Socialist movements have provided healthcare, education, literacy programs, doubled life expectancy in Russia and China, and far more. The vast majority of those who lived in the USSR regret the fall of socialism. The vast majority of Chinese citizens approve of their system.
I'm sure north Koreans would regret the fall of the un family too, so that is hardly an argument. Russians have been brainwashed into their imperialistic superiority and think they have an innate right to lands occupied by other nations and they believe bombing their homes is justified to achieve this. That is imperialism and that is fascism.
There is something seriously wrong with people glorifying mass murderers like those.
Further, it's the Kim family, Un is half of Kim Jong-Un's given name. The fact that you have no clue how Korean names work yet feel confident in speaking about it is just chauvanism, same with your racist rant against Russians.
Finally, the Soviet Union was neither fascist nor imperialist. Fascism supports private property and the bourgeoisie, socialism supports the proletariat and collectivized property. They are opposites. Read Blackshirts and Reds.
Imperialism is the highest stage of the capitalist mode of production, in which monopolies and cartels become the prevalent economic force of society. Lenin synthesized...
Ah yes, “brainwashing doesn’t exist”, just another invention of the evil Americans to explain why people totally voluntarily adore authoritarian regimes. Let’s pretend people are just licensing themselves into blind loyalty under oppressive systems. Very empowering.
Appreciate the name correction, truly the most pressing issue here. Definitely not the labor camps, famine, or absolute control over a nation. Glad to know you’re more offended by a naming convention than, say, public executions.
And of course, the USSR wasn’t imperialist, it just "liberated" countries like Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan with tanks and secret police. It showered Chechnya with love and freedoms. You see, when the West does it, it’s imperialism. When the USSR does it, it’s “proletarian internationalism.” Totally different.
The entire project of MKUltra was the US trying and failing to prove brainwashing exists. The fact of the matter is that socialists support socialist systems because of the benefits they provide, like greater access to healthcare and education, and more democratization than capitalist systems. It isn't blind loyalty, but a genuine belief based on material improvements in their lives as compared to previous conditions that results in citizens of socialist countries defending their system. The same applies for USians that defend the genocidal imperialist US regime.
As for the name-correction, I pointed it out because anyone who has spent more than 5 seconds learning about Korea in general knows that Kim Jong-Un's father was Kim Jong-Il, and Kim Il-Sung his father. If you're trying to critique the persistence of the Kim family in the DPRK's politics yet don't even know their names, it's abundantly clear that you have no clue what you're talking about and have done no study, no reading. All you have is chauvanism. You cannot critique the DPRK based on vibes, you need to actually study it, otherwise your critique is just based on personal feelings of superiority.
Yes, the Soviet Union liberated many areas, but millitary intervention isn't imperialism. Imperialism is a method of economic extraction. The US and western Europe are imperialist becayse they use their vast financial capital to expropriate vast sums of wealth from the global south, the USSR never practiced that, nor could it, as its economy wasn't based on financial capital but public ownership and collective planning. The majority of people who lived in the Soviet Union want it back.
Please, read a book. I linked several articles and books for you to serve as a good start, right now you're just proving the meme correct with your far-right chauvanism driving all of your points. You're so far-right even Wikipedia is too "woke" for you for showing that "brainwashing" doesn't exist and was just an invention of the CIA during the Cold War.
Stalins approval rating hit a record high amongst Russians recently showing a 70 percent approval rating of Josef Stalin published by the independent Levada Center pollster. (Stalin’s Approval Rating…
That was a lot of words to say :“I read some propaganda and now I think I understand the world better than everyone else.”
“Brainwashing doesn’t exist.”
So we’re tossing out decades of psychological research, cult deprogramming, coercive reeducation tactics all because the CIA tried and failed to weaponize it? That’s like saying gravity doesn’t exist because Wile e Coyote fell off a cliff too many times. Congrats on discovering that governments lie, but somehow you skipped the part where all of them do, not just the ones with Wall Street.
“People support socialism because it brings material benefits.”
Ah yes, North Korea, the global poster child for free healthcare, happiness and freedom. People aren’t starving in silence because they love rice rations and songbun caste systems, no, they’re just really passionate about collectivism, right?
“Name correction proves you don’t know anything.”
Imagine thinking that knowing Kim Il-Sung fathered Kim Jong-Il makes you an expert on geopolitics. That’s like bragging you know Mario’s last name is also Mario and thinking it qualifies you to lecture on Italian history.
“The USSR wasn’t imperialist, it just used tanks to liberate people.”
This is peak doublespeak. When NATO intervenes, it’s imperialism. When the USSR does it, it’s “liberation.” Did the Afghans and Hungarians send thankyou cards or just more bodies to the gulag?
“Imperialism is only economic.”
Tell that to the Eastern Bloc countries whose economies were entirely dependent on Soviet central planning, political obedience, and “fraternal aid” in the form of puppet regimes. But sure, because they didn’t have a Wall Street, they were basically saints.
“Wikipedia is too woke for you.”
Right, because when your position collapses under basic scrutiny, the only move left is to call anyone who disagrees far-right. Classic tankie bingo. Sorry, but being critical of all oppressive regimes doesn’t make someone “far-right.” It makes them intellectually consistent, something you clearly struggle with.
You want people to read? Try reading beyond niche tankie pdfs. Read Solzhenitsyn. Read The Gulag Archipelago. Read defectors stories. Or maybe talk to people who actually lived under these regimes instead of roleplaying revolution.
You’re not antiimperialist. You are not even acommunist, you just like the taste of authoritarian boot from the east.
"Brainwashing" isn't gravity. I didn't think I had to explain this, but the decades of research failed to materialize any proof of "brainwashing." This is extremely stupid. Propaganda exists, and works by appealing to already felt material realities.
As for the DPRK, they do have free healthcare and education, and the period of starvation was largely in the 90s during the dissolution of the USSR, their largest trading partner. The DPRK isn't a paradise, but most of its issues are due to US sanctions, similar to Cuba. It wasn't until the mid-80s that the ROK managed to surpass the DPRK in terms of economic growth, and the DPRK lost 20% of their population and 80% of their buildings in the Korean War thanks to the US Empire's genocidal campaign. Northern Koreans support their system largely because despite the absolutely brutal conditions they find themselves in, they still manage to maintain better metrics than peer capitalist countries.
Further, my point was that brainwashing was levied at all socialist systems with popular support, from Cuba to the USSR to Vietnam to the PRC to Laos, etc. Most of these have managed better metrics than the DPRK, in fact it was originally the Chinese communists and American POWs that defected that were accused of being brainwashed.
And no, me knowing the major members of the Kim family doesn't make me an expert, at all. In fact, my point is that it's the bare minimum requirement, and you failed to meet even that. I have a lot of studying to do on Korean history, the fact that you thought it was the Un family was proof of your own failure to meet the minimum understanding necessary to have a conversation.
Imperialism is a system of economic extraction. Millitary interventionism can aid imperialism or hinder it depending on the conditions at play. It was not imperialist for the Union to invade the Confederacy. Again, the majority of people who lived in the Soviet Union want it back.
You aren't being intellectually consistent. You cling to "brainwashing" as a valid theory despite nobody believing it in the modern scientific community. You claim your own incredible lack of knowledge on the DPRK is somehow indicative of my intellectual failings. You've brought no sources, no proof, no logic, all rhetoric and no substance. If not even liberal sources like Wikipedia believe in brainwashing, and the Leftists discount it entirely, it's only the far-right that clings to it.
I absolutely love that you're recommending me the Gulag Archipelago, a work of fiction, as a valid counter to the history, facts, and statistics I've provided. You should read Russian Justice, an actual work of non-fiction. Wikipedia is not a "niche tankie PDF." Neither is the Ash Center for research, nor the New York Times. I have spoken to people that lived and live in socialism. I'm a communist, and an anti-imperialist, and you're proving the meme absolutely correct.
Stalins approval rating hit a record high amongst Russians recently showing a 70 percent approval rating of Josef Stalin published by the independent Levada Center pollster. (Stalin’s Approval Rating…
You’re not a revolutionary. You’re a cosplayer with a complex and a folder full of cherrypicked pdfs, reciting slogans like it’s still 1917 and pretending it makes you moral and intellectuall. It doesn’t.
“Brainwashing isn’t real, because the CIA couldn’t scientifically reproduce it.”
You do realize you just tried to argue that propaganda works because it reflects material conditions and in the same breath deny brainwashing, which is literally coercive propaganda. You're not making a point. You're just putting Marxist vocabulary on a merrygoround and hoping it makes you sound profound.
As for North Korea, spare me the "they have free healthcare" fairy tale. North Koreans also have free labor camps, free starvation, and free executions for watching the wrong movies. But sure US sanctions are why they have zero access to uncensored information and why three generations of a cult family rule with godlike authority. Blaming the U.S. for North Korea's failures is like blaming the fire department for how your meth lab exploded.
“Knowing the names of the Kim family is the bare minimum.”
And yet somehow, despite your encyclopedic knowledge of Kim family trivia, you can’t manage basic moral clarity. You’re passionately defending a regime that murders people for trying to leave. But hey, they have education, right? Nothing says “quality schooling” like indoctrinating 5 year olds to worship a hereditary dictator.
“Imperialism is only economic.”
Tell that to the millions crushed under tanks, starved by planned economies, or shot for disobedience. Your definition of imperialism is so narrow it wouldn’t even cover the British Empire, but I’m sure it helps you sleep at night while defending military invasions by calling them “liberations.” You could hand Stalin a bayonet and a map and you’d still find a way to claim it was worker-led peacekeeping.
“Most Soviet citizens want it back.”
Nostalgia ≠ legitimacy. People miss stability. That doesn’t mean gulags, censorship, and breadlines were good. It means capitalism also failed them. But unlike you, they’re not worshiping the boot that stepped on them they just don’t like the new one either.
“The Gulag Archipelago is fiction.”
And your source is the New York Times a capitalist propaganda outlet according to your own ideology, until it magically agrees with you. The irony is delicious. You’ll dismiss Gulag Archipelago as fiction because Solzhenitsyn wasn’t state approved, but you’ll worship Soviet press releases as gospel. Your logic is as flexible as a Stalinist show trial
You are not an anti-imperialist. You’re just angry the wrong empire won.
Ah yes, cherry-picked pdfs from 1917 like the Wikipedia page for Brainwashing, a NYT article from Solzhenitsyn's ex-Wife showing that the Gulag Archipelago is folklore, a book by Dr. Michael Parenti written in the 1990s, and a mid-2010s study from the Ash Center. Incredible cognitive dissonance on display on your part.
"Brainwashing" doesn't exist. People license themselves to believe that the systems that they believe materially benefit them are good. This is how propaganda works. It isn't possible for a truly brutal system that is horribly repressive to the majority of society to truly trick them into believing its good, it requires that there be a base level of truth to the system being materially beneficial. Capitalists in the US are more likely to believe it to be morally good, same with labor aristocrats bribed with the spoils from imperialism.
As for the DPRK, you have already proven that you have no idea what you're talking about and have no sources. There's nothing to discuss, here. Their rates of starvation are lower now than peer capitalist countries, the Arduous March was in the 90s when starvation was prevalent and the US magnified it by preventing them from trading goods they produced for foodstuffs in the global economy in a time of natural disaster.
Again, you go back to claims of "brainwashing," which isn't accepted by anyone anymore. Read North Korea: Another Country by Bruce Cummings, a liberal historian that is largely anti-DPRK yet still manages to provide an objective view of the real conditions and systems in the DPRK.
There were not "millions crushed under tanks," unless you mean the millions of German Nazis killed by the Soviets when liberating the world from Hitler and the Nazis. The British Empire absolutely falls under the definition of imperialism, it used vast extractions from countries like India that ended up causing mass famines that killed millions of people, like the Bengal Famine of 1943.
People miss socialism, read the article. The safety nets provided by the socialist system worked far better than the system of rampant plunder that replaced it. 7 million excess deaths occured around the world thanks to the fall of the USSR. Poverty, sex work, wealth disparity, starvation, all skyrocketed while literacy and life expectancy fell.
Yes, I indeed used a right-wing, liberal source to debunk another right-wing work of fiction. Would you rather I use a communist source? Are only far-right sources that agree with your far-right views acceptable to you? Solzhenitsyn's own ex-wife outed it as folklore, there was no historical evidence provided, just a large memoir written by a right-winger. This is what I mean by licensing, despite no historical backing, you defend a right-wing work of fiction because it conforms to your beliefs.
I'm an anti-imperialist. You still haven't come up with a definition of imperialism that both includes the USSR while excluding the US's Union invading the Confederacy as imperialist. You just rely on sloganeering and doublespeak, again proving the meme correct.
Aw come on mods, I wanted to see what Mr. I Don’t Have a Concept of What Different Words Mean had to say. I’m sure it was something super smart and enlightening.
Ah yes, equating a working class movement that uplifted hundreds of millions from poverty and killed 85% of the Nazis in World War II with a genocidal bourgeois reaction that murdered tens of millions out of racial, sexual, ableist, and political supremacy. Gotta love historical nihilism and horseshoe theory.
So umm... Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola really hate each other's guts.
If you ask them, they're nothing alike. If you ask a Coca Cola drinker, they'll tell you Pepi is disgusting filth... Their marketing campaigns are completely different too. Pepsi says "That's what I like" and Coke says "Real Magic". And you know, what you like doesn't have absolutely anything to do with magic... Nothing at all. But if you think about what they do to people that buy their stuff and feel good about it, what they do to people's actual well being and what they actually offer, they're pretty much the same thing.
Only difference is who gets your money.
I hope you understand I don't mean to insult your beliefs or anyone else's. Just wanted to share my own thoughts. And hey, I know you won't agree and that's fine. I respect what you think and honestly wish you and the world the best.
Just don't try to convince me to buy any sodas cause I'm not a soda guy. I prefer water, tbh.
Ah yes, equating a working class movement that uplifted hundreds of millions from poverty and killed 85% of the Nazis in World War II with a genocidal bourgeois reaction that murdered tens of millions out of racial, sexual, ableist, and political supremacy. Gotta love historical nihilism and horseshoe theory.
Notice how you conveniently left out all of the horrible atrocities and war crimes the Soviet Union committed and only mentioned the good things they did, making them appear as if they're completely good. @Cowbee @BuboScandiacus
Sure, mass murder is only a problem when it isn’t committed by Stalin, Mao, or the Eternal Leader himself. That’s the first commandment of tankie logic. I'm sure Marx slipped that in somewhere between talking about class struggle and writing Capital.
Always noteworthy that western countries (the US especially) never had the equivalent of a "red-scare", but for nazis and other stripes of fascists. Instead they hired them to help in the colonial project as cops, feds, prison guards, and intelligence assets.
