this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
496 points (95.8% liked)

Lefty Memes

4134 readers
689 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, upvoting good contributions and downvoting 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.)

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 hours ago

Nice. Good looking out.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

I thought we had all agreed that we punch nazis? LIke was this not the agreed apon reaction. If you had something more dangerous than a fist I would say you could use that... but this feels overly cowardly

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

If you had something more dangerous than a fist I would say you could use that… but this feels overly cowardly

Na dawg. This is why I carry. I have a bad back so I'm not fucking around like that.

I need the Nazi to make the first move anyway.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 hours ago (4 children)

how many nazis have you punched

[–] [email protected] 1 points 57 minutes ago

Several for sure. Back in my 20's at parties and punk shows. Nazi punks fuck off!!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 hours ago

It has been a while, but it used to happen around once a week a back in the day. They used to show up to music venues they weren't wanted at, and if made to leave, would start fights. If they were returning from a place they got the boot from, they would just poor in and start fighting. If it wasn't a place they could just enter, they would congregate outside.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I have indeed punched nazis.

I was involved in martial arts for nearly two decades, I attended many tournaments in that time. I don't make any claims of being an amazing fighter but I was able to hold my own and I can really take a hit.

There is a huge spectrum of tournaments out there. Some of these venues were far less strict than others, and basically let in anyone who was good at faking being from an actual karate school, because some hosts just cared about collecting entry fees. This was a long ass time ago, I have no idea if it's still like this now.

So there were almost inevitably a scattering of delusional psychopaths who just wanted to fight, from gang-members to college kids who watched Bruce Lee films so many times they thought they knew how to fight. And of course a few tattoo-plastered biker types who were able to set aside their ego enough to actually put on a gi and follow tournament etiquette. (Love those black belts that are so stiff you can tell they've never been worn before that day.)

So it's easy enough to see things like hate symbols tattooed on some people's chests or arms. I am proud to say that I have gone against some of these chucklefucks and hit them hard enough that they fell down and had a hard time getting back up. One just left after the first hard kick to the nuts. Fortunately (and unfortunately) the same kinds of tournaments that let just anyone in also seemed really lax about enforcing "light contact" rules and people were routinely just smashing each other as hard as possible, and why I eventually stopped doing tournaments.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago

For legal reasons I am not sure I should state the amount of fist fights I have been in on the internet

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 hours ago

i think it's important to note that "1488" especially the 88 is a Nazi dog whistle.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Gotcha. Summary:

Group name: Some shit that 12-year-olds would be embarrassed to use as a gang name, but surprise, the guy who came up with this shit was 60+ or something
Ideology: The same ol' shit, you've heard it all before
Identifiers: Well, this kind of shit, they kind of stick out from the crowd
What to do: The usual

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 hours ago

So, the plan is "the usual": continue to minimize the threat and ignore it.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

This is good advice on it's face, but what if you're living in a country full of Nazis?

Like, let's say - hypothetically - the cops are Nazis. And all your mass media is full of Nazi agitprop. And friends and family are periodically repeating Nazis talking points. And you are feeling increasingly isolated by the sheer madness of the outside world.

Hypothetically, of course.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

You know what's crazy? People who are Nazis would say exactly this about the "Woke" Society. They see no difference in accepting Trans people and killing minorities. Just take a sharp look at the conservative narrative.

"Green Fascist's with woke ideology" to what about their way of live.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

People who are Nazis would say exactly this about the “Woke” Society.

It reminds me of the left/right split during the Iranian Revolution. Folks love to post pictures of "Before 1979" with the wealthy kids of the industrial elites dressed like EU/US fashionistas. Iranian progressives saw this as a privilege of the elites that shouldn't be exclusive to the upper end of society. Iranian conservatives saw it as a symptom of elitism that shouldn't be permitted at any tier of society.

After the revolution, conservative Iranians (very briefly) aligned with conservative Americans, as the Ayatollah and the Reagan/Thatcher governments aligned on this idea of regressive religious anti-Communism. But then Iran didn't open itself back up as a western gas station, so the American white supremacists and the Iranian Islamic supremacists fell back into conflict again.

