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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
ALL cops are bastards, yes. It's in the title.
Each and every cop could have chosen not to be a bastard. Some of them weren't bastards when they started, but by the time they've been in it long enough to identify as a "cop" they're a bastard. They are either actively participating in the system that the state uses to violently enforce their whims, or are complicit by virtue of continuing to perpetuate the establishment. Some of them, a vanishingly small minority, have the moral character to go back to not being a bastard, of they quit the police force, but until then, they cop, they bastard.
So in your perspective not all cops are bastards.
They may become bastards over time or may become a complicit part of the system, and if they decide not to be bastards, they may be kicked out, but at any time there are non-bastard cops
I agree. That's what's so silly about this taunt.
It is unproductive and exposes your unwillingness to deal with the complex reality.
Chanting an obviously incorrect slogan backfires pretty hard upon every utterance.
It sure is here.
Nope. The moment they've self identified as cop, they become bastard.
The slogan isn't incorrect, you simply choose to look at the individual actions, which yes, CAN be good actions, whereas others apply it to the institution that is the police force. If you are a part of that force, you are complicit in being a bastard.
Were all the gestapo bastards? Or did some of them do a few good things while participating in MASSIVE amounts of state sanctioned violence?
Nope, I'm looking at individual people, not actions.
No, you don't become complicit in being a bastard simply by becoming part of a corrupt institution.
The Jewish sympathizers that were part of the Reich who saved Holocaust victims?
HOA participants who change the laws to be more fair and beneficial to everyone?
IRS agents offering free file programs and tax benefits for low-income individuals?
You are blind to how systems of the world actually work and what creates change.
You can keep throwing a tantrum and calling names, eventually you'll realize you're not changing anything.
It's just going to take a lot longer than if you open your eyes.
By your logic, you are a rapist and a murderer because you live in a society within which rape and murder occurs.
If that's how you like to see yourself, that is your choice.
It isba false, narcissistic and deluded perspective to ascribe total immutable personal responsibility for the actions of others by virtue of association.
You know what would be better in each of those situations? The offending party not existing in the first place.
Don't have to save the Jews if the Gestapo doesn't exist.
No need to change the HOA if you don't have a HOA.
I could tackle the IRS Example as well, except I actually believe in (some degree of) taxes. Good on the people for finally twisting the IRS's arm on free file options though, they've been vastly limited until lately.
Yes, if everything we're talking about was different and behaved in a completely different manner than it does in the reality everybody lives in(that's right, you too!), then there would be a way to support your worldview.
Way to miss the point like you have this whole thread.
Way to pretend I don't understand exactly what you're saying and am effectively countering your avoidance techniques so that you can avoid addressing the flaws in your arguments I pointed out and don't have to admit you don't have a leg to stand on here.
It doesn't even engage with what I said, it dismisses it out of turn.
To break it down for anyone else bothering to read this:
The natural conclusion to the points about HOAs and Gestapo is thus:
You don't have to change the police system if it doesn't exist. Why fix broken, when we can tear it down, see what we need and don't need, and rebuild something else in its place.
This point has been entirely ignored. I didn't think I had to spell it out entirely, but there we go. I'm done with this entirely. Good day.
I love it that you think finally explaining your actual argument is tantamount to "spelling it out".
"You don't have to change the police system if it doesn't exist".
Yeah, and if qualified immunity didn't exist then it would be easier to prosecute police officers.
Unfortunately, that dreamscape, along with your own, is currently irrelevant since qualified immunity is still a reality.
Hardly seems worth bringing up, wouldn't you agree?
So let's get to what you've been trying to say by tiptoeing around the tulips this whole time:
"Why fix broken, when we can tear it down, see what we need and don't need, and rebuild something else in its place."
Because we know how to fix it. Because there is evidence and historical precedent that fixing it works. Because what suggestions I have heard so far for a rebuilt law enforcement, amounts to "fixing" The system now by adding more support services and increasing regulations and training. Because tearing it down takes a lot of time, and how long do you want there to be no law enforcement? Do you do it in stages?
Because, you saccharine dreamer, fixing broken windows is a heck of a lot easier and more responsible than burning your house down and starting from scratch.