"Far from paradise" seems pretty generous for what i perceive as a dystopian nightmare state. they are cut off from outside information. there is retribution on families if ppl try to leave. also, you can't leave. this is insanity. outside forces don't make them behave that way.

Xi: whether that popularity is real or not is a question, though, when he can push for the suppression of dissent or critique in the social sphere. one CAN'T challenge him. that doesn't seem legitimately representative.

i'm looking over your reading list. we can add that to the list. but there's a reason i block hexbear and lemmygrad but not .ml. tankies fucking suck and i Socialism will never be taken seriously as long as it's important to ppl to defend fucking Stalin.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 8 points 5 days ago (2 children)

See, the problem is that you're generally wrong, factually, which is why you have such knee-jerk reactions to people saying that maybe AES states aren't hellholes, actually. As an example, it's mostly western sanctions that limit freedom of movement from DPRK residents, and the myths about collective family punishment are largely unsubstantiated. Repeating Red Scare myths uncritically is a huge problem.

People can challenge Xi, what they cannot do is use large private media apparatus to push anti-government propaganda.

Regarding your last point, you're generally wrong. Socialism is increasing in popularity globally, including Marxism-Leninism. Funny enough, Nia Frome, the author of "Marketing Socialism," has another quick article called "Tankies" that would be perfect for you to read, IMO.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Nia Frome, the author of "Marketing Socialism," has another quick article called "Tankies" that would be perfect for you to read, IMO.

I appreciated this read, thanks.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 days ago

No problem!

[+] nico198X@feddit.nl -6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

mate, i know ppl who literally risked their lives to flee from the USSR. your talking points are just academic. the reality is otherwise. trying to paint legitimate observation of tyranny in AES as some kind of capitalist conspiracy only makes you look more insane offputting.

i'm literally TRYING to reach you, and all Leftists can do is bend over backward to defend tyrants.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The vast majority of post-Soviet citizens believe they are worse off now than under Socialism, which makes sense because the reintroduction of Capitalism resulted in skyrocketing rates of poverty, prostitution, drug abuse, homelessness, and an estimated 7 million excess deaths around the world.

AES states are not perfect, I don't paint all critique as Capitalist conspiracy, only what I know is in fact a myth based on the sources I have provided. You uncritically accept the bourgeois narrative despite mountains of evidence to a more nuanced position than "every Communist leader ate spoonfuls of babies for breakfast" or other nonsense.

I'm hoping I reach you too.

[–] nico198X@feddit.nl -4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

"You uncritically accept the bourgeois narrative"

you don't know anything about me to make such claims.

citizenry can feel nostalgia for lots of reasons, and i'm not defending capitalism here. but that doesn't erase the real lived trauma of the ppl in my life who have fled both the USSR and Venezuela.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I know that based on the hard data I've seen, the people I have spoken to, the history and critique I have read, that a good amount of what you have said is disconnected from reality, and closer to what the US State Department claims is the truth. I understand that you may have anecdotal experiences shaping your opinions, but I also know that it isn't simple nostalgia like the Wikipedia entry suggests, but coincides with the massive increase in poverty and the difficulty of life in a Capitalist world after the dissolution of Socialism.