kravietz 🦇 @kravietz@social.privacytools.io

“The majority of the people in China do not eat wildlife animals. Those people who consume these wildlife animals are the rich and the powerful –a small minority.” This video explains how the people of China are themselves victims of the conditions that led to coronavirus. The virus is affecting many different countries and cultures, and there is never justification for xenophobia or racism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpoJGYlW54

@CyberSocialist

How come? https://oec.world/en/profile/country/cub/

The top export destinations of Cuba are China ($379M), Spain ($184M), Germany ($82.3M), Indonesia ($55.4M) and Singapore ($52.4M). The top import origins are China ($1.35B), Spain ($1.01B), Mexico ($356M), Algeria ($353M) and Brazil ($345M).

And how come 7% of Cuban imports come from... the US?

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/cuba-exports-and-imports.html

@CyberSocialist

It's not about how many want to leave in the first place.

It's about they *cannot* leave because their country holds them as... what exactly? How would socialist theory classify their position? "Enthusiastic members of the collective who don't want to leave, and if they want, they're reactionary traitors"? Just trying to simulate the language I remember from childhood.

@CyberSocialist

Yeah, I guess that would be truly socialist to *blame* these people for trying to escape!

Do you also mercifully spare your blame to wives suffering from marital violence for willing to escape?

Or would you rather console them explaining that violence and austerity are not really measures of a failed marriage because their husband can sing well!

@CyberSocialist

So what you're trying to say here, is that country that has built a socialist economy that is scientifically proven by Marx to be superior to capitalist economy, is 100x poorer only because an unsuccessful capitalist country doesn't trade with it and doesn't give it loans?

Can you see any, you know, possible contradictions in this logic?

@CyberSocialist

Once again https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/tu-quoque

But thank you for that "no" at least. So starting from your honest "no", if people are risking their lives to escape country A, and they can just freely leave countries B,C,D if the don't like it there, would you still classify A as "successful"?

@CyberSocialist

So the question is: why would an allegedly successful country prevent its citizens from leaving and how "successful" it is if people are so desperate to risk their lives to escape?

@CyberSocialist

People emigrating from USA or Poland don't have to risk their lives on boats, did you notice the slight difference?

@CyberSocialist

> you need to do it within the context

Go on, surprise me. I'm not easily dismissed with a bunch of sophisticated-sounding truisms.

> International loans are a tool of neoliberal empire

Precisely my point! So why were socialist countries even taking them if their socialist economies were scientifically proven superior and more effective by Marx?

@CyberSocialist

If Cuba is successful, why people are risking lives to escape by boats to countries like Mexico or USA?

"Wir hatten einst ein gut funktionierendes Gesundheitssystem. Und weit und breit war keine Krise in Sicht. Doch irgendwann begannen die Medien zu trommeln: „Schulmedizin ist nicht nachhaltig und bedroht die Gesundheit der Bürger. Krankenhauskeime, Antibiotika, Intensivmedizin – alles schlecht, teuer und gefährlich. Die Pharmakonzerne sind böse und profitgierig…“ Die Lehrer lehrten es die Kinder: „Sanfte Medizin ist gut, Schulmedizin böse“."

https://www.achgut.com/artikel/wie_deutschland_seine_atemgeraete_aus_dem_fenster_wirft

#Enegiewende

@CyberSocialist

> US/Russian geopolitics

Russian/German imperialism could be blamed for WW2.

Austerity of the Eastern Bloc after 1946 was caused exclusively by enforcement of Marxist economy. Before 1989 private trade was a crime (!) in all Eastern Bloc countries and you couldn't buy anything, from food, medicines to fucking toilet paper (!) because all paper was especially rationed (you could print leaflets on it).

In 1989 they allow private trade - and bang, overnight shops are full!

@CyberSocialist

I'm not blaming Cuba for fighting for independence.

I'm blaming Cuba for forcibly sticking to a failed economic model, keeping its citizens pariahs in their own country and renting them to capitalist countries as some kind of slaves.

> the Media has an agenda against successful Cuba

Except Cuba is *not* successful.

@CyberSocialist

And speaking about "ahistorical", do you know at all what was the objective of all the 20th century revolutions?

Abolish capitalism because socialism is going to do everything so much efficiently, with less surplus and more justice.

Now fast forward 50 years: all the socialist countries begging for Western loans and humanitarian help, some struggling with famines (NK), unable to feed themselves and secure decent level of living on their own.

"More efficient", remember?

@CyberSocialist And while wages were like 100x less than in the West, food prices weren't so much different.

For an average salary today in Poland you can buy say ~7000 eggs or 300 kg of butter (just to compare purchasing power). Back in 80's for an average salary you could buy 700 eggs or just 16 kg of butter, if you were able to find them in official shops. If not, you'd need to buy on black market, add extra 150% price margin.

@CyberSocialist Because I can tell you first hand $20 monthly salary in communist Poland *was* a huge problem for my parents (I was 13 when the crap collapsed eventually).

Guess what - free housing and healthcare were *not* really free because when there's shortage of everything, from flats to basic medicines, you have to pay bribes and black market prices for these goods.

@Wetrix Nice photo!

@CyberSocialist

So what you're saying is essentially, when I criticise a socialist country, I should always also point out the evils of neocons capitalism? Is that what you're asking for?

Then how abou thist: yesterday I just posted about a teenager who was denied healthcare in the US and died.

So I guess, by your guidelines, I should also add a paragraph about how screwed healthcare was in socialist countries? You know, to be objective.

Or does it only work one way?

@CyberSocialist Regarding international sanctions against USSR, did you possibly note the values and objectives that were at the very core of Soviet ideology?

*World* revolution? Abolishing of capitalism *in the West*? Soviet *westward* offensive of 1918-1920? Amtorg Trading Corporation? Comintern? Assassination of Georgi Markov and other dissidents living *in the West*?

Still no idea why those to be "abolished" might not want to trade with USSR?

@CyberSocialist

"Little choice" that makes them... to do what exactly and how that's related to sanctions?

How exactly is USA to blame if Cuba is buying fuel from Venezuela, Argentina and Algeria (at least)?

And regarding US sanctions themselves, can you trace them back to any particular events in the history of Cuba that triggered them?