this post was submitted on 15 May 2025
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Lefty Memes

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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:

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

On the left is just a list of people they are willing to accept money from

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago

No political orientation gives you unlimited time to clean the bathrooms.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 1 week ago (4 children)

And they will stop welcoming any of those if it benefits them financially.

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[–] throwawayacc0430 49 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Radical Libertarian Capitalism

Everyone is equal, as long as you have the money.

No money? DIE, MOTHERFUCKER!

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 week ago

I always did like how the Ferengi found human slavery abhorrent.

But also didn't really acknowledge that their women were effectively slaves.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (5 children)

As long as you can pay you can pee..

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 week ago

Left was posted by the staff. Right was posted by the owner.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Tell me you've never had to clean blood of the walls of a stall in a toilet at your minimum wage retail job without telling me you've never had to clean blood off the wall of a stall in the toilet at your minimum wage retail job.

I get the joke, i agree with the message but I also agree with the bathroom being for customers only...

It's a mistake you only make once, they just need to use the bathroom and you feel like an asshole for turning them away so you let them use it and the next thing you know you're cleaning fucking blood off the fucking wall.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

You know that isolated hostility is the end point of trying to protect yourself from harm right?

Being a good person and practicing pro social beliefs means opening yourself up to the possibility of being taken advantage of. It is ludicrous to hurt everyone, or at least an entire class of people, because of the occasional actions of some.

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

Exactly, I feel like this is kind of a BS argument made by the right to say this is why liberal values are fake vs on the flip side they would be showing a wrecked bathroom in a private business to prove why liberals are suckers and liberalism is unsustainable. Like "This is what liberals want for America."

In reality most liberals just want you to fairly tax that business and property owners and use those tax dollars to reinvest in the community by building and maintain public restrooms and other public spaces... It's really not rocket science.

Nobody could reasonably argue it's on you to provide public access to the bathroom in your home, why would it be different for a business? Guests/customers are one thing, but liberalism is not arguing it's on you as an individual to take care of society.

It's on society to take care of people, and on you to contribute to and reinvest in society as in individual to be part of something greater than just yourself.

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

It's on society to take care of people, and on you to contribute to and reinvest in society as in individual to be part of something greater than just yourself.

What exactly are you trying to say over all? That is a fine line and all, but all your comments in the thread revolve around protecting private property and less about private property rights.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago

They're thinking that everyone but themselves should help people. They're not society, but benefit from it.

Aka, they're a liberal who wants to be helped but refuse to help.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Tell me you’ve never had to clean blood of the walls of a stall in a toilet at your minimum wage retail job without telling me you’ve never had to clean blood off the wall of a stall in the toilet at your minimum wage retail job.

I have. I did it and if things go well, I'll be hired and it will be part of my job.

I've cleaned blood, piss, shit, vomit, cum. It wasn't pleasant. It won't be pleasant when I have to do it for minimum wage again.

I'm a broke bastard. I like being able to take a shit like any human being. Human beings should be able to take a shit without expecting to pay markups on concessions and things.

Why do we put a price on the human need of removing waste? The workers are already paid. The toilets are used no matter who uses them. The things must be cleaned already.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 week ago

Neoliberalism is the belief in inequality based on class.

Fascism is the belief in inequality based on identity.

No wonder, it's just a small hop.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Why is it on a liberal private business owner to provide a public bathroom? This just seems like the myth people use to show why liberalism is either phony or unsustainable.

It should be on the local government/community to provide public options.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

But they took the public options away due to private lobbying from big business so that the only places you can be comfortable in public are places of consumption. No public toilets, no public water sources, no drinking in public. Basically we're left with no escape to consumerism. Economic liberalism in the form of legalised bribes aka "lobbying" is to blame for this.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"I support trans people having safe access to bathrooms"

"may I safely access this bathroom?"

"Are you poor?"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That is like the weirdest attempt at an argument I've ever heard. Somehow we have to make even this stupid fucking discussion about trans people and bathrooms bc apparently that is all some people obsess about. JFC.

Do you let every stranger that asks to use your bathroom, use your bathroom? No.

Do you let people who are guests in your house use your bathroom? Yes.

Would a customer be the equivalent of a guest in a business? Yes.

Do you consider trans people to be humans like anyone else? Yes.

Simple. Mind fucking blown. 🤯

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

Um the sign is literally about safety for all people with genders specifically mentioned. Bathrooms in public are relatively dangerous for trans people, hence the comment. Like if you want safety and respect for people, and then refuse to help them, you actually just want someone else to sort out the world you're making more dangerous.

Also literally yes I do, I live near a bushwalk exit that's popular, and have had a few knocks on the door by people busting or thirsty and I do help them because I'm not a horrible human who wants to watch someone shit themselves or pass out from heatstroke. What else could I do? If I wont who will. Would it be nice if the council put in a tap, bins, and a dunny? sure. In the meantime I will treat people who ask for a trivial bit of assistance with the decency and respect they deserve.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (5 children)

In the context of this meme, centrist liberalism is claiming progressive credentials on the left pane, and showing its true face on the right pane. Liberalism is all about private property. So no matter what they say about caring about these issues, if you're not paying you aren't welcome. Liberal values are phony because money always trumps them. Look at how Dems treated paying customer Israel vs non-paying folks in Gaza.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (5 children)

I don't understand this meme.

[–] [email protected] 73 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

"This is a safe space for all vulnerable groups (that pay money to us)

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 week ago

the subtext of the meme is: liberals pay lip service to "supporting" marginalized groups, but refuse to help when their own interests are on the line (e.g. can people who aren't customers use the bathroom in the store? no, because making money comes first)

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

Liberals ultimately agree that capitalism is the way to structure society (but make it inclusive and give people rights, etc etc), while the secondary sign shows exactly where that inclusive line is drawn.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago

Liberals ultimately believe that the free market is all that’s needed.

Neoliberals think the free market just need a slight nudge.

Liberalism is closer to what the right wing turned the word Libertarian into today.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

found the liberal

Edit: it's a meta joke

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

restrooms must be a right... ;(

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Food, housing and fair wages (especially to foreign workers) aren't even rights to these people, i highly doubt they're going to consider that

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

;(

i wan post scarciti world for evryone aldri ;(

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

What a world that would be. I'd love that too.

We have the resources to feed, house, build and improve the life of so many in the global south/world in general. It's due to imperialism and capitalism that we choose not to.

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

yisyis i kno... there is no "scarcity" if we were to... share! <3

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

Liberalism is the closest thing to an ideology capitalists will ever have.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago

Do they welcome a union?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Is this really a definition of liberalism or is it the definition of being liberal in a capitalist society?

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

I saw a yard sign once that said "all are welcome here", right next to the "no trespassing" sign. Struck me as contradictory and made me curious what it meant to them.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

“all are welcome here”, right next to the “no trespassing” sign

I read that as "I don't care who you are or what you look like, just make sure you're invited first"

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

We should run the government like a business

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