Holla Forums Mentorship Program

i have concentration problems, a mentor would really help me

I will trade theory for boipuss, as was the custom in ancient greece.

Leftcoms are THIS shamelessly self aggrandising and arrogant

I could mentor people on the Anarchist basic texts like Mutual Aid and What is Property etc. I could help them out with Kapital and Society of the Spectacle and such but I wouldn't consider myself anywhere near an authority on these. I also know a bunch of not specifically leftist books that inform the leftist worldview so I'm pretty broadly read.

I think I could help a noob out up to an intermediate level.

Maybe we could make a discord or riot.im room or something for this purpose

Revolutionary Communist here, just send your contact info and I'll be in touch!

Although it's irrational, I really do get anxious about reading things the first time and missing or misinterpreting the essentials of any book or lecture. I do audiobooks out of convenience mostly, I listen to them doing mindless work two or three times then actually watch or read with full concentration. My first leftist philosopher that I started actively listening to is Slajov Zizek. Instead of starting at the beginning with Plato or Aristotle, I've decided to work backward. Any thoughts on this praxis?

Please, this is a serious thread.

That depends a lot on what you are firstly interested in and what you are interested in doing politically.

Namely try and either formulate or attempt to formulate what 20th Century communism couldn't according to Zizek, which is an objectively better alternative method of organizing society to liberal capitalism. I understand this is way too ambitious, but I would be happy if it happened. I'll be satisfied if I can at least understand Western Civilization and where we are a little better, all my life I've felt that society was so large that it was inconceivable like the universe, I'd like at least to put this to rest.

I'm really trying hard to read Das Kapital but it just… doesn't work. Why is the affectation of value not "commutative" ?
One moment (Part I, section III, on the equivalent form) he says that if we affect "2 pieces of clothing = 40 meters of canvas", then those pieces of clothing determined the value of 40 meters of canvas, but not their own.
I don't understand this.

I'm far from a leftcom

It just means that just because you have 2 pieces of clothing = 40 meters of canvas does not necessarily imply 40 meters of canvas = 2 pieces of clothing. Continue reading, he will proceed to explain what is needed to make the reversion possible.

Don't make me laugh

We don't need to educate the proletariat, the material conditions will ensure that the revolution takes place no matter what, even if nobody understands why

have you read any more introductory texts before trying Capital?

My goal is to read Das Kapital. However, I have never touched a philosophy or economics book in my life (I limited myself to college webpages and textbooks). Is there a simpler way of obtaining the background knowledge to be able to read Kapital than say /StartWithTheGreeks/ > Rousseau > Kant > Hegel and so on?

Also, I have no idea how to approach the econ book strategy. Please help a brainlet out.

honestly you don't have to start with Kant and Hegel and and shit. if you want an economic backbone of what Marx was working off you can read some Smith and Ricardo. Otherwise you can jump right into Marx, just start small. Wage Labor and Capital, and Value Price and Profit are great introductions to Marx's analysis and will help you get ready for Capital.

There's no complete shortcut to complete understanding but the leftybooks collection has some introductory texts. There are also classes and lectures on youtube from Yale, MIT, etc, on basic and advanced economics and philosophy, if you can stand the ideology.

Successful arms dealer on alphabay and the silk road before that average $6-10 million USD per year. Will connect with anyone that can handle high stress situations and maintains STRICT opsec. Post PGP key and I'll be in contact.

Thanks, user.

That was the other path I was going to take. However, I'd rather place an emphasis on reading. Thanks for the input anyway.

forgot my flag

this can't be for real, if it is, I can handle high stress situations but I don't know shit about opsec. Teach me. Wouldn't posting your PGP key here be a violation of that?

Why not just start a book club for beginners on discord hosted by those that know their stuff. I wouldn't mind joining in to refresh my memory, plus I haven't read everything…yet.

My man B)

If that was the case we should vote on a general curriculum of all leftism so certain ideologies don't get drowned out due to the brain peoples personal preferences

just make sure when you start reading, take it slow. If you have to take an hour to write notes and reread a section thats okay. just make sure you really understand everything that he is saying and the implications of it. otherwise none of it will stick and when you move on to more complicated texts you will be just as lost as before.

We really should have a leftypol curriculum tbqh

So we have like a "proto/pre socialist lit" then like "Early Utopian Socialists" then "marxists" and "anarchist" sections and then subsections of those. Then other sections by general subject like history of imperialism, general history of the workers movement etc etc

That's not a bad idea, my black-clad friend

Realistically it would last a few days before everyone tried to out-edge each other

Discord sucks.

We had multiple attempts at book clubs since Holla Forums started, I participated in four or five, they all fell apart in a month or so. The last one broke up a week ago and it was only a smart user and me the whole time despite around 20 people voting on what book to read.

I think the problem lies with using discord to sustain a discussion (especially one on politics) rather than keeping it on this board. I don't know why people don't at least have one solid general on say a reading group and then move that discussion elsewhere. You need time to familiarize yourself with others, even if they're on the interwebs.

