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this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2024
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Lefty Memes
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An international (English speaking) socialist Lemmy community free of the "ML" influence of instances like lemmy.ml and lemmygrad. This is a place for undogmatic shitposting and memes from a progressive, anti-capitalist and truly anti-imperialist perspective, regardless of specific ideology.
Serious posts, news, and discussion go in c/Socialism.
If you are new to socialism, you can ask questions and find resources over on c/Socialism101.
Please don't forget to help keep this community clean by reporting rule violations, updooting good contributions and downdooting those of low-quality!
Rules
0. Only post socialist memes
That refers to funny image macros and means that generally videos and screenshots are not allowed. Exceptions include explicitly humorous and short videos, as well as (social media) screenshots depicting a funny situation, joke, or joke picture relating to socialist movements, theory, societal issues, or political opponents. Examples would be the classic case of humorous Tumblr or Twitter posts/threads. (and no, agitprop text does not count as a meme)
1. Socialist Unity in the form of mutual respect and good faith interactions is enforced here
Try to keep an open mind, other schools of thought may offer points of view and analyses you haven't considered yet. Also: This is not a place for the Idealism vs. Materialism or rather Anarchism vs. Marxism debate(s), for that please visit c/AnarchismVsMarxism.
2. Anti-Imperialism means recognizing capitalist states like Russia and China as such
That means condemning (their) imperialism, even if it is of the "anti-USA" flavor.
3. No liberalism, (right-wing) revisionism or reactionaries.
That includes so called: Social Democracy, Democratic Socialism, Dengism, Market Socialism, Patriotic Socialism, National Bolshevism, Anarcho-Capitalism etc. . Anti-Socialist people and content have no place here, as well as the variety of "Marxist"-"Leninists" seen on lemmygrad and more specifically GenZedong (actual ML's are welcome as long as they agree to the rules and don't just copy paste/larp about stuff from a hundred years ago).
4. No Bigotry.
The only dangerous minority is the rich.
5. Don't demonize previous and current socialist experiments or (leading) individuals.
We must constructively learn from their mistakes, while acknowledging their achievements and recognizing when they have strayed away from socialist principles.
(if you are reading the rules to apply for modding this community, mention "Mantic Minotaur" when answering question 2)
6. Don't idolize/glorify previous and current socialist experiments or (leading) individuals.
Notable achievements in all spheres of society were made by various socialist/people's/democratic republics around the world. Mistakes, however, were made as well: bureaucratic castes of parasitic elites - as well as reactionary cults of personality - were established, many things were mismanaged and prejudice and bigotry sometimes replaced internationalism and progressiveness.
- Absolutely no posts or comments meant to relativize(/apologize for), advocate, promote or defend:
- Racism
- Sexism
- Queerphobia
- Ableism
- Classism
- Rape or assault
- Genocide/ethnic cleansing or (mass) deportations
- Fascism
- (National) chauvinism
- Orientalism
- Colonialism or Imperialism (and their neo- counterparts)
- Zionism
- Religious fundamentalism of any kind
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Socialists do nothing -> Fascists receive no consequences -> Socialists do nothing -> Fascists seize power -> Socialists join the fascists and say it's all the fault of the liberals.
Complain all you want about the liberals voting to prevent fascists from getting power, but they're doing something while socialists do nothing except complain.
I'll let you in on a little secret, many liberals are socialists that got tired of doing nothing. Voting in many successive elections to get the change you want over many decades is far more admirable than sitting on the sidelines complaining about the people that are making an effort.
This is where I'm at, admittedly. I see no substantial action from any alternative group. I can't be the change I want to see because I'm not a leader. So given the options I have to choose one of them. I finally get the "lesser evil" shit. I used to think it was a cynical slogan meant to get people used to the idea of supporting heinous crimes, which it is, but it is also a genuine sentiment that holds some weight. I was blind to that before. The way I see it now, no matter my choice, evil will come, so I might as well cast my ballot for the one that is a ostensibly less evil. So I'll begrudgingly vote for Harris because the rhetoric coming from the republicans is fucking terrifying, and JD Vance especially makes me feel very nervous. He's exactly the type of slimy opportunistic creep that should be kept as far away from power as possible. At least it's not Biden or Shapiro. C'est la vie.
Yeah. Mainly, find ways, wherever you are, to do right with the small amount of power you have. It matters.
Some of that is voting. Some of that is whatever political support you can manage. Some of it is just saying "that seems like a bad idea" when you're in a meeting, or choosing a more ethical supplier if you're at some company.
Always know that, no matter how small the power you hold seems, it matters.
every day make the best choices you can with the energy you have available. you may or may not win; you may or may not even make a difference; one day you may just need a fucking cheeseburger from macdonalds despite your usual moral misgivings… and that’s fine!
make choices to change the system, sure, but be aware of the direction you want and head in that direction… change is proactive; participants make the rules
Exactly.