Lenin worked with Germany and took resources from them. Marx raised money for the Ottomans. Yes, it in fact does mean opposing your own empire by supporting its opponents (and getting supported by its opponents, in Lenin's case) and sabotaging your own empire.

The question is who you support though, and revolutionary socialists, including Lenin, didn't give money to the Tsar, Metternich, or George V. They sought out different avenues. Supporting revolutionary groups, articles, only in limited cases sabotages, some criminal acts which disturbed the military supply chains and agitation within the military.

This is a far cry from thinking it is enough to be public about critical support of governments online. The latter would be the equivalent of :vote: for anti-imperialists. The former a principled response that actually figures out what the critical means.

[–] ProxyTheAwesome@hexbear.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Did you read my other comment? I address this pretty clearly

I suppose it doesn't truly matter whether you "critically support" Russia or not, as an American or westerner - in that your prayers won't materially empower either side or have any outcome (as long as your still organize against support/weapons for Ukraine with the rest of the revolutionaries). However, when we are having discussions amongst ourselves what good is it to all lie and pretend like we don't want Russia to win? We do, it's in our best interests. I think a lot of westerners just aren't ready to make the final leap to a full revolutionary position…

Essentially my issue with western leftists that go around fence sitting and couching their views to liberals as neutral are being dishonest. They are either confused about who they should be supporting or they are lying about it to appeal to Liberals and not to rock the Liberal boat of western consensus. They are spreading social chauvinism instead of correct Leninist analysis of the war.

And by the way, Marx and Engels did raise money for the Ottoman Empire. However that was just one example, nowhere did I propose hexbear money drives for Russia.