this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2026
27 points (61.9% liked)
Lefty Memes
7067 readers
210 users here now
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
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] Use alt text or image descriptions to allow greater accessibility
(Please take a look at our wiki page for the guidelines on how to actually write alternative text!)
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 theyβre 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.
(if you are reading the rules to apply for modding this community, mention "Mantic Minotaur" when answering question 2)
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.
- Absolutely no posts or comments meant to relativize(/apologize for), advocate, promote or defend:
- Racism
- Sexism
- Queerphobia
- Ableism
- Classism
- Sexual assault
- Genocide/ethnic cleansing or (mass) deportations
- Fascism
- (National) chauvinism
- Orientalism
- Colonialism or Imperialism (and their neo- counterparts)
- Zionism
- Religious fundamentalism of any kind
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Jesus fucking Christ, I don't like politicians anymore than the next anarchist but the mental gymnastics it seems most lefties have been doing to convince everyone that Platner is still a bloody thirsty fascist merc is just insane. I dont know how you can be a leftist and not believe people are capable of change.
Like genuinely what is more likely? That Platner is a fascist who is faking support for progressive issues like trans rights, universal healthcare, etc to dupe all the leftists into supporting him; or that he actually has had a change of heart and just is dumb.
Do I trust him? No, but thats because I dont trust any politicians. But I find it a lot easier to believe he isnt the same gun for hire he was before, than to believe he is the only fascist out there that can hide his secret hatred of trans people.
We've been burned before. I'm willing to give the guy a shot. Not too crazy about Schumer endorsing him though.
Add to that he's the only candidate for anything who came out and called the genocide a fucking genocide. Pretty easy test of character that 90% + of politicians seem incapable of.
It's not a test of character, it's the bare fucking minimum character to be allowed to hold literally any position of literally any responsibility. Like you shouldn't even be allowed to run a chess club if you don't call the Gaza Genocide a genocide.
and if we wanna get into it, he's denouncing funding the genocide in Gaza while endorsing increasing funding for gencide in latin America. of the candidates left in the field, he gives us the most chance to organize on the margins, but he still sucks. the reality is he sucks because he's a politician. people who don't suck don't get into office. the system isn't designed for that. still, we have incentives as organizers to get more less worse into office. but we still have to confront that no one can liberate the people but the people themselves.
shit. i broke my rule. time for another walk
That's certainly the reason that centrists hate him.
Yes. This exactly. Seems like a lot of effort when he could just be leaning into either the deep red of rural Maine or the bright blue of the coastal cities and towns. Instead he has found a way of gaining support from both with good working class politics.
Yeah, I'm tired of seeing this so much. Like I feel like there probably is something a little off or fishy about his story that he really didn't realize until he was running for office, but not that he's secretly a Nazi, and more along the lines of be knew and kept it cuz it was a funny story or something.
Either way, he's by far the best candidate in his primary and general elections so it doesn't really matter, and he is a great candidate for his state.
Who would you say was better?
The one that would empower Maine, and horizontalize power. Too bad heβs only applying for a Senate seat. A pretty distant and populist position if you ask Maine.
I assume you mean David Costello?
From what I have seen he's somewhat similar in positions and such to platner, maybe a bit less populist/leftist than platner. He entered the race a little late tho, and got less attention. He also has more experience in public office and is more of a regular politician tho, but that can either be a good or a bad thing depending how you look at it.
Janet Mills is a just a Zionist aipac shill tho
Do you even understand what empowerment means?
Broadly more or less yea? I haven't seen the specific thing you linked before though, and also you were quite vague about what you meant in your last comment.
I would appreciate if you could explain a bit more what you are meaning, and educate me a little.
Is there a candidate in the
giving free ghost bolt cutters, dynamite, autoriffles, body armor, ammunition, etc. to the people of Maine?
If not, you have a populist. Because a true βleftistβ empowers the people.
Of course he's capable of change, but:
He has not shown the requisite action in my view to warrant my forgiveness. I admit that this will be very hard for him to earn. And I think a lot of leftists and anarchists will agree with me here.
Even if he is capable of change, that does not mean that he should ever be allowed a position of power again. I.e., he may have a position in socialist society, but not a leadership position. He can do something else.
As anarchists, we shouldn't even be giving our precious finite time and energy to Demonrat monsters. They are an enemy. The only engagement Demonrat politicians deserve from anarchists is unmitigated hostility forever.
Edit: I want to close this comment (thank you to @mathemachristian@hexbear.net for originally posting this image in the thread; it bears repeating!) with Platner's own words and actions. I hope you can understand why Platner has to do so much more for people to begin to forgive him, if that's even possible.
I have already addressed that quote before in a different post. There is an interview where he renounces the beliefs he held in that quote. I do not care enough to dig it up, and if you care enough I trust you are capable of fact checking (this is not intended to be rude).
And I dont believe he should hold power either, but more so because I believe no one should. But I'd argue if someone believes he shouldnt win because of his past, then none of his competition deserve to hold power either as they are just as bad in different ways.
As for forgiveness. Thats your own personal choice so I don't begrudge you not forgiving him. My issue is it feels most people shitting on him have no intention of ever forgiving him no matter what, and care more about ignoring what change he has made in order to paint him in a worse light. Informing people of his past is good, but not also bringing up how he has addressed and changed from that past is dishonest.
Edit: removed part about owing forgiveness
That's a good start, but nowhere near enough for someone whose actions were so monstrous.
I actually responded to a comment about forgiveness in anarchist spaces a few hours back. Platner fits the discussion like a glove. Unfortunately, Anarchist Nexus doesn't let you view comment links without a login, so I'll just quote myself:
Unlike what I said in the quoted comment about the veteran who got beaten up at Delaney Hall, in this case I am not willing to forgive Platner ... yet. I am personally leaving open the future possibility of my personal forgiveness ... but again, I must push back on the notion that anyone owes him, nor anyone else (myself included!), forgiveness for anything. Continuing,
As I said previously, Platner has a long way to go before I'm ready to forgive him. And it is completely understandable if some of his victims never forgive him at all, even if it is not politically expedient for people living in
who care about electoral victories.
Thats fair, and yeah you are right that he is not owed forgiveness. I apologize, I was wrong when I said otherwise. Frankly idk why I said anything to the effect he was owed it, that is my bad.
All good π
Because unless proven otherwise giving people the ability to grow and change is a good moral thing to do.
I don't disagree with that, but I also do not feel it is antithetical to also believing that people are entitled to forgiveness by everyone.
People should be able to move past their mistakes and able to grow, but that doesnt mean everyone needs to forgive them. The families whose loved ones were killed by Platner do not need to forgive him, and neither do people who wish to stand in solidarity with those families. But that also doesnt mean we have to hold Platner's past over his head while ignoring what he has done to grow into a different person.
I didnt mean to imply one is entitled to forgiveness, though I doubt many of the people pearl clutching were actually impacted by his actions, particularly when it's a bunch of hawkish Democrats who would gladly send the military to kill more innocents without a second thought but love trying to find ways to have moral outrage over Platner's past.
There is some real problematic shit, but he's saying the right progressive things, which is why the establishment is trying to fling as much shit at him as possible.
I do care if he's a blood thirsty murder enthusiast. Best chance at congress.
He is a fascist pretending to be an ally. You can tell by the "(D)" by his name.
You can just not vote because you don't agree with it. You don't gotta accuse everyone of being a neo-nazi. In fact, compared to every other candidate he is the least fashy of them all, which is ironic considering his fascist past.
If you aint gonna vote, then don't. If you are gonna vote, then I don't know how you can rationalize voting for anyone but Platner when you can see his competition.
Edit: Like I agree the Dems are fascists-lite pretending to be allies. I aint arguing that. That is an argument about whether or not to vote in the first place. This is an argument about if you are going to vote, who for.
You're just reading whatever the hell you want out there, arent you?
I was stating the pro:bloodthirsty murder slut, might get into a room full of congressaurs.
And con: declared chronically backstabbing fascist piece of shit wearing ally colors for pride month
No, I am highlighting that if you arent going to vote for someone cause you view democrats as fascists (which isnt inaccurate), then you probably arent someone who is going to vote in the first place.
Like if Platner isn't up to your standards then who is?
Literally no one because I'm a goddamn anarchist
I can agree with you on that lol
Edit: deleted other comnent because I realized this comment wasnt made by the original commentor)