Anti-communism, even coming from the "left," is still deeply reactionary. It's largely a petite-bourgeois ideology, valuing individualism over inter-national prosperity for all. Not all anarchists are anti-communists, many times in history Marxists and anarchists have worked together to achieve common goals. The anarchists that are anti-communist, however, are reactionary and anti-proletarian.
Any socialist that doesn't eventually want to reach communism is either a social democrat, ie not a socialist at all but a welfare capitalist, or is someone that doesn't understand how socialism works its way towards full collectivization and internationalism.
Anti-communist "leftists" do the jobs of the imperialist bourgeoisie for them. Rather than uniting all that can be, they side with the imperialists in the conflict between imperialists and communists. Such a strategic error is thoroughly backwards, and is convenient for those who wish to endlessly critique the world without actually rolling up their sleeves to change it.
Agree, only means that calling Nazi all anti-communist is a falacy and much the cause of the force of the right wings. The left isn't often capable to agree with others because some idiologic differences, even if they all communists, but Leninists, Trotzkists, Marxists, Maoists, Stalinists, etc., while the right only need a briefcase with money to agree with the other rightwings.
The politics is to make commitments to create a common force against a powerful enemy. Important are the common goals of different points of view, not the "only my truth is the only valid", this is precisly the fascism and the danger of simplifying "anti-community = Nazi", we need commonsensism, not wiggeling red flags and Mao-Bibles, but educate and speak with the people. Still a long way to go.
Anti-communism and fascism are tied, historically. Whenever a violent reaction against communists has occured, historically, these have been thoroughly intermixed with nationalism and fascism. It's important to recognize the ties.
question: i consider myself anarchist, and i have nothing against communism itself besides the fact that i prefer anarchism and will always chose that over communism, does that make me anti-communist? or that would be it to actively boicot and actively go against communism and communists?
That's a normal anarchist, many of which have worked hand in hand with Marxists throughout the centuries. Although, I do think "preference" is a bit of an odd choice of words, the differences between Marxists and Anarchists are more of an analytical nature than a preference of outcomes, the analysis comes before the outcomes.
.ml beautifully mirrors stalinist Russia. You have to be the exact right kind of communist or you get deleted. Too little, you are a fascist and get deleted. Too much, traitor - deleted again. Only ideological purity matters even if it changes overnight. And it does change, because it has to accommodate all the mental gymnastics.
Is this some kind of cummunist propaganda? I feel like in this "meme" group is too much of pro-communist political content like this and I think I will rather leave this group soon...
Lemmy.ml has a lot of communists, the main devs of Lemmy are Marxist-Leninists. That being said, anti-communism's ties to fascism are historically documented and accepted even by liberal historians. I recommend reading Blackshirts and Reds.
For what it's worth, your instance already blocks most of the communist content on Lemmy for you, it comes pre-censored for you. This is just the stuff that slips through the cracks.
Yeah, communists and nazis doesn't like each other. But this meme is just showing that if you are anti-communist, you must be nazi... It doesn't make any sense and feels only like Russian or Chinese propaganda...
Fascism and anti-communism, as I said, are historically linked, beyond just Nazis hating communists. I again recommend reading Blackshirts and Reds. Wherever there has been a strong anti-communist movement, it has been tied to fascism in some way.
So, when you say "anti-communism", do you mean an organized front resisting and opposing communism, or just anyone who has an non-pro-communist opinion?
I imagine if I said something like "yeah capitalism has failed us, but that doesn't mean I want a planned economy" you might respond by saying I'm a wishy-washy centrist.
I might get pushback for this, but I don't think being ambivalent about communism is directly tied to fascism, mostly the usually violent anti-communism. I'd say the former can easily lead to the latter, as liberalism and fascism are the same ideology in different circumstances in my view, but that the former is generally a lack of good political education in my opinion. Most communists were not that way from birth.
I have to admit this may be a failing in my own political education. 😅 Why do you think liberalism and fascism are "the same ideology in different circumstances"? I think McCarthyism is a modern example of violent anti-communism, and I agree, that got really close to fascism. (Although I could argue that violent anti-anything would lead to fascism.)
I'm wondering if, like, Marxism-Leninism is something like "communism is what organized societies would naturally look like, and everything else is an authority asserting itself unfairly" sort of mindset.
To simplify, ideas are the results of existing material conditions. The ideas a worker has are informed by their experiences as a worker, and the same is true of capitalists. These sets of ideas, among those with similar positions, take on similar characters. Not the same, but similar enough. Workers tend to be more progressive, more unified, as an example.
Ideologies are the same way. Liberalism is the "nicer face" of capitalism. It's the part of capitalism that gets to pretend that the market helps all, that we can achieve the perfect system through carefully tweaking capitalism, etc. Fascism is the "meaner face" of capitalism. Fascism arises when capitalism is in dire conditions, and needs to violently protect itself, be it through colonizing their neighbors, murdering labor organizers, or using state planning in conjunction with the large capitalists to pivot to a more full economy, rescuing capitalism from its crisis by grinding the working class into dust.
Both are the ideological "superstructures" of capitalism. Neither is truly distinct from the other. In times of plenty, we call capitalist systems "liberal," but when those same systems turn to violent measures to retain the same conditions of production, we call it "fascist." It's the same system, different conditions.
Marxism-Leninism is neither. It's a tool for the working class, one that is informed by practice, and whose express purpose is to usher in a world that has resolved the contradictions of capitalism into the next stage in development, collectivized ownership and planning. Where humanity has become the master of production, and not slaves to the whims of profit. Marxism-Leninism is not the "natural state," it's a tool to get from this natural state to the next, more just natural state.
This is my perspective, which is certainly Marxist-Leninist, though other MLs may disagree with how I've described things and I don't dare claim that the specific analysis of fascism and liberalism as the same in different conditions is the definitive "ML stance." I'm also not taking credit for inventing it either, it's an old position as far as I know.
Oh ok. I understand better. Thank you for taking the time to explain it 😀
I see MLs talk about "liberalism" and, correctly or not, I think of the French Revolution. It seems though that that term is instead of "neoliberalism," I think (?). I can see the narrative that "liberalism" and "fascism" are like masks that capitalist structures wear, like modes of operation. But it's also confusing because those two concepts don't descend directly from fascism.
And I think I'm picking up that ML is a the revolutionary part of expanding communism, and I guess that's why it's not just Marxism? Because Marx foresaw the fundamental changes that needed to happen, and Lenin instantiated it? I haven't read Marx yet, it's on my list of shame, I suppose 😅
Since we have an open dialogue, I'm also curious of your opinion about "tankie"ism. Specifically, why not-so-pro-communist people see MLs as tankies that defend or deny authoritarian crimes against humanity.
No problem! Liberalism was popularized by the French Revolution, but is generally the umbrella for pro-capitalist ideologies that put private ownership as an inherent "good." Neoliberalism is under that umbrella, but not distinct from it.
Marxism-Leninism is the synthesis of Marx's core framework of dialectical materialism, critique of capitalism, and scientific socialism, with Lenin's organizational advancements and advanced critique of imperialism that Marx did not live to see. It isn't so much a "recipe" as it is a tool for the working class to organize, overthrow capitalism, and work towards higher developments through socialism until communism is achieved. If you want an intro to Marxism-Leninism, I actually made an introductory reading list! Check it out if you have the time, it's aimed at beginners.
As for "tankie-ism," it's just the modern version of "pinko" or "commie." It's a pejorative for practicing Marxists. The "tankie" is a ready-made construct that affirms that all of the Red-Scare allegations against communists are true, while also being someone that supports said allegations. The reality is that the anti-communist propaganda throughout the decades is usually a distortion of quantity, quality, context, or all 3. There's nobody that actually agrees with all of the claims made by anti-communists are real, but also supports them. The reality is far more nuanced, but "tankie" is a convenient thought-terminating-cliché.
It's time to read theory, comrades! As Lenin says, "Despair is typical of those who do not understand the causes of evil, see no way out, and are incapable of struggle." Reading theory helps us identify the core contradictions within modern society, analyze their trajectories, and gives us the tools to break free. Marxism-Leninism is broken into 3 major components, as noted by Lenin in his pamphlet The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism: | Audiobook
Dialectical and Historical Materialism
Critique of Capitalism along the lines of Marx's Law of Value
Advocacy for Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism
As such, I created the following list to take you from no knowledge whatsoever of Leftist theory, and leave you with a strong understanding of the critical fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism in an order that builds up as you read. Let's get started!
Section I: Getting Started
What the heck is Communism, anyways? For that matter, what is fascism?
Breaks down fascism and its mortal enemy, Communism, as well as their antagonistic relationship. Understanding what fascism is, where and when it rises, why it does so, and how to banish it forever is critical. Parenti also helps debunk common anti-Communist myths, from both the "left" and the right, in a quick-witted writing style. This is also an excellent time to watch the famous speech.
Section II: Historical and Dialectical Materialism
By far my favorite primer on Marxist philosophy. By understanding Dialectical and Historical Materialism first, you make it easier to understand the rest of Marxism-Leninism. Don't be intimidated!
Further reading on Dialectical and Historical Materialism, but crucially introduces the why of Scientific Socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates. This is also where Engels talks about the failures of previous "Utopian" Socialists.
Section III: Political Economy
That's right, it's time for the Law of Value and a deep-dive into Imperialism. If we are to defeat Capitalism, we must learn it's mechanisms, tendencies, contradictions, and laws.
Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value. Marx is targetting those not trained in economics here, but you might want to keep a pen and some paper to follow along if you are a visual person.
Absolutely crucial and the most important work for understanding the modern era and its primary contradictions. Marxist-Leninists understand that Imperialism is the greatest contradiction in the modern era, which cascades downward into all manner of related contradictions. Knowing what dying Capitalism looks like, and how it behaves, means we can kill it.
Section IV: Revolutionary and Scientific Socialism
Can we defeat Capitalism at the ballot box? What about just defeating fascism? What about the role of the state?
If Marxists believed reforming Capitalist society was possible, we would be the first in line for it. Sadly, it isn't possible, which Luxemburg proves in this monumental writing.
Excellent refutation of revisionists and Social Democrats who think the State can be reformed, without needing to be replaced with one that is run by the workers, in their own interests.
Section V: Intersectionality and Solidarity
The revolution will not be fought by atomized individuals, but by an intersectional, international working class movement. Intersectionality is critical, because it allows different marginalized groups to work together in collective interest, unifying into a broad movement.
Critical reading on understanding misogyny, transphobia, enbyphobia, pluralphobia, and homophobia, as well as how to move beyond the base subject of "gender." Uses the foundations built up in the previous works to analyze gender theory from a Historical Materialist perspective.
De-colonialism is essential to Marxism. Without having a strong, de-colonial, internationalist stance, we have no path to victory nor a path to justice. Fanon analyzes Colonialism's dehumanizing effects, and lays out how to form a de-colonial movement, as well as its necessity.
Solidarity and intersectionality are the key to any social movement. When different social groups fight for liberation together along intersectional lines, the movements are emboldened and empowered ever-further.
Section VI: Putting it into Practice!
It's not enough to endlessly read, you must put theory to practice. That is how you can improve yourself and the movements you support. Touch grass!
Mao wrote simply and directly, targeting peasant soldiers during the Revolutionary War in China. This pair of essays equip the reader with the ability to apply the analytical tools of Dialectical Materialism to their every day practice, and better understand problems.
Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course!
With your new understanding and knowledge of Marxism-Leninism, here is a mini What is to be Done? of your own to follow, and take with you as practical advice.
Get organized. Join a Leftist org, find solidarity with fellow comrades, and protect each other. The Dems will not save you, it is up to us to protect ourselves. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and Freedom Road Socialist Organization both organize year round, every year, because the battle for progress is a constant struggle, not a single election. See if there is a chapter near you, or start one! Or, see if there's an org you like more near you and join it.
Read theory. Don't think that you are done now! Just because you have the basics, doesn't mean you know more than you do. If you have not investigated a subject, don't speak on it! Don't speak nonsense, but listen!
Aggressively combat white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, and other attacks on marginalized communities. Cede no ground, let nobody be forgotten or left behind. There is strength in numbers, when one marginalized group is targeted, many more are sure to follow.
Be industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your problem-solving capabilities. Not only will you improve your skill at one subject, but your general problem-solving muscles get strengthened as well.
Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others. Liberals will not save us, we must save each other.
Be persistent. If you feel like a single water droplet against a mountain, think of canyons and valleys. Oh, how our efforts pile up! With consistency, every rock, boulder, even mountain, can be drilled through with nothing but steady and persistent water droplets.
"Everything under heaven is in utter chaos; the situation is excellent."
Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is a national organization of revolutionaries fighting for socialism in the United States. Our home is in the working class.
"Capitalism has failed us, instead of the only scientific ideology that is based in materialism, I am going to pick some vibes based bullshit I learnt on a Yogurt commercial"
Typical libshit
This inert attitude to politics is why our planet is fucked
Just got mine set up this weekend, really works a treat! Utterly painless. Even put the client on the Roku I apparently don't own, hope the pricks somehow notice lol
You'd be surprised how many people nowadays just leave random shows or movies on in the background while they're on their phones.
Even my Dad does it, I ask what he's watching on Netflix, etc and half the time he has to check even tho he was the one who clicked on it in the first place...
If I put on something with video I want to absorb it. There's more video content in existence than I could ever watch, I always want to watch something worth watching. If it's something I've seen before them I'm rewatching because it was entertaining enough that I want to watch it again. Even if I try to ignore it, it's good enough that it'll rope me in.
Put something on and not watch it? Is it boring enough that it's not pulling you in? It's just background noise? Then why isn't it a podcast or something?
If you're ignoring it then why turn it on? Do you turn on lights in rooms you're not in? It feels... like something just above brainrot. Like it's not rotting you, but either it's not engaging or it's just background noise (with an unused visual component)
There are at least three VHS copies on ebay right now that I found pretty easily. Radarr found it on rutracker for me as well (though it looks like it might be dubbed).
But it needs fixing. It's split in 2 almost 1 hour parts, the part 2 ends around minute 38, then loops around back to start after credits. The image is mirrored (flipped), but the 2 parts seem continuous (nothing missing).
But I haven't watched all of it.
I don't think I can directly link pirated stuff here, so the titles are "Operation Sandman 2000 TVRip avi Pt 01" and "Operation Sandman 2000 TVRip avi Pt 02" uploaded in 2018.
Wow, you are my absolute hero. Thank you so much for this, and for the perfect explanation. I can’t believe I didn’t find this earlier and I’ve been trying for more than a decade! Some safe copies live with me now. I really can’t thank you enough!
For me it was Not4Sale - TV Sheriff and the Trailbuddies. I actually bought the DVD from OtherCinema, maybe the only movie I’ve ever bought. I don’t think you can even buy it anymore.
