this post was submitted on 16 May 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

Version without spoilers

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.



  1. Absolutely no posts or comments meant to relativize(/apologize for), advocate, promote or defend:

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[–] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Divine right of kings simply morphed into capitalism. We didn't get rid of jack shit, and we never will.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 28 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Feudalism is entirely different from Capitalism, which is entirely different from Socialism. Class dynamics have changed, and will change.

[–] burgersc12@mander.xyz 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Capitalism is like Fuedalism in a trenchcoat

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It's a fundamentally different stage of class society with fundamentally different mechanics.

[–] burgersc12@mander.xyz 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Fundamentally different? Lords are still in control, just now we call them "Billionaires" and act like the "Market" protects us.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 months ago

Unlike serfs, workers must compete with each other as well as Capitalists. The Market protects nobody but the interests of Capital.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Feudalism is entirely different from Capitalism

Not really, no. Even though feudalism doesn't consider greed and resource hoarding inherently virtuous like capitalism does, both are at their core about the few rich and powerful exploiting and abusing the many poor and powerless through ownership of the necessities for life and a greater capacity for violence.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Both are class societies, yes. Both are fundamentally different relations of classes.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

There are differences, yes, but they're built on the same foundation and as such by definition NOT fundamentally different.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

They don't have the same foundation. Aristocrat/serf dynamics are entirely different from Bourgeois/Proletarian relations.

Reading Marx would help you.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world -2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Aristocrat/serf dynamics are entirely different from Bourgeois/Proletarian relations.

They most certainly aren't.

Reading Marx would help you.

I have. Guess what: he wasn't right about everything.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 months ago

Serfs have a certified existence, they do not sell their labor in a market. They work their land, without participating in Capitalism.

Proletarians do not have a certified existence. They compete against each other in a labor market.

The difference is stark despite both being working classes.

[–] essell@lemmy.world -4 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I agree These systems both emerged from inherent humanity, not conspiracy.

[–] undergroundoverground@lemmy.world 15 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That would make sense for capitalism, if humanity didn't have to have its permanent, essential characteristics beaten, traumatised and groomed out of them with land seizures, branding, whipping, workhouses, schools, prisons, debtors prisons, being forced to sell their children, slavery and the threat of homelessness and starvation for hundreds of years.

People didn't just accept either of those two systems and there's nothing remotely inherent about them. They were both forced on people through violence or the threat of it.

[–] essell@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

.They were both forced on people through violence or the threat of it.

And so is revealed the violence inherent to the system.

[–] unreasonabro@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

"inherent humanity" - what a magical term. you might have a magical worldview! which means you won't even recognize this as an insult, which is sad, but a little funny.

[–] essell@lemmy.world -3 points 6 months ago

I can recognise nonsense when I see it, and viewpoints based on assumptions rather than evidence.