I recently got a new laptop and put fedora 43 KDE on it.

It is so solid I get bored.

I tried Wayland for a day but went back to x11 (using KDE Neon) because of annoyances. Mostly input-related issues:

– I used Fusuma to remap extra mouse buttons, which doesn't work anymore

– Touchpad scrolling is buggy and pinch to zoom barely works

– Espanso has a Wayland version but doesn't work most of the time

– select with shift+arrow and release shift: it also releases the arrow so you have to press it again (seems small but annoys me)

And there's problems with windows opening on the wrong screen and then completely crashing when you try to move it (under Wine with full screen at least), and some apps with weird behaviors like drag and drop not working.

neon

there's your problem

well I was looking for a forum to start cataloging it but off the top of my head:

copyq

gnome-pie

miss assigning xwayland

not recognizing USB c monitors seen by xrandr

window taring

sudo commands

executable binaries

lots more

yeah, works fine on x11

edit: I do notice the speed improvement on Wayland tho

The DNC is designed against entryism, and drives its power not from popular support, but wealthy private donors. What's important is directly organizing on the ground to form a large, working class party, like PSL. Reading theory and organizing are the best things you can do. If you want somewhere to start with theory, I made an introductory Marxist-Leninist reading list you can check out.

Cowbee [he/they]

2024-11-12 13:19:57

Read Theory, Darn it! An Introductory Reading List for Marxism-Leninism

"Without Revolutionary theory, there can be no Revolutionary Movement."

• Vladimir Lenin, What is to be Done? | Audiobook

It's time to read theory, comrades! As Lenin says, "Despair is typical of those who do not understand the causes of evil, see no way out, and are incapable of struggle." Reading theory helps us identify the core contradictions within modern society, analyze their trajectories, and gives us the tools to break free. Marxism-Leninism is broken into 3 major components, as noted by Lenin in his pamphlet The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism: | Audiobook

1. Dialectical and Historical Materialism
2. Critique of Capitalism along the lines of Marx's Law of Value
3. Advocacy for Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism

As such, I created the following list to take you from no knowledge whatsoever of Leftist theory, and leave you with a strong understanding of the critical fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism in an order that builds up as you read. Let's get started!

Section I: Getting Started

What the heck is Communism, anyways? For that matter, what is fascism?

1. Friedrich Engels' Principles of Communism | Audiobook

The FAQ of Communism, written by the Luigi of the Marx & Engels duo. Quick to read, and easy to reference, this is the perfect start to your journey.

1. Michael Parenti's Blackshirts and Reds | Audiobook

Breaks down fascism and its mortal enemy, Communism, as well as their antagonistic relationship. Understanding what fascism is, where and when it rises, why it does so, and how to banish it forever is critical. Parenti also helps debunk common anti-Communist myths, from both the "left" and the right, in a quick-witted writing style. This is also an excellent time to watch the famous speech.

Section II: Historical and Dialectical Materialism

Ugh, philosophy? Really? YES!

1. Georges Politzer's Elementary Principles of Philosophy | Audiobook

By far my favorite primer on Marxist philosophy. By understanding Dialectical and Historical Materialism first, you make it easier to understand the rest of Marxism-Leninism. Don't be intimidated!

1. Friedrich Engels' Socialism: Utopian and Scientific | Audiobook

Further reading on Dialectical and Historical Materialism, but crucially introduces the why of Scientific Socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates. This is also where Engels talks about the failures of previous "Utopian" Socialists.

Section III: Political Economy

That's right, it's time for the Law of Value and a deep-dive into Imperialism. If we are to defeat Capitalism, we must learn it's mechanisms, tendencies, contradictions, and laws.

1. Karl Marx's Wage Labor and Capital | Audiobook as well as Wages, Price and Profit | Audiobook

Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value. Marx is targetting those not trained in economics here, but you might want to keep a pen and some paper to follow along if you are a visual person.

1. Vladimir Lenin's Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism | Audiobook

Absolutely crucial and the most important work for understanding the modern era and its primary contradictions. Marxist-Leninists understand that Imperialism is the greatest contradiction in the modern era, which cascades downward into all manner of related contradictions. Knowing what dying Capitalism looks like, and how it behaves, means we can kill it.

Section IV: Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism

Can we defeat Capitalism at the ballot box? What about just defeating fascism? What about the role of the state?

1. Rosa Luxemburg's Reform or Revolution | Audiobook

If Marxists believed reforming Capitalist society was possible, we would be the first in line for it. Sadly, it isn't possible, which Luxemburg proves in this monumental writing.

1. Vladimir Lenin's The State and Revolution | Audiobook

Excellent refutation of revisionists and Social Democrats who think the State can be reformed, without needing to be replaced with one that is run by the workers, in their own interests.

Section V: Intersectionality and Solidarity

The revolution will not be fought by atomized individuals, but by an intersectional, international working class movement. Intersectionality is critical, because it allows different marginalized groups to work together in collective interest, unifying into a broad movement.

1. Vikky Storm and Eme Flores' The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto | (No Audiobook yet)

Critical reading on understanding misogyny, transphobia, enbyphobia, pluralphobia, and homophobia, as well as how to move beyond the base subject of "gender." Uses the foundations built up in the previous works to analyze gender theory from a Historical Materialist perspective.

1. Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth | Audiobook

De-colonialism is essential to Marxism. Without having a strong, de-colonial, internationalist stance, we have no path to victory nor a path to justice. Fanon analyzes Colonialism's dehumanizing effects, and lays out how to form a de-colonial movement, as well as its necessity.

1. Leslie Feinberg's Lavender & Red | Audiobook

Solidarity and intersectionality are the key to any social movement. When different social groups fight for liberation together along intersectional lines, the movements are emboldened and empowered ever-further.

Section VI: Putting it into Practice!

It's not enough to endlessly read, you must put theory to practice. That is how you can improve yourself and the movements you support. Touch grass!

1. Mao Tse-Tung's On Practice and On Contradiction | Audiobook

Mao wrote simply and directly, targeting peasant soldiers during the Revolutionary War in China. This pair of essays equip the reader with the ability to apply the analytical tools of Dialectical Materialism to their every day practice, and better understand problems.

Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course!

With your new understanding and knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, here is a mini What is to be Done? of your own to follow, and take with you as practical advice.

1. Get organized. Join a Leftist org, find solidarity with fellow comrades, and protect each other. The Dems will not save you, it is up to us to protect ourselves. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and Freedom Road Socialist Organization both organize year round, every year, because the battle for progress is a constant struggle, not a single election. See if there is a chapter near you, or start one! Or, see if there's an org you like more near you and join it.
2. Read theory. Don't think that you are done now! Just because you have the basics, doesn't mean you know more than you do. If you have not investigated a subject, don't speak on it! Don't speak nonsense, but listen!
3. Aggressively combat white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, and other attacks on marginalized communities. Cede no ground, let nobody be forgotten or left behind. There is strength in numbers, when one marginalized group is targeted, many more are sure to follow.
4. Be industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your problem-solving capabilities. Not only will you improve your skill at one subject, but your general problem-solving muscles get strengthened as well.
5. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others. Liberals will not save us, we must save each other.
6. Be persistent. If you feel like a single water droplet against a mountain, think of canyons and valleys. Oh, how our efforts pile up! With consistency, every rock, boulder, even mountain, can be drilled through with nothing but steady and persistent water droplets.

"Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent."

• Mao Tse-Tung

Revolution. Socialism. Liberation. - Freedom Road Socialist Organization | FRSO

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is a national organization of revolutionaries fighting for socialism in the United States. Our home is in the working class.

^{admin (Freedom Road Socialist Organization | FRSO)}

Democrats would rather lose to a Republican, to a conservative, to a fascist, to Trump, than address the material conditions of the American people.

I mean a conservative project to do exactly this is what transformed the Cheney era neocons into the modern day fascist party we see. So at least in principle that's possible. but clearly the neocons were more than happy to go along with fascism. Fascism and conservativism have effectively the same goals.

The neoliberals who faced the same kind of insurrection from within their party at the same time were unwilling to adopt progressivism and are still unwilling to adopt progressivism. The right was able to change their party into a fascist one, the left has failed to move the demo party into being a progressive party

I think we're showing mixed results on your third bullet. It did seem that way, for a while, as we pushed on social issues. And when it came time to get on with the economic issues, the core management team of the party rallied, and rather than adopt the left flank to win, steps right to hand control to Republicans.

And it's happened more than once now, to obvious and clear effect: the goal of the Democratic party isn't to win elections, it's to keep the country idealogically aligned with a neoliberal ruling class. And if that means handing control of government to Republicans, they'll do so, then blame the left (even though it's them moving to the right losing elections).

To the fourth bullet, no, it's not clear that within the machinations of the party infrastructure it can be overcome. Because if not now, when? Party leadership has never been weaker or more vulnerable nor the times more desperate. Democrats as a party poll worse than Trump, yet progressives can win elections with both the entire Republican and Democratic apparatus gunning to take them down. yet somehow we can't replace Schumer's or Jefferies.

Skipping to the 6th point, again, that isn't actually borne out by the evidence. It's not something well know in advance and only as an artifact of history. What's been extremely clearly is that so far, voting has been wildly insufficient to make the kinds of structural changes necessary. Obama is the classic example of this. He runs on healthcare, holding wallstreet accountable, and ending the wars; he delivers corporate "access", bails out the banks, and continues the wars. The voters did their job and the system didn't work.

So a relentless optimism that the system will just work as intended doesn't seem warranted, and it's clearly not going in a good direction.

Until we recognize that the Democratic party, it at least it's current and historical structure is at the core of the problem with why we can't advance political change, its pretty clear that this decent into autocracy, fascism, and a degraded quality of life is inevitable. The Democratic party isn't just part of the problem: it's the core element of the problem.