I never use a vpn with torrents. Private trackers in my experience have been enough to be fine. The only times in 20 years of torrenting tons of shit I’ve gotten isp letters were once I downloaded a Pokémon rom from a pubic tracker, which was stupid, and once I had a roommate that downloaded some shitty movie from a public tracker
Yup, same. Your options are usually either “pay for fake ratio bonuses” or “seed dead torrents for six months in order to get enough time credit to convert into ratio.” If you’re trying to chase the freeleech tags, then you’ll never hit decent ratios because now you’re seeding a torrent that has 1000 other seeds and only 5 leeches.
And if you have to pay for fake ratio to get started, just fucking pay for Usenet and skip the hassle instead.
Cross-seed is a big part of being able to sustain on mediocre upload. Download a torrent on one site but get credit on 7 different sites.
Alternatively many sites offer infinite download if you have a certain total size of torrents available. (Sometimes together with a account age requirement too). So get a permanently online torrent client (mini pc, seedbox, vps, etc) and you're set on those sites.
Go buy a garage sale DVD of something that is semi-popular and doesn't already exist on the private tracker, rip it, and post the torrent yourself.
'S what I did back when Underground Gamer still existed; I had a version of Mechwarrior 2 that didn't already have a torrent, so I spent some time making a nice summary and uploaded it myself. Worked a treat; I had enough ratio to get me through my rough early weeks and never looked back. Until the site shut down, of course.
IPtorrents is the best. You should try to keep a 1:1, but you just have to seed for 2 weeks, and you get points for 15 torrents to use as upload credit, even if you don’t upload a single byte. I’ve never had to think about my ratio.
At this point, I can say I've literally waited decades for movies to show up on streaming. I remember Office Space and They Live not being anywhere for years. Those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head.
yep. I no longer pay for prime, but in the last few months of having it, I just torrented it anyways. whoever designed that app for the Apple TV should be forced to use it for 2 years straight
Yes, that's the point being made. One could already paying for a Prime membership, yet still needs to pay more money for shows that should already be included in said Prime membership.
Except they aren’t because rights don’t work like that. Not all rights holders want to enable streaming following those guidelines, but might wanted a fixed price per view
Technically its illegal in New Zealand (after the great John Key and The Hobbit saga) but the ISPs don't give a shit. Never used a VPN and only got one letter just after the law took effect. Nothing since. So many people here do it it's unenforceable.
I think it's also technically illegal in Australia but because the rights holders can only come after you for the retail cost of whatever was pirated it's functionally legal. the MPAA would rather sue a kid in the US for hundreds of millions than one in Aus for $14.95.
Even here in the heart of Europe, Denmark, there's not many that really care enough unless you run your own tracker. Back in the day with CD's and DVD's it was a lot worse though, because it's obviously easier to catch someone when there's physical media involved.
But I've been having much better luck finding Spanish content on streaming sites, instead of torrent sites, and then downloading. See Guides for downloading streams.
Download The Stream Detector for Firefox. This addon provides an easy way to keep track of manifests and subtitles used by various streaming protocols. Also allows for detecting custom file types and downloading media files.
The usual suspects for modern stuff is easy to find in Germany. What becomes difficult is getting older or obscure stuff (like the Pokémon show) in a decent enough quality.
Recently ordered the first season dvd box to trial the ripping process as most of the stuff I found is either incomplete (missing entries) or not up to quality (mixing audio segments between english/german or leaving out the intro/outro)
firstly, in the comic, none of the streaming service has the movie, so a site telling him this doesn't change that point.
second, even if one streaming service has that movie, it might not be the one you are subscribed to. so instead of "just watch"ing, you have to make a new subscription on that service and pay for all their content although you just want one movie
thirdly, often it's not a matter of whether or not someone wants to pay, but how much someone is willing to pay. This depends on many factors, which boil down to how much they want to watch the movie and how much they can afford. imo there are two acceptable ways to charge for entertainment: paying once for that particular piece and you get to enjoy it as often/long as you want forever, or you pay a monthly fee and get access to everything for as long as you pay. unfortunately, thanks to the fragmentation of streaming services, option b has become quite expensive and not a lot of people are not willing to spend that much, but they would be willing for a lower price.
firstly, in the comic, none of the streaming service has the movie
This is based on what?
even if one streaming service has that movie, it might not be the one you are subscribed to. so instead of "just watch"ing, you have to make a new subscription on that service and pay for all their content although you just want one movie
Which is a different issue entirely than it not being available at all.
it's not a matter of whether or not someone wants to pay, but how much someone is willing to pay
Same thing.
unfortunately, thanks to the fragmentation of streaming services, option b has become quite expensive
The services have not become fragmented. There was never one streaming service that had all content available. They've just added more options.
I don't want to pay (I don't think anyone wants to pay). All of what you said (well more said I said) was never mentioned by me. Really where did I (or anyone here really) spout anything about totally going to pay or sign up for anything?
And your logic of ease goes as much against your position as for it, as you can literally go to a site and type in the name of the show and that's it (in this case download/stream the show for free). Hell your logic falls even farther apart when you factor in the next step of finding the listed legal service, signing up (if you can in your area), putting in your payment and then typing the show into the service (and in amazon's case maybe paying again).
The issue with piracy being a service issue has not changed, I was more then happy to pay netflix $10 for the ease of the service back in the day. But now? I will pay an amount just to stick it to netflix, fuck them.
Once again, just say that. There's no need to fabricate some nonsense justification for it.
All of what you said (well more said I said) was never mentioned by me
You replied to me. Not the other way around. I was replying to OP. If your reply was not in reference to the OP then I don't understand why you replied to me.
Really where did I (or anyone here really) spout anything about totally going to pay or sign up for anything?
There are only handful of words in the OP and you couldn't read them all? What exactly do you think "Cant say I didn't try" means? Try to what? Go on, take a minute.
your logic of ease goes as much against your position as for it
Only when you intentionally misrepresent my logic. My logic was that it was easy to find where to stream shows, not to stream them. Because that is the logic OP is using for not paying.
I was more then happy to pay netflix $10 for the ease of the service back in the day
The "ease of service" hasn't changed. What happened to just not wanting to pay? Your logic is all over the place.
Once again, just say that. There’s no need to fabricate some nonsense justification for it.
Where Once again did we fabricate or justify anything?
You replied to me. Not the other way around. I was replying to OP. If your reply was not in reference to the OP then I don’t understand why you replied to me.
If you look above you will see the thing you replied to was my comment "Why go to that effort just to pay?"
There are only handful of words in the OP and you couldn’t read them all? What exactly do you think “Cant say I didn’t try” means? Try to what? Go on, take a minute.
Really? this has what to do with my statement? Did you not mean to reply to me?
And besides, If you look for a show/movie/thinger and its not available in your area does that not mean you did try? (hell of a lot more effort then I would ever go to).
Only when you intentionally misrepresent my logic. My logic was that it was easy to find where to stream shows, not to stream them. Because that is the logic OP is using for not paying.
Ah yes, knowing where I can pay (or in the case of most non us places, can not pay) is the exact same as watching the thing.
The “ease of service” hasn’t changed. What happened to just not wanting to pay? Your logic is all over the place.
Yes it has, netflix is not the same nor does it have even 1/5th the shows/movies avalible (worse so outside of the us) and costs much more ($23.99 per month now). Hell the interface alone makes me want to shoot my TV (full volume previews anyone?). There is no logic issue with not liking the changes, the only logic issue here would be thinking that people will endlessly put up with enshitification.
Where Once again did we fabricate or justify anything?
I've already explained this, multiple times at this point. I'm not repeating myself again.
Really? this has what to do with my statement? Did you not mean to reply to me?
Listen, you're obviously trying to rope me into some sort of strawman argument. I'm not interested. When you want to get back to talking about the comic in the OP, I'm ready.
I’ve already explained this, multiple times at this point. I’m not repeating myself again.
No, you have not. You keep deflecting. The comic does not fabricate or need to justify anything, it is just whats happening.
Listen, you’re obviously trying to rope me into some sort of strawman argument. I’m not interested. When you want to get back to talking about the comic in the OP, I’m ready.
Really, at this point you think I am trying to rope you into a strawman argument? After placing words and motives in my mouth? You, who comes to a piracy community trying to push some sort of pro corporate agenda and is somehow shocked that you are not taken seriously?
You keep deflecting. The comic does not fabricate or need to justify anything, it is just whats happening.
I'm not deflecting, you are. I keep telling you and you come back with "I didn't say that", but I never said you did. It's in the OP. Once again, I replied to the OP. Answer the question about what "can't say I didn't try" means if not that the character fully-intended to pay. Any further deflections will be considered bad faith and disregarded.
I keep telling you, "can't say I didn't try" holds true if the media is not available. There is no justification here, no fabricated anything. Its amazing that anyone would go so far when the high seas are easy and available, but for you its some sort of high treason.
I think you might want to look up what a threat is, because that's not what that was.
I keep telling you, "can't say I didn't try" holds true if the media is not available.
You never said that. And it doesn't hold true if you don't try, which is what you suggested ("Why go to that effort just to pay?"), regardless of whether the media is available or not.
There is no justification here, no fabricated anything
I don't understand how "Can't say I didn't try" is interpreted as anything other than justification.
but for you its some sort of high treason.
I said nothing of the sort. All I said was to stop bullshitting and own it.
JustWatch is still useful if you want to act like you watched it legitimately, e.g., if a coworker asks where they can watch it. Even if your coworker also pirates, they might not have an account on your private tracker, Usenet, etc..
I may be wrong, as I haven’t actually torrented anything substantial since Demonoid was still a thing, but it all feels less accessible than it used to be.
Even with good internet if you're watching on the wrong device (desktop/media center PC) your stream will get bitrate locked to a 720p equivalent or whatever because of DRM bullshit.
My internet is fine win any other streaming service. Prime streaming is the worst one out of all the major streaming services. Which is fucking weird considering Netflix runs on AWS.
What do you suggest? I'm just going by whats worked for me so far. I was thinking of trying some other services but if it works for me I'm kinda ambivalent.
I was thinking about trying them. I'm trying to create the best experience for my parents so anything that makes it quicker or easier for them to access content the better.
So, I don't use Kodi and use stremio instead, but with stremio, the main addon is torrentio. There are others, but idr them off the top of my head and that's the go-to.
As far as premiumizeme vs debrid, it was basically a drop-in replacement. Just had to update the "provider" and the api key in the config.
With Radarr, Sonarr, and Plex, I get a better TV and movie service than anything I could pay for. I can afford to pay, and I would, but they won't offer anything reasonable. I ditched Netflix years ago when they removed the rating system to promote their low quality schlock. They kept removing content. Content would auto-play. Discovery broke as they kept trying to make me watch things I didn't want to watch. If they make their products worse, and keep charging me more every year, they shouldn't be surprised when I leave.
Plex is still MUCH easier to share with my friends and family. I’ll be sticking with Plex until the UX on Jellyfin is comparable. Also Plexamp is the best music app I have ever used. It’s unbelievably good. Also Plex has more features like the ability to download and select new subtitles on the fly, and consistent skip intro functionality across all apps on all devices.
I know, for some features Plex is better, and for a very few features Plex will always be better because it's centralized. Jellyfin, being self-hosted, doesn't have an easy way to share and combine libraries from multiple users, and no single "login" page like Plex. This may be annoying for users, but we know all the problems that centralization comes with.
But this makes me think about the fediverse. What if Jellyfin servers could federate with each other? I wonder if anybody is working on such a project.
Edit: okay, apparently I found this feature request on the Jellyfin features tracker.
Remote viewing in Jellyfin requires significantly more work from me as the server admin, but it is just as easy for the remote viewing clients. I don’t have to do any first-time setup for them. I recommend an app or two for the media type they’re using, and all they need is URL, login, password.
On UX, Plex is more full-featured I’m sure, but the performance is so much better on Jellyfin that it quickly overrode any feature concerns I may have had.
And being FOSS, there’s some nice diversity in client apps. I use Finamp for music and really like it. There’s Plappa for audio books too. And for basic viewing there are multiple choices. I think I use Streamyfin because it supports downloads.
Remote viewing in Jellyfin requires significantly more work from me as the server admin, but it is just as easy for the remote viewing clients. I don’t have to do any first-time setup for them. I recommend an app or two for the media type they’re using, and all they need is URL, login, password.
Thanks for your suggestion. I spent some time investigating this to see how feasible it would be. I have my own domain and static IP, so setup on my end would be pretty straight forward. Users would need to enter my domain:port on first login, but I could walk them through that. I'm going to give it a shot and see how practical it is. If the performance is better, as you say, then it probably trumps those features you mention. With the exception of subtitles for me and the family. We use subs most of the time and need on-demand selection. Automated subs are very hit or miss.
It's also disappointing to hear the Jellyfin app doesn't support downloads but I guess if Streamyfin is available on all the platforms then I could just use that.
I tried Finamp and the UI is very not good on iOS. It also lacks a lot of features compared to Plexamp.
Strongly agreed, from the owner of a dust covered lifetime Plex Pass.
Even if we eliminate all the other reasons you might not want to use Plex or might want to use FOSS, just the performance and UI responsiveness alone makes it worth the switch.
And I do have some non-techy family that watches remotely on smart TVs and uses phone apps.
Jellyfin is literally all I watch not to mention the BEST alternative to all the centralized AD riddled garbage (Now in forced foreign languages) 'Tubi, Pluto, Prime Video'! Crazy cause being a "Prime" member isn't enough nowadays cause they want you to DOUBLE Pay on top of a Membership Subscription to remove ads which is sooo counterintuitive?!
Straight out of that (Black Mirror) episode called (Common People) Season 7 Episode 1... Predictive Programming at it's finest.
Same. I signed up for Netflix when they came to Canadas in 2010. Immediately had to start using proxies/vpn to access US Netflix since Canada's selection was broiled ass.
By 2013 there was news of Netflix talking of blocking non-US users from accessing US Netlix. Immediately cancelled, spun up my Plex server. 30TB later and I got 18 friends off of all their streaming services too lol
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday received Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who conveyed Tehran's assessments of the situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear program, Kremlin spokesman D…
The West views Romania as a foothold for intervention in the Ukrainian conflict, which poses threats to regional security, Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Vladimir Lipayev said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
As of mid-July 2025, the strength of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is estimated at 700,000–800,000 servicemen, with average daily casualties of 1,200–1,400 killed and wounded.
The raison d'etre of video streaming, ending cable... only to reproduce cable decades later.
Segmentation, exclusives... somehow the music industry didn't go down that path. The game industry is mostly doing the same, except mostly Valve and indies.
I wonder that pattern is part of enshitification, the inexorable transformation of a delivery service to rather than facilitate the distribution of content, make it actually harder to share it while keeping reasonable (always arguable) money to all parties involved, first and foremost the actual creators.
