I'm sick of young Americans obsessing over communism!

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Or from the thousands of books published by conspiracy nutters.
Or from the dozens of other websites where they both gather and share disinformation.

Blaming YouTube is lazy, especially when it's always the same thought-terminating cliché. Those TTCs don't deserve engagement.

How would you respond if someone's default response to your claims was always don't let CNN do your thinking for you? You'd most likely quickly write them off as someone who doesn't deserve any of your attention and as someone who has nothing of value to add. All the more so if your sources don't even include CNN.

He did seem to have a everything is bs, but no one will call me on my bs because I'll reject all labels no matter how applicable they are attitude.

ture，dude。 Appreciate what you say, lots of words to the point and never radical.

No, I would agree with them.  In fact, forming one's world-view from only one source is anathema to free-thinking -- it's like referring to "Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung" (毛主席語錄) as the ultimate source of all wisdom (which it obviously isn't).  This is why CNN is just ONE of over two-dozen news media sources I regularly consult, in addition to a dozen or so websites devoted to skeptical and scientific topics.  Digging into the sources of each article of interest occupies much of my time these days.

(Thus, my google-fu has been refined to the point where I can even dox the trolls that occasionally invade this website.)

I criticize YouTube thinking most often because when I ask "Evidence Please?", a YouTube video is usually what I receive, instead of an essay with cite-able sources.  It is as if YouTube is the ONLY source of understanding for some people, and that they never go beyond what the YouTube video presents, even to find out if the presentation is factual or not.  This became more frequent after the official 9/11 conclusions were announced, when it seemed that everyone had his or her own favorite YouTube video describing someone else's favorite conspiracy theory in great detail while presenting no valid evidence whatsoever.

Remember newspapers?  Remember textbooks?  Remember libraries?  These used to be the primary sources of factual information for students, teachers, and engineers alike.  Now, with viewing just a single YouTube video, anyone can pretend to be an expert on just about any given subject, even if they are running the video for the first time while they type out a post they are about to submit -- they are letting a YouTube video do their thinking for them -- and even if the subject is a blatantly obvious conspiracy theory based on rumors, lies, and assumptions.

So, if you object to the dismissal of YouTube videos as evidence of claim, remember that others have higher standards.

Excellent, but so many sources of information are often in conflict with extreme political ideas, how do you keep it? I see you're a bit extreme through signatures and avatars and some posts

I have my own methods, which I developed during my time in the military.What you see is decisiveness in action, laced with a heavy dose of skeptical inquiry.  Extreme?  Pfft!  Whatever . . .

I apologize to you for my inappropriate remarks, sir. Can you please educate me on how to develop my own understanding? excuse me

Even on here, there are tons of members like this and if you dare criticize a talking point or bring up an idea that is not PC your post will get ridiculed or attacked.

Which is to say, have disagreement expressed towards them.

I hope this doesn't count as an attack, I tried to be gentle.

Because America is basically too huge.

I would respect it if the US states were more similar to the sovereign countries of the European Union.

It didn't, but I seem to see an air of "No, your criticism of the left are unfounded, you are a crazy nut" while also condemning the actions of the Nazis and Fascists as the ultimate evil. Why can't those two sides just be held to the same standards? Both Marxist-Leninist and Fascist states are authoritarian.

There are some misunderstandings here. Communism and authoritarianism are not completely related. Even what I said about communism is anti-authoritarian.
There is a rule in my faction of communism: kill the tyrant, especially if he is in the party. Build a new one if the party stops serving the civilian.Proposed by Mao and not recognized by the ruling party

Last edited by belijojo on 20 Dec 2023, 11:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.

And yet . . .

Xi Jinping is still alive.

This is what I want to hear most from the opponents: what has he done, and what changes has China made because of him?
I see technological development, opening up foreign markets, and poverty alleviation, which are enough to offset the negative effects I know.

No one hates Communism more than Xi Jinping.

No one loves capitalism more than Xi Jinping.

When Mao Died China switched from Communism to capitalism.

Thats why China stopped having the problems of Communism and started having the problems of capitalism.

As Winston Churchil said "communism is the equal distribution of miseries. Capitalism is the unequal distribution of blessings".

And thats exactly the tradeoff made by China.

Under Mao things were more equal, but everyone starved.

After Mao outdid the West, out did the 19th century US, and out did Great Britain in the 18th century Industrial revoluton, by creating wealth and prosperity on an unprecented scale for 100s of millions.

But as with Britain, the US, and every advanced capitalist society it went through stages of inequality. Both geographic inequality (the coastal provinces are more advanced and prosperous than the interior provinces) and by class (China now a class of rich owners ...just like we did and still do in the capitalist west).

But unlike the UK or US China combines capitalism with an authoritarian regime. So modern China is essentially a fascist regime maserading as "Communist".

If you dont like China's combination of capitalism with authoritarian govt. thats fine.

But you cant attack China for being "Communist" because it stopped being that a generation ago.

Already know what I want: what you are against
I stopped replying, I hope the world will be better

Last edited by belijojo on 21 Dec 2023, 4:37 am, edited 4 times in total.