Giyuu

If you are not already up to date with the latest works, I think it is absolutely critical to read things by authors like Hudson and Varoufakis. Xi counts as modern too. Paul Cockshott has done good work on modern socialism too even if he said TERF things (I don't remember the specifics but iirc he did - doesn't invalidate his work though). There are more great authors today I'm sure others can recommend.

The classics are always good, but the modern works tell you how capitalism is operating in the specific environment of today. The classics were written for specific material conditions of their times. Some things are good but some things simply don't apply today. If we only focus on the classics we run the risk of becoming Maoists and even worse we end up lacking current knowledge.

The modern works also still teach you historical materialism/dialectics because thats what they're built on.

This was just what I was looking for. As a former biology stemlord my first introduction to dialectics was through Paul Cockshotts YouTube videos that attempt at tying the two together, which really appealed to me. And eventually I was able to apply dialectics after a few years to my own thinking, which more or less in tandem with historical materialism rewired my brain I think at a fundamental level (or in other words it sublimated to a new model for looking at the world).

So I think you've got something pretty cool/important going on here that can help a lot of people cross the event horizon of historical materialism so they can reach real Marxism-Leninism that is rooted in these concepts. That is to say in a bottom up intuitive understanding where you can "feel" the direction of history pull*1. And like time and history, when you cross that event horizon in your brain, you cannot go backwards.

Good luck to you and your research.

*1. as opposed to the "top down" way...which is still good and a huge step can only take us so far and one can still abandon Marxism. How can we say it accurately (idk)? It's the ML or Marxist version of trying on politics like clothes? Whilst that's good and where basically all of us start because ML positions best explain the BS in capitalism domestically and abroad (and offer solutions), we want people to reach that event horizon of intuitively feeling Hmat because when it "clicks", the doors suddenly blow open, and you cannot go back.

Disclaimer I am not a doctor!!

Haven't posted in a while but your troubles got me out of hibernation. I have struggled with this for a long time. Yes, it's a symptom of your mental health getting worse.

My best recommendation is, if like me (I had/have long term insomnia so bad id get into bed and my heart rate would increase), if you can afford it and your personal health allowing (unfortunately we live in a world that devalues us as humans, and also make sure it's safe for you to take meds - ask a doctor if unsure), take several sleep aids at once while you're in bed an hour before sleep for a duration of however many weeks/months it takes to reclaim control over your sleep. And I think control is the key thing to reduce the anxiety.

I tried to reclaim sleep without medication but sometimes I think maybe our brains just can't do it. But what's worse than waking up groggy after medicated sleep is waking up groggy with no sleep and the anxiety that you got no sleep!! Yes you are basically sedating yourself but taking a combination of melatonin (I took about a quarter of the 5 mg tablet) and only one dose of either a nyquil, zzzquil(nyquil but with only the sleepy chemical), or another sleep aid brand I can't remember (don't mix the non metalonin aids unless you know what you're doing - I never did) will knock you out through brute force of chemicals.

When reclaiming your sleep it can help if you get into bed for sleep as early as possible (sometimes I was in bed at 6 pm). So if you wake up early you have more time to just take more meds to sleep again, and you have less anxiety because you have more time.

My sleep isn't fully back to normal but last night I slept 8 hours (11pm to 7am) with only one sleep aid and no melatonin, just a zzzquil. I've also been napping either mid day or late afternoon which I haven't done in at least 2 or 3 years.

Also do other things in your life to fill your day. Exercise helps a tonne. Never be ashamed to sleep more than 8 hours - sleep deprivation is cumulative and can take weeks/months to heal the damage. If you need 12 hours or 16 hours then you need those hours. Sometimes what I'd do is take sleep aids even mid day just to make up some hours. I'd still be tired by 8/9/10pm because of how far back I was on sleep.

Melatonin can also have the side effect of waking up too early. But hey sleeping 4-5 hours still beats none. If that is a problem maybe try the other sleep aids without the melatonin. Sometimes I also don't try to fight waking up early. If I do I just roll with it and do some chores.

If social media/lemmygrad/the news etc contributes to your anxiety then also just cut it out too. Anything that's possible to cut out that could be giving you even a shred of anxiety, try staying away from it.

In for more NBA players discovering China is a cool country

The downvote count is counting votes for genocide

Maybe even

trillions

of deaths

I became an ML the day I found r/GenZedong lol. Didn't get banned from anything.

"Barbarians raid another state for their plane"

The socdem failure is now complete. When I left them I was but the learner now I am the master.

Bit late replying but this came up as I was scrolling. I remember Chris Cuomo as a CNN suit or whatever. This is oddly based to say, particularly at a convention, even for a social democrat. What are his actual politics?

You're trying to get as many people introduced to Marxist ideas as possible. And whilst you will get some people to explore further down and eventually some will become Marxists, others will reject it or stay aligned on only certain issues. That's just how it is.

This kind of applies to every level of radicalization to be honest, bar like once someone grasps the historical materialist/scientific interpretation of history. But that is much further down the pipeline than someone like Hasan is.

So for example he will have some viewers who become Marxists after hearing the deprogram podcast and then checking out Hakim, and then falling even further down (Hasan has been on the deprogram), whilst some viewers might stay and watch Hasan only for info about Palestine, or some may stay social democrats.

I will disagree with this on my interpretation of "how the sausage is made". I don't think I've seen a fascist who understands how capitalism actually works.