Just discovered that admins are removing resource-content on the subreddit. Both the DPRK and China megathreads that are in the sidebar have been removed, probably others too.

I doubt this is unique to only /r/communism, /r/communism101 is probably going to be hit as well.

    • Mardoniush [she/her]28•3 years ago

      They're way too ban happy to anyone not straight down the line Pro-Soviet ML, but they're comrades.

      • Awoo [she/her]50•3 years ago

        I'd be slightly wary, when I got banned they also threw a tonne of insults my way about my activity in CTH and how we're not comrades. I really don't think they like us very much.

        • Mardoniush [she/her]44•3 years ago

          I don't think they like anyone very much.

          But as long as they can't pull a coup a simple olive branch in the name of left unity isn't beyond consideration.

          • PorkrollPosadist [he/him, they/them]28•3 years ago

            Yeah it's worth offering them a board, or directing them towards lemmygrad, or maybe some technical advice in setting up an instance.

          • knipexcrunch [he/him]2•3 years ago

            I mod a few default subreddits, so I can definitely understand why they don't like anyone. Modding on reddit is the easiest way to turn into a very angry person.

        • Bread_In_Baltimore [he/him]4•3 years ago

          I basically align with them politically 100% but was banned for posting a sarcastic comment once lol

          • Awoo [she/her]3•3 years ago

            Same on alignment. I got banned for calling Corbyn a trot though.

              • Awoo [she/her]3•3 years ago

                I mean yeah it is funny when you write it down but I actually liked participating there and was real upset when they trolled me in modmail during my attempt over a period of many days to get unbanned.

              • Awoo [she/her]1•3 years ago

                They didn't like me acting like he is a comrade. I think they might be Americans and not understand the British situation fully? Or they're just reaaaally hardline on "you're not a communist if you're standing on socdem policies". I can understand the latter but think it's excessive over-moderation. I'm happy to call him a revisionist or an opportunist if you like but he definitely wants something much further left than socdem but simply recognised that was non-viable in the current UK and made an attempt at something viable. It's not like what you run on matters in the UK anyway, a majority basically lets you do whatever the fuck you want regardless of what's in the manifesto, the manifesto just lets you skip the need to wait on the roadblocks the lords put up on various issues.

      • SoyViking [he/him]27•3 years ago

        I was banned for comparing the common estimated number of gulag inmates with the US prison population.😁

        • spectre [he/him]13•3 years ago

          Doesn't it come out looking better for the gulag though?

          • SoyViking [he/him]25•3 years ago

            It does. That was an antiamerican argument. I was banned simply for mentioning the number.

            • JoeySteel [comrade/them]15•3 years ago

              Er no bud the US locks up more people than the height of the Soviet gulag period (which was just before ww2)

              It imprisons more people than any civilisation that has ever existed: China, Iran, russia or DPRK and yes Soviet Union at height of the gulag period

              Over all, there are now more people under ‘correctional supervision’ in America–more than 6 million–,” writes Gopnik, “than were in the Gulag Archipelago under Stalin at its height.” Correctional supervision means adults on probation, in jail or prison, and on parole. Zakaria follows Gopnik’s incantation of Stalinism with some horrifying figures:

              https://srbpodcast.org/2013/05/11/us-prison-industrial-complex-versus-the-stalinist-gulag/

              Over all, there are now more people under “correctional supervision” in America—more than six million—than were in the Gulag Archipelago under Stalin at its height.

              https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/01/30/the-caging-of-america

              non paywall archive https://web.archive.org/web/20200115083649/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/01/30/the-caging-of-america

                • JoeySteel [comrade/them]12•3 years ago

                  Surely it's the same though as there were varying degrees of gulags - some for petty criminals and thieves were essentially just small villages miles from anything in Siberia where they led relatively "free" lifestyles and were allowed to take their families etc.

                  Probation/parole can hardly be considered freedom as you're still undersupervision and required to check into a police station or have a parole officer visit you etc.

                  • spectre [he/him]13•3 years ago

                    I think it's a fair comparison, but I'd want to make sure the net is just as wide on the Soviet side, and includes non-gulag jails and such (if that's a thing, I know nothing about their prison system)

                • Awoo [she/her]5•3 years ago

                  I actually wrote a comment on this here in the past: https://hexbear.net/post/22867/comment/168034

                  Copying it because for some reason I can see that post in my post history but it won't load?

                  When ignoring the period of 1941-1944 (nazi occupation of the soviet union and ww2) where 70% of all deaths in gulags occurred, the program actually had an incredibly low death rate for its time. In fact, by 1953 the gulag system had a LOWER death rate than current modern day US prisons have. Fact.

                  According to this study the gulag deaths were approximately 830,000 from 1934 to 1953. As I said above however, it is important to know that 70% of all these deaths occurred between 1941 and 1944 (included) so they can be attributed to difficulties from the War Period and nazi occupation. Also, it's important to note that antibiotics didn't become available until after WW2, this contributes significantly to earlier higher death figures.

                  To put things into perspective. Using the same source as above for the USSR, and this report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics we can say that Mortality in the gulag in 1953 (236 deaths per 100,000 prisoners) was lower than mortality in US prisons today, both in state prisons (303 deaths per 100,000 prisoners) and federal prisons (252 deaths per 100,000 prisoners).

                  Feel free to double check these numbers(you should check anyone's numbers always). I know it's surprising to hear that as far back as 1953 they were better, but it is absolutely correct. I had to double check it too.

      • knipexcrunch [he/him]2•3 years ago

        I'm ML and have been banned from their a few times. I DM'd one of the mods about it and they said they have a massive number of automod rules and are ban happy due to the subreddit being a focal point for trolls and brigades. My ancom friend trashed the USSR in a comment but they unbanned him and undeleted his comment after he messaged them. I think it's just difficult to separate criticism from a left-wing perspective and just outright arguing on the internet.

        From what I've heard on other subs, they'll unban almost any flavor of leftist except for post-left.

        They're definitely sectarian, but I think the ban happiness comes from the constant troll brigades.

    • star_wraith [he/him]22•3 years ago

      edit: nevermind, sounds like they’re hella sectarian lol

      Yeah I can't tell if they're actually sectarian or if they just get off on banning fellow communists. A distinction without a difference, I guess.

        • the_river_cass [she/her]7•3 years ago

          might still be worth opening a dialogue, even if they themselves wouldn't fit. they probably do want years of work preserved and a path for getting people information, even if they do see us as ultimately the same as reddit or misguided or whatever.

    • Awoo [she/her]19•3 years ago

      They banned me for being too lib.

      :che-smile: