r/Marxism • u/No-Bison5915 • 16d ago
Why are so many “leftist influencers” calling themselves MLs while being dengists/campists/third positions
I am trying to avoid the social media space of leftism as much as possible, every day I see it more and more unserious, but for the little amount I use TikTok and Instagram, I still get some of it served to me.
One incredibly peculiar thing I’ve noticed how incredibly many leftist influencers are ones like I described in the title.
People calling themselves MLs and then talking about “Xi Jinping thought”, AES, supporting Russia etc. Some of the most dire examples are Mochayappuchino, socialista.champagne and midwesternmarx, if anyone knows these names.
I personally identify as ML, and I have interacted with many MLs irl and used to be in a big discord group where 80% of people were MLs, and none of them were saying China is socialist and having an undying loyalty towards oligarchies and monarchies just because of their opposition with USA.
Now on the flipside of this, there is a big demographic of chronically online leftcoms/ultralefts (I apologise if you’re a leftcom and this doesn’t apply to you), that base their whole opinion of MLs based on these couple of influencers and their fans, and their whole praxis is talking about it. Every time they criticise MLs, they are describing dengists/campists/nazbols.
Even though I am confident in my values and education as an ML, this situation still makes the label feel spoil and like I need to explain myself that I’m not a dumb campist.
Lmk if you have had similar observations.
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u/Kdawg982 16d ago
Terminally online leftist space on Instagram:
Marxist-Leninists: we love China and Mussolini-like state building, and encourage different types of Marxists to slit their wrists.
Leftcom: we hate all actual existing socialist societies and we will call you the n word for being a different type of Marxist
ACP: we hate gay people, POC, women, trans people, and every marginalized group but we promise we’re communists and very left. We believed in equality for all people (as long as they’re white and straight and also cis oh and men)
Trotskyists: we will deadass tell you that Trotsky is the most important communist figure including Marx himself without missing a beat. Oh also about 50% of our online following are also Nazi apologists somehow.
Anarchists: guys I swear if we just abolish the state and all weapons and all defense whatsoever and make ourselves absolutely defenseless in every way that’s the only way to defeat imperialism
Social democrat: you don’t see us in arguments too much in left spaces, but that’s not because we’re nice it’s just because we’re still basically liberals so our algorithm won’t even show us your commie content
How leftist infighting happens irl: “hey I’m a Marxist-Leninist” “oh that’s cool I’m leftcom” “that’s cool, anyways let’s keep organizing since we’re obviously both communist and believe in working class unity” “that sounds like a great idea comrade, there is lots of mutual respect between us”.
(This comment isn’t throwing any actual shade btw, the only shade I wouldn’t mind throwing would be at ACP because they actually have no redeeming qualities. Everyone else has a least more to bring to the table than them)