If we can do it in community, even better. I chose to use the stage as a way to shed light on Palestine by posing to the song you hear in the video. Forward ever, backwards never! @apirus.bsky.social

Also it can be a lot of fun, find whatever works for you. For me, I fell in love with bodybuilding being able to transform my body from a sack of flubber to being diced to the socks & hitting the stage but I get that, that’s not for everyone.

As Marxists, having a better understanding of the world comes a responsibility not only to ourselves but to the global proletariat and with that being in shape, if you’re able to do so, should be a priority. We won’t be storming the winter palace if we get winded halfway up the stairs.

These people are scabs, running the errands of the food conglomerates against the interests of the people that’s why it’s especially disappointing that upstream choose to platform such a voice. Do better @upstreampodcast.bsky.social

Theory with absolutely no use value but plenty of academic exchange value, it’s just a hustle for them so they can get paid & be a part of the petite bourgeoisie, borrowing concepts from Gabriel Rockhill.

As Marxists it behovs us not to platform voices like that. We must recognize them for what they are, part of the compatible left with no real interest in actually building socialism. They’re also a niche part of the global theory industry having carved out a space within academia to promote this BS

Even worse, they push this narrative that measures like trying to combat obesity is genocide whilst we have an actual ongoing genocide happening in Palestine.

Contrary to this is the imperialists in the form of Nestle, Mondelez, Mars etc Not only have they profited despicably on our poor health but they’ve also found “radical” spokespeople to push the agenda of so called “fat acceptance” and trying to equate discrimination towards fat people to racism.

Being part of the fabric of the working class, inevitably means involving the community in some type of fitness activity because it is something that the masses yearn for, having control over your body & health is incredibly empowering & liberating.

It’s hard reaching obesity following traditional cuisines, my own cut was fueled primarily by things like Jollof rice & okro stew, but following a modern western diet consisting of highly processed foods and 3 snickers for 1 specials at the grocery store it’s difficult NOT to put on the pounds.

Obesity isn’t something that’s inherent or unavoidable rather it’s just another layer of this, the decadent stage of hyper imperialism. It’s a result of hyper palatable calorically dense junk food being made readily accessible & often much cheaper than healthy options.

The sentiment Sankara expresses in this statement was true in that context in that time. However for the working class in the global north & more recently also in the global south, obesity has become an issue disproportionately affecting the working class.

Jumping over the pound once more Thomas Sankara had this to say

Besides that BPP had a very strong health focus besides the free clinics, free food program they also had free martial arts classes.

A movement inspired by Mao and who made some of their revenue selling his work was the black panther party. I mean just looking at Hampton’s biceps, or Newton shirtless it’s obvious these guys lifted.

If you consider the demands of physical labor as demanding just imagine the toll it takes on the human body to conduct armed struggle especially for a prolonged time.

The development of our physical strength is an internal matter, a cause. If our bodies are not strong we will be afraid as soon as we see enemy soldiers, and then how can we attain our goals and make ourselves respected?

There were multiple clubs in Europe some of them active to this day but most often without the political edge intact.

This isn’t just the case in Europe, Mao Zedong understood the importance of fitness, from A STUDY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION :

As Marxists one of our primary goals is to improve the quality of life for the masses, so why would we leave fitness out? Historically, we haven’t, since the very beginning of labor movement history there’s been attempts to form boxing clubs, wrestling clubs & other working class sports.