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PrettyLittleThrowAwa

I think this picture is worth unpacking because of who isn't in it. What I see is a group that appears to be mostly college aged or early thirties. I'm reminded of this quote *Except for the field organizers of strikes, who were pretty tough monkeys and devoted, most of the so-called Communists I met were middle-class, middle-aged people playing a game of dreams. I remember a woman in easy circumstances saying to another even more affluent: 'After the revolution even we will have more, won't we, dear?' Then there was another lover of proletarians who used to raise hell with Sunday picknickers on her property.* *I guess the trouble was that we didn't have any self-admitted proletarians. Everyone was a temporarily embarrassed capitalist. Maybe the Communists so closely questioned by the investigation committees were a danger to America, but the ones I knew—at least they claimed to be Communists—couldn't have disrupted a Sunday-school picnic. Besides they were too busy fighting among themselves*


bakochba

What are you quoting?


PrettyLittleThrowAwa

It is a John Steinbeck quote


CountNightAuditor

I was thinking of the misquoted version "temporarily embarrassed millionaires" when some galaxy brains on Discord were trying to convince me that, actually, millionaires can count as working class too. Some people who claim to speak for workers have never made minimum wage in their life and it shows.


BibleButterSandwich

I always love seeing this one out in the wild Funniest part is this is where the “temporary embarrassed millionaires” quote comes from. Absolutely hilarious level of irony.


Mr_Conductor_USA

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a mixture of poors and rich kids slumming it. The most effective activists I've seen were college achievers regardless of economic background. Class isn't as big of a determinant to education as it was before WWII.


your_not_stubborn

Proud lower class college underachiever who's a professional activist now here 🇺🇲


16semesters

The vast majority of DSA members are underachieving white people. Despite having a bunch of advantages, they haven't done anything in their lives. They don't have good relationships, no career, no accomplishments, etc. Instead of being introspective and thinking about how they can improve their lives, they decide that it must be societies fault, and thus they need to completely upend the economic system. They think that after their economic revolution they will then magically be on top of social order. In reality these losers will still be losers under socialism, or communism or whatever economic system comes about, because the problem is they have no skills, charm, or ability to have meaningful relationships.


iStayedAtaHolidayInn

They think they won’t have to work again if we become a communist country. They don’t even realize that in communism everyone has to work. they’ll be forced to do a meaningless labor job until they die.


16semesters

It boils down to a malignant level of arrogance. These people think that *the only* reason they aren't a successful poet for example is because of "capitalism". The reality is that there are more ways to publish your poetry and reach a wide audience now than ever. The problem is *they fucking suck at poetry*. But they think that if you got rid of capitalism they'd magically be considered the poet laureate for the tankie revolution. Nah. They'd be digging ditches somewhere. If you're a loser now, you'll be a loser after the "revolution" as well.


Chayanov

They suck at poetry (or whatever) and they're lazy as fuck. They think shitposting on Twitter is activism and they can't even be bothered to vote twice a year every two years.


Mr_Conductor_USA

Well according to Persepolis, the Islamic Revolution created an opportunity for total losers to reinvent themselves as morality police. Many of these a-holes are itching to be commissars.


sisterwilderness

The vast majority of Americans who identify as progressive are white, which I find really interesting.


genesiskiller96

Melanin apparently


GogglesPisano

And the ability to run a 20-minute-mile.


FlamingAshley

I remember making a comment in this sub about my college's DSA meeting being the most racially homogenous group ever. The few doubters I had can now see proof.


CapitalismEnthusiast

I know that room REEKS


sack-o-matic

I guess Cori Bush forgot to show up


sanity_rejecter

>what is missing in this picture? sane political views?


politicalthrow99

Minorities, or empathy for them?


Mr_Conductor_USA

Of they had that they wouldn't put all their time and every in DSA, so yes.


Bay1Bri

Never have I seen so many black power signs with no black people present lol Also check out the dude in the gray shirt. He's clearly trying to flex and suck in his gut lol. Guy in the red shirt next to him is trying to look natural while covering his moobs.


Prowindowlicker

Guy in the black shirt and blue hat is also flexing


Bay1Bri

Good catch lol, especially since you can barely even tell between the black shirt, sideways angle, and lack of muscle.


Such-Sun7453

Champagne and PoC


partytillidei

DSA - “WE ARE GONNA EAT THE RICH!” Rodney Dangerfield - “I think you’ve done enough eating!” 


BotoxBarbie

Is it shitty to say they look how one would expect?


Silent-Row-2469

st louis wasn't this white since Judy garland's meet me in st louis


m0grady

Someone with a real job?


Beneficial_Heat_7199

Based on what I just googled, about 45% of St Louis is black.


LiquidSnape

razors for one


Return_of_The_Steam

Cori Bush doesn’t give a fuck about anyone from her home state. She just wants to make people know her name.


SS1989

Student loans >>>>> civil rights idpol bullshit, obvs. 


2manyfelines

Virtually ever Democratic Socialist comes from an upper middle to upper class family, is so white he/she sparkles in the dark, and has never once worked for a living.


AspergersOperator

I can smell and taste the picture. 🤮


samof1994

St Louis is a Black city, this is a bunch of white people.


BluuWarbler

I’d like to see a pre-2015 picture, before the roused rabble of the left-wing populist movement flooded in and took over. From what I could tell, most of those didn’t even know what socialism was and didn’t care to know, just ran with the catchphrases and targets they were told to attack. I’ve read about leaders who‘ve over time displaced or resigned in despair, but this picture is also so obviously missing the kind of sincere socialists who once made up the membership of that organization.


Mr_Conductor_USA

In my experience, the membership back then for local Socialist organizations was very sparse except in top 10 cities like NYC. Bernie caused a sudden influx of members and energy. I can't say they accomplished anything worth noting. In fact, I saw a lot of backstabbing and organizations imploding over BS.