this post was submitted on 31 Jul 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)


0.5 [Provisional Rule] Use alt text or image descriptions to allow greater accessibility


We require alternative text (from now referred to as "alt text") to be added to all posts/comments containing media, such as images, animated GIFs, videos, audio files, and custom emojis.
EDIT: For files you share in the comments, a simple summary should be enough if they’re too complex.

We are committed to social equity and to reducing barriers of entry, including (digital) communication and culture. It takes each of us only a few moments to make a whole world of content (more) accessible to a bunch of folks.

When alt text is absent, a reminder will be issued. If you don't add the missing alt text within 48 hours, the post will be removed. No hard feelings.


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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[–] [email protected] 22 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Market socialism also exists, just to remind everyone.

If you Google "define socialism", you'll get a sentence saying socialism is when tve means of production are owned OR regulated by the people.

So you can still have what we have right now, no need for any sort of fundamental change, except proper regulation, meaning actually good labour laws and proper taxation for the wealthy.

Finland and other Nordics are arguably market socialist.

And yes, I know how many will disagree. Here in Finland, less so.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

Finland and other Nordics are arguably market socialist.

Absolutely not, they are Social Democracies. They are not progressing towards more worker ownership, but less, Capitalism still drives the system and the bourgeoisie still drives the state.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

By any reasonable dictionary (as well as classic definition), capitalism is defined by private property of the means of production. Socialism is defined by common/social ownership of the means of production, not "regulation". What you call "market socialism" is just regulated capitalism.

Nothing wrong with having any position, and we should strive for what's best instead of trying to correspond to certain terms, but what you suggest is not socialism.

And I kinda hate it when we move the goalposts, especially with American politician calling literally any bit of social policy "socialism". No it's not, and classics have outlined it very, very clearly.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

No it isn't.

Capitalism doesn't have a monopoly on privately owned businesses.

"By any reasonable definition" you seem to mean "this is what I think for some reason I'm not even entirely sure of, and I'm too lazy to even Google what you said".

Now see, which should I believe, the actual consensus of the literature on economics and political philosophy... or some random dude online who's rhetoric of "byaah no no that's just capitalism socialism is communism" I've seen literally thousands of times?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_socialism

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_ownership

However, the articulation of models of market socialism where factor markets are utilized for allocating capital goods between socially owned enterprises broadened the definition to include autonomous entities within a market economy.

Cooperatives, while not being owned by a single private person, are still held by private people.

You can cry all you want but capitalism isn't synonymous with market economy.

Well regulated capitalism is just socialism. Capitalism strives for the least regulation possible, because it enables maximising profits, which actually is the definition of it as a political ideology. Striving for more capital.

Here's something which will rustle your jimmies even more.

You know we Nordics are social democracies right?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy

Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism[1]

Social democracy has been described as the most common form of Western or modern socialism.[11][12]

In the 21st century, it has become commonplace to define social democracy in reference to Northern and Western European countries,[39] and their model of a welfare state with a corporatist system of collective bargaining.[40] Social democracy has also been used synonymously with the Nordic model.[

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

You seem to cite Wikipedia as your favorite source. How about opening articles on capitalism and socialism before you go any further?

This should help you get up to speed before you accuse me and all others of making stuff up.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Wikipedia has sources, as you well know.

You're not making a point. I did. I quoted specific parts of specific articles, backed by verifiable sources.

You can't fight it, because you're just a kid pretending to understand the thing you couldn't even be bothered to Google before opening your ignorant mouth about it, and now you feel shame when someone shows you how wrong you were, by quoting specific parts which specific claims, again, backed by credible sources.

Your reply "no but uh it's like Wikipedia so it's like bad and look here's the article to capitalism. What? No I'm not gonna make an argument, I'm feeling ashamed and I'm gonna pretend saying CAPITALISM really loud will win tve argument"

Yeah, like I said, I've seen that literally thousands of times.