Discord would have to be vetted, like a short interview with the person or some shit, or trolls can invade. Problem with using leftypol is its near impossible to regulate whose contributing what etc. This problem is still around on discord but from my own experience slightly less so.

Perhaps you lacked structure in what you were trying to do. If there was a blueprint for a voted on curriculum then people could work on it sorta ad hoc, but maintain a discussion group so it can develop

Well making the focus on developing general radical left educational materials rather than debating the various ideologies

also for general opposition to discord there is riot.im which is pretty good

Also a large part this and this is a cold hard lesson, many people out there need to suck up some of lifes bullshit and commit just that little bit extra to being a lefty beyond shitposting. If you can't be a contributing member of a book club how can you expect revolution?

Not entirely true. You could share your gpg (public) key for identity purposes. Just remember that this identity should be entirely separated for any other identity you might have.
aediot.github.io is a nice introduction to this type of secops, remember to use tor.
Not a shady character, just security enthusiast :^)

Regarding the topic. I don't believe mentorship is something good for imageboard cultures. I think we should encourage posting book extracts. I know it's easier to just post "read x", but I think we make a bigger case and help making newfags to get more interested in theory.

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Please, this is a serious thread.

I've already got a gigantic reading list going all the way through Marx in the beginning, but the real question is: how to I pressurize myself to read more daily?

I suggest selecting a few works that are concise and provide a well-rounded easy to understand picture for beginners. The heavier works can wait until later. If we start with something too advanced we risk losing their interest altogether. If we all can try to decide on a specific number of works and what those books should be. Maybe also have the BO make a sticky so that newfags will notice it when they come on board.

No, PLEASE. Let's call the whole thing off. Anything but more fucking leftcoms.

READ LENIN

Don't make huge arse daunting lists that you need to read

Break down the book into manageable parts and books wont seem to long i.e commit yourself to 20 pages a day or whatever your comfortable with and divide the book length by that amount. You'll find that you can get through most books in two weeks with little effort and tomes in about a month.

I find that reading two books simultaneously helps me stave of boredom. I usually read novellas alongside whatever theory I'm studying and flip back and forth between the two. I also think finishing a book gives you more drive to finish other books so slamming through novellas and short stories keeps your confidence up; also to much philosophy to fast means your probably not absorbing / thinking about the content enough.

You can practice some of the 'fast-reading' techniques like limiting sub-vocalization and various other tips and tricks but I don't really fuck around w/ this shit since I'm a naturally fast reader. Also their are apps to help you read quicker if you read ebooks or pdfs or w/e but again I don't really fuck around with that shit.

Get off the Internet and / or install flux, frying your eyeballs reading trash on the net will make it harder to concentrate on books.

Drink coffee or hit up your local autist for some ADD meds.

Catch public transport.

fixing 404

I've read a few books, and know enough that I can say a few things. I only really know enough to prove Capitalism as inefficient, contradictory, etc… I'm okay at rhetoric I guess. Since there are no other people doing this, I will try I guess.

up

So we could also break the sections down into levels?

Like for example with Marxism start with Engels Principles of Communism and the Manifesto as level 1 and then maybe next level is Gotha Program or maybe something slightly easier than that for level 2, then the next level after is Kapital and other slightly harder texts or whatever.

Also I would say being a part of a loose group that doesn't explicitly demand constant reading but encourages it would help, that way you can work at your own pace but keep checking in and discussing if you don't understand something.

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Pretentious dogmatic pseudo intellectuals

the ones who think that if they repeat "leftcoms are really good at theory" enough times it becomes true. Spamming Dauve is not being a theory buff.

lol

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fuk weeb ass faggot pedo

top joke mate

I'm the only well-read person here
one eyed in the land of blind

you can start by not alienating newcomers with your autistic anime garbage

So we doing this or what? Seems to me like all we need is say 4-10 volunteers who consider themselves well read enough to help people out and put together some educational goodies.

I would consider myself capable enough to help out with a basic-intermediate level of theory and more than capable of contributing to educational materials.

So I guess consider me the first volunteer, anybody else?

Imageboards are anime.

The mentoring or developing learning materials?

1, the other or both I guess

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Basically all I'm suggesting is that a group of fairly well read people get together and decide on some basic courses for noobs and maybe a more advanced course after that. Courses would include books to read alongside explanations of the books perhaps, but the ins and outs can be discussed, then if some of us hang around in say a discord or whatever, we could help people through the courses at their own pace, I see a lot of posts about people wanting to read more but not knowing how or not having a routine or whatever, this could help them, but it could also help the board develop into a good educational space with lots of well read posters rather than a few well read posters and mostly shitposting. Also the more people read the more they are likely to actually want to go out and get organised IRL so its always a good thing

I would be able to help get course materials out, and mentor up to an intermediate level. Does anyone want to get together in a chat group to iron out details?

Newbie here. I get the idea that marx isn't hard to get into if you know what texts of his to read first and in a good order before capital, and I imagine it's even easier to get into thinkers like Lenin and Luxemberg afterwards.

