France on the brink: how a budget deficit became a political crisis
France on the brink: how a budget deficit became a political crisis
With the government facing defeat in a confidence vote, the nation’s economic problems will still need to tackledPhillip Inman (The Guardian)
Beverly Hills Unified School District board members vote to fly Israeli flags inside schools
Beverly Hills Unified School District board members vote to fly Israeli flags inside schools
Beverly Hills Unified School District officials on Tuesday voted yes on a proposal that they hope will fight antisemitism by flying the Israeli flag on all campuses and district facilities.Gio Insignares (CBS Los Angeles)
geneva_convenience likes this.
Read Theory, Darn it!
Without revolutionary theory, there can be no revolutionary movement.
— V. I. Lenin
In the dying capitalist hellscape we occupy, it can often seem hopeless. However, a better world is possible. We can move on from the destitution, genocide, and privation of today's society and move onto one where we consciously decide to take a scientific approach to production. We can direct society in such a fashion that satisfying the needs of the people is the goal of production, and not satisfying the bottomless avarice of a handful of billionaires. What we need is socialism. What we need is Marxism-Leninism.
Who is this guide aimed at?
Anyone wanting to begin their journey into the world of leftist theory and organizing.
How long will this guide take to follow?
Aimed at about 60 hours of active reading time. This can be stretched out over a year, or condensed into a few months of hard study, depending on your availability.
::: spoiler Section 0a: The Case for Marxism-Leninism [4hr 19 min]
In the 21st century, with global capitalism in crisis, now more than ever an alternative is needed. Why should we look to Marxism-Leninism, specifically?
- A. Einstein's Why Socialism? | Audiobook
[20 min]
From the unique scientific perspective of a legendary physicist, the case for taking a coordinated, planned, and scientific approach to production and distribution.
- R. Day's Why Marxism?
[26 min]
The case specifically for Marxism-Leninism as the basis of social organizing and revolutionary practice.
- M. Parenti's "Yellow Parenti" Speech
[1 hr 33 min]
The importance of revolution in uplifting people's lives across the 20th century.
- M. Parenti's Blackshirts and Reds | Audiobook
[2 hr]
A litany against anti-communist mythos, an examination of the real successes and struggles in the USSR, and an analysis of fascism.
:::
::: spoiler Section 0b: Self-Education [15 min]
When beginning to study a new subject, it's important to frame why studying said subject will be useful, as well as how best to go about studying.
- Ho Chi Minh's Why Do We Have to Study Theory?
[11 min]
Practice alone is insufficient for developing a solid understanding of effective methodology.
- N. Krupskaya's General Rules for Independent Study
[4 min]
Best practices for how to get the most out of study, through active engagement with theory.
:::
::: spoiler Section 1: Fundamentals of Marxism [2 hr 6 min]
Let's begin with some gentle overviews to form a base to build upon in the later sections.
- V. I. Lenin's The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism | Audiobook
[10 min]
The core fundamentals of Marxism.
- F. Engels' Principles of Communism | Audiobook
[1 hr 11 min]
The FAQ of communism. Quick to read, and easy to reference.
[~45 min]
A history of Karl Marx and the framework he created.
:::
::: spoiler Section 2: Philosophy [6 hr 17 min]
By far the most critical subject to firmly grasp within Marxism-Leninism is the philosophy of dialectical materialism, the main tool by which Marxist-Leninists interpret the world so as to more effectively change it.
- G. Politzer's Elementary Principles of Philosophy | Audiobook
[2 hr 46 min]
A gentle and thorough introruction to dialectical materialism and how it came to be.
- Mao Zedong's On Practice & On Contradiction
[2 hr 16 min]
Directed towards guerilla fighters of the People's Liberation Army, this pair of essays equip the reader to apply the analytical tools of dialectical materialism to their every day practice.
- T. Weston's Introduction to Marxist Dialectics
[~1 hr]
An in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of Marxist dialectics.
- K. Marx's Theses on Feuerbach
[15 min]
Spend some time using what you have just learned, and actively engage with each of Marx's 11 theses here. This is the true germ of dialectical materialism, and proper study avoids falling into vulgar materialism.
:::
::: spoiler Section 3: Economics [3 hr 37 min]
The Law of Value is the bedrock of the Marxist analysis of capitalism. Understanding how it is that capital behaves and functions will help us identify its contradictions, which we can exploit.
- N. Frome's An Extremely Condensed Summary of Capital
[20 min]
A basic introduction to the Law of Value. By no means a replacement for Capital, but will suffice for now.
- K. Marx's Wage Labor and Capital | Audiobook & Value, Price and Profit | Audiobook
[2 hr 17 min]
Best taken as a pair, these essays simplify the most important parts of the Law of Value.
- I. P. Wright's Marx on Capital as a Real God
[~1 hr]
An unorthodox approach to analyzing capital as a material expression of control systems.
