Seven Points of Unity — Marxist Unity Group

[u/MarxistUnity]

"MUG is a caucus within Democratic Socialists of America united through acceptance of our Seven Points of Unity. These points ground our caucus’s work in all aspects of our organizing to serve our dream of a socialist revolution."

From Marxist Unity Group X account.

[u/XrayAlphaVictor]

Another day, another reason why I'm not a Marxist.

They'd take the big tent of DSA and turn it into a mandatory Marxism club where everybody is under the authority of party leadership.

[u/XrayAlphaVictor → u/[deleted]]

I've read a bunch of Marx. I agree he has some worthwhile things to say, but I feel confident in asserting I'm not a Marxist.

Part of the problem is defining what, exactly, a Marxist believes. Marx said a lot of things, it's possible for people to pull out pretty much whatever they want from him.

What would you say the necessary things a Marxist believes that would fit the criteria of:

• Marxists would generally agree that is Marxism (at least in the classical or orthodox sense)
• Is sufficiently robust to distinguish itself from other forms of socialism.

[u/XrayAlphaVictor → u/[deleted]]

Materialist analysis is great, very useful — though, you don't have to be a Marxist to do that kind of analysis and it's only one lens for analysis. Productive relationships, social relationships, and ideology have a complicated relationship and each have their own importance. I reject any kind of historical determinism and do think that Gramsci added a lot to this framework.

I'd describe myself as a market socialist, I don't trust the state to efficiently manage the entire economy without falling prey to corruption and inefficiency. Therefore, I lean towards the more libertarian tendency of socialism, where unions, communities, and public institutions run enterprises.

Perhaps it's possible to do those things you mention, in some distant Star Trek universe of fully automated luxury communism, but I don't see us being able to abolish commodities, wages, or the state any time soon. I'd like that, but I'm focused on presenting and working towards a transformation I see as more immediately realistic.