this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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Political Memes

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[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 152 points 1 week ago (4 children)

The explanation given in the picture condemns capitalism, not socialism.

Capitalism is the system that assumes actors work in their own rational self interest. It's when capitalism gives "free stuff" that people need to worry about the hidden cost.

The transaction in this case is that the mouse trades its life for a chance of getting food. But, as is typical for capitalism, the person who offers the transaction is intentionally concealing its true cost, making it impossible for the mouse to make any rational decision.

The person who originally made that meme seems to believe that socialism simply means "free stuff". But a mouse trap baited with food is an absolutely textbook example of capitalism.

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 62 points 1 week ago

capitalism will you give me free social media

for increased social bandwidth with friends?

yesssssss

actually creates a hellhole of ad supported data theft, harassment, misinformation, and networks of abuse

[–] knighthawk0811@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

if you don't already own capital, everything you buy is paid for with your labor/body/self.

every day we give over small pieces of ourselves just to live in a world that someone else created.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Until I got to your comment I actually thought I had read capitalism. I just thought it was the "if it's free, you're the product".

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[–] match@pawb.social 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

socialism is when the people own the mousetrap

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

That's closer to the way communism is generally used. Socialism would be more like if the government had a mousetrap program where it distributed mousetraps to people with rodent problems.

I say "generally used" because some people have used "socialism" and "communism" interchangeably, but I think it's just confusing to do that today.

[–] Worx@lemmynsfw.com 110 points 1 week ago (3 children)

MICE DIE IN MOUSE TRAPS BECAUSE A METAL BAR SLAMS DOWN AND BREAKS THEIR NECKS.

THE SAME THING HAPPENS WITH POLICE BRUTALITY.

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[–] RockBottom@feddit.org 42 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Don't mice eat free all their lives? It's their nature. Humans decide to kill them based on "My cheese!"

[–] kinsnik@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

yeah. it is not that "mice don't understand why the cheese is free". they don't understand the concept of ownership or money to begin with

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Besides, rodents are monarchists, not socialists

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[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 40 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Capitalism: and we can charge them for the cheese, too!

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

capitalism: no cheese, just the trap and the promise that some day you might be able to afford cheese

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[–] pyre@lemmy.world 35 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

mice don't pay taxes dumbass

[–] FuckFascism@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

How do you know?! Maybe mice do pay taxes! Maybe mice are secretly the illuminati too!!……BIRDS AREN'T REAL THEY'RE JUST GOVERNMENT DRONES!!!

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[–] simplejack@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Meanwhile, people voting for Trump because they think they’re going to get $500 of cheddar during tax season.

Look I had this dream about Jesus not coming back until we ate the giant wheel of cheese that they rolled in front of his tomb now we just gotta find the right cheese

[–] Aliktren@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago

Facebook is socialist, apparently

[–] m4xie@lemmy.ca 28 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Mice die in mouse traps because I buy the 'humane' ones then forget to check them for weeks, leading to much greater cruelty than normal ones.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I had an issue with mice a couple of years ago, and it came to blows. I am not proud to say that I committed some horrific atrocities to mouse-kind that will haunt me for the rest of my days.

That said, legends of my brutality must have spread because I haven't had a mouse issue in years.

[–] SpiceyDejarik@infosec.pub 5 points 1 week ago

We had an issue with mice coming inside at our old house. But we had 7 cats, so the problem was I would come into the kitchen in the morning to find blood streaks on the floor where the cats had their fun with the latest intruder. Then I had to dispose of the body. So I never had to partake in the cruelty myself, but I had to deal with its aftermath.

The mice never seemed to figure out that ours was a house of death. But we had a really cool exterminator that wouldn't try to up-sell us on stuff. He always gave us good advice on dealing with various pests. He helped us find the places where the mice were getting in the house and seal them. That's the best solution if you can do it.

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[–] tetris11@feddit.uk 27 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Mice die in mousetraps because they need the cheese to live, and have no control over the means in which the metal bar clamps down

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Some of them are even smart enough to figure it out after seeing another mouse die, and can disarm the traps by dropping things on it.

[–] tehn00bi@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

From my experience, it’s more like they let one die and the rest feast off of the dead one. We had a well house that was infested with mice. I’d set several traps up a night, come back the next day, all tripped and just bones left in the trap. Pretty mind blowing.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think that's rats. Mice are a bit dumber.

[–] onlyhall@aussie.zone 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

as someone who had rattos, they are wicked smart. THey can be litter trained, and can be taught tricks. I saw a video or article or some such that ratties like driving around in little motorised cars. It was cute as fuck.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Rats seem super cool to have as pets, but honestly, I couldn't take having a pet with a lifespan of ~2 years. It'd break me.

[–] onlyhall@aussie.zone 3 points 1 week ago

Yup. I loved my boys with all my heart (still do tbh), but the 2-4 year life span (4 if you're SUPER lucky) is just too short :( I won't get anymore rattos because fo that.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 24 points 1 week ago

yea, if you're dumb enough to think that reading a book can "turn" someone gay, then of course you're going to think libraries are traps that will kill you. republicans are so fucking stupid

[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 22 points 1 week ago

Ironically, the closest thing I can think of to this concept actually applying in humans would be "free" internet stuff that is actually funded by advertising and personal data harvesting, which is unrelated to socialism but does describe the place that original post looks to have come from.

[–] Doom@ttrpg.network 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

but it's not free I'm paying for it

[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Except that isn't why they die. A really stupid person thought that was clever.

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[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

It’s been a minute since I’ve seen one of these “Socialism is when Capitalism” switcharoos.

[–] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Mix some oats into the peanut butter and roll into a marble sized ball. Much easier to handle and mold onto the traps trigger assembly.

[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

good tip but id want to eat it myself

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] spujb@lemmy.cafe 2 points 1 week ago
[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Step 1. Mice should rise up against their human oppressors

Step 2. Obtain free Cheeze

Step 3. ???

Step 4. "All mouse equal, Some mouse more equal than others."

[–] chaogomu@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I see you moved past communism and straight into Leninism,

That means step three is "lose an election".

[–] PixelPilgrim@lemmings.world 8 points 1 week ago

Lol capitalism is good because they move would pay for the cheese

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 7 points 1 week ago

Over never had peanut butter fail - it's usually successful in under 10 minutes.

Also I'm smarter than a fucking mouse; I can read, for one thing. Unlike whoever buys into this kind of propaganda.

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

From everyone according to their ability, to everyone a high speed spring loaded metal bar.

[–] kbal@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago

Also please sign up for a free account to our service!

Also I'd rather give up peanut butter and eat the cheese

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Stop funding the military then.

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