GenZedong

Get zucked, ig

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/6746084

check it out

I've documented an "alleged" bot before, which got me curious about how active "Chinese bots" are in social media in the first place, is there any good resources like research about this? I feel this might be relevant since Sinophobes might accuse the XHS (REDnote) user base of being "bots"

Particularly the prediction during the last minute of the video.

(Note that the video is dated Oct 2020, but it's older than that. The original channel was called Guan Video Global, which seems to have been shut down and had its content reposted as a playlist on this newer channel, and I remember first seeing this video and its prediction during the 2019 Hong Kong riots)

This is a world historic event folks. You should be on it. By the way the name xiaohongshu is a reference to Mao. Decades and weeks and all that.

Edit: Oh also there's no private message or group chat on web version so you have to use mobile app!

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/6735406

I plan to read this book myself.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

---

Hu Yamin is a prominent Chinese scholar specializing in comparative Marxist literary criticism. Her recent work, The Contemporary Construction of the Chinese Form of Marxist Literary Criticism, offers a historical-geographic comparative analysis of Western and Chinese Marxist literary theories. Her previous translated work includes a two-volume edited set titled Keywords in Western Literary Criticism and Contemporary China (Routledge, 2020).

The new book revisits these theoretical systems with a fresh reading of classical Marxist literary theory. It systematically examines Chinese Marxist literary criticism, highlighting the unique historical and cultural trajectories that have influenced its development in China’s revolutionary process over the past century.

The Contemporary Construction is organized into seven chapters, each concentrating on a fundamental term or concept essential to contemporary Chinese theory: “the people,” “the nation,” politics, praxis, technology, the capitalist market, and value theory in literary criticism. Hu argues that China’s historical traditions and evolving social conditions cannot be fully comprehended through Western Marxist frameworks. She explains that these frameworks fail to capture the complexities of China’s anti-colonial roots, revolutionary era, and socialist-oriented modernization.

Although she does not provide a specific definition of Western Marxism, the context suggests it refers to the body of Marxist thought produced by individuals whose political and intellectual work primarily occurs in imperialist or imperialist-adjacent countries. In fact, Hu discusses the work of prominent academics who associate themselves with Marxian thought but generally distance themselves from Communist Parties and the numerous workers’ or socialist parties that exist in imperialist countries. (This particular flaw in the book’s argument reinforces vogue academic designations of Western Marxism as purely a theoretical stance uninterested in political struggle.)

Hu positions Chinese Marxism as historically and ideologically distinct from Western Marxism, challenging the idea that Western theoretical models can be universally applied to all societies. In her comparative approach, Hu engages with Western Marxism but situates it as a foil for understanding the particularities of Chinese Marxist thought. In drawing this comparison, she notes the significant shift in Western Marxism in the early 20th century from focusing on class and revolution to emphasizing culture and technology. This shift, she argues, diverges from the concerns that have shaped Chinese Marxist literary theory, which remains focused on revolutionary and social struggles.

Hu also distinguishes her work from earlier models of the “Sinification” of Marxism, which sought to adapt Western Marxist ideas to Chinese conditions. Instead, she contends that Chinese Marxist literary criticism has developed unique problems and frameworks separate from Western thought that no longer qualify as simple adaptations. Chinese Marxist literary criticism possesses its own identity. Hu’s analysis highlights the critical role of Chinese literary criticism in supporting socialist construction in China, urging vigilance against capitalism’s corrupting values while balancing aesthetic, social, and economic values in the market context. As China begins the process of socialist construction, Hu argues, the Chinese form’s critical role is to study literary developments to maintain “vigilance against the hegemony of capital and pursuing the contradictory unity of aesthetic value, social benefit, and economic benefit, while fully considering market factors and understanding market mechanisms” (7-8).

As most of you know the US is probably gonna ban TikTok, and because of that many Americans are moving to China's homegrown equivalent of Instagram: Xiaohongshu (literally: little red book)/ Rednote.

I think this is a good opportunity for us as communists to seize, because unlike TikTok, Xiaohongshu is one app for both China and the rest of the world. Thus it's dominated by Mainland Chinese posters showing their lives, hobbies, etc, which are very similar (in terms of hobbies) or better (in terms of living conditions) than Americans, whereas that wouldn't have been the case on TikTok as China and the rest of the world have separate apps.

For many already disillusioned Americans who may have had a negative view towards China (which is most Americans), this would shatter the illusion for some and potentially open their eyes to the success of socialism, and an alternative to the current capitalist system; spurring them on to radicalization.

Therefore I think that we should seize on this moment to jump on the bandwagon in order to educate Americans or just to show what China is really like. Especially because after a while the US will probably want to ban this app too. So there may not be a lot of time. What do you guys think?

Check it out.

Welcome again to everybody. Make yourself at home. In the time-honoured tradition of our group, here is the weekly discussion thread.

