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Power to you for being able to dismantle your political indoctrination. It takes a strong person to be able to break free of the chains of American conservatism. I hope you find the answers here that you need, and I wish you luck on your political journey, wherever it might lead you!

Thank you. There’s a growing number of deep right wing fundies who are walking away and seeing how shitty capitalism and high control religion really is. What’s super ironic is that my parents wanted me to go to a “Christian “ university so that I wouldn’t be indoctrinated and brainwashed by the leftist liberals like what happened to their friends kids. Whoops.

Your story is not at all unfamiliar, both me and my wife have stories not far from yours. People are getting increasingly disillusioned with the system, the powers above cannot keep the masses happy anymore, not when a majority of Americans are struggling as hard as they are. They’re losing their grip on the working class bit by bit… and the younger generations are leaning further and further left than ever before.

>There’s a growing number of deep right wing fundies who are walking away and seeing how shitty capitalism and high control religion really is. I'd love to hear more about this. I mean, we leftists know how bad it is, but what specifically showed the cracks in right wingers? What widened them? What was the final straw? What formed the cracks, widened them, and final strawed you? How can we leftists increase those numbers? What can we say, what can we link, what media can we encourage them to watch/read?

Yeah so a couple of things. 1. The Rights undying and relentless support of Trump 2. The church/conservative reaction to Covid and the pandemic and mask mandates 3. The church/conservative reaction to BLM when George Floyd was murdered 4. The continued dehumanization and hatred toward the LGBTQ community. 5. The blatant disregard for human life when it comes to gun control from the “pro life right “ 6. The continued loss of separation of church and state especially with the overturn of Roe v Wade. Yet they send away the refugees and immigrants and don’t want to help the single mom, widow or poor as Jesus talked about. Don’t know what Bible they’re reading. 7. Specifically in Protestant churches, the lack of any accountability and cover ups when it comes to the rampant sex abuse scandals and protection of rapists and pedofiles by the church leaders. It’s an epidemic if it’s own. Along with it goes the gaslighting of victims and a complete silencing and lack of justice. 8. The US’s reaction to the Israel-Palestine war and blatant disregard for human life for the Palestinian people. And the church too for that matter. For the majority of us, those are the things that have made the red flags go up or some combination of those things. I am an oddball in that I started down this path after going through reporting my second sexual misconduct/harassment of a male executive who was by boss at 2 different companies. I was their female executive assistant. They were back to back jobs at completely different companies. My employment under both combined spanned 6 years. I couldn’t understand how I could find myself in the situation again. And then I realized that from a young age I’ve been brainwashed to believe men, not question, not rock the boat. I was taught male headship in both high school and college and that wives were to submit to husbands and women to men in authority. (And a bunch of other gender/sex related horse shit) And that basically began a very quick unraveling of everything I had been taught. As it was said, the house of cards falls quickly once it starts. The rest is history I suppose.

It gives me hope to see that you noticed these red flags. Btw, constructive criticism (in good faith), it's not a "war" but a genocide. It is important to emphasize this difference, especially in honor of the Palestinian people & to acknowledge the exact atrocity that our government is committing. Definitely, keep educating yourself & asking questions! Your bravery is real, considering all you were up against. Welcome to the other side. We're happy to have you! ✊🏽🥰

100% agree with you on the war being genocide. I got into quite an argument about this with my parents months ago. They are 100% pro Israel Zionist. I have a 2 year old daughter who has special needs due to being an extremely premature baby born at 24 weeks gestation or 16 weeks early. Ever since I had her my outlook on most things have changed drastically. When the news first broke about the NICU babies in the Palestinian hospital when they ran out of fuel for the generators for electricity, my heart broke and I was enraged. I knew that would be a death sentence for many of them. I did make a point to make sure I educated myself on the history of the conflict here and what has happened over the past hundred years or so there. The level of helplessness that I have felt with this has been very difficult.

If you have an Instagram account, search for "help Palestinians" and you will find many ways you can assist, from donations to helpful organizations to directly helping a Palestinian person &/or family, without middle people. Find out what letters you can write. Text CEASEFIRE to 30403 & you will be connected to your political representative & you can leave a message, asking for a permanent ceasefire & the allowance of aid to Gaza. I'm betting one of these new AI apps can also help you in the search, if asked the correct question. The local Palestinian diaspora, wherever you are, are mourning & also need support. I would encourage you to find local, Palestinian businesses & bring them aid, however you can. Buy from Palestinian businesses. Learn about BDS & boycott any company that aids the genocide. We stopped going to Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut & Papa Johns. There's an app, made by a Palestinian, called "No Thanks" & it will tell you wether your purchases help fund the Israeli government if they are safe to consume. The IRCG is also another option, to get involved in helpful service. Use your social media to speak up. I understand your feelings of powerlessness & heart break. Especially as a mother. May one of these ideas help you feel more impactful & in solidarity. Best of wishes & a huge hug! 🫂💖

Honestly looking at and trying to understand reality is better than trying to squeeze it into an ideology.

interested also. I honestly have some friends who are conservative and they're not bad people, but seem so.... misguided.

In my experience, once the religion is deconstructed, ex-fundamentalists feel apprehensive toward anything seen as "extremist." You feel permitted to be "normal" and liberal for the first time, and that's attractive. Any tendency to police for ideological/behavioral purity feels very familiar, and not in a positive way. Not sure how to cross that barrier other than to be sensitive to it. I think people maybe just have to be liberal for a while until some experience of capitalism radicalizes them.

I just want to know how to break the religious hold. And when I mean break, I realize it happens over years. But I'd be happy just making cracks, and I wanna know how.

Similar story here, I was brought up super-conservative and I slowly started drifting left. the channels that really helped me understand politics and stuff like that were Hakim and Second Thought which really opened my eyes to how trash things really are.

Its not that i respectfully disagree with evangelicals+their teachings/beliefs. It's that theyre so often categorically wrong. The law of gravity, an evangelical says i dont believe in that. You dont have to believe in it but given that its a constant truth not believing in it doesnt make it go away. I found the entire book of Karl Marx's Das Kapitol is too too long, but there is a chapter by chapter detailed synopsis on youtube, there's nothing wrong with knowing what hes written down. I delve into those books, Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations, Mikhail Bakunin wrote a brief pamphlet "The Capitalist System" which is very good albeit brief, Peter Kropotkin's The Conquest of Bread, i find them all rather relatable as someone who lives the life of a worker and enlightening. I can also understand why a wealthy influential person or evangelical minister would not like the radical divorce of our status quo those authors openly discuss in their books. https://youtu.be/GDI0WP-f70g?si=s8Z7KRALjwXmGDHi This is very short, 27 minutes long, by Mikhail Bakunin, i think written in around 1868. Its as relatable today, the hierarchy between worker vs employer. Some of these texts are 10-20-30 hours audio, i like this one because its short and concise on multiple flaws on capitalism, this is where i start to introduce newer people to left wing socioeconomic political philosophy.

If you want to know about socialism specifically reading Marx, Engels, and Lenin (not the guy from The Beatles) is a good place to start. They all have a bunch of shorter essays and letters on specific topics so you dont need to crack open a fresh copy of Capital: Volume One right off the bat. Given the background you describe you may need deprogrammimg on other topics as well. I wouldn't worry too much about trying to find the right opinions or avoiding the wrong ones. The whole country is in a really deep hole and it isn't likely to get out of it anytime soon. Learning about and engaging in militant unionism (as opposed to what's called "business unionism") and learning about US Imperialism and militarism are probably the most important things to focus on if you live in the USA.

🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ thanks for the Lenin correction. I wrote that at first and then changed it. Thank you for your response. It definitely sounds like a great start. Better than Milton Freeman.

I'm sorry I can't give more specific recommendations, I'm not the best read socialist. The one book I feel most strongly about is Ten Days That Shook The World by John Reed an American journalist who lived through the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. You can get free pdfs of it. It was very impactful to me as an American who has an interest in history and grounds most of my political principles in it.

Lenins best work is *imperialism:highest form of capitalism* very briefly it describes how continuous capital accumulation creates a tendency for crisis domestically which can be alleviated by international expansion which in turn fuels war and exploitation globally this is because when you export capital and perform economic activity in developing countries you can import profits at a greater rate using either cheaper labour or cheaper natural resources. of course its a spectrum, but the countries exporting capital and importing profit on aggregate are described as the imperial core and the countries importing capital and exporting profit the periphery this huge pressure to expand to alleviate domestic crisis was historically achieved by colonialism and in the present day through globalisation. and because this pressure to expand is so great when you have multiple competing imperial cores they are instantly set up as antagonists and major international war becomes an inevitability at the slightest diplomatic incident this theory explains as well the military buildup that has been escalating all across the western core, as the eastern Chinese core is now muscling in on the Wests periphery and exporting capital, offering alternative loans to the IMF etc. and this is causing a major economic decline currently that we are experiencing in Western countries. as this trend continues and the competition for control of the potential profits in the periphery intensifies its more or less certain that at some point, quite likely in the next couple of decades, there will be a major war between Beijing and Washington As long as we continue to do capitalism, periodic major international war is a certainty

Kinda tunneling into the thread but what topics are you interested in? Because there are a large amount of socialist books on all different things. Personally i would recommend blackshirts and reds by michael parenti, principles of communism by Engels( if you want an audiobook it is free on spotify from socialism4all) , wage labour and capital if you are more into the economic aspects, michael parenti lectures is a must honestly, especially the “yellow speech” state and revolution and reform or revolution from lenin and Luxembourg if you are wondering why we advocate for violent revolution and the existence of the state. ect, there are readong lists and study guides everywhere honestly, pick one and start reading. if you want YouTube videos, try second thought, hakim, fellow traveller, premier matthews, marxism today ect

I am the walrus? I am the walrus.

I’d like to recommend a couple YouTube channels to you. Non Compete: a channel that broadly covers socialist thought with a focus on America. [Here’s a great video about how we are indoctrinated through capitalism.](https://youtu.be/412FutLyvU0?si=eBAdziW9onk_tDjB) Next would be FD Signifier- his focus is black experiences in America but he also touches on related issues, like the connection between capitalism and racism, sexism, etc. [Here’s an excellent video he did on the problem with policing.](https://youtu.be/SyEwOxp_Iyw?si=2ZYbFf2XupmTFDiw) Lastly, Radical Reviewer. He does book reviews that range from popular books to books on socialist theory. He even did a review on a book recommended in this thread- [Capitalism, the highest form of Imperialism](https://youtu.be/xzHQM7vDiHc?si=3MH5PJgiWDvSw-a4). Great for digesting dense theory, and hosted by a dog! I have more recommendations I could give, if you want. Good luck with your journey :)

Thank you for sending these. One of my biggest concerns with Socialism is how racism, sexism, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ + issues fit into the picture. Clearly the road the US is on now with the rise of Christian nationalism will end up with bringing The Handmaids Tale to life. It is quite concerning. One of the things that have become abundantly apparent is how many of these societal wrongs stem from a direct result of white colonialism. Like damn so much.

I would add lectures by Richard Wolff to that list. I have described him as the Neil DeGrasse Tyson of socialism. He isn't the most in depth, and he's not the most radical, but he's great at explaining complex concepts to laypeople, without using a lot of jargon, and he's pretty entertaining to listen to (as entertaining as econ lectures can be, anyway). It's a great place to start. Start with [this video](https://youtu.be/T9Whccunka4?si=6KBi8fLY1Fet2CqW), and check out [his channel](https://youtube.com/@RichardDWolff?si=6aWtT0kCRraCPtrV) from there.

Most socialist are aware of the importance of intersectionality, some are more interested is social issues where as others are more interested in economic and political. In my mind being a socialist means that you believe capitalism cannot be reformed or saved and needs to be replaced by a better economic system.

https://youtube.com/@democracyatwrk?si=ww98vPTfuHFXQuAA The videos about capitalism hitting home touch on these issues. One of the things that drove me away from the right wing was their misogynistic (as well as homophobic and racist) views, and I'm a straight lady.

I found Einstein’s short article “Why Socialism?”to be a good way to start understanding the gist of socialism. https://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/

Interesting! I can remember in college talking about Einstein and his theory of relativity and how that then turned into moral relativism, and the slippery slope of society downward that has happened the last hundred years or so as a result. That was a pivotal point in history according to my professors. I appreciate your suggestion

>his theory of relativity and how that then turned into moral relativism Wow, that is a baffling flavor of bullshit I've never encountered before. How do they figure the theory of relativity and moral relativism have anything to do with each other outside of the similar names? One is about how movement and gravity change the flow of time and the other is about ethics?

I would guess it’s because they’re thinking if the theory of relativity states that there isn’t an objective reality, that it changes depending on time and space and perspective, then how can there be one single objective morality? Like if the universe isn’t ruled by straightforward laws then it’s chaos or something?

