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
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That’s…incredibly reductive. If there were a new machine that whipped slaves automatically so the landowner didn’t have to, would the progressive be for it because it was a technological advancement?
You can’t honestly believe that technological advancements, no matter their use, no matter their owners, no matter who they will hurt, and no matter how quickly it’ll destroy the climate are supported by leftists because they’re progressive.
In the slave-whipping machine example, it would’ve been technology that solidified the existing paradigm without questioning the underlying problems with the system. “Think of all the art the white man can create now that he won’t while away his day overseeing his slaves! Think about how regressive that is!” Exactly like AI. This is a tool that, IN AN ONGOING CLIMATE EMERGENCY, is sucking up the limited available fresh water, using exponential amounts of energy, and is currently in the hands of the ruling class.
Because it can also…what? Make pictures and videos and write things so humans don’t have to use their own creativity? So it can finally eliminate any job that that people actually want to do to find some way to utilize creativity in a disgustingly repressive capitalist society? That’s why we have to accept any technological advancement?
Look at all of the other more recent tech advancements. Cellphone, email, internet, etc. They definitely offer a lot of democratizing tools and creative tools. But…it brought the rise of tech monopolies, unlimited surveillance, new ways to accumulate data to sell. It also upped productivity drastically, and thus profits.
We are living in a world increasingly dominated by tech and it’s all in the hands of the ruling class—they’ve literally turned us and out data into products. It is not “conservative” to say these things are bad. It’s not “conservative” to see the pattern we’ve been following with these tech advancements in the age of tech megacorps, and say “I see where this is going and it’s not great.”
It’s fucking stupid to NOT recognize the pattern and say “but this time it’s gonna be awesome!”
You're confused, but whatever.
Ridiculous example not even close to AI or what I was arguing. I made no such argument implying progressives support everything new, so fuck right off with this nonsense. AI can absolutely be positive if used for the benefit of all, you know it or you're a liar.
Never said or implied anything close to that. You're in fucking fantasy land.
Arguably the power of AI if used correctly could help with this in many ways. Have it help accelerate battery tech, help with nuclear power plants, more efficient solar panels, etc.
These benefits should be ours, for everyone not just the elite. This is what I'm arguing.
It is though. What do you want to do? Be a hippy living in the forest eating berries? You seem to just have a hatred for anything tech. I want all the tech for the benefit of everyone, not a billionaire elite. Your solution to "just don't do it" because we don't have control is stupid. You are a pussy. We need to take control and use it for the benefit of all.
My original comment was simple and still stands. You are making the regressive argument: its got problems therefore don't do it. I'm arguing we should absolutely do it because it has many amazing implications and possibilities that can benefit everyone.