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Statistics: Posted by Pants-of-dog — 19 Feb 2024 13:47
Statistics: Posted by Skynet — 19 Feb 2024 11:52
To stray from the text of Marx just a little bit, in our country one of the ways that we can stand to have a society that is so opulent, and it’s impossible to drive into this city and to not feel it… into Washington DC. And see the Pentagon and these amazing buildings and then just see the bridges lined with people sleeping under it at night. How do we accept it? As people who think that we are still human? How do we accept it? And begin even cynically to accept it? Well, part of the reason for that – at least part of the reason – is that at some level we must believe – and now back to this freedom thing again – that it was their own, sort of, choices that got them there. So they are, sort of, in some sense to blame for being there.
Now, I’ll admit that no-one ever quite spells it out that clearly. But in political discourse in our country the implication is fairly clear. The implication was there and we accepted it for years, when Ronald Reagan used to hold up the want ads in front of TV: “Well, they don’t have to be there, look…” You know, have you ever looked at the want ads, and what’s on it? You know. There are like, fourteen jobs if you want to be in this dial-a-porn business, okay… there’s a job for you. 28 or 9 jobs at McDonalds, for the rest of them you have to be able to read. That puts a lot of people under bridges already, right… at night?
So, a notion of freedom and a society that becomes so callous to the minimal demands of what Marx called “human requirements”… human requirements… it’s not utopian to demand human requirements. That’s the standard objection any time you use the word “Marx” – so that’s why I am sort of getting away from it there – “must be utopian”. No, it’s not utopian to demand that in a world with this kind of technology, that as a moral demand, a society feed, clothe and house its people. A society that doesn’t do it, with the kind of technology and the wealth we have is beneath contempt and makes a mockery of all the previous history of civilisation.
And to the extent that that we are silent and among such brigands, we are brigands too.
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Statistics: Posted by Deutschmania — 15 Nov 2023 20:20
And , from the standpoint of political dynasty , even though I am myself 6th cousin 8 times removed of Marx , on his mother's side , and also for what it's worth related to the Muhlenberg family , via my ancestor Conrad Weiser , neither do I. This song , quoted above , reminded me of these two songs pertaining to both Obama and Trump respectively. If would seem that Caesarism is the one thing in common that bridges the East and West . Only what is meant by " red Caesarism" differs in the United States of America from the red political color of the Chinese Communism. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/01/red-caesar-authoritarianism-republicans-extreme-right , https://www.salon.com/2023/10/09/the-rights-red-caesar-plan-a-new-order-keeps-marching-forward/
I ‘bear no ill-will’ (as Heine says) and nor for that matter does Engels. Neither of us cares a straw for popularity. Let me cite one proof of this: such was my aversion to the personality cult that at the time of the International, when plagued by numerous moves — originating from various countries — to accord me public honour, I never allowed one of these to enter the domain of publicity, nor did I ever reply to them, save with an occasional snub. When Engels and I first joined the secret communist society, we did so only on condition that anything conducive to a superstitious belief in authority be eliminated from the Rules.https://marxists.architexturez.net/archive/marx/works/1877/letters/77_11_10.htm
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Statistics: Posted by snapdragon — 08 Nov 2023 12:18
Sandzak wrote:
I think the Pax Americana will end. We see a WW3 slowly unfolding 1st Ukraine, now Israel, in future Taiwan and South-Korea..
Pants-of-dog wrote:
The third world war was started in 1945. It is entirely economic in nature.
Pants-of-dog wrote:
After all, China is defeating the west at being good at capitalism.
Potemkin wrote:
Having said that, China is defeating the West at being good at expanding its forces of production.
Pants-of-dog wrote:
It is the second largest economy in the world.
ingliz wrote:
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
— Einstein
Define winning.
Statistics: Posted by Negotiator — 08 Nov 2023 08:12
fasces wrote:
Those sorts of alliances wouldn't exist in East Asia anyway - their preference is for bilateral arrangements or very basic regional trade agreements. Asia isn't Europe, with a history of multinational religious and political networks through Church or Napoleon that created a framework for its contemporary super alliances.
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Godstud wrote:
Anyone who knows anything more than Western propaganda, knows that China will never invade Taiwan.
Statistics: Posted by Rugoz — 03 Nov 2023 19:03
I won't just quote the whole Wikipedia page. It does show China's exercising its claims to the South China Sea in such a way (through accomplished facts) that it's alienating its immediate neighborhood.
Is this good foreign policy?
