This community seems to be a curation of news articles, so I’m not sure if a discussion question is supposed to be here.
So anyways:
I really liked this term, but unfortunately, it has been used by authoritarians (particularly the people that call themselves “Marxist-Leninists”), so the word has a negative connotation amongst people living in countries with a democratic system, to be associated with those authoritarian regimes.
Given this negative connotation with the term, should Non-Authoritarian Socialists/Leftists use this term? Why or Why Not?
I consider myself a sewer socialist. I have only ever used the term “comrade” in a derisive sense. I do not stand for kings, billionaires, dictators, or any form of political tyrant. The populist voice has proven to be largely reasonable, even if not the loudest, and I haven’t lost faith in democracy, despite the current US democracy being under threat from within. To answer the question, do not equate MLism to modern democratic socialism. They may share similar roots, but one is far more attainable and better serves an industrial society while the other is based on a nearly 200-year theory of social autocracy that has been put into practice dozens of times to abhorrent results. It is my right to own and make use of the fruits of my own labor. The government shall not own my mind or my hands, and its duty is to protect those rights for me and every American.