this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2026
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Comradeship // Freechat

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Well, I need to get this off my chest somewhere, and I think you guys are the best people to understand it.

A friend I’ve known for almost eight years has been acting really strange lately regarding Zionism and anti-Semitism. Sure, we’ve both always been on the left and openly anti-Zionist, but in recent months he’s been very fixated on the possible sale of land in our country to Israeli businessmen, and from that point on he started falling into a lot of anti-Semitic propaganda that seems straight out of “Europe: The Last Battle.”

I’ve had conversations with him about how important it is to separate ethnicity/culture from its most fascist manifestations, and that we must remain vigilant so as not to fall for propaganda that only serves to turn you into an anti-Semite and thus “justify” Israel.

But no matter what I say, he sticks to his almost Strasserist or National Bolshevik stance, completely denying the Holocaust, treating all Jews as fake victims and claiming that “their entire culture is wrong,” yet still sharing pro-left content mixed with material typical of “traditional and conservative” 14-year-olds.

The situation makes me very sad, mainly because I know he’s a kind-hearted person who’s had a rough life, but I don’t know—I’ve been through the same thing and learned to stand firm against fascist propaganda.

Before this whole thing, he started to share a lot of anti immigrant, kinda racist things but I was able to talk him out of it, but now he doesn't realize he is doing the same thing as before. Or maybe he does.

I used to send him a lot of anti-racist propaganda like the one in the picture but now I feel I completely lost him.

I just need a hug.

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[–] BarrelsBallot@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I think that he can only be as convinced of leftist ideals as leftism is successful where you live, which it's probably not

Unfortunately fascist thinking is just so much more attractive, given it's immediate gains and contemporary rise

Bringing this up because I think you can still be friends, I'd just recommend not worrying so much over the guy- he doesn't sound principled and will likely continue to be pulled toward what's the most successful

Don't mistake my unsolicited advice as me being dismissive tho.

I can feel the way your stomach must have retched when you had to digest what probably felt like a slap in the face of your hard work when he regurgitated reactionary thought.

I've never put in the same amount of work for anyone, but the feeling I get just speaking with someone who has genocidal opinions but is otherwise outstanding is similar.

Hoping things work our for you.

[–] LeninZedong@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 day ago

I do not think it is ok to remain friends with someone that plainly denies the holocaust (anymore than I would stay friends with leftists that deny Palestinian genocide). I do think that it is very traumatic to have a friend you talk to suddenly spout off very horrible fascist talking points, but it is probably best to distance oneself from them.

[–] Maeve1@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 1 week ago

Someone for whom I care deeply periodically veers off toward this, but they live and work amongst "oops, all Nazis." I just keep reminding them there's a difference between Israeli, Jew, and Zionist, but there can be overlap. They return to sanity after the reminder, but hearing it at work and home all waking hours certainly takes a definitive toll. I just remind myself why I love them, what they live and work with, and bring them back to their center. It's disheartening, but this is what evangelicals would term a spiritual battle for the soul or something similar. Sending support and love to you, comrade. 🫂

[–] TheRedWedge@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 1 week ago

I understand the feeling, I've lost people to far right radicalization too, including one I had previously considered a comrade. He was also a decent person who went through a lot of shit and was genuinely anti-capitalist and supported the anti-imperialist struggle but they got to him with homophobia, transphobia and unhealthy ideals of masculinity. I would spend hours patiently explaining things to him and he would snap out of it for a day or two, then get back to ranting about how they are coming to trans our innocent children and indoctrinate them with gender ideology. It's terrifying how you can spend so much effort, patience and goodwill only for it to be undone over and over again by sensationalist fascist scare propaganda.

While it can be genuinely hard and painful to do so, please prioritize your own mental health and wellbeing and don't feel guilty about reducing contact if it gets too bad. You are doing your best as a friend and communist, but it's material conditions and class intrerest that have the greatest pull on what each person chooses to believe and if you find yourself in an unfavorable engagement it's fine to pull back from a losing battle.

Hugs and solidarity to you, I hope the dude snaps out of it, but if he doesn't remember it's not your fault.

[–] big_spoon@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 week ago

hugs you

well...it's true that the anti-israel sentiment is being weaponized by chuds to give munition to AIPAC and promove white supremacist rhetoric around because "muh jews!", so you need to thread carefully somehow...

possible sale of land in our country to Israeli businessmen

you can try to ask him "would be different if that land was sold to german nazis, magats or indian far-righters?", and that he is being deceived by rightoid psyops, because trump, kamala or biden aren't jewish nor israel citizens and they're zionists, he shouldn't confuse being jewish with being zionist because that's what chuds and zionists want: make us believe that we just need to "erradicate dem jewish people to make [country] great again"

[–] howmuchlonger@lemmy.org 2 points 1 week ago

Which one of these are billionaires?