this post was submitted on 02 May 2026
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Lefty Memes

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An international (English speaking) socialist Lemmy community free of "ML" (read: Dengist) influence. 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, discussion and agitprop/stuff that's better fit for a poster than a meme 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. Please post agitprop here)


0.5 [Provisional Rule] Use alt text or image descriptions to allow greater accessibility


(Please take a look at our wiki page for the guidelines on how to actually write alternative text!)

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.


0.5.1 Style tip about abbreviations and short forms


When writing stuff like "lol" and "iirc", it's a good idea to try and replace those with their all caps counterpart

  • ofc => OFC
  • af = AF
  • ok => OK
  • lol => LOL
  • bc => BC
  • bs => BS
  • iirc => IIRC
  • cia => CIA
  • nato => Nato (you don't spell it when talking, right?)
  • usa => USA
  • prc => PRC
  • etc.

Why? Because otherwise (AFAIK), screen readers will try to read them out as actually words instead of spelling them


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" (read: Dengists) (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 irrationally 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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[–] WhyIHateTheInternet@lemmy.world 44 points 2 days ago (7 children)

I got suspended for 3 days in junior high for refusing to say the pledge. When asked why I said, "why should I pledge allegiance to this country and not some other country?". That did not go well with my homeroom teacher who was a veterans wife I guess. She argued people died for this country and I said people died because of this country and I don't think that's ok and I'm not swearing allegiance to any government body. I was 14 at the time and this was in 94. When I got back from suspension she want my homeroom teacher any longer. I found out her husband died while serving.

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 38 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

She argued people died for this country

People died for pretty much every country. That doesn't make this country special at all.

[–] slaacaa@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago

That was my first thought.

It’s okay to love a country, but do it the same way I love the street I grew up in, the park nearby, or the grocery store on the corner. I don’t think these are the best in the world or superior to others, but I know them well and they are meaningful to me because of the connection I built to them over the decades.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

She argued people died for this country

More often killed for it than died for it.

[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 8 points 2 days ago (2 children)

So technically more people died for other countries and as this seems to be the benchmark for swearing allegiance to. We all should swear allegiance to the country that the most people have died for.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We all should swear allegiance to the country that the most people have died for.

Mongolia?

[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 1 points 2 days ago

Би тугтаа үнэнч байхаа тангараглаж байна Монголын мөн түүний төлөөлж буй Бүгд Найрамдах Улсад, Бурханы дор нэг үндэстэн, хуваагдашгүй, Бүгдэд нь эрх чөлөө, шударга ёс.

(Bi tugtaa ünench baikhaa tangaraglaj baina Mongolyn mön tüünii tölöölj bui Bügd Nairamdakh Ulsad, Burkhany dor neg ündesten, khuvaagdashgüi, Bügded ni erkh chölöö, shudarga yos.)

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Well, good news for the American Pledge of Allegiance.

[–] DiarrheaSommelier@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I recently saw that the US military has a civilian-kill:soldier-death ratio of like 60:1 since Korea. Who has that high of a K:D ratio and still be at 0% wins?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Who has that high of a K:D ratio and still be at 0% wins?

Gotta ask what "winning" is, exactly.

Presidents tend to win reelection during war time. And there's a ton of money to be made. Meanwhile, the market loves a war and rewards shareholders handsomely.

So who is actually losing?

[–] pipi1234@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Its interesting that having a relative that "Died for this country" serves as a tool to further entrench nationalism.

Almost like it has its purpose by its own. Right?

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Someone needed to explain to her that her husband died to protect you right to express your opinion, even if she didn't agree with it.

But not really. He probably died for no good reason at all, like Oil, or to "stop the spread of Communism." America seems to have no problem throwing as many lives down those two holes as they need to, and still never achieve whatever objectives they think they have.

I said almost exactly that in the ensuing argument.

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 days ago (2 children)

did your parents back you up?

jw bc my mom gave me good lessons on authority and who should get respect and how. I had a couple "suspensions" that were really just a day off, once or twice she even took it off work to do something with me. I don't remember the exact scenarios now because they were pretty minor things, but I appreciate the way she handled it.

except that time I brought a knife to school to have a friend sharpen it at home. I understand why they wouldn't want knives there, and I broke that rule knowingly and after consideration.

also, lol @ suspensions in the first place. like what does that even accomplish? Oh no what am I going to do with the rest of the day and up to the next two days completely off, what a terrible time I'll have biking around town and playing video games. It's not like getting behind on classwork is an issue for that period of time when you're an easy A student who's never had the study and is going to have a hell of a time adjusting to post secondary.

They absolutely backed me up. My mom was and still is the same. She's distanced a lot of family because Trump but she never shows down.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It's like when they give cops paid suspension... Oh no, what will they do??

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Sounds like her anger was misplaced

[–] DiarrheaSommelier@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago

Yep, absolutely. Nobody has died to protect the safety and security of the USA in over 80 years.

Plenty have died fighting stupid wars that the USA should never have started or jumped in on. But not one of those has been to protect anything but wealth or individual political careers.