Lefty Memes
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
view the rest of the comments
You're flinging mud because you can't or don't want to respond. Linking Marx is linking "shitty books and essays?"
Why do you believe I didn't link them while thinking critically? You have misconceptions about Marxism, and don't want to take my word for it, so why not hear it from Marx?
I'm arguing now, about a 20th century Socialist State. If you want to move on to current events, like Palestinian Liberation, we can do that if you'd like.
If you've argued these points 100,000 times and people are still linking theory, then maybe you should visit the theory yourself. Maybe then you'll have new arguments.
Who are my figureheads?
Not really sure how to respond to this, this is just mud-flinging.
I can and do. The current world is dominated by US Hegemony, but Imperialism is weakening as countries in the global south seek increased protectionism and are starting to shake-off the IMF. The winds are changing. I also critically analyze the USSR, their adherance to planning by hand even with the advent of computers drew inefficiency that need not be replicated. Capitalist monopolies and near-monopolies also practice central planning internally, and we can scalp from their methods. Additionally, shutting itself off from the Capitalist world contributed to the collapse of the USSR, and created over-reliance on itself from smaller Socialist countries, who were hit hard during the collapse of the USSR, such as Cuba.
Homophobia, color me shocked.
My display name literally lists my pronouns as [he/him], as does my profile description.
That's what the origin of oral as an insult is, yes. Ask yourself why it's insulting to claim someone to be sucking off a man.
Projection. Treating sexual acts as demeaning is chauvanistic and puritanical. Why specifically use "sucking off" and not "worshipping," or some other demeaning display of loyalty? To draw on homophobia.
Do some self-crit. I don't believe you are intending on being homophobic, but I do believe you are relying on homophobia to insult me.
Fair enough.
Using sex as a demeaning act is still chauvanistic. As for authors, I would advocate reading Rosa Luxemburg had the conversation been about Reformism vs Revolution, or Leslie Feinberg (though she used a variety of pronouns, they preferred She/Her) had the topic been about Trans Rights. Pretending only Men have contributed to Marxism is again, chauvanism.
Sigh, chauvanism again, and back to homophobia as you know I identify as male.
Sure, you aren't directing that as an insult towards another, but as individual expression of your own sexuality. There's a large difference between the two.
I try to be self-critical as much as possible, otherwise I would never be able to grow.