Then it was just two ultra-orthodox conservative groups screaming "Woke Decadent Radicals!" at one another, while everyone around them were ground to paste by the slew of wars to follow.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Awesome explanation. The similarities are striking. I don't understand why people have the tendency to interfere with others lives. Conservatives have a fetish for this.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago

I don’t understand why people have the tendency to interfere with others lives

Codifying cultural norms into law is a normal part of politics. The big question is what you want to normalize.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 18 hours ago

Tbh, if that's the case then, I will just join in a Marxist group that is serious about arm resistance. I'm too poor to move out anyway.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

"What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?" - Ursula K. Le Guin

Have you considered moving?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 22 hours ago (9 children)

Sadly, I'm an English speaker so I'm very limited in my options.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 hours ago

You mean the most widespread language on earth?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

But you always have the option to learn another language. It just takes some effort. It is easier to do than it ever has been before in history.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

Finding an employer to sponsor you in most countries is exceedingly difficult for most Americans. We can't just move, unfortunately. There are strict immigration laws in most countries.

There were entire subreddits dedicated to this topic in the before-days. We need a Lemmy community for this complex topic.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Unless they've changed policy in the last six months, Portugal will take nearly anyone with stable remote work and fast track them to EU citizenship. This was/is the most viable choice for US citizens.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

You are thinking of their nomad visa (D8) which takes 5 years and requires a monthly income of at least $3200 Eur/mo. The problem has always been getting a U.S. employer to allow you to work remote AND out of country.

HR and payroll departments absolutely hate letting remote workers live outside the country because it makes tax liabilities and benefits complicated for them. So, it's quite rare to find a U.S. company that will do it. Even most multi-national megacorps are assholes about it.

But, if you are a successful freelancer with a very reliable income from non-Portuguese sources, then this may be an option. Most of us don't fit that bill, unfortunately. Hell, most Americans struggle just to get a hybrid work situation. The idea of international remote or stable freelancing is quite a tall order.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago

When I pursued it there was a provision for the administrative tax burden of the employer. My employer withheld as usual for a US worker, then I would also need to file and post-pay Portugal's taxes.

Double taxation; an employer comfortable with it; new culture; national economic issues: I agree it's a tall order for the vast majority of Americans. And, it also seemed the most viable option. I think we agree that emmigration is quite difficult.

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

So many 3% stickers on cars around my area

[–] [email protected] 1 points 36 minutes ago* (last edited 29 minutes ago)

Everyone of the people I know who have the sticker/tattoo aren't Nazis, they are big into guns and tend to be anti-government though.

Three percent is from the population% that supported the American revolution at its inception, at least that's what I've understood of it.

I'm sure there are plenty of Nazis that also claim to be 3%ers but I've never known it to be a Nazi thing, maybe they have tried to claim it.

Similar to the OK hand sign I will never see it as a symbol of nazism/white supremacy.

Most of those stickers aren't Nazis

[–] [email protected] 16 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Should give them a 3% brick through the back window. /s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 hours ago

Using the ceramic piece of a spark plug as the "bullet" and just about any sort of sling will break the cars windows without setting off most car alarms.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

3% not brick works better.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 hours ago

Maybe do something like siphon all but 3% of the gas from the tank and let a similar amount of air from their tires

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That last line needs to be in all caps at the top. Never call the cops on Nazis, it'll just mean more Nazis putting the boot in.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

This is like basic common sense that is drilled into you from a young age if you're not white.

Got a problem and you call the cops? Now you've got two problems.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I'm white and even as a kid I felt unsafe around cops. As early as maybe 13 I'd reached this conclusion on my own.

I'm not sure what took everyone else the extra few decades.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 hours ago

They teach kids in school that cops are your friends, which you would think is some kind of state sanctioned indoctrination program, but it's actually just naiveté on the part of the educators. If you meet a cop, does it feel like they're your friend, or does it feel like someone puffing up their chest to try and intimidate you even when you've done nothing wrong?

[–] [email protected] 21 points 22 hours ago

This is so goddamn exhausting.

Thirty years ago I was reading poorly photostatted (sic) fliers at the local record shop explaining the difference between Nazis with red shoelaces and Nazis with yellow shoelaces. It was exhausting then, too. They're all basic bitch Nazis. Treat them the same way you would treat a potentially harmful arthropod, like a scorpion. You don't have to be a fucking entomologist to understand this shit.

Shun the Nazi. Leave it alone. Don't ask for help from Nazis.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

TIL Best Buy employees are part of the Patriot Front.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago

I knew they had it out for Radio Shackers, it just took them a while to admit it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago

Is it still acceptable to wear a S.H.A.R.P. patch? Don't they have a Spartan helmet on it?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 21 hours ago (3 children)

Pussy as Nazis hiding their faces. Be a man, show your face, so someone can throw a brick at it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 hours ago

I'm sure they've convinced themselves that it's the "woke mob" that will unjustly cancel them like they did the kind chaps carrying tiki torches in Charlotte. /s

[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago

A brick doesn't care about a mask.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 19 hours ago

Or you know....multiple.

load more comments
view more: next ›