Image is a frame taken from this video of Iranian missiles raining down on Israel without interception due to a weak and depleted air defense system after a year of war and genocide.
Mao, 1956:
Now U.S. imperialism is quite powerful, but in reality it isn't. It is very weak politically because it is divorced from the masses of the people and is disliked by everybody and by the American people too. In appearance it is very powerful but in reality it is nothing to be afraid of, it is a paper tiger. Outwardly a tiger, it is made of paper, unable to withstand the wind and the rain. I believe the United States is nothing but a paper tiger.
When we say U.S. imperialism is a paper tiger, we are speaking in terms of strategy. Regarding it as a whole, we must despise it. But regarding each part, we must take it seriously. It has claws and fangs. We have to destroy it piecemeal. For instance, if it has ten fangs, knock off one the first time, and there will be nine left, knock off another, and there will be eight left. When all the fangs are gone, it will still have claws. If we deal with it step by step and in earnest, we will certainly succeed in the end.
Strategically, we must utterly despise U.S. imperialism. Tactically, we must take it seriously. In struggling against it, we must take each battle, each encounter, seriously. At present, the United States is powerful, but when looked at in a broader perspective, as a whole and from a long-term viewpoint, it has no popular support, its policies are disliked by the people, because it oppresses and exploits them. For this reason, the tiger is doomed. Therefore, it is nothing to be afraid of and can be despised. But today the United States still has strength, turning out more than 100 million tons of steel a year and hitting out everywhere. That is why we must continue to wage struggles against it, fight it with all our might and wrest one position after another from it. And that takes time.
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Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel's destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Moldovan referendum tomorrow https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2024/10/18/g-s1-28762/photos-moldova-referendum-vote-russia-meddling
This might be a controversial take,but I'm frankly pro the west winning on this one
Moldova is in a tug of war between Russia and the EU at the moment,and it looks like both are going all out.
Now, obviously I don't support the EU or western interests expanding,but,and this may be chauvinist brainworms,I do believe Moldova's future,minus Transnistria is to be reunited with us. Either us or Russia, because as it stands it's really not viable as a state. Again,this is the only point where I believe Romania's interests should align with the west.If the EU project can limp along enough for us to practically reunite before it dies,I'd see that as a win.Either way maybe we can work out something like a Romanian-Moldovan Schengen since neither of us are getting in the actual one and pave the way for reunification.
I feel like a referendum on joining the EU right now is kinda weird since it's basically a referendum on getting in a line that seems to have stalled. Unless moldovans think there's something that's going to speed up their accession process compared to others.
Maybe I'm wrong,but I think they wanna capture the country before Russia wins the war in Ukraine
And yeah,they said it'd join by 2030,so not anytime soon
They're still Marshall planning it though, though maybe the money faucet will die down after the war ends
I think the fear is Russia is forced to take Odessa and it'll link up to Transnistria and they possibly wanna draw a strong partitioning line before that
I think that depends more on moldova's will to negotiate with russia than it joining the eu, in fact if it joins the eu it'll probably get locked into an anti-russia stance that permanently leaves the transnistria thin unresolved, unless the eu itself accepts negotiations.
Yeah ukraine is also on the 2030 timeline, but it would probably be easier to integrate moldova into the eu's economy (I assume it'll depend very much on its economic relationship to romania), still doubt whether when the decision actually comes and eu countries realize they'll have to pay to integrate these new member there will be a lot more delays.
I think with the US pivot to the Middle East, Ukraine will fall by the wayside and with it,the hard line EU has against Russia
Most likely the US will cut Ukraine loose,force the EU to take the truncated western remnant into the EU and force it to foot the bill to fully kill the euro and the organization and that Moldova will be tossed in as a bonus
Frankly, Transnistrias future is with Russia,that is set in stone
As for Moldova,yeah, it'll probably become a Romanian appendage, which I'm not opposed to
I can see that happening.
For curiosity what do you think will change politically and economically in romania with moldova joining, I guess 3 million people isn't a lot compared to romania but how would that change the country?
Well,we'd almost have our pre fall of communism population again :)....for one second before half of the new population it goes to Germany or Italy...again...
Now,for the serious answer,I can't fully say I know,but probably most will just bolster the already existing parties,with some regionalist ones forming, probably very small
Well also have a new Szeklerland: Gagauzia,which will probably have something like the UDMR (Hungarian minority union of parties, basically a parliament bloc as a party) but for them
More strain on the economy,and we'll have a new Moldova inside of us (Romanian Moldova is the least developed,so the joke is that they'll become the new Moldova)
mass emigration towards the richer parts of romania, romanians will hate on moldovans for working for little and less. Basically east germany 2.0.
Possible,but they already have joint citizenship since 2007
Not like they haven't done so already if they could
Hell, Bucharest already is now full with Moldovans
Basically what you're saying already happened,so they wouldn't see a drop in quality of life,like then, because they are already gutted
Hell,Sandu herself has Romanian citizenship,but is born in Moldova
@rainn wrote an effort reply here: https://hexbear.net/comment/5523410
Saw it,replied
Seriously though, what about Gaugazia? It made a deal to stay in Moldova that Moldova is currently breaking, expect them to be treated like Serbs in Kosovo if Moldova ever joins the EU/Romania. (Joining Romania instantly gets them into NATO I think)
The dutch will never allow Moldova to join the EU. Besides that state is going to fall apart if they do join the EU, because there are pro-russian regions besides Transnistria. But its true, it shouldnt exist as a state they can barely keep the lights on.
Only Gagauzia,which could split and join Russia if they take Bugeac
I think the dutch will do what they did to us,let them in,but basically make them second class EU members, probably incentivised by US cash
https://youtu.be/eN6t02HanMs?feature=shared
Local,most likely western interest captured or collaborator "investigative journalism" agency made a documentary on it,if anyones interested,has English subtitles
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy: