The Question is rather simple: should I as communist (and a Brazilian) own a gun? I’m not going to lie, I like weapons and the art that is making them. That’s the only real reason I wanted to get a gun license. I wanted to collect old Soviet weapons and maintain them for the sake of it.

I’m also new to socialism and communism in general, so sorry if I’m dumb by asking this

cheers, comrades

  • Maoo [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    Not necessarily.

    A communist should organize the masses for revolution using a class analysis and an embedding in local material conditions so as to find better and better ways to organize and build their organization and its power.

    Sometimes this calls for arming ourselves, ideally in coordination with each other so that we can defend each other and our communities. But this does not necessarily mean that you “should” have one. At the same time, nothing about being communist disagrees with having one.

    I recommend doing gun safety training and practicing a bit, though. If you do get a gun, you’ll want to be sure it’s safe.

    Also in the West, most gun violence is self-harm, so please prioritize your own safety. It’s okay to not have one.

    • Augusto@lemmygrad.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      I was planning on doing safety training and going through all the ins and outs of it to be safe. I just wanted to have a niche hobby tbh

      thank you for your reply!

  • Carrow@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    Yes, so long as you feel safe and comfortable owning one. There is nothing anti-communist about arming the proletariat.

  • 201dberg@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    " Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary "

  • I can’t really speak to material conditions in Brazil. And generally I think communist ethics/strategy is much more focused on collective or group action than individual action. Although I think your question isn’t so much about communist strategy as it is about you as a communist owning guns.

    All that being said, considering the all-too-common purges and massacres carried out against communists throughout history, I strongly believe any communist who is able to should have access to firearms, either as an individual or as a group.

    As far as doing it as a hobby, why not? Guns are cool. Soviet guns are cool. 3D printed guns are cool.

  • bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    More important to organize. PCB-RR is currently your best bet if my info is correct. Having something by yourself won’t bring about revolution. That said if you get a gun you must train with it and be able to use it effectively in situations that are similar to real combat. Once you have the skills you should train your comrades.

    Firearms aren’t the only thing you need for a revolution. Logistics, communication security, explosives, drone piloting, fortification, moving secretly, organization to limit impact of infiltrators, and close quarters combat are all important topics of study for a people’s war of liberation. This is all hypothetical of course.

    • albigu@lemmygrad.ml
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      1 year ago

      PCB-RR

      Do they accept new members from outside main PCB currently? I was under the impression that still needed to be sorted out in the assembly in June. Asking for a friend.

      • bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml
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        1 year ago

        It seems they are accepting new members but the on-boarding process will probably take some time due to the ongoing party split and the chaos and difficulties involved in properly dealing with the old party.

        • albigu@lemmygrad.ml
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          1 year ago

          Nice! I assume that the current procedure is through their contact email, is that correct?

          • bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml
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            1 year ago

            I don’t know one way or another as I’m from the US and not part of the PCB-RR. But that’s definitely what I’d start with. If you don’t hear anything back come bother me again and I will bother my contact again.

      • bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml
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        1 year ago

        I’m not really sure but I can ask around. It seems they have a lot going on with the party split right now.

  • albigu@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    It’s a dicey situation because it can put a bigger target on your back. If you’re black, poor or otherwise noteworthy to the police this could become one of those “police shoot person 5 times in the back of the head in self-defence” situations.

    But if you know how to use one it can be useful for protecting you or your comrades against extra-judicial force or in the odd chance of a revolution. But if you’re in a gunfight, your odds of survival are already not good, just look at the Marcelo de Arruda case.

    But since you’re just collecting, you’ll mainly be weighing the cons against your own happiness so that’s very subjective. It’s not a bad idea in itself.

    • Augusto@lemmygrad.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      This is a great point. I’m white, middle class and cishet so I’m not gonna draw that much attention . police in Brazil is one if not the most reactionary ever

      and yes, it would be mainly to collect, and as a very minor secondary learn how to use guns properly and learn gun safety in general.

  • Addfwyn@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    I can’t really speak to Brazil specifically, but I am generally supportative of comrades being armed, unless you are living somewhere that has already had a revolution. Just too many examples of purges to make it feel safe to me.

    I am in Japan so we can’t generally speaking. Of course, doesn’t stop you from making your own…

  • KiG V2@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    Also do not ever apologize for asking a question, even if someone berates you. They are the asshole, not you.

  • ButtigiegMineralMap@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    From the US, probably a different situation. I personally won’t just because my family is very against having a firearm in the home. I respect their wishes because it isn’t my house and I have no place to disrespect that rule. That being said, I have been to my local range more than a few times and it was fun (aside from bullet costs obv) and I would recommend it to any that are comfortable with that. I wouldn’t suggest it to someone who fears being in the same room as a gun, not making fun of anyone, there are close family members I know who are like that and I don’t care what anyone feels about guns. If someone’s not comfortable, I won’t put them into a position they don’t want, but if they’re curious I would suggest using a gun with a light kickback. The AR-15 is famous for its extremely light weight , how little the kickback is and how customizable it is. It’s VERY fucked up that it’s been used in so many horrible crimes and terrorist acts in the US, but I seriously hate libs that think shooting one is paying an homage to the psychopaths that have used it unsafely in the past. It’s a good gun for getting used to larger guns.

    • Augusto@lemmygrad.mlOP
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      1 year ago

      thank you for your reply, comrade. interesting point and thank you for linking the c/firearms

      I didn’t really have any good reasons to get a gun, I just wanted to get started on a hobby I found interesting (and maybe use that hobby in a 0.000001% chance of a revolution). I find socialist-made weaponry interesting because they’re not made for a professional army, but rather the people in general. it’s a philosophy different than american/european weapons from what I can gather

      yeah basically I just wanted my personal collection of weird shit lol

  • Nationalgoatism [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    Personally I do. However the questions of whether your party should arm itself and whether you should arm yourself are different. Ie, I own a weapon because I’m a queer person in a society with many deranged fascists. However I’m not part of any formation with an armed wing