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!
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] Try to use alt text or image descriptions to allow for greater accessibility
(Please take a look at our wiki page for the guidelines on how to actually write alternative text!)
We encourage 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
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.
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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_Forever
They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn. We can break their haughty power, gain our freedom when we learn That the union makes us strong.
Solidarity Forever is a classic, and definitely one of my favorites. However when it comes to expressing the power of the working class I prefer Joe Hill's Workers of the World, Awaken!
If the workers take a notion, They can stop all speeding trains; Every ship upon the ocean They can tie with mighty chains. Every wheel in the creation, Every mine and every mill, Fleets and armies of the nation, Will at their command stand still.
People are willing to waste their entire lives working for someone else, why won't they work on representing themselves?
Unfortunately, the working class doesn't seem to understand "we."
Which is exactly the problem. Mobilizing this power is next to impossible. Its easier to herd a flock of cats
Its why propaganda is such a big thing, its the rich mobilizing said power to destroy itself with a smile on it's face
Unfortunately the working class in America right now seems to be made up of a significant number of morons.
We have to stop feeding the monsters.
We need to come together and figure out how though.
If only there was a movie about this... A movie where they make and sell soap... His name is Paul Robinson. His name is Paul Robinson. His name is Paul Robinson. A movie where the main character only sleeps one hour a day. A movie about 1 person. A movie about 2 people. A good movie. A movie where everything is just a copy, of a copy, of a copy.
It's heart breaking when I ask my friends if they've seen Fight Club and no one has ever seen it.
I've seen fight club several times. Who is Paul Robinson?
spoonerism of Robert Paulson?
In project mayhem we have no names. Lol it's a typo. Paul Robirtson
I thought this was a left-handed meme at first. Took me a second.
Wouldn't you know it, but I am actually left handed lmao. Yes, we're all left handed leftists!
Once that enormous power is replaced, nothing can stop the wealth class.
This is the reason why the rich are so fascinated by AI: the hope to take this power away from the people.
The thing everyone forgets is that there is practically nothing that will move the working class. There is this idea that if everyone just banded together and fought for better rights, everything would be better. But that's about as feasible as all cows banding together for better rights. It's just not something that is going to happen. There is nothing that will mobilize the working class. Nothing.
Individual humans can be intelligent, insightful, and can be convinced to take up a cause and work towards something greater than themselves. Humans as a large group though? Idiots. Fucking idiots. Literally no better than crabs in a bucket.
That's the problem. Any plan for change that involves the working class rising up and seizing control is a plan that is doomed to failure. Because the working class will never rise up and seize control. Ever. People have to be dragged kicking and screaming toward change, or tricked into accepting it. Those that think mobilization of the working class is a possibility have a fundamental failure in the understanding of human sociology.
Drones and robots can. Grant didn't see far ahead in fascist realization of the ultimate loyal slaves. Now proles have to face a loyal vanguard that will never betray the bourgeoisie.
Some are even marrying them as I type.