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.
This is good advice on it's face, but what if you're living in a country full of Nazis?
Like, let's say - hypothetically - the cops are Nazis. And all your mass media is full of Nazi agitprop. And friends and family are periodically repeating Nazis talking points. And you are feeling increasingly isolated by the sheer madness of the outside world.
Hypothetically, of course.
"What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?" - Ursula K. Le Guin
Have you considered moving?
Sadly, I'm an English speaker so I'm very limited in my options.
You mean the most widespread language on earth?
But you always have the option to learn another language. It just takes some effort. It is easier to do than it ever has been before in history.
Finding an employer to sponsor you in most countries is exceedingly difficult for most Americans. We can't just move, unfortunately. There are strict immigration laws in most countries.
There were entire subreddits dedicated to this topic in the before-days. We need a Lemmy community for this complex topic.
Unless they've changed policy in the last six months, Portugal will take nearly anyone with stable remote work and fast track them to EU citizenship. This was/is the most viable choice for US citizens.
You are thinking of their nomad visa (D8) which takes 5 years and requires a monthly income of at least $3200 Eur/mo. The problem has always been getting a U.S. employer to allow you to work remote AND out of country.
HR and payroll departments absolutely hate letting remote workers live outside the country because it makes tax liabilities and benefits complicated for them. So, it's quite rare to find a U.S. company that will do it. Even most multi-national megacorps are assholes about it.
But, if you are a successful freelancer with a very reliable income from non-Portuguese sources, then this may be an option. Most of us don't fit that bill, unfortunately. Hell, most Americans struggle just to get a hybrid work situation. The idea of international remote or stable freelancing is quite a tall order.
When I pursued it there was a provision for the administrative tax burden of the employer. My employer withheld as usual for a US worker, then I would also need to file and post-pay Portugal's taxes.
Double taxation; an employer comfortable with it; new culture; national economic issues: I agree it's a tall order for the vast majority of Americans. And, it also seemed the most viable option. I think we agree that emmigration is quite difficult.
Find yourself a nice blue city and move into the suburbs. Lots of good jobs too.
Tbh, if that's the case then, I will just join in a Marxist group that is serious about arm resistance. I'm too poor to move out anyway.
That last line needs to be in all caps at the top. Never call the cops on Nazis, it'll just mean more Nazis putting the boot in.
This is like basic common sense that is drilled into you from a young age if you're not white.
Got a problem and you call the cops? Now you've got two problems.
I'm white and even as a kid I felt unsafe around cops. As early as maybe 13 I'd reached this conclusion on my own.
I'm not sure what took everyone else the extra few decades.
This is so goddamn exhausting.
Thirty years ago I was reading poorly photostatted (sic) fliers at the local record shop explaining the difference between Nazis with red shoelaces and Nazis with yellow shoelaces. It was exhausting then, too. They're all basic bitch Nazis. Treat them the same way you would treat a potentially harmful arthropod, like a scorpion. You don't have to be a fucking entomologist to understand this shit.
Shun the Nazi. Leave it alone. Don't ask for help from Nazis.
Gotcha. Summary:
Group name: Some shit that 12-year-olds would be embarrassed to use as a gang name, but surprise, the guy who came up with this shit was 60+ or something
Ideology: The same ol' shit, you've heard it all before
Identifiers: Well, this kind of shit, they kind of stick out from the crowd
What to do: The usual
So, the plan is "the usual": continue to minimize the threat and ignore it.
TIL Best Buy employees are part of the Patriot Front.
I knew they had it out for Radio Shackers, it just took them a while to admit it.
i think it's important to note that "1488" especially the 88 is a Nazi dog whistle.
So many 3% stickers on cars around my area
Should give them a 3% brick through the back window. /s
3% not brick works better.
Maybe do something like siphon all but 3% of the gas from the tank and let a similar amount of air from their tires
Everyone of the people I know who have the sticker/tattoo aren't Nazis, they are big into guns and tend to be anti-government though.
Three percent is from the population% that supported the American revolution at its inception, at least that's what I've understood of it.
I'm sure there are plenty of Nazis that also claim to be 3%ers but I've never known it to be a Nazi thing, maybe they have tried to claim it.
Similar to the OK hand sign I will never see it as a symbol of nazism/white supremacy.
Most of those stickers aren't Nazis
If you see 6 people at a table happily socializing with 1 Nazi, you're actually looking at 7 Nazis.
3%'s had no problems marching with Nazis on J6, or at Charlottesville. Fuck 'em.
I thought we had all agreed that we punch nazis? LIke was this not the agreed apon reaction. If you had something more dangerous than a fist I would say you could use that... but this feels overly cowardly
how many nazis have you punched
It has been a while, but it used to happen around once a week a back in the day. They used to show up to music venues they weren't wanted at, and if made to leave, would start fights. If they were returning from a place they got the boot from, they would just poor in and start fighting. If it wasn't a place they could just enter, they would congregate outside.
For legal reasons I am not sure I should state the amount of fist fights I have been in on the internet
Several for sure. Back in my 20's at parties and punk shows. Nazi punks fuck off!!
Never fly solo
Individual violence only in defense of self and others. For violence against an ideology one should organize better than the enemy.
If you don't know how then study the unions. They'll likely lead us, once again.
Pussy as Nazis hiding their faces. Be a man, show your face, so someone can throw a brick at it.
Or you know....multiple.
Nice. Good looking out.
Is it still acceptable to wear a S.H.A.R.P. patch? Don't they have a Spartan helmet on it?
Regarding the "What to do..." section, Be careful about point #2. The person in charge might be a nazi that invited other nazis.
#2 should also specify that you should say something like "There are gang affiliated people here, as evidenced by [these specifiers]" rather than saying "There's nazis!!" People aren't going to take you as seriously if you say nazi rather than organized crime...
Where’s the elephant in the room?
"Blue shirt khaki pants" is the average Walmart worker uniform, or used to be, probably represents at least a million laborers in the US. Don't think this chart is very helpful in that quadrant.