☭ Matrix homeserver and space
 ☭ Theory reading group on hiatus, will move to Lemmygrad later this year
☭ Find theory on ProleWiki, marxists.org, Anna's Archive, libgen

Walking this earth is a maddening experience. Drinking from the fountain of knowledge may have been my fatal mistake, as I can no longer deny the cruelty that pervades this world, and I have to concede that the failure of the modern human being is killing us. Nature is beautiful—mountains with snowy peaks touching the sky, strange and cute animals that elicit our curiosity, and vast oceans teeming with life. Its forests, whose refreshing scent instantly captures you, calming even the most troubled souls, are perfection exemplified, and none can resist its call. The animals and insects of our forests can create a harmonious symphony, especially as the joyful birds sing along. Everywhere we set our eyes on this earth we see the beauty of nature. Each season has its own distinctive personality, inspiring and filling us with wonder. Life is a magnificent phenomenon, and we are killing it. But humans are part of this breathtaking world too. I do concede to our current and past flaws; however, no lingering sin of mankind can justify the suffering we witness today. My head is filled with bad memories, and yet, even if I experienced terrible things, I never gave up on believing in the limitless potential of all. I know what we're capable of achieving, and I hope to never sink so low as to believe the beauty of humanity is just a mask. If nature is beautiful in all its aspects, so are we. Humans create beauty themselves, such as art, and essentially, it's an extension of us. I wouldn't wish my worst enemies with what I endured. May you never suffer the cruelty of others, becoming a sort of entertainment for them, a punching bag to release their anger. And most importantly, may you never have those haunting words, words announcing a brother’s death with the images of a devastated mother fully etched in your mind, the echo of her cries replaying again and again, as though it's a Greek tragedy stuck in a loop.

I only want the best life for everyone and for them to experience the good side of our ephemeral yet beautiful existence. This world is fragile and our lifespan is very short. Time is an hourglass and we shouldn't waste it worrying about its sand gradually dissipating, the hours elapsing as the beauty passes us by. That being said, we are killing this planet, and many of us are forced to worry about the consequences. Temperatures are rising and many people view this as a good thing. “Oh, the weather is nice today,” they will say cheerfully. Then add in, “And especially for a winter’s day!” Many say this without any hint of irony. It’s frustrating to hear. Some are becoming so optimistic as to view this warmth as a good thing to happen. I blame the liberals, of course, such hopium dealers they are, promoters of endless voting and peaceful protests. These liberals and their fascist allies truly are an enigma to me. Now, I worry about what I will find if I continue trying to understand them, and I fear that, at most, I can still learn something valuable and, at worst, I'll dig some shit whose stench will cling to life eternally. Liberals claim to be lovers, rather than fighters, but will they not fight for what they love?

Friends, I am afraid, even quite terrified, and soon I will be petrified, perhaps rendered useless and relegated to counting grains of sand in my hourglass. I feel awful and depressed. The fate of this world is a heavy burden to carry, alienating and a lonesome road to travel. Depression is a silent killer; it grows and grows until it's too late, and before you know it, you're already in the psych ward. I won't give up, nor should any of you do so. We suffered a lot but we can endure much more. Our scars and wounds are a testament to our strength. We traveled far away from where we began, ceaselessly bleeding to our destination. However, we are not where we want to be yet, but we'll get there in due time. Life is a constant struggle and when we are alone, this fight seems impossible to win. One day we'll have our paradise on earth when people come to their senses, and instead of thinking about an unreachable heaven high above, we will bring it down here by working together. Unfortunately, it does look like many prefer to bring the hell from below and unleash its fiery punishment on us all. I sometimes think that we never wanted paradise but instead preferred to be punished in hell. Today, forest fires are so common that it's almost hell on earth! That liberal Joe Biden ought to be thrown far into those woods; wild dogs could devour his burnt corpse, but then again, it would be a death too good for this annihilator of humanity. A similar fate should be reserved for Trump, of course.

Our leaders serve only capital and its profiteers. They offer us no compassion and we should reciprocate in equal measure. Liberalism is a two-headed demon, one head a little less frightening than the other, but both feed on life and expect to shit gold indefinitely. Taming this demon is not an option, and the solution is an age-old one involving a guillotine. The potential everybody holds is fascinating. Politicians are certainly not doing enough to cultivate this quality we have—a quality we should not only appreciate but nourish as soon as possible. The beauty of nature, with its complexities and mysteries, is in all of us. A British demon once claimed there was no such thing as a society, and only individuals and families existed. As a human being, I must disagree with this demon and would even say that there are only societies. No one can live alone, and it's even worse without being part of a community. I can personally attest to this terrible fate. If you want to imagine loneliness, picture yourself on death row, forever waiting for the executioner. Our Western world is crumbling apart, tearing us asunder and leaving many alienated. My mind, body and my environment feel out of sync, when those three should be united as one. Perhaps I am experiencing a final stage of alienation—alienation from myself…

Make your own conclusions, but I think it seems pretty believable that there are DPRK troops in Ukraine. Doesn't seem like it changes the war regardless, but interesting update.

edit: according to a comrade of mine that speaks Korean, they said it's kinda hard to say. The last translation seems a bit off, like the person is overstating that he wants to stay in Ukraine, but it's still overall unverified that they are actually DPRK soldiers.

I'm kinda stumped on this one

Today is my birthday :D

@Imsomking@hexbear.net has gotten a fundraiser set up!!! Before clicking off this post, please read it in its entirety.

1. She is currently in a lot of danger. You may remember from this post that she was half outed as trans. People around her are suspicious and are looking through her phone. She is terrified of police involvement if they find evidence that she is trans. On top of this, Iraq is going to be bombed again soon, this month.

2. We don't have a lot of time. Since Trudeau resigned, the new Canadian PM is likely to be Poilievre, who is running on an extremely anti-immigrant policy. She needs to be in Canada before the next election happens, which could be as early as late March. This means we need to raise as much money as we can ASAP.

3. We're shooting to raise $15,000 by the end of January. She needs this money to make the flight and to pay living expenses once she reaches Canada. Please, please donate if you are at all able. If you cannot donate, please share this fundraiser with people you know who can donate. Share it with your friends, family, on social media, on discord, anywhere.

4. If you live in Canada, please reach out via DM. She will need additional support once she reaches Canada. We need a network of people to support her. Any help we can get, we need.

Thank you all for reading and for helping. This is incredibly urgent. We appreciate all of your support!!! 💚💚💚

(crossposted from hexbear)

Context -> https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5244648

-> https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5309060

-> https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5298363

The sectorial Vice-President for Politics, Citizen Security and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, presented this Wednesday in his program Con el Mazo Dando serious accusations regarding a plan to disregard the Venezuelan Constitution through the swearing-in of an opposition candidate as President abroad.

During his intervention, Cabello pointed out that former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, together with lawyer Sergio Urdaneta, prepared a 21-page document entitled “Urgent proposal in the face of January 10, proposal of restricted circulation only to the addressees.”

The document proposes that Edmundo González, former defeated presidential candidate, be sworn in as president in a Venezuelan diplomatic seat outside the country, in order to form a “provisional government”. According to the text, this would be justified as an extension of Venezuelan sovereignty abroad, but Cabello denounced that it is an attempted coup d'état.

“They intend to bypass the Constitution, which in its article 231 establishes that the president must be sworn in before the National Assembly in Venezuela,” declared Cabello, recalling that Nicolás Maduro will be officially sworn in next January 10 after his reelection in 2024.

The document, which according to Cabello was found in Marquez's computer, would be addressed to opposition figures such as Antonio Ledezma, Asdrubal Aguiar, and Humberto Calderon Berti, among others. He also linked Marquez to an FBI official recently captured in Venezuela, described as a “heavyweight” with more than 20 years operating in the country.

Together with the operation that led to the capture of this US agent, two Colombian mercenaries allegedly related to contractors coming from Ukraine were also arrested. Cabello affirmed that evidence of plans against the Venezuelan government were found in the devices seized from the detainees.

Additional Source -> https://xcancel.com/rolandoteleSUR/status/1877198230657564718

(open in new tab to read full chart)

That's a mouthful to say. Basically between 1778 and 1871 the US government signed over 535 treaties with Indigenous nations and tribes -- and broke every single one of them.

As preliminary work into a new project I'm doing I'm mapping these treaties. Data is from the Tribal Treaties Database from Oklahoma State University, they have all 535 treaties digitized.

This chart adds up to ~870 and this is because treaties sometimes included more than one nation, hence the complicated title.

Basically it reads like this: "X nation signed Y treaties with the US government."

Edit: a much simpler title is number of treaties signed with US government, per native tribe

Calls are growing for President Biden to posthumously exonerate Ethel Rosenberg following newly publicized documents proving that the FBI knew of her innocence long before she was prosecuted by the federal government more than 60 years ago. Rosenberg and her husband Julius were charged with sharing nuclear secrets with the Soviet Union and executed on June 19, 1953. A federal pardon or exoneration would be “the right thing to do,” says Massachusetts Congressmember Jim McGovern, who is part of an effort led by the Rosenbergs’ son Robert Meeropol “to get history right.” Ethel Rosenberg “was framed,” says Meeropol. “She was not a spy.”

Hello and welcome to our Weekly Discussion thread, I would like to appologise for the delay in posting, this will not become a pattern in the new year.

Please have a seat, take a tea or warm beverage for compensation for waiting so long, and Enjoy the second week of the new year

• Matrix homeserver and space
  ◦ Theory discussion group on Matrix (On haiatus)
• Find theory on ProleWiki, marxists.org, Anna's Archive, libgen

My bingo card currently has "Labour and Tories fighting over who hates immigrants the most", "Tories accidentally criticising support for Ukraine War", "really good socdem speech regarding the failure of both parties, but it's ignored because the English can't understand Scottish accents", "Corbyn getting attacked for no reason" and at least two MPs getting kicked out for annoying the Speaker.

(This is not serious, politics in the UK parliament is only a show, don't expect anything actually good to ever come out of it)

I’ve only recently heard about him while watching a documentary and he’s sounds well educted about the general idea of socialsm/communism,eventhough I don’t think he’s a ML. I really don’t know much about him and I’m wondering if he truly does what he preaches