With material transfeminism as our guide, we can make criticisms of (cishetero)patriarchal chauvinism done by individuals on interpersonal and organizational levels. Anyone of any gender or sexuality is capable of patriarchal chauvinism. This brings us to the first type of social patriarchy: individuals and organizations ignoring criticisms from 2SLGBTQIA+ comrades, especially those more marginalized than the ones being criticized. Ignoring, downplaying, pretending to listen but not changing behavior, gaslighting, and other forms of classic patriarchal chauvinism rear their head again in “Left” ecosystems and is the first type of social patriarchy.

The second type of social patriarchy is the wielding of interpersonal relationships, especially sexual and romantic, as well as hierarchical dominance established between individuals (especially cis men), as soft power within an organization. The relegation of criticisms that should be made in groups to the side so as to avoid and minimize vulnerability, the asking of political support (especially votes) based on these interpersonal relationships, the use of comrades of marginalized genders (especially trans women) to be token faces of organizations without having predominant political power even within the social sphere - these are all the second type of social patriarchy.

The third type has to do with the promotion and protection of cisgender men’s sexual and romantic power over queer people, especially queer women, gender-nonconforming and transmasculine people. Because of the current conditions of society there is already a power differential between cis men and cis women that allows the former to have sexual and romantic entitlement, and this power differential is accelerated between cis men and queer people, especially queer women, gender- nonconforming and transmasculine people. It is also accelerated when the social-patriarchal individual seeks out and commits to people who are more vulnerable (economically, socially, mentally, age-wise and so on) as partners. This has repeatedly and consistently produced “sex pests” on the individual level who abuse, assault and/or rape queer people especially queer women, and are either allowed to protect themselves in an unstructured environment that has already replicated patriarchy - such as anarchist “scenes” - or are protected by structured social environments that have already replicated patriarchy such as various social-democratic “vanguards.” While most overtly and consistently done by cis men, this sexual and romantic abuse can be done by anyone of any gender or sexuality. When these power differentials are passed by uncritically and not addressed, when people enter organizations with the explicit or implicit purpose of sexual and romantic relations especially with such a power differential, and when abusers are allowed to stay within organizations without investigation, expulsion and organizational self-criticism: this is the third type of social patriarchy.

The fourth type is the undue and disproportionate sexual and romantic control exerted by one - usually privileged - partner over another. Such things as ignoring or ‘forgetting’ boundaries, policing monoamory or polyamory but not communicating or submitting the same power to the other; the policing of gender or gender expression or sexuality, whether through pronouns or name or clothes or hormonal or surgical or ontological or other; the policing and limiting of a partner’s presence, affections, and overall ‘presenting of dating’ so that the policing partner appears more available, ascribing certain qualities to biology (doing bioessentialism) such as saying that a partner is upset because ‘they are on their period.’ The seeing and navigating of polyamory as competitive is another example. These things are often wielded and/or multiplied because of the power differential laid out in the third type. This undue control done between people whether at organizational events or not, or in official or unofficial capacity - this is the fourth type of social patriarchy.

The fifth type is the overall concentration of power - soft power, economic, political, ideological/cultural, social, ecological, “hard” power, “bio”power, health, organizational, defensive, or any other kind of power within the hands of cisgender men and those with more proximity to them. There is the overt kind of this social patriarchy, such as the dominance of cis men and cis people overall in leadership - whether at the small, local, regional or whatever level - which can be seen in various socialist countries, social democratic countries, socialist parties and organizations, and so on. There is also the covert kind of this social patriarchy, which is the use and reification of the ‘boys club’ (to privilege cis men over more marginalized genders), the reductionist focus on class and/or nation without adequate focus on cisheteropatriarchy, the talking over others and impatience with others especially of marginalized genders, the relegating of comrades with marginalized genders to less powerful roles and positions as a trend, the eschewing of interpersonal financial responsibility and interpersonal domestic labor, the avoidance and/or lack of thorough study of revolutionaries with marginalized genders - these make up the fifth type of social patriarchy.

The sixth type is the wielding of social patriarchy by the middle elements with respect to gender, especially white cis women, white queer people, against the more oppressed elements which are trans women and nonwhite gender-nonconforming people in general. This comes in part from a lack of recognition of transmisogyny as the fulcrum of patriarchy and of classist transmisogynoir as the unifying axis across capitalist-imperialism, white supremacy and patriarchy. This type has the ruinous effect of stopping social alliance between marginalized genders before it can begin, and of breaking it up where it already exists. In a sense this is a type of social opportunism by the middle elements so as to gain favor and individual power from cisgender men. Willingly participating in patriarchal structures as a token or opportunist and diverting revolutionary energy purely into reform, such as assimilationism, liberal feminism and pinkwashing, and even contemporary Marxist feminism, proletarian feminism and radical feminism, as well as the setup and encouragement of these things by cis men and cis people - these all make up the sixth type of social patriarchy.

