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Comment on Hexbear federation megathread

NuPNuA@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

You say you’re trying to create a “broad tent” left wing culture. Yet I’ve voted left wing all my life, I’m very much a democratic socialist who believes we need better distribution of wealth and support for the vulnerable in society. I simply don’t think violence and revolution are the path to said society and would prefer to win hearts and minds at the ballot box.

Yet I’ve made some fairly benign comments to that end, only to be attacked by your user and called things like an “indoctrinated liberal” for them, that’s if they bothered to even type anything and didnt just spam me with rude emoticons. It doesn’t feel like you’re after a broad tent with that behaviour if I’m honest.

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brain_in_a_box@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
By left wing, we usually mean anti-capitalists.

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LinkedinLenin@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I don’t really want to relitigate your experiences and these issues in this thread (especially because I’m a visitor on lemm.ee), so I’ll try to be succinct. But I’m happy to continue elsewhere if you want.

What we mean by “broad tent” or nonsectarian is that diverse opinions aren’t explicitly banned or removed (as long as they aren’t pro western imperialism or anti LGBTQ+). That means shitflinging and low effort sectarianism (ideally) isn’t allowed. It doesn’t mean people aren’t allowed to voice disagreement about ideologies and geopolitics. And since we don’t have downvotes, we aren’t afraid to voice disagreement, unlike Reddit where you just anonymously downvote and move on. This difference is certainly a culture shock at first, but I’ve come to prefer it. Even if everyone else disagrees with you, you still have a voice, rather than getting buried in downvotes and hidden.

As much as our users call people liberals derogatorily, in equal amounts we get called bots and shills and tankies (which is especially funny when directed at our anarchist users). I’d personally rather name calling be avoided in favor of good faith discussion, but it’s difficult to assume good faith on the internet.

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- LeateWonceslace@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I get the feeling that" pro-western imperialism" is a stand-in for any opinions that Leninists don’t like.
  
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  - super_mario_69@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    What does this even mean? Obviously Leninists are going to dislike opinions that are pro-imperialism, because Marxism-Leninism is inherently anti-imperialist. There are plenty of other opinions we dislike that are not related to imperialism at all. As principled communists we tend to be able and willing to explain why we disagree, though it’s tiring to have to explain the same things a million times to people who aren’t even really listening (thus the occasional pig-poop-balls). We’re only human. Try to keep an open mind and entertain the thought that our opinions might actually be sincere.
    
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  - LinkedinLenin@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Our anarchist users are also vocally against western imperialism. Leninists will voice their opinions through their Leninist lens, or perhaps their experience of the world will lead them to preferring a Leninist analysis. But the same is true for our anarchists, trotskyists, syndicalists, whatever.
    
    It’s more that people who are used to a small or different Overton window will group all anti-western-imperialism stances as “Leninist” (or more accurately, they’ll group and dismiss them all as “tankie”) because they don’t yet understand the nuances.
    
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GarbageShoot@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Do you believe the rich and powerful will submit to being voted out of power? Do you think they won’t ratfuck anyone who gets close and buy off, intimidate, or assassinate anyone who gets in? We’ve seen what that looks like internationally, it looks like coups and the slaughter of peaceful actors. Do you think that, with such violence used to protect the appendages of capitalism, they will roll over and allow you to claim their beating heart?

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Chapo_is_Red@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
You should consider getting involved in labor or tenants unions. Voting is easily marginalized, is only able to act at periodic intervals and doesn’t build organization.

Without building working class institutions (like unions), we will never overcome the capitalists.

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- NuPNuA@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  I work in the public sector in the UK so I’ve been part of the GMB Union for fifteen odd years at this point, was a rep for them for five years in my last office and was debating signing up to do it again.
  
  Don’t know about a tenants union as I own my flat, although I did do years of renting prior to that an I’m well aware of how hard it is for renters.
  
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  - Chapo_is_Red@hexbear.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Hell yeah 😎
    
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