:::
::: spoiler Section 4: Scientific Socialism [6 hr 12 min]
Scientific socialism takes an analytical approach to development and class struggle. We aim to understand the laws governing development so that we can become the masters of production, and develop in a planned fashion.
- F. Engels' Socialism: Utopian and Scientific | Audiobook
[1 hr 32 min]
Engels introduces scientific socialism, explaining how Capitalism itself prepares the conditions for public ownership and planning by centralizing itself into monopolist syndicates and cartels.
- K. Marx's Critique of the Gotha Programme
[47 min]
Dissects a weak socialist program and elaborates on the dictatorship of the proletariat, as well as the early socialist stage and higher communist stage.
- V. I. Lenin's The State and Revolution | Audiobook
[2 hr 8 min]
Further analyzes the necessity of revolution and introduces the economic basis for the withering away of the state.
- H. P. Newton's In Defense of Self-Defense
[10 min]
The working class must be able to defend itself from violent reaction, it can't jump from state to non-state overnight.
- N. Frome's How is it to be Done?
[20 min]
What does building socialism in the real world actually look like? How do we get from capitalism to socialism to communism?
- R. Day's The Case for Socialized Ownership
[23 min]
Highlights the importance of collectivized and planned production from an economic, scientific, and efficency standpoint.
- Deng Xiaoping's Marxism is a Science
[40 min]
The struggles and contradictions in existing socialism, and the process of building to higher and more developed stages, can only be accomplished by taking a scientific and analytical approach.
[12 min]
Addresses competing interpretations of the Law of Value with respect to the transition from capitalism to communism.
:::
::: spoiler Section 5: Colonialism [16 hr 14 min]
Understanding the ongoing national liberation movements in the global south, as well as the problem of settler-colonialism, is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of modern empire.
- Ho Chi Minh's The Path Which Led Me to Leninism
[4 min]
Decolonialization is fundamental to Marxism-Leninism.
- F. Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth | Audiobook
[4 hr 48 min]
A Marxist understanding of nationalism in the global south.
- J. Katsfoter's To Stop Marx, They Made Zion
[22 min]
The genocidal history of the settler-colonialism of Palestine, from its origins to today.
[~7 hrs]
Analysis of the dark, bloody history of settler-colonialism in the US Empire.
- P. Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed | Audiobook
[4 hr]
A fiery pedagogy for those wretched of the Earth.
:::
::: spoiler Section 6: Imperialism [8 hr 48 min]
Capitalism didn't collapse in Europe, it found new ways to survive, chiefly by exporting capital. This current protracted evolution of capitalism into imperialism is the primary contradiction facing the global march to socialism.
- V. I. Lenin's Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism | Audiobook
[2 hr 39 min]
The formation of imperialism, as well as general characteristics of its behavior.
- K. Nkrumah's Neocolonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism
[4 hr 39 min]
Over time, imperialism has managed to export the bulk of the contradictions in the global north to the global south.
- Cheng Enfu's Five Characteristics of Neoimperialism
[~1 hr 30 min]
The characteristics of the moribund US Empire, and its use of the dollar to dominate the global south in the current era.
:::
::: spoiler Section 7: Feminism [2 hr 3 min]
The historic oppression of women needs to be recognized and fought against.
- H. P. Newton's The Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements
[6 min]
All sections of the working class must uplift each other, and not use homophobia or misogyny against capitalists, as it attacks our comrades as well.
- A. Kollontai's The Social Basis of the Woman Question
[45 min]
A Marxist counter to the existing bourgeois feminist movement, explaining why feminism needs Marxism, and Marxism needs feminism.
[~30 min]
An exploration of the state of the feminist movement and the importance of intersectionality as it relates to combatting oppression.
- J. Freeman's The Tyranny of Structurelessness
[42 min]
Throughout the history of feminist struggle, the struggle against formalized organization has been counter-productive and led to less efficient effort and increased problems with elitism, while groups with formalized structures have had far more success and open dialogue.
:::
::: spoiler Section 8: LGBTQIA+ [4 hr 22 min]
We must correctly push for queer liberation, unflinchingly.
- L. Feinberg's Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue
[2hr 39 min]
When different social groups fight for liberation together, they are emboldened and empowered ever-further.
- V. Storm & E. Flores' The Gender Accelerationist Manifesto
[~40 min]
Breaks down the basis of misogyny, transphobia, and homophobia from a Marxist perspective.
[63 min]
Trans liberation and communism go hand-in-hand.
:::
::: spoiler Section 9: Party Work [5hr 12 min]
You can't build communism by reading it into existence. Roll up your sleeves, and get to work.
- J. V. Stalin's The Foundations of Leninism
[2 hr 2 min]
Marxism-Leninism is the living and evolving Marxism that has tested theory to practice for over a century.
- V. I. Lenin's What is to be Done? (Abridged)
[70 min]
The fundamental tasks of the revolutionary party.
- Liu Shaoqi's How to be a Good Communist | Audiobook
[~1 hour]
If we are to be successful, we must work to better ourselves, and do good party work.
