We live in a strange version of modernity. People idolize billionaires and gush about their lifestyles on social media. Those same billionaires are preparing to leave us all behind here on our good ol’ Earth and fly off to live on Mars. Kids want to be Twitch streamers or TikTokers when they grow up. What’s the common thread between all these problems, you ask? Capitalism, of course!
The Instagram page Economic Left provides commentary and top-tier memes to rid you of some of that doom and gloom. Bored Panda reached out to the creator of the page to know more about the art of anti-capitalist memery. Check out these humorous posts and lull your anti-capitalist rage knowing we’re all in this together.
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Comedy and jokes are an entertaining and effective way to convey social and political messages. George Carlin, for example, is still equally revered and criticized for some of his politically incorrect stand-up routines. On the internet, where ideas have the potential to spread like wildfire, funny can be used for activism as well.
The author behind the “Economic Left” Instagram account agrees: “Memes are wonderful because you can actually pack an immense amount of information in them which is imparted in an incredibly short amount of time.”
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The page’s creator undoubtedly chose the medium of memes for better spreadability of its message. “Humor is pivotal to the success of memes! Humor opens the door,” the page admin agrees. “Then you can begin education and community building.”
“Many groups and movements have used memes effectively to build community among like-minded individuals,” says the page’s creator. And they are right. Researchers have found that memes can influence a sense of belonging, sense of community, and attitude toward a community.
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We also asked them how the idea for this Instagram page came about. “There is a huge hunger for anti-capitalist discourse at the moment and memes seem like a powerful way to spread awareness and grow leftist online communities,” the person behind the page “Economic Left” says.
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The page’s bio says that its target audience are “leftists”. However, it’s important for the account’s owner to make clear that those who consider themselves on the political left in the US are not entirely their target audience.
“I and my followers would actually argue democrats and liberals are not leftists,” the manager of the account clarifies. “Leftists argue for democratic control of the economy.”
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One of the page’s missions is to “dispel right-wing myths about the economy.” When scrolling through the page’s material, it’s evident the author makes fun of both sides on the political spectrum.
They don’t shy away from criticizing democrats who consider themselves “leftists”: “We roast Democrats and liberals precisely because they identify as leftist without holding any traditional leftist beliefs about the economy,” adds the page’s author.
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Activism is definitely a large component of the mission behind the Instagram page “Economic Left”. “On the left, however, activism doesn’t stop with ‘get out and vote’,” the page’s owner says.
“The electoral system is an important arena to engage with, but leftists have realized that organizing in your own community or work place is the real way to build a movement with real power,” the page’s admin believes.
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“We don’t focus on helping elect some Democrat or another to continue to pass laws preventing meaningful change on issues like workers’ rights and climate change. Only direct action and community organizing will move the needle,” the page’s owner states.
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Some might say that the action the account calls for can be perceived as radical. When asked how they would respond, the page’s owner doesn’t hesitate to show their passion for the cause.
“I would say it is radical to continue to prop up an economic system where children go hungry and people die on the street every day in supposedly the most wealthy country in history.”
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“The United States is rightfully seen by other countries as having politics radically to the right. If anything, leftists want to restore a little balance,” the page’s administrator adds.
“[They] recognize big changes are the only way to meet the existential threats of our age like extreme inequality, systemic racism, and climate change,” the page’s owner declares their beliefs. “If that makes us radical, so be it!”
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Online spaces are not the only place where anti-capitalist sentiments abound. The idea seems to be getting increasingly more prominence in the media we consume. We only need to look at the TV shows that have been released in the past five or so years. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story, Sorry To Bother You, The Menu, Succession and Beef are only several examples of movies criticizing capitalism in one way or another.
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Ironically, the message is driven by the same corporate conglomerates. “You feel indignant at the end of an episode, but you aren’t given a useful way to direct your indignation,” writes Sean McDowell for Current Affairs.
He suggests directing the feelings that these shows stimulate toward action. “Whatever you do, be part of the struggle against faceless corporations that profit off of stories about the inequalities they themselves are guilty of advancing,” the writer concludes.
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