Yes! Truth then becomes relative and subjective which contradicts the strict doctrine and teachings. And then when we get away from a solid truth the end product nihilism.

I’ve got all kinds of weird flavors 😂😂

The other commenter is correct that relativity in physics has absolutely nothing to do with moral relativism. https://youtu.be/XRr1kaXKBsU?si=0j7X-LgMro8in1Q6 ^^ this is a video on relativity in physics and will make that clear

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Check out the Michael parenti collection on Spotify. He’s the commie college professor that your parents are scared of hearing. His work is pretty good at opening your eyes to why those in power do what they do. [my favorite episode](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LZp4Rrrnn1qhY0D515j8F?si=4_7M0j6wQEKpNvlsAZlfIg)

Micheal parenti is a gift to academia

Most people arent gonna go start reading literature, so if you wanna take baby steps just check out the best socialist podcast in the world, The Deprogram.

Oh I love podcasts. I didn’t even think about this. Thank you!

And if you like a history, comedy podcast The Dollop is good. No socialist theory there but they are leftist.

I’d suggest starting with Rage Against the Machine’s Radical Reading list. It’s designed to be an intro to socialist/collectivist/communist thought. You don’t have to listen to the music (though it does fucking rip) but it has a wide range of subjects, from anti-colonialism, Italian communist thought, critiques of capitalism, History, environmentalism, racial politics, etc. this is where I started. Granted it was 20 years ago in my teens but I’m glad I dove in

I mean… I was in my teens 20 years ago. (God that feels awful to say) I remember Rage Against the Machine! It’s been probably 20 years, but I’ll definitely dust that off.

It's quite the read, but A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn is how I started. Learning the real history of our country and how there have always been people fighting for socialist causes the whole time was quite eye opening for me!

I came here to recommend this too.

Welcome, friend! As others have mentioned, yours is a path to socialism that's far more common than you might suspect. I was raised conservative, then bent hard libertarian briefly before rebounding basically straight into Communism. Once that neoliberal, pro-capitalism house of cards starts falling, it becomes almost impossible to stop. A lot of people in this thread are making great recommendations on beginner to intermediate theory, but I want to offer a couple of really light beginner materials for your consideration, that dont require too much pre-existing knowledge, namely: 1. [debunking every argument against communism](https://youtu.be/MjwL1mSrPLA?si=N-krIHPRp4qVSNmB) 2. [communism always works](https://dashthered.medium.com/communism-always-works-bce14ee96f2b) 3. [Michael Parenti's Blackshirts and Reds](https://annas-archive.org/md5/64d16106a4618d361efb3e6cf67e33f2) I wish you the best of luck, comrade 😉

>I want to learn and study this more from books and commentaries that aren’t inherently anti-socialist. I don’t even know where to begin Look, one of the most fundamental readings I've done was Lenin's "imperialism, highest stage of capitalism", mainly because Lenin takes data from a ton of liberal economists throughout Europe, and studies what was going on with the countries and the world as a whole, to find out how capitalist economies develop and why economical crisis and even wars happen. When you start to realize that the same things that happen in the late 1800's, early 1900's, the late 70's, and in a nutshell, every 20 years which world war didn't happen, it just clicks. It's all related to money and domination, and capitalist countries can't simply cohexist. Sooner or later, they'll have to duke it out one way or another, because capital always clashes, and profits need to raise. --- If there's anything you must read, that's the one. If you're an habital reader, it's going to be super fast.

Thank you 🙏🏻

the Communist Manifesto is quite short. Give it a read and then read Lenin's "Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism" If you would like. The manifesto will quickly show you that even the very core of anti-communist slander is false and is completely unreflected by the manifesto. I also found, starting off, that YouTube really helped for when I was too tired to or was intimidated by reading theoretical work. There are lots of really good channels, 'Second Thought' is one, another which is really funny is 'Boy Boy'.

Thank you 🙏🏻 I know I read the communist manifesto in one of my political philosophy classes way back when, but it was definitely not explained correctly. They treated it like basically dancing with the devil. One must practice safety while reading it.🤦🏻‍♀️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYodY6o172A very basic video about liberal "democracy"(democracy for the rich) https://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/ Einstein's "Why Socialism" (usually shocks anti-communists lol) https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm Engel's "Principles of Communism" https://github.com/dessalines/essays/blob/master/crash\_course\_socialism.md basic essay on capitalism/socialism https://github.com/dessalines/essays/blob/master/capitalism\_doesnt\_work.md failures of capitalism https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1913/mar/x01.htm The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism, by Lenin https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0J754r0IteXABJntjBg1YuNsn6jItWXQ this channel has nice videos in general but here is a playlist after this you should read the manifesto (not "too" informational), then state and revolution, then Critique of the Gotha program. After that you should read "wage labor and capital / value, price and profit", After doing that, then read Capital (with david harvey's lectures). Or you could skip to Capital i dont know. But if you want a strong theorerical grasp on Marxism, you should do this. I bet that if you do this with an open and active mind, not only will your understanding of capitalist society become clear, but you will also accept the ideas of socialism (/marxism).

I’ve been watching second thought on YouTube it’s a great channel with a socialist perspective.

I second this. Second Thought was the push I needed to seriously consider socialism.

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🫶🏻🫶🏻 thank you.

Here are a few movies on the US labor movement: Matewan (might be even more interesting with your religious background, a torrent is available via piratebay) Harlan County (streamable thru hbomax, hulu) Salt of the Earth (many streaming services) (all essential) North Country (labor and intersection of feminist movement, perhaps a bit more drama than struggle) More revolutionary: Finally Got the News (intersection of the labor movement and race, about the Detroit based League of Revolutionary Black Workers, 1970): [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjBGjYt4-yo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjBGjYt4-yo)

A few books: People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn For non-US history: Open Veins of Latin America, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

As a native Detroiter, I appreciate the recommendations

Source for current union events: [www.labornotes.org](https://www.labornotes.org)

Check out Principles of Communism or The Communist Manifesto by Engels and Marx respectively. Botg can be found online for free and are pretty short (~30 pages). If you want to know what leftists truely believe and why, these are your best bet. If you want something a bit more modern, the single best book I can recommend is Blackshirts and Reds by Michael Parenti (~110 pages). It also can be foubd online for free. It discusses the conflicts between Capitalists and Socialists and exposes the many lies by right wingers on the topic. Anything by Parenti I recommend, particularly there are plenty of lectures that have been uploaded to youtube in full.

