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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
I don't know in what shithole of a country you guys live to hate cops, but here they are just decent, helpful protectors they ought to be. Never ever met one single piece-of-shit-cop in my life. There surely are rotten apples, but that is due to being human, not being a cop. There is no field of anything where everything's sunshine and lollipops. Maybe it's a case of how you treat them? You know, like give respect, earn respect? That thing?
Maybe an actual cop can give insight.
I was talking about real cops in more civilised countries. Not untrained us-american gun-monkeys. For the US my statement surely isn't valid.
Real cops don’t exist.
When you grow up some day, you might notice who's your real enemy. As it surely ain't the stupid cop who's just doing another stupid job of all those stupid other jobs in a stupid society of stupid people running after stupid pieces of paper with stupid numbers on it.
Who’s the real enemy?
Maybe the billionaires running this planet? Who all just have the best of our future at heart
That might be true for the US, as they're a shitty capitalist hellhole. Here we have nearly zero incidents, extremely low level of gun-usage and they're not just capital-protectors. They're helpers in all kind, even as a taxi if need be. E.g. Who'd you gonna call if your SO beats you or just won't leave your house? Or anything else where someone stronger (or better armed) than you threatens you in some way? Popo is here in 5m tops. Remember that noone has guns here and we're not at liberty to shoot intruders even if we had guns.
While i don't argue about inequality mostly being the reason for violence/whatever, the cops aren't the enemy. As said in another comment, they're just doing their shitty job. As kids we see them as heroes (not fear them like in the US), so many just become cops as a kids-dream, not even thinking about if that's a good thing. I'd argue that a banking-employee or basically any other employee that works for a billionaire, are the real enemy and evil. Who cares about the lowest end in the chain aka coos? I don't.
If a majority of your population decided to overthrow your government, who would the police side with? That’s your answer.
If the police would side with the average citizen, then your society is egalitarian. But, if your police would side with the government and billionaires, then it is authoritarian.
Because... It's their job? Protecting everyone from unlawful blahblah? Overthrowing a gov is kinda the epitome of "unlawful". No wonders here. Also they'd probably do shit and the army rolls out in such a case, but...
Especially the muricans hate cops so much but love their military. People being paid to murder other people "for protection". Where are the AMAB instead of ACAB?
Anyhow, and your take on your statement is, that cops are the evil then? Where's the importance of the lowest of enemies that are literally in the same boat as the regular working joe that cries ACAB? Or is it just acceptance that one couldn't change a thing but hating cops is graspable and tangible?
This is specific to the United States, but it will also apply as fascism rises in Europe.
I see you avoid answering things, so I don't even watch this. But for the point of the argument again: Rising fascism in europe is connected to the fucking cops HOW?! Why the effing f should I care about the enforcers of a system that wants to fuck me raw and not the owners of this system? Serves my point somehow, doesn't it?
When fascism comes to Europe, and the fascists are elected to office, and they legislate laws that are contradictory to the public, who will enforce those fascist laws enacted by the state?
The police.
When the fascists make laws against protesting, against workers striking, how does the state enforce these laws?
The police.
Understand the police are an extension of the state (the government). As the state becomes more fascist, police are employed to enforce this fascism.
So, you're a troll, a bot or unable to comprehend my posts. Which is it?
I do understand what police is and what they do. Did you copy/paste this from r/i_am_14_and_this_is_deep?
I can’t comprehend your comments. I have demonstrated, with sources, the relationship between capitalism and policing, repeatedly. You refuse to acknowledge that relationship, responding with, “but police are friends.” Feelings aren’t an appropriate defense of the purpose and existence of an apparatus of the state, despite the friendly policeman down the street.
Yeah sure whatever. Go hate the least important asset of an instrument that tramples you to death. If that makes you feel better.
Cops may be protecting my assets and my ass, but if it wouldn't be them, it would be private force i would have to pay (at least cops are free lol). I am one of those who reap the soils of your labour (because i don't work). You should fight me and those with way more dough. Not the badly paid cops. Actually why am I even arguing, i should be glad you hate them 😁
You know, I've also never personally had too bad of an encounter with a cop. I mean, I was falsely arrested once, but the cops were chill, only half of them had their guns pointed at me for no reason. They were just doing their job though, the others were all super chill!
No. Doesn't matter. You see DAILY that people are victimized. Not just in the states, you can look through this very thread for accounts of other people from other countries with terrible stories.
The very system of the state giving some non-elected individuals sole legal authority to excise violence against their peers, even ostensibly to prevent crimes we all agree are crimes, creates a power dynamic that leads to all sorts of problems we see today.
There might be bad daily incidents here too. Sure. Even if it were 10, what about the tens of thousands of incidents where cops just were helpful and/or protective? Same like with plane-accidents. Millions don't happen but the one that does makes the media.
I really don't see the problems you do. Cops here are highly selected (a weekend full of assessments of all kind, physical, intellectual and psychological evaluation). From like 300 participants, 0-3 get chosen. Then follows 3 years of training and regular checks. Not every country is like the USA which seems to recruit nutjobs and then give them a 2 week crash course.
But, for the sake of the argument: what is the alternative? No cops at all? What do you do if you're in need of help? Elect cops? That already seems to work great with politicians /s
I'm not an expert on any of this. Just a caveat, I'm sure anything I propose will have it's share of flaws.
State law enforcement (men armed with guns apprehending private citizens) should be the LAST step. For in-the-moment intervention, cops are already useless - unless they happen to be on site already, whatever violence happen, will happen before they get there. There's no good answer to stopping a determined violent individual, short of empowering people to defend themselves and others around them.
I think there's always going to be some level of violent crime. Some people simply don't function the same way. For these people, we clearly need some kind of active response force. It's use should be limited, based on hard fact and actual threat to civilian life. We also clearly need some kind of (humane) separation for people who cannot or will not rehabilitate, people who cannot be reintegrated into our society. These are two of the only acceptable uses of state violence, in my opinion.
I don't know the exact way it would look, but I'd like to see a move towards communities looking after themselves and those around them, in all aspects, and this includes safety and security.
Unfortunately, for property crimes, the only way to actually enforce property ownership is through violence, either direct threat of violence (break my shit and I'll end you), or state violence (break my shit and the state will send armed men to apprehend you unless you reimburse me). We have to determine what level of property security versus violence we seem acceptable. I tend to fall a bit more extreme towards violence not being okay to protect property - I don't think there's a single piece of property worth killing or maiming an individual over. Thus, if the only way to protect property is this level of violence, I believe it is wrong to intervene. I don't believe it is right for the individual to intervene, and I don't believe it is right for the state to intervene. The sad truth is that most of what the police force does now is enforce these types of crimes.
A community looking after themselves? Nice in theory but
I see you're not sure of an alternative, i wouldn't have one to offer either. Where's light there's shadow. And the worst problem is always: people. Homo homini lupus est. Always has been, allways will be. Doesn't mean we shouldn't optimize police where necessary. But personally I'm quite glad they're 3 numbers dialed away to quickly help first, ask later. You can even call them drunk so they drive you back home for free or at least call u a cab😁
Sure they would protect my properties too. So unless you are totally against property (then you'd totally be right and we wouldn't argue), how else should i protect it? I don't work but I'm still sometimes not at home and glad the cops would be here in 5mins in case of an alarm.
Nuh uh, dehumanizing them works better!
Wow, such argument, many insight. Hope you'll never need a cop (and you're not murican) 😉