this post was submitted on 14 Nov 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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[–] Allonzee@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I've voted blue for decades, just so I can say I did the right thing: harm reduction.

This nation's last, last, last chance to improve its course would have been to soundly reject the supply side, trickle down Reaganomics grift, but when they lied that YOU could be one of the rich ones one day, Americans giggled like schoolgirls and the former party of labor went full neoliberal to take the larger corporate bribes unions just couldn't match. That is when any hope for the US to become the benevolent nation it never was but claimed to want to be died.

Citizens United was just a victory lap for the capitalists to piss on its decomposing corpse.

Anyone who wants to claim this country was over a couple of Tuesdays ago, hasn't been paying attention.

And it wasn't the Neonazi scum that killed it either, they just see opportunity in the cultural vacuum and chaos. Twas unchecked capitalist greed that killed the beast.

[–] InvaderDJ@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This was a result of election night that is underreported, but hugely telling and frustrating.

All this noise about California being liberal, progressive, and the resistance to Trump. But they kept slavery in prison legal. And I think the people who are predicting prison "labor" will be used to replace migrant labor if mass deportation does happen have it right. And California had a chance to make that impossible and decided not to.

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[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 points 3 days ago (7 children)

The only thing that pissed me off more than Trump winning, was seeing how many good Props failed, and bad ones passed.

I'm glad we made LGBT marriage part of our constitution, but jesus christ the voting base here is NIMBYs, NeoLibs, and Conservatives.

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[–] tio_bira@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago

This is why we need a "New California Republic", with rangers to protect the population, just don't listen those anti-mutties bigots...

[–] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 56 points 3 days ago (1 children)

California is the USA in a bottle. You got progressive cities, conservative suburbs, rural areas and industrial hotspots, poor folks as well as the obscenely rich. Ronald Reagan was Governor in California for 8 years before becoming the blueprint of conservative candidates for the presidency.

[–] TheMightyCanuck@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 days ago

This. Larger population than all of Canada = smorgasbord of different ideologies and classes.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

And all because 1950s McCarthyism incepted America with a seed that may eventually destroy it long after the USSR’s dissolution

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I'd zoom out, Capitalism has a growth phase and decay phase, we are at the tail-end of the decay phase and need to jump to Socialism. Marx's analysis makes this more clear, I wrote an introductory Marxist reading list if you want to check it out.

[–] Soup@lemmy.world 104 points 4 days ago (26 children)

One person was arguing that they shouldn’t be able to refuse to do “chores” in prison, but the things they do there are things like making license plates, furniture, and fighting wildfires. A bit far from mopping up and taking out the garbage.

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[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 70 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Oh it's worse than that. California voted to make more homeless people, expand the three strikes system by turning some misdemeanors into felonies, and voted itself a slave state to take advantage of all that new prison population.

All that's left is to privatize the pipeline.

But it's okay, they removed the defunct ban on same sex marriage so they're still progressive! Yay!

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 days ago

The baton used to crush your skull will be rainbow colored and have BLM on it.

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I entirely agree with your point, it's hypocritical "progressive" bullshit to maintain slavery.

But if I'm being honest, California is on my short list to move to because my state doesn't support same sex marriage and I expect Obergefell to be overturned. It's horrorific to be in this position but that's me and my partners reality.

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[–] Sunshine@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 days ago

They also still have the death penalty.

[–] QuantumStorm@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Wasn't the ballot initiative also deliberately confusing? I remember seeing something about it and reading it myself and going "what the fuck is the answer for no slavery?"

[–] frayedpickles@lemmy.cafe 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No, it wasn't. It had no argument against, no supporters against, and the text was extremely simple.

[–] Aabbcc@lemm.ee 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yes/No Statement

A YES vote on this measure means: Involuntary servitude would not be allowed as punishment for crime. State prisons would not be allowed to discipline people in prison who refuse to work.

A NO vote on this measure means: Involuntary servitude would continue to be allowed as punishment for crime.

Although I can't seem to find if this text is on the ballot to explain it

[–] frayedpickles@lemmy.cafe 4 points 2 days ago

Yep that's what's on the ballot too. Very simple. I'd argue middle-school level or below.

[–] LANIK2000@lemmy.world 58 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The American prison system is designed to make money. Prisons get paid based on how many people they house. Making sure people don't wind up in prison is literally the last thing the warden wants to do. Anybody thinking America is gonna change it's ways out of the goodness of its heart is fucking delusional.

[–] BruceTwarzen@lemm.ee 40 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I watched a video of a random streamer who ranted a bit about the elections. He had some great points, and he was basically saying what most people are thinking. He talked about voting and the people that refused to vote. He then added: how can you become president as a criminal but you are not able to vote as a criminal. And then continues with, he agrees that criminals shouldn't be able to vote, because they are criminals with bad intentions. Fucker, the system is designed that most people ARE criminals. You can go to jail because a copper doesn't like your face.

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[–] Nexy@lemmy.sdf.org 38 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Why that bear don't have 2 heads?

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[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 62 points 4 days ago (24 children)

I know it has that reputation but I really don’t think California is the most progressive state. Maybe Oregon? Vermont? Not sure to be honest.

It’s pretty much just basic liberals here. And lots of fascists but they hide out away from everyone else most of the time.

[–] Lemonparty@lemm.ee 51 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I also feel like people forget how fucking enormous California is. It's really just a few big liberal areas separated by a giant wasteland of racist rednecks that spans nearly the entirety of the United States from north to South in between. It's huge. If you start in San Diego and drive north for 12 hours you'll be....almost to the top of California. If you do that on the East coast you can drive through nine states.

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[–] Oxen@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 3 days ago (3 children)
[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago

Land of the fee,

Home of the slave.

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Always enjoy your posts, ozma.

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[–] b34k@lemmy.world 43 points 3 days ago (9 children)

Don’t blame me! I voted Yes!

The baffling thing is that the other side didn’t even file an argument against the measure in the voter guide… and it still lost!

Like, if your side can’t even be bothered to come up with an argument for or against particular legislation, I’m voting with the other side, full stop.

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