This is a discussion on the issue of proletarianization in the post “Qian Ren’s Labor Diary.” I believe it is necessary to take it out for a separate discussion, so I am posting here.
Fang Shihui
Regarding the experience of struggle, I am no different from Qian Ren, my understanding is not deep, and I know very little. I went to look at some posts shared by comrades on the forum about wage demands. Can comrades on the forum talk more about this issue? But I also think that comrades analyze based on specific situations, and therefore adopt different strategies, so I feel unsure how to ask questions appropriately. How should we understand, learn, and apply law?
After reading Qian Ren’s sharing, I thought of myself. Two years ago, I also wanted to “integrate into work,” and didn’t care about wages because I only understood an abstract “labor reform,” which is essentially charity for the bourgeoisie.Fang Shihui
At that time, I also felt very guilty towards the workers there, and I did not analyze why I failed, falling into despair. The petty-bourgeois attitude flared up; I didn’t plan to eat and live with workers because I didn’t want to stay in the factory, wanted to go home, and also thought that the factory food was not very good, which left little time for rest after work. At that time, I didn’t understand what “ideological struggle” meant, nor did I study well, which led me to never dare to choose factory jobs again when looking for work later. I chose service industries, thinking that less struggle was better, but in fact, struggle was always there. Fenghuo said: “A normal worker cannot be indifferent to their wages.” That’s very true; ultimately, I felt I didn’t need to support my family, as my parents paid for my food, clothing, and housing, and I even thought about parasitic living. I thought this way over half a year ago, not treating wage labor as part of daily life.
Qian Ren’s quote from “Jiang Qing Biography”—failure does not mean surrender. Qian Ren said that this time’s integration into work was quite a failure. Now, with help from comrades on the forum and analyzing my own failure, I believe I will do better next time (I think I should continue to look for the next job).May 1st
You really should introduce yourself. Are you preparing to do so? I saw you said, “I really hope that the subjective conditions for revolution are already in place at that time,” but this can’t rely on hope alone; it also depends on our efforts. You should come to us and work hard with us.Fang Shihui
I couldn’t make such a firm decision, so I didn’t prepare an introduction. I saw the forum around June or July last year. After a few months of browsing, I felt that the association’s route was correct. At that time, I kept thinking that the forum organized by the association—finally a place where oppressed and pressured people could vent and get help. Without this association, I really didn’t know what to do with the forum.
I hesitated a long time before registering an account about a month ago, and started participating in the forum. So I plan to keep this situation and communicate with comrades.Qian Ren
Things are often not as simple as you and I think. You also integrated into work, but once you go there, many problems we have never encountered before will arise. Some things are quite complex.
Of course, failure is failure, but later I discussed it with some comrades on the forum. Let me tell you what I summarized, since you said you have similar feelings.
Chairman Mao said: In complex contradictions, focus on the principal contradiction. What to focus on? There are many things, many struggles, but what should we focus on? The issue of proletarianization.
Our ideological level is backward, and our class position needs to change. To put it plainly, it means thoroughly transforming all aspects of our petty-bourgeois character into proletarian aspects. This is proletarianization. This is what we need to do now.
Losing this, talking about finding another job, making summaries, doing more of these is useless. That’s the main reason for my failure. Abandon the political banner, and you abandon the direction; you are no longer following Marxism but doing something else.Qian Ren
Actually, your view has problems. On one hand, you think the forum’s route is correct; on the other hand, you are reluctant to fully join the forum. This reveals your wavering thoughts, swinging between petty-bourgeoisie and proletariat. I think, maybe in reality, you are like this—wanting a good life but also wanting to do revolutionary work, feeling very conflicted. When you think about it, you are still living parasitically.
You ask: “How to adopt the correct strategy? How to understand and utilize law?” When I was integrating into work, I also encountered many such questions. What to do? There are no ready-made templates or answers for us. No comrade’s work diary is perfectly suitable for me. What to do?
The only answer is: do it yourself.
