Socialism is simply joined-up thinking. If you think about it. Oh, and if you love humanity and our planet.
Joined September 2021
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Brunapper retweeted
Neoliberal financialisation will go down in history as the West’s most catastrophic economic blunder.
A self-inflicted act of economic vandalism that sacrificed productive industry at the altar of speculative greed.
Vladimir Putin moved to reverse Russia’s disastrous 1990s shock therapy, rejecting the economic wreckage of that era in favour of restoring state control over strategic sectors.
(Alastair Crooke,Geo-Political Analyst)
Brunapper retweeted
Huge news for Latin America, and the world:
Lula da Silva has won reelection in Brazil, despite blatant electoral meddling by the US.
Brazil is the biggest country in Latin America, a major geopolitical power, and a founding member of BRICS.
The US empire wanted to put back in power the corrupt, far-right Bolsonaro dynasty, which is extremely pro-US and pro-Israel.
The Bolsonaros vowed to minimize Brazil's role in BRICS, serve the interests of Brazilian oligarchs and big landlords at the expense of the working class, uphold the global US dollar system, and let US corporations plunder Brazil's natural resources -- especially its rare earths and critical minerals, which the US wants to reduce its reliance on China.
In contrast, Lula comes from a poor family and has always put the interests of the working class first. He has a non-aligned foreign policy, 100% supports Palestine, strongly believes in the importance of Global South integration and cooperation, and was a co-founder of BRICS.
Lula will deepen Brazil's partnership with China and the rest of the Global South. He will also continue to push for the transformation of the international financial system and will challenge the global dominance of the US dollar, which infuriates Washington.
Brunapper retweeted
El 25 de octubre de 1922, acababa la agresión imperialista contra la Rusia bolchevique, con la entrada del Ejército Rojo en Vladivostok, aplastando a los últimos remanentes del Ejército Blanco y las fuerzas imperialistas de 17 países capitalistas.
Seguro que lo leíste en sus libros de historia occidentales, pero solo un año después de la Revolución Bolchevique, EEUU, Reino Unido, Francia, Checoslovaquia, Grecia, Rumania, Alemania, Austria-Hungría, Italia, Canadá, Turquía, Polonia, Serbia, Finlandia, Australia, China y Japón invadieron Rusia... pretendían acabar con la revolución obrera y devolver el poder a la burguesía zarista, en lo que se llamó como "Intervención Aliada" para restaurar el orden capitalista.
17 ejércitos con llegaron a tener a 1 millón de soldados invadiendo Rusia, en apoyo a la oligarquía capitalista y su ejército zarista, el cual también fue armado por todo Occidente... a esta flagrante agresión imperial de Occidente en Rusia lo llamaron "guerra civil" y murieron al menos 7 millones de rusos, hicieron todo lo posible para aplastar la revolución bolchevique que era un peligro para el capital mundial.
El Ejército Blanco armado y financiado por Occidente, además empleó la brutalidad más infame, en los Urales, más de 100.000 campesinos fueron exterminados en campos de concentración por el Ejercito Blanco por el "delito" de apoyar a los bolcheviques, exterminó a 150.000 judíos en el sur de Rusia (pogromos que más tarde imitarían los nazis) e hicieron limpiezas étnicas de más de 300.000 indígenas... metían a los sospechosos de ser bolcheviques en las calderas de sus trenes blindados para que se quemaran vivos.
La Rusia que quedó después de la cruenta agresión imperialista mal llamada "guerra civil", fue una de las naciones más pobres del mundo, sumida en el hambre y en las enfermedades... murieron al menos 3 millones de personas de hambruna y otras 2 millones de enfermedades como el tifus, la gripe o el cólera... en solo 40 años, esa misma Rusia devastada y con una guerra mundial por medio, seria una potencia mundial equipada con bomba atómica gracias al socialismo.
No somos conscientes del sacrificio del pueblo ruso para defender su revolución, primero tuvieron que luchar contra 17 países capitalistas, más muchos otros que apoyaron indirectamente la invasión económicamente y con armamento.... pero no contentos con eso, unas décadas más tarde, Occidente le financió a Hitler para acabar con la URSS y le montaron una guerra mundial que costó la vida a 27 millones de soviéticos.... y ni así, tampoco pudieron tumbar la revolución, es el ejercicio de resistencia mayor de un pueblo que ha conocido el mundo.
Brunapper retweeted
The Australien Government has made an ad about carbon offsets and it’s surprisingly honest and informative. youtube.com/watch?v=4IW1J2_m…
Brunapper retweeted
Sign the Declaration of Our Right to Protest*
👉 australiandemocracy.org.au/d…
(Not just for Aussies, all welcome!)
Brunapper retweeted
The Government™ has made an ad about the protests happening around the world, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative.🌍🌎🌏
Brunapper retweeted
Why do shareholders get the rewards when workers create the wealth a company generates? Is it time to rethink just what companies are for and to require that the rewards be shared more fairly? youtu.be/15r28WaimP8?si=oiL5…
Brunapper retweeted
What most people already understand, even without the economic terminology, is that firms like BlackRock operate less like investors and more like modern feudal landlords.
These vultures buy essential infrastructure,water networks, ports, energy grids, data centres, and other public necessities, often using vast amounts of borrowed money and paying prices that ordinary market participants cannot match.
Once the acquisition is complete, the debt is pushed onto the acquired company itself.
The result is simple: the public start paying.
Consumers repay that debt through higher water bills, rising energy prices, increased fees, and declining service quality.
The infrastructure becomes a real cash-extraction machine.
Profits flow upward to the shareholders and executives, while the financial burden flows downward to ordinary households.