Pretty much. Even if I didn't prefer owning the actual files and managing my own media server, streaming services are just dogshit these days anyway. Overpriced, libraries are all ass, no one service will ever have everything you want, constantly removing shit, they're awful.
A jellyfin setup backed by an *arr stack may be a lot more work than a Netflix subscription but it's legitimately better in every single way otherwise.
Me exactly. I keep a lot of the streaming services because I don't want to host a bunch of 4k stuff myself, though I do often get the 1080p stuff for when I fly on planes or haven't yet re upped my subscription for the show I want to watch. But many shows aren't on any of the sub services in my country, so those are straight to the seedbox.
Just Watch is a pretty great service for this, especially when recommending a show or movie to others. Other services integrate with it too (like Trakt, which is a nice one stop shop for discovery, scrobbling, and list management).
Try Freetube with VPN set to an uncommon location like Bulgaria or Argentina etc. This works for most videos, but still some won't load. I use invidious for those vidoes. This way, you won't overload the invidious instances.
every time they patch freetube, yt breaks it a day or two later. can't watch in yt directly because i have to prove I'm not a robot, and apparently i am since i can't pass the tests (and tried almost all ivpn locations). only one invidious instance works, but not in freetube.
Totally agree with the FreeTube recommendation. Libredirect will even open links in FreeTube. I use IVPN and use non obscure servers but every once in a while I do have to try a different one.
Try using different countries. E.g. I sometimes had luck by using Brazil, Chile or other ones. I've recently hadn't had much issues when viewing through Grayjay (on Android). But also not from FreeTube (on Ubuntu/Desktop)
This Invidious instance still works. Don't push it too hard, though: it's all we've got.
Also, if you log in to YouTube in Chromium or something (assuming you're on desktop) and then use yt-dlp with the --cookies-from-browser chromium argument, it should work. This is also possible on Android via Termux and iOS via iSH if you copy ~/.config/chromium to the app.
Cycle through VPN locations until you get a winner if you get a block. It's annoying, but the purpose of a VPN is to let you look like you're anywhere. So find a good spot to watch YT and then just settle in.
Good to know. I was using FreeTube on a Linux machine I have set up to do most of my Youtube watching, but I had to disable VPN. I got tired of trying different countries and just turned off VPN. I'll try Swedish servers...
TBH I just use youtube.com in my browser (Floorp/Firefox) with uBlock Origin. With SmartTube on my TV.
The alternative front ends or apps don't seem to support loading my watch history, playlists, or subscriptions, and they don't sync between my devices even if I manually import stuff. Making usability an absolute nightmare.
The problem is how do I get my history and everything on desktop and android TV then, does it sync with other apps or my google account or something like that?
I just sign in, it shows it all. I have to go back through and delete videos my kid watched cause it fucked up my feed. His account is age restricted, it won't let him sign in on the tablet. I need to look into it more, but the history definitely syncs from smarttube to revanced and YouTube in Firefox on my desktop
That makes sense for your use case. My use case is that I don't want my YT watching habits being scooped up if I can help it. At one point I might not have cared too much about things like YT, but under the current administration I have a lot more reservations about that.
My first hurdle is understanding that i need to add a boot sequence and navigate to the EFI file in my mounted pen drive.
second hurdle is understanding i need to disable secure boot so that the dell bios doesnt think something is wrong and always run the bios repair program.
third is understanding that i need to disable Intel rapid storage for the full install (luckily linux mint tells us this)
and honestly the hardest thing was installing fastfetch cuz theres a lot of outdated information out there on how to install it on Mint.
the process took about 4 hours, i consider it very lucky that i was able to do it so fast.
I run mint on 4 gb ram without issues. Sure, I'm careful to not open too many apps or too many tabs, but they all work fine. Only 4k video editing is undoable on such a machine. I also have a 4 gb swap partition, but I'm careful to lay off programs when I see it get hit.
My mom uses xfce on a 2 gb laptop. For her is enough, because she only knows how to open a single tab on a browser (mostly fb or yt).
I use quite a bit of old and underpowered kit. But I actually use it. The oldest laptop I use regularly is a 2009 MacBook Pro running Chimera Linux. It is only a Core 2 Duo but it has 8 GB of RAM. It runs all modern browsers and office suites. I can code on it. I can use Docker. I can do dev ops in the cloud. I can call into LLMs. Slow but capable. But I could not do much of this realistically with 4 GB (even slow).
One thing I am not doing is watching videos in 4K. The resolution is 1440x900 so it does not quite display even 1080p natively (so 1080p or even 720p for me—which is totally fine). I suspect most people who really only have 4 GB of RAM are in a similar situation.
if you go in not knowing what to do, it can seem 'difficult'. but it's mostly like on any other oem prebuilt:
optional: prep the target disk (backups, wipe or clear part table, etc), reset bios to defaults.
if necessary: switch from raid or rst to ahci sata mode, default boot mode to efi, disable secure boot. note that some distributions support secure boot but your method of creating an installer might not--you may be able to re-enable if you want after install.
note that hp systems have a hoop to jump through (a confirmation prompt to disable) after disabling secure boot on the next startup. do not use esc key to trigger boot menu, use f9 for boot menu, f10 for bios entry.. as esc will cancel the confirmation code prompt and automatically re-enable secure boot.
insert or plug-in installer, hit the magic key upon power on (f12 for dell, f9 for hp) to bring up boot menu and select installer media, boot and run installer.
I’m glad you said this, I was thinking “I just plug in the USB stick and install Linux”
In fact, the hardest but for me is remembering the special key to press upon boot up so it goes into boot selection mode and I can just select my USB stick…
Some laptops don't really let you boot from external install media so easily nowadays.
I helped a buddy get Linux Mint on their "old" laptop to try it out. But it turned out you needed some manufacturer provided code to unlock booting from anything but the main harddrive within the bios.
We contacted support but never heard back. We did find a work around when they decided to swap the existing HDD for an SSD, they used a USB to sata cable to install Mint on the SSD from their desktop then installed the SSD into their laptop in place of the original drive so it booted straight into that.
Welcome to Linux. Glad to see you're not letting the hurdles get in your way and are working through solutions. There's more to come.
You say "5 year old laptop" as if that's ancient... 10th gen Intel 😄. I don't even look at laptops newer than 5 years. Don't need much more for internet tasks and office work.
Ive got an HP Zbook g6 coming my way soon I'm excited about, and its way overkill for what I'm gonna use it for; i just need a bigger laptop because i have giant meat hooks for hands and I actually use the numpad
Tl;dr, you can get a lot of laptop at decent prices looking at "older" hardware
I don't completely agree. One party tries to fuck everything up in order to buy up everything on the cheap, while the other party is paid to keep everything exactly as it is, so their owners don't risk losing anything.
They're not the same, but the leadership in both parties are traitors to the people and deserve death.
You have to understand the backing behind these parties and how that informs how they operate. They both are largely funded by capitalists, often the same capitalists. So there are a core set of interests which they both protect. There are issues that don't fall within that space where they can be different, some issues that affect different donors differently, and they have different strategies for managing to achieve those shared interests, but when push comes to shove they are still going to do what will be good for the capitalists and the power of the state to represent those interests.
For a narrow example from this meme: Most US presidents have presided over truly awful crimes, some actually illegal, some merely morally criminal, or perhaps criminal on the world stage but not for the US. A just society based on rule of law, as the US claims to be, would prosecute these people for their crimes, whether that be for war crimes, abuses of power, corruption, etc. Ideally while they are in power in order to stop them, but at the very least you'd think that after they leave power there ought to be more political will to go after them, if not for legal or moral reasons, at least for cynical political ones.
But they basically never do this? Why not? Because those crimes help uphold the interests of capitalists and/or the state. They are mostly part of the set of things that the parties agree on. The next president would like to be able to continue to get away with those or similar crimes, so holding the previous president accountable for their actions risks setting a precedent that would come back to bite them.
There were criminal proceedings against Trump, but they were for things that are small in the grand scheme of things. Obama didn't go after Bush for lying to get us to go into an illegal war, or for using torture, or violating civil liberties, etc. because he was doing the same things. Trump didn't go after Obama for any of this because... he kept doing the same things. Going back to the most famous example of this, Nixon literally did what Trump did in terms of trying to subvert the "democratic process" and Ford pardoned him.
Basically if you're president, you can get away with whatever the hell you want as long as it's for rich people and/or the next guy wants to be able to do the same thing.
There is no change inside the DNC. It is controlled by neo-liberals who will squash any and all progressive ideals...else they would be out there fighting for them. Neo-liberals are about keeping everything the same for their corporate donors, talk about change, do nothing. This is a dead-end, zombie party.
Not really. Look how they fail to stop corruption and actively participate in it. They also do their best to tank any third party left of center. They tried to primary AOC and it really looks like they’re going to split the vote for NYC mayor bc Mamdani doesn’t toe the line.
One party is disgustingly heinous but that doesn’t mean the other is good. Do I prefer one if I only have two choices? Yes. But they should both go away and take their anti-working class bs with them.
Your party is guilty of genocide. Stop playing lucy football and pointing fingers at others. Murderers don't get pardoned because other people committed murder.
The parties are not the same. One is an openly fascist party and the other is full of meek center-right neoliberals trying to keep the status quo for their wealthy donors. However neither is trying to "fix the damage" or "make it good again", except perhaps for the top 0.001%. Most working-class people are shafted either way. If the republicans get their way, most non-whites will be deported on enslaved in prisons, women will be enslaved at home, and the remaining working-class white men will struggle to sustain themselves and their (non-working) wives and families under the christofascist dictatorship of the capital. If the democrats somehow claw back from that, there will be less abject racism and sexism but the working class will still struggle to survive in an increasingly monopolized dictatorship of the capital.
Ask yourself this question: which democrat policies from the last decade directly benefit the working class? I can name maybe 3 very compromised policies that are about 60 years behind most of the world.
To paraphrase an old meme, republicans want 100 rich white men to rule over the entire world with an iron fist; democrats want 30 of those people to be LGBTQ+ women of color.
Are democrats better? Sure, a bit better. But it's not like just electing them will save you.
Yeah, but only if it's no inconvenience to you and other westerners. You certainly don't care about them enough to remember that the Democrats are all in on their wholesale extermination.
Yup, another reminder that you literally don't consider foreigners to be human.
And how about you explain how - even if we accepted it as true - "the other choice was worse for everyone" justifies you just completely not even bothering to remember the Democrats committing genocide, or you being more concerned with the comfort of domestic Americans than with your country committing genocide?
How the fuck are you going to justify this one without straight up admitting you only care about white lives (which is the answer, of course, but I thought you'd at least try to hide your monstrous bigotry)
how about you explain how - even if we accepted it as true - “the other choice was worse for everyone” justifies you just completely not even bothering to remember the Democrats committing genocide, or you being more concerned with the comfort of domestic Americans than with your country committing genocide?
how about you explain how - even if we accepted it as true - “the other choice was worse for everyone” justifies you just completely not even bothering to remember the Democrats committing genocide, or you being more concerned with the comfort of domestic Americans than with your country committing genocide?
Republicans snarl and growl, so you're not shocked when they bite you. Democrats walk up wagging their tail and acting friendly before they bite you. In the end, you still end up bitten.
The rapid rise in global rocket launches could slow the recovery of the vital ozone layer, says Sandro Vattioni. The problem is being underestimated—yet it could be mitigated by forward-looking, coordinated action.
Space launches disrupt ozone layer, contribute to air pollution and global warming, waste a lot of resources, and produce tons upon tons of space debris.
We should be careful with this industry and technology, and use it when it makes sense. But hey, why not launch billionaires and their cars into space for leisure and launch hundreds of satellites under different brandings all promising the best Internet ever or whatnot?
Also, massive launches such as Starlink should be approved by international bodies, not national organizations. Cool, US has greenlit the launch, but now it's a global headache.
Yes, but in today's geopolitical landscape, some countries would tie the allowance of such launches to weird requests.
Israel denies the launch of European rockets, until support for Palestine is outlawed as "antisemitism", and pledge to donate weapons to IDF for free.
Russia doesn't allow rocket launches to other countries as long as said countries not outlaw "Russophobia", which includes "recognition of Ukraine, the Ukrainian language, and Ukrainian people, as separate from Russia in any way of form".
China demands the returning of its political refugees, or they will not allow rocket launches.
yeah that's what we want a companion that tells us everything we want to hear with its only goal to keep us engaged to the platform. i just picture it now your having a conversation with your AI lover and it starts selling you "this new Mococoa drink? All natural cocoa beans from the upper slopes of Mount Nicaragua. No artificial sweeteners." just like in the Truman show. but it will be worse because it won't do it as transparent as that. it will slowly influence you to the wishes of its corporate masters.
you also have a situation where if you dont pay your monthly bill your lover dies. talk about a revenue stream. they will use all the details they learn about you to set the price to as high as you can afford without breakings you.
Yeah, I am not opposed to this because it's unhealthy (that's the user's choice, like smoking). I'm opposed because this is going to become abusive very quickly in the ways you describe. Not to mention the climate impact.
🔍 La fine degli hashtag su Mastodon e l'evoluzione verso i gruppi lemmy
Con l’ultima versione si #Mastodon, cliccando su un hashtag da browser non si accede più alla pagina dedicata: il sistema ora propone solo un filtro che limita ai post dell’utente che lo ha utilizzato oppure come secona scelta alla pagina completa con tutti gli interventi del #fediverso.
Perché?
Troppe persone abusavano e spammano hashtag per ottenere visibilità ovunque: una vera enshittification di mastodon che sfruttavano il sistema senza algoritmi.
L’impossibilità di filtrare per lingua rende molti hashtag un caos ingestibile ma si è scelta di poterl filtrare solo per utente
Le piccole istanze, inoltre, hanno pagine hashtag ridotte o inesistenti perché non riescono a feerarsi con tutti e crearsi uno stream significativo. Il risultato? Gli #hashtag è un posto dove ogni contenuto finisce perso nel flusso.
💡 Analisi dei rischi e conseguenze
Perdita di visibilità tematica Senza una pagina hashtag funzionante, post interessanti rischiano di rimanere sepolti dal rumore i fondo.
Depotenziamento delle istanze minori Senza hashtag usabili, piccole community faticano a costruire audience e rilevanza.
Semplificazione dell’abuso individuale Con il filtro utente, ogni post diventa un’occasione per l'autopromozione individuale, e l’hashtag smette di essere utile.
