this post was submitted on 19 Jun 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.
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Rules
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.
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That means condemning (their) imperialism, even if it is of the "anti-USA" flavor.
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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).
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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.
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this comment of mine was deleted by @alsaaas@lemmy.dbzer0.com. I think this is alarming, considering the recent spat of transphobic actions by this person. my comment isn’t “demonizing” the Soviet Union, its critically examining historical actions taken by the Soviets in the context of the OP, and deleting it is queer erasure from a mod that has recently shown that they aren’t much of an ally.
You mean the person who has been banned from communities for saying trans people need to self harm themselves isn't the best on queer topics?
Next you'll tell me she has communities where she posts memes from 4chan.
Nice slander from you asshole again, it was about visiting /tttt/ adjacent subreddits and I wrote about my experience how it actually has comforting effects for me personally. It's just a place were trans people suffering from dysphoria can talk about and cope with their plight in an environment that isn't full of toxic positivity and hugboxing.
Don't talk about things your cissoid mind doesn't understand, "No investigation, no right to speak".
Also those aren't "just" memes from 4chan (/lgbt/), they are trans memes by and for trans ppl from /tttt/ adjacent/inspired subs
not all supportive communities are toxically positive, and any community as obsessed with "passing" as 4chan might feel comforting in a doomery way but anecdotally every single trans person i know who went down the (smug and self reinforcing) self hating 4chan path has been noticably worse for it and every single one who nanaged to escape that spiral talks exclusively about it as something they regret
for the record, i do get the appeal - it /feels/ like it's just painful honesty and, when you are used to not flinching away from painful truths about the word and the systems which shape it, it can feel correct that it should hurt to be trans (especially if you don't "pass"). the problem is that, in my view, much of the painfulness of being trans or feeling like you don't "pass" is directed at trans people by cis people - we don't need to do it for them. you don't have to set up a headquarters for the passing police in your own head. to not do so isn't to become part of a "hugbox" - you can be honest and just not police (even when invited to do so) how other people and you yourself align with social expectations of the physical (and other) expressions of gender.
fuck that person for not understanding and me for getting carried away and writing too much; i just hope you aren't embracing and perpetuating a community that feels comforting but is doing harm to you because that harm feels more correct to you than being truly and honestly accepted
First of all, thanks for not being condescending (unfortunately not a given with the cissoid and liberal hate/slander I got on here lol...)
I would just like to add that most of my misery is inherent to my sex dysphoria, nothing external (OFC external factors add up on top of that though). And it's comfortable to share that misery in a community that can joke about it honestly and without impediments and that has some genuine positivity as well.
I'm talking about the good parts of the board (just lurked there for a while), but especially the subreddits and the dedicated Lemmy instance tranistan.com. It's genuinely amazing TBH...
OFC it has a lot of self-deprecating ironony and cynical coping, but that's just right up my alley in terms of personal taste.
Just a some examples (sorry for the spam ^^') from on there that just seem honestly wholesome:
lol
It's only memes from a Nazi site that was supported by rich Nazis. Just only..
It is alarming, and uninformed - its erasing how quickly Stalin started queer oppression with Article 121 (later 154a). And that - at that time - there were multiple European countries where being gay was not criminalized (nor gay sex).
here's a critical examination of homosexuality in the ussr, and they have another video specifically on trans stuff for those who want to learn more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7UPO6GGK4
Haaah beat me to posting revth0t they legitimately are so cool and correct
Please see: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/comment/26650624
No, no. Don't you know that "critical support" means all support and no criticism? You'd know that if you read theory.
Uncritical support to dictators! The public deserved it! Especially the other socialists!
~~Do you have a link for the statute that made homosexuality illegal in the USSR?~~
~~If I remember correctly the punishment was not gulag~~
Nvm found it article 121. Deprivation of freedom, up to 5 years
Why the fuck is that person a mod on an anarchist instance. Gad damn tankies are a plague on lemmy. It's not hard to look at history and see the Soviet Union as a brutality authoritarian state that was even involved in state capitalism LOL
LOL
But did you consider that Stalin's corpse must be protected and worshipped? If you disagree you're a cia plant and must be purged.
Saying the shit they did is pretty damning. Maybe be a little nicer in the future.
I can't be a cishet "ally" if I'm queer myself (pan and trans) lmaooo
OFC homosexuality was recriminalised during Stalins time, no one is denying that, just that saying "you were put into a gulag for being gay" is simply false, hence a rule 5 deletion.
that's certainly a take.
that's a distinction without a difference, and I think you know that.
There is a vast difference between being put into a labour camp for reactionaries and thugs, and it "simply" being illegal with consequences of jail.
Not justifying a grave error like that, just that nuance is important IMO.
(Also I edited my comment before I saw your comment, saying that as not to appear like I'm trying to retroactively change stuff after you replied)
How is that a "vast" difference exactly?
In jail, you were confined. Usually your sentence was stay in jail. Maybe some literal classroom lessons. You'd be able to have your family visit. You were even in the same area you were arrested in the vast majority of the time, unless you were in a really rural location that simply did not have a jail, in which case you'd be transferred to the nearest village or city with a jail.
In gulags your sentence was hard labor, confinement, and total isolation.
It's the difference between jail and prison in the US, or even most countries these days.
But Stalin loves the queers! He loved them so much he had them sent to a special camp just for them.
that is like saying that people of color can't support or be allies with white supremacists, but candace owens exists. membership in an oppressed group doesn't preclude you from aligning with groups that seek to harm the group you are a part of. see also blaire white..