The seventh type is the ideological-organizational disproportionate focus on the struggles of economically exploited cis men to the exclusion of economically exploited people of marginalized genders. The downplaying and lack of participation in collectivizing domestic labor, childcare programs, healthcare less needed by cis men, and so on; as well as the ideological assertion that traditional socialism alone is enough to dismantle patriarchy while having no concrete analysis or plans to do so. The over-focus on the proletariat, including comprador proletariat, to the exclusion or sidestepping of the precariat and the Nexus which are far more oppressed by cisheteropatriarchy; all of this ideological-organizational right deviation is the seventh type of social patriarchy.

As with liberalism, patriarchy has innumerable crimes and no list of aspects of patriarchy can be complete. But cisheteropatriarchy conflicts concretely and abstractly, on basic and complex levels with communism and communist revolution. All of us need to take up material transfeminism as a revolutionary weapon against cisheteropatriarchy and in doing so advance the ideology and practice of communist revolution. This is one of the greatest tasks on our social front and mirrors with respect to the material economic, political and ideological/cultural conditions of our lives and society.

So, why did the Democrats choose to condemn socialism instead of the actual fascists calling for their heads on a stake? Because they themselves are proponents of fascism. Liberalism is just as important to the rise of fascists as conservatism. Democrats are trying to tell you that is more acceptable to be a white supremacist, neo-nazi, patriarchic bigot than it is to be a socialist.

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The ruling capitalist class prefers fascism over socialism because they know socialism will be the complete destruction of their hierarchy over us, the working class. They know fascism is their only hope to maintain their own wealth, power, and statues in society as capitalism collapses and further pushes the working class in to crises. They strip our healthcare, they force us into crushing debt, they keep our wages low, and then condemn the movement they know is the only threat to oppression. They know socialism is liberation for the working class through the dismantling of the prisons and chains the ruling class has built.

The Democrats benefit from our exploitation just the same as Republicans. This isn’t a fight between neighbors, this is a war between those who abuse (capitalist owning class) and those who are abused (the working class). This fact is something they are working double time to hide from the people, because historically when the people unite, the elites do not stand a chance. Both “parties” hoard wealth stolen from us. Both “parties” abuse our children and associate with pedophiles and warmongers. Both “parties” are enemies to the working class and have proven so by their constant attacks on us and actual working class movements.

The condemnation of socialism is also a precursor for another historically observable action: purging socialists. This is not fear mongering, if you look at the actions taken this year alone you will see a pattern of preparation for the targeting of socialists. Now, with both “parties” are openly condemning socialism, the manufactured consent will bleed out into society from both conservative and liberal mouthpieces in an attempt to quail the growing movement. There was a similar game plan during the time of the Smith Act and the Anti-Communist Act.

This is something that can also be seen internationally as we saw during the rise of Hitler when the German Social Democrats, alongside the Nazis, denounced the Communists. You can see this same fact in nearly every instance of fascism or imperialism globally. The “moderate” party always sides with the far-right as they know that their only hope of upholding their own wealth and power is to violently oppress the working class movement (socialism).

So, how do we move forward? Aggressively. We cannot allow the ruling class to paint anymore narratives of what socialism is, or how “bad” or “evil” communism is. While the majority of the U.S. working class is fractured, undereducated, underserved, they are not dumb. People know something is wrong and they are desperately searching for the right answer, They’re begging for a fix. They have been lied to, abused, exploited, and they’re tired of it, but they still don’t recognize they’re heavily propagandized. And so, it is our job to educate the masses. The only effective way to do this is through direct involvement: education through struggle.

The people are too far in crises to see the necessity of reading theory or listening to someone preach about the inequalities of the system. All they know is survival. So, we must offer a real alternative. We must not only bring them digestible and simple theory, we must bring them action. Action that directly addresses their concerns. We must apply the massline locally. From the people, to the Party, back to the people. We must build intercommunal power to show the people that liberation is not utopian or idealistic, but that it is an achievable necessity.

Addressing the many crises of capitalism, and inevitably fascism, is the only path forward. We face a multi-trillion dollar propaganda machine, which makes armchair education useless today. However, this propaganda machine, while wide reaching, can be destroyed through action. The walls the machine builds are made of paper. The propaganda has no solid structure as it is not rooted in reality, but in reactionary lies. It is our task to tear down these walls and shred the paper-thin lies through action.

Pick up the hammer, build community. Pick up the ladle, feed your community. Pick up the book, educate your community. Take action, NOW!

“It’s Good to be a Leftist,” “It’s Good to be Left-Wing,” however it’s said, it’s just the facts.

In a world where billionaires hoard resources while families ration insulin, where every service is privatized and every need monetized, where the poor are blamed for their own suffering, being a leftist isn’t just good. It’s really the only option to the suffering of society.

