all 92 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 119 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

I mean, he's right? A (questionably) socialist dictator is still a dictator. Maduro was given the ability to rule by decree like a decade ago, and, like Trump, basically has control over every major part of the government.

Of course, as he says, that doesn't justify arbitrarily killing people or the long-term embargo on Cuba that has economically crippled the country.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago

    You really just have to look at it through the oversimplified lens of the Marxist Linanist. If the West does it, it is bad. If anyone else does it, it is good. All the whining about reading theory, that is honestly as deep as it gets.

    Capitalism, when the party does it is good actually. Suppression, imprisonment, and slaughter of the proletariat? If you did it in the name of the party, it's no vice.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago

    IDGAF what anyone says, let's see what he does.

    Also goes for every other politician.

  • source
  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago

    Typical Mamdani W.

  • source
  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Hoping to read more of his thoughts on how to actually solve the problem, instead the authors were just using a Mamdani interview quote to plug their podcast: gonna do 45 episodes per year with whoever we can find to join the debate.

    Ugh, do I have to do everything myself? Honey, watch the kids, I'm gonna go build a strong middle class in the 'global south'.

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 44 points 1 year ago (8 children)

    You mean the democratic socialist, an inherently anti-authoritarian party, is calling out authoritarians?

    Is it going to be news when he condems Xixing Ping and Putin and Netanyahu, and the Iranian Shah, and Saudi Royal family, and well you get the picture.

    Fuck authority that doesn't earn it.

  • source
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Chiching Ping isnt his name, but that is hilarious

    Its Xi Jinping

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    I don't actually remember how to spell it because whenever I call him Winnie the Pooh it summons the CCP bot army calling that racist and I forget. Maybe this will be the time.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [–] 52 points 1 year ago* (1 child)
  • [–] 70 points 1 year ago (26 children)

    Oh shit, a balanced, nuanced take on a complex issue. Quick, get the Americans out of of here, they won't be able to handle this.

  • source
  • hideshow 26 child comments
  • [–] 43 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    I mean they just elected the dude by a pretty wide margin. It sounds like some of us at least are fine with nuance.

    There are a lot of parts of the country that cannot of course

    #notallburgers

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (5 children)
  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    "Burger" is a 4chan ethnic slur for an American

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago (13 children)

    Plenty of Americans can handle nuance. But cool bigotry though

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 13 child comments
  • [+] 9 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [+] 1 point 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (2 children)

    Probably because it's super fucked up and you'd be banned. Cool

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [+] 1 point 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)
  • load more comments (-1 replies)
  • load more comments (-1 replies)
  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Things are tense here, for sure, but you gotta take a deep breath and step back from it and know when the joke isn't a direct attack on you (unless it is), and try not to cheapen words like bigotry by defensively applying it to an arguably accurate depiction of many Americans. Don't prove their joke by missing the nuance yourself.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Turns out that prejudice is harmful even if it isn't negative, or even about you in particular.

    At least, that's what we've been saying about racial prejudice for a long time. Dunno when we forgot about that.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    It's still pretty shitty to judge an entire population and paint them with one generalized brush, no matter how you frame it. You assume my annoyance is personal but it's not.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [+] -1 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago

    The other "but do you condemn Hamas" of leftism, gotta say it or you scare the bitches.

  • source
  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    For decades, many left-leaning writers and speakers in the United States have felt obliged to establish their credibility by indulging in anticommunist and anti-Soviet genuflection, seemingly unable to give a talk or write an article or book review on whatever political subject without injecting some anti-Red sideswipe. The intent was, and still is, to distance themselves from the Marxist-Leninist Left.

    Adam Hochschild, a liberal writer and publisher, warned those on the Left who might be lackadaisical about condemning existing communist societies that they "weaken their credibility" (Guardian, 5/23/84). In other words, to be credible opponents of the cold war, we first had to join in cold war condemnations of communist societies. Ronald Radosh urged that the peace movement purge itself of communists so that it not be accused of being communist (Guardian, 3/16/83). If I understand Radosh: To save ourselves from anticommunist witchhunts, we should ourselves become witchhunters.

    Purging the Left of communists became a longstanding practice, having injurious effects on various progressive causes. For instance, in 1949 some twelve unions were ousted from the CIO because they had Reds in their leadership. The purge reduced CIO membership by some 1.7 million and seriously weakened its recruitment drives and political clout. In the late 1940s, to avoid being "smeared" as Reds, Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), a supposedly progressive group, became one of the most vocally anticommunist organizations.

