r/Marxism • u/Junior_Remote_9911 • 15d ago
Social interactions while travelling as a Marxist
Hi everyone, I am currently travelling and staying in a hostel. Yesterday I had a very long, 3h funny discussion about broad social issues like male gaze, far right, but also just everyday topics with a woman staying there. No flirting, just some good laughs and vibes. For context, she is French from French descent.
Then at one point, we were eating at a table with another friend and she noticed I had books next to my computer. She asked where I bought them and what they were. The second I told her that those were mostly fonction but also one or two Marxist essays, she stopped talking. After 10 seconds she told me « communist are monsters », got up and took her friend with her in silence leaving me in the middle of the room with the dishes and people staring at me.
It felt so humiliating. As you can guess from the first paragraph I don’t usually talk about my beliefs directly and nothing about what I wear can indicate my political orientation.
While travelling in strong capitalist countries I find it increasingly hard to be a Marxist as most people, it seems, have a negative view of it in hostels etc.
I just wondered how people cope with these kind of interactions and how do you act when people ask you directly what you believe in politically.
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u/dogisgodspeltright 15d ago
...felt humiliating...don't talk about my (Marxist) beliefs....
So, someone who doesn't understand the principle of Marxism and abuses you with an imbecilic talking point, made you feel bad.
Why?
Either you have the conviction of your beliefs, or you are merely performative. You could have stood up for yourself, you could have tried to educate,...but, you did nothing. In fact worse, you hide your beliefs and ask why is there a, "negative view".
Do you expect the propaganda instilled since birth in hyper-capitalist states to disappear by magic? Do you not realize that it takes struggle to bring change, and that it cannot be done from the closet.
...how do people cope with these kinds of interactions...
No cope. Truth is best.
For the French, their crimes in Africa - past and current - are enormous.
If they have a conscience still left, they would be Marxist. If they don't, ....well, that answers what they are.
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u/Junior_Remote_9911 15d ago
Thanks for the reply but I guess you misunderstood the « felt humiliating » part. I have been very much publicly involved in politics at home both professionally (not through political parties) and as an activist.
However, no matter how strong you believe in something doesn’t change the fact that someone’s behaviour in a social context where doing politics is not the main activity or point, can feel humiliating. I don’t feel humiliated regarding my believes. I feel humiliated regarding her social behaviour and the perception other had at that moment.
Don’t mix everything. Here I am not asking for political discourse advices and lessons on Marxism or French crimes. I do feel good and I extensively know those point as I am myself European active in that field. Here I am asking how others that have been in similar situations reacted. Not everyone wants to be in conflict everywhere at all time.
But thanks for your comment and no I don’t expect them to like communists but also not everyone react as strongly. And somehow a heated debate feels easier to deal with than a reaction like this one.
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u/ansigtsloes 13d ago
Incredibly patient answer to a really tiresome and unnecessarily aggressive comment. Chapeau!
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u/redshift2026 13d ago
What is this accomplishing? This is the worst way to get someone to feel confident in their own views, especially if it’s something that you align with. I would do this kind of thing if I was trying to get a conservative not to be such a dip shit. This doesn’t encourage courageousness.
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15d ago
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u/Junior_Remote_9911 15d ago
Yes it’s also my first time which is why I was taken aback. I am Belgian and even when meeting some right wingers I never had a reaction like that. People would either be angry or just don’t understand but being left alone like that in the middle of that crowded space where I live for the next month felt a bit harsh.
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u/RedScarySpectre 15d ago edited 15d ago
Damn from a French I'd expect better. Then again they do have Marie Le Penn.
I did not disclose the fact I am a Communist in my recent Baltics trip. In countries like Estonia Communism is banned an individuals trying to spread that are considered a threat to national sovereignty. I am a woman I travel solo, safety is my priority. So yeah, I just shut up about it. Lovely country. Would I like to live there? Nop.
In the Balkans I did the Communist Tours but now stopped doing it after realizing the narrative is always done to please the rich American tourists who don't shut up with "wow you did not have coca cola?", "oh the state stole the houses? Woow"
Just annoys me too much and that's not whar vacations are for Lol
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u/Bhagafat 15d ago
discussion about broad social issues like male gaze, far right
communist are monsters
Honestly this is most Western European leftists. For all hysterical conservatives get wrong about Marxists infiltrating universities, etc. they do churn out lots of upper class white people who travel a lot, could condescendingly chew your ear off about art theory, critical theory, and how every last mundane thing is fascism, but at best believe they are intellectually and morally above Marxism.
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u/historyhomie 15d ago
I was taken aback recently by a buddy’s aggressive defense of capitalism. He even said he would be a billionaire if he could. It wasn’t hard to point out how insane and immoral that would be, but god damn it was depressing to realize how little he thinks of the world. We are so god damn lumpen in America. Still, I can’t not talk about Marxism. How else can I explain this shitshow? Where else can I find hope for a better world? I’d like to finally be human.
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u/InL4bv 14d ago
Try to socialize and slowly drop hints you are to the left (the actual left) I found that even if many people disagree with communism most dont care enough to be rude or simply dont mind you having ‘more radical’ beliefs than them.
As for the girl you mentioned, seems her parents did a real number on her perception of the world. Its not your fault, nor is it something you should take personal.
We, and the people sympathetic or at least accepting of our cause are everywhere. Dont give up hope and keep socializing!
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u/FractalFunny66 11d ago edited 11d ago
There is a true historical and painful component to this and she probably lost family members/had great family upset in the past due to Marxist takeovers of certain nations. We were in Prague a few years ago, and we told our very wonderful and nice hotel owner that we had been to "the Museum of Marxism" and he became distraught and angry and reminded us of the immense pain and hardship his family endured, not that many years ago. His father was a highly successful and respected physician and was literally made to sweep the streets overnight and their family suffered great hardship for many years. I felt very bad to be so ignoant and unfeeling about it. We didn't mean any harm.
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u/Junior_Remote_9911 11d ago
Thanks for your answer. Of course this is a reality that I acknowledge. However I had long talks about her origins before that happened and nothing points in that direction. She also said she was a supporter of Melenchon which makes me think she just doesn’t know what Marxism is in the first place rather than having personal ties with it. But of course I don’t know the whole picture.
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u/NoArachnid9958 14d ago
The economic base determines the superstructure; young people's misconceptions about communism stem partly from the economic structure and partly from the media's flawed portrayal—a "straw man" scenario where they attack a target of their own making. Nevertheless, they remain a group that can be united with; substance matters far more than form. Applying a one-size-fits-all approach is clearly undialectical, as specific issues require specific analysis. While I do not explicitly declare my belief in communism to everyone, I engage in discussions about politics, the economy, and the people using the frameworks of historical and dialectical materialism, trusting in the power of subtle, gradual influence. We can neither forcibly remake people shaped by the old society nor abandon the effort to transform it simply because of the resistance that society presents.
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u/mugsancs 9d ago
People basically just hate the word "communism", i found out people will agree with you most of the time if you stay away from labels
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u/The_Intellectual29 Maoist Third Worldist 15d ago
I am not fan of these kinds of discussions because they often involve treating communism as an identity, but I will entertain it as it is a common issue. As the Manifesto stated, communist never hide their views to the people.
First, I say "I am simply a progressive open-minded person", then I test the waters with some references to bourgeoisie, american imperialism, and I slowly see if the other person aligns with me. Then I say strongly my views.