- Liu Shaoqi's On the Party: Concerning the Mass Line of Our Party
[~30 min]
The mass line is the fundamental tool of maintaining a direct link between the working class and the vanguard,
without falling into tailism or commandism.
- Liu Shaoqi's On the Party: Democratic Centralism Within the Party
[~30 min]
Democratic centralism turns an amorphous but radicalized working class into a solidified force to overwhelm its enemies. It takes the greatest strength of the proletariat, its mass, and aligns it in a unified direction.
:::
::: spoiler Section 10: Self-Conduct [2 hr 39 min]
We cannot be dogmatic, or let the perfect socialism in our heads be the enemy of socialism in the real world.
- V. I. Lenin's "Left-Wing" Communism | Audiobook
[1 hr 47 min]
As organizers, we must do our best to engage where the working class is at, and not let the perfect socialism in our heads be the enemy of our own practice.
[17 min]
Marxism in western countries is often clouded by those who seem to only support socialism that failed, the "pure" socialist movements unsullied by the very real struggles involved in building socialism over a lengthy period of time. This perfect vision of socialism in our heads becomes not just the enemy of our practice, but also that of socialists in the global south that fought and died for a better world.
- Zhou Enlai's Guidelines for Myself
[1 min]
Simple and straightforward virtues for any good cadre.
- Xi Jinping's Water Droplets Drilling Through Rock
[4 min]
Tenacity is what creates valleys and shifts mountains. Through our connected struggle, even if the odds seem overwhelming, we all contribute to bringing about a better world.
- Ho Chi Minh's On Revolutionary Morality
[~30 min]
We must combat the notion of putting self-interest above that of our collective struggle. It is through collaboration that we emancipate all, not just ourselves.
:::
::: spoiler Conclusion
Congratulations, you completed your introductory reading course! Now, if you haven't already, get organized. The Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Red Star Caucus are all good Statesian options. Pick whichever decent org is most active in your area regardless of where you live.
Be industrious, and self-sufficient. Take up gardening, home repair, tinkering. It is through practice that you elevate your knowledge. Learn self-defense. Get armed, if practical. Be ready to protect yourself and others. Try to use FOSS if you can. Go vegan!
We will win.
:::
::: spoiler Resources
a. Theory
ProleWiki - A robust library and wiki for Marxism-Leninism.
Red Sails - "Woke ML-MZT Criterion Collection with home videos thrown in"
Comrade's Library - Excellent source for .epubs
Qiao Collective - Connecting western diaspora with Chinese political commentary
b. Podcasts
Blowback - Anti-imperialist podcast about the crimes of the US Empire.
Rev Left Radio - Marxist-Leninist podcast centering theory, history, and current events
c. News
Liberation News - PSL's newsletter
Fight Back! News - FRSO's newsletter
Naked Capitalism - Economic newsletter centering capitalism's decay
:::
Oh yeah, I really like what Red Sails did with the abridged version. I was thinking about this before, and it would be really nice to take some of the material like the state and rev, and update that in a similar fashion to include modern examples while keeping the original arguments. Most of Lenin's writing wasn't really intended as general theory for future generations. It was written specifically for education and organization during a particular historical moment. While a lot of the arguments hold true today, the historical context does create an unnecessary barrier for people getting into reading theory.
In terms of trimming, I wouldn't worry too much about that since the content is already broken down by topic. People can focus on reading what's interests them, and having more comprehensive coverage makes the list more broadly useful. If you're worried about length, you could just make a sublist of the essential reading.
The CDC quietly scaled back a surveillance program for foodborne illnesses
The CDC quietly scaled back a surveillance program for foodborne illnesses
A federal-state partnership that monitors for foodborne illnesses quietly scaled back its operations nearly two months agoAria Bendix (NBC News)
If and how much longer until they take cash and browser-based banking from us?
I've been mindful of the ways companies can track my spending habits, and so have been increasingly keen on using cash and avoiding mobile banking/payment apps like the plague. I realize that this varies by country and might be a bit far out, but the thought does linger in the back of my mind. If current trends continue, how much longer until they take cash and browser-based banking from us? Or will there be a reason those options should continue to exist (and be easily usable) far into the future? And perhaps:
- What else can I, as an individual, do about this?
- Is there a tendency for larger banks or smaller credit unions to push towards mobile-only online banking?
- What does it look like in countries where cashless and mobile payments are the norm?
like this
Just like they took away horses because they were too lazy not to ride to work.
Cash needs to exist because we need the anonymity, But nothing else about it is convenient whatsoever. We're actually safer leaving banks and leaving work on a Friday because of it. And check washing was honestly just bullshit It never should have went down that way.
