every once in a while I remember I have a bluesky and use it say the debate between Althusser, Poulantzas, and Balibar is much more interesting and relevant than the Miliband one everyone harps on

this is a recurrent theme if you look at the rise and fall of broad left parties like podemos or syriza or smaller municipal experiments; if we gamble without thought on taking responsibility for the extremely repressive and politicized state, then we undermine any long-term goal of socialism

which means we have to reckon with the principle of selection/specialization in state and party, and a state with a workers party elected in coalition or executive under rule-of-law constitutional vetoes isn't a "neutral" advance, but can be disadvantageous in the long run without rupture

I've seen fair critiques that Balibar is essentialist in "On the DoTP" (boils it down to two classes, which works polemically but betrays his work on MoPs), but frankly he's right that the "material condensation" is only decisive when a class holds the "general social force of compulsion" per marx

next, we have @cliffconnolly.bsky.social with a great primer on MUG’s vision of democracy “addressed to the reader who holds these questions in their heart but is disinclined to spelunking the depths of a 600-page textbook to find the answers.” www.marxistunity.com/light-and-ai...

Ooooh the second international fell because they didn't follow your interpretation of dialectics, got it, thanks korsch and lukacs

not even brave enough to imply not subbing to these papers. Just "don't share it!" like it's a cursed chain email

my socialist organizing is showing up to vanity zoom calls and doing the good posting

gotta bring back the old socialist take on militias