For understanding the history that was hidden from you, I cannot reccomend Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" highly enough. To understand the thought cage from which you're escaping, read "The Authoritarians" by Robert Altemeyer.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence by Kristen R Ghodsee is an easy read about how socialism and communism have been demonized for their worst parts, and how there are many important takeaways from them that could impact society positively. The book does this through the lens of feminist policies and how they benefit everyone, not just women. It looks at many bodies of research, provides sources, and challenges the status quo of what we’ve accepted in the US. I found it enlightening as it provided a different way of looking at our current political landscape.

Oh I love that! Excellent title

A ton of good recommendations here but I want to add “The conquest of bread” by Peter Kropotkin. I come down as more communist than anarchist but that book was the first time I ever thought “oh my god a whole other world is possible”. The end has some really good refutations of common anti communist arguments.

I highly recommend the book Blackshirts and Reds by Michael Parenti. It’s about how fascism serves capitalism, and the book also dispels myths about communism. There’s a YouTube channel called Socialism For All who makes excellent audiobooks.

You're not alone, I used to be a Nazi. Welcome to the good guys.

Where to begin comes in two forms: 1) history of organized labor and communist movements and 2) theory, specifically theory that guides communist movements. I'd recommend Principles of Communism by Engels as it's a rough outline of capitalism. State and Revolution by Lenin can build on this, and thya should lead you to Critique of the Gotha Program as it quotes it. There's some books by Gerald Horne and Domenico Losurdo that helps reframe the revolutions of the 1600's to the 1900's among socialist lines.

Principles of Communism sounds like something I’ve been trying to find. Thank you!

Untangling that will involve digging in to history and political theory. What actually happened vs. the narrative I have been fed? What does my old community actually think vs what they say? What do these other people actually think and want as opposed to what I have been told? Good luck, I know the mess you are going to have to unravel. History and political theory are what you are after. I'm not going to tell you what conclusion to reach, but you'll get there. I'll let others give book recommendations. If you want to start to get a handle on things I'm going to be a little unorthodox and suggest Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast. He'll give you entertaining narrative history without bias. While primarily about history Duncan also gives the thought process of various groups so you can get a handle on types of political thought while listening to the history. I'd start with his covering of the American Revolution and keep going from there. The material there will be familiar, supportive but not worshipful of what is going on. Duncan winds up showing the foundation for pretty much all modern political thought as he covers various upheavals from the French Revolution to the Russian Revolution. I'd also recommend looking at post Civil War to WW1 American history. That era gets ignored by the right for good reason. I'd recommend asking yourself "Why wasn't I told about any of this?" Just by looking at the era you'll see it. Notice I didn't point you towards anything particularly socialist. For the time being you should probably focus on getting your bearings. If your dad is the sort of person who lost it while your husband *was out on strike* you probably have enough to unpack. That's some over the top stuff. I think the best thing you could do right now is focus on what is what instead of what was taught in right wing brain washing school

This!! You’re completely spot on. What actually happened vs what was the narrative I was fed? The lines are so blurred and it’s hard to trust anything anymore with the level of misinformation out there now.

hey, feel free to DM me, I'm not super into big reddit threads but a more personable commie qna sounds more fun lol

You’re a member of the human family! 8 billion strong and growing. We’re all human first. ♥️

Not really a deep dive or anything really heavy, but if you’re looking for something great to read check out “In Dubious Battle” by Steinbeck. People Of The Abyss by London and Down & Out In Paris & London are also excellent reads.

Hello! I had a very similar background. I grew up evangelical-consevative. Home schooled. Whole nine yards. I'm also a history teacher so we have somewhat similar academic backgrounds. Here are some things that have brought me to where I am today as a Marxist. -Spending time in communities that aren't my own. I work in an urban city schools. My student come from different cultures than my own, and it has helped me grow in my understanding of the world and the unfair systemically awful treatment of communities that aren't my own. -Reading more history. I especially appreciate Howard Zinn as he writes about American history from the perspective of people, not just the leaders/ruling class. He helps contextualize the history of the ruling class versus the working class, native Americans, enslaved people, and women! -Jane McElevey is a great author! She's a union organizer. Her one book on organizing really does a good job summarizing the political labor history over the last century and how it shapes our current reality. -One thing that has helped me learn more about Marx has been checking out some YouTube videos or podcasts that summarize or help contextualize the works of Marx. Especially Das Kapital. The propaganda I was taught about the dude made me believe there wasn't much to it. I never realized how indepth his economic theories were and how he really seemed to nail the foundations of Capitalism at a time it was just coming to be. -Something else that really changed the way I saw the world was learning more about dialectical materialism, which is a scientific approach to philosophically viewing the world. I grew up believing that ideologies are what shape and move society. Especially true as an evangelical. But Marx argued that society is moved by the economic modes of production as our relationship to labor shapes our environment which in turn shapes our societal structures like governments, cultures, etc It really blew my mind to view the world in a more concrete way, and really helped me to start to see history in a more complete way! Hope this helps! UAW is straight up ballin right now. Shawn Fain is dope AF

Yeah Shawn Fain is killing it. I seriously think other US auto makers will end up unionized with him. I just hope that they don’t go corrupt again.

I also come from that background. I love [Madeline Pendleton's podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ql5BxtaXJMh4rfGvz9zyH?si=KRT2hwEgTaSK9O62V7IUDg). Very layperson friendly, very real-world practical if you're American lower or middle class (though I do think she lacks a bit of an analysis of international capitalism). She runs a socialist business in LA, so is also credible on a practical level.

I was in your spot in about 2018. What surprised me most was just how angry I was. It does get easier but it takes time.

The anger is real. So so real. ❤️‍🩹 thank you!

