The people before us weren’t perfect. Their mistakes are blueprints to learn from and build a better world
Most of the anti-LGBTQ+ rethoric in AES countries is cultural and has existed long before socialism, not due to socialism. Can’t speak for other cultures but as a Chinese immigrant in Canada, I’ve never met more LGBTQ+ phobic people than anticommunist Chinese immigrants, namely older ones. That’s literally their biggest complaint about Canadian culture and they compare it to the communism they “escaped” all the time. Word for word what your white boomer uncle says but with some of that toxic “if you dare disagree with your elders you’re the scum of the earth” traditional Chinese mentality sprinkled in.
I do remember reading about how “traditional values” are enforced more strictly in collectivist societies so there is some extra struggle for LGBTQ+ rights.
Also a personal anectode. I grew up in Iraq and eastern Turkey mostly, the main group that supports trans people were anarchists followed by socialists and communists.
People that want to westernize and “be more like America” not so much.
Very true. Personally, my complaint isn’t one of guilt but responsibility: It is not the government’s fault, but it is its responsibility, and the parties have in the past engaged in the same anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination as their forebears. This isn’t a gotcha against communist governments, but a genuine request to do better.
But also the people of the future won’t be perfect and will generate an imbalance again. The cycle continues in the end.
History may not be a straight arrow, but it does progress, even if it rhymes. History is not a circle, but a spiral.
This do be true but is the common goal then to reach ideal communism at the end of the spiral by your argument?
The spiral doesn’t end, communism will not be the end of history. Humanity will always have problems and struggles, be they here on Earth or among the stars. Communism is going to be the end of class struggle, but everything is in constant motion and all development is driven by contradictions. The creation of a stateless, classless, moneyless society, “rhymes” with early communism that lasted for the bulk of human history. At the same time, it is forward in history, we are not returning to hunter/gatherer lifestyles but instead will stitch all of production and distribution together in one unified whole, scientifically planning how we develop in order to meet the needs of the people and advance collectively forward.
“Ideal communism” is not a thing. Such a notion draws more religious, holy implications than anything else. Communism is a real, material system naturally evolving out of socialism, itself evolving out of capitalism.
Can you help me understand your comment: “early communism that lasted for the bulk of human history.”
Early hunter/gatherers lived lives without the state, class, or money. This was referred to by Marx and Engels as “primitive communism,” though I prefer the term “early communism” or “ancient communism.”