this post was submitted on 07 May 2025
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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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I am shocked, I say. Shocked! Well, not that shocked. (lemmy.world)
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Right winger: "Well if you weren't so mean to me, I wouldn't support people that want to turn women into property, make queer people's existence illegal, marry children and send them to work in the mines and hire white social media influencers over brown people with qualifications.

See? I'm actually a good person. But mean words are so much more unforgivable than rampant bigotry and hatred. So you forced me to side with the rampant bigots that hate everyone who isn't a white straight christian male. It's YOUR fault!

Also, these librul snowflakes have such thin skins."

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

"Hello, I'm a Republican Consultant/Former-Politician and I'm here to offer the Democrats some friendly campaign advise. Have you tried just agreeing with us on everything? Perhaps even going out to the right of us, so you look even more conservative with your rhetoric than you did on paper? And try appealing more to white people - straight middle-aged men in particular? More! More! You're doing great! You're going to win in a landslide!"

One Vote Later

Democrats Shed Massive Numbers of Women and Minorities, In Historic Underperformance on Election Day

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

2016: "If you don't vote for the rich neoliberal canidate then you are a Republican who hates democracy"

Loses

2024: "If you don't vote for the rich neoliberal canidate then you are a Republican who hates democracy"

Loses

2028: "If you don't vote for the rich neoliberal canidate then you are a Republican who hates democracy"

I wonder what will happen this time...

[–] [email protected] 35 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Centrist "both sides" is the most milquetoast, bad faith shit possible.

Leftist "both sides" is about how at the end of the day, politicians want to look strong for being re-elected. And they is often keeping themselves and their cronies in power by any means necessary. From rigging elections and primaries, to underfunding government programs that enable higher levels of thinking, to even international assassinations.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

I don't think a politician is left wing, when they value personal power, over the wellbeing of the people.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It’s because most people don’t like right wingers, and they know it, so they try to hide behind that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

most people don’t like right wingers

Most people don't like retail politics, generally speaking. It's alienating and inaccessible. It feels like you're getting in on the ground floor of an MLM with no practical way to rise through the ranks. And it forces you to support people far better at talking rich people out of their donor dollars than votes out of the neighborhood. They're folks you'll find smug, shitty, and morally repulsive if you ever have to share a room with them.

The degree of cynicism people feel blunts any kind of revolutionary rhetoric. Meanwhile, their fear of things getting worse leaves them suspicious of any kind of advertised sweeping change. So you end up with bland, toothless centrism as a default position that meets the low expectations voters have cultivated.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Oh yeah. I know/knew several NY Republicans who are all “fiscally conservative and socially liberal” people, who only vote on economic policy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Liberal is still right wing.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Oh yeah, the “I act like I’m smarter than everyone but I’m actually a fucking idiot who’s never actually read a book on economics and gets all his info from uncited YouTube videos, also I’m going to be super condescending about it” type of guy. Those guys are the worst.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

Just one more tax cut bro, it's gonna trickle down for sure real soon.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

The husband in the couple I still speak with is in finance. He knows to liquidate before a Republican takes office and buy the dip. He even tried to get me to take the maximum loan out against my 401k and move the rest to utility stocks to protect it. I should’ve listened.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

and how's that working out for them this time around?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I only still talk with one couple who voted for Trump first term but knew better this time around. I’m fairly sure they’re going to vote for Democrats in the midterms though. They want this madness to stop. I bet they go right back to voting red after that though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I’ve known a few couples who fit this description. Often both well-educated and successful, usually pleasant conversationalists, sometimes even fun. But it’s maybe the third or fourth time we hang out that I start noticing something’s different about them and their relationship.

It varies but sometimes there’s too much obviously calculated social performance between them, or maybe they incidentally rank people using some arbitrary measure, or seem to avoid touching each other, or express overt cynicism re: others’ intentions. They tend to have pre-nups and separate finances, which always comes up when they divorce and decide which of them gets to keep me as a friend.

I never can feel very close to them, even if they say I’m a close friend, in part because they never get to know me or are only interested in me knowing them.

It’s just a constellation of attributes that repeats enough to suggest an archetypal couple dynamic or personality type, but I’ve never quite put my finger on it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

On the money. It’s so odd. I’ve known him since high school, but I feel like I don’t know them at all. It’s kind of surreal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Definitely feel that. It sounds a bit like narcissistic personality disorder but not entirely, and I’m not sure that would explain how they gravitate toward one other. None of the ones I knew had children but I remember thinking the Silicon Valley pronatalists must overlap strongly.

There’s just a fundamental self-centeredness evident throughout their behavior and beliefs. It could be errant notions cultivated with early socialization, or socially maladaptive neurodivergence, or simply a series of self-serving misinterpretations of scientific consensus that eventually becomes a worldview. The end result is a self-styled “power couple” who essentially have no friends because they never learned what that means.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

We may be talking about the same couple. Lol

He’s a classic narcissist she’s an enabler when they’re together and more self-righteous when they’re apart. It’s one of those friendships I’d never have, had we met any time after high school.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean that is going to happen when the left responds to someone who is almost entirely left, but holds one "right wing" opinion so you call them a Nazi and lump them in with the right when we both dam well know they really aren't.

I'm talking someone who agrees with the left on everything except one thing like they are pro-life or against trans women in women's sports or something. Even though they agree with the left on everything else you guys will unilaterally reject them for their one different stance.

Ive seen it happen multiple times online and many time personally in my own life with friends and family.

There are people who hold stances from both sides and they are capable understanding both sides perspectives, but they are not even allowed near the left and that's a real problem. If you aren't willing to even talk to people that are in the middle how on earth can you expect people to come to your side or change?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You aren't in the middle if you are a misogynist who doesn't agree trans women are women, and doesn't believe in women's right to choose. You're on the right.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

See this is exactly what I'm fuckin talking about. You can't even see the problem with your line of thinking.

This hypothetical person was going to vote with you 9 times out of 10 and you're rejecting them because they share one different stance. Do you not see how this might be a fucking problem come voting time? You tell that person they are actually on the right and they don't deserve to be around you or your party why the fuck would they vote with you?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

What you "centrists" call "purity tests" by the left are in fact just a threshold level of basic of human decency. Leftists simply don't want to hang with folks who embrace bigoted viewpoints and who are willing to vote for any party that supports the genocide of Palestinians. You are deluding yourself into thinking a compromise position on these issues is in any way morally or ethically acceptable. Compromise is for things like what color you are gonna paint your living room, not for basic human rights.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"Look, if i cant be a transphobe or have authority over women's bodies, i will vote for the nazi party and get all you fuckers put in concentration camps 😠."

Why in the fuck would we accept you if you want women to birth babies by force? The baby will grow up unwanted, poor, unloved and resented. The mother might have health issues she wont be able to recover from. Can't go to school or get a job because gotta take care of the kid.

You hold ignorant views. The whole trans people in sports is such a non issue that you were told is a huuuuge problem. That is not our problem. Educate yourself. We are not gonna coddle you for believing ridiculous things.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yup. Just keep pushing people away who would otherwise vote your direction. I'm sure that will totally help you win the next election.

If you are going to require that everyone share your exact stances across the board you will never win another election again.

Short sighted morons.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Its interesting how we, random lemmy users, don't want to be your friends because some of the views your hold are shit, that that upsets you so much to the point you will vote against your own interest...

Watch John Oliver's episode on trans people in sports and you will see its a made up issue.

And if you put the life of a fetus, and unborn being, above that of womens rights to their own body, then you have your priorities messed up.

We are morons for not bending over for your ignorance?... Grow up.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

They more or less perfectly illustrated the point of the meme.