I searched and havent found anyone asking this. what is your personal story of becoming a communist? I will share mine. but im going to try not to reveal any personal info and id suggest anyone else do that too. I want to keep this short but…
I became a leftist in late 2019 early 2020. before this i would say i was a “centrist” or just non political, it just seemed like a way to argue with people. In short, the corona virus was what lead me to being radicalized. since we weren’t allowed to leave our homes, i spent time on obscure apps meeting many people around the globe, most of which were from the third and second world, a surprising many of which were communists. one asked if im a marxist, and so we talked about it. they ended up telling me the basic concepts of surplus value and how businesses must care only about profit, how universities and hospitals are run as businesses in places like america, and how workers are screwed over by the bosses despite doing all the work, and that all of this is what socialism is trying to fix. after some internet research I found the marxist internet archive, and i read lots of short readings, a few books, and watched lots of youtube videos by people such as non compete and Hakim, and now here I am today cursed with knowledge that I am exploited by my boss. sadly i’ve yet to do any real organizing. but I might get there some day.
just to be clear, i’ve left out many details of stuff that helped me become a marxist to keep it short. it was a long process that is still happening too
First I always found it curious you could never find out what communism was in school. Second I had a strong if basic understanding that there was something very wrong with the world and that whatever it was was an intentional conspiracy among the rich. I saw the wars growing up as an air force brat. I knew what the CIA did. I saw things in terms of empire and colonialism from a young age.
When I was in highschool I watched a documentary on Che Guevara featured on Netflix at the time. It immediately clicked with me. I admired his life and the Cuban revolution. I admired his pursuit of international liberation.
I became an adult during occupy and the recession. That shaped me. I was forced into the Navy through poverty. When I got out I couldn’t afford rent or find a decent job. I became nomadic for a number of years. I struggled a lot especially in the first few years as a civilian. I struggled with my identity and materially.
With Bernie I started calling myself a progressive. I saw demoracy fail. I saw the voices I trusted start advocating for the people I hated. I saw Bernie whistle stop for the party that betrayed the democracy. I rejected them all. And turned heavily to Marx.
At some point I got heavily into Lenin and Stalin. But I think I was already exposed to Socialism V Liberals, the debate between Stalin and HG Wells.
Whenever I found Michael Parenti it sealed the deal. It was overall a decades long process made mostly from my own practical experiences