Look. I'm not trying to start another pointless struggle session. Far from that, I want each and every one of us to confront this most strange attempt at multilateralism by two of our favourite existing socialisms.

There's no substantial article on the environment. Not a single word on climate or pollution. And nothing on labour issues.

I get that the whole thing is brand new and the member countries will probably amend to add more to the document in later stages.

But now is the point the heads of governments go back to their respective legislative body for ratification. Again, nothing on labour, the environment or the climate.

I want us Chapos to confront the likelihood that existing socialist experiments are faltering, even abandoning, a key promise of socialism to workers: reducing work hours for more leisure time. That, and no idea how trade is going to connect to the climate crisis.

    • Reganoff2 [none/use name]
      1·
      4 years ago

      While you are correct to be wary of Western propaganda against China re: Xinjiang (particularly as Xi has himself noted that he is borrowing US-led frameworks on the 'War on Terror' anyway), I wouldn't use 'diplomats from Muslim-majority countries' as proof of anything. Most Muslim countries also stood by India when they removed the special legal protections from Kashmir and intensified their military occupation. Muslim countries are not somehow bound by oath to protect the ummah, I mean they will sell out for the sake of getting access to a big market (like India, China, etc) if they need to without any hesitation. Any insistence that because Muslim officials say something is okay it must be is I think built on the sadly outdated notion that religious solidarity is going to trump socio-economic gain.