We need to be anonymous,
Super agree
we need to have something that we can privately exchange,
Can't complain there
we need it for allowance for kids,
Nah, Our kids have a starter debit visa, Everything they want to buy is online (or is cheaper online) We were just handing them cash so they could hand it back to us so they could use our CC# then we got to make change. This is one thing that's much better digitally IMO.
we need it to pay when the digital service is down,
I mostly agree. There are a lot of places that can't even use their POS if the digital service is down. We also don't stock cash our drawers to the levels we used to.
we need it when we travel, so that there’s never any problems with paying for what we get.
I find using CC while traveling to be far easier, but the stupid intl fees suck. Thing is, even if you get cash out on the other end, you still pay an intl charge. And then you're stuck with whatever you don't spend in that currency. I think overall, digital wins here.
we need it to give to homeless,
Kinda agree. I'd rather the local government use my tax money to help them. They're already struggling from the number of people out there that don't carry cash.
to live beside the banking system alone and so forth…
Yeah, we do need a secondary method. I wish we could create a crypto system that isn't an elaborate pyramid scheme.
It's a little sad, that your kids only want digital things. Only one of my three kids sometimes want something online. I don't think that your kids needs is general. I know a lot of kids, of any age, who like to save up, and buy real stuff.
I've been traveling quite a bit, and cash always works. You do you here, and I do me. 😀
Of course the politicians should drop their love of having homeless people to scare the rest of us, and instead help them. But until that happens, then it's nice to be able to give them a little. My daughter love the smile a homeless person gives her, when she hands him/her a little money.
- Use privacy respecting cryptocurrencies for exchanges. This can be done between two individuals or at businesses, especially small businesses.
- Yes, it seems like they're doing it on a consensus level in the UK. This is because consumers would rather use banking apps because it is convenient for them.
- In the UK it is very common to use a card and contactless payment. It's very concerning because this trend is bringing the government to trace UK bank accounts to prevent "fraud". Which could target people on benefits for instance. Many are worried that benefits claimants will have their application scrutinized based on their spending habits. Disability rights is now becoming a political conversation about how and where they spend their money, which is mortifying.
Apertus: a fully open, transparent, multilingual language model
Apertus: a fully open, transparent, multilingual language model
EPFL, ETH Zurich and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) released Apertus today, Switzerland’s first large-scale, open, multilingual language model — a milestone in generative AI for transparency and diversity.news.epfl.ch
The Former Lead For Apple Graphics Drivers On Linux Is Now Working At Intel
The Former Lead For Apple Graphics Drivers On Linux Is Now Working At Intel
There's a follow-up to yesterday's surprising story of Alyssa Rosenzweig stepping away from Asahi Linux and that ARM graphics driver work where she led reverse engineering and development of the Asahi Gallium3D and HoneyKrisp Vulkan drivers within Me…www.phoronix.com
Popularity of Russian cartoon ‘cringe’ – Kiev propaganda outlet
Popularity of Russian cartoon ‘cringe of the day’ – Kiev propaganda outlet
The ‘Trukha’ Telegram channel has chided Ukrainian parents for letting their children watch ‘Masha and the Bear’RT International
Turning Soil Data into Harvests: Ethiopian Innovator Triumphs at BRICS 2025
Turning Soil Data into Harvests: Ethiopian Innovator Triumphs at BRICS 2025
Turning Soil Data into Harvests: Ethiopian Innovator Triumphs at BRICS 2025 Zelalem Endalew, Gold Medalist at the 2025 BRICS Skills Competition, is transforming farming with his IoT-Based Smart Irrigation Controlling & Monitoring...Sputnik Africa
(solved, thanks guys!) "No key available with this passphrase" despite it being the correct passphrase
Edit: Turns out you guys were right, I entered the setup password wrong for LUKs. I got this new Logitech keyboard I got for a gift and I type around 170wpm, but I've been having issues with it kind of lagging keys for some reason. What I did was I opened up a notepad and typed in my password a bunch of times and noticed whenever I would type something such as "stain" for example, it would come out at "stani" despite me looking at the keyboard and knowing that wasn't what I was typing. So I encrypted my drive with the wrong password, but figured out how to decrypt it that way. Thanks for the help doods!
Hello! I have a external drive I've encrypted with LUKs that has irreplaceable backups of mine, and for some reason no matter which PC I try it won't unlock despite it being the correct password. It doesn't give me anything else in the terminal other than what I put in the title.
I recently just backed up everything onto the external drive from my computer cause I was distro hopping. It's worked fine on my PC, I saved the password so I was able to mount it no problem before, but now it won't mount on any other PC I try. It isn't the end of the world since I can just try and copy old data from my computers drive before the format since I haven't downloaded anything yet that could overwrite anything important, but I'd still like to be able to get this external drive unlocked. As I've said, irreplaceable files of mine are on it so I'm hoping to get it working. Thank you!
