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!
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.
ID: photo of Martin Luther King Jr. waving at the crowd during the March on Washington, on it is his quote: "He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
The world is much larger than your struggle against evil.
Does this include not voting because one is a single issue voter?
Edit: lmao, yall will really say whatever to justify your decision to make things worse.
lmao, y'all will really say whatever to justify your decision to bitch about people who didn't vote
Tell ya what: whine about the people who actually did something to vote the guy in or those of us who actually have functioning brains will call you out as the stupid and pathetic authoritarian you are
Absolutely. Non-voters and "protest" voters chose not to oppose a known fascist. Their refusal to strategically use their voice has led to increased suffering of minorities, LGBTQ+, and likely an end to any semblance of US democracy.
Yeah, well, they've done it, 95 million Americans didn't vote. Now what?
Are we gonna point the finger at them, lay the blame at their feet, and feel superior because WE VOTED, while the oligarchs and fascists loot our treasury and put our minority and LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters you seem to care so much about in camps? Or are we gonna go and fight the good fight like the people out in LA yesterday?
Are we gonna point the finger at them, lay the blame at their feet,
Absolutely.
If those 95 million would've voted together for Mike the local crackhead, Mike would've won the popular vote with about 20 million votes to spare... I don't know, seems stupid to me to just go on the Internet to complain and then not use one of the only tools you have in a democracy?
I understand that going out voting is "accepting the system" but that is the only legal way to bring about change. If you don't want to support the system that's fine, work to dismantle it, take the fight to them. But just staying at home, doing nothing and then saying "I told you so" is just dumb.
Not only this but, if those non-voters organized and taken action in the last half-century, they would have been able to move the Overton to the Left, instead of the unending Right-ward crawl that we've been seeing. That could have prevented the likes of Clinton and Thatcher and erosion of workers' rights.
I understand your point, but as you said:
But just staying at home, doing nothing and then saying "I told you so" is just dumb.
There are people WHO VOTED who are doing this, because it's "not their responsibility" anymore.
There are people WHO VOTED who are doing this, because it's "not their responsibility" anymore.
There are a lot of people like this, they did the bare minimum and feel like that's enough, I mean at least it's something? Still far from enough, I agree with that.
In these times I often think about the Berthold Brecht poem "Wer Zuhause bleibt"-"Whoever stays at home".
Wer zu Hause bleibt, wenn der Kampf beginnt Und lässt andere kämpfen für seine Sache Der muss sich vorsehen: denn Wer den Kampf nicht geteilt hat Der wird teilen die Niederlage. Nicht einmal den Kampf vermeidet Wer den Kampf vermeiden will: denn Es wird kämpfen für die Sache des Feinds Wer für seine eigene Sache nicht gekämpft hat.
Translation :
Whoever stays at home when the fight begins and lets others fight for his cause must beware: For whoever has not shared the fight will share the defeat. Not even avoiding the fight helps anymore, because he who has not fought (for his own cause) has fought for the cause of the enemy.
Italics added by me
Thank you for also making this point. There's a lot of with to do. In-person protests, education and outreach, mutual aid and are some of the necessary avenues. Not everyone is able to march but there are many other ways to contribute to the fight.
Yeah, well, they've done it, 95 million Americans didn't vote. Now what?
Y'all really are unble to take any kind of accountability whatsoever. "It's done so it's not relevant anymore" is a textbook example of what abusers say.
Are we gonna point the finger at them, lay the blame at their feet
Yes, absolutely. Non-voters are neglectful assholes whose inaction has had devastating impacts for multiple different countries. You are all just typical abusers trying to escape accountability.
Depends on the severity of the single issue @plastic_ramses. Was slavery a 'single issue'? is genocide? Are they just 'single issues' like school vouchers and saving the spotted owl?
No they are not. I dont understand why you cant see that. Its not complicated.
Your whole argument is designed to excuse yourself from any critical thought and allow your leaders to shackle you to any outcome they please. And maybe thats all you're good for, frankly.
I need to do more protests . I always seem to hear about them after the event, or they’re always in London or something
I always go beans and potato salad.