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
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Same bullshit logic that helped many support the genocide of those "barbaric" Native Americans because some actually had the gall to attack the colonial invaders.
The misunderstanding being that "your stuff is ours, actually"
I wonder how few will draw some of the parallels of the colonial expansion in Australia and the West in general.
I love the types that say others should go back to where they come from ignoring their parents and grandparents were not that far removed from the boat that brought them here.
Then they don't want to acknowledge that these groups were probably not that thrilled at being slaughtered and their kids taken away from them to make way for their colonial ancestors.
It's a amazing trait to me that humans can hold such diabolically opposed ideas as the same truths for them.
Eurasian empires have been shaped by this for millenia. Nomadic horse tribes harass existing empire until it starts to crumble. Tribes annex land and establish new empire/ruling class and give up the nomadic lifestyle. New nomadic horse tribes show up and start harassing. Rulers who are only 1 or 2 generations removed from living a nomadic lifestyle and conquering call new group "barbarians" and "uncivilized" for their brutality. New horse tribes topple empire, rinse and repeat.
To list a few: Mongols, Turks, Huns, Scythians... It was like a revolving door until gunpowder showed up.
Each generation completely ignoring the atrocities of their forebears while also framing their successors as monsters. Tale as old as time.
Justifying current atrocities by pointing to previous atrocities misses the point.
The point is at some point it should stop. Yes, America and Australia and Europe and everywhere commit genocide, committed atrocities that are now considered war crimes, but responding to current calls for it to stop by making some attempted Gotcha at perceived hypocrisy is worse than saying nothing.
Edit: to be clear, my ancestors were monsters. What they did to the natives her in America is deplorable, and the fact that Andrew Jackson's dickface is on anything but textbooks on the Trail Of Tears and lists of most evils leaders in recent history is a current stain on my country's reputation. I don't know enough about Scottish history beyond my ancestors coming to the US, but I'm pretty sure they were on the oppressed side of most engagements for a good long time. None of that changes that I think any people who commit genocide (except genocide of mosquitos) are monsters, and I want them to stop.
Some would point out the same before the Colonials came too. In the other examples it was all out war with promises of more, not treaties ignored when it became inconvenient or as bait to disarm.
There were also commitments made that are only starting to be honoured in some cases today.
It's the atrocities from the higher standards of the "right God" Fearing and "more civilized" peoples that came to into replace everyone. There was no honour in it which was supposedly the basis of some of these societies They were supposed to be better often were not even for their times.
Unfortunately that's a tale as old as time too...
After the Bronze age collapse, the nomadic Habi-ru people came out of the wilderness and conquered the Cannanite people who no longer had the protection of the Egyptian Empire.
Also, I'd say that the first dynasty that follows your example are the Gutians.
I wouldn't be surprised if the western countries defending Israel start using that excuse themselves, once all the others fall apart
Oh and just checking, did you mean diabolically (evilly) or diametrically (opposite) opposed? Either works just wondering
I kind of mean both. Is there a word that works for that?
Diabotricelly.
People also over-emphasize the importance of being born here.
Yes. That land should be returned to the Canaanites.
...wait
Not really the same. The natives would have to have the attitude of genocideing the colonizers
I have seen numerous examples of Israeli officials declaring genocidal intent of all Palestinians. I haven’t seen the reverse.
Ahhh a satire account. Hilarious keep up the good work
https://twitter.com/PushBidenLeft/status/1720203022309978206 ???
Hamas regularly admits they want to eliminate Israel is why it's satire. Y'all are so thick and stuck on one train of thought
Israel in its current form should be eliminated. It's an apartheid state. Until it changes by enfranchising the Palestinians that it has trapped in open air prisons (Gaza, West Bank) it has no right to carry on. I will never support an ethnostate that places the supremacy of one ethnicity over another. If we time traveled back would you say that apartheid South Africa deserved to continue as it was? Rhodesia?
It's funny that you are wasting time defending Israel with that kind of defense. "Hamas regularly admits" -- show me where? Here? Oops, that was just some of the many documented statements from Israeli officials declaring their genocidal intent. You know, the thing that is actually happening right now considering Israel has shut off food, water, electricity, and fuel into Gaza. When Netenyahu compares Palestinians to Amalek he is telling his hardcore right wing faction a very clear message. Maybe you didn't understand it? Or, a worse thought, maybe you understand it perfectly and pretend otherwise?
Three one Israel apologized for and fired the official? There are certainly fake ones but there are a few real ones Israel has admitted to.
Hamas routinely declares they want to wipe out Israel is why it's satire
Yeah aside from the official admitting it wasn't.