🛠️ Soluzione: gruppi tematici sul fediverso
Il futuro non sono gli hashtag, ma i gruppi tematici:
#Lemmy dimostra che le community organizzate in gruppi (tematici) permettono:
contenuti pertinenti
moderazione attiva
crescita organizzata e senza spam
Diggita.com, pioniere dello social bookmarking in Italia, ha migrato su Lemmy e ha creato circa 20 gruppi tematici, ciascuno con centinaia di seguaci federati: mastodon.uno/@diggita/11367942…
ogni post raggiunge davvero chi è interessato
la moderazione mantiene la qualità
si evita la saturazione e l’enshittification degli hashtag
🚀 Vantaggi di lemmy e Diggita
Beneficio
Descrizione
🎯 Targeting reale
Ogni messaggio arriva a utenti realmente interessati
🔐 Controllo e qualità
Moderatori possono prevenire spam e abusi
🌐 Federazione attiva
I gruppi su Diggita/Lemmy raggiungono istanze diverse in modo diretto
📈 Crescita sostenibile
Le community crescono per interesse e non per rumorosità
✅ Cosa puoi fare ora
Abbandona l’uso compulsivo di hashtag su Mastodon 🛑 Usa ancora hashtag per il tagging, ma non contare sulla scoperta tramite browser.
Entra nei gruppi tematici su Diggita/Lemmy
Trovi i gruppi locali italiani su Diggita: quelli che ti interessa seguire:
Aggiungi i tuoi post condivisi su Diggita anche in quei gruppi: visibilità e moderazione garantite.
Fai attivismo guidato, non rumore Condividere in comunità tematizzate crea conversazioni strutturate, migliora le discussioni e aumenta l’impatto.
🌟 In sintesi
L'utilità degli hashtag sta fineno su mastodon, sono ormai inutili e le piccole istanze sono tagliate fuori. La soluzione? Spostare i contenuti nei gruppi tematici federati, come quelli nati su Diggita/Lemmy, dove c’è moderazione e vero coinvolgimento. È così che si vince la battaglia contro chi spamma troppo: con comunità vere, visibilità reale e qualità.
È possibile aggiungere Diggita in Openvibe? Mi sembra che comunque tra tutti questi fediversi ci sia un po' troppa frammentazione, alla fine non si capisce più nulla.
Ok. Ma se ci clicco sopra si apre una finestra di Chrome, dalla quale posso scegliere se seguire quel gruppo tematico. Ma se lo voglio fare da Openvibe è possibile?
L'unico problema che vedo su questa cosa è che l'hashtag se lo può inventare un creativo al momento, mentre il gruppo tematico va richiesto, organizzato, moderato eccetera. Sbaglio?
Esatto, l’hashtag può essere creato da chiunque — e questo, di per sé, non è un male. Il problema è che può facilmente degenerare o essere usato in modo improprio da un momento all’altro.
Al contrario, un gruppo è moderato, e quindi (almeno in teoria) offre maggiore affidabilità e sicurezza, evitando derive indesiderate o contenuti fuori tema.
Sì. Ma c'è un ma. Io sono interessata a ciò che capita nella mia città, a quello che si dice a proposito della scuola, alle novità in ambito IT, a ciò di cui si parla in merito a diritti LGBT, all'alimentazione biologica, cambiamento climatico, ai diritti dell'infanzia, alle discussioni in merito ai bambini/ragazzi BES, e ogni tanto anche a finanza ed economia politica. Non posso iscrivermi a mille gruppi tematici e visitarli una volta ogni sei mesi. Ma cliccare un hashtag..
Con questo, non voglio assolutamente intendere che il gruppo tematico sia una brutta cosa eh. Solo, riflettevo su ciò che ci si lascia dietro, insomma.
a livello.di singola istanza si hanno sicuramente dei benefici, ma se qualcuno necessita di maggiore "spazio" gli hashtag d'istanza sono limitanti. Penso per esempio a #music per un musicista che vuole.farsi conoscere e deve raggiungere più pubblico possibile. Discorso simile per i gruppi che comunque trovo molto funzionali. Imho sono un po' le opzioni di ricerca che andrebbero affinate con la possibilità di query più precise, indirizzate e combinate, fermo restando che il caos resta
Yeah, no profits means no business! Down with businesses! We don’t need them for paychecks or healthcare! 🤣
Edit: I feel like this comment went over some heads. Socialism is support by higher taxes on businesses. If business doesn’t make money they Will close the business and social programs will not be supported. So basically socialism cannot exist without the business.
Capitalism is not the only mode of production in existence. We can collectivize production and run it in a planned manner. We can't do that all at once, but in socialism we can gradually wrest capital from the capitalists and collectively run and plan the economy.
Edit: responding to your edit, socialism is not "welfare in capitalist systems." Your comment didn't go over anyone's heads, you just don't know what socialism and capitalism are.
Neither system is perfect. Pure capitalism can lead to inequality and under-provided public services, while pure socialism can stifle innovation and create inefficiency. The best-performing countries today typically combine elements of both.
So as anything in life too much of one thing can be bad. It would be nice for everyone to receive free healthcare and higher education in US. I often watch various global news networks. It is odd to see US, Canada, UK all struggling with same issues economically.
UK has 28 million people on assistance out of work. It also has 28 million people employed. So half the UK is paying to support the other half. That is wild to think about.
There's no such thing as "pure capitalism" or "pure socialism." Every socialist system has elements of private property, and every capitalist system has elements of public property. A system is capitalist if the large firms and key industries are private, and socialist if the large firms and key industries are public. This is all nonsense on your part, socialist systems have been at the peak of innovation throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
I'm not sure why you brought up a bunch of capitalist countries failing because of issues systemic to capitalism at the end, it didn't really help your point. Moreover, there is no "combining the best of both," the system is determined by what is principle, meaning you can't be both. Furthermore, I think you're alluding to the Nordic Countries, but those are capitalist, deteriorating, and depend on imperialism like the rest of the global north.
I think you should do a bit more reading on what socialism and communism even are to begin with before trying to have discussions about them, same with capitalism.
Scandinavian Social Democratic countries, like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, have much higher standards of living, better quality universal healthcare, and more economic, political, and social freedoms than Marxist-Leninist states have ever had. I'll need a citation for these countries deteriorating. You saying that these countries are still imperialist doesn't negate how much better they are to live in. @Cowbee @salty_chief #socialism #communism #capitalism #socialdemocracy
Unfortunately, you don't understand what you're talking about. These Social Democracies (really capitalistic states with strong worker protections) still benefit from imperialism on the Global South.
The contradictions inherent to capitalism still exist within these states as well. There are proletarians and there are bourgeoisie. The cost of living within these states is rapidly increasing, and reactionary sentiment is booming because people from the (1)
(2) countries that these states, which you almost call utopian, have been destabilizing, are immigrating to these states en masse.
"[Scandinavian states] have much higher standards of living, better quality universal healthcare, and more economic, political, and social freedoms than Marxist-Leninist states have ever had."
What a ridiculous statement. China and the USSR went from backwater peasant countries to world superpowers in less than a century.
(3) Their citizens pay very little for housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and education, all without the colonization and terrorism that these Scandinavian states do.
When the proletariat is the ruling class of the state, the state will work within the proletariat's self interest, and crush bourgeois oppression.
Bourgeois democracies like these Scandinavian states only work in the interest of the bourgeoisie, and placate the proletariat.
(4) All states you have mentioned permit lobbying (bribing of parliamentary representatives), and they bail out large corporations in times of crisis. This is bourgeois rule. People like you are a consequence of CIA propaganda and illiteracy.
Nordic states aren't utopian or without fault. They provide a better standard of living than Marxist-Leninist states, which do provide free healthcare and housing, but the best of these things are reserved for people with higher social status like party members and their families. There's much better quality housing and healthcare for people in Nordic states than Marxist-Leninist states had/have and distributed more equally. @graythehue @Cowbee @salty_chief #socialism #communism #capitalism
Nordic citizens also have far more social, economic, and political freedoms than their ML counterparts. Life for workers and people in general is clearly better in theee Nordic countries. [END]@graythehue @Cowbee @salty_chief #socialism #communism #capitalism
What a baseless qualitative measurement. Please continue to be a sycophant for these states, while their cadre terrorize people in the Global South, hitlerite.
The qualities I'm measuring are things like individual freedoms and the quality of healthcare and housing, but apparently, these means of measuring are "baseless" to you, so why don't you tell me what means of measuring you used to conclude that ML states are better than Nordic states
Don't waste your time arguing with these sorts of people. They refuse to do preliminary research and parrot the latest AmeriKKKan talking points. They have their heads up their asses while socialist countries like China and Vietnam rapidly advance their standard of living. Genuinely sad how blind these people are.
I don't deny that China and Vietnam's standards of living are improving, but what are their standards of living currently, what criteria are you using when measuring standards of living, and are their standards of living better than the best capitalism has produced? @graythehue @Cowbee @salty_chief
The guys at Flow Battery Research Collective have been designing a Redox Flow Battery development kit that you can build yourself using a 3d printer and a few tools. It's a desktop size flow battery that you can use to either do your own research, e.g. on different electrolytes or just to replicate their experimental findings.
Redox Flow Batteries have the potential to become grid scale or home electric energy storage solutions that are way better for the environment than current lithium based batteries. They can often scale power and capacity independently and allow for repairs.
The FBRC project wants to spread the knowledge on RFBs and help kickstart a global community that develops sustainable energy storage technology in an ope source fashion.
Beware that the project is still in its infancy and sourcing the materials can be a bit of a challenge. Be sure to ask around in the forums for help!
The guys at Flow Battery Research Collective have been designing a Redox Flow Battery development kit that you can build yourself using a 3d printer and a few tools. It's a desktop size flow battery that you can use to either do your own research, e.g. on different electrolytes or just to replicate their experimental findings.
Redox Flow Batteries have the potential to become grid scale or home electric energy storage solutions that are way better for the environment than current lithium based batteries. They can often scale power and capacity independently and allow for repairs.
The FBRC project wants to spread the knowledge on RFBs and help kickstart a global community that develops sustainable energy storage technology in an ope source fashion.
Beware that the project is still in its infancy and sourcing the materials can be a bit of a challenge. Be sure to ask around in the forums for help!
Happy to hear! That must be the Lithium mafia! Just kidding. I have no clue why people downvote this. Maybe because it's a crosspost? I must admit I didn't read the community rules.
It could be a case of intentional word play but the wording of the article makes it seem like it's more than just usenet. Specifically the line: "inciting serious sexual abuse of children via a messenger service and producing child pornography content"
It doesn't read as though it's simply CSAM traffic through his network and if that were the case, I'd imagine the other 2 would be looking at similar charges, but news media notoriously bad a properly representing tech so that's what gives me caution.
Heise is a German specifically tech news outlet, so they are generally quite good with facts about tech.
These arrests are targeted at an illegal IPTV provider which restreams channels from licensed TV providers (Sky, DAZN, RTL+). These illegal IPTV services usually also provide on-demand content like Netflix shows, movies etc.
The CSAM incident is definitely an additional charge for a single individual and not part of the prior investigation about an illegal IPTV service which provides customers with otherwise legal TV.
True, but only one of the suspects is alleged to be involved with CSAM. Also, it seems like that wasn't the original lead the police were pursuing, given that the charges were added post-arrest. This seems very much like an anti-piracy operation that just happened to catch a pedophile as well.
Reserve judgements until there is some real evidence. Think of the children narratives open a lot of doors for intrusive actions and advance a pirate=criminal narrative.
If this is true, they need to prove it in court... It seems like they are just throwing out pedo shit to distract from idiotic waste of resources to protect some US parasites "property"
What a sloppy way to write this article. Header text to indicate CSAM then just naming people liberating netflix. Does german netflix stream CSAM? Or is this news outlet just kind of implying these people are sex criminals for fun?
On a different note, would love to hear from/about the 15 out of 18 people who were searched in Feb and apparently got away. Either being targeted for harassment by authorities, huge false positive fuckups, or have amazing opsec.
The arrest warrant for a 25-year-old from Hamburg has since been extended because he is now suspected of inciting serious sexual abuse of children via a messenger service and producing child pornography content, among other things.
A project in Co Mayo is generating renewable electricity through the flying of kites, which its operator has described as a potential "game changer" in the wind energy sector.
It is being conducted on a bogland just outside Bangor Erris, located on a landscape one might expect in a Star Wars.
The site, which is the first designated airborne wind energy test site in the world is being operated by Kitepower, a zero emissions energy solutions spin-off from Delft University in the Netherlands.
Kitepower's system employs a yo-yo effect, where a kite, measuring 60sq/m is flown at altitudes of up to 425m attached to a rope that is wound around a drum - which itself is connected to a ground-based generator.
The kites can generate 2.5 to 4 tonnes of force on the tether.
Researchers in the U.S. and Germany have tested a global earthquake detection and alert system that makes use of a device many people already own, including in less developed countries—Android smartphones. According to their study, published today in the journal Science, the Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA) system’s efficacy rivaled traditional seismic networks in its ability to detect seismic activity and deliver alerts.
“The global adoption of smartphone technology places sophisticated sensing and alerting capabilities in people’s hands, in both the wealthy and less-wealthy portions of the planet,” the researchers, including Richard Allen from the University of California in Berkeley’s Seismological Laboratory, wrote in the study. “Although the accelerometers in these phones are less sensitive than the permanent instrumentation used in traditional seismic networks, they can still detect the ground motions and building response in hazardous earthquakes.”
⚠️ Warning: This morning, some accounts are using the platform for #phishing attempts. ‼️ DO NOT click on "verification" links ‼️ DO NOT follow prompts to switch instances ‼️ Report any suspicious accounts immediately
📢 Share this alert quickly—let's help Fediverse stay safe!
Pour celles et ceux qui ne seraient pas partis loin en vacances, le MastApéro a lieu comme toujours le second vendredi du mois, toujours au même endroit, toujours avec les mêmes personnes sympathiques !
Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad, a key humanitarian aid hub, suffers hellish night and morning of Russian strikes — Russia is weaponizing deportation — Ukraine proposes peace talks with Russia next week — [vlog/video blog] 24 hours inside Pokrovsk as Russia c
Medical Supplies for Ukraine’s Hospitals. Partnering for global health equity.
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and his team celebrate defeating Britain’s Daniel Dubois in their undisputed world heavyweight boxing title bout at Wembley Stadium in London on July 19, 2025. (Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images)
Fire, flight diversions reported near Moscow as Ukraine launches droneattackon Russia’s capital. A fire broke out in Moscow Oblast overnight on July 20 as Ukraine reportedly launched a drone attack targeting the Russian capital, local Telegram channels reported.
Ukrainian hackerswipedatabases at Russia’s Gazprom in major cyberattack, intelligence source says. The cyberattack allegedly destroyed large volumes of data and installed custom software designed to further damage the company’s information systems.
Ukraineproposespeace talks with Russia next week, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 19 that Ukraine has proposed new peace talks with Russia for next week, with National Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov extending the offer and signaling readiness for high-level discussions.
Ukraine considerseasingtravel ban for men ages 18-24, parliament speaker says. Ukrainian lawmakers are considering whether to allow men ages 18 to 24 to travel abroad, a move that would ease current wartime restrictions, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk said on July 19.