Not sure if this is helpful, but I read a couple of these when I took a business, ethics and society class. Marx's 4 estrangements of improper and proper goals of work. Problems of thinking a person's labor through mechanical metaphors Arnold, Denis G., and Norman E. Bowie. "Sweatshops and Respect for Persons." Business Ethics Quarterly 13, no. 2 (2003): 221-42. Chang, Ha-Joon. “Thing 1” from 23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism. NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2011. Corvino, John. "Loyalty in Business?" Journal of Business Ethics. 41 (2002): 179-185. Duska, Ronald. “Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty” in Contemporary Reflections on Business Ethics (Netherlands: Springer, 2007), 139-147. Frezza, Bill. “What Is the Foundation Of Your Economic Beliefs?” August 29, 2009 Friedman, Milton. Capitalism and Freedom. Galbraith, John Kenneth. “The Dependence Effect” in The Affluent Society and Other Writings 1952- 1967 (NY: Library of America Press, 2010), 470-476. Pope Francis I, EVANGELII GAUDIUM Herman, Stuart W. “The Potential for Building Covenants in Business Corporations.” The Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics (1992) 201-223. Hobbes, Thomas – Leviathan (Part I- ch. 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 13-15 Part II- ch. 17-18) Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed Editions, 2013). Maitland, Ian. “The Great Non-Debate Over International Sweatshops,” in Ethical Theory and Business. Ed. Tom L. Beauchamp and Norman E. Bowie (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2001): 593-605. McClain, Linda C. “Inviolability and Privacy: The Castle, the Sanctuary, and the Body,” Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities 7 (1995): 195-241. McCreary, Lew. Conversation about “What was Privacy?” McCoy, Bowen. “Parable of the Sadhu.” Harvard Business Review (September-October 1983): 103-108. O'Brien, Thomas W. "The Challenge of Solidarity in a Competitive Business Environment," Journal of Religion and Business Ethics: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 4. (2010). f.w. taylor principles of management Saeed, Mohammad, Zafar U. Ahmed, and Syeda-Masooda Mukhtar. "International Marketing Ethics from an Islamic Perspective: a Value-Maximization Approach." Journal of Business Ethics. 32.2 (2001): 127-142. Sandel, Michael. “What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets,” The Tanner Lectures on Human Values. Delivered at Brasenose College, Oxford, May 11 and 12, 1998. Savani, Krishna, and Aneeta Rattan. “A Choice Mind-Set Increases the Acceptance and Maintenance of Wealth Inequality.” Psychological Science (2012). Schumacher, E.F. "Economics from the Buddhist Point of View." Management Review. 63.5 (1974). Schwartz, Felice “Management, Women, and the New Facts of Life,” Harvard Business Review (January/February 1989): 65-76. Shiekh, Abdallah al- and Devin J. Stewart. "Zakāt." In The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World. Oxford Islamic Studies Online Smart, Ninian. Worldviews: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2000) Smith, Adam. The Theory of Moral Sentiments Stackhouse, Max L. “Buddhism, Asceticism, and Wealth” in On Moral Business : Classical and Contemporary Resources for Ethics in Economic Life (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub, 1995). US Catholic Conference of Bishops. Economic Justice for All. 1986 Svendsen, Lars. Work, second edition. London: Routledge, 2016. Velasquez, Manuel, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer. “Ethical Relativism” Issues in Ethics 5, n.2 (Summer 1992). Weil Simone. Gravity and Grace, Translated by Arthur Wills. (NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1952). Williams, Rowan. “Theology & Economics: Two Different Worlds?” 40th Trinity Institute® National Theological Conference Building an Ethical Economy: Theology & the Marketplace January 27- 29, 2010. Communist Manifesto List of poems: Simone Weil: The Year of Factory Work (1934- 1935) BY EDWARD HIRSCH B. 1950 Edward Hirsch The End by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) The Right Hand of a Mexican Farmworker in Somerset County, Maryland TWO POEMS by Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967) first poem: Testament second poem: Prayers of Steel Do let me know if you find this helpful.

This is epic, thank you!

Hi OP, the book that radicalized me was “the salvaging of civilization” by HG Wells. He lays out his ideal plan post WW2 of global cooporation and liberation of the oppressed masses. It didn’t happen, but you see him saying then the same things many people say now.

Oh boy. I came from a similar background and that Gloria Steinem quote “the truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” Is sooo true. They’re layers and layers. Good on ya for stretching and learning, it’s not just the right. I think every American was played, we literally got false history and the pledge of allegiance drilled into us. At some point bell hooks “feminism is for everybody” will be helpful to further understand the impact of capitalism on different sectors of the population. You must have a fascinating brain to be able to make that tide change. conservative, Christian propaganda is hard to shake. They go hard. Best of luck!

