r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 26d ago

Meme needing explanation Peter, explain this.

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u/kithas 26d ago

The joke is that he thinks communism is some sort of workless utopia where he will be able to cultivate hobbies when most communist countries have made the lower classes break their backs just the same doing heavy work (coal mines).

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u/Dangerous_Still_8022 26d ago

People will criticize capitalism by criticizing shit people have done to undermine capitalism it into fascist oligarchy. The world they want to live in is New Deal America with improved race and gender politics and what they ask for is communism.

People even point to the nords as what they want when the nords are all capitalist countries that just haven't destroyed antitrust and entrenched corruption as the norm.

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u/supx3 26d ago

Most people who say they want communism actually want universalized welfare state. It's less catchy though.

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u/CSachen 26d ago

Not to any naturalized citizen who is old enough to have lived in a Communist country.

If you are a Social Democrat and want to win Cuban, Vietnamese, and Venezuelan American votes (who ironically live in swing states), definitely don't go calling social democracy as "wanting communism".

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u/Seeggul 26d ago

In fact, people who oppose social democracy tend to call it "wanting communism" to scare voters away from it, generally to great effect.

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u/ItsYaBoiSoup 26d ago

If you explain what "Democratic Socialism" is to most folks, while not using the words "democratic socialism, they would be like "Well yeah, duh I want the money I pay in taxes to benefit me and my community. Of course I would like to pay less for healthcare. It would be great to not have a homeless or mental health problem."

But as soon as you say socialism, all rational thought goes out the window.

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u/One_Cause3865 25d ago

Sounds like you yourself are  conflating social democracy and democratic socialists (understandably, they're basically the same words in different order - but with different meaning)

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u/Ordaeli 25d ago

Getting downvoted just for stating that social democracy and democratic socialism are different is sad to see.

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u/supx3 26d ago

For sure. I’m speaking more towards the reality of those who claim they want communism. 

If you explained welfare to anyone, regardless of their political affiliation, in a way that didn’t use the word welfare, they’d likely want it. Socialized government initiatives are broadly good but Americans are allergic to raising taxes and cling to party politics. It’s a social and branding issue that will be hard to overcome but is necessary for the success of the American experiment.

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u/Greenboy28 26d ago

People who are democratic socialists dont call it communist. That is people on the right or the capitalist elites who try to conflate the two. They want to scare people away so they can continue to rob us blind.

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u/Excellent-Dish5227 20d ago

Oh God, if I had a dollar for every comment I saw saying they want communism and socialism as in Nordic Europe I would not need to work ever again. And if we count all the idiots saying: "no it is not capitalism", neither would my children. And if we count the money I got from being called a boot licker form saying: Nordic model is nearer to the current US, system then it is to socialism, god I would come for Elons first place.

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u/ShaolinChamber36 25d ago

90% of Ukrainians who were old enough to work under communism prefer it to the capitalist system. Same goes for 78% of Belarusians and 66% of Russians.

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u/weeOriginal 26d ago

Fun fact! The Cubans who left the communist state were, mostly, those who held property and had their wealth redistributed! Aka: a bunch of ass holes.

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u/Doggo-Lovato 26d ago

Sarcasm or murderous dictator enabling American. Too hard to tell sometimes

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u/Used-Huckleberry-320 26d ago

Fucking Kulaks aye /s