Gonzaloism is a cult. One massive cult which destroys everything it touches and harms the people who are sucked under by it.
For the past few months, I was a part of this cult. I basically worshiped “Chairman Gonzalo”, upheld him as a superhuman figure and “Great Leader” to the world communist movement. I was utterly fanatical. We all were.
We isolated ourselves from other communists. Even other Maoists whom we met we called “rightists” if they failed to adhere to the rigid set of dogmas that composes Gonzaloism. To us, you were either a “Marxist-Leninist-Maoist, principally Maoist, with the contributions of universal validity of Chairman Gonzalo” (“M-L-M, pM, CUVCG”, note that you had to include the dashes even in the acronym, otherwise you were denying Maoism “scientific continuation”.), or you were nothing.
My website was made to reflect the point of view of this cult. Every article had to pay homage to Gonzaloism in some form. Whenever mentioning Marxism, you always had to append it with “(today Maoism)” or else you were suspected of being part of the out-group.
We basically worshiped a group called “The Worker”, which is tied with the “Committee to Reconstitute the CPUSA”. The cult-like tendencies of this clique is detailed here. Every article from them had to be reflected in our project in some way. I kept regular email correspondence with them and held them in high regard, but never allowed to be an editor. This is one of the features of a cult; you are never good enough, always be servile to your betters.
Suddenly, Trump was not a fascist, because “The Worker” said so (they failed to comply with Gonzalo’s narrow definition of fascism). Suddenly, the Black nation did not exist. And so on, and so forth. Supporters (potentially members; they kept their associations hidden) of “The Worker” joined our Discord server and propagated their views. There was an entire gang of “thought leaders” who could recite “The Worker” articles and quotations from Chairman Gonzalo in seconds, and their line was presented as an unfalsifiable truth.
This continued for a long time. Eventually, two of my best friends had a talk with me and told me their thoughts; I was in a cult.
At first, it was hard to believe them, but I eventually realized there was truth to what they said. They showed me a list of features of a cult and my group was increasingly meeting many of them.
I spoke with a Marxist-Leninist about this from a respected party of mine. He confirmed my suspicions but, even despite my Gonzaloism, offered me a path towards true proletarian organizing.
I decided — this had to stop. I started questioning Gonzaloism, even in small ways, but was immediately called a “rightist” and “dogmato-revisionist” by the Gonzaloites. The non-Maoists in the server noted their cult-like tendencies, their appeals to authority, etc. but they to were called revisionists and thus placed in the out-group.
I had enough of Gonzaloism. I purged the cultists and deleted my website.
From now on, I will commit to true proletarian organizing.
At least you weren’t a Black Hammer or a CPI-MAGAcom natsoc. Being in a terminally online cult is annoying but at least when you’re done with it you can cut internet ties. Good luck with whatever is next. You’re still young and developing as a person, don’t feel like you have to rush to figure out everything in one go.
At the risk of being slapped for sectarianism - some trot groups are exactly like this as well. Not all of them, but some.
When has anyone here been slapped for criticizing Trots? That’s always been acceptable sectarianism.
we can have little a sectarianism against trots, as a treat.
It is quite common among non-serious, fundamentally chauvinist western leftism. These groups are predicated on not really achieving very much and constantly shooting themselves in the foot through dysfunction - and the ultraleftism is a core feature of this dysfunction. They also tend to adopt mentor models where older members have substantial oversight and power over junior members, which of course creates a risk of abuse, so if the org itself is not very serious, they let themselves be eventually overtaken by abusers and those who tolerate them. The abusers will proactively “defend” themselves, so without vigilance against them they take over.
Non-ultra groups are not immune to this, but being fairly unserious seems to be the case for every instance. And it’s way more common among ultras.
It is sectarian, .5/100 trotskyist groups would be a cult, same with MLs, and Maoists. 1:1 Gonzaloist are in a cult, same with Larouchites and Duganites.
You can call an ideology whatever you want, the fact is 0 Trot, ML, or Maoist groups are in a cult, because none of those tendencies are cults, they are the exact opposite: Marxists. Any tendency can be sectarian, and in different ways, and that’s just the nature of the movements. It is getting better.
Like much respect, nothing against you personally, because I see this kind of stuff everywhere. We have to be able to criticize our own and other tendencies openly or else that is sectarianism, or maybe cultish behavior itself.
Produce an example that isnt like WSWS which is sectarian but not a cult, and I’ll produce so-called ML and Maoist cults as well.
.5/100 trotskyist groups
I wouldn’t mention it if it weren’t literally the largest and most annoying org I have to deal with. But it is, and that pumps out a lot of cultists before they burn out being abused to sell newspapers and often abandon political group participation altogether because of the experience.
exploring the depths of western leftism by becoming an abused sidewalk newspaper merchant in 2026
That sucks. Not my experience with many Trot groups, though I can name bad ones.
I could name 6 just from local groups lmao
It is sectarian, .5/100 trotskyist groups would be a cult
In my experience trot groups would only disagree with the number being higher than that in the sense that it would require acknowledging the other trot groups as being trot. Every trot and ex-trot I know in real life who has opinions about trot groups that they are not currently a part of would put this number higher if you stipulated “nominally trotskyist,” and they are members/ex-members of and criticizing some of the largest trot groups in the US.