    The strategy did not work. ADA and others on the Left were still attacked for being communist or soft on communism by those on the Right. Then and now, many on the Left have failed to realize that those who fight for social change on behalf of the less-privileged elements of society will be Red-baited by conservative elites whether they are communists or not. For ruling interests, it makes little difference whether their wealth and power is challenged by "communist subversives" or "loyal American liberals." All are lumped together as more or less equally abhorrent.

    Michael Parenti, Blackshirts and Reds, 1997.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Sounds like the US.

  • source
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Tankies: leftist infighting bad!

    Also tankies: this fucking post

  • source
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] [S] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I agree, however you might want to have a talk with your server admins and much of the user base about that.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    You misunderstand, it's only imperialism when it comes from the imperial region of NATO. Otherwise it's sparkling self defense.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    I know, right? It's so weird to see that sentiment coming from a server where support of imperialist nations is mandated. The Soviets conquered and annexed their neighbors multiple times over the 20th century. They didn't go to Afghanistan for summer camp in the 80s either. Nor did the US help Afghanistan out of the goodness of their hearts. China is practically repeating a lot of the United States machinations from the mid 20th century as well with their belt and road initiative too.

    But, as we all know. Imperialism for a certain crowd is just a dogwhistle for "the west"

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago (2 children)
    > lemmy dot ml in username
    

    Opinion ignored!

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    .world and announcing their pride in ignorance, name a better duo

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Sometimes people just spout the same exact bullshit you've heard a thousand times before, and only get hold of new opinions every blue moon. Especially the far-right, which now tries to use disdain towards artists to covertly push censorship while pretending to care about "freedom of speech" (read: ability of saying slurs without any negative consequences).

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] -1 points 1 year ago

    not surprised, he's an american from the uniparty after all.

  • source
  • [+] -30 points 1 year ago (30 children)

    yes those dirty brown people in south america can't do socialism right when its being sieged by the US!

    how telling of mr. mamdani.

  • source
  • hideshow 30 child comments
  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Didn't even bother to read the whole quote...

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    They're a Leninist. Hypocrisy is their super power. The only thing that maters to them is that he attacked the party/dictator. Which is the only unforgivable sin. Every problem with their governments is always somehow the West's fault. And they are infallible. Zero nuance or irony.

    Yes the US has a history of meddling in south America and blockading Cuba. And yes that's wrong. But blaming that for all their problems is ridiculous. The Cuban government imprisoning those sharing western media that makes it through the blockade etc. Isn't because of the blockade. It's because the government is authoritarian. And if those they control get narratives outside the governments approved ones. It makes them harder to control. It's why Western media narratives are suddenly starting to much closer mimic those of leninist and other dictatorial governments.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (21 children)
  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (13 children)

    They're really trying to figure out reasons to dislike the guy. For some reason, the "leftists" on lemmy.ml hate when a left American politician starts achieving success, and try to tear them down and lie about what a terrible person they are. It's one of their favorite things; they relentlessly criticize AOC and Mamdani in a way they never would froth at the mouth about Chuck Schumer or anybody who is actually doing real damage.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 13 child comments
  • [–] -5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (12 children)
  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (11 children)

    Hey, how about Graham Platner's secret Nazi sympathies? We know he has them, because of the tattoo! I haven't heard that one for a while.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 11 child comments
  • [–] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (10 children)
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    A new one! What makes you say that he worked in Abu Ghraib? I did a quick search, and all I can find is a YouTube video by "BadEmpanada."

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 9 child comments
  • [–] -3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (8 children)
  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    What makes you say that he worked in Abu Ghraib?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (6 children)
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Because pretty much everything he's advocating for is the exact opposite of fascism, and because we saw his Reddit comment history which he wasn't expecting to have exposed and there's no fascism in it and there is some anti-fascism. Some bad-faith mischaracterizations aside, there is literally no reason at all to think he's a fascist in any way, and a few different reasons to think he is the opposite of that.

    Anyway, what makes you say that he worked in Abu Ghraib? Or is it no particular reason, just "it is known"?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] -3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)
  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    my brother in christ, you mean the one where he acts like a homophobic fascist? and said he joined the fascist corps because he wanted to kill people?

    Can you point me to those comments? I've looked at his comment history yes. Maybe I missed these parts. It's pretty large so obviously everyone's going to pick their favorite part to present, but what I saw was him calling himself a communist, yelling at people who were excusing war crimes and talking about some of the fucked up stuff he saw in the military and how it radicalized him.

    look into the comments he made himself about abu ghraib.

