September 4, 2007 @ 6:07 pm
wow i just wasted 3 minutes of my life reading this article. and nate, who do you think you are?
Comment by peenwallace — November 1, 2007 @ 7:53 pm
wow, sorry you don’t know how to make better use of your time. I’d blame your parents. I know my parents are the reason I didn’t learn better time management skills earlier in life. If you’re looking for advice, let me say that I often waste the minutes of my life watching music videos on youtube and every once in a while I take a nap, both of which are much more enjoyable than reading this blog. Maybe you should try one of those pursuits. If you need any other time management tips I’d be happy to provide them.
As for who I think am, who’s asking?
Comment by Nate — November 1, 2007 @ 8:06 pm
this site is SO f'’king good. It didn’t help me that’s how good it is. lol
Comment by yo mama — November 1, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
hey Mom,
I’m glad you like the blog. Like you always told me, God helps those who help themselves.
love,
Nate
Comment by Nate — November 2, 2007 @ 12:19 am
you guys dont know how to explain if ur life depended on it. u guys suck.
ps i had to go to a differnt website to find out. u people are gay.
Comment by tori — December 14, 2007 @ 11:30 am
Dear Tori,
I’m sorry that you did not the web site useful in writing your paper for your history class. If you like, post your paper in a comment here and I will proofread it for you. Given the comment you did post, I suspect your paper will need proofreading, if you want to get the ‘C’ you need to avoid being grounded.
Yours,
Nate
Comment by Nate — December 14, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
you dont know how to write an article…
Comment by Shahab — October 18, 2008 @ 6:30 pm
hi Shahab,
Guilty as charged. This failing is particularly egregious since my blog proclaims so loudly that it is a resource for those seeking helpful articles. Perhaps you could teach me? You clearly have the research skills necessary for good writing.
Yours,
Nate
Comment by Nate — October 18, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
Its true none of this make sense and don’t reply this message because everything you say doesnt make sense and how dare you blame someones parents that’s just rude just because you’ve had personal problem doesn’t mean you have to let it out on some one else
Comment by not sayin — November 3, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
You know what youre right none of this make sense because everything I say doesnt make sense. Its because I have had personal problem, and youre right that I dont have to let it out on some one else. Thank you for pointing this out, Not.
Yours,
Nate
ps - here’s me trying to be helpful, Not: if you really need to know what a communist is there’s this thing called wikipedia that you might be interested in. Let me know if you need help with that.
Comment by Nate — November 3, 2008 @ 1:24 pm
I was really enjoying the fresh approach to trolls you had going at first . . . too bad you really had to let #17 have it.
intriguing blog btw
Comment by Well now, — August 4, 2009 @ 4:29 pm
hi Well,
In my defense, I did parody #17’s writing (sic) style in the process, rather than merely saying fuck off or something, and tried to make a joke using their pseudonym - I took their pseudonymous first name Not as an excuse to do that thing that my friends and I used to do all the time as kids, say things like “dude you’re really smart… NOT!” and so on. Childish I know, but when in Rome…
Explaining it now I feel a bit sad (not as in boo-hoo but as in “what a sad little man”). I’m going to have to re-read the early exchanges here, to relive my glory days of mocking Kimmy and Aneta and Tori.
cheers,
Nate
ps- Thanks for the kind words about the blog.
Comment by Nate — August 5, 2009 @ 12:29 am