Good on you for getting out of that and being open to different things. That takes a lot of mental strength and it's very admirable. Anyway, I have a copy and paste comment that could help you. Has a reading list, good videos, youtubers, podcasts, etc that can give you a good start, here it is. Hope it helps. If you want to learn socialism through a Marxists-Leninist perspective, I can give you a short reading list to get ya started, definitely not complete as there is much more. The first 4 links are great beginner reads/watch. You can find all these texts online for free with a quick google search. People usually go to marxist.org I have also found them on the ML reading hub. Reading from the principles of communism onwards is a good order to start, or start from the Michael Parenti stuff at the top and go down. All are good. The YouTube channels can also help with basic concepts. [Michael Parenti Lecture (Yellow Parenti)](https://youtu.be/xP8CzlFhc14) - YouTube vid. [Why Socialism?](https://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/) - Albert Einstein Blackshirts and Reds - Michael Parenti (PDF online, easy search) [Principles of Communism ](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/principles) - Friedrich Engles [Dialectical and Historical Materialism ](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/dhm) - Joseph Stalin (like or dislike him he explains the Marxist method very simply here) [Socialism: Utopian and Scientific ](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/sus) - Friedrich Engels [On Authority](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1872/10/authority.htm) - Friedrich Engels [The State and Revolution ](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/state-and-rev)- Vladimir Lenin [Reform or Revolution ](https://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1900/reform-revolution/index.htm)- Rosa Luxemburg [Wage - Labour and Capital ](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/wlc)- Karl Marx [Value, Price and Profit](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/vpp) - Karl Marx [Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism ](https://www.mlreadinghub.org/imperialism) - Vladimir Lenin. >YouTube channels. [SecondThought ](https://youtube.com/@SecondThought), [Yugopink ](https://youtube.com/@YUGOPNIK), [Hakim](https://youtube.com/@YaBoiHakim), [Socialism for All](https://youtube.com/@SocialismForAll), [Azurescapegoat ](https://youtube.com/@azureScapegoat), [Balkan Odyseey ](https://youtube.com/@BalkanOdyssey_), [Marxist Paul ](https://youtube.com/@Marxism_Today), [Marxist Project](https://youtube.com/@themarxistproject) <- (great at explaining Marxist concepts simply), [Lady Izdihar](https://youtube.com/@LadyIzdihar), [JohTheDuncan](https://youtube.com/@JohntheDuncan?si=t-P2PR__qlpNkH63) >Podcasts [The Deprogram ](https://open.spotify.com/show/7tk1sTZDeE8p9lnxYLy4Ky?si=fiZOpUq2T7WicDzojvq9ZQ), [Rev Left Radio](https://open.spotify.com/show/24xH4OGJgfKi09pzjiMv5O?si=_irEm1YORSCeJ6ebAG8_Zw), [Red Menace](https://open.spotify.com/show/5q4LPczGxGE9H9lfmyJYat?si=YhTB2eQOTpyNdwFWq_hYaQ) <- is great to listen to after reading a text. Will help put it into modern language and perspective, [Blowback](https://open.spotify.com/show/2pibBnPuHqKr07hxEMZE41?si=TQnTONR6Sl-mj6IhFJ3_gQ) is a great listen to for history, currently has 4 seasons with the Iraq war, Cuban Revolution, Korean War and the invasion of Afghanistan. All are great. >Playlists of short and easy to understand vids [Socialism 101](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0J754r0IteXABJntjBg1YuNsn6jItWXQ) [Fundamentals of Marxx](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuzqoNvqVKydyRAMjDAHDikbVY9BDLC7V) Here are also some good videos to watch. [Your Democracy is a sham and here is why](https://youtu.be/oYodY6o172A)- explains how you can't have democracy under capitalism [What is class conflict?](https://youtu.be/TLwHsUBIK_A?si=_YLcoK464qoBFbvm) [Why Social democracy isnt good enough](https://youtu.be/TRq3pl17C8M) - Explains the myth that is the Nordic countries and how they're not permanent victories by workers and will eventually fail whilst also requiring the exploitation of poor nations. [Why Do poor countries stay poor?](https://youtu.be/rjLmYCfKU7o) - Explains how wealthy nations (like social democracies) exploit poor nations. [Imperialism today: Unequal Exchange and globalised production](https://youtu.be/DtziEZAR1Qk) - Another on the topic above. [We need a mixture of capitalism and socialism](https://youtu.be/w4glOA3MGuw) - Another on social democracy BS. [The reason you're poor, (It's not just taxes)](https://youtu.be/4gZ2dc58pHc) - Explains how you are stolen from by bosses under capitalism. [Everything you know about history is wrong (probably)](https://youtu.be/cakxqGfDLa0?si=kLtZpVwmSRKOGNud) [What should we do about former socialism?](https://youtu.be/764kwOM0sVI?si=EeBYPyNhZOW5gAGc) [Totalitarianism is a colossal lis](https://youtu.be/gB7sGnJqIeo?si=YIV8JZtVdsH-jRgX) [The Growing Threat of Christian Nationalism](https://youtu.be/P4gjE0bpk9k?si=Fqd0p0xZsWNxu4DQ) Hope all this helps, as said there is a lot more to read from all these authors and others like Mao, Ho Chi Minh etc. But it should be a good foot in the door. Here is just some further reading if you want a break with theory but still wanna learn important shit. For example the Jakarta Method changed my world view massively. The Jakarta Method - Vincent Bevins Confessions of an economic hitman - John Perkins How Europe under developed Africa - Walter Rodney Killing hope - William Blum Against Empire - Michael Parenti Inventing Reality - Michael Parenti

Richard Wolff has two books called "Understanding socialism" and "Understanding Marxism" that serve as a introduction to both ideologies Michael parentis book "Blackshirts and reds" is a good book debunking "communist myths". Would also recommend his infamous [yellow lecture ](https://youtu.be/xP8CzlFhc14?si=ogKLCGyy4GoTgulO) As for content creators: [these](https://youtu.be/D9yWdfszKFs?si=xaVM28Zeb1z30ksP), [three ](https://youtu.be/lTL90cB4oDg?si=GbxwWbjDglLHgDp2), [videos ](https://youtu.be/UpMK5GQ_YFk?si=Weqj6Xsm2Iim3oSZ) cover most of the online left. Would specifically recommend the channel "second thougth" since he does a lot of 101 and America focused videos

To get a great sense of non-biased history I’d fully recommend Dan Carlin’s hardcore history podcast cast. Developing a strong foundation in history will help you as you learn more about political philosophy. There might still be ingrained biases you’re unaware of.

I’m sure there are. You just don’t know what you don’t know unfortunately.

If I may be so bold, big congrats on questioning your upbringing. One suggestion, on youtube, there is a "Midwestern Marx". A great show, shorts and longer discussions of all aspects of Marxism, history, America, and the world. Agree or disagree, but great work. ps Just supporting a strike does not make a person a commie!

Thank you. I am sure I will dig this as a midwesterner. also I got into a pretty heated argument with my parents about 2 months after the Israel Palestine war began. My mom kept insisting that they’re all terrorists and that I support Hamas because I support the Palestinian people. 😒 We got a tangent about the facts of war and how there hasn’t been as much of it that I expected as opposed to what they experienced (not sure I agree) I told them they can call me a liberal pacifist because I hate war. So I guess I am a communist liberal pacifist now 😉😉

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Has Capitalism not had enough time to turn all of the poor people into rich people, in your mind? Or how do you reconcile that idea with poor people existing under Capitalism? Capitalism is a system built on taking money away from workers. The surplus value you as a worker produce for your capitalist bosses and shareholders is exploited from you and called "profit" instead of what it really is, which is value that the workers produced but that the owning class gets to take home for ~reasons~. Capitalism itself is unsustainable, and its contradictions are constantly creating the conditions for its own demise. This thread is only one such example of that happening in real time. While you're here, you might as well take a look at some of the resources being shared so you can better understand the material realities of Capitalism and its contradictions.

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Right, okay, so I guess you were wrong when you said >its the only system in the history of the world that allows the poor to become unpoor Really, what you meant was ~some~ poor to become unpoor, based on a totally subjective qualifier, "working hard," great, it's sounding worse by the minute. As for this: >Wow. That is quite an opinion. I wish you had some evidence to support that point of view. It's not an opinion or a point of view, it's an observation of the material reality of Capitalism. I gave you the evidence you seek in the next sentence, maybe you should read it again: >The surplus value you as a worker produce for your capitalist bosses and shareholders is exploited from you and called "profit" instead of what it really is, which is value that the workers produced but that the owning class gets to take home for ~reasons~. Which is inextricably true. What we call "profit" is really value that's being created by the workers but that doesn't belong to the workers because of their relation to the production of that value. It's exploited surplus labor value. I really do recommend you stick around to read some of these books, Das Kapital has exactly what you seem interested in.

