Great Moments in Leftism

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'''''Great Moments in Leftism''''', often abbreviated to GMIL, was a political webcomic about [[left-wing]] politics, or in the anonymous author's words: "a cartoon about the left". It mocks many mainstream leftist figures and organizations, with the author claiming to be "[[communist]], or ultra left".<ref name=interview>[http://www.rabble.ie/2014/03/05/great-moments-in-satire/ Great Moments in Satire] by Rashers Tierney, March 05, 2014. ''Rabble''</ref>

Its latest comic was posted in 2018, and the title for the entry declared that the comic wasn't dead yet.<ref>(May 2, 2018). [https://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.com/2018/05/gmil-not-dead-yet-edition.html "GMiL: Not Dead Yet Edition"]. ''Great Moments in Leftism''.</ref> Which, [[ironically]], seems to serve as GMIL's informal gravestone, since there's no apparent trace of any life after that. Still, its archives might serve as some insight into discourses of the left during the comic's run (2013–2018).

== The comic ==
The comic mocks the left from a left communist perspective and each strip picks one or multiple targets, or focuses on tropes which are common to a larger part of the left. Arguably the main issue with the comic is that its punchlines might only be comprehensible to far-left nerds as occasionally readers will fail to grasp the intention of particular strips.<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/jacobin.html?showComment=1378490135575#c2190967125369051494 ''Jacobin'' - comment]</ref><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/335027619964489/photos/a.338155179651733.1073741826.335027619964489/387448148055769/?type=3&theater ''Class Struggle'' - comment]</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2014/09/911.html?showComment=1411843957266#c4306830328941506694 ''9/11'' - comment]</ref> The second, but rather minor, problem is the rudimentary and simple drawing style and the use of hand-written dialogue which sometimes makes it hard to read.

Most strips point out [[crank]] ideas within the left like the ones espoused by [[Leon Trotsky#Trotskyism|Trotskyist]] [[Posadism|J. Posadas]]<ref group=note>Posadas claimed that a [[nuclear war]] will inevitably take humanity to [[socialism]] or if there are [[UFO|UFOs]] they could only come from extra-terrestrial socialist societies because only these are capable to create such advanced technologies.</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/04/posadas.html ''Posadas'']</ref> leftist intellectuals' hidden disdain of the working class,<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2014/06/avert-your-eyes.html ''Avert Your Eyes'']</ref> and the left's careerist,<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/08/strike.html ''Strike'']</ref> lifestylist,<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/04/someday.html ''Someday'']</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/08/organizer.html ''Organizer'']</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/come-and-keep-your-comrade-warm.html ''Come and keep your comrade warm'']</ref> [[cult|cult-like]],<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/10/original-source.html ''Original Source'']</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/10/the-one-about-rcp.html ''The One About RCP'']</ref> apologist<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2014/05/revolutionary-racism.html ''Revolutionary Racism'']</ref> and even ''[[capitalist]]''<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/the-one-about-iso.html ''The One About ISO'']</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/10/democracy-now.html ''Democracy Now!'']</ref> elements.
Many strips also ridicule the fact that the politically active far-left is a non-existent entity these days.<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/one-big-union.html ''One Big Union'']</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/99.html ''99%'']</ref><ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/anarchist-meeting.html ''Anarchist Meeting'']</ref>

==The readers==
As you may have deduced by now, the comic ruffles feathers from disgruntled [[moonbat|moonbats]] who complain how their perfect infallible holy cows are above criticism and the author is simply wrong despite highlighting indisputable facts such as [[Noam Chomsky]] encouraging people to vote despite being an [[anarchist]],<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2014/02/the-one-about-noam-chomsky.html ''The One About Noam Chomsky'']</ref> just like when he endorsed [[John Kerry]] in the US presidential election of 2004 as the lesser-evil candidate or that the {{wpl|YPG}}, the Syrian Kurdish leftist guerrilla army fighting [[ISIS]], is currently supported by [[imperialist]] powers,<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/335027619964489/photos/pb.335027619964489.-2207520000.1454334601./734130760054171/?type=3&theater Facebook comments on ''Support the Troops'']</ref> just to name a few of many examples.

Other criticisms entail ridiculous arguments that GMIL only criticizes and doesn't offer anything to improve the situation<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/335027619964489/photos/a.338155179651733.1073741826.335027619964489/383011661832751/?type=3&theater Facebook comments on ''Circle the Wagons'']</ref> usually in the form of [[strawman]] arguments.<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/09/grover-furrs-terrible-horrible-no-good.html ''Grover Furr's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'']</ref> However the comments are often more entertaining than the comic itself as moonbats usually argue using their chosen set of socialist crank ideas,<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/335027619964489/photos/a.338155179651733.1073741826.335027619964489/365311833602734/?type=3&theater Facebook comments on ''Original Source'']</ref> or obliviously confirm the punchline of the strips.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/335027619964489/photos/a.338155179651733.1073741826.335027619964489/366881670112417/?type=3&theater Facebook comments on ''Sewer Socialism'']</ref> In at least one instance, the author of GMIL has responded via a strip to the accusations and hurt feelings.<ref>[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/2013/10/shameless-meta-comic.html ''Shameless meta-comic'']</ref>

== External links ==
*[https://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-Moments-in-Leftism/335027619964489 The comic on Facebook]
*[http://greatmomentsinleftism.blogspot.de/ The comic's blog and main website on Blogspot] if you hate Facebook for good reasons
*[https://greatmomentsinleftism.wordpress.com/ The comic's other blog and website] "Because Blogspot is REVISIONIST"<ref>[https://greatmomentsinleftism.wordpress.com/about/ ''Great Moments in Leftism'' Wordpress Blog: About]</ref>
*[http://berniecomic.blogspot.com/ The spin-off comic lampooning] [[Bernie Sanders]]
==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Webcomics]]
[[Category:Anarchism]]
[[Category:Communism]]
[[Category:Socialism]]

Categories: Webcomics, Anarchism, Communism, Socialism