d-RLY?
The mainland should both find ways to make sure they get access to the shit being sent/sold to Taiwan to strip-down and obvious shit for better understanding the builds and tech. And make a big show about how the US breaks its own rules on selling arms to supposed adversaries. But also sending “thanks to the USA for the toys” bit of snark, as they are supplying China with weapons. Would be funny to see such an announcement and have all kinds of war vehicles and other high value weapons paraded around with the PLA markings added to them.
Would be hilarious to see both capitalist parties and the military industrial complex have to deal with the massive L in the media. Or at least the idea of such a massive multi-decade sale of arms, and thus arming of, such a big enemy of the US scandal sounds amazing to me. Hell make it even more a “fuck you” by the PLA transferring US made shit to the DPRK and really all other socialist nations that want them. lol
I have found that leaning into being openly what and who I am has worked to at bare minimum create a softening effect on opinions. Wearing a “Mao hat” most of the time while out and about, and have a hammer and sickle pin that says “Equality, Brotherhood, and Liberty” while at work (I work at a big box electronics retail/services national chain where I fix computers). Being really honest and most importantly I try to be as helpful while interacting with customers and try to take time when they need it.
They often don’t see the pin right away, and already see how much I actually try to fix or explain in less technical ways where possible. Even folks that have some kind of American flag on are maybe a bit puzzled at actually interacting with a communist in a positive way. If asked about the pin (or the hat for that matter), I first say that I am extremely pro-worker and try to just feel out the interaction. Not going out of my way to push anything outside of saying that I stand with regular ass people and even take very light jabs at libs if the person is obviously conservative. I have even helped one guy that is not at all very tech literate over the past few years here and there. Dude is still a conservative, but one day he came in after I started wearing the hat and pin. He said the hat was nice, and asked about it. I said I am very pro-worker and a socialist, and just really hate how little working people get. Dude even asked if I ever get flack from my co-workers for it in a actual concerned way like he was willing to step-in and chew them out. So not only has he actually started trying to learn modern stuff like his PC, but is excited to tell me how he now uses some streaming apps. But he knows I am a real person that likes to help.
My reasoning (aside from liking them) for being visibly open about being a socialist/communist is that the majority of people haven’t physically met one of us in person. All they know is what they have been told via media and political leaders or whatever. Which is all that we are evil, hate freedom, want to take all their shit, idiots, and/or the peak versions of all the worst parts of US liberals (since they are also taught that Dems are actually somehow communists). It is extremely easy to hate/fear something/someone if you never actually are in a position to interact with the thing/person. Which I took from hearing multiple instances of former WW2 and Vietnam vets when saying how they only first met a POC after enlisting or while deployed. And how spending time with them showed how all the shit they were told about them was wrong. That they are just regular people just trying to live.
It also helps that I do truly try my best to find things that we might agree on to some level as a starting point when a conversation starts up with co-workers. It is only through being willing to actually talk with people and find how they best communicate by actually showing empathy and listening to them. Then you can find out how to convey what is and isn’t socialism. Because they don’t actually know what it is and what is actually bourgeoisie liberal capitalism (liberal liberal or conservative liberal) or fascism for that matter. Shit is not always easy and can get beyond heated. But it is needed and can help you see where you might need to learn more about if unsure in the moment. Major thing is to do everything to show that you are speaking in good-faith and hearing them.
On a less “softening to have a better opinion of socialism” and more just fun level. The hat has also been really interesting for random interactions. I have gotten into very positive conversations with US/US allied Vietnam vets that are jazzed to see it. One guy that was in the Thai military for the war almost scared me with his getting my attention to tell me he liked it and had saved one to keep from back then. There was some language barrier, but I believe he was on the US allied side. But was just very excited to see it and ask me if it was Soviet or Chinese. Even just interacting in Asian restaurants gets older folks excited to say they like it. Not really about changing their minds about communism. But still really nice to have interactions I wouldn’t have had.