When the model inevitably breaks down, the consequences are socialised. Communities are left with crumbling infrastructure, polluted rivers, and failing services.
Thames Water in the United Kingdom with a £14 billion debt mountain and repeated sewage scandals is a stark example of what happens when financial engineering takes precedence over public stewardship.
The executives who loaded the company with debt have already collected their bonuses.
The investors have already taken their returns.
And when the system finally reaches breaking point, taxpayers are expected to pick up the bill.
🔴Privatise the gains.
🔴Socialise the losses.
That is the business model........
Brunapper retweeted
Here we have Pierre de Gaulle, the grandson of Charles de Gaulle, saying:
"It makes me smile when people talk about Russian interference because it suits our political elites and allows them to avoid telling the truth to the French people.
Most of our politicians took part in the Young Leaders program, sponsored by the CIA"
Brunapper retweeted
Let's be honest,China isn’t an enemy.
It’s simply a competitor of the US and now the leading economic power.
Why?
China didn’t waste trillions on endless wars.
They invested in innovation, manufacturing and education.
US politicians hate China’s success because it makes them look like idiots....
Brunapper retweeted
𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝟯𝟬 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗚𝗢. 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗬.
I landed in China in 1995.
𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹.
Pollution was really bad. Some days you could taste the air.
Hygiene was a big problem. Public toilets you avoided if you could. Getting sick from food or water happened to everyone sooner or later.
Outside the cities it was real poverty. 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀. That stays with you.
Foreigners were rare. 𝗜 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿. You became the attraction. For many, you were the first foreigner they had ever seen.
Backpacking was a real adventure. No fast trains, hardly any highways. Crossing the country meant long-distance buses on bad roads, sometimes for days.
Foreigners had to stay in designated hotels. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. Same seat, same room, pay more because of your face/purchasing power.
Bus terminals and train stations were crowded and not safe. Pickpockets were normal.
English was extremely rare. 𝗡𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁, 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮, 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗽𝘀, 𝗻𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽. A paper guidebook, a dictionary, and a lot of pointing. Every day was a struggle.
So most foreigners did a year or two and went home.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀. Not for comfort, there wasn't any. We stayed because you could feel something was happening.
𝗡𝗢𝗪?
Now I cross the country on a high-speed train at 300 km/h. On time, clean, booked on my phone in a minute. Same price as everyone else.
Pickpockets? I can't remember the last time I heard of one.
Blue sky is normal again. The rivers I avoided have parks along them now.
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀? 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗽𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀.
And a foreigner on the street? Nobody turns their head anymore.
I pay for everything with my phone. I walk home at 2am and feel completely safe. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪 "𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗦"
Now I see new "self-proclaimed China experts" online, doing road trips in a nice SUV.
I'm not downplaying them. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀.
But it's the easy version. They see the result, not the struggle that built it.
Both stories matter. Theirs shows what China is now. Ours shows how far it came.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗗?
Not the people.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Railways, roads, power, sanitation. Hundreds of millions out of poverty. With concrete, steel and very long days.
I watched it happen.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗬 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧
In the 90s the Western press called China dirty, poor and backward.
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻, 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁.
Back then you had to be a hard-core China lover to stay.
𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲.
Brunapper retweeted
The US is not a democracy; it's an oligarchy where "elections" are bought and sold by billionaires and large corporations.
Elon Musk has cemented his record as the largest individual political donor in modern American history.
Musk poured $446 million of his own money into this year’s midterm elections, mostly aimed at preserving the Republican Party’s control of Congress. wapo.st/4igb5Kq
Brunapper retweeted
This is where I am politically right now. Despite Melenchon's rousing speeches and appeals to appropriate post-Keynesian economic policies, the current European riots have sunk into their usual headless, directionless shape. The polls have hardly shifted - le Pen was already well ahead. Any 'revolutionary' situation will be captured by the far right. The awkward corollary of what I've written below is that if we seek to construct a serious, committed opposition, first we must elicit an equal and opposite fear grounded in reality. We must replace the manufactured fears of immigrants, public 'debt', bond markets and so on with an overriding objective fear. What will really happen to the West if we carry on like this? It's an unfortunate fact that fear is the primary fuel for the hope, rational discussions of political economy and positive protest and action - aimed at what we're FOR rather than against - that come later. Dupuy's 'enlightened catastrophism' - @winlow_s has written about this cambridge.org/core/books/abs… and there's a useful summary here. cyrilhedoin.substack.com/p/e…
The constant flow of 'assured nonsense' you hear from the likes of Friedman - temporary winners, aspirers and their mouthpieces - is what aroused my interest in neuropsychology years ago. Ideological positions driven at root by primary affective demands - fear of loss and sacrifice being the strongest - create what Adrian Johnston calls 'deaptation'. The very thought of true democracy and the prioritisation of collective needs - the 'public interest' - triggers that fear. The more serial market failures and their negative real effects refute their position, the more fearful they become, which strengthens their beliefs, even though, cognitively, the relatively brighter ones might understand their absurdity. The evasive ethical/cognitive justification invoked is the sort of Churchillian 'least-worst' thinking you hear all the time - "ok, this is absurd and quite awful but it's better than socialism and we'll get through this rocky patch". The worse things get - and they will - the more they will double down on their beliefs. There will be no limits to their corruption and violence. No point in reasoning with them - we must construct a serious opposition amongst the unaffected and unconvinced.
Brunapper retweeted
Después de que el criminal de Macron sacase un ejército de mercenarios policiales a las calles de París, prohibiese manifestaciones y reuniones, estableciese hadta un toque de queda... esta fue la brutal respuesta hoy del pueblo francés.
El pueblo unido, jamás será vencido.
