this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025
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Bulletins and News Discussion from April 21st to April 27th, 2025 - JD Vance vs Pope Francis, No Items, Final Destination
(hexbear.net)
Image is sourced from this Guardian article.
The Pope's fucking dead.
He gave JD Vance three chocolate easter eggs, exchanged pleasantries for 17 minutes, and then keeled over and died.
What a way to go.
Last week's thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
Please check out the RedAtlas!
The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
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Why would you fight on the front lines for the Russian Federation? What a waste, if true.
This is an anti-imperialist struggle against NATO forces. Not a waste at all. This is what peak Revolutionary Defeatism looks like.
Fighting on the front lines for the Russian Federation is far from "peak". Defect to Cuba or Vietnam or something and do something constructive jfc
Cuba and Vietnam are not engaged in combat with Nazis and imperialists currently.
What the fuck. Cuba, Vietnam, China, DPRK and Laos are all fighting fascism all the time. Are you seriously suggesting that fighting on the frontlines of a deeply reactionary capitalist country is the only way to combat fascism and imperialism. Because that is delusional.
You fundamentally do not understand Revolutionary Defeatism and fall back into learned chauvinism and "above it all" thinking that is endemic to westoids. DPRK is fighting in Kursk against Ukrainian Nazis btw. They get it, you do not.
Hilarious for you to use DPRK as an example when they perfectly illustrate my point and KJU understands the importance of solidarity against imperialism where you do not.
Nowhere did I say fighting for Russia is the only way to combat fascism and imperialism. But it is one valid way to do so. Hence why DPRK soldiers are killing American-backed Ukrainian Nazis as we speak, and I support it.
Completely dogmatic way of thinking. I should remind you that you just said "Cuba and Vietnam are not engaged in combat with Nazis and imperialists currently." to the suggestion that materially supporting those socialist countries would be more than/equally as productive materially supporting Russia. So which is it? Are there alternatives, or is "die for a country marginally less fascist than the country they're fighting because Lenin said so"?
I support DPRK, again critically, that doesn't mean I think it's a good idea for young DPRK men to die in this conflict. There are again, thousands of better ways to support socialism than to throw your life away shoulder to shoulder with reactionaries. That's my two cents. Probably going to stop responding to you once you call me a chauvinist again.
Cuba and Vietnam are both at peace, not currently engage in any hot war. Russia and DPRK are not, they are fighting at this moment, murderous Nazis with drones and tanks.
You are a chauvinist. It’s that simple. You oppose the official policies of AES like DPRK and think you know better than the people fighting Nazis. Arrogant sheltered westoid brat. Some people actually have to live in the places targeted by your murderous empire, it’s not theoretical to us. We die and fight so you can feel guilty sitting around doing nothing and lecture us that we're just "dying in a meatgrinder for no reason" as we get bombed non-stop or have fascists installed in coups in our governments. You know in Donbas millions of civilians lived through 8 years of artillery shelling and sniping by Nazis right? This like totally doesn't factor into your equation at all. So many good people died fighting for the people of the DPR and LNR. I find that western leftists have a complete blind spot for Russians and people in post-soviet countries and don't extend solidarity to them in any way. Fighting on our behalf is just "throwing your life away" because let's face it, we're not humans worth sacrificing for in your eyes.
Also why is your support of DPRK critical? I fully support DPRK. Its foreign policy is immaculate, and they consistently have the correct position on almost every single global affair. They are true allies of the oppressed who show solidarity as they are supposed to. You should learn from their example.
And the only revolutionary struggle is inter-imperialist overt military conflict? Hell no. If you wanna help the revolution, work your ass off and send money to Cuba or Palestine instead of throwing your body to the meat grinder.
Russia is not acting in an imperialist manner, they are acting in anti-imperialist self defense.
If someone joined the Iraqi military to fight against the US military invasion would you say that's "an inter-imperialist military conflict"? Your analysis is chauvinist and flawed, so you have incorrectly assessed the correct revolutionary defeatist course of action. Russia needs to win this conflict and it's your duty under revolutionary defeatism to oppose your own nation above all else. Lenin, Marx, Stalin all clearly demonstrated in their words and actions that you can critically support a capitalist nation when it is fighting imperialists.
Russia is acting in Ukraine essentially the only way it's been allowed to, in order to maintain its sphere of economic and diplomatic influence around it, it has been essentially forced by the imperialist west to engage in warfare.
The fact that Russia is in a geopolitical position opposed to the west, means that, in a general sense, the fight is anti-western imperialism. It also can be described as Russian capitalist imperialism though, it's not for the goodness of its heart that it's engaging in this struggle against the west, it's for the sake of the profits of its capitalists.
That's not nearly enough reason, as a westerner, to go throw your body into the meat grinder for a country actively oppressing its minorities, its women, and its LGTBQ. There's plenty more ways you can engage in anti-imperialism such as donating money to Cuba or time in mutual aid. I don't see how that's a chauvinist point of view: I can recognise that the west is actively worse than Russia in terms of imperialism (even if only by the fact that it holds more geopolitical and economical power), and that there are way more effective and less morally reprehensible ways of anti-imperialist struggle.
Once you remove the moralist pretensions and blame gaming, what you are saying is that Russia is acting in anti-imperialist self-defense.
You can stop there. This is correct, which is why the correct revolutionary defeatist course is to critically support Russia.
"goodness of their hearts" more moralist idealist nonsense and failure to understand Revolutionary Defeatism. You are not a marxist, this is not marxist analysis. It's moralizing and blame gaming. Intentions do not matter. Actions do.
Imperialism is the primary contradiction. The same exact argument could be made for Rachel Corrie going and dying under Israeli bulldozer treads to protect a "capitalist" and "reactionary" nation of Palestine.
Palestine doesn't deserve support because it's a communist project (it isn't). It deserve support because it's anti-imperialist and de-colonial. Same goes for Russia. Your position is chauvinistic because it holds a double standard, one where you "both sides" and do nothing instead of doing your duty because the "enemy" is one you personally hate (because of decades of anti-Russia brainwashing that makes it an "exception" (this "exception" is the root of your chauvinism, treating Russia different than you would any other nation under American imperialist attack).
"Your analysis should stop where I say it should stop" isn't the greatest way of approaching someone on your side of the struggle. We're all buddies here, no need to be so aggressive.
When the USSR didn't engage in unequal exchange once it was industrialised, it was literally out of moral principles. When Cuba sends doctors abroad to crises, it's literally out of moral principles. It isn't "idealist nonsense", the struggle against imperialism essentially stems from morality, trying to separate the two is absurd.
Again, I ask you to refrain from engaging in offensive statements. Hexbear is cool, I don't want it to be an aggressive poison swamp.
Palestine can't be compared to Russia because Palestine isn't an industrialised nation. The difference between Russia and Palestine is rhat Russia is industrialised and can therefore engage in imperialism, and it does. Palestine, as a colony undergoing genocide, is in a very, very different position.
My whole point is that critical support to Russia is OK, I'm not arguing against that. My point is that there are a million more effective and more moral ways of engaging in anti-imperialism than sacrificing your life for the Russian oligarchs just because they happen to currently engage in warfare against the imperialist west.
No it was because Imperialism is counter-productive to spreading world revolution and socialism. It's a material basis with a material explanation.
Incorrect. Within Marxism, the only axiom that is "good" is class domination by the workers and spreading of socialism. Imperialism is opposed because it is the highest form of capitalism and we cannot have socialist revolutions while there are imperialist superpowers destroying them in their cribs. It's a practical consideration, not a moral one. The DPR was a socialist revolution against the Fascist American-installed Kiev regime. It was crushed and destroyed by imperialist nazis and Russia eventually came in to help once it became an issue for them too (but too late IMO, Russia should have invaded sooner).
If you don't want to be called an idealist moralizer, don't make idealist moralizing arguments. If it's offensive to you, consider why you are making these types of statements and self crit regarding your idealism.
