I keep running into comments where users are arguing for avoiding Lemmy, claiming that Lemmy supports authoritarian governments, supports the CCP, sides with Russia in their invasion of Ukraine, denies genocides committed by nominal communist governments, and other similar political claims. I know there are communist instances and whatnot, but I’m well aware that identifying as a communist doesn’t mean that someone wants a dictatorial government or denies genocides.

  • Can we figure this out and have any supporting evidence either way to end the rumors?
  • Is there any evidence that Lemmy is advocating against democracy, pro dictatorships, denying and/or advocating for genocides?
  • Is there evidence that using Lemmy supports genocidal aspiring dictators and their accomplices?
  • Even if there is one instance that advocates for atrocities, genocides, dictatorships, and clearly false revisions of history, what does that have to do with the Lemmy as a system? Can’t those instances just be defederated?

To be 100% clear, I am not a communist, aspiring dictator, or support genocides. I also do not believe that communism = dictatorships and the end of human rights. I believe in democracy, equitable distribution or power, individual human rights and freedoms. If I had to define a personal political identity, I would mostly fall under the term anarchist and do not advocate for violence against innocent people despite their political viewpoints (except Nazis because they’re not innocent. Fuck Nazis).

  • @DonjuanmeEnglish
    21•1 year ago

    I think they (the people who say that) have either: an innocent fundamental misunderstanding about how the site works, a stubbornness about trying something new and strawmanning it sight unseen, or a malicious intent to keep users from migrating to a new platform (so they can continue to demonize the other to their audience on the current platform).

    Something this platform offers is the ability to create your own platform, and integrate it with other hosts as you see fit, along with excising hosts that put out content you do not want to see (this can even be the “designers” community).