this post was submitted on 16 May 2024
802 points (97.4% liked)

Lefty Memes

5446 readers
1258 users here now

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

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)


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


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.


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.



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

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One of the greatest sci-fi authors.

[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One of the greatest fantasy authors

[–] fogstormberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone 30 points 1 year ago (2 children)

thanks for sharing. I've been feeling pretty hopeless lately and this helped me today

[–] db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Feel free to chill around here. I'm all about uplifting peeps!

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] caboose2006@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Remember, it took the black death and like 1/2 the population dying to bring about this change

[–] Denvil@lemmy.one 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I mean the black death was like 450 years before the French revolution... I think it just took some angry French people for change

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Divine right of kings simply morphed into capitalism. We didn't get rid of jack shit, and we never will.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Feudalism is entirely different from Capitalism, which is entirely different from Socialism. Class dynamics have changed, and will change.

load more comments (10 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)
[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not to piss in the lemonade, but some places still have the divine right of kings.

[–] stiephel@feddit.de 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If Charles is the divine choice, why did he get cancer?

[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] stiephel@feddit.de 6 points 1 year ago

Bro wants a refund

[–] maynarkh@feddit.nl 11 points 1 year ago

The point is that societies could progress past it, that it's not inescapable.

So the fact that there are still absolute monarchies does not invalidate that societies that are better are possible, like most of our societies today.

Every empire seems unassailable and eternal, until it doesn't. The USSR seemed like it will last beyond our lifetimes, until it didn't.

[–] ConstantPain@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Shelley’s Poetry and Prose (1977)

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Rolando@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I've only read two books of Le Guin's, and they were both memorable:

The second one is more relevant to this meme.

[–] TSG_Asmodeus@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Absolutely 100% run (don't walk!) and get The Left Hand of Darkness. It is easily one of the best sci-fi/fantasy books I have ever read.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DrJenkem@lemmy.blugatch.tube 3 points 1 year ago

The Dispossessed had been in my backlog for a while now. I really need to get to it.

[–] Subverb@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Funny this cropped up, I just finished The Left Hand of Darkness two days ago. Very good book with some beautiful prose.

It was the first Le Guin book I've read. I'll be reading more.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] buzz86us@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Capitalism doesn't even work in the US prices ate kept high

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I'm trying to parse your sentence. Can you use punctuation?

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Capitalism doesn't even work in the US. Prices are kept high.

[–] iknowitwheniseeit@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Or alternately:

Capitalism doesn't even work. In the US prices are kept high.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I was just attempting to parse the string as closely as I could.

Either is possible, which is why @laughterlaughter@lemmy.world was asking for punctuation!

[–] laughterlaughter@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Thank you!

The "ate" tripped me up.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] BigBenis@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The problem is that this time we've likely got a few decades at the most to form a movement before a huge chunk of the world becomes uninhabitable and society crumbles under the weight of war and famine.

Looking at how things are going, I have little hope that the majority of people are willing to let go of the status quo.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Kings had nothing on capitalism. You could overthrow a king.

But then you ended up with another king. Overthrowing royalty was hard.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

You can overthrow Capitalism, it weakens itself.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

and look where that got kings, EATEN

[–] Maeve@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I agree with the sentiment and also wonder if she's still ferociously pro-copyright?

[–] flora_explora@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

She died about 6 years ago

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Bruh she died

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

great quote from an amazing author.

any idea why the image saves a .json?

load more comments
view more: next ›