Ukraine moves toreclaimUkrainian names for foreign places in official use. A new initiative will examine how the Ukrainian language describes foreign locations while at home, with the aim of standardizing and promoting a Ukrainian spelling, said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Russia aims tolaunch2,000 drones towards Ukraine at once, German general says. The staggering figure described by German Major General Christian Freuding, who heads the Ukraine task force at the German Defense Ministry, comes as Russia continues to expand its drone production.
Human cost of Russia’s war
1killed, 6 injured in Russian drone attack on Odesa. At least one person was killed and three were injured as a fire engulfed a residential building amid a Russian drone attack on Odesa overnight on July 19.
Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad suffers ‘hellishnight and morning’ of Russian strikes. Pavlohrad, a city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that has become a key humanitarian aid hub for those evacuating the front lines, suffered one of its most severe attacks of the war, Governor Serhii Lysak said on July 19.
24 hours inside Pokrovsk as Russia closes in on key Ukrainian city
International response
‘Russia isweaponizingdeportation’ — Ukraine evacuates 43 deportees from Russia-Georgia border. Instead of being brought to the Ukrainian border, 56 Ukrainian deportees were taken to a basement facility in Georgia where they were being held in a transit zone, aid group Volunteers Tbilisi reported.
In other news
Ukrainian boxer UsykdefeatsDubois, retains world heavyweight championship. Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight title and preserved his unbeaten record with a commanding fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley Stadium.
Zelenskyunveilsnew composition of Ukraine’s Security Council. President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 19 announced the updated composition of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, following the country’s latest government reshuffle. While most members remain the same, one notable change is the appointment of Rustem Umerov as the council’s new secretary.
Ukraine’s defense, digital ministriescoordinateto scale drone solutions. Newly appointed Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal met with Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on July 19 to discuss scaling up battlefield technologies, with a focus on interceptor drones and anti-Shahed systems.
The Kyiv Independent delivers urgent, independent journalism from the ground, from breaking news to investigations into war crimes. Your support helps us keep telling the truth. Become a member today.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the EU's unilateral move, reaffirming that India does not recognise sanctions imposed outside the United Nations framework.
the sanctions target Nayara Energy’s 20-million-tonne-per-year refinery in Gujarat’s Vadinar, where Russian energy firm Rosneft holds a 49.13 per cent stake.
India condemned the quotunilateral sanctionsquot by the European Union targeting a oil refinery in Gujarat and urged the EU to avoid quotdouble standardsquot in energy trade
I mean India does enjoy the energy sovereignty by trading with Russia, the same way EU exercises their authority to sanction them because of it. Seems fair.
Musing out loud some casaul philosophical reflection on fedi and tech ethics, related to this toot:
In our FOSS movement and the social impact movements that favor the fediverse we value a set of principles we think are essential to improve all the things that need fixing, in order to move to a better world.
Fediverse as no other other online space can be considered a "humane technology field lab". People care about the features of their app, and the impact it has on fedizens that use it. This focus on the human side, ethics, and externalities is highly laudible and much needed to become the norm everywhere. The only future of mankind is the one where we find equilibrium of our exploitation with what our planet can provide. Holistic sustainability.
But do we take all the externalities into account fairly? Or are we fooling ourselves that app-centric humane tech focus is enough. We aren't able to collaborate at scale in our grassroots environment, as Big Industry™ under hypercapitalism is able to do. Yet we do work in public and give all our innovation away, also to the bad actors. Is that responsible? Are we really creating "humane technology" then?
Are we able to control what we create, as we introduce it into society in real-time?
Will our work remains commons based, for the people by the people? Or won't we be able to avoid corporate capture of our tech followed by 'business as usual'? Maybe the way we work together now is the best we can muster. But who is pondering if that is the case, and looking into better ways to work ethical and responsible in large-scale grassroots commons that keep sustainable technology ecosystems afloat?
FOSS: "Nice! I bridged all the social web protocols"
FOSS: "And I made service development dead easy, intuitive and productive"
Fedizen: "This is so wonderful. What a cozy place we have"
Meta: "We agree! We embraced the technology and today announce free fediverse access for anyone. Our datacenters are primed and ready for a billion more fedizens. That's not all! With Service Mart you're in full control!"
Due to a bug in the #Discourse #ActivityPub plugin the image is included twice and with the wrong alt-text (the one that auto-generated on image upload).
The #ALT4you alt-text is the exact text of my toot at this location:
FOSS: "Nice! I bridged all the social web protocols"
FOSS: "And I made service development dead easy, intuitive and productive"
Fedizen: "This is so wonderful. What a cozy place we have"
Meta: "We agree! We embraced the technology and today announce free fediverse access for anyone. Our datacenters are primed and ready for a billion more fedizens. That's not all! With Service Mart you're in full control!"
Dopo una pausa di quasi quattro anni (il suo ultimo lavoro "Red Letter Year" è del 2008) dovuti al matrimonio e alla maternità, la quarantunenne Ani DiFranco ritorna con un nuovo disco, il diciannovesimo: ¿Which Side Are You On?.. Leggi e ascolta...
Dopo una pausa di quasi quattro anni (il suo ultimo lavoro “Red Letter Year” è del 2008) dovuti al matrimonio e alla maternità, la quarantunenne Ani DiFranco ritorna con un nuovo disco, il diciannovesimo: ¿Which Side Are You On? Sono presenti alla realizzazione di questo album Pete Seeger, i Neville Brothers, il compagno e produttore del disco Mike Napolitano e molti altri musicisti di New Orleans, città di residenza della DiFranco. Il “marchio” che ha sempre contraddistinto la folksinger americana è l'impegno politico, la libertà e l'autonomia di pensiero e di azione, proprio per questo non ha mai accettato compromessi con le major, pagando di persona l'esclusione dalle radio e dai riflettori mass-mediatici... artesuono.blogspot.com/2014/07…
Embark on an epic journey through PlayStation history! See "every PlayStation ever," from the iconic PS1, PS2, and PS3 to the powerful PS4 and PS5. Discover rare variants like the Net Yaroze and PSX, and explore unique accessories. We compare console performance, discuss generational leaps, and recommend the best models for your collection, whether you're a hardcore collector or a casual gamer. See classic games like Parappa the Rapper, God of War, and Motorstorm played on period-accurate displays. Uncover the evolution of controllers, from Dualshock to Dual Sense, and learn which PlayStation is right for YOU!
„Vor 28 Jahren ist ein Raumschiff mit Außerirdischen über Johannesburg gestrandet. Seitdem werden die Aliens in einem slumartigen Flüchtlingslager isoliert – dem District 9.“ – Ein südafrikanischer Science-Fiction-Film, der es in sich hat, uns mal wieder wirklich nachdenklich werden zu lassen. (ZDF, Wh)
"Vor 28 Jahren ist ein Raumschiff mit Außerirdischen über Johannesburg gestrandet. Seitdem werden die Aliens in einem slumartigen Flüchtlingslager isoliert - dem District 9.
Linux users who have Secure Boot enabled on their systems knowingly or unknowingly rely on a key from Microsoft that is set to expire in September. After that point, Microsoft will no longer use that key to sign the shim first-stage UEFI bootloader that is used by Linux distributions to boot the kernel with Secure Boot. But the replacement key, which has been available since 2023, may not be installed on many systems; worse yet, it may require the hardware vendor to issue an update for the system firmware, which may or may not happen. It seems that the vast majority of systems will not be lost in the shuffle, but it may require extra work from distributors and users.
Small companies which use old laptops with Windows might be bitten hard by this because they can become locked out of their hardware with no way to update it, or even make a backup!
And by the way, Intel motherboards which are running your Linux system may contain a copy of Minix - yes, the Minix from the historic Tanenbaum vs. Torvalds debate - which runs below the OS in the system management mode engine and is controlled by the vendor, which can e.g. update firmware via the network. SMM is normally not visible by the user but it can cause problems e.g. for real-time applications because it has higher privileges than the kernel and can interrupt all of the kernel at any time.
For a home desktop that's never left unattended with anyone untrustworthy, I don't see that Secure Boot is worth the effort in setting up.
Given that you have to re-sign the boot image every time you upgrade, any malware already running with root privileges on the machine could easily slip itself into the new signed image.
The best security is not running untrusted software to begin with.
Can you explain the detailed reason why you think that? Voicing opinions is nice of course but explaining the thought process and logic is, I think, almost always more interesting to other people.
To start with, what do you think is the "normal users" threath model? And, for example, if one happens to be a member of any of the various minorities that authoritarian governments of every color happen to single out and persecute in your countries case, what would you want to protect from? Or if you are, say, a lawyer, and have a professional obligation to protect sensitive data from theft?
Actually, I would love for you to explain to me how Secure Boot alone would protect someone from any of that. If you want to protect files, you need full disk encryption, not Secure Boot.
Or are you seriously expecting a government-level threat actor to bother to:
Sneak into your home while you're away or asleep;
Overwrite your bootloader or UEFI with a rootkitted image of the same version so it's impossible to tell;
Wait for you to boot your computer and enter your disk encryption password, then:
Use the rootkit to read the decrypted files off your disk?
That's the great thing about fascist governments, is they have no need to be that sneaky. They can just change the laws to make whatever you're doing illegal and jail you until you agree to give up your documents, or simply hit you with a $5 wrench until you tell them the password.
You need both FDE and Secure Boot, ideally with FDE using a TPM with PIN and PCR 7+15=0. FDE without SB can be trivially boot-kitted and obviously SB without FDE is mostly pointless. Maybe for a server/desktop behind locked doors you don't worry as much, but for a laptop you absolutely should. Also it's really easy in Arch to resign the UKI with sbctl via a pacman hook whenever the kernel is updated so there's no good reason not to use it.
If you're relying on a LUKS password only, it can be brute-forced. To protect against that you need a decently long password which is annoying to type every boot. A short TPM PIN sealed by SB protecting LUKS is both more convent and more secure.
Finally, if an attacker or malware gets root, FDE isn't protecting you either.
Even having no pre-boot PIN with SB on is nice, then you only need your user space login where you could even use fingerprint reader if you like. For servers they can already start serving without anyone having to intervene manually (which is nice after power outage, for example).
So yeah, SB, TPM and FDE are a very nice bundle that heavily secures against the most relevant attack vectors.
Yep that's how my desktops and servers are set up. I only recently started adding the TPM PIN to my laptops for a bit of extra protection from cold boot / evil maid attacks.
Secure Boot is a really contrived and, frankly, bad defense against an attack that is extremely difficult to execute in reality and does not happen often (are there any examples of a bootloader replacement against a home desktop in the wild?).
An actually good solution would be firmware support for LUKS-style FDE (with a password-encrypted key which then encrypts the rest of the disk), so that your bootloader is encrypted with the rest of your system and impossible to substitute without erasing the rest of the disk, until you enter the password. This way there's no need for key enrolment into firmware, and firmware manufacturers don't have to just trust MS. (the firmware of course needs to be protected too, by signing it with the manufacturer's key; if you flash something unsigned, a warning pops up Android-style before every boot).
If you are hiding something from the state (like your sexual orientation or something), your energy is much better spent encrypting your communications online and keeping your identities anonymous. If you are already suspicious enough to try and pull a bootloader replacement attack on you, any authoritarian state which would do that in the first place will just throw you in jail and fabricate evidence as needed.
The main advantage of SB is TPM. At runtime the key isn't available and unlocking your disk works automatically as long as nothing has been tampered with (which is then also a nice canary: if you suddenly have to enter your password during boot, something's off).
There's nothing technically preventing using TPM without secure boot. This is a limitation imposed by OEMs. In fact I have a separate hardware encryption key that I encrypt my (laptop) drive with, and even I don't (can't) know the private key. I only know the pin that is needed to unlock it. If motherboard OEMs implemented something like this on the motherboard, with the ability to decrypt the bootloader partition before booting into it, this would solve everything.
If secure boot is off, and you run malware on your pc, it can change the boot process to escalate privileges.
This probably requires root or admin in the first place, but if they can install a malware loader, they can establish persistence so that even if you remove the os-level components, they'll be reinstalled on reboot.
Yeah, but the malware can just wait for a system upgrade where you sign a new boot image and slip itself in then.
It works for Windows because theoretically only Microsoft would have the signing key and it's not just sitting on disk somewhere. But then you're just trusting Microsoft, and also subject to vendor lock-in.
If secure boot is off, and you run malware on your pc, it can change the boot process to escalate privileges.
This is technically correct, but on a desktop system, malware executing in user space is normally already game over. It can exfiltrate and send your passwords or ssh private keys, change browser certificates or browser software, add user systemd sessions or crontab entries and can generally e.g. do everything a banking trojan would like to do.
As commenters on the LWN thread said, I doubt that many firmwares even bother to check anyway. My motherboard happens to have had a bug where you can corrupt the RTC and end up in 2031 if you overclock it wrong. I didn't use secure boot then though so I don't know if it would have still booted Windows. But I imagine it would.
That said, I've always just enrolled my own keys. I know some other distros that make you enroll their keys as well like Bazzite. At least that way you don't depend on Microsoft's keys and shim or anything, clean proper secure boot straight into UKI.
As commenters on the LWN thread said, I doubt that many firmwares even bother to check anyway. My motherboard happens to have had a bug where you can corrupt the RTC and end up in 2031 if you overclock it wrong.
Seems it compares the expiration date of the UEFI key with the signature date of the bootloader / OS keys. (See the comments on the LWN article, some are far more knowledgeable than I am.) So, no, it does not require a working on-board clock to lock you out if you are not extremely careful and fully understand each part.
That does not help if the master key in the key chain is expired.
Sure you can disable Secure Boot. But a password-protected BIOS is secured by TPM again. High levels of security always carry a risk of locking oneself out.
I don't think you understand what "enrolling your own keys" means in the context of Secure Boot.
The key affected here is specifically for the Linux shim signed by Microsoft. It is used by GRUB and some distros to work with Secure Boot.
Enrolling your own key means you add a new certificate to the key store. This is completely separate from the one provided by Microsoft and controlled only by you. The common recommendation is to remove all built-in keys and only add your own, to make this system as secure as possible.
OK, now you are talking about something a bit different - registering own keys in the UEFI system, which is significantly more involved than updating the BIOS, and also requires firmware support, and the firmware also needs to match the motherboard. And the whole issue with ACPI support for Linux shows clearly that having reams of specufications is not enough, the implementation of the BIOS needs to match that specification which whether thsz's the case you will only learn after you bought the hardware.
That said, I've always just enrolled my own keys. I know some other distros that make you enroll their keys as well like Bazzite. At least that way you don't depend on Microsoft's keys and shim or anything, clean proper secure boot straight into UKI.
I didn't start talking about it, this was many comments above
At least that way you don't depend on Microsoft's keys and shim or anything,
The whole point of the article is that you do depend on their expired root key. You have produced a lot of text without even understanding the key issue. At that point I am wondering whether all that text was produced by an LLM?
I don't know that you've understood the issue either, and you're being kind of a jerk? My understanding is this mainly affects installation media. If you disable Secure Boot, install a Linux distro, enrol that distro's keys and then reenable it, you're fine. That seems to be what the commenter you're replying too is suggesting.
Please don't troll and come back to the topic. GP was completely missing the topic, do you want to avoid it?
. If you disable Secure Boot, install a Linux distro, enrol that distro's keys and then reenable it, you're fine.
Um, given that Secure Boot prevents any modification of your computer's boot chain - including installing another boot loader or OS - that's not how it works.
given that Secure Boot prevents any modification of your computer's boot chain
Secure Boot does no such thing. All it does it require that everything in the boot chain is signed by a trusted cert.
Binding TPM PCR7 to FDE (or more brittle options like 0+2+4) is really what protects against boot chain modifications but that's another topic.
Disabling SB to install the distro, then re-enabling it once installed with either maintainer-signed shim or self-signed UKI/bootloader is perfectly fine.
I'm not trolling, you called them an LLM, they clearly aren't, you're being a jerk. I'm not going to engage with someone who thinks they're the smartest person in the room.
That's the whole point of enrolling your own keys in the firmware. You can even wipe the Microsoft keys if you want. You do that from the firmware setup, or within any OS while secure boot is off (such as sbctl on Linux).
That's a feature that is explicitly part of the spec. The expectation is you password protect the BIOS to make sure unauthorized users can't just wipe your keys. But also most importantly that's all measured by the TPM so the OS knows the boot chain is bad and can bail, and the TPM also won't unwrap BitLocker/LUKS keys either.
Secure boot is to prevent unauthorized tampering of the boot chain. It doesn't enforce that the computer will only ever boot Microsoft-approved software, that's a massive liability for an antitrust lawsuit.
Yeah this is an issue but not a big one. Most distro's installation media don't use shim so you have to disable SB during install anyway.
And installing the 2023 KEK and db certs can be done via firmware without much trouble or you can use sbctl in setup mode which I believe has both the 2011 and 2023 keys.
If you dual boot Windows you'll want to update it to the new bootmgr signed with the 2023 keys and add the 2011 certs to dbx to protect against BlackLotus or let Windows do it via patches+regfixes.
Also know that any changes to PK, KEK, dB, or dbx will change the PCR 7 measurement so handle that accordingly if you use TPM unlock for FDE.
That is far more complex than a firmware update and also depends on a correct implementation of the spec in the BIOS - which, given the experiences with ACPI for Linux, is not at all something one can rely on.
I just tried to distro-hop and found my BIOS had been locked with a password. Assuming I didn't set a password that I subsequently forgot (and that isn't one of the many I have memorized), I figured this might have something to do with the age of the laptop (I have a HP 4540s). If certificate expiration is already affecting people then this might be it.
EDIT: I just forgot I set a password, and it took me 2 days to realize that I was stupid enough to have set the password that I used for everything when I was 12 years old.
Not OP, but BIOSes often give you a specific error code after a few wrong password attempts. You can put the code in here to recover the password: bios-pw.org/
You can self-sign and self-enroll secure boot keys. Can’t say it’s an easy process, though - I had a lot of misery with it on my Surface Go 1st Gen. Might be better on my Thinkpad.
Microsoft's keys are pre-installed to all motherboards, so boot binaries signed by Microsoft are trusted by default. afaik Microsoft keys often can't be removed, but not because it's not possible, but because it can brick devices. you can create your own MOK or Machine Owner Keys and set up your linux system to sign your bootloader and kernel with it, but that is in addition to Microsoft keys.
That's bullshit. ARM is an architecture and by itself does not specify secure boot any more than x86 does. Raspberry Pis don't have secure boot. You can unlock the bootloader on a Pixel, install GrapheneOS, and relock the bootloader just fine. Several other manufacturers allow bootloader unlocks no problem. The main reason you can't on some popular phones is US carriers, even international Samsungs you can unlock the bootloader and flash whatever you want on it.
I'm literally typing this comment on a phone running a custom OS (LineageOS on a OnePlus 8T). I'm literally 2 versions of Android ahead of the latest supported version. I also have a Galaxy S7 running Android 15, a phone that officially tops out at Android 8 and launched with Android 6. Both you literally just toggle the bootloader unlock option in the settings, no hacks no craziness, it's literally a feature.
At this point you're just straight up making shit up.
The only one I can't find for sure is whether there's any lockdown on the firmware for the Microsoft Surface and Copilot+ laptops, but I'm also not finding any sources pointing that it would be. But at this point you're buying Microsoft hardware, what do you expect.
Some people argue that one can work around such locking down of PC hardware. Do this or that to avoid issues with substantial tinkering.
But that is not a bug but a feature. Sure, as a technical Linux user you can work around some nastiness. Like working around privacy invasion on Facebook or Linkedin by "adjusting" settings, or "adjust" settings in Wimdows to make it more private and so on. The thing is: working against the platform becomes quickly a losing game, because you don't control the platform - Microsoft does. And it does not help you if you manage to re-gain control of your device after some hours of tinkering if 99.9% of people around you don't have the knowledge and time and store your data, photos, Emails on OneDrive and so on. Freedom is very much a collective thing and software freedom is no exception.
And this does not mean that the thinkering and hacking is in vain - but it is not enough. We need the practical right to control our devices.
Nello scenario di guerra contemporaneo, dove sono le informazioni a farla da padrone, con la possibilità di attaccare da distanze chilometriche mediante l’utilizzo di razzi ed artiglieria, piuttosto che l’impiego di semplici droni radiocomandati, le …
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Pudutr0n
in reply to jackeroni • • •Agreed. Very sneaky indeed.
::: spoiler But also:
:::
KimBongUn420
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to KimBongUn420 • • •KimBongUn420
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to KimBongUn420 • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •𝗖 𝗔 𝗧
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •You do realize that's the Nazbol symbol, not the Soviet Union symbol, right?
National Bolshevism - Wikipedia en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation…
@Cowbee @Pudutr0n
political ideology combining elements of Bolshevik communism and reactionary ultranationalism
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)verdigris
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to verdigris • • •verdigris
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to verdigris • • •NoiseColor
in reply to verdigris • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to NoiseColor • • •Taking China’s pulse
Dan Harsha (Harvard Gazette)NoiseColor
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •I'm sure north Koreans would regret the fall of the un family too, so that is hardly an argument. Russians have been brainwashed into their imperialistic superiority and think they have an innate right to lands occupied by other nations and they believe bombing their homes is justified to achieve this. That is imperialism and that is fascism.
There is something seriously wrong with people glorifying mass murderers like those.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to NoiseColor • • •"Brainwashing" as a concept doesn't exist. People license themselves to believe that which benefits them is good. The concept of "brainwashing" was invented by an American to justify why people support socialism. Read Masses, Elites, and Rebels: The Theory of "Brainwashing."
Further, it's the Kim family, Un is half of Kim Jong-Un's given name. The fact that you have no clue how Korean names work yet feel confident in speaking about it is just chauvanism, same with your racist rant against Russians.
Finally, the Soviet Union was neither fascist nor imperialist. Fascism supports private property and the bourgeoisie, socialism supports the proletariat and collectivized property. They are opposites. Read Blackshirts and Reds.
Imperialism - ProleWiki
ProleWikiNoiseColor
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •Ah yes, “brainwashing doesn’t exist”, just another invention of the evil Americans to explain why people totally voluntarily adore authoritarian regimes. Let’s pretend people are just licensing themselves into blind loyalty under oppressive systems. Very empowering.
Appreciate the name correction, truly the most pressing issue here. Definitely not the labor camps, famine, or absolute control over a nation. Glad to know you’re more offended by a naming convention than, say, public executions.
And of course, the USSR wasn’t imperialist, it just "liberated" countries like Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan with tanks and secret police. It showered Chechnya with love and freedoms. You see, when the West does it, it’s imperialism. When the USSR does it, it’s “proletarian internationalism.” Totally different.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to NoiseColor • • •I guess you're so far-right even Wikipedia is too "left" for you?
The entire project of MKUltra was the US trying and failing to prove brainwashing exists. The fact of the matter is that socialists support socialist systems because of the benefits they provide, like greater access to healthcare and education, and more democratization than capitalist systems. It isn't blind loyalty, but a genuine belief based on material improvements in their lives as compared to previous conditions that results in citizens of socialist countries defending their system. The same applies for USians that defend the genocidal imperialist US regime.
As for the name-correction, I pointed it out because anyone who has spent more than 5 seconds learning about Korea in general knows that Kim Jong-Un's father was Kim Jong-Il, and Kim Il-Sung his father. If you're trying to critique the persistence of the Kim family in the DPRK's politics yet don't even know their names, it's abundantly clear that you have no clue what you're talking about and have done no study, no reading. All you have is chauvanism. You cannot critique the DPRK based on vibes, you need to actually study it, otherwise your critique is just based on personal feelings of superiority.
Yes, the Soviet Union liberated many areas, but millitary intervention isn't imperialism. Imperialism is a method of economic extraction. The US and western Europe are imperialist becayse they use their vast financial capital to expropriate vast sums of wealth from the global south, the USSR never practiced that, nor could it, as its economy wasn't based on financial capital but public ownership and collective planning. The majority of people who lived in the Soviet Union want it back.
Please, read a book. I linked several articles and books for you to serve as a good start, right now you're just proving the meme correct with your far-right chauvanism driving all of your points. You're so far-right even Wikipedia is too "woke" for you for showing that "brainwashing" doesn't exist and was just an invention of the CIA during the Cold War.
Communist Nostalgia As The Reality Of Bourgeois Democracy Hits Home In Eastern Europe
Richie Brown (Medium)NoiseColor
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •That was a lot of words to say :“I read some propaganda and now I think I understand the world better than everyone else.”
So we’re tossing out decades of psychological research, cult deprogramming, coercive reeducation tactics all because the CIA tried and failed to weaponize it? That’s like saying gravity doesn’t exist because Wile e Coyote fell off a cliff too many times. Congrats on discovering that governments lie, but somehow you skipped the part where all of them do, not just the ones with Wall Street.
Ah yes, North Korea, the global poster child for free healthcare, happiness and freedom. People aren’t starving in silence because they love rice rations and songbun caste systems, no, they’re just really passionate about collectivism, right?
Imagine thinking that knowing Kim Il-Sung fathered Kim Jong-Il makes you an expert on geopolitics. That’s like bragging you know Mario’s last name is also Mario and thinking it qualifies you to lecture on Italian history.
This is peak doublespeak. When NATO intervenes, it’s imperialism. When the USSR does it, it’s “liberation.” Did the Afghans and Hungarians send thankyou cards or just more bodies to the gulag?
Tell that to the Eastern Bloc countries whose economies were entirely dependent on Soviet central planning, political obedience, and “fraternal aid” in the form of puppet regimes. But sure, because they didn’t have a Wall Street, they were basically saints.
Right, because when your position collapses under basic scrutiny, the only move left is to call anyone who disagrees far-right. Classic tankie bingo. Sorry, but being critical of all oppressive regimes doesn’t make someone “far-right.” It makes them intellectually consistent, something you clearly struggle with.
You want people to read? Try reading beyond niche tankie pdfs. Read Solzhenitsyn. Read The Gulag Archipelago. Read defectors stories. Or maybe talk to people who actually lived under these regimes instead of roleplaying revolution.
You’re not antiimperialist. You are not even acommunist, you just like the taste of authoritarian boot from the east.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to NoiseColor • • •"Brainwashing" isn't gravity. I didn't think I had to explain this, but the decades of research failed to materialize any proof of "brainwashing." This is extremely stupid. Propaganda exists, and works by appealing to already felt material realities.
As for the DPRK, they do have free healthcare and education, and the period of starvation was largely in the 90s during the dissolution of the USSR, their largest trading partner. The DPRK isn't a paradise, but most of its issues are due to US sanctions, similar to Cuba. It wasn't until the mid-80s that the ROK managed to surpass the DPRK in terms of economic growth, and the DPRK lost 20% of their population and 80% of their buildings in the Korean War thanks to the US Empire's genocidal campaign. Northern Koreans support their system largely because despite the absolutely brutal conditions they find themselves in, they still manage to maintain better metrics than peer capitalist countries.
Further, my point was that brainwashing was levied at all socialist systems with popular support, from Cuba to the USSR to Vietnam to the PRC to Laos, etc. Most of these have managed better metrics than the DPRK, in fact it was originally the Chinese communists and American POWs that defected that were accused of being brainwashed.
And no, me knowing the major members of the Kim family doesn't make me an expert, at all. In fact, my point is that it's the bare minimum requirement, and you failed to meet even that. I have a lot of studying to do on Korean history, the fact that you thought it was the Un family was proof of your own failure to meet the minimum understanding necessary to have a conversation.
Imperialism is a system of economic extraction. Millitary interventionism can aid imperialism or hinder it depending on the conditions at play. It was not imperialist for the Union to invade the Confederacy. Again, the majority of people who lived in the Soviet Union want it back.
You aren't being intellectually consistent. You cling to "brainwashing" as a valid theory despite nobody believing it in the modern scientific community. You claim your own incredible lack of knowledge on the DPRK is somehow indicative of my intellectual failings. You've brought no sources, no proof, no logic, all rhetoric and no substance. If not even liberal sources like Wikipedia believe in brainwashing, and the Leftists discount it entirely, it's only the far-right that clings to it.
I absolutely love that you're recommending me the Gulag Archipelago, a work of fiction, as a valid counter to the history, facts, and statistics I've provided. You should read Russian Justice, an actual work of non-fiction. Wikipedia is not a "niche tankie PDF." Neither is the Ash Center for research, nor the New York Times. I have spoken to people that lived and live in socialism. I'm a communist, and an anti-imperialist, and you're proving the meme absolutely correct.
Communist Nostalgia As The Reality Of Bourgeois Democracy Hits Home In Eastern Europe
Richie Brown (Medium)NoiseColor
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •You’re not a revolutionary. You’re a cosplayer with a complex and a folder full of cherrypicked pdfs, reciting slogans like it’s still 1917 and pretending it makes you moral and intellectuall. It doesn’t.
You do realize you just tried to argue that propaganda works because it reflects material conditions and in the same breath deny brainwashing, which is literally coercive propaganda. You're not making a point. You're just putting Marxist vocabulary on a merrygoround and hoping it makes you sound profound.
As for North Korea, spare me the "they have free healthcare" fairy tale. North Koreans also have free labor camps, free starvation, and free executions for watching the wrong movies. But sure US sanctions are why they have zero access to uncensored information and why three generations of a cult family rule with godlike authority. Blaming the U.S. for North Korea's failures is like blaming the fire department for how your meth lab exploded.