While those are technically true, they are inconseuqential at best, plain wrong at worst.

Yes, the dems could be pushed left a little over a long time in theory. But practice has shown that this is not achievable since all other material circumstances are against it.

The "least bad" option is a communist party, absolutely not the dems.

Voting is not going to help half as many people than going to the next soup kitchen or neighborhood meetup and organize there.

I hate these soc dem apology posts. Biden has blood on his hands up to his shoulders.

The funny thing about this is that if it were possible to reform the democratic party, it would only be through demanding change, and credibly threatening defection if those demands are not met. By setting conditions and giving those conditions teeth. What you're suggesting is just asking nicely for people to act directly contrary to their material interests and hoping for the best. It's complete nonsense.

Also lol at "enthusiastically voting." Yes, it's very important that you not only bend the knee to your corporate masters completely unconditionally, but that you do so with a smile on your face. You can trust me, I'm a leftist just like you, see how I say all the language about needing the downfall of capitalism?

Why are you linking to a crypto-fascist’s book? Because you bought the narrative that he’s “Putin’s brain”? 🙄

Always remember that Russiagate was bullshit.
- IT Pro: Cambridge Analytica models were exaggerated and ineffective, [UK Information Commissioner’s Office] claims
- Wall Street Journal: Mueller Doesn’t Find Trump Campaign Conspired With Russia
- Jacobin: Democrats and Mainstream Media Were the Real Kremlin Assets
- Washington Post: FEC fines DNC, Clinton for violating rules in funding Steele dossier
- Washington Post: Russian trolls on Twitter had little influence on 2016 voters
- Jacobin: It Turns Out Hillary Clinton, Not Russian Bots, Lost the 2016 Election
- Matt Taibbi: Move Over, Jayson Blair: Meet Hamilton 68, the New King of Media Fraud The Twitter Files reveal that one of the most common news sources of the Trump era was a scam, making ordinary American political conversations look like Russian spywork
- Jacobin: Why the Twitter Files Are in Fact a Big Deal On the Left, there’s been a temptation to dismiss the revelations about Twitter’s internal censorship system that have emerged from the so-called Twitter Files project. But that would be a mistake: the news is important and the details are alarming.
-
- Matt Taibbi: CIA "Cooked The Intelligence" To Hide That Russia Favored Clinton, Not Trump In 2016
- Aaron Maté: Under Trump, the CIA is still covering up its Russiagate fraud
- Matt Taibbi: Note on New Trump-Russia Disclosures Thanks to explosive new document releases, the Russiagate hoax is now exposed, commencing a new era that will be about accountability for the guilty
- Matt Taibbi: No Doubt Left: Russiagate Was a Cover-Up
- Chris Hedges: Why Russiagate Won’t Go Away The cynical con the Democratic Party and the F.B.I. carried out to falsely portray Donald Trump as a puppet of the Kremlin worked, and continues to work, because it is what those who detest Trump want to believe.

Note on New Trump-Russia Disclosures

^{Matt Taibbi (Racket News)}

Pointing out that the Democratic party and their supporters insisted we have to do a genocide is Russian propaganda sweaty

This image is a Slavic ASIAN deepfake, it never happened😤

4 substantive replies and 13 hours later, your only response is "sigh people disagree with me look how put out I am"?

Does your side have literally anything to say for itself?

Substantive? That's a bit of a stretch. One reply that cites any sources and not a single one would get past a community college level RA.

It is laughable to me that you think we're on different sides. There are two sides, manipulators and manipulatees, and none of us here are the manipulators, though you may have created an echo chamber to increase the volume of certain manipulations.

'Sides' aside, do I have anything to say for myself? Of course. Would the time spent add any value to my life or fulfil any purpose? Maybe, but the ROI is too slim. You can't reason a person out of an opinion they didn't reason themselves into. It's the same reason I don't waste time arguing with MAGA these days. Even on the off chance you're talking to a real person, presenting them with any kind of evidence is just going to make them double down on their opinion. That's just human psychology, The Backfire Effect in action. I made the mistake of not checking where I was before commenting at all. Coming back here to reply to you was probably a mistake in and of itself, but this whole 'sides' thing just irks me. I hope you don't really feel that way. If we both want to move the country to the left, then disagreements like this only serve to benefit those who want to move the country further to the right. There's this book that outlines exactly how to create these ideological disagreements that drive wedges into opposition to the right, and who it benefits, but for some reason y'all have completely discounted it even though everything written in it has come to pass since. If y'all want to outright reject reality then more power to you, but I don't have to involve myself.

Training models takes a stupid amount of energy. Using them after the fact uses very little.

I could generate something like this on my phone using any of the dozens of local models.

I could generate something like this on my phone using any of the dozens of local models.

Feel free to share the device type and local AI model capable of producing an image like this. My guess is you won’t though because it’s not possible 😕

Turns out supporting genocide makes you look bad. Someone should've told Biden and Copmallah.

It's almost as if your party duopoly consists of two fascist parties.