Liberalism destroyed

"When a liberal is abused, he says: Thank God they didn’t beat me. When he is beaten, he thanks God they didn’t kill him. When he is killed, he will thank God that his immortal soul has been delivered from its mortal clay."

-Vladimir Lenin

https://redd.it/1q2xzgx
@r_Ultraleft

Russian nationalists are so pathetic lmao

>america starts special military operation™

"look guys they're getting into multi year grind like we did!!! This will finally show that it's really difficult to fight a war!!!"

>america finishes in two hours with zero lost soldiers

"Guys, this is completely different Venezuela is just poor third world country compared to battle hardened Ukraine of 22... Actually Russia has been going easy on Ukraine, if Russia stopped holding back it would have gone the way Venezuela did!!!"

https://redd.it/1q31t2e
@r_Ultraleft

The 18th Brumaire of Trump
https://redd.it/1q2ywrh
@r_Ultraleft

I'm third worldist now

I have realized that the primary contradiction is between how much the USA needs to suffer and how much it is currently not suffering.

Not really, but I can see the appeal.

https://redd.it/1q34iwe
@r_Ultraleft

Why did WSWS create an "socialist AI" when Grok already exists?

https://redd.it/1q3316y
@r_Ultraleft

A perspective from a venezuelan on whats happenning

I thought maybe I could share a piece of my mind on what's happening and may happen in the future.

I do have to say that thankfully there haven't been reports of civilian casualties or major destruction of homes. People who lived in proximity to the attacked zones were rapidly evacuated, and it seems they are all safe.

The damaged zones so far seem to be some airports and a shipping dock, mostly military/armed forces facilities, and the Hugo Chavez mausoleum apparently.

There was the sound of aircraft and explosions at around 2 a.m., and some of the intelligence services and police were paranoid, detaining and inspecting people who were out in the streets but this wasn't widespread at all, more like in a couple of avenues close to the center of the capital.

There hasn't really been any movement on the streets, people mostly rushed out in a panic to buy food and supply themselves with essential needs and all that stuff. It has calmed down a bit, tho (and especially with the recent declarations) people are on edge that this might happen again with a far more violent outcome.

So far, it doesnt even seem like the State knows what tf to do. They issued a "decree of foreign shock" (state of emergency basically) and called on for everyone in the defense sector to move on as a unity to defend the country, but they're also telling people to remain calmed, that the constitutional order somehow remains intact, calling on the international community to act and condemn this and telling us that this "too shall pass".
They also haven't even assigned a new president, saying that Maduro must return safely as part of "peaceful negotiation" with the US. They're trying to showcase control after getting bombed and the president and his wife taken away.

So far all the important political and military figures remain safe in the country. The most bizaree thing is that Trump claimed that María Corina (girlboss Pinochet) isn't really realiable or liked in Venezuela and that maybe the current Vice President Delcy Rodríguez should run the country and they could negotiate.

Some will be arguing about the legality of the prole killing license, the Latino Hitler youth of the continent will be hyped up like crazy, and leftists will give critikkkal $upport to a crude social democrat government turned reactionary and murderous against the workers it tried to seduce with welfare and who has continued to leech off the country's oil reserves to maintain both itself and the national bourgeoisie without having to develop national productive forces (a tradition that this "socialist" government fully repeats and reproduces from the 20th-century liberal governments and dictatorships that used to rule the country).

All this to say, the US announcing its plans to stay on Venezuelan soil and collect just for itself all the oil profits it can gather in a monopoly by and for itself isn't something that will spark revolutionary conditions, both because of the massive impopularity of Maduro and because this kind of dependent and unproductive economy has stayed that way for almost a century by this point.

But I do worry about what the remaining government (especially the armed branch) might do now that it has begun its process of disintegration and decay. About what might result for the world from a neo-Monroenian doctrine in the Americas that clashes with the interests of the BRICS/multi-polar wing of international capital. And it worries me, especially seeing the farce of the beginning of the 20th century emerging without a sufficiently prepared working class to confront it.

