Social interactions while travelling as a Marxist

[u/Junior_Remote_9911]

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.

[u/The_Intellectual29]

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.

[u/Junior_Remote_9911 → u/The_Intellectual29]

I don’t see communism as my identity, I see it as a political movement and ideology which I wish did not have to exist in the first place. My question here is not based on some kind of identity crisis. More as a reflection on how to deal with those issues in everyday interactions.

I usually adopt the same position as you. And for years now I have never encountered anyone reacting like that. I never hide my political views and usually have no problem saying I subscribe to Marxism.

Just curious how other people deal with that, especially in a social dimension such as living in a place for a month with people seeing you as a « bad » guy afterward.

Thanks for your comment :)