The SPD was the party of Karl Marx. They had sports clubs, dances, all kinds of social programs, peoples entire social existence was wrapped up in the party. The Germany of the SPD was the Germany that gave gender affirming care to trans people, and opened the first hospital for trans people anywhere ever in history.

It was the vote for war that triggered the events of the German revolution. The KPD was in the SPD before like 1918 or 1919. Yeah they were social democrats, no they weren't principled. This was the party of Karl Kautsky as well. There were inherent contradictions, which people would realize if they took a critical view of actual history instead of repeating whatever some fed YouTuber says about it. Its the black and white uncritical view that is the mark of an online commie cosplayer.

[–] BurgerPunk@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I don't disagree the the SPD has an interesting and important history. But they did oppose the KPD and could not stop the later rise of fascism which is also part of their history. So i can also understand and don't disagree being highly critical of the SPD and Social Democracy more generally.

Thanks for the book recommendation, I'd like to learn more about that period and the SPD, and why the German Revolution failed.

if they took a critical view of actual history instead of repeating whatever some fed YouTuber says about it. Its the black and white uncritical view that is the mark of an online commie cosplayer.

I'm not sure what the hostility is about or toward. I mean fuck Breadtube and all, no one should take that seriously. But I don't think its that weird for communists to have a critical view of social democrats. I mean was Stalin a cosplayer when he said social democracy was objectively the left wing of fascism?

[–] Juice@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

No its fine to criticize the SPD, as it is worthy of criticism. It is not principled however to lump DSA, which is full of many principled, dedicated communists in with the right wing of the SPD. I don't care about critiques of the SPD, I have no horse in that race. What I do care about is people with no actual understanding of what led to the death of Rosa Luxemburg, what caused the split with the SPD in the first place, just shunting us into the same category as the cops that murdered Rosa and Karl.

Germany was the most advanced industrial society of the time, and they had developed the most progressive working class. It had inherent contradictions that came to bear in 1917 when the SPD voted to fund the war. I want comrades to understand those contradictions so we can take those lessons and cautionary tales into our organizing. Instead I think people just want to look cool in front of other commies on the internet by repeating ahistorical garbage that collapses historic struggle into stark, discreet categories.

For example, Rosa and Karl Liebknecht knew the path the SPD was on, they knew the leadership was fat and happy on the top of the government all the way back in 1914. But they weren't prepared for the split in 1917. Why? Why didn't they prepare more, agitate more, connect more with the working class, build the power of the Spartacist league? Their failure to prepare for the catastrophe of the 1917 vote is one of many missed opportunities from that time.

[–] Juice@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Wrt Stalin he was pushing a political line based on his objective conditions, which he understood. And still he made a lot of mistakes. But at least he engaged in critique. What you just said isn't critique its a quote. Meaningless out of context, except as a shibboleth

[–] Catradora_Stalinism@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean was Stalin a cosplayer when he said social democracy was objectively the left wing of fascism?

smh this guy doesn't know Stalin watched youtube smh

[–] BurgerPunk@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago

michael-laugh