"So if someone is a communist, (s)he must be just a stupid unmature youth? **** you. "
Ah, the counter-argument of true reason. Right back at ya, love
Good to see you back at your old tricks.
My point is that a lot of youths tend towards extremism in politics, communism or fascism, or any number of other "ism's", without fully understanding them, or knowing what it is they proclaim themselves to be. They then set themselves up as huge authorities, and refuse to ever see sense.
I know, I've been there and done that. I was a teenage communist. Fully into it. Got a hammer and sickle tatooed on my shoulder. Wrote books on revolutionary warfare. Read every work by Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao, Stalin, Guevara. (I mean EVERY book I could find. Hundreds.)
Thought I had all the answers, and everyone else was just reactionaries or f***wits. Got into many fights on the matter. Did a lot of things that I can't really talk about, but in the end, nothing i would regret, and nothing hugely illegal (back then)
I can't say what changed my mind. There was no one real moment of epiphany, just a combination of seeing the world, meeting people, seeing the pitiful state Communism left its ex-possessions and people, seeing how empty the old guard were as persons, and reading and thinking on different perspectives. Putting to myself the notion that I might not actually be the be all and end all, THAT I MIGHT BE WRONG.
I wouldn't call anyone stupid or unmature (sic) simply because they try and find themselves or figure out what they believe in. It's simply part of emerging as a person. However, that doesn't give carte blanche to spout nonsense, which I and others will feel moved to rebutt and refute. Not from a sense of superiority, which undoubtedly it could seem, but out of a sense of knowing what is right and what is wrong.
I daresay I've had a bit more experience that some youngsters, maybe even some here (I don't know, so I won't conclusively say), but little in comparison to a lot of the older posters. As a bit of a rule, the longer you hang around on this piece of rock for, the more chance you've got of knowing what you're talking about. That ain't agist, its common sense.
I don't, of course, discount the possibility of the ignorant old and the wise young. That ain't what I'm saying.
What I am saying is that when I look at 14, 15, 16, 17 year old 'communists', I see myself at that age, and have a bit of a chuckle in rememberance. People change, life changes, priorities and beliefs change. That is what I meant, Juizybaby, and I stand by it.
! Their sentiments would seem to be alright, but I can't say much for their record. The definition of fascist is the main problem. If it is true to its meaning, then good. If it is bandied about in an ignorant hippy fashion ("Bloody fascists! They're actually making me go to a job interview in order to get welfare! Fascists!"), then it is useless and counterproductive.