    Which comments were those?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Nah I don't like authoritarian simpers either but Platner is pretty sus

    Just 5 years ago he said he joined the marines because he:

    Wanted to have an adventure and kill some people. Joined up in ‘04, did Fallujah and Ramadi, and managed both. Hell of an excellent experience.

    Also he did definitely serve as a prison guard in Abu Ghraib and took part in suppressing people trying to liberate others from being imprisoned and tortured:

    Later, while he was on patrol at Abu Ghraib, there was an attack on the prison. (It was nearly two years after human-rights abuses were first reported at the prison; Platner was not involved.) “That was my first real taste of combat,” he said.

    Also he was calling everything bad "gay" and used "fags" as an insult as late as 2021 (oddly seems a bit closeted tbh but w/e)

    And look it's not like the Mothership PAC lover Jordan Woods will fight the oligarchy so this kinda leaves Janet Mills who isn't ideal but idk at least she didn't rejoice in killing brown people 🤷

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Okay, I do appreciate the actual sourcing. Now that we're looking into it, it doesn't say what you said it says.

    It says, "On patrol at Abu Ghraib." Abu Ghraib is a place as well as a prison. Was inside the prison, on patrol as a guard? Or outside it, on patrol as an infantryman in the place called Abu Ghraib? There is not enough from that single sentence to tell which of those it is. Why do you say that one sentence proves that he was a prison guard at Abu Ghraib? Why are the people freaking out about what a massive deal it is that he had a tattoo or other random character-assassination bullshit haven'd said anything other than that one sentence, about him being a full-on guard at Abu Ghraib and then never having said a word about it or any of the abuses he saw there?

    It could be that second thing. I'm just saying that just that one sentence doesn't mean to me that he was a prison guard there. There's a careful ambiguity about "on patrol at Abu Ghraib" and no followup.

    Also he was calling everything bad "gay" and used "fags" as an insult as late as 2021 (oddly seems a bit closeted tbh but w/e)

    He wasn't using "fags" as an insult in 2021, he was saying in 2021, “I like how our gay antics make him so uncomfortable he hates us. I’m doubling down on gay chicken next time in honor of this Air Force pussy.”

    He also said:

    He attributed his change in perspective to friendships with LGBTQ+ people, both gay and transgender, that deepened after he returned to Maine. “When I lived in Washington, D.C., I had a number of very close gay friends,” Platner said, with whom he often “attended showtunes night at JR’s,” a popular gay bar near Dupont Circle. “It was only later, when I moved back to Maine, that I became friends with a number of trans people, and that really opened my eyes.”

    “Even though I thought I was open-minded,” he continued, “there were elements to their existence that I had been entirely unaware of. That was when I began to really take far more seriously the damaging nature of language, the damaging nature of even just discussing whether people exist or not.”

    He said that realization led him to speak publicly in defense of LGBTQ+ students. “Earlier this year, I testified at a local school board meeting in defense of a policy that was protecting LGBTQ students,” he said. “For me, at this point in my life, you either stand for what you stand for or you don’t.”

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago* (6 children)

    you are at least aware venezuela and cuba are in the gutter because of US blockades, not their leadership, right?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago* (5 children)

    US blockades are responsible for their financial crises, not for them arresting journalists and dissenters. Also, the quote in the screenshot explicitly states that the US only made things worse.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] -4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

    should we not arrest far-right traitors and criminals against humanity? i WISH they where shutting fascists up as hard as libs think they do.

    is that why you guys let trump run for president (and win) twice?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Yeah, we should. Never said anything against that. Also never let Trump run for president, as I am not American, nor am I a liberal.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    you are arguing like you are both. the last thing we need is more imperialist war, or any more cia talking points from unsuspecting libs.

    i understand why he would adopt the bothsides viewpoint, but it disgustingly hinges on the impending doom the us will bring to the venezuelan people with "maduro" and "democracy" as an obvious excuse. an old one at that.

    like they care about anything but oil and other natural resources. a "socialist" saying this precisely now is a red flag.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    He literally says US interventionism hasn’t done any good. How are you interpreting this as him wanting to intervene in their affairs?
    You can criticize a government without wanting to overthrow them.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    while also implying they are not democracies in the first place.

    precisely at the crucial moment the US empire wants to invade them and make their life hell.

    theres his political support for invading them "for democracy"

    yes, fuck that imperialist pig.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    .ml shitbags begone. Rapist apologists.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (1 child)

    I feel sorry for anyone on .ml personally. Their legacy of hate, division, and bootlicking is enormous. I think people sometimes join not realizing how toxic they are.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • 18 comments in c/usa@lemmy.ml view that post
    5 comments in c/usa@lemmy.world view that post