My only criticism of the deprogram is their unwillingness to fully voice their support for anti-imperialist causes and AES. They approach China and Russia for example in the most pragmatic way, which allows any liberal leaning viewers to think “both sides bad” instead of digging any deeper into anything.
This. I want to believe that they adopt this relatively non-committal position so as not to alienate the “normies” who they hope to draw in and convert to communism, and that if they didn’t think it would put off these people who they hope to “deprogram” as it were they would adopt more openly unappologetic pro-AES and anti-imperialist positions. But frankly it bothers me, i find it very distasteful and at times i think it borders on opportunism.
One minute they are excoriating NATO and pointing out how the Ukraine war is a US proxy war and that we should not be continuing to arm them, the next they say that they don’t support Russia in this conflict and that Russia shouldn’t have launched their intervention and Ukraine has a right to defend itself. Which is it? Do you recognize that it was actually the US and its Nazi proxies that started this war or don’t you? Are you really opposed to NATO and US imperialism or are you just saying that but are too cowardly to support a country that has said enough is enough and is now actually fighting back and giving their lives to defeat the imperialists and their Nazi proxy army.
I think it’s a good gateway. Talking from personal experience here, pragmatism is the reason I choose ML over anarchism. Honestly it’s still my default lens to analyse a situation, even if I am now willing to engage with more militant support