Many problems are discovered during the process of doing. For example, whether to join the forum or not—doing makes a difference; doing well or poorly also makes a difference. In the past, our forum had a wrong idea: thinking that because their ideology was backward and their understanding low, they would give up, for example, not even applying for jobs. This is a priori thinking. No one is born a revolutionary; revolutionary ideas develop through practice. I’ve never heard of someone becoming a revolutionary before revolution. Revolutionaries grow through repeated struggles. Similarly, joining the forum is entirely voluntary. But after joining, only through communication with others can you discover your own problems. You knew about the forum last year (2024?), even earlier than me. I joined later (late 2025). After many ideological struggles, I finally integrated into work, but was caught back after just a few days. Now I’ve been working for 19 days and am looking for a job again. Is it only possible to do this as an “outsider”? Or, in the so-called “left circle,” can this be done?
So I hope you can join us, share your experience of integrating into work or leftist turn, participate in our discussions, and I look forward to your self-introduction.Fang Shihui
My personal understanding is that transforming petty-bourgeoisie into proletariat by maintaining employment (finding work) is an important condition for the transformation of opposites. I think more summaries and analyses can be done to resolve those contradictions that hinder proletarianization. Qian Ren also mentioned that many problems are exposed in work itself.Qian Ren
Your specific actions are correct. But these actions must be based on political leadership, with proletarianization as the core. This should not be forgotten.
Many young people work in factories but do not want revolution. Why? Because of political leadership—combine Marxist theory with practice, specifically focusing on proletarianization. Otherwise, working 10 or 20 years will have little effect. Relying on spontaneity at most leads to trade unionism.Fang Shihui
It is indeed as you, Qian Ren, said—mentally wavering. I don’t want to hide this, but I haven’t been living parasitically. I just recently worked night shifts with little to do.
I came into contact with the forum in 2025. Before that, I was living parasitically for a while. Before engaging with the forum, I always took breaks, not treating wage labor as part of daily life. I didn’t choose industries like factory work that require constant struggle, but chose jobs like supermarket clerk, milk tea shop assistant, security guard. Although I participated in a few wage disputes with comrades, mostly I only had courage but no strategy. Many times I was alone, wavering in my thoughts, and I didn’t even try to recover my rightful wages. I didn’t analyze why I failed back then.
I did want a better life, but not to engage in speculation or sneak into revolutionary organizations. I just wanted to lighten the family burden. I lived parasitically because I knew I still had many shortcomings in my thinking, and I always had some selfish interests. I didn’t plan to write a self-introduction because I thought I could still participate in the forum and exchange ideas with comrades.Fang Shihui
After careful reflection, I realize that what you, Qian Ren, said is entirely correct.
I try to justify myself by saying I haven’t been living parasitically, but in fact, the root of my ideological wavering has not been eradicated. This wavering clearly shows that I am not willing to admit it. After communicating with comrades, I realized I hadn’t paid attention to ideological struggles. If left unchecked, I might revert to parasitic living or even develop opportunistic ideas.
Regarding whether to write a self-introduction, it’s a small matter. According to forum rules, honestly describing the process of ideological change is enough. But inside, I hesitate and waver. I can’t make a firm decision on this small matter, and I have some concerns. Sometimes, delaying or taking it slow might not be a bad thing. I will continue to stay active on the forum in this state.Typhoon
You can express any concerns or thoughts, then analyze and critique them. After all, reality will always force people to make choices—whether to go in one direction or another.Typhoon
[Qian Ren: Mao Zedong said: In complex contradictions, focus on the principal contradiction. What to focus on? There are many things, many struggles, but what should we focus on? The issue of proletarianization.]
