So that's it, is it? I can support all the social progressiveness I like, but as soon as I balk at the prospect of an autocrat hosting a violent revolution and instating communism, I'm the enemy?

Here is the definition I run on: Anyone left of centre is left. Anyone reaching for the guillotines (or more likely just meming about them from a basement) is far left. So far left that they will never see power and see everyone right of them as an enemy.

[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

You've chosen a definition thats dependent on where you percieve 'center' to be. Its a variable point therefore to you that word doesn't have a fixed meaning. A European centerist is an American left leaner, a decade ago the american 'left' was talking about UBI and medicade for all, now they're talking about fixing bridges that are about to fall down. You're either blind to the overton window shifting or happy that things like infrastructure upkeep is now considered 'leftism' but despite your best efforts, words still have meaning. You're one of the people trying to obfuscate those meanings.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk -3 points 6 months ago (2 children)

You don't get to gatekeep leftism behind communism.

[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Nice buzzword, but it's not me gatekeeping anything. Thats what leftism has meant since the phrase neoliberalism has existed. Im not the one who made the definition, you're just ignoring it.

[–] Zess@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Words mean what people think they mean. "Decimate" means to remove 10% of something but everyone uses it as a synonym for annihilate. You need to understand that the vast majority of people see "liberals" and "leftists" as the same thing. Your conspiracy about obfuscation is cute but you're giving people too much credit.

[–] Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

vast majority

Only if you are an exceptionalist usian. Liberals are not the left in most parliaments around the world.

[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

If words mean only what people think they mean then according to near or more than half the country Biden is in fact a communist. Words have meaning, Biden isn't a Communist and liberalism and leftism are different things.

[–] BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago

I'm not trying to be rude but you're embarrassing yourself. Please educate yourself of political theory, philosophy and terminology before you start speaking on words and concepts that you clearly don't understand. Here's a good place to start. He makes great political theory videos. Here's a playlist geared specifically towards liberalism. Here's something on anti-fascism. All of those resources aren't the end-all-be-all of politics but they're at least a good place to start and you'll be better off for it. Have a good one

[–] jlou@mastodon.social 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Being anti-capitalist doesn't immediately imply being a communist. There are other alternatives to capitalism such as Economic Democracy.

This is also a straw man fallacy