How Erik Prince is Trying to “Make Haiti a Hub for Mercenaries” | Haiti Liberte
Erik Prince, the founder of many mercenary companies since Blackwater, is looking to gain a lucrative foothold in Haiti through wheeling and dealing with unelected, illegitimate leaders as cynical as he is. It won’t end well. Photo: ABC News
How Erik Prince is Trying to “Make Haiti a Hub for Mercenaries” | Haiti Liberte
(Français) Erik Prince, 56, the founder of several mercenary companies beginning with the now rebranded Blackwater, might have Washington’s backing forTravis Ross (Haiti Liberté)
ublock lite is now on IOS, Should people switch to that instead of using Adguard or should they stick with Adguard?
with ublock origin you would have to edit the blocklist and add the url you want to block/unblock. with umatrix you have a table like this:
you can block/unblock domains, and also change the global configuration. I, by default, block all javascript and XHR and enable some if they are needed.
Far-right agitator Tommy Robinson avoids charge over alleged assault
British Transport Police said a decision had been made by the Crown Prosecution Service not to charge Tommy Robinson as the alleged victim “did not wish to provide a statement to the investigation.”
“Following a report of an assault at St Pancras station on July 28, detectives from BTP quickly launched a full and thorough investigation, which involved a 42-year-old man being arrested on suspicion of GBH at Luton Airport on 4 August,” British Transport Police said.
“Officers worked at pace to gather evidence, including CCTV footage and witness statements, however the victim did not wish to provide a statement to the investigation.
Tommy Robinson avoids charge over alleged St Pancras assault
FAR-RIGHT agitator Tommy Robinson will not be charged over an alleged assault at St Pancras railway station last month ...Alasdair Ferguson (The National)
After a summer of submission to Trump, Europe knows it must defend Ukraine – and itself - alone
After a summer of submission to Trump, Europe knows it must defend Ukraine – and itself – alone
Can a European-led coalition really provide credible security guarantees? Past examples are not encouraging, says Paul Taylor, of the European Policy CentrePaul Taylor (The Guardian)
Azerbaijan President Comes Out as Russophobe, Calls Russia 'Genetic Occupier', 'Aggressor'
Azerbaijan President Comes Out as Russophobe, Calls Russia 'Genetic Occupier', 'Aggressor'
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of occupying his country and Ukraine, citing historical grievances while criticizing Moscow for worsening bilateral relationsLyuba Lulko (Pravda English)
Yeah sure, these would have never happened in USSR:
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populati…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Cossa…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportat…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportat…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomo…
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pu…
Also, it's a conflict: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populati…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportat…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportat…
I can do the same and dump a list of massacres and population transfers before & after the fall of the USSR and it would be far greater than all these lists combined. If so called 'Russification' was the goal why would Lenin and Stalin create separate constituent states for the ethnicities of the USSR? I admit that resettlement is bad, but in resolving the contradictions of creating ethnic states in a former imperialist & colonialist empire they must take steps to avoid intra-ethnic conflict between the states (Which dates back centuries), which when they stopped doing in the mid to late 80s, led to all of the conflicts seen in the former USSR today.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Cossa…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomo…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pu…
"According to Nicolas Werth, one of the authors of The Black Book of Communism..." are you even trying at this point?
Holodomor was a famine, common in the area for hundreds of years before the USSR, it was also the last
"An estimated 800,000 to 1,200,000 people died during the purges of the 1930s" If such a large amount of people died, can you see it in population statistics?
Also, it’s a conflict: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagorno-…
Take more than a surface look at this 'conflict'
My point wasn't dumping, I just wanted to show there are dedicated lists regarding USSR. Did those things happened? Yes. Did people suffer? Yes. Did millions die because of those policies? Yes. Nothing's gonna change that. They solved their problems by doing that. That solution was the problem for others. However, victors shape the history.
Also conflict means it's not one-sided.
By the way, I don't know about "The Black Book of Communism". What's wrong with that?
There are dedicated lists for every country that has existed, but even for the deported peoples of the USSR, namely the Chechens the vast majority of those who lived & worked in both socialism and capitalism miss the USSR and its progress in free education, healthcare, peace, and development, which was afforded to everyone, absent after the restoration of capitalism. Purely anecdotal, but in my time in Azerbaijan in an ethnically Dagestani villiage, there was a portrait of Stalin in the lodge, despite the fact that their ethnicity was deported similar to the Chechens.