Where does Marx, Lenin, Stalin or anyone else talk about "industrialization" being the litmus test for critical support against imperialism? How is that even relevant? This is just more idealist underdogism instead of materialist analysis of geopolitical forces. Iran is industrialized. Would you not support them if America and Israel invaded and declared war on them? Or would you BoTh SiDeS because one is a "reactionary capitalist theocracy"?
So therefore it's commendable and anti-imperialist to join Russian forces in combatting imperialists. That's what critical support means, you support them in this case. So why are you griping?
Disengage now, I don't wanna continue a conversation with you.
*edited due to prior bad usage of the "disengage" rule on my part
Why did you bother to ask him a question if you weren't going to let him answer it?
Edited it. Thanks for your input.
Actually yeah you can disengage means disengage.
So can my comment be restored since their comment was not following the rules at the time it was posted? Can I edit a comment to say “disengage” to get other people’s comments removed after the fact? Seems like another inconsistent and abusable use of the rule
idk if telling someone to disengage when you call them an insufferable prick in the same comment is really in the spirit of the rule lol
it isnt, the mod either misinterpreted rule or there's been a huge rule change around disengaging in which case i will be using this in bad faith next time i get into an argument
the user who disengaged edited his comment to reflect the spirit of the rule which is by making a comment with "disengage" or a short sentence to that effect, like "Disengage now, I don't wanna continue a conversation with you."
Ok in the future I look forward to users using this to get the last word in, glad you changed the rules!
https://hexbear.net/comment/3746029
Since when does "critically supporting" Russia mean die on the front lines for their territorial ambitions?
These aren't territorial ambitions, it is self-defense against NATO encroachment and Nazism. The fact you keep falling back on the western narrative about Russia being the aggressor who wants to take all the territory shows your chauvinist roots.
Going to fight on the frontlines is one of the strongest forms of support you could lend to a cause. Do you think when socialists say we need to “support” something that it means just sending vibes? We mean material support.
Fucking quote me on that. Why are you putting words in people's mouth and ascribing them intentions you know nothing about?
I said "territorial ambitions", and Russia is completely transparent about having designs on Crimea, and parts of east Ukraine. That it is part of a fight against NATO encroachment doesn't suddenly change the fucking material facts of what the war is. If you go fight for Russia, you're going to risk your life in a trench to take or hold some tiny village or hill. That's a fact. That's a completely coherent position to take without having to "fall back on the western narrative".
I am, as are just about everyone else I have ever talked to on this site, happy to call Russia's fight a fight against NATO and imperialism. It's your insane leap from that fact to "it's your duty as a communist to die for Russia" that everyone is reacting against.
I find the fact that you find dying in a ditch for Russia, a country that at most deserves critical support, for the reasons many others have stated here (capitalist society, persecution of minorities etc.) somehow more important or pressing than joining the fight against fascism by moving to and helping build a nation with actual, existing socialism to be an absurd set of priorities.
Nowhere did I say it was your duty to die for Russia. Now who’s putting words in who's mouth? It’s your duty to oppose your own nation’s imperialism. There are many avenues and methods to do so. One of which is to join an anti-imperialist armed forces engaged in combat with imperialists. Another of which is to join your communist party and push for anti-war movements at home. Another of which is to agitate your trade union to be more radical and stop shipping things to Israel.
All of these are valid methods of material support that fulfill your revolutionary duty. Just as this young man was doing his duty and died in that service. He should be respected, remembered as any martyr against imperialism. I find your lack of respect insulting and chauvinistic. The mockery of this young man’s sacrifice is not it, and reveals an ugly and chauvinistic nature lacking in understanding of his contributions.
You are lying to yourself if you don't see the current state of Russia lol. Going to Cuba would be a billion times better.
It doesn't do you much good to die fighting nazis on the side of the traditionalist ultra capitalists lol
You could say the same thing about Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Libya, Syria, etc. All of these would have been acceptable battles to fight in against the Imperialists despite being capitalists. You do not understand revolutionary defeatism and need to read Lenin.
the arrogance of chauvinists is eternal