this post was submitted on 24 May 2024
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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

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,

as well as 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.

7. Absolutely no posts or comments meant to relativize(/apologize for), advocate, promote or defend:

(This is not a definitive list, the spirit of the other rules still counts! Eventual duplicates with other rules are for emphasis.)

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[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 230 points 5 months ago (19 children)

I'm cool with that, but folks should also remember this:

 

[–] skulbuny@sh.itjust.works 79 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (100 children)

yeah I'm forever voting blue no matter who. The republican candidate will always be a fascist. It will never end with Trump. It's going to be fascist vs not fascist blue vote and I will eat whatever shit the blue vote shits out. More cops? I'm all for it, not a fascist dictator. Support Israel? Fine with me, not a fascist dictator. It sucks but that's just America now for the next thousand or so years, fascism or something else. Better hope the something else isn't closer to fascism than before or else you're fucked.

[–] HauntedCupcake@lemmy.world 27 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (6 children)

If the Dems keep winning the Republicans will have to slide left. It happened in the UK with Labour (unfortunately in the opposite direction).

When that happens, and Trump is not literally attempting to end democracy using project 2025, the plan of strong-arming the dem candidate into being more left is plenty feasible, and the risks are less dire.

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[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 85 points 5 months ago (2 children)

as long as you still vote for biden. hold your nose if you must. i know i will be...

[–] MrFappy@lemmy.world 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That’s how I was voting for Hillary, and I almost actually vomited, for all the good that did me.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 41 points 5 months ago (3 children)

if more had also done that, we wouldn't be here now

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 22 points 5 months ago (34 children)

If she had bothered to campaign in the Midwest and had just generally been a much better candidate, more people would have.

It's the job of a politician to earn votes and faithfully represent the priorities of the majority of the voters. People like Hillary, Biden, Schumer and the rest of the Dem leadership seldom do either.

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[–] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 21 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I honestly regret not voting for Hillary. I didn't vote for Trump either, I voted third-party because I thought Hillary was going to win, and even if she didn't win, what's the worst Trump could do, huh? So I figured it wouldn't hurt to vote for a third-party with the hope they'd get enough points to be on the debate stage during the next general election.

Granted, my vote probably wouldn't have made a difference. Tbh, considering I live in a state with winner-takes-all voting, I'm not even sure my vote actually matters now; but I'm still going to vote for Biden. It's better than assuming he'll win and risking another Trump victory.


Yes, I know I'm not the main character and I'm only one person. I know that changing my vote alone won't make a difference. However, what might make a difference is if I talk about my reasoning in a public forum. Then, people might stop, read my post, and change their minds. Now, it's not one vote, it's two. They might spread their view as well, and two votes becomes four. Four votes becomes eight; and eight becomes sixteen. As small as that sounds, sixteen votes can make all the difference in an election. There are elections that have come down to one or two votes.

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 82 points 5 months ago (37 children)

Nother reminder: not voting for biden isvoting for trump regardless if you support either of them

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[–] crispy_kilt@feddit.de 78 points 5 months ago (48 children)

Not voting for Biden is the same thing as voting for Trump.

Voting for Biden doesn't mean supporting him. It means preventing Trump from becoming president.

[–] ashok36@lemmy.world 41 points 5 months ago (8 children)

The vote I cast in 2020 was against trump and not for Biden. I feel pretty good about that decision considering what happened afterwards. I'll vote against Trump again as many times as it takes.

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[–] Nom@lemm.ee 25 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I never liked Biden since the Obama years and I now hate him quite a bit. Sadly voting for him at this point is simply necessary, because if I am not in a good enough state to survive then I cannot support the Palestinians nor Ukrainians.

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[–] Xanis@lemmy.world 20 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (10 children)

This precise sentiment has gotten me told off a few times now. Usually with someone yelling the word "Genocide" over and over so I can't get a word in. People are so fucking dumb it's actually unbelievable.

Whatever my frustration, I just want us all to work together even after we get Biden a second term. The only reason, ONLY REASON, the GOP have their power is honestly because we can't stop slap fighting long enough to plant a foot in their asses. This would also work for the Democrats. We do have two feet. Whatever our perspectives and opinions, there is a single neigh universal truth we can all accept:

This life sure could be a lot better.

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[–] hperrin@lemmy.world 76 points 5 months ago (104 children)

Sure, but if you can and don’t vote for Biden it means you’re at least ok with Trump.

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[–] seanziepples@lemmy.world 73 points 5 months ago (9 children)

I'm not going to tell anybody what to do or who to vote for but one of two things are very likely to happen at the end of this election:

  • Biden is re-elected. We continue with the status quo. We have a chance to make small incremental steps toward a better future.
  • Trump is elected. Two Supreme Court justices retire and Trump appoints two more. At that point he will have appointed FIVE of NINE Supreme Court justices. We have already seen what they're willing to do. Imagine what they will do in the literal decades to come.

Choose what you want to do, but take responsibility for your choice. Vote in your local elections. Big changes can happen from the ground up.

[–] nexguy@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago

It's the federal judge appointments that matter and almost nothing else. Most of what he does can be undone except for that.. It would cause a generation of damage.

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[–] franklin@lemmy.world 60 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (15 children)

Criticizing our leaders is one of the core principals of democracy.

Voting is also a core principal. So please stop encouraging non-participation.

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[–] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 56 points 5 months ago (30 children)

I voted for Gary Johnson because Hillary sounded awful in 2016 and I 1000x regret it. Fuck this system for making me choose between bad and worse, but yes obviously I have to choose bad over worse.

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[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 48 points 5 months ago (10 children)

Most are referring to the way our current electoral system works. Voting 3rd party helps the Republicans even if its not intentional.

[–] Seraph@kbin.social 30 points 5 months ago (10 children)

Yup, and the only way out of that is Ranked Choice Voting.

Go volunteer for your local RCV group, California's is here: https://www.calrcv.org/

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[–] SkyNTP@lemmy.ml 36 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Unfortunately, the US political system does not have a feature to "dislike" all the candidates. Not without a major, probably bloody, revolution, anyway. Your choice is to support and pick one candidate, or let everyone else pick the candidate for you.

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[–] AFC1886VCC@reddthat.com 34 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Liberal democracy has to win every election, fascism only has to win one. Good job if you win in 2024, now do it again every 4 years

[–] Hackworth@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.

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[–] suction@lemmy.world 32 points 5 months ago (7 children)

Ok but what no leftie has yet explained is who has asked them to like Biden? Probably nobody who votes for Biden last time or this time around thinks he’s “teh awesome”, we’re simply grown ups who are able to tell which is the least bad option. Honestly lefties (if they aren’t just groipers posing as lefties) who think it’s a hot take to say Biden isn’t the optimal person to be President are all suffering from Captain Obvious syndrome while thinking they’re the cleverest people ever. It’s cringe.

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[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 29 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (8 children)
[–] disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world 22 points 5 months ago (6 children)

Critiques are necessary. We don’t owe electors loyalty. They owe us representation.

With that being said, when it comes to voting, inaction is action.

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[–] bouldering_barista@lemmy.world 28 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, but.... Oftentimes criticizing Biden helps trump. I'd rather not even risk it at this point.

Can we spend more energy celebrating that trump is NOT the president and how bad it would be if he comes back?

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 46 points 5 months ago (15 children)

Criticizing Biden is totally fine. It's the pressure from these posters to not vote for Biden out of principle that's the problem.

Biden is flubbing the Gaza situation hard but he's still (unfortunately) our only chance to keep Trump out of office.

This post should really say "Just because we dislike Biden doesn't mean we shouldn't vote for him"

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[–] stanleytweedle@lemmy.world 26 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (58 children)

'Dislike' and 'support' are immaterial. Votes are all that matter. Sorry in reality no one cares about your super nuanced political position but if you're not voting for Biden in 2024 you're either useless or an actively opposing my civil and human rights.

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[–] TheOakTree@lemm.ee 26 points 5 months ago (5 children)

A group holds a vote to either cross a bridge to side A or stay on side B. Staying on side A means you won't have much food. Going to side B means you still won't have much food, but also most of the food is poisonous.

Part of the group says "I don't want to starve, I refuse to vote in a way that accepts malnourishment as a solution!" Group C also opposes eating poisonous food. This partial group votes to try and find a better source of food (option C).

48% of people vote A. 49% of people vote B. 3% of people vote C.

Surprise, surprise, Group C had 0 impact on the starving situation AND helped facilitate the eating of poisonous food.

Fuck Biden, and FUCK Trump. But if you think voting for a leftist party or abstaining from voting will change anything in a system entirely designed around having only two candidates, you are just as okay with Trump as you are with Biden. At the very least, you are saying that they are equally as bad, showing that you clearly don't understand the dynamic.

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[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Like a real president should, Biden does a lot of things I agree with and some I don’t. I thought Obama was one of the greatest presidents in my lifetime but even he did things I didn’t completely agree with. Would I’d rather have someone like Bernie or AOC in the Oval Office? Absolutely (well except he’s to old and she’s to young). Could we do better than Biden? Also absolutely. What I’d love to see is national ranked choice voting and more like 5-6 candidates. I think this would be better for everyone. But Trump is an existential crisis waiting to happen. I’m not sure this country can withstand another Trump presidency. Frankly I’m not sure my health can either. I literally noticed a significant drop in my BP when Trump left.

So yeah, you can be critical of Biden and not a Trump supporter. Frankly if you’re not a little critical of any president regardless of party, you’re not in a party, you’re in a cult.

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[–] MindTraveller@lemmy.ca 22 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Leftists 🤝 Tankies
Hating Biden

Tankies 🤝 Centrists
Doing nothing to oppose Trump

How hard is this to understand?

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