After the fall of Artsakh, Azeri forces have full control over the native Armenian population with no resistance, which is pretty 1 sided
Although viewed by many scholars and laymen alike as an authoritative account of the crimes of Communism, The Black Book of Communism has since its publication date been criticised by its readers and writers alike for its methodology. Namely, the book includes among its "one hundred million victims" Nazi collaborators in the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (many of whom served in the Waffen-SS by the book's own admission) as well as comparing the expected population growth before a famine to the actual population growth (in essence counting people who were never born). In addition, the editors also confused the per-thousand symbol (‰) with the percent sign when translating from French to English, multiply some death tolls by 10 times.The book's own authors criticize the historical accuracy of its conclusions:
Jean‐Louis Margolin and Nicolas Werth reproach Stéphane Courtois considering ‘the criminal dimension as one of the proper ones of the communist system’s set’, he writes in his text. ‘This results in taking away the phenomenon’s historic character’, claims Jean‐Louis Margolin. ‘Even if the communist breeding ground can lead to mass crimes, the line between theory and practice is inevident, contrary to what Stéphane Courtois says.’ Disputing the ‘approximations’, ‘contradictions’, and ‘clumsinesses that make sense’, the two authors reproach Stéphane Courtois’s ‘obsession to reach one hundred million deaths’. — Le Monde
Margolin and Werth furthermore rebuked Courtois in an article published in Le Monde, stating that they disagreed with his vitriolic introduction and its political agenda. Margolin and Werth both disavowed the book, recognizing that Courtois was obsessed with reaching a body count of a hundred million and consequently leading to careless and biased ‘scholarship’. Courtois also composed the book’s introduction in secret, refusing to share it for his other contributors. They both rejected Courtois’s equivalence of German fascism with communism, with Werth telling Le Monde that ‘death camps did not exist in the Soviet Union.'
Of course there are, it's just that's much bigger in USSR's account even if you drop the percentage by 10. The Chechens I met tell the otherwise, that they were oppressed and had to live their religion secretly (though I'm not opposed the parts like where they forbid circumcision on boys), overall USSR had no religion and wanted no religion and I suspect a lot of problems occurred because of it, either the existence or absence of it. They tried to change it at once with oppression and that's an automatic backlash in human nature.
there was a portrait of Stalin in the lodge
That feels like Stockholm syndrome or laying low, I don't know which is. Because I know muslims hate Stalin.
I guess there is no perfect world and nothing changed for thousands of years. No one wants to leave others to mind their own business.
It seems "The Black Book of Communism" is a bad book and I accept that it's not fine to use it as a source. However even though that one is exaggerated, there are other sources too. By the way, I'm no expert on USSR or anything social sciences related, in fact I'm far from it. I just met a lot people who fled from USSR or who survived from persecution. None of the stories I heard even remotely praised USSR. But I don't know the other side of the stories, and most likely I never will be able to. At least not in a way unbiased.
By the way, gonna little side-track here, what's with the Ukrainians being Nazi I see around a lot, didn't they crush under Germans too?
2 children are dead and 17 people injured in Minneapolis school mass shooting; gunman died of self-inflicted gunshot wound
Minneapolis shooting live updates: Shooter dead after Annunciation Catholic school incident in Minnesota
The city of Minneapolis said that there is no active threat at this time after a Wednesday morning shooting at Annunciation Catholic School.NBC News
German auto industry cuts over 51,000 jobs over U.S. tariff, weak demand
German auto industry cuts over 51,000 jobs over U.S. tariff, weak demand: report
German auto industry cuts over 51,000 jobs over U.S. tariff, weak demand: report-english.news.cn
geneva_convenience likes this.
Labour voters are rallying to Jeremy Corbyn
Exclusive poll: Labour voters are rallying to Jeremy Corbyn
The new left-wing party in the process of being launched by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana might lack a name, a leader and a policy platform beyond tackling “the crises in our society with a mass redRachel Cunliffe (New Statesman)
Shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school leaves 3 dead, including the shooter, and 17 injured
A shooter opened fire Wednesday morning during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 other people before killing himself, officials said.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.
https://apnews.com/live/minneapolis-annunciation-school-shooting
How western media helped turn Israel's genocide into 'fake news'
Israel justified its murder of Al Jazeera’s crew on the grounds that one among them, Anas al-Sharif, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, was secretly a “Hamas terrorist”.
Sharif, we are told, similarly found time between breaks from his 22-month, frantic reporting schedule - much of it on camera - to serve as a Hamas commander “directing rocket attacks on Israeli civilians”.
We now know exactly where this ridiculous story originated: from something Israel calls its “Legitimisation Cell”. The intelligence unit’s name, which was surely never supposed to come to light, is the give-away. Its job has been to legitimise Israel’s atrocities with stories vilifying its victims and thereby making the genocide more palatable to Israeli and western audiences.
The Israeli news website +972 exposed the cell within days of Sharif’s killing this month, reporting that it was formed after 7 October 2023 - the day Hamas and other groups broke out of their Gaza prison camp, spreading carnage, following 17 years of a brutal siege.
But while Israeli mendacity is entirely to be expected - after all, it is the whole purpose of its official hasbara industry - what astonishes most is the western media’s continuing connivance in promoting Israel’s litany of lies.
Germany’s most popular paper, Bild, published a front page that might as well have been written by the Israeli military: “Terrorist disguised as a journalist killed in Gaza.” No claim, no quote marks. Just a statement of fact.
The UK media was little better, with most outlets prominently featuring Israel’s unevidenced “legitimisation” smears of Sharif in headlines and coverage. Astonishingly, BBC coverage on its flagship News at Ten swallowed whole Israel’s framing of Sharif as a legitimate target - as well as uncritically peddling the presumption that Israel was targeting him and him alone.
