Zuzak [fae/faer, she/her]

I think I see your point a bit more, I didn’t really think about the implications of American fascism being a new thing. Also didn’t want to single you out or anything.

I hear you, I just feel like the meme was about the ordinary soldiers rather than the government. Fully respect wanting to correct the record regarding the government, just felt it was worth a reminder that there were people like the soldier in the meme who did sacrifice a lot fighting for a worthy cause and who do deserve respect, and our criticism of the government shouldn’t overshadow that. Just a small pushback on that, but one I felt was important.

There were also 400,000 soldiers who died fighting fascists under the US flag, who were not responsible for their government’s decisions regarding the use of nuclear weapons, nor Operation Paperclip, nor any other major government decisions.

I gotta push back against the criticism that several of my comrades in here are expressing. Y’all are talking about the US collaborating with Nazis after the war, and you’re not wrong about that, but that was the US government, while this meme is about a soldier. The soldiers on the ground fought for all sorts of reasons, they might have opposed the Nazis for all sorts of ideological reasons, or they might have just been doing it out of loyalty, or any of the other reasons soldiers fight. But there were people on the ground fighting the Nazis under a US flag who were committed antifascists and even communists. As for the others, whatever their reasons, when the call came to save the world from fascism, they answered, and were willing to sacrifice life and limb to do it. That’s pretty heroic if you ask me. And they weren’t the ones who made the decision to let Nazis into NATO and stuff afterwards.

I understand the defensiveness against attempts to glorify the US while villifying the USSR and downplay their (more substantial) sacrifice and contribution to the war. But there’s nothing in this meme that’s doing that, and there were Americans who contributed to the war effort. Is it necessary to kneejerk react to a meme celebrating someone who fought the Nazis by talking about the government that ruled over them? People aren’t defined by their nation or their government.

Let’s not forget the proud tradition of people like Woody Guthrie, who explicitly tied the war effort to a broader idea of antifascism, nor of the people on the front lines who he inspired.

Pirating Andor bc Disney+ is on the BDS list. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen but I’d sooner drop it than violate the boycott, even if money was no object. As things stand, piracy is the only ethical way to watch it.

You could say that but you could also say that they’re biden their time

Is this horseshoe theory?

Define your variables. Wtf is “b,” the number of votes candidate B would have, plus one for no reason? Why is candidate T getting t votes and not t-1 votes? Terrible math, try again.

“Wow, the Fire Nation is just like the latest country the news told me to hate, good thing America’s around to Share Our Greatness™️with them!”

I have no idea what thought process led you to post that but ok.

There were a lot of really simple, basic improvements that the peasants in China desperately needed. Anybody could’ve done what was needed, but nobody else was willing to, because nobody else cared. There was no special technical economic policy that uplifted them, it was just a willingness to address their needs that no other faction possessed.

Of course I know that, did you not read what I said?

“China’s conditions were much worse off than places like the US, so obviously it’s possible to improve conditions to be better than per-revolutionary China (which is not saying much) without communism.”

It’s not hard to double your life expectancy when you’re starting out with the same life expectancy that existed in the Roman Empire almost 2,000 years prior. Thanks, Mao!

It really is wild that no other faction was willing to do anything that would increase Chinese life expectancy above that of the Roman Empire, yes. I agree, thanks, Mao!

It’s pretty funny that you criticize Deng for implenting economic reforms that led to further industrialization, while also crediting the rise in life expectancy to that very same industrialization.

What even is your ideology? And can you answer my question about who should’ve come to power instead of the communists?

Over 60, actually. I think that doubling live expectancy over a single generation is, in fact, pretty impressive.

So I take it you’re not a Maoist or a Dengist. Can you tell me who you think should’ve been in power in China instead? The KMT? You can see how much they did on the graph, if you don’t find the CPC’s numbers impressive then I’m sure you’d hate them even more. The invading Japanese perhaps? The European colonizers? Or maybe you think the Qing dynasty should never have been overthrown.

Deng was alive and well when two of those stock exchanges were opened

That’s… what I said? Obviously, Deng was the one who implemented economic reforms, such as opening stock exchanges and allowing foreign investment. Some Maoists consider this to be right-deviationist and counter-revolutionary, and that he should’ve continued more in line with Mao’s policies. That’s why I asked if you’re a Maoist, since you consider his reforms incompatible with socialism.

I’m not sure who’s whole argument was “look at the improvements only possible under Communism.” China’s conditions were much worse off than places like the US, so obviously it’s possible to improve conditions to be better than per-revolutionary China (which is not saying much) without communism. It’s just that in China’s case, it was the communists that did it.

Oh, so you consider Deng’s reforms to be right-deviationist? Are you a Maoist, then?

Whether you consider the CPC to be communist or not, the fact still remains that they’ve made a lot of improvements in the lives of the average Chinese person.

Yeah I got that, at least after they posted a rickroll. Guess being an idiot is a defense mechanism when they realized they had nothing.

Milton Friedman and Ayn Rand

That’s incredible, I honestly did not see that one coming.

So tell me, what’s your best guess at what Chinese life expectancy was before the CPC came to power, and what do you think it is now? Do you dispute the numbers from before the communists were even in power? Or do you think they’re still living in mud huts?

What theory would that be, lol?

Here is my source do you have a source that disputes that? Or is your belief based entirely on unfalsifiable faith?

Also curious if you think Chinese life expectancy is still like 35 or what lmao

You may also be interested in what the World Bank, that infamous communist propaganda rag, has to say:

Over the past 40 years, the number of people in China with incomes below $1.90 per day – the International Poverty Line as defined by the World Bank to track global extreme poverty– has fallen by close to 800 million. With this, China has contributed close to three-quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty.

I’m celebrating the increase in life expectancy from 35 to higher than that of the US, actually, which is the win I think it is.

The point is not the immediate increase in that specific 5 year period, the point is the clear trend of rapid, long term increases after a long period of stagnation, with the pivitol turning point being exactly when the CPC came to power. You’re supposed to look at the whole graph.

I support whatever this is so idk what that makes me