I kind of think that the US leadership is just making select shows of not doing what Israel wants just for the headlines and political theatre. Just enough to claim that they are putting any level of “pressure” on Israel. But of course they will keep funding the genocide.
Also noticed that the Israeli flag on the table is on a slightly taller stick. Not really important, but couldn’t unsee it after noticing it. lol
So many of these kinds of people tend to get off so easy when compared to folks that commit actions impacting a small number of people. So many in the US are ready to call for the death penalty for everything other than these evil greedy fucks who’s actions can have impacts for multiple generations. It is telling that the rich and powerful make sure no such penalty is placed as a legal option. If it is possible for someone that kills another person to be sentenced to death. Then it sure as fuck should be the only option for people like her and those that constantly play games with people’s lives and the entire economy of a nation just to hoard more money.
The bills (specifically the Restrict Act) give a lot more legal justifications for increasing US spying on citizens and some big punishments if found using methods (such as VPNs) to access apps from foreign adversaries. 20yrs prison and/or $1,000,000 fines. It of course means that the US control over social media (and the communications in them) is kept. Another Patriot Act being pushed while using the smoke screen of “protecting America.”
Even if the above wasn’t part of it. The US government likes to talk about competing in the “free market” with China and other nations instead of with violence/war. But they also pull this shit banning any level of “free market competition.” And will point to China as being the one that is “evil” for restricting shit. The US and Israel are the cause of nations like Cuba not being allowed to be traded with or compete. The US and Israel like to point to the DPRK as being “authoritarian,” but are spying on and purposely causing suffering entirely more than DPRK or China.
The fact that they can’t even correctly pretend to understand even basic facts like Tiktok not being in China. Shows how little they care to hide the real reasons for making the legal setup for much much more oppression inside the US. They feel that they have sufficiently created stupid masses that just believe them without question. Which is sadly true for so many people in either party. Though maybe the politicians of the US will have finally FAFO if gen-Z literally arms up and goes hunting.
Not wrong entirely, but these bills are more than just “banning ticktok,” and are creating more legal spying while being overtly simplified to just seem like not a big deal. The US is making a new Patriot Act that covers more modern communication systems. They are just doing the same old “red scare” shit to paint China as the “authoritarians” for spying on us. But it always paints our global and local spying as being “the price of freedom” or whatever.
The current set of bills are looking to actually be a modern revival of the old Patriot Act. Just with much much more spying on US citizens and users of VPNs. I am betting that we will see a lot of torrent sites and other file sharing/streaming sites banned and will massively benefit orgs like the MPAA/RIAA and other copyright outfits. Get sites banned and say they “aid our enemies” and shit will be much worse. So legal censorship and oppressing the masses at the whim of the capitalists.
At least based on the picture, the flag appears to be flown flipped from the end that isn’t normally on the flag-pole side. So like seems like a point of using it as an insult, since everyone still likes to act like Russia is still the USSR. So I am guessing it is just reactionaries being reactionaries and not using the Russian Federation flag since it is less “scary” or something compared to the USSR (from the perspective of anti-Soviet right-wingers).
One of the main things that hurts the other AES nations is that they are much smaller and easier to deeply impact with all the sanctions placed on them by the US. Also China was able to get so many of the greedy US corps that only care about cheap labour for so long to move industrial manufacturing bases there. Which aside from the massive issues with corruption that came along with it, was not wasted in getting a fuck-ton of modern equipment and knowledge to catch-up with western nations fast as fuck. But the corruption is being dealt with dramatically. With China now having so much sway on getting other nations that have really only stuck with the US for fear of money/trade (and being attacked by our military of course). It is much more likely that we see the other AES nations be able to trade with those nations.
If nations like Cuba have been able to make make such amazing advancements (especially medical ones) while under US restrictions. Just imagine what they can do once said restrictions are made moot. I just hope that China and the other nations (AES or not) are able to be united in putting the US in check as the war-hawks and rich that so fear losing what they have stolen become more and more erratic.