Sorry if this post is too rambly, or it doesn't really add much to the discussion. If anything these events have shown me that i do need to read more and start paying more attention to the developings of the world.
Anyways take care y'all ❤️

https://redd.it/1q396xm
@r_Ultraleft

Brave leftist defends hamas and maduro against fascist leftKKKoms🥹

https://redd.it/1q39chn
@r_Ultraleft

“Yo big J don’t do this our love is worth more than this hardship”
https://redd.it/1q3cg8z
@r_Ultraleft

Summary of everything that happen for people on the go
https://redd.it/1q3bnmo
@r_Ultraleft

This sub should talk more about comrade Trump

Trump is one of the most important commies in the frontline rn. He literally kidnapped a social facist who was exporting oil in ships (he essentially stopped the commodity production chain). Not only that, the legend is letting famous trotskyist Vladimir Putin do the global revolution in Europe to restore the Soviet Union, while pretending to the liberals this is buffonery. HE is anti-westernhimself, just see his aims of expansionism in Greenland against the imperialist EU.

Put the art of the deal on your read list. It only shows how much of an important, and eloquent, socialist academic he is. "B-But he is against internationalism! He built a wall keep mexicans out!" The soviets too built a wall around Berlin. Wall building is the epitome of socialism because it produces no capital but you do it robbing the burgeoisie through taxes.

https://redd.it/1q38p8m
@r_Ultraleft

How did you discover the Communist Left? +read the post

(Serious)

I’m asking this primarily because I’ve personally observed a marked increase in the visibility and appeal of left communism over the past five years, likely coinciding with the exhaustion of Marxism-Leninism as a viable historical form and the effective closure of the counter-revolutionary century. For example, ten years ago I would never have met someone aligned with the communist left outside explicitly communist spaces. Today, however, perhaps one in five ‘communists’ I encounter outside those spaces identifies with the communist left. I’m interested in the consequences of this resurgence both at the level of political dynamics and individual subjectivity. In my experience, most Marxist-Leninists remain suspended in a preliminary phase before ultimately collapsing into social-chauvinism or social democracy once their party proves incapable of meaningfully opposing existing conditions.

Another aspect of this trend worth noting is that those who gravitate toward the communist left tend overwhelmingly to be younger. This suggests that the historical weight of twentieth-century “socialism” has largely receded along with the generations that directly experienced it. This phenomenon is not a result of “left communism” as a popular identity, but rather of the fact that the communist left alone has preserved the scientific core of Marxism as all previous distortions of communism have eroded away into historical irrelevancy. Precisely because it maintained this theoretical continuity, it remains the only doctrine capable of posing a real exit from capitalism as a total social relation. For the same reason, it alone is able to account coherently for the complete degeneration of Third Internationale revolutionary socialism, correctly identifying it as a capitalist deviation whose trajectory could only culminate in regression and collapse. That's how the communist left appealed to me.

I'm specifically naming the Italian left here, however this trend appears to extend broadly across the communist left in general. Another fact is a good handful of individuals within the Italian left I communicate to were formerly council communists, anarchists, or other such anti-ML anti-capitalist doctrines which makes me believe there's pull towards scientific Marxism as the only doctrine capable of understanding and toppling the contemporary state of affairs.

This isn’t meant as a scientific study, just a set of personal reflections, and I’m curious whether your own observations align with what I’m noticing. Beyond the question posed in the noscript, I’m also interested in how you think the communist movement is likely to develop over the next decade, and what that development might look like at the level of individual militants. Based on your experience, how many people who identify as left communists eventually drift away from the movement? Is this tendency more than a passing phase? And at what point do most people first encounter or seriously engage with the doctrine?

Sorry if this post is silly or a waste of time, I'm just absolutely fascinated by my experiences regarding this post and I just desperately hope to discuss them with other comrades.

https://redd.it/1q3dpc3
@r_Ultraleft

Anyone have articles in relation to proletarian suppression in general in the levant?

I'm looking for the article where this quote came from

"In fact, the only peaceful mass demonstrations in 24 months of war have been against Hamas – “Hamas barra barra!”, meaning “Hamas out, out!”, was shouted between March and April this year – for peace, that is, for surrender. The “resistance” of the proletariat in Gaza has been against Hamas. It has been courageous and healthy class defeatism.

The approximately 20,000 Hamas militiamen are a separate body, better paid and opposed to the proletariat, like any police force in any capitalist regime. On several occasions in the years before this latest war, they repressed protests and persecuted political and trade union opponents. It was Hamas that abolished May Day.
In Gaza, therefore, it is the militias of the bourgeois parties and clans that exploit and oppress the proletariat that are armed, some of which do not disdain dealing with Israel, as Hamas itself has done for years."

