this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2026
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Lefty Memes

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An international (English speaking) socialist Lemmy community free of "ML" (read: Dengist) influence. 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, discussion and agitprop/stuff that's better fit for a poster than a meme 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. Please post agitprop here)


0.5 [Provisional Rule] Try to use alt text or image descriptions to allow for greater accessibility


(Please take a look at our wiki page for the guidelines on how to actually write alternative text!)

We encourage 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.


0.5.1 Style tip about abbreviations and short forms


When writing stuff like "lol" and "iirc", it's a good idea to try and replace those with their all caps counterpart

  • ofc => OFC
  • af = AF
  • ok => OK
  • lol => LOL
  • bc => BC
  • bs => BS
  • iirc => IIRC
  • cia => CIA
  • nato => Nato (you don't spell it when talking, right?)
  • usa => USA
  • prc => PRC
  • etc.

Why? Because otherwise (AFAIK), screen readers will try to read them out as actually words instead of spelling them


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" (read: Dengists) (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.


6. Don't irrationally 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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Maybe if people with your ideology only make things that harm you it's an opportunity to reflect.

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[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 159 points 6 days ago (45 children)

Nothing wrong with communists. I feel so radicalized by capitalism I'm almost there anyway.

It's the Russian/China apologists that are annoying.

Russia is bad, Chia.na is bad, and the U.S. is bad. All those things can be true. But all the insufferable posts about how great China and Russia are, and all the bad things you have heard about them m are just Western propaganda...

If they were serious about their ideology, then why do they care so much about someone thinks about China or Russia.

If they didn't brigade those issues so much, straight up ban people, just because they disagree, or hlrefuse to have any real discussion that doesn't center on just shutting other people down, then maybe people outside their group might take them more seriously.

[–] adminofoz@lemmy.cafe 70 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Anarcho communists welcome you. We hate all nation states equally. Unfortunately there aren't enough of us to brigade anything.

[–] Zombie@feddit.uk 25 points 6 days ago (4 children)

For anyone who wishes to know more Now And After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism was written to explain anarcho-communism in plain, easily understood, language.

It begins by explaining the current capitalist system (now) and then goes on to explain anarchism (after).

It is available to read or download in multiple formats, for free, here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/alexander-berkman-what-is-communist-anarchism#toc2

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[–] flandish@lemmy.world 42 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

here’s the neat part: anyone who unironically thinks china or russia are communist is a dumbass and can be ignored or is trolling.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Nobody thinks Russia is even socialist anymore, this is an absurd strawman. Marxist-Leninists believe China to be socialist and run by a communist party, because public ownership is the principal aspect of the PRC's economy and the working classes control the state.

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

yes but: “communist party” does not mean “achieved communism.” we all know that. they are working toward a goal, a goal I agree with, but we all know they are still caps. for the time being.

i would not refer to china as communist.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Between capitalism and communism lies the transition between the two, called socialism. China is socialist, as public ownership is the principal aspect of the economy, and the working classes control the state. In capitalism, private ownership is principal and capitalists control the state.

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

i don't disagree

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 5 days ago (6 children)

China and russia being communist is an American right wing talking point.

No leftists consider the russian federation communist, and not even the cpc considers china communist. They claim to be attempting to realise communism by first developing socialism to the point that they can.

Whether you believe them or not aside, you're sort of showing your ignorance. Even the scary tankies on hexbear and ml or whatever don't think they're communist. That's why the term actually existing socialism (aes) is aes and not aec.

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[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 26 points 6 days ago

I'm fine with someone having a negative opinion of China so long as they don't use that as a purity test and demand everyone else denounce China, calling people "fascists" or "tankies" and refusing to work with them otherwise.

Obviously, the vast majority of people on here don't live in China, and we generally have bigger fish to fry domestically to worry about meddling in their affairs. I would turn the question around and ask why people are so invested in making sure everyone sufficiently condemns China instead of working together to address the more pressing matter of class conflict.

If they didn’t brigade those issues so much, straight up ban people, just because they disagree, or hlrefuse to have any real discussion that doesn’t center on just shutting other people down, then maybe people outside their group might take them more seriously.

This is exactly how I feel about a lot of anti-China spaces. It's difficult to have a real discussion about almost any topic related to China because if you suggest that anything about them isn't the worst thing ever you get accused of being a fascist and dismissed, if not banned. If .ml goes too far in the other direction, then it is at least somewhat unique in doing so, and it's worthwhile to have a space where non-mainstream perspectives can be discussed.

[–] WereHacker@lemmy.ml 33 points 6 days ago (7 children)

Some of us are just tired of western people not wanting to get a little nuance about none western countries. And the instance you admit that ofcourse no place is perfect you get hit with. "See x is bad, communism can't work in reality." It is tiresome and eventually I end up defaulting to standard answers or blocking people if they are rude.

On top of that I do think it is amazing how for instance India, China and Vietnam has improved the lives of billions, but every single time it hit western news it is followed by "but at what price".

And finally I have realized that things are not always as they seem and the propaganda machine makes it hard to discern the reality of many things. This goes for everything. I have no clue if it actually is dangerous to go USA or it just seem that way.

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[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 39 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Communists? On my equally shared, federated social media!? No way!

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 5 days ago (1 children)

from each according to their memes folder, to each according to their degree of unemployedness

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[–] brax@sh.itjust.works 30 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (8 children)

If communism is a failed system, why does the US keep going after communist places? Surely they're not a threat right? 🤔

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[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 16 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

This is really it.

There's the fascist-owned platforms...most notably truthsocial, but definitely also X and Meta and all their platforms as well. I'd also say spez has absolutely bent the knee...several times. Fuck /u/spez.

And then there's the communist-operated platforms. Lemmy, and basically the entire fediverse.

I wouldn't say all instances are communist operated, certainly .ml, but many of them are just liberal, socialist, technohippies. (A term that I just coined now, and would gleefully apply to myself)

Only reddit still gets any of my traffic, and that's largely out of muscle-memory.

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 38 points 5 days ago (57 children)

Damn communists! They ruined communism!

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[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 16 points 5 days ago (2 children)

People really don't care about communists - it's the authoritarian boot licker we have a problem with.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 14 points 4 days ago

The Americans?

[–] derg@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago

Some people seem to care quite a bit.

[–] raman_klogius@ani.social 77 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Unfortunately half of them are tankies larping as commies

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[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 20 points 5 days ago (2 children)

: Person posts something about communism.

: Buncha people in the comments inevitably say the same stale, dumb things about communism.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)
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[–] supersquirrel@lemmy.ca 18 points 5 days ago (1 children)

yeah but HASAN PIKER!!!

screams in terror

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[–] commiunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 6 days ago (46 children)

Wouldn't be surprised if new users actually complain about them, pretty much all the 'communists' here are obnoxious nationalist larpers

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