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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: August 16th, 2023

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  • I guess I just found your wording strange. Plenty of people are interested in different cultures. People read Greek and Norse mythology, Japanese or Slavic folklore without even being from those parts of the world. Do you think that the Conjuring or Exorcist are only scary if you’re Christian? Or the Ring is only relatable if you’re Shinto… Or you can only enjoy Thor movies if you’re pagan…?








  • Are you sure you’re a Marxist? Sound more like an American from the 50s…

    Socialism and capitalism are not mutually exclusive.

    Capitalism is an economic system where the capital owner holds the means of production and their operation for profit.

    Sorry to burst your bubble, but China does have companies that operate globally and are for profit, and some of them are even privately owned.

    There are different forms of capitalism. For example: France is mainly welfare capitalism, China is state capitalism (party state capitalism to be more precise) and people would argue that USA is laissez-faire capitalism.

    There are also different types of socialism… France for example is a socialist democracy. China is totalitarian socialism.

    France is a country with a capitalist mode of production. Markets have nothing to do with the distinction between capitalist and socialist modes of production, the ownership of the means of production and thus also the class in control of the state is the defining characteristic.

    Most of the biggest industries in France, from energy to rail, are state owned.

    China is socialist. China has home ownership for personal use, but no private land ownership and ever dwindling private ownership of the means of production. Homes for the purpose of living in, ie personal property, are not a means of production, and houses for rent for the purpose of enriching the owner at the expense of the tenant, ie private property, basically don’t exist.

    Seems like you live in a dream world. 20% of home owners in China have a second (and more) home/s, and they definitely use it for profit.

    Also, leasehold of state property exist all over the globe. It’s not unique to capitalism or socialism or any other ism.




  • Sorry for my ignorance, but I think liberal means something else in my part of the world. Can you please tell me what’s your definition?

    Edit: As I thought - you guys mean Neoliberalism. Even in the links below it’s mentioned that there was a split in terms. Language matters! Liberalism - a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights and civil liberties (the opposite in the political spectrum from authoritarianism).


  • Ah yes Egypt, Israel’s best friend! Just like Pakistan and India, Greece and Turkey or Argentina and UK. Just because they signed a peace deal, it doesn’t mean they are allies. The following day, after the Hamas attacks, an Egyptian police officer shot at Israeli tourists in Alexandria and killed two Israelis and their Egyptian guide. Anti-Semitism is rife in the region.

    Just because Israelis can fly or use the ports, doesn’t mean that they are not under constant dread - my analysis still stands.

    The day Israel declared independence Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and volunteer corps from the Arab League (“Holy war army” and “Arab libertarian army” which had an insignia of the star of David with a dagger piercing it) attacked. This was fresh after Palestinian leaders met with Hitler in 1941 and the holocaust. They also saw that all the other neighbouring countries that declared independence in the region, including the ones from historical Palestine who took land from the Palestinian people, like Lebanon, Syria and Transjordan never got attacked or criticised. From Israel’s point of view it was because they are Jews and the Arabs want another holocaust.

    I would love to see the settlements in the West Bank dissolved, but it will never happen while the Arab (and Persian) world is still very much antisemitic and wants all the Israelis dead or “gone”. The West Bank and Golan Heights offer strategic depth and security to Israel, and they will never leave. And they are willing to become the next North Korea if they have to, but at least they will be alive.

    Now you don’t have to agree with any of this. But those are “facts” for the Israelis. For them it’s an existential crisis. The only way to reform Israel is also to reform the Arab world. Otherwise it’s just a race to the bottom - both sides will elect more and more extremists.


  • As long as Gaza is entirely surrounded by Israel or countries doing Israels bidding, it will remain a prison, unless Israel goes through serious reform and atops being a brutal opressive regime.

    This is only true if you agree with the opposite as well: As long as Israel is entirely surrounded by Arab League or countries doing their bidding, it will remain a fortress under siege, unless the Arab world goes through serious reform and atops being brutal opressive regimes.

    Otherwise, you’re a hypocrite.