Are there also any other works in relating to proletarian suppression in the levant in general?

https://redd.it/1q3jpgt
@r_Ultraleft

I finally managed to find condensed core of idealism
https://redd.it/1q3mbl6
@r_Ultraleft

Marx and Bakunin at the First International, Circa 1864

https://redd.it/1q3f1dn
@r_Ultraleft

The people who are mad at Trump now for not respecting international law or whatever are the same ones who cheered for Russian tanks when they rolled into Ukraine

Kinda obvious,but none of them cares about international law,not really

https://redd.it/1q3r5he
@r_Ultraleft

Waiter! My proles are not dead enough, I demand a refund
https://redd.it/1q3sid1
@r_Ultraleft

.
https://redd.it/1q3wfnw
@r_Ultraleft

Mao would be having a heart attack rn.
https://redd.it/1q3xrvm
@r_Ultraleft

Overproduction and Price Wars in China and Globally

This is a machine translation (from Spanish) from Rolando Astarita's blog. The original is linked here -> Sobreproducción y guerra de precios, en China y global | Rolando Astarita \[Blog\](https://rolandoastarita.blog/2025/11/23/sobreproduccion-y-guerra-de-precios-en-china-y-global/)

In previous posts, I have defended Marx and Engels' explanation of crises caused by overproduction. The central idea is that, driven by competition, companies tend to increase production beyond what demand can absorb. Thus, a point is reached where markets become saturated, prices, profits, and investment fall, and demand and output decline. In turn, overproduction can trigger a financial crisis (banks and financial investors cannot recover their loans, bankruptcies occur, etc.). And even if a financial crisis does not erupt, overproduction can persist in entire sectors for long periods, leading to weak growth and persistent unemployment.

Since the theory of crises caused by overproduction is rejected by most Marxists, I have presented data on 19th-century crises, along with Marx and Engels' writings on them. There are also facts and data showing overproduction in the months leading up to the major crises of the 20th century (the Great Depression in the US from 1929 to 1933, first and foremost), and the 2007-09 crisis. There is also current overproduction in China and in key sectors of the global economy (https://rolandoastarita.blog/2024/12/20/la-sobreproduccion-no-existe/). In this post, I update the data on overproduction in 2024 and 2025, price wars, and declining profitability in the steel, automotive, concrete, solar panel, and chemical and petrochemical industries in China, and their global repercussions. We draw on both media reports and analyses from industry consultants and analysts.

Steel

The OECD Steel Committee says that steel exports from China continue to erode the market share of steel producers in OECD member countries.

Between 2020 and 2024, Chinese steel exports doubled, and by 2025 they had increased by another 10%. “Global steel surplus capacity is increasing this year at its fastest pace since the 2009 global financial crisis and could exceed 680 million metric tons (mmt),” the committee says. Global steel production capacity has increased for seven consecutive years, and the OECD projects it will reach more than 2.5 billion mmt by the end of 2025. In addition to China, capacity has increased rapidly in India, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, and the Middle East.

After reaching a record level of 118 million metric tons in 2024, the additional 10 percent increase in Chinese steel exports in the first half of this year has depressed financial conditions for most steelmakers worldwide, according to Groeneweg and Top (China’s ‘nonmarket policies’ decried by OECD - Recycling Today).

According to the OECD, global steel production capacity will increase by 6.7% between 2025 and 2027, reaching a record 721 million metric tons. However, demand will grow by only 0.7% annually until 2030. This is due to China’s overproduction of steel. There is downward pressure on prices.

“The price war among steel producers in China has generated a crisis in the global industry. China, which accounts for 56% of global steel production, faces international pressure to regulate its prices, leading to unfair competition and the implementation of protectionist measures.” A European Union initiative aims to double import tariffs on Chinese steel, raising them from 25% to 50%. In Latin America, producers are also calling for protectionist measures. They argue that Europe and the United States are increasing protectionist barriers. According to business leaders, the industry needs a minimum capacity utilization rate of 80%, and currently in Brazil it stands at 65%.” (…)

“Following the tariff war

instigated by Trump, the Asian giant was left with unsold production and is seeking to sell it at lower prices. The sector estimates that by the end of 2027, if current projections continue, there will be 721 million tons of idle steel capacity in the global industry, impacting global supply chains.” (Esteban Lafuente, “Steel businessmen in the region demand defensive measures against China”, La Nación, 11/11/2025).

Automobiles

For the past two years, a price war has been raging in the Chinese automotive