This paragraph is too abstract. If proletarianization is to be carried out, it should be in life and thought—namely, breaking away from parasitic exploitation, participating in wage labor to support oneself, and in thought, regard oneself as proletariat and engage in class struggle. It’s not about thinking you can still parasitize and exploit. To achieve this, one must analyze one’s ideological problems, criticize bourgeois ideas, participate in wage labor, and cultivate class consciousness and stance. Although Qian Ren mentions proletarianization, he doesn’t specify what it entails. Instead, he says that finding a job and making summaries are useless. But if you don’t find a job or analyze problems, how can you achieve proletarianization?Qian Ren
[Typhoon: If proletarianization is to be carried out, it should be in life and thought—]
I emphasize that proletarianization must come first. Your two points are correct, but I believe there is a primary and secondary issue here—these are not parallel.Typhoon
[Qian Ren: Many young people work in factories but don’t want revolution. Why? Because of political leadership—combine Marxist theory with practice, specifically focusing on proletarianization. Otherwise, working 10 or 20 years will have little effect. Relying on spontaneity at most leads to trade unionism.]
Lenin indeed said that relying solely on the spontaneous consciousness of the working class can only reach the level of trade unionism. But he also said that many intellectuals, lacking Marxist stance and theory, follow the bourgeoisie directly. Workers, even if they are trade unionists, maintain a correct class stance, defend their interests, and fight to regain their rights. Intellectuals, however, tend to capitulate. This is the current problem with intellectuals—they have too little contact with workers and live parasitically, so they only speak from the bourgeoisie’s perspective. It seems that you, Qian Ren, say the problem isn’t working too little but working too much. Furthermore, you say that workers who have worked 10-20 years can only reach trade unionism. So how come you, having worked 19 days, criticize them?Typhoon
What is the primary and secondary issue? The content of proletarianization is to transform one’s life and thoughts into proletarian aspects. First, this means changing one’s lifestyle—abandoning parasitic exploitation and participating in wage labor. Lenin said: Class refers to the different ownership of the means of production and different positions in production, so their income differs accordingly. If you cannot proletarianize in the most fundamental economic relations, how can you achieve proletarianization?Fenghuo Flame
Ultimately, proletarianization is not simply about working a job. Looking at many petty-bourgeois or leftist circles, their so-called “glory work” doesn’t resemble proletarian life at all, nor have they truly achieved proletarianization. The gap between them and the proletariat is very deep.
Proletarianization means thorough revolution—breaking completely with the old ownership relations and all old ideas. You cannot hold a petty-bourgeois mentality when working; that is, you cannot think you still have a way out, that you can return to relying on others’ labor and living parasitically. If you hold the idea that someday you can still enjoy a parasitic life, you are still pursuing petty-bourgeois or even bourgeois lifestyles. Such thinking is incompatible with proletarianization.
Proletarianization involves abandoning all private property and private ideas in labor, fully integrating into the working class. Only by abandoning all private property and ideas can you truly dare to struggle. Strategies for struggle are technical issues; only by changing class stance can the fundamental problem be solved.
Similarly, this class stance is reflected not only in economic struggle—petty-bourgeoisie often dare not demand wages immediately or seek compensation. Proletariat dares to carry out fierce and thorough class struggles.
On the other hand, it is also reflected in theoretical struggle. The petty-bourgeoisie is quick to lose interest in learning theory; they always hold the mentality that they can live a relaxed parasitic life someday, seeking to become petty-bourgeois or bourgeois again. They treat theory as capital—hoping to get rich or gain fame and status through knowledge. Only by truly proletarianizing, treating Marxist theory as the tool for proletarian liberation, can one carry out genuine, thorough theoretical struggle and learn true Marxism.
There are often traitors who slander and attack me, saying, “just a higher level of theory,” claiming there are issues with the route, and even spreading rumors about my character. In their view, life is life, politics is politics, and the two can be completely separated. They can continue parasitic life, enjoying ease, while talking about revolution politically. But that’s not the case. Only those with the correct political stance and class stance can truly speak about and learn Marxism. Those who understand Marxism from a personal利益 perspective will distort Marxism to serve their own interests—that is revisionism.
I suggest, Fang Shihui, you should quickly write a self-introduction and engage in deeper and broader exchanges on the forum. Don’t leave yourself an escape route anymore. The reason you’re reluctant to write a self-introduction is simply because you want to keep a way back to petty-bourgeois or bourgeois lifestyles.
Fang Shihui’s strengths (must acknowledge)
But where is his fundamental problem?
The key is not “whether currently parasitic,” but whether there is a possibility of retaining parasitism