We see through the illusion. We know the enemy isn’t your neighbor, your coworker, or the immigrant down the street. The enemy is capitalism itself; a system that thrives on exploitation, division, and scarcity. It’s a machine that turns housing into profit, healthcare into debt, and education into a luxury & privilege.

There is nothing “extreme” with being a Leftist or Left-Wing, it’s far more extreme to be on the right. Regardless if it’s Republican who cut funding to social services that make it easier for the poor to survive, or the liberals who normalized the mass slaughter of the poor or homeless if they vote differently from them, or both who normalize and argue its necessary for foreign people to be slaves or die for our comfort here at home. Your media lies to you, American, your wealthy lies to you, American. You’ve been told for years that the Left is the ones who want to take everything from you when its the same wealthy who is pricing you out of your homes and communities with low wages and high prices. Your enemy was never the Left, it was always the system and it’s lying dogs.

We live under monopolies that control everything from food to communication. Grocery chains price-gouge while farmers go bankrupt. Telecom giants charge for access to basic information. Pharmaceutical companies patent life-saving drugs and let the poor die. This isn’t freedom, it’s the inevitable result of capitalism before it breaks down into fascism.

Meanwhile, the right-wing floods the airwaves with emotional manipulation. They tell working people that their pain is caused by “woke mobs” or “lazy freeloaders.” They weaponize fear, stoke racial resentment, and sell nationalism as salvation. It’s a lie. A distraction. A con. They force you to fight and hate those across from you when the people with the power and control are the ones inflicting suffering on all of your daily lives.

You was lied to from the start of your life to the end of it, and that’s okay to acknowledge. The real question now is, what do we do now? That is why we organize our class and the oppressed.

Class solidarity is our antidote. When workers unite across race, gender, and geography, we become ungovernable. We begin to govern ourselves. We build mutual aid networks, protest injustice, and create infrastructure that serves people, not profit. We fight not just for survival, but for dignity.

So yes - it’s good to be a leftist. It means refusing to be gaslit by billionaires, by the ruling class. It means standing with the poor, the marginalized, the exploited. It means building a future rooted in justice, not greed.

And if that makes the powerful uncomfortable? Good. A minority should not control the world, or profit off it’s suffering and death.

We have nothing to apologize for, we have no reason to make excuses or hide. We stand as the representatives of the voiceless and the soldiers fighting for the suffering. The state can lie and suppress as they always do, but at the end of the day, its the power of the people who will always fight for this small group of parasites to be removed from the institutions of power that they arrogantly hoard for their interests alone.

Be proud to be Left, be active for the people.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

It’s no secret the government is afraid of communism. We’ve seen them purge communist leaders throughout our history using every tool in their belt from the Anti-Communist Act, the Smith Act, CoIntel Pro, and the CIA’s many assassinations, radio and media outlets, and NGOs. And these are only a fraction of the atrocities employed to ensure the American public distrusts and fears communism. I won’t go into the full history of American anti-communism in this article, but the short of it is that the U.S. government felt threatened as the growing labor movement post WW2 had become not only extremely strong and militant, but outright communist. The unions were internationalist. So, they were demonized and purged.

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As time passed, the U.S. government also began programs of “foreign aid” running on campaigns of helping the less developed world. They began pumping out stories of how “underdeveloped” the global south was and how it needed to be “freed” by the U.S. as the “communist dictators” and “warlords” were ravaging the “godless” lands. This led to the public view of these nations and peoples as helpless and in need of intervention. We, as a nation, infantilized these people, their struggle, their very existence. This led to an isolated American working class, as it saw itself above the international working class.

Americans saw themselves as more advanced, literate, hygienic, and even civilized, which prevented them from offering solidarity, as they had years prior. This birthed a form of nationalism among the working class that constructed a wall between us and the rest of the world. The U.S. working class barely even sees the globally oppressed, especially in the global south, as equal human beings. They still see them as “savages” in “underdeveloped” or “backward” areas in need of “freedom”.

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Why don’t other countries have this same problem? Why do you see countries like Cuba, China, Venezuela, Palestine, Columbia, Mexico (this isn’t an exhaustive list) offer solidarity to one another so effortlessly? It’s because they remained connected, despite the attempts of imperialists to isolate and acquire them. They have seen the horrors of imperialism, and the truth of capitalism. They have always been on the receiving end of expansionism. So, they never lost site of their interconnected struggle for liberation. To paraphrase Ho Chi-Minh, the imperialist working class and the imperialized working class rarely see each other as comrades due to distrust, and I’d add on to that by saying the imperialist often infantilizes the imperialized proletariat.

So, how do we reestablish the shattered trust, solidarity, and interconnectedness between the imperial proletariat and the imperialized? It must be a unified fight of liberation. As we organize the working class here in the imperial core, we must also be educating and tying in the international fight as well. It is on our shoulders to humanize and shed light to the truth of the matter in-regards-to the international struggle. We must not accept a nationalist stance or ideals. We must always be intercommunalist and internationalist.

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