The context that has been missing from western coverage is this: Israel has killed more than 240 Palestinian journalists in Gaza over the past two years - more than all the journalists killed in both World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the Afghanistan War combined.
This is a pattern - a glaring one - but seemingly one to which western journalists are entirely blind, even as Israel continues to bar them from reporting in Gaza, nearly two years into its genocide.
How western media helped turn Israel's genocide into 'fake news'
Israel's intent to annihilate Gaza would have been clear much sooner had we listened to Palestinian journalists, rather than the evasions and equivocations of the BBCMiddle East Eye
like this
Linux and Secure Boot certificate expiration
Linux and Secure Boot certificate expiration
Linux users who have Secure Boot enabled on their systems knowingly or unknowingly rely on a ke [...]LWN.net
like this
Home values are falling in half of the top 50 metros, report finds
Home values are falling in half of the top 50 metros, report finds
27 major metros are in buyers' favor or neutral, up from 24 last month. The median for-sale home has been listed for 60 days, the longest of any JConsumerAffairs
Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler for New York will retire next year in move to galvanize generational change among Democratic party
Jerry Nadler, a Democratic representative from New York, will retire next year after 34 years in Congress in a self-proclaimed move aimed at galvanizing a generational changing of the guard in the party.
Nadler, 78, who represents one of New York’s wealthiest districts covering midtown Manhattan, said he had been persuaded not to run for re-election in 2026 after witnessing the implosion of Joe Biden’s presidential bid last year. The former president was pressured into abandoning his candidacy amid widespread doubts about his age and mental acuity. He was replaced by the former vice-president, Kamala Harris, who subsequently lost the election to Donald Trump.
“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that,” Nadler told the New York Times, which broke the news of his forthcoming retirement.
He told the newspaper that a younger replacement “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more”.
Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler will not seek re-election in midterms
New York representative will retire next year in move to galvanize generational change among Democratic partyRobert Tait (The Guardian)
CHECK DETAILS
Session is a FOSS messenger focused on privacy. No phone numbers, decentralized servers, and full end-to-end encryption. Perfect for anyone tired of surveillance-hungry chat apps. Secure, anonymous, open-source.
🔗 GitHub: SESSION - GITHUB
GitHub - oxen-io/session-android: Session Android - Onion routing based messenger [DEPRECATED SEE README]
Session Android - Onion routing based messenger [DEPRECATED SEE README] - oxen-io/session-androidGitHub
😅😅😅
kill --windows,
install --linux,
like this
What will MS do when Linux becomes a serious threat to their monopoly ?
What actions might they take in the future?
like this
I'd wager they have enough resources to stave it off for as long as possible, and when they can't do that anymore they will have a strategy for making money off of their "services" in the linux space.
Microsoft is part of the cabal at this point. Businesses give it money because they're expected to.
Private messaging is not "secure" - can this wording be improved?
Good day dear Lemmy community!
When I try to use lemmy's private messages, I get the following warning:
Warning: Private messages in Lemmy are not secure. Please create an account on Element.io for secure messaging.
It is very good to have this warning! However, can it be improved?
When I first encountered this wording, I was completely unsure whether the DMs would be totally public due to lemmy's limitations or its open stance, or whether the messages would have a similar security to e.g. email where your trust relies on TLS and the servers involved.
My proposal would be to change the wording to something like:
Warning: Private messages in Lemmy are not End-to-End encrypted. Please create an account on Element.io for secure messaging.
Or if the team is open to it,
Warning: Private messages in Lemmy are not End-to-End encrypted. Please use a platform with E2E encryption for private messaging.
Or if the team is even more open to it,
Warning: Private messages in Lemmy are not End-to-End encrypted. Please use a platform with E2E encryption for private messaging. Lemmy recommends Element.io and XMPP.
Thoughts? I'm ready to create a PR.
Element | Secure collaboration and messaging
Element is a Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. It’s decentralised for digital sovereign self-hosting, or through a hosting service such as Element Matrix Services.element.io
Messages between two people are not exposed via public APIs, but they can be accessed by admins of 1-2 servers (depending on whether you're sending these messages to someone on a different server).
Element fixes Lemmy's message content exposure problem, but none of the metadata problems (who is communicating with whom, when, how often, etc, are all still available to those 1-2 sets of server admins).
Why Communication Metadata Matters
As its name suggests, metadata is data about data. Metadata is used in a variety of contexts, often for cataloging information, like tagging keywords in a video so it’s easy to find later.ssd.eff.org
Based on the comments so far, maybe something like this makes sense:
Warning: Private messages in Lemmy are not End-to-End encrypted, so the respective instance owners are technically able to read them. Please use a platform with E2E encryption for private messaging. Lemmy recommends Element.io and XMPP.
Element | Secure collaboration and messaging
Element is a Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. It’s decentralised for digital sovereign self-hosting, or through a hosting service such as Element Matrix Services.element.io
Linux on my smart tv?