And yet somehow, despite your encyclopedic knowledge of Kim family trivia, you can’t manage basic moral clarity. You’re passionately defending a regime that murders people for trying to leave. But hey, they have education, right? Nothing says “quality schooling” like indoctrinating 5 year olds to worship a hereditary dictator.
Tell that to the millions crushed under tanks, starved by planned economies, or shot for disobedience. Your definition of imperialism is so narrow it wouldn’t even cover the British Empire, but I’m sure it helps you sleep at night while defending military invasions by calling them “liberations.” You could hand Stalin a bayonet and a map and you’d still find a way to claim it was worker-led peacekeeping.
Nostalgia ≠ legitimacy. People miss stability. That doesn’t mean gulags, censorship, and breadlines were good. It means capitalism also failed them. But unlike you, they’re not worshiping the boot that stepped on them they just don’t like the new one either.
And your source is the New York Times a capitalist propaganda outlet according to your own ideology, until it magically agrees with you. The irony is delicious. You’ll dismiss Gulag Archipelago as fiction because Solzhenitsyn wasn’t state approved, but you’ll worship Soviet press releases as gospel. Your logic is as flexible as a Stalinist show trial
You are not an anti-imperialist. You’re just angry the wrong empire won.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to NoiseColor • • •Ah yes, cherry-picked pdfs from 1917 like the Wikipedia page for Brainwashing, a NYT article from Solzhenitsyn's ex-Wife showing that the Gulag Archipelago is folklore, a book by Dr. Michael Parenti written in the 1990s, and a mid-2010s study from the Ash Center. Incredible cognitive dissonance on display on your part.
"Brainwashing" doesn't exist. People license themselves to believe that the systems that they believe materially benefit them are good. This is how propaganda works. It isn't possible for a truly brutal system that is horribly repressive to the majority of society to truly trick them into believing its good, it requires that there be a base level of truth to the system being materially beneficial. Capitalists in the US are more likely to believe it to be morally good, same with labor aristocrats bribed with the spoils from imperialism.
As for the DPRK, you have already proven that you have no idea what you're talking about and have no sources. There's nothing to discuss, here. Their rates of starvation are lower now than peer capitalist countries, the Arduous March was in the 90s when starvation was prevalent and the US magnified it by preventing them from trading goods they produced for foodstuffs in the global economy in a time of natural disaster.
Again, you go back to claims of "brainwashing," which isn't accepted by anyone anymore. Read North Korea: Another Country by Bruce Cummings, a liberal historian that is largely anti-DPRK yet still manages to provide an objective view of the real conditions and systems in the DPRK.
There were not "millions crushed under tanks," unless you mean the millions of German Nazis killed by the Soviets when liberating the world from Hitler and the Nazis. The British Empire absolutely falls under the definition of imperialism, it used vast extractions from countries like India that ended up causing mass famines that killed millions of people, like the Bengal Famine of 1943.
People miss socialism, read the article. The safety nets provided by the socialist system worked far better than the system of rampant plunder that replaced it. 7 million excess deaths occured around the world thanks to the fall of the USSR. Poverty, sex work, wealth disparity, starvation, all skyrocketed while literacy and life expectancy fell.
Yes, I indeed used a right-wing, liberal source to debunk another right-wing work of fiction. Would you rather I use a communist source? Are only far-right sources that agree with your far-right views acceptable to you? Solzhenitsyn's own ex-wife outed it as folklore, there was no historical evidence provided, just a large memoir written by a right-winger. This is what I mean by licensing, despite no historical backing, you defend a right-wing work of fiction because it conforms to your beliefs.
I'm an anti-imperialist. You still haven't come up with a definition of imperialism that both includes the USSR while excluding the US's Union invading the Confederacy as imperialist. You just rely on sloganeering and doublespeak, again proving the meme correct.
Famine in British India during World War II
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)jackeroni
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to jackeroni • • •Cruxifux
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to Cruxifux • • •No need to be rude.
Cruxifux
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to Cruxifux • • •Cruxifux
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •Ah yes, equating a working class movement that uplifted hundreds of millions from poverty and killed 85% of the Nazis in World War II with a genocidal bourgeois reaction that murdered tens of millions out of racial, sexual, ableist, and political supremacy. Gotta love historical nihilism and horseshoe theory.
Read Blackshirts and Reds. Quit it with the Holocaust minimization.
comparison of Soviet atrocities against Eastern Europeans to the Holocaust
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)Owl
in reply to jackeroni • • •Railcar8095
in reply to Owl • • •jackeroni
in reply to Owl • • •Pudutr0n
in reply to jackeroni • • •So umm... Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola really hate each other's guts.
If you ask them, they're nothing alike. If you ask a Coca Cola drinker, they'll tell you Pepi is disgusting filth... Their marketing campaigns are completely different too. Pepsi says "That's what I like" and Coke says "Real Magic". And you know, what you like doesn't have absolutely anything to do with magic... Nothing at all. But if you think about what they do to people that buy their stuff and feel good about it, what they do to people's actual well being and what they actually offer, they're pretty much the same thing.
Only difference is who gets your money.
I hope you understand I don't mean to insult your beliefs or anyone else's. Just wanted to share my own thoughts. And hey, I know you won't agree and that's fine. I respect what you think and honestly wish you and the world the best.
Just don't try to convince me to buy any sodas cause I'm not a soda guy. I prefer water, tbh.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Pudutr0n • • •davel
in reply to Owl • • •bdonvr
in reply to Owl • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Owl • • •Ah yes, equating a working class movement that uplifted hundreds of millions from poverty and killed 85% of the Nazis in World War II with a genocidal bourgeois reaction that murdered tens of millions out of racial, sexual, ableist, and political supremacy. Gotta love historical nihilism and horseshoe theory.
Read Blackshirts and Reds. Quit it with the Holocaust minimization.
comparison of Soviet atrocities against Eastern Europeans to the Holocaust
Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)𝗖 𝗔 𝗧
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •@Cowbee @BuboScandiacus
Anarcho-Bolshevik
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Anarcho-Bolshevik • • •Evil Edgelord
in reply to jackeroni • • •jackeroni
in reply to Evil Edgelord • • •NoiseColor
in reply to jackeroni • • •jackeroni
in reply to NoiseColor • • •You are just spreading western lies and then using a thought terminating cliche with that pejorative of yours to do no further critical thinking
Checks instance
Oh yeppers that checks out, the fed instance 😁
NoiseColor
in reply to jackeroni • • •All the inconvenient truths become western lies in .ml
Same on Russian state tv.
☂️-
in reply to jackeroni • • •jackeroni
in reply to ☂️- • • •Dessalines
in reply to jackeroni • • •Dessalines
in reply to jackeroni • • •daydrinkingchickadee
in reply to jackeroni • • •Victims of Communism memorial faces call to remove over 330 names linked to Nazis, fascists
David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa Citizen)Zerush
in reply to jackeroni • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Zerush • • •Anti-communism, even coming from the "left," is still deeply reactionary. It's largely a petite-bourgeois ideology, valuing individualism over inter-national prosperity for all. Not all anarchists are anti-communists, many times in history Marxists and anarchists have worked together to achieve common goals. The anarchists that are anti-communist, however, are reactionary and anti-proletarian.
Any socialist that doesn't eventually want to reach communism is either a social democrat, ie not a socialist at all but a welfare capitalist, or is someone that doesn't understand how socialism works its way towards full collectivization and internationalism.
Anti-communist "leftists" do the jobs of the imperialist bourgeoisie for them. Rather than uniting all that can be, they side with the imperialists in the conflict between imperialists and communists. Such a strategic error is thoroughly backwards, and is convenient for those who wish to endlessly critique the world without actually rolling up their sleeves to change it.
Zerush
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •Agree, only means that calling Nazi all anti-communist is a falacy and much the cause of the force of the right wings. The left isn't often capable to agree with others because some idiologic differences, even if they all communists, but Leninists, Trotzkists, Marxists, Maoists, Stalinists, etc., while the right only need a briefcase with money to agree with the other rightwings.
The politics is to make commitments to create a common force against a powerful enemy. Important are the common goals of different points of view, not the "only my truth is the only valid", this is precisly the fascism and the danger of simplifying "anti-community = Nazi", we need commonsensism, not wiggeling red flags and Mao-Bibles, but educate and speak with the people. Still a long way to go.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Zerush • • •6R1M R34P3R
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •sudo_halt
in reply to 6R1M R34P3R • • •6R1M R34P3R
in reply to sudo_halt • • •sudo_halt
in reply to 6R1M R34P3R • • •Usually, they are either nazis under sheets, or down the nazi pipeline
People really even become leftists and then deadass become nazbols or some shit because they are just that racist
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to 6R1M R34P3R • • •NoiseColor
in reply to jackeroni • • •.ml beautifully mirrors stalinist Russia. You have to be the exact right kind of communist or you get deleted. Too little, you are a fascist and get deleted. Too much, traitor - deleted again. Only ideological purity matters even if it changes overnight. And it does change, because it has to accommodate all the mental gymnastics.
What a crazy cesspool! 😆
Mark12870
in reply to jackeroni • • •I feel like in this "meme" group is too much of pro-communist political content like this and I think I will rather leave this group soon...
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Mark12870 • • •Lemmy.ml has a lot of communists, the main devs of Lemmy are Marxist-Leninists. That being said, anti-communism's ties to fascism are historically documented and accepted even by liberal historians. I recommend reading Blackshirts and Reds.
For what it's worth, your instance already blocks most of the communist content on Lemmy for you, it comes pre-censored for you. This is just the stuff that slips through the cracks.
Blackshirts and Reds — Comrades Library
comlib.encryptionin.spaceMark12870
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Mark12870 • • •Blackshirts and Reds — Comrades Library
comlib.encryptionin.spaceBiteSizedZeitGeist
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •So, when you say "anti-communism", do you mean an organized front resisting and opposing communism, or just anyone who has an non-pro-communist opinion?
I imagine if I said something like "yeah capitalism has failed us, but that doesn't mean I want a planned economy" you might respond by saying I'm a wishy-washy centrist.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to BiteSizedZeitGeist • • •BiteSizedZeitGeist
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •I have to admit this may be a failing in my own political education. 😅 Why do you think liberalism and fascism are "the same ideology in different circumstances"? I think McCarthyism is a modern example of violent anti-communism, and I agree, that got really close to fascism. (Although I could argue that violent anti-anything would lead to fascism.)
I'm wondering if, like, Marxism-Leninism is something like "communism is what organized societies would naturally look like, and everything else is an authority asserting itself unfairly" sort of mindset.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to BiteSizedZeitGeist • • •To simplify, ideas are the results of existing material conditions. The ideas a worker has are informed by their experiences as a worker, and the same is true of capitalists. These sets of ideas, among those with similar positions, take on similar characters. Not the same, but similar enough. Workers tend to be more progressive, more unified, as an example.
Ideologies are the same way. Liberalism is the "nicer face" of capitalism. It's the part of capitalism that gets to pretend that the market helps all, that we can achieve the perfect system through carefully tweaking capitalism, etc. Fascism is the "meaner face" of capitalism. Fascism arises when capitalism is in dire conditions, and needs to violently protect itself, be it through colonizing their neighbors, murdering labor organizers, or using state planning in conjunction with the large capitalists to pivot to a more full economy, rescuing capitalism from its crisis by grinding the working class into dust.
Both are the ideological "superstructures" of capitalism. Neither is truly distinct from the other. In times of plenty, we call capitalist systems "liberal," but when those same systems turn to violent measures to retain the same conditions of production, we call it "fascist." It's the same system, different conditions.
Marxism-Leninism is neither. It's a tool for the working class, one that is informed by practice, and whose express purpose is to usher in a world that has resolved the contradictions of capitalism into the next stage in development, collectivized ownership and planning. Where humanity has become the master of production, and not slaves to the whims of profit. Marxism-Leninism is not the "natural state," it's a tool to get from this natural state to the next, more just natural state.
This is my perspective, which is certainly Marxist-Leninist, though other MLs may disagree with how I've described things and I don't dare claim that the specific analysis of fascism and liberalism as the same in different conditions is the definitive "ML stance." I'm also not taking credit for inventing it either, it's an old position as far as I know.
BiteSizedZeitGeist
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •Oh ok. I understand better. Thank you for taking the time to explain it 😀
I see MLs talk about "liberalism" and, correctly or not, I think of the French Revolution. It seems though that that term is instead of "neoliberalism," I think (?). I can see the narrative that "liberalism" and "fascism" are like masks that capitalist structures wear, like modes of operation. But it's also confusing because those two concepts don't descend directly from fascism.
And I think I'm picking up that ML is a the revolutionary part of expanding communism, and I guess that's why it's not just Marxism? Because Marx foresaw the fundamental changes that needed to happen, and Lenin instantiated it? I haven't read Marx yet, it's on my list of shame, I suppose 😅
Since we have an open dialogue, I'm also curious of your opinion about "tankie"ism. Specifically, why not-so-pro-communist people see MLs as tankies that defend or deny authoritarian crimes against humanity.
Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to BiteSizedZeitGeist • • •No problem! Liberalism was popularized by the French Revolution, but is generally the umbrella for pro-capitalist ideologies that put private ownership as an inherent "good." Neoliberalism is under that umbrella, but not distinct from it.
Marxism-Leninism is the synthesis of Marx's core framework of dialectical materialism, critique of capitalism, and scientific socialism, with Lenin's organizational advancements and advanced critique of imperialism that Marx did not live to see. It isn't so much a "recipe" as it is a tool for the working class to organize, overthrow capitalism, and work towards higher developments through socialism until communism is achieved. If you want an intro to Marxism-Leninism, I actually made an introductory reading list! Check it out if you have the time, it's aimed at beginners.
As for "tankie-ism," it's just the modern version of "pinko" or "commie." It's a pejorative for practicing Marxists. The "tankie" is a ready-made construct that affirms that all of the Red-Scare allegations against communists are true, while also being someone that supports said allegations. The reality is that the anti-communist propaganda throughout the decades is usually a distortion of quantity, quality, context, or all 3. There's nobody that actually agrees with all of the claims made by anti-communists are real, but also supports them. The reality is far more nuanced, but "tankie" is a convenient thought-terminating-cliché.
Cowbee [he/they]
2024-11-12 13:19:57
sudo_halt
in reply to BiteSizedZeitGeist • • •"Capitalism has failed us, instead of the only scientific ideology that is based in materialism, I am going to pick some vibes based bullshit I learnt on a Yogurt commercial"
Typical libshit
This inert attitude to politics is why our planet is fucked
ZeroHora
in reply to Mark12870 • • •Mark12870
in reply to Cowbee [he/they] • • •Cowbee [he/they]
in reply to Mark12870 • • •PotatoesFall
in reply to Mark12870 • • •