this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2026
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Memes

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[–] The_Hideous_Orgalorg@sh.itjust.works 33 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

War profits for healthcare? How about stop allowing profit from healthcare, run them as services for the public good, and we already pay more than enough taxes to treat everyone.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 45 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

The problem isn't purely with what to do with a country's wealth, but also where it comes from. Is it produced domestically, or does it come from exploiting others? Imperialist countries gain the bulk of their wealth from expropriating it from the global south. This is why welfare alone isn't a viable solution, the question of socialism must also be addressed, ending imperialism and moving humanity forwards.

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[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Where does the euro/US wealth come from?

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

fun fact: the US pays about $15K per capita, and the rest of the developed world pays about $4-8K for healthcare! the USA gets far less for far more. But freedom, yo!

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[–] overkrill@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

2026: haha what profits the US military has literally spent ALL the money and blown through all of their weapons in order to cede control of the strait of hormuz, get their missile radars blown to shit by shahed drones, and abandon their military presence in southwest asia. the next move will be dismantling our meager health care and education systems to pay for a trade war with canada and a giant golden bitcoin bidet. chefs kiss

[–] SirSmoothAES@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The problem with this meme is that the vast majority of Europeans have no idea these things are connected.

It also puts the blame way too much on the individual, which ironically is a very liberal way to look at capitalism and imperialism.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What blame? This is a meme not an analysis, it's meant to challenge the viewer to no longer think in terms of "what can I get out of electoralism" and instead focus on the death and carnage that the false choice is meant to distract from but instead what keeps western societies running.

[–] SirSmoothAES@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

No liberal or conservative would ever gather that from this meme. Calling liberals and conservatives monsters for a dynamic they're not even aware of is hardly challenging their views, it's guilt tripping them.

[–] mathemachristian@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Well it's not addressed at liberals or conservatives but people who identify as leftists but still believe in the electoralist/reformist path. Only a few people on lemmy identify as liberal and even fewer as conservative.

Failing that, it's just a meme. I don't see any harm in posting it even if it doesn't have the intended effect.

edit: you know the kind of people already fed up with the fakeness of it, seemingly having to support the palestinian genocide for instance no matter how they choose, but can't quite put their finger on what's wrong with the system.

[–] SirSmoothAES@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

It's not clear at all from the meme that electoral leftists are the target audience, because the meme literally calls out liberals and conservatives, but the intended message is correct enough I guess.

[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Guilt and shame are effective ways is getting people to challenge their views

[–] Maeve@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 2 weeks ago

Not really. It does tend to send the undesirable behavior into secret behavior.

[–] SirSmoothAES@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Even then this meme strawmans both liberals and conservatives. If the goal is to make them confused and defensive then excellent job.

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago

tbf i think it perfectly encapsulates conservative/fascist rhetoric.

liberal thinking is indeed a bit more complex.

[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Cool, we agree. The meme is intended to create an emotional reaction, a negative emotional reaction, associated with these labels.

[–] SirSmoothAES@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Okay well, how educational

[–] frisbird@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, memes, the preferred format of educators everywhere for everything, being perverted into some form of emotional communication without depth. Oh, the huge manatees!

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[–] MarxMadness@hexbear.net 13 points 2 weeks ago

While I think there's a real question about how much of it is willful ignorance vs. propaganda working as intended, you're largely correct. The reality that most U.S. citizens have maybe a high school understanding of their country's foreign policy is the biggest hole in the "imperial proletariat as labor aristocratics" theory.

[–] CyroSignal@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

That's so true...

[–] burgermeister@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

I'm just here like

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