ID: 3 panel comic:

  1. A surprised looking person pops in to existence on a floating rock surrounded by fire, next to the devil.

  2. The person asks “wait a second-- why’d I end up in hell??”

  3. The devil, now taking up the entire frame, replies: “because centrism enables fascism”

  • masquenox@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    6 months ago

    The capitalist status quo is protected by a political wing we call “liberalism” and a paramilitary wing we call “fascism.”

    Carrot and stick, good cop/bad cop - pick your metaphor.

    For far too long, leftists have laboured under the delusion that liberals are merely “misguided” people that can be “pushed” left as soon as we could get them to read this or that book by our favourite Beardy McDeadguy. This kind of understanding of these people we call “centrists,” “moderates,” and, by far the most accurate term, “liberals,” completely ignores the fact that it is liberalism - not fascism - that is the true ideology of privilege. Privilege that means that liberals are even more invested in the maintenance of the status quo that the rank and file of fascism are.

    The left has always proven itself capable of defeating fascists - but it seems that it has no real answer to the insidious, co-opting tentacles of the liberal and the mountain of lies liberalism is built upon.

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      6 months ago

      So your solution is to increase the genocide and hostility while also pushing us further away from democracy? That just sounds like you’re resigned to being stupid and evil.

      • masquenox@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        6 months ago

        So your solution is to increase the genocide and hostility

        That’s not my “solution,” liberal - that is what your precious status quo will be doing anyway.

        • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          No, that is a choice that you made. The two options were less and more and by abstaining from less you got more.

  • nifty@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    I don’t know what you think “the center” is, it doesn’t mean being undecided or voting against human rights. The Left is not a religion, and anything which demands “with us or against us” membership is not any better than fascism.

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      You don’t have to be a radical to support progressive reform. If anything, a lot of Radicals believe the “both sides bad” flavor of Centrism.

  • rockSlayer@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

    - Martin Luther King Jr, Letter from the Birmingham Jail

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      6 months ago

      Context for readers: The direct action MLK Jr spoke of was political action and progressive legislative reform. The reason I bring this up is sometimes Tankies and Anarchists use his words to incite violence, which MLK Jr would strictly oppose.

      • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 months ago

        Non-violent protest is an opening offer, not the endgame. It’s a promise not to be violent so long as there’s an honest dialoge.

        Without the threat of eventual violence, they have no reason to listen at all.

        • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          You’re not arguing against me, you are arguing against civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. and he can’t hear you.

      • ShareMySims@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        Says the white moderate who was taught so by the establishment that doesn’t want you to consider violent opposition to their violent oppression a viable option, which he absolutely did, as, without even the slightest sense of irony because the reality is going over their head in its entirety, they tell you they "agree with you in the goal you seek, but cannot agree with your methods of direct action”.

        Perhaps educate yourself on MLK and what he actually stood for, rather than what those who murdered him for opposing them want you to know, before you so confidently spread misinformation and continue in the task of whitewashing his legacy.

        • Unpigged@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          "Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. I am not unmindful of the fact that violence often brings about momentary results. Nations have frequently won their independence in battle. But in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones. Violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding: it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends up defeating itself.”

          1964, I guess white oppressors forced him to write this.

  • BlackLaZoR@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    So we inevitably reaching the claim that everything on the right from left is fascism.

  • Woht24@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    I have to say, growing up very left wing, I find myself taking a left leaning but centrist attitude to a fair few topics as I age.

    Honestly, a big part of it is the lack of planning and delusional thought tank of the left. The right is far worse and I certainly don’t agree with them, but I disagree with the OP and a lot of the general sentiment in the comments.

    The world isn’t black and white, you cannot be sensibly left or right for every political topic. You need to assess what’s best for everyone. Politics has become like UK football hooliganism, you’re either with or against and anyone on the other side apparently needs their heads kicked in.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Accepting that getting more conservative as you age is normal is just an admission that you’re fine with being the next generation’s “boomer” equivalent.

      Life isn’t black and white, but some things in life can be. E.g. when someone gets on TV to talk about the risks of climate change and the station puts them next to another talking head who shares their own alternative facts disputing it, there’s no “middle ground” that is somehow more correct. There’s a factually correct take and there’s politicized bullshit.

      • Woht24@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        Disagree with your first sentence entirely.

        I didn’t admit it’s normal, I said it has happened to me. You’re proving my point entirely with these generalised sweeping statements, telling me who I am and what I’m fine with.

        I agree somewhat with your second paragraph but I don’t really know what the point is. I’m not talking about bullshit on TV, I’m talking about real issues affecting populations, are not black and white.

        Fuck off somewhere and reassess yourself.

    • phlegmy@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      6 months ago

      You’re talking to a bunch of Americans. Their democrats are centre-right and their republicans are further right, so a centrist over there is just right-wing.
      I also consider myself mostly left leaning, but I’m a bit centrist on a few issues.

      Eg; I 100% support gay marriage and voted yes in my country’s referendum, but I don’t think all religious people should be forced to do gay weddings.
      I recognise that’s a slippery slope which could lead to exclusion, but forcing somebody who despises you to do your wedding doesn’t seem like a good idea for anyone involved.

        • phlegmy@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          Please explain to me how voting to support gay marriage, while not forcing people to go against their religious beliefs is right wing?
          I’m of the opinion that the government shouldn’t be allowed to force people to do anything, and they shouldn’t be able to deny people from doing anything that doesn’t harm or impact anyone else.

          I totally support trans rights, because the government shouldn’t be able to decide what you do with your own body.

          I support abortion for any reason, because you shouldn’t be forced to raise a child if you aren’t 100% prepared to.

          I think all teenagers should have access to puberty blockers if they desire, because it’s not the government’s business. If they’re concerned about teenagers not being mature enough to decide to transition, you should at least set them up with the tools necessary to make that decision further down the line.

          All doctors should be forced to provide the appropriate medical attention for trans people, regardless of their beliefs, because healthcare is 100% necessary for everyone and should have no biases or politics.

          But marriage ceremonies don’t need to be performed by devout catholics/christians/whatever.
          There can be marriage ceremonies held by atheists, agnostics, or people of any religion. So there’s no need to force overly religious people who disagree with it into performing the ceremonies.
          You’re forcing them to give up their beliefs (however stupid they may be) when it isn’t necessary.