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
view the rest of the comments
I'm half-ignoring it because if you were at all familiar with Marxism, you'd know that this was a prediction of Marxism that has come true with time. Automation is a key aspect of Marx's predictions and analysis, as well as the expectation for technological progress.
Marxists believe Socialism is what Capitalism is necessarily leading to because decentralized markets form centralized monopolist syndicates with complex internal planning, ripe for aquisition into the public ownership and centrally planned. Ie, Capitalism prepares Socialism.
You say "seems like" with no logical justification.
Your argument that automation preserves rather than accelerates the demise of Capitalism is unfounded, and goes directly against the Tendency for the Rate of Profit to Fall, which was logically proven back in Marx's era.
Our comfort is constantly declining as disparity rises as Capitalism decays.
I just want to say your effort is appreciated and fair points regarding what i dont know about marxism.
I think my conjecture that the power structures wont be destroyed is justification enough to not seek to destroy them. My "seems like" is alternative to working with the power structure, but i understand i dont have data to substaniate my belief that individuals wont overcome centralized supercomputer data analytics commanding autonomous enforcement.
I didnt say capitalism would be preserved, but that the current power structures would. I dont think there will be a compelling motivation for an impervious power structure to maintain the illusion of freedom. Profit falling off doesnt dissolve societal hierarchy if the power structure still enforces it by identity rather than wealth.
Our discomfort doesnt have much time to motivate us before we willingly accept the power structure (due to no alternative).
That said, im not convinced an omnipresent evil is guaranteed to arise from capitalism, just a self-interested entity.
I think you need to do more research and come up with logical arguments for these beliefs that aren't just vibes, but empirical data and observations.
Im not a historian, nor revolutionist, and i have the benefit of just shitting on your assertions. But i am your target audience. And i still dont know how you are going to convince me to read a stack of history books or pick up an AK.
My self interest will probably just make me want to fight for the system as long as i can instead of enduring hardship. Anyways nice talking to you.
And this takes me back to what I said previously, if Marxism is indeed correct, then as material conditions deteriorate due to sharpening of contradictions in Capitalism, then there will likely be a point in the future that you become more willing to read theory, and I'll be right here.
You aren't actually my target audience. My target audience is made up of people already radicalized by this deterioration of Capitalism, but this doesn't affect everyone equally. If you are not radicalized, then it is likely that you're not radicalized yet, at which point you will enter my target audience.
If it is indeed correct, indeed. Hopefully we all get equality in paradise in the end.
We will likely not see Communism, but we will be a part of the numerous water droplets that cumulatively bore through stone.