Humans are not disconnected from the ecosystem. The wellbeing of animals is also the wellbeing of humans.

so are you gonna say that climate change has no place in marxism because trees cant organise themselves?

Yes. I would say that in the 1980s there was already an understanding formed about the IMF’s role in neo-colonial exploitation and also just considering the fact that the US is its most powerful member.

The Marxist Project, Positive Leftist News, Lady Izdihar

This is a very complex question because Russians are not homogeneous in their opinions of the west. Speaking from personal experience from people I know and on social media: I would say there are three major groups:

• People who really don’t care. Mostly older population or people outside major population centers. A lot of people just aren’t polarized the same way people are in the west.
• People who want to be like the west. These are usually more upper-class city people (Moscow, St. Petersburg) who consume western media and products, go on vacations to Europe. Also a lot of younger people with good english. This group wants better civil liberties (ala USA), more integration with western organisations (for travel an commerce).
• Then there are people who think the west is awful and Russia is the bastion of wholesome family (christian orthodox) values. They see the problems in the western world, but (without marxist analysis) attribute it to ‘multiculturalism’ and lgbt people. Similar to how right wing groups in the west present the issues.

I would also say that it is mostly unchanged since 2022, maybe just more solidified. There was definitely a shift in 2014, because afterwards the Russian government saw that they cannot cooperate with the west and at the same time maintain their status as a regional power. So since then there was more of a push in the media towards anti western views.

This is what I can think of off the top of my head. Would be happy to answer any follow up questions the best i can

I agree with the MicrophoneFiend that these are all deep and diverse topics. For question 2 I would recommend Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union by Roger Keeran & Thomas Kenny.

Also keep in mind for questions 1 and 3 that the soviet union existed from 1922 to 1991, conditions and the economy varied immensely. you would have to be more precise which period you are interested in.

I recommend How europe underdeveloped africa by Walter Rodney if you want to learn more on the topic. In short the answer is that the power came from the development of capitalism in europe.

me: an econ major

Social transition and body transition are related, but not necessarily connected. It is possible to do one without the other for different reasons.

I wrote a short baby leftist reading list a while back which might be useful!

1. Principles of communism (Engels). https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm Explains the history of capitalism and what communism is in very basic terms.
2. Wage labour and capital (Marx). https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/ The very very basics marxist economic theory. Like a taster of Capital.
3. The three sources and three component parts of Marxism (Lenin). https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1913/mar/x01.htm Super short essay by Lenin on the key concepts of marxism to tie everything together.
4. Imperialism (Lenin). https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ We live in the world of imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism. Lenin in many ways predicted the 21st century evolution of capital.

Extra reads:

• Classic: Communist Manifesto (Marx+Engels). https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ If you want to know what all the fuss is about.
• Feminism + Liberation: Women, Race & Class (Davis). Connects socialist feminist theory and black liberation theory. One of my favs of all time.