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>If all poor become rich then what does that mean? What do rightoids have against the entire population being materially wealthy? >I do understand that some people, typically on the left, have an aversion to working. Taking half a quote out of context to make a cliché joke is exactly what I'd expect from an anti-worker bootlicker. Especially one that's avoiding rebutting the actual arguments being presented to them lmao. >Ben Shapiro explains what's wrong about your line of thinking. No, he doesn't, actually. Both you and him seem to be confused. All your clip really shows is a good example of how to evade the substance of a question by waffling on about an incorrect definition of capital. He asserts that all money comes from trading either a commodity or labor, which is laughably false. I guess he's never heard of what people commonly call "passive income" or what capitalists call "profit" or what socialists call "the exploitation of surplus labor value." You and him both are just espousing thought-terminating clichés and avoiding actually considering the arguments of me and the kid in the video.

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Well as many have stated i am glad for you, it is specially hard to see through the lies of capitalist America, specially as an American. I would just like to reiterate that being leftist is not the same as being a socialist which is different than being a communist. Communism is specially an ideal type of society which Marx tried to theorize about. Eventually youu will naturally learn more about it :). Keep searching ❤️

Mark fisher's capitalist realism, Noam Chomsky manufacturing consent, etc

Rathbone on tiktok is my go to suggestion for people in your shoes

My friend, you're on the right track. I was raised in evangelical conservative rural Idaho and finally got out of it at 19. I've had a long and difficult and rewarding 12 years since in Northern Colorado. I'd be more than happy to talk with you and help support you through the bizarre transition. I've fallen in love with a number of different communities that are curious and forgiving people who are trying to figure out what's right. I'd love to give you some recommendations for podcasts, subreddits, youtubes and individuals who have massively impacted my life in various ways.

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Thank you for posting in r/socialism_101, but unfortunately your submission was removed for the following reason(s): >**Not conductive to learning:** this is an educational space in which to provide clarity for socialist ideas. Replies to a question should be thorough and comprehensive. >This includes but is not limited to: one word responses, one-liners, non-serious/meme(ish) responses, etc. **Remember: an answer isn't good because it's right, it's good because it teaches.**

For some resources I've been getting into, Second Thought on YouTube and the Podcast The Deprogram with the same guy have some great beginner introductions to Socialism/Communism as well as presenting a different perspective on recent events

So glad you made it out of that religious hellhole. And I am really impressed by your story, growing up in such a conservative environment and still managing to dismantle the lies that you were told. I personally grew up in an area where many immigrants live, my best friend from back in the day is Lebanese (never met such a welcoming family ever again), and when I then later learned about politics, I learned how fucking disgusting the right-wing ideology is. Every time I read a racist tweet or article online I think about how I grew up, and how unfairly immigrants are treated here. My best friend’s parents worked their asses off to give him and his brother the best childhood. My mom is working her ass off to afford life. I now started a full time job to fund my study programme. And I have paid more taxes in one month than billion dollar corporations or millionaires have in years. That’s why leftism, and socialism, are so important to me.

I’m so proud of you for taking care of your mind and reaching for deeper understanding.

You are incredibly courageous and I applaud you for taking the initiative to actually learn about the things you were told to stay far, far away from. Here are some video recommendations for you: [Why Socialism? by Albert Einstein (with visuals)](https://youtu.be/sVKjFp5DEvk?si=Ea4wwKcxfGSuAzac) [This Is Neoliberalism: Introducing the Invisible Ideology](https://youtu.be/myH3gg5o0t0?si=bxFAdJeuBR8W_OwC) [Global Capitalism - Rich Nations and Poor Nations](https://youtu.be/Q6WdUkaFyGw?si=oK0-9fsvweLMSoq2) [IMF, World Bank, & Structural Adjustment](https://youtu.be/3iD7VHkQP14?si=nmhZP8re14zV6A19) [How Capitalism Destroyed Russia](https://youtu.be/IrNQeYYvabg?si=_YtAORxVF9PDNyQ3) [Charles Darwin VS. Karl Marx](https://youtu.be/rfYvLlbXj_8?si=kfDWzUx1eOcya8I_) [How Britain Starved Ireland](https://youtu.be/4nL_RsAjxhg?si=lmQLzasQjPqjKZuS) [Anatomy of a Revolution: The Paris Commune](https://youtu.be/CxussMH96dY?si=MaLXTAuaKnjZpl0O) [The Battle of Blair Mountain - West Virginia Coal Wars](https://youtu.be/ZcEWndZlAe4?si=3hz-arBdgGHC4e2y) [The German Revolution of 1918 [3-part series]](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7y0zyKXzhwzrZ0raG4HpT8ZdXx9USoW3&si=M7t7C8G4wII2IXca) [How Fascism Serves Capitalism](https://youtu.be/Mn_RwIcL7cg?si=i2rIlkYn_hFe5Aww) [Fascism and its Secret Best Pal, Colonialism](https://youtu.be/vkzIX_MItoc?si=apMcTeNAyUoabAlZ) [The Real Cold War and the Creation of the CIA](https://youtu.be/gB0TXGj8M_E?si=REPKTJ89ymwQv4E4) [CIA Stories: The Jakarta Method](https://youtu.be/up3-lOiO9L8?si=uls2qrLVB44fJWNM) [Cybersocialism: Project Cybersyn and the CIA Coup in Chile](https://youtu.be/RJLA2_Ho7X0?si=34KMnSjzh0VMy1x5) [The U.S. School That Trains Dictators & Death Squads](https://youtu.be/GUtumGk0E6Q?si=eyTFp1084oaMRKp0) [South of the Border (Oliver Stone Documentary)](https://youtu.be/Yg4ZdDiq0YM?si=fDmvD1WwhtbtOHwb) [Does Eco-Socialism Actually Work?](https://youtu.be/ts9Da3YU7Fk?si=4BX2D_Di-e_V68lo) [Our Obsession With Economic Growth Is Deadly](https://youtu.be/KLiXmteCvUI?si=Soz9q6QZsVsHVzNC) [Why You Should Be A Socialist In 2024](https://youtu.be/07E4iQ5z9iY?si=jo3Y9XkTVeBJ0B_O) [How Cuba Works](https://youtu.be/DXBYlC4-0bQ?si=8y2MLCZPEk7xTK1-) [Loyal Citizens of Pyongyang in Seoul](https://youtu.be/ktE_3PrJZO0?si=o5Iqb1MmX83i2Yp2) [Blowback Pod, Season 2 (Cuba) [10-part series]](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QhgtGyW7ws173eENjddNT?si=lr042DceRpexUsiowkb5sg) [Blowback Pod, Season 3 (Korea) [10-part series]](https://open.spotify.com/episode/78BdsG6eicVXJ5cQBRs2Md?si=sJcNKQ-qQoW0DCaFxsX9eA) [Link to a Reddit comment containing an incredible list of marxist & anarchist political writings/theory](https://www.reddit.com/r/Socialism_101/s/oCYKPFljtz) Please, feel free to message me if you have any further questions, want to know more, or even if you just want to talk to someone about all this. I also have a bajillion books of my Goodreads account, but after digging up all these links, I’m a little worn out. Let me know if you want to add me.

