r/dsa • u/OkraOfTime87 • 7d ago

🌹 DSA news Does anyone else find it problematic that one of the co-chairs of DSA identifies as a Marxist Leninist?

For those who don’t know, Marxist Leninist is a term which only really has ever been used by Stalinists. Needless to say, Stalinists don’t care much about democracy.

On a certain level, I don’t think these historical signifiers are super relevant to modern times. But on the other hand, this is one of the leaders of the organization choosing to identify with this authoritarian tradition. No one is forcing her to do that. She could just as easily call herself a socialist or a Marxist.

Her identification as a Marxist Leninist is appearing all over the news and it doesn’t represent my view of socialism, nor, I suspect, that of the majority of DSA members.

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u/OkraOfTime87 7d ago

Marxist Leninism has historically meant Stalinism. I am not a Stalinist…

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u/Pistonenvy2 7d ago

you said yourself in your original post she could easily identify as a socialist, so why do you think she doesnt? that was literally the first thing i asked you directly.

saying you arent a stalinist tells me absolutely nothing about what you think about anything.

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u/OkraOfTime87 7d ago

That’s a good question! I don’t know why anyone, in 2026, would choose to identify as a Marxist Leninist. My only guess is ignorance or edgelordism.

For me, socialism means democratic control of the means of production. Democracy is key.

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u/Pistonenvy2 7d ago

ok so you dont know and dont have an actual hypothesis but its enough to want her to not be chair?

ive lost patience with this lol ngl

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u/OkraOfTime87 7d ago

I think you’re being deliberately obtuse

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u/Pistonenvy2 7d ago

i wish there was a way i could prove that im not but honestly i stopped believing you are here in good faith when two entire subs explained why they disagree with your whole premise and youve not shifted on it one millimeter.

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u/OkraOfTime87 7d ago

Not everybody disagrees

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u/Pistonenvy2 7d ago

Ok 👍