What I imagine though that would be all the more difficult but important would be getting to a point where we can read contemporary theorists like Badiou, Ranciere, and Zizek's.

Is there anyone well read enough that could help in this regards?

I'm working my way through marx and engels now and not having much difficulty at all(although not yet Reading Capital) and there are more than enough secondary resources for someone who would struggle through Capital.

I can help with the Situationists but not much else.

well we will need resources on them for sure

Fantastic, discord, or something else?

Not discord please

riot.im?

Why not? What's wrong with them?

Im okay with discord, riot, whatever. as long as its easy to use.

t. tankie/anarkiddie

I asked my bf to mentor me but he's either too busy or he doesn't want to besides telling me to read more shit. But I don't know what is really good for me to read. I've read Das Capital and Communist Manifesto and not much else. Someone mentor me pls. Discord or IRC works.

we already have this discord.gg/HAMRAvK
the server has 500 users or sth and its focus is on book clubs and theory. Majority there are from here (before it went to utter shit)

i can help you, and im sure others would be glad also. we just have to get a chat set up.

You've read all three volumes of Capital but nothing else aside from the manifesto?

I don't see why you'd go Rousseau and then to Kant unless you mean ethically. It would make sense to do Hobbes -> Rousseau -> Kant in that case. If you mean metaphysically then it makes more sense to do Decartes -> Leibnez -> Hume -> Wolff -> Kant -> Fichte -> Hegel.

Just to comment on the fast reading stuff, I was interested in this for a long while as well, but after much reading of experiences I've found that most if not all people retain less information when doing it.

Capital is self-contained. Marx >never< intended it to be taken as this deep philosophical text people treat it as.

You can understand the argument in Capital very easily in normal logical style. The stuff about dialectics concerns the reasons why Marx thought the presentation of the first chapter in dialectical form was important. He never, however, says anything about this presentation other than coquetting with Hegel's manner of presentation and implying that he doesn't think it is the best presentation nor the most useful for what he wanted to show.

I'm on here, the focus isn't direct learning one person to another in a teacher student dynamic its more group focused (which is also good, but not for beginners who want to be shown the ropes) Also as far as I'm away you guys don't make educational materials and don't have a curriculum also the owners are mostly leftcom are they not? I'm talking about broad learning or the whole left spectrum, but if any of you thinks you could help that would be cool.

So we have two volunteers so far, if we get two more ill make a chat on some kind of platform.

Whose gonna step up?

you sir, you sound well read enough to teach noobs

I'm requesting a female mommy mentor, pls

I'll be anything you want hunny

comrades please give me advice on overcoming my internet addiction

Turn it off, and go to a different environment (other room if possible, maybe a library nearby) to study.

I think I made a room does it work?
riot.im/app/#/room/#leftyedu:matrix.org

Going for walks helps.
Walks are great for everything. Unless you've got a broken leg, walking is usually not recommended for that.

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Perhaps the people of this board should focus on literature that will help them convert lolberts and/or apolitical nerds to left wing politics, before they are recruited by the alt-right. It should be easy enough to do this when you simply convince people to read Chomsky. Unfortunately, I am not charismatic in the slightest and can't actually convince anyone to do anything.

Regardless of what I do, I do believe that the neoliberal world order is going to collapse, just not before we have already destroyed the environment. To overcome the resulting famine of biblical proportions we will need a miraculous increase in efficiency. This leads me to believe I should get a phd in artificial intelligence. Am I wrong?

Nice trips. Lock yourself up in a library without any gadgets and bring a book.

Guys if you are still interested in this whole thing please join our chatroom for a while so we can figure out how to organize it:
riot.im/app/#/room/#leftyedu:matrix.org

Holla Forums is full of pretentious armchair revolutionary shitposters who have never read a book in their live who run their mouth and pretend they didn't just get obliterated and btfo whenever you quote them texts they merely talk about as if they had any idea what it actually says

there is nothing Holla Forums can do to improve anything

hahaha

No Holla Forums visitors dont count

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I would like to join, but I'm too shy ;_;

You don't have to immediately grab a mic and start singing the state anthem of the soviet union just to prove your worthiness. You could simply lurk until you have decided what you want to read.

Does Holla Forums even have a Discord channel yet? It would make organizing these far easier.

Don't be shy! We are here to help you, not to hurt you.

we are using this riot room
join in.

I was thinking something more permanent and reliable.

well the room is permanent? if you are in it the room will stay on your home page.

I'm honestly not going to bother using yet another messaging system. There is about a 0% chance I'll remember to log in in that room a day or two from now.

its not ugly as hell like Toxchat or whatever, it actually is very functional

and yet this isn't 2006 anymore, considering that we have boards tailored for certain interests.

Newsflash: if you want to avatarfag or derail discussion by talking about "waifus", you might want to stick to /a/.

We're currently reading 'Capitalist Realism' in TLI.

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Does that stand for "Trap Leftcom International"?

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They trigger people by explaining why the USSR was shit and narchos are dumb.

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