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!
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.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/36828107
ID: WookieeMark @EvilGenXer posted:
"OK so look, Capitalism is right wing.
Period.
If you are pro-capitalism, you are Right Wing.
There is no pro-capitalist Left. That's a polite fiction in the US that no one can afford any longer as the ecosystem is actually collapsing around us."
The way anyone here looks at Communism is idealistic and Communist governments never fall into that ideal definition. Does that mean Communism is a bad thing? No. It simply means we haven't found a way to make it work. Is Capitalism a bad thing? No. It can be great when it works. It's just not working right now in Amurrica.
That would be great if it weren't definitively proven to be otherwise. Just because you aren't familiar with Karl Marx doesn't mean he didn't write extensively on the subject. Specifically you could look at critique of the Gotha Program by Karl Marx, Reform or Revolution by Rosa Luxemburg and State and Revolution by Lenin for comprehensive arguments against your view.
Even the ruling class, which once had many socialist-y sentiments among them, hasn't subscribed to your views since WW2. I used to make arguments similar to yours, but if I followed through and tried to prove those views the only "evidence" was either just experts making claims to that effect, or people literally misconstruing data to suit that assumption. Its almost as if the consensus reached by the experts is itself a way of hiding the true relationships produced and reproduced for and by capitalism.
Not arguing, just not quite understanding what you mean when you said, "That would be great if it weren't definitively proven to be otherwise." Which part of my comment(s) are you referring to?
I appreciate the way you've written your reply. Too many here (and in the world) are hostile and combative with their words, whereas you're seeking actual discourse, and I thank you for that. The world, and especially the USA, needs more of that. I also appreciate the book recommendations - I like to challenge my views and the views of others, for it's not entirely beneficial to be trapped within an echo chamber. I'm aware of Marx and Lenin, but not of Luxemburg. Thank you again.
Appreciate your response, and I agree: there's like a toxicity on the left. Some of it I can try to account for, Mark Fisher wrote about it a good deal in some of his essays, but confronting it I have the same problems that you might, I get banned from left spaces or dogpiled. From my investigations, I would say that a great deal of this framing, often bearing the title of "Marxist" is anything but, which isn't a condemnation of anyone's beliefs, since most people on the left, including progressive liberals are moved by deep injustices in society. And anyone moved by injustice is my comrade, of not today then surely in the future. But I do think the point of Marx has been lost, since so many Marxists deploy a sort of reasoning that Marx himself criticized and all but condemns.
Its true we all have an ideology to reckon with, I think its a consequence of the world we live in vs our ability or willingness to live with it. Its a big question that has plagued me for over a decade, but also driven much of my intellectual development. I hope the challenging and development of your ideas on your journey is just as fruitful, and maybe a little easier or more pleasant than I've experienced. Unfortunately, the times being what they are, many lessons will come hard for all of us, I'm afraid.
Sorry for any ungenerous interpretations of your intentions or intellect or anything like that. Its not my intention to like win debates or be petty, but being someone who thinks about politics a lot, it comes with the territory, I'm afraid. I try and improve.
Thanks for the discussion!
What is great about capitalism? How do you gauge whether its going well or not?
I think the critical difference is that communism has never had a chance to be tried without capitalist countries attacking them. Capitalist Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union and then the Capitalist USA forced the USSR into an economic cold war. Then the US bombed the shit out of socialist countries for 50 years. Communist China was threatened with a economic cold war if they didn't join the "free market".
But we have tried capitalism for 300 years and it produces horrible atrocities: leaded gasoline, mass starvation in 3rd world countries, child sweat shops, slavery, sex trafficking, destroying the planet for profit, billionaire oligarchs destroying democracy, etc