I have been rather unhappy with my smart TV's functionality as I feel it isn't smart for me but smart for the manufacturers. I just can't use it how I want to. I would love to overwrite the existing OS from Android to Linux. I've recently converted from Windows and loving Mint.
I haven't read too much regarding Linux smart tvs as my searches mostly come up with raspberry Pi and overwriting an Android box. I don't want to connect anything and just want my tv to boot up in Linux when it's turned on, and get some of my apps going. Is there a way to do this?
For reference I have a Sony Bravia with Android installed on it.
like this
I wish! I have a Samsung and I used to have an LG. One thing I anticipated which turned out to be on the nose is that these TVs stay operational just up until the maker decides they want your money again. I never bought into it to begin with. I only got a Smart TV to begin with because it has everything else I want. But I go straight to hooking up a computer. The apps on the TVs are all ooh and aah until a couple of years go by and then suddenly the apps are not compatible with the sites or backends what have you, and guess what? No more updates. You need a new TV despite the fact that yours is 100% perfectly fine, other than the inherent sabotage built in.
So that’s why I never even had any expectations. But I would love to find the best Linux distro for a media machine that my wife could learn to use. Right now I have to do all of it because it’s just browse to the files or load a playlist. I’d like something like Kodi or Plex but they have issues with one thing or another. I just want an SMB based connection in an interface that shows friendly thumbnails kinda like Nova player on Android. That app is highly underrated. Free, as far as I know open source and aside from a few control designs not being too great, the app is terrific. Kicks VLC’s butt. Why are they still designing the software like it’s 20 years ago and it’s on Windows XP?
Anyway I digress. Smart TV running Android or Linux would rock but I don’t expect it to be too feasible. But what do I know, because I’m not a professional dev.
The cheapest is to buy some android box with armlogic processor and install coreelec on it. You can do it for 20 bucks, then you have a kodi oriented linux distro on your tv.
Though I prefer to straight up connect my laptop to the tv with a small remote keyboard and have full computer functionality. I'm looking to change the laptop for a miniPC when the laptop finally breaks down. I would use a normal DE. Nothing specially suited for smartTV usage. But you get used to it pretty quick.
Taliban 'ready and willing' to join forces with Nigel Farage for deportation scheme
The Taliban is reportedly "ready and willing" to work with Nigel Farage and accept Afghans deported from Britain under Reform UK's unprecedented new mass deportation plan.
Reform leader Farage announced on Tuesday new plans to deport a staggering 600,000 illegal migrants within five years of a Reform government, which would mean deporting 300 people a day.
Farage said his government would negotiate returns agreements with countries including Iran, Eritrea and Afghanistan, which is governed by the Taliban.
Taliban 'ready and willing' to join forces with Nigel Farage for deportation scheme
The Taliban is reportedly "ready and willing" to work with Nigel Farage and accept Afghans deported from Britain under Reform UK's unprecedented new mass deportation plan.
Reform leader Farage announced on Tuesday new plans to deport a staggering 600,000 illegal migrants within five years of a Reform government, which would mean deporting 300 people a day.
Farage said his government would negotiate returns agreements with countries including Iran, Eritrea and Afghanistan, which is governed by the Taliban.
Do you guys just have flawless experiences or what?
It's been a week. Ubuntu Studio, and every day it's something. I swear Linux is the OS version of owning a boat, it's constant maintenance. Am I dumb, or doing something wrong?
After many issues, today I thought I had shit figured out, then played a game for the first time. All good, but the intro had some artifacts. I got curious, I have an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 and thought that was weird. Looked it up, turns out Linux was using lvmpipe. Found a fix. Now it's using my card, no more clipping, great!. But now my screen flickers. Narrowed it down to Vivaldi browser. Had to uninstall, which sucks and took a long time to figure out. Now I'm on Librewolf which I liked on windows but it's a cpu hungry bitch on Linux (eating 3.2g of memory as I type this). Every goddamned time I fix something, it breaks something else.
This is just one of many, every day, issues.
I'm tired. I want to love Linux. I really do, but what the hell? Windows just worked.
I've resigned myself to "the boat life" but is there a better way? Am I missing something and it doesn't have to be this hard, or is this what Linux is? If that's just like this I'm still sticking cause fuck Microsoft but you guys talk like Linux should be everyone's first choice. I'd never recommend Linux to anyone I know, it doesn't "just work".
EDIT: Thank you so much to everyone who blew up my post, I didn't expect this many responses, this much advice, or this much kindness. You're all goddamned gems!
To paraphrase my username's namesake, because of @SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone and his apt gif (also, Mr. Flickerman, when I record I often shout about Clem Fandango)...
When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall GNU/LINUX OS grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."
I agree that there should be a grace period after payments are stopped before they delete stuff. But I see no reason that they should provide you with free access to their service - if you haven’t paid, service is cut off.
But that is just my opinion.
☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆
in reply to ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆ • • •geneva_convenience likes this.
geneva_convenience
in reply to ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆ • • •☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆ likes this.