A number of movie critics have pointed out MIM's movie review page and then said we are hypocritical for selling movies through Amazon, since it is a corporation. The better of these critics also thank MIM for handing out "MIM Notes" free.

So if MIM is for communism, our critics ask why we support Amazon in selling movies and books. Yet, this whole question demonstrates a misunderstanding of Marxism.

According to Marxism, we all live in society organized by a "mode of production," whether we want to or not. According to Marxism, a persyn does not escape that mode of production through day-to-day lifestyle choices. In fact, for that reason, revolution is necessary to change modes of production according to Marx. Even those attempting to withdraw from capitalism will fail to really do so according to Marx, no matter what they might think.

Anarchy on sale in a window in Quebec. Marx told us that important economic decisions do not escape the "mode of production," no matter what the individual might think.

In contrast, there have been for 2000 years now Christian communists. Not surprisingly, these communists have more influence in Amerikkka than scientific communists following Marx. In more fairness we can say that these Christian communists would be hypocritical to work with Amazon or sell anything, because they believe their task is to live a lifestyle in line with God's requirements. By contrast, MIM has explained at length why lifestyle politics is not politics at all.

For example, there is what happens when a CEO at a company tries to do the right thing regardless of profits. The board of directors will fire that CEO, because the board of directors answers to shareholders. So, a CEO could convert to Christian communism or some kind of socialism and get fired, but then the system would be back to normal. That's what it means to be a system--that the individual's choices do not really matter.

This does not mean that systems last forever. Those of us following Marx and Engels believe that modes of production in class society contain the seeds of their own destruction. That is why Amazon sells Marx for profit for example. Amazon and the book industry in general has to sell material that undercuts the whole capitalist system. Hence, change does not come about because people adopt some purified version of Christianity. Change comes about because of the contradictions inherent in the most capitalist of institutions.

Although our critics on lifestyle who imply we should simply abstain from a system that we live in whether we like it or not are mostly wrong, we will agree on two points. One is that going to Amazon is a security risk. Amazon has technology to spy on people and hand over the results to the government. People should take that into account. Two, we understand the praise of our handing out MIM Notes for free to some extent--not because it can change the mode of production, but because people want to see some proof of the generosity of the party members.

It's a separate question from how to get to socialism, but we believe it is fair to ask that party members show the greatest "altruism." It's not that altruism has ever generated a revolution, but that it is possible for altruists to play a large role in society. We have two resolutions on the question of having small parties of dedicated altruists, one in 2001 and one in 2002.