• ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    There is absolutely no contradiction in being for police reform, and against riots lasting for days. There is no contradiction in being for gun rights, while also wanting limits on them. There is no contradiction in wanting functional government services and universal healthcare, and thinking that free markets are effective. There is no contradiction in wanting a more balanced budget, and government services to be funded.

    That is a left position in the US.

    The republicans are against police reform (except eliminating the FBI) and in favor of riots (as long as they are to overturn elections a Democrat won). They want no limits on gun ownership (except maybe black and LGBT people). They think the government is always worse than free markets and that child labor is part of a healthy free market. They want a balanced budget only when a Democrat is in office, otherwise they are fine with blowing trillions on tax cuts for the rich. The only government service they care about is ones to suppress and control non-white people.

    • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Being against riots, and being for gun rights are not typically leftist ideals.

      Edit: I mistook riots for protests. I stick by the gun rights stuff being right wing. I know what Marx said, I have a copy of the manifesto on my coffee table. Communism is about arming the workers against the proletariat, but not about guaranteed access to guns which is what gun rights means in the US. None of the major communist countries constitutions mention civilians rights to own guns, and the majority of them seek to limit civilians access to them. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, either.

      • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The left is in favor of protests, not riots. They are different in spite of the media conflating them. As far as gun rights not being leftist, let me quote Karl Marx “Under no pretext should arms and ammunition be surrendered; any attempt to disarm the workers must be frustrated, by force if necessary”.

        • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Why do communist countries all typically enact gun control after the revolution, historically? In the Soviet Union, civilian gun ownership was illegal. In Cuba, they are very strict about giving licenses for them and you need to provide a valid reason. They are about arming the workers against the proletariat. Once that is accomplished, they typically seek to limit gun ownership. Not that thats a bad thing.

          FWIW, I am a gun owning socialist, so I know all about this. Everything right of socialist and left of center is most definitely against gun rights. That is the vast majority of the “leftists” in the United States which is what I was referring to in this scenario.

          As for the riots, you are correct. I mistook riots for protests in my ignorance, my bad, but we can’t act like rioting isn’t something in the anarchist playbook. Sometimes it is most definitely warranted.

          Edit: you can downvote me that’s fine but you still never answered my question. If the far left supports gun rights, why do none of them have gun rights in their constitutions? And why do they limit civilians access to them? That doesn’t sound like gun rights to me, but idk. Unlimited gun rights are dumb, anyways, and that’s why I would not connect it to the left who are actually sensible about it. Nobody should have unlimited rights to guns. It should be a position of privilege for those who are licensed and have valid use for them.

          • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            First, I didn’t downvote you. To your question, I would argue that the US Constitution was written by the far left and it includes gun rights.

            I also think it is important to distinguish between gun regulations originating from those in power and those originating from popular support (NZ for example).

            • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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              1 year ago

              Fair enough. The US constitution was written by people who were probably far left for their time, now that you make me think about it. I guess I just took gun rights to mean the US version of gun rights which are a bit extreme compared to the rest of the world. Sorry about getting my jimmies all rustled up there.

        • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          There are groups of anarchists that are indeed “pro riot” as a form of protest. I guess maybe you could say burning businesses and vandalizing things isnt rioting, but most other people would call it that. They are mostly young punk kids from my experience. There aren’t a ton but they do exist. They don’t go after neighborhoods like right wing media would portray, they target buildings owned by corporations that kind of deserve it, mostly. I’m not saying rioting is always a bad thing, myself. Sometimes it is warranted when a matter is serious enough and all other avenues aren’t working.