Cowbee [he/him, they/them]

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Marxist-Leninist ☭

Interested in Marxism-Leninism? Check out my “Read Theory, Darn it!” introductory reading list!

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Joined 6 months ago
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Cake day: June 24th, 2024

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  • Hooks is really very good at driving the same central points home through layered, alternative angles. What this results in is lots of connections and recurring themes reinforcing each other, I expect this to be even better upon a reread.

    As per this week, the further dive into rage as violent emotional outbursts maintaining patriarchy was a good way to delve into the heart of abuse, and where it stems from. Further, The encapsulation of abuse as a method to maintain patriarchy, the two-sided nature of fathers who abuse, the glorification of rage as a superpower to use against mothers, all of it is quite sad and really drives home the fact that proper parenting really needs to be in place, along with correcting societal conditions.

    The dive into sexuality as well was illuminating, from the depictions of lust out of a desire for love and the almost “taboo” nature of discussing love helps me contextualize my own desires. I’m curious to see if Hooks dives further into incels as well. The depictions of sexual assault were deeply uncomfortable, as well.

    Hope to hear everyone else’s thoughts!










  • This is a bit of a lenin-dont-laugh moment from Lenin, and I greatly appreciate his emphasis on study. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Lenin:

    Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement.

    I like it so much that I put it in my Marxist-Leninist reading guide I made in the context of the US election.

    As for this piece, I appreciate it greatly and find it apt, though I do think that in the US, seeing everyone come together in celebrating the-doohickey can help the Proletariat realize its own fervor. That being said, again, without theory and without organization of some sort, that’s all it will ever be, just adventure-time

    Is it cool that the guy got packwatch ? Absolutely. Are we closer to revolution because of it? I doubt it, but I do think it helps us see that overall levels of revolutionary potential are rising due to the reaction towards it. Adventurism is a bad strategy, period, because any other use of effort towards organizing is going to have longer-term impact. Gonna agree with Lenin overall here, even if it’s fun to celebrate.



  • Great chapters! Again, I really am enjoying the audiobook, the reader’s voice is powerful yet kind, in a way that really drives home what I believe is Hooks’ intended tone.

    Some thoughts:

    I really loved the explanation of how patriarchy is reinforced through social pressures and tools like laughter, rather than reason. Shame is the tool of the oppressive system. I also felt that the sections on male rage as an outlet for patriarchy’s pressures on men strikes incredibly true and straight at the reality of the violence on women and other men alike.

    The anecdote about marbles was heartbreaking as well, but very powerful in illustrating how even though women are the primary target of patriarchy, even men who are forced to adopt a privledged role are psychologically damaged and hurt by it as well, fueling an endless cycle of systemic violence that circles back into bottled up emotions and pent up rage.

    Excited to read what others have to say! I’m not too good at giving my thoughts, this is my first time participating in reading threads, but I promise I’ll get better!