Great tool to radicalize people, though as marxists we shouldn’t define ourselves by our direct contribution to the almighty GDP.

Some jobs don’t produce a form of wealth or labour you can extract, all while still contributing to a prosperous society.

Just have the poors consume less, that should fix inflation, right?

Maybe the current bourgeoisie also became anti-vax and they needed to remind them how things work for class solidarity?

That focusing on fringe topics that don’t fix the issue at hand let alone the root, and scapegoating minorities and creating artificial identities to square off against each other are great ways to keep the population both divided and mentally occupied enough that they won’t develop political consciousness and progress beyond infighting?

TBF This isn’t HOI4, natural rubber isn’t vital and thr current market (mostly tires) can be replaced with synthetic albeit at higher costs.

You’re better of buying Chinese brands through whatever store that promises a long warranty.

When my (After)Shokz headphones broke, I wanted to repair them. I could do so in China, but in the West they just redirected me to the store that sold them to me. Lenovo and DJI are probably the best, but that’s because these are brands that have a large market share and will have local service centers. So if you’re going for phone brands such as Xiaomi or Huawei, better to send them a mail and just ask what happens if your device dies.

I tend to answer the Russia/Ukraine question as such:

Support Russia? No, we’d rather see Ukraine remain independent of foreign interference. We don’t support the military occupation of Ukraine by Russia, and neither do we want to see Ukraine become a US puppet and end up an eternal battering ram to be used against Russia. We don’t want to see the sacrifice in lives of many more tens of thousands of people that is happening now. This conflict won’t get solved with more bullets, only with more talks, just as every other modern conflict. We want to see deescalation, and to stop fueling the oligarch that rake in the mega profits from the ever growing war machine on both sides of this conflict.

The question that stumps me with Westerners is: do you denounce Hamas?

Taking the Geneva Convention route or using the ICJ answer, or even talking about the history, just end up with them screaming at me.

TIL. Apart from being cool dude, are there any of his ideas that really stand out to you?

Camus

Going by the political section of his Wikipedia entry, he doesn’t seem too much of a leftist. Then again, I know only of the name, not his content.

As a Westerner that attends public events I attract these people indoctrinated by Western propaganda like flies. IF China was an dystopian authoritarian police state they would’ve hired me by now to supply them with names.

There are tons of anti-CPC arguments one can make, especially by looking at past mistakes and ignoring the subsequent work that has gone into rectifying those mistakes. Heck there are various one issue movements in China that push back against some of what the CPC does.

But, seeing as HK protestors cling onto Pooh memes: it’s 100% obvious that it’s a foreign op.

Here I was thinking that you were talking about books, and wanted to talk about how Chinese bookstores with dedicated English non-fiction sections shelve the same alt-right tech-bro fiction you find in the US.

But, no. It’s just Pooh and Tank man memes, and thus I’m kind of disappointed.

Great. Another factoid I can throw at people

And then they get demoted, right? Right?!

Such news is only leaked because it creates public sentiment for more public spending towards war. All of you are revelling in the “Haha, those krauts guns don’t work” and miss the bigger picture as to why this is reported in a major publication.

Just wealth transfers to the rich, nothing to see here.

Couldn’t tell you. Got banned during the first months of COVID from a dozen of them.

I’ve learned you can quote Chinese post-Mao socialist theory as long as you don’t accredit the source.

Going on Discord to ask recommendations past beginner reading lists and memes is probably just a waste of time. Sadly there are few orgs who are better.

Feels like it still falls in the realm of larping.

If you don’t enjoy doing your hobby unless you’re producing something of substance that can help you receive praise from others. Is it really a hobby you do for the sake of personal enjoyment and growth or just something you think society views as a worthwhile past time you’ve latched onto just to get validation?

Drag the war long enough and those children will grow up to be next in line as cannon fodder and the issue will solve itself.