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Statistics: Posted by Fasces — 03 Nov 2023 15:49
Fasces wrote:
Abandoning the claims would be equivalent to backing down as ultimately the claims date back to an era preceding the PRC. This goes back to backing down being a sign of China not stepping up to regional hegemony... while pressing the claims of the RoC is also a sign of China not stepping up to regional hegemony?
Fasces wrote:
And again, I think you're overestimating the oppositional attitudes of Japan and especially South Korea. South Korea and China get along more or less fine. If it weren't for the US base in Seoul, to be frank, I don't think there would be any issue at all, and that's mainly China being stuck on North Korea. If a certain nation's carrier group hadn't stopped the invasion of Taiwan, it's likely the UN would have united Korea and the matter would be done - all those Chinese troops on top of the Yalu would have been busy uniting China. If MacArthur didn't lose his mind and start advocating for nuking Beijing, even more so.
We're products of history, all of us. China should back down, but won't, but other Asian nations don't hold it against them - or other Asian nations they also have disputes with - to the degree most Americans think they do. They have their own similar shit. It's not a barrier to peace and good business.
Statistics: Posted by wat0n — 03 Nov 2023 14:53
wat0n wrote:
the move towards building artificial islands and other attempts to impose facts on the ground is recent.
wat0n wrote:
South Korea and Japan may be lost causes, but the other Asian countries it has been alienating these last few years didn't need to be.
Statistics: Posted by Fasces — 03 Nov 2023 14:41
Pants-of-dog wrote:
Again, provide the evidence (and not just a link) and explain how said evidence contradicts the claim.
Statistics: Posted by wat0n — 03 Nov 2023 14:28
Statistics: Posted by Fasces — 03 Nov 2023 13:55
Fine.
What makes you believe China will become "the" global superpower? I think, mainly due to size, it can become "a" global superpower.
Statistics: Posted by Pants-of-dog — 03 Nov 2023 13:52
Pants-of-dog wrote:
Show how Chinese foreign policy is causing trouble in its immediate neighbourhood and that this will stop China from eventually being the global superpower.
Statistics: Posted by wat0n — 03 Nov 2023 13:46
I'm not.
I mentioned Burma as an example of an Asian country with internal violence issues.
China's foreign policy is however increasing tensions in its immediate neighborhood. This is undoubtedly true.
Statistics: Posted by Pants-of-dog — 03 Nov 2023 13:34
Pants-of-dog wrote:
No. You seem to be very confused about the violence of Mexican cartels.
Pants-of-dog wrote:
So, why are you blaming China for Burma if the violence there is not caused by China?
Statistics: Posted by wat0n — 03 Nov 2023 13:12
But the internal violence is.
No, Burma/Myanmar isn't a mess because of drug smuggling (migration is more complicated here).
Now, even Mexico doesn't have significant border disputes with the US anymore...
Statistics: Posted by Pants-of-dog — 03 Nov 2023 12:30
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Pants-of-dog wrote:
No. The US appetite for cocaine and undocumented labour is not an internal Mexican problem.
Pants-of-dog wrote:
Are they a mess because cartels are smuggling cocaine and sex slaves for Chinese markets?
If not, can you show how the violence is due to Chinese causes the way the Mexican cartel violence is due to US causes?
Statistics: Posted by wat0n — 03 Nov 2023 04:56
How so?
Due to internal Mexican issues,
not that Asia is all that peaceful. It depends a lot on the country.
Burma/Myanmar for example is a mess itself.
Statistics: Posted by Pants-of-dog — 03 Nov 2023 04:19
Pants-of-dog wrote:
China seems to have done that and more.
Pants-of-dog wrote:
You often make pronouncements like this that are doubtful.
Pants-of-dog wrote:
If we are comparing it to the USA, I would point out the toxic relationship that the USA has with its southern neighbours.
In fact, there is ongoing violence at (or near) the US southern border that is equal to the violence of a war.
Statistics: Posted by wat0n — 03 Nov 2023 03:34
USA has the most godawful foreign policy in the world.
Statistics: Posted by Tainari88 — 03 Nov 2023 02:29
Statistics: Posted by Godstud — 03 Nov 2023 01:52
Like? It's been moving away from producing cheap goods for Western markets to real estate, and that engine is now in trouble.
In principle, China should aim to develop a consumer-based economy that is driven by internal demand, but that's easier said than done.
30% is way too large, real estate definitely matters.
I also find it odd to say China is doing better at international relations than the West. Most of its immediate neighbors see themselves threatened by China, and because of that are looking for US protection. Like it or not, NATO doesn't have this kind of border disputes where it might be directly involved in a border war.
China is more skilled in other aspects, but its immediate neighborhood isn't one of them.
Statistics: Posted by Pants-of-dog — 03 Nov 2023 01:46