To explain why I expect MAGA communism to reach such a prominent status, I must illustrate the evolution which this movement has undergone since it got a definitive label in 2022. This is a transformation where MAGA communism has shed its original form, and gone from a trend which was firmly connected with its original name; to a phenomenon that’s effectively formless, and therefore able to become a universal thing. That’s in position to have its ideas expand into the consciousness of the broad masses, becoming a key driving force in the Luigi movement, the pro-Palestine movement, the workers rights movement, and all other progressive currents. Which will make it a defining part of Generation Z’s story.
What’s changed about MAGA communism is that its initial proponents have generally stopped using the “MAGA communist” label itself, largely because that would at this point be redundant; in recent years, not just the Republicans but also certain liberals have come to adopt MAGA’s rhetoric, making essentially every part of mainstream politics MAGA. In an environment where the populist strategy has come into use by everyone with any real mass pull, it’s no longer as necessary for communists to emphasize the MAGA phrase. I use it here so that I can add the historical context for the process which I seek to analyze; a process where this mass-centered current within the communist movement has begun growing into our broader mass movements, giving it a degree of influence it wouldn’t have if it had remained inside the political spaces which birthed it.
MAGA communism has been able to transcend its old form because it was never an ideology, it was a strategy. A strategy that would let the communist movement not just connect with many of the most advanced parts of the masses; but ultimately continue building a mass base within the parts of the masses that hadn’t yet been radicalized. It’s the U.S. iteration of Lenin’s strategy, where the Bolsheviks went lower and deeper to find the real masses.
The purpose of introducing MAGA communism was to spur communists into a mass-oriented practice, and reach into the parts of the masses that our movement had been ignoring for so long. As our class conflict continued to escalate, it was inevitable that more would come to adopt this strategy, which was even bigger than MAGA. It would be the only way for our social movements to have a future; communism could either embrace this mode of operating, or continue stagnating during some of the class war’s most crucial moments.
When the Zionist entity sped up its genocide after October 7, and the majority of U.S. Americans came to understand what their government is doing to the Palestinians, the pro-Palestine movement’s path forward was the MAGA communist strategy. The parts of the pro-Palestine movement which have been able to build something sustainable, and keep gaining popular strength after the initial spurts of action, are the ones that have gone beyond the niche of left-wing activism. That have gone into the labor unions, established a presence within broad areas of their communities, and constructed networks outside the petty-bourgeois radical left orgs.
The other development that’s forced organizers to go into the masses is the emergence of the Luigi movement. When tens of millions of Americans came to sympathize with the man who allegedly shot United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the only political actors with hope for reaching these masses were the ones who showed they think like these masses do. Who adopted a posture that was empathetic with the righteous anger which the working class feels, rather than repeating the ruling class media’s hypocritical condemnations of the act. When PSL-adjacent commentators made statements sympathizing with Luigi, they were effectively admitting that MAGA communists had the right idea all along, however much the PSL has looked down upon MAGA coms.
These developments came about on their own, independently of the MAGA communist movement itself. But we within this movement have an opportunity and a responsibility to bring this evolutionary process into its next stage. What we must do is provide the newer populism-oriented political actors with the guidance they’ll need to effectively fight the class war.
This is a stage where ever-more people within the political sphere are coming towards a mass-centered way of thinking, including many of the leftists who would have been against the MAGA communist strategy during earlier times. People in these spaces—and not just the careerists, but also the individuals with sincere love for the class struggle—are recognizing that populism is the only route to success. Our task is to prevent the opportunists from turning populism into a way of diverting the struggle for their own gain.
When I talk about careerists who use anti-establishment rhetoric, I’m referring to the cynical actors within the “alt” media, which exist on both the left and the right. There are the “populists” who promote Zionism and tail Trump, like Russell Brand does; there are the left-wing alt media figures who’ve worked to smear MAGA communists out of personal jealousy; there’s also a neo-Nazi wing within alt media, which is trying to pick up the MAGA base. We have an opening to bring in many people, both within the organizing spaces and throughout the wider masses, who are becoming radicalized by our conditions. But we’ll have to make sure we don’t let our efforts be steered towards opportunism, and that we actively combat the opportunistic elements within anti-establishment circles.
As Marxist-Leninists who take guidance from MAGA communism, we must of course be open to allying with compatible people who aren’t from our own tendency. As long as someone is principled about opposing imperialism, and isn’t pushing for dangerous deviations like the “Jewish question,” they can be brought into our coalition. While we fight our next battles, though, we must stay vigilant about attempts to take our movement in a direction that objectively serves the ruling class.
Libertarians are compatible with us, Trump supporters are compatible with us, leftists are compatible with us if they’re not hostile towards MAGA communism. What would not be acceptable is for us to form an alliance with white nationalists. There’s a difference between working to bring people who’ve been influenced by JQ propaganda out of that ideology; and entering into a coalition with white nationalist political actors who know exactly what they’re doing.
As Hitlerism keeps getting boosted by the algorithms, there will come a time where it’s a major trend to get on board with the JQ. When that moment arrives, we’ll need to struggle against anyone who tries to sway our ranks in this direction. We’ve had to struggle against Trump tailism, and the next main enemy will be Hitlerism; the danger posed by both of these tendencies is that they’re being promoted on social media, which creates an incentive for opportunists to align with them. This is the corruption of the MAGA communist strategy which we must defeat.
If we thwart these efforts to pull us away from the correct path, we’ll create a force that no ruling class psyop can co-opt. We’ll be in place to capture the many within Gen Z who not only support Luigi and the Palestinian resistance, but also aren’t going to go for the JQ propaganda. And we’ll be able to do so without even necessarily making “MAGA communism” the phrase we use to sell ourselves. It’s important that we recognize MAGA communism as a part of what’s driving our movement today, and those of us within this movement certainly shouldn’t disavow it; it’s a point of pride for us. When MAGA communism wins, though, it will win not on the basis of any slogan, but simply on the basis of its ideas.
That’s where its true power is: in its ability to let us analyze our conditions of growing popular discontent, and to give us clarity on how we can reach the masses. Through our understanding of this strategy, and the experience we’ve gained in the time since MAGA communism’s inception, we will defend our popular movements from the forces which seek to divert them. In turn, we’ll fulfill our role within leading the USA’s workers to victory over their capitalist dictatorship.
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