We live in brutal Capitalism, and instead of paying for it, we should brutally use it. The problem isn't some idiot in power giving you money. Take the money! Take the money! But take it without moralistic feelings of guilt. The next day, kill him, and if he says "But I gave you money," tell him, "You idiot, why did you give me the money?"
Here there's no room for moralism. Be brutal. If we live in Capitalism, then we live in Capitalism. Take the money wherever you can without any feeling of responsibility. They give us money not because they like us but because they think it's chic or in that way they make a spectacle and so on. Let them live in their illusions. That much better for us. So, I agree with what you're saying but don't be so paranoid in the sense of, "Oh but all of this is co-opted and so on..." It's not so, to tell you, it's not.
Zizek gets a lot wrong, but when he's right he's right (you can see him say this here). Take care of yourself comrade, it's "ok" to keep your finances in order. Communism is not a religion, it's not a moral code that you can "fail" by not being "pure" or whatever.
Given that there's basically no such thing as a state pension anymore, many working people will rely on superannuation (401k) for income after/if they retire. If your country has mandatory super payments from your employer, and your employer isn't stiffing you, then you're already investing in the stock market.
“I have, which will surprise you not a little, been speculating … in English stocks, which are springing up like mushrooms this year … and are forced up to quite an unreasonable level and then, for the most part, collapse. In this way, I have made over £400. ...
I mean yeah you should absolutely still do sensible shit for your own future. The system isn't going to budge either way. Don't become a landlord, but just getting an index fund rolling will really help you out long term. If anything a marxist understanding of how our economy works should make it even more apparent how necessary it is just to survive
Index funds are good, but 401k is first priority, especially if there is employer contribution matching.
who cares, nobody is watching you and marking you down on a sheet for being a Bad Communist. there's no party to expel you for participating and deriving personal profit from the exploitation of the global south (which is obvs what primarily drives the stock market and its redistributive process). if you have the means to invest in the stock market to a degree that will affect your living standards, you probably aren't in any sense proletarian, of course.
Marx used to fuck around with stocks for fun.
You're paltry retirement fund isn't going to make or break the revolution.
You do not, in fact, have to die in miserable poverty and agony for the revolution. And you're not going to put away enough to get you to the end anyway. We're not monks.
You pretty much need to do it to retire and done properly it can greatly improve your quality of life.
employers often match some amount of your 401k contribution, that's just turning down free money from capitalists, so everyone should do at least that much. but im not going to risk being poor in retirement because of my commie beliefs.
as far as single stocks, that is something you can have some morals with. you could invest in green energy stocks or something instead of defense contractors. or with your 401k you can see what the index funds are invested in.
Marx played the stock market, so what stops you? Except it being essentially gambling for fail sons.
If you do single stocks (like buying raytheon), and they suddenly jump on war, do you think you wont have some small moment of joy of money goes up?
Or if you buy railroads and there is union action you will feel some moment of irritation?
I understand there is no realistic choice, but things that make stocks go up are things which are not good. Buy snp tracker, or buy bonds, you don't need advice for it.