• CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    1 year ago

    Where do we put the *cides from left dictatorships?

    Generally, the left wing is characterized by an emphasis on “ideas such as freedom, equality, fraternity, rights, progress, reform and internationalism” while the right wing is characterized by an emphasis on “notions such as authority, hierarchy, order, duty, tradition, reaction and nationalism”.

    Left and Dictatorship do not have compatible definitions. This is like asking “where do we put all the pregnant virgins?”

    • oce 🐆@jlai.lu
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      So by your definition, Soviet Union and communist China were not actually left, just pretending ?

        • oce 🐆@jlai.lu
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          I don’t mind working with different definitions, but I don’t think yours is very common.
          What do you think about Marx, is he not left wing either?
          If he is, what do you think about his notion of dictatorship of the proletariat?
          Because this notion is pretty much the ideological justification for the dictatorships that were built in Soviet Union, China and other Marxist governments.

          • irmoz@reddthat.com
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            I don’t mind working with different definitions, but I don’t think yours is very common.

            It is the standard definition. You just aren’t personally familiar with it, because, and I’m sorry if this sounds like a personal attack, your education system and media are designed in part to indoctrinate you into liberal ideology.

            What do you think about Marx, is he not left wing either?

            Uh - yes? It is from Marx that we get this definition you call “not common”!

            If he is, what do you think about his notion of dictatorship of the proletariat?

            That it is absolute democracy, run by the people themselves!

            Because this notion is pretty much the ideological justification for the dictatorships that were built in Soviet Union, China and other Marxist governments.

            Revisionist trash!

            • oce 🐆@jlai.lu
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              Indeed, you resorting to personal attacks makes it less likely for me to be willing to talk with you or your friends at Hexbear. I’m not American by the way, my country is way more socialist but never was communist (the split happened by opposition with Soviet dictatorship).

              How can dictatorship be absolute democracy? You said dictatorship is completely opposed to left ideology just before.
              If it’s absolute democracy how can it be also a dictatorship?

              By the way, this dictatorship is supposed to be an intermediate step in Marx’s ideology, to protect the revolution from counter revolutions, before “real” communism is instated. Strangely it seems to never have happened, the countries that tried it staid at the dictatorship level, which was pretty much an oligarchy.

              What happened in your opinion? Why did it not work?

              • irmoz@reddthat.com
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                1 year ago

                you resorting to personal attacks makes it less likely for me to be willing to talk with you or your friends at Hexbear

                I didn’t attack you in any way. Not sure what you’re on about. I’m also not a Hexbear user.

                I’m not American by the way, my country is way more socialist but never was communist (the split happened by opposition with Soviet dictatorship).

                I didn’t call you American. I called your country liberal, which is a pretty safe bet since you’re here on Lemmy speaking English, and the majority of the Imperial Core and Periphery have some kind of liberal democracy going on. Unless you’re in Cuba or Vietnam, there’s little chance your country has anything resembling socialism going on.

                How can dictatorship be absolute democracy?

                Because it is the whole population doing the dictating.

                You said dictatorship is completely opposed to left ideology just before.

                Yes, dictatorship in the common parlance, meaning absolute rule by an individual or minority.

                If it’s absolute democracy how can it be also a dictatorship?

                You have spent a very long time on this point. I don’t mean to be rude, but didn’t you think for a moment you might have misunderstood? Dictatorship of the proletariat means the common people rule themselves.

                By the way, this dictatorship is supposed to be an intermediate step in Marx’s ideology, to protect the revolution from counter revolutions, before “real” communism is instated.

                Only if you believe Lenin. And…

                Strangely it seems to never have happened, the countries that tried it staid at the dictatorship level, which was pretty much an oligarchy.

                Yes, strange, indeed. Because the USSR was revisionist trash, as I already stated. They forgot the “proletariat” part of “dictatorship of the proletariat”. Odd that you seem unaware of Cuba and Vietnam, though.

                What happened in your opinion? Why did it not work?

                Because it was revisionist trash.

                • oce 🐆@jlai.lu
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  Look up what European social democracy means. It is just called socialism in most countries in there, and it’s distinct from communism. I think there’s a difference of vocabulary evolution compared to the Anglo-Saxon world.

                  Didn’t mention Cuba and Vietnam because they had less impact and deaths than the big two. But please describe me how they avoided oligarchy and allowed proletariat dictatorship which is not a actually dictatorship but something certainly better than liberal or European style social democracy.

                  If it is just the common people ruling itself why is it not just democracy?

                  What I said about the intermediate step is in Marx writings not just Lenin’s.

                  • irmoz@reddthat.com
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    1
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    Look up what European social democracy means.

                    I’m so amused to see arrogance and naivete packaged together this way. You not only think I’m unfamiliar with the well-known concept of social democracy, but you also fell for the lie that it has anything to do with socialism. Social democracy is a liberal’s dream come true. It is not leftist or socialist in any way.

                    It is just called socialism in most countries in there, and it’s distinct from communism.

                    Of course it’s distinct from communism. It’s capitalism. You still work for a wage, and owners still extract surplus value. Workers do not own the means of production, there.

                    Social democracy was a reaction to the socialist revolutions happening elsewhere, a placation, a concession to grease the wheels of capitalism, to soften the exploitation. Meanwhile, the most brutal exploitation was outsourced to poorer countries elsewhere. Look up unequal exchange.

                    Didn’t mention Cuba and Vietnam because they had less impact and deaths than the big two.

                    Less impact? Cuba continues to thrive to this day. Vietnam only had to fend off the US in a brutal battle and win.

                    But please describe me how they avoided oligarchy and allowed proletariat dictatorship which is not a actually dictatorship but something certainly better than liberal or European style social democracy.

                    Because they govern according to socialist principles, which rule from the bottom up.

                    If it is just the common people ruling itself why is it not just democracy?

                    … It is democracy! Socialism is about universalising democracy.

                    What I said about the intermediate step is in Marx writings not just Lenin’s.

                    Don’t get slippery. You said dictatorship. And at that precise moment, I do believe you were referring to the absolute control of a single person or small group. Marx did not advocate for that. Lenin did.