You are viewing a single thread.
View all comments
-24 points

Does this also apply to say, smartphones?

permalink
report
reply
32 points

There’s quite a chasm between a $100 million boat and a $100 device…

permalink
report
parent
reply
-15 points

Somehow, all these pleas on behalf of the downtrodden never include us actually making any sacrifices or change, just the rich.

Weird how it’s easy to agitate for change when it involves zero sacrifice on your part.

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points

Ok… if i give up my phone, i feed a family for a week. If bezo gives up a yacht, he feeds 1,000 familes for life. See the problem here?

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points
*

That’s bullshit. Same argument corporations try to push on us about climate change. Fish rots from the head down. Obviously there will be sacrifices we have to make. But to preach “what will YOU be giving up, huh??” when megacorps and gazillionaires hoard literal mountains of wealth to the detriment of the planet and all others while they purposely stand in the way of any progress or change that might affect their bottom line? Bootlicking at worst, misguided liberal soapbox bullshit at best.

permalink
report
parent
reply
19 points
*

Weird gotcha. What is this the early 2000s when smartphones were rich people toys?

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

Late 80s !

permalink
report
parent
reply
-3 points

Globally, they still are. Almost half the world doesn’t have one. And children still lose their limbs mining the cobalt etc.

I guess the question could be better phrased as “and what are you personally giving up to ensure that as many people as possible are fed?”

permalink
report
parent
reply
9 points
*

Yea I assumed that your main point was some kind of sacrifice, not the smartphones themselves. If it weren’t for the smartphones you’d be phrasing your gotcha around TVs, or washing machines, or fridges, or indoor plumbing. I’ve seen this very conservative argument before.

Progressivism and leftism aren’t some kind of ascetic christianity and nobody needs a morality preacher. Social progress is not about individual morality. And it’s not a zero sum game either.

There is enough food production and wealth in the world to eliminate hunger and extreme poverty already. I could be a selfish asshole not willing to part with my sneaker collection and that would still be the case.

Maybe there is a future where carrying around a smartphone isn’t necessary because we’ve rebuilt human connection in communities. The damn things are addictive misery machines under capitalism anyway. But that’s very different from going around wagging the finger at people that say “we could feed the hungry”.

permalink
report
parent
reply
6 points

However also, for many many people smartphones are their only way to access the internet, and it’s the primary device for computing in poorer nations I believe

If there’s one “essential” electronic device these days, it’s the smartphone.

permalink
report
parent
reply
19 points

You think that there aren’t people who might need a Smartphone for work or medical emergencies? That is a non-zero number, so no. However should we have everyone’s base needs met before others get past a certain point before luxury goods? Yes. Should we be able to do that now AND have luxury goods? Also Yes. Is it alright for people to have a Billion Dollars before that? Definitely No.

permalink
report
parent
reply
11 points

Or any matter of things on a global scale instead of national.

I’m a citizen of the Earth before I’m the citizen of any Nation, but it’s hard to remember that.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point
*

This probably does apply to smart phones, TV, consumer computers. Its hard to look at socialism and answer the question of what would it look like but at a guess: planned obsolescence would be out the window. No one is upgrading to an ai powered refrigerator because their old one is broke. No one is buying the newest smart phone because they’re older model died(Hyperbole), Yet we live in a system of yearly releases of similar tech that we mindlessly consume. This consumption is a by product of the capitalist system. Purely manufactured to make money.

So in my imagined full communist world. We have phone. Phones that last longer, they are geared to be easily upgraded, dissembleable and actually future proofed unlike what we have now.

permalink
report
parent
reply

Lefty Memes

!leftymemes@lemmy.dbzer0.com

Create post

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!

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)


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.



  1. Absolutely no posts or comments meant to relativize(/apologize for), advocate, promote or defend:
  • Racism
  • Sexism
  • Queerphobia
  • Ableism
  • Classism
  • Rape or assault
  • Genocide/ethnic cleansing or (mass) deportations
  • Fascism
  • (National) chauvinism
  • Orientalism
  • Colonialism or Imperialism (and their neo- counterparts)
  • Zionism
  • Religious fundamentalism of any kind

Community stats

  • 7K

    Monthly active users

  • 495

    Posts

  • 14K

    Comments