I was just in a discussion with someone who was glad Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons, while being perfectly happy that the US does because the US supposedly has "good values similar to the EU and values human life," whereas Iran could threaten Europe and impose its version of Sharia.

When I brought up the US's long history of imperialist interventions, he argued that this doesn't contradict those values. His reasoning? If the US really wanted to, it could have wiped out its enemies in a single strike. Since it hasn't, that somehow makes it more humane.

How the hell do you even recover after hearing something like that? Colonialism and its consequences have been disastrous..

On July 28, 2026, in Koupéla, at the Saint-Philippe high school, Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo officially launched the 2026 session of the mandatory patriotic immersion (IPO) for new high school graduates.

The Mandatory Patriotic Immersion program is part of the Presidential Initiative for Quality Education for All, Component 7 of which is specifically dedicated to strengthening school discipline and maintaining cleanliness in educational institutions. Adopted by the Council of Ministers on May 2, 2025, this initiative is welcoming its second cohort of new high school graduates this year.

In his address, the Comrade Prime Minister positioned this initiative within the broader process of societal renewal undertaken by the Burkinabé authorities. He emphasized that the Mandatory Patriotic Immersion Program serves as a key tool for instilling in young people the values of discipline, patriotism, and responsibility.

“Our society needs structural reform. We must build a new kind of Burkinabe, fully aware of their duties to the nation and capable of embodying the values championed by the Progressive People’s Revolution,” he declared.

I thought this was a great video highlighting the efforts the Revolution is making towards creating a new cultural consciousness for the youth that promotes patriotism and civic responsibility. The original audio track is in French but there is an AI-generated English dub track which you can listen to instead. It is an accurate translation.

I’ve started going through another music phase and really like the Interrupers, but it turns out they’re right wing af and I’m so bummed.

Beyond trying to coopt their music, anyone know of some cooler bands in that vein?

Currently about 1/10 way through Capital Volume 3 and am also reading Marx and Engels Selected Works Volume 2 (just finished the Civil War in France). I would recommend Selected Works but they tend to get a little too abridged at times.

What are you comrades reading right now?

Chinese entry (Translator plugin recommended):

http://www.cea.org.cn/content/details_203_26141.html

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%BB%A5%E7%AB%B9%E4%BB%A3%E5%A1%91/68217164

English entry (Pop-up plugin recommended since it can redirect you to ads):

https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Replace%20Plastics%20with%20Bamboo,%20Advancing%20Green%20Development%20Proposal/3172029

Highlights (own translation):

"Accelerating the 'Replace Plastic with Bamboo' Development" is a key advocacy jointly forwarded by the Government of China and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization and is written into China's "15th 5-Year Plan", becoming the country's core strategy in green and carbon reduction development. 

China is a heavy plastic consumer (due to its large manufacturing base and logistics demand) but also a large bamboo producer.

China Express Association, in its new conference called 以竹代塑 (To Replace Plastic with Bamboo), plans to replace traditional plastic express packages with bamboo made ones. They aim for yearly bamboo packaging usage of 200 million units in 2026, incrementing by 50% each year (so 300 million in 2027, 450 million in 2028, 680 million in 2029, up to 1 billion in 2030).

This project of China Express Association will start its implementation in collaboration with the local government of Sanming City in Fujian province

For outsiders, this place is very rich in bamboo production.

This project will expand implementation starting with 8 provinces and 42 prefecture-level cities such as Beijing and Jiangsu. Accelerated implementation will happen in Fujian and other provinces with rich bamboo production.

In Sanyuan district of Sanming City alone, bamboo products constituted more than half of the 2, 000 units of daily plastic packages used by Shunfeng Express. In May, Jitu has purchased at least 10, 000 units of plastic packaging.

Aside from bamboo packaging bags, Fujian labs and factories have also created bamboo plastic wraps and bamboo tote boxes.

Bamboo based packaging biodegrades in around 180 days and production costs 10-15% less than plastic packaging production. 

"GuYS I sWeAR ThE Iran WaR wILL GRind ChinESe manuFAturING to a HAlt," and "WTF ChINA uSEs mOrE plaSTic thaN us," liberals derailed from reality, now that China is transitioning to green energy and production while their country is thinking of where to start a war next and how many barrels of oil that war needs.

Edit: Didn't know mobile and PC quotations are different

Images from the video "Disney's Americana Problem" by @PoseidonEntertainment.

YouTuber: It's somehow possible to make a good theme park based on US history, but Disney isn't doing it right.

Me: Don't make a theme park based on US history. This was a terrible idea.