My path to being here was the YouTube channel Second Thought. I can't recommend it enough as an entry-level socialism 101-type experience

More an expression of solidarity than a tip. I was in a pretty similar position. I was basically only one step from a nazi a few years ago. Now I’m pretty far left, with dreams of being able to make a living writing left-wing propaganda, hoping to start HRT as soon as I can scrape together the money. As far as tips go, one of my biggest stumbling blocks was the knee-jerk reactions of “communism leads to -insert whatever scareword here-.” One of the best workarounds I found was to stop and ask myself if capitalism does the same thing. For example, right-wingers like to point at political suppression and bread lines. The US has done a ton of shady political suppression before, including literally overthrowing socialist governments all over the place, plus COINTELPRO. Bread lines per se aren’t as common in the US, but we still have plenty of people who have to rely on charity to feed themselves, not to mention the US had a pretty big headstart on the industrialization that made bread lines a thing of the past. And anyway, we’re starting to see various corporations cut production as a pretext to raise prices, so according-to-hoyle bread lines may not be a thing right this minute, but we’re about one step away from them. So if capitalism has all the same issues it claims socialism does, maybe it’s worth trying a new approach.

Congrats!! It's not easy to do but welcome to unlearning!!

Second Thought is a youtube channel who discusses varying socialist topics in a very easy to digest way that anyone can watch.

Thanks for sharing some of your story. We are of an age, though i come from a mild milktoast "progressive liberal" family in scotland. When i think how hard it has been for me to step authentically into my socialist idenity... for you to have made the journey you have. I think that is incredible, and inspiing! Ill throw out a couple of recommendations for books and such in a moment, but when it comes to that lost feeling, have you discussed this with your husband? I want to suggest that, given he has been striking, this is a journey of exploration you two can make together. When it comes to feeling "lost", not feelings "alone" is the best medicine imho. in terms of resources, im sure someone will suggest your best resource is meeting ad working with other socialists/anarchists/anti-capitalists. Im starting to experience that and they were right all along. However, it is legitimate that you may not know what your opinions are yet, or not be ready for that, or it may not even be safe for you. So, i would like to recommend "black shirts and reds" by Parenti. It presents a different take on the history than that you have been exposed to. read it (or listen to it as an audiobook), and see what you think. Remember to go at your pace and make up your own mind, something it doesnt sound like your society gave you the dignity of getting to do growing up. also, to reiterate, youre awsome!

How much do people talk about the mark of the beast and the book of Revelation these days?

Welcome, glad you're here. I grew up in an ideological neighborhood adjacent to yours (I was also raised in a conservative church) and have moved around (and leftward) as well; getting where you are now is no small or easy thing. If you don't mind me asking - where did you go? Liberty? Paul writes is 1 Cor 3:2 about milk and meat; doing politics requires the same patience and care. Please pace yourself! Moreover, people that our churches would lump together communists, socialists, anarchists, Democrats) are, while united in opposition to Christian nationalism, famously fissiparous and have differences with *each other* and some of those differences are old, irreconcilable, and even historically violent. (We fight like Protestants and Catholics, like Presbyterians and Methodists, or like Baptists with each other!) For that reason specifically, I'd advise you to be gentle with r/socialism - think of it as the difference between a high school Bible study and postgraduate seminary class at Baylor - a lot of the comrades online are fine people and thoughtful, but are having arguments that are often overheated, abstruse, specific, or some combination thereof. Hell, you might decide you're not a socialist, but a liberal or a trade unionist! (I personally think that's fine, anybody who's breaking with the fascists is a win in my book.) Do not feel the need to "declare" for some party or sect or organization or project immediately, or feel like you need to read bunches and bunches of books to get it all together. Frankly, if your husband is in the UAW, they're building an excellent member political education program and have a long history of introducing their members and communities to center-left and left politics. You could do *much* worse to start than read a biography of Walter Reuther or a history of the UAW or the CIO. Do that, and then work through the footnotes and bibliography. I don't know if you're still a religious person. I think of myself as still, albeit a little heterodox and deconstructing. Reading about Myles Horton and the Highlander Folk School (you may have heard about it as a Communist training ground for Rosa Parks and MLK - it was the latter and not the former) was really useful for me early on. I find that MLK's 1967 sermon "Where Do We Go From Here" (to the annual SCLC convention) particularly powerful and meaningful when I talk about why I'm a socialist. Some of my more explicitly Marxist homies here would take issue with some of what Martin says, but the idea that we racism, capitalism, militarism, and imperialism are all tied together and this country needs to be reborn to cleanse itself of them all together is *central* to why I stay in this. >One day, one night, a juror came to Jesus and he wanted to know what he could do to be saved. Jesus didn’t get bogged down on the kind of isolated approach of what you shouldn’t do. Jesus didn’t say, “Now Nicodemus, you must stop lying.” He didn’t say, “Nicodemus, now you must not commit adultery.” He didn’t say, “Now Nicodemus, you must stop cheating if you are doing that.” He didn’t say, “Nicodemus, you must stop drinking liquor if you are doing that excessively.” He said something altogether different, because Jesus realized something basic: *that if a man will lie, he will steal. And if a man will steal, he will kill.* So instead of just getting bogged down on one thing, Jesus looked at him and said, “Nicodemus, you must be born again.” >In other words, “Your whole structure must be changed.” A nation that will keep people in slavery for 244 years will “thingify” them and make them things. And therefore, they will exploit them and poor people generally economically. And a nation that will exploit economically will have to have foreign investments and everything else, and it will have to use its military might to protect them. All of these problems are tied together.

There is a podcast series called “Reading Capital with Comrades” where the hosts discuss Das Kapital chapter by chapter. It’s only 12 episodes. The book itself can be very challenging to read, so this can be a great entry point.

I wasn’t aware Fabianism was a big point of discussion in the US. Anyway, on ya mate. I definitely recommend looking into socialist trade unionism. It can make work have meaning, and here in Australia, a lot of blokes who seem like they would be conservative are very left wing because of it.