I think “Maoist” is sort of an unhelpful term, as exemplified by the fact that Gonzalites are Maoists but you counted them separately, but this hardly accounts for all the subsets of “Maoism” with a high cult propensity (Avakianites come to mind). Obviously, MLs have their own problems tied up with the history of the “cult of the individual” which goes some way to explaining all the disgusting chauvinist ML groups.
Decades keep happening, welcome back comrade
I definitely did not have wisconcom redemption arc on my 2026 bingo card lol.
Fucking wild and we love to see it.
Don’t worry, I’m still a bunkie.
Glad to have you here!
Do you still have that thermonuclear energy for the capitalists?
Currently thinking about State and Revolution
During the lifetime of great revolutionaries, the oppressing classes constantly hounded them, received their theories with the most savage malice, the most furious hatred and the most unscrupulous campaigns of lies and slander. After their death, attempts are made to convert them into harmless icons, to canonize them, so to say, and to hallow their names to a certain extent for the “consolation” of the oppressed classes and with the object of duping the latter, while at the same time robbing the revolutionary theory of its substance, blunting its revolutionary edge and vulgarizing it. Today, the bourgeoisie and the opportunists within the labor movement concur in this doctoring of Marxism.
Hell yeah. Plus now you can speak fluent Maoist Standard English
Truth nuke. Maoists have developed their own vocabulary which helps isolate them from reality. I plan to use this knowledge in writing polemics against Maoism.
Here’s to a new chapter of your life. May it be more nurturing and fulfilling than the previous one.
Good for you comrade. I too once exited a pseudo-communist cult, although not as extreme as the one you describe. I know how difficult it is.
Welcome back :)
If you don’t mind me asking, what was the hook that got you in?
I always found Maoists emphasis on direct action and symbolism interesting. The Red Guards Austin where some of the only people in the United States who had massive rallies, proudly holding up signs of the “classics” of Marxism. Maoists place symbols over actual ideology, which attracts a lot of new people who are not as knowledgeable.
Beyond that, I found Maoist’s outward presentation of anti-revisionism intoxicating. Maoists exceed pro-Hoxha MLs in the amount of criticisms of China and other countries they output. Maoists claim to be against Deng and other figures. As a staunch anti-revisionist, I could hardly resist.
After I became a Maoist, it was only a matter of time before I became a Gonzaloist. I was quickly exposed to groups like “The Worker” and their article’s apparent concern for real-world struggle. I went deeper into the rabbit hole, reading Gonzalo, until finally I considered myself one with the “MLMpM” movement. A lot of it was peer pressure and social conformity; Gonzaloists flooded into my server after we started allowing them.
What’s the appeal of worshipping Gonzalo when the Shining Path failed?
idk about worship but some people think it’s the most advanced form of ML because it’s the most recent.
Shining Path was allegedly created and financed by the CIA to sabotage Alan García’s social democratic government during the 1980s, as well as the efforts of the MRTA guerrilla group. This was stated by former members of the Peruvian Army (during the socialist military government of Velasco) and members of the guerrilla group.
Héctor Béjar Rivera (born 2 September 1935) is a Peruvian author, university professor. He served as the minister of foreign affairs of Peru from 29 July 2021 until 17 August 2021. A historical figure in contemporary Peru, his participation in the National Liberation Army in the 1960s brought high media scrutiny, in addition to refusing to call Venezuela’s current government under Nicolás Maduro a dictatorship.
In 1962, together with Javier Heraud, Julio Dagnino, Alain Elias, Julio Chang among others, he founded the National Liberation Army which was part of the liberation movement of the sixties in Peru. He served five years in prison before being liberated by a general amnesty granted by General Juan Velasco Alvarado, who took power in 1968 and asked Béjar to work on reforming land policies with the government. Béjar collaborated with Velasco’s Government on social and youth participation, supporting the national land reform.
On 29 July 2021, President Pedro Castillo named Béjar the new minister of foreign affairs. He resigned on 17 August 2021 amid criticism. Béjar had said that ‘terrorism began in the Navy’ and that ‘the Shining Path was trained by the CIA’.
Héctor Béjar’s statements of November 24, 2020, refer to terrorist actions carried out by right-wing extremist groups against the regimes of Generals Juan Velasco Alvarado (1968-1975) and Francisco Morales Bermúdez (1975-1980), especially against the interests of the Cuban government in the country. These organizations prevented Velasco from turning Peru into a “satellite” of Fidel Castro 's regime and pressured Morales Bermúdez to break with the Cubans. Secret US embassy cables declassified by WikiLeaks indicate that at least since 1974, terrorist actions by the far right began to be recorded.
if you don’t mind my asking, is this an exclusively online cult for you?
if not, what is going on in wisconsin?
It was largely online.
thanks, that makes sense to me from what i’ve observed.
I remember coming across the web journal/news website of the Austin red guard where I found out that they had disbanded and that members had come out saying they believed it was operating as a cult. It’s crazy that this is a continual thing with the Gonzaloites
i hope you are doing well wisconcomYeah this kinda stuff just happens in West Bend it’s par for the course
(No clue where you’re from i just like making fun of West Bend Wisconsin)
yeah fuck
“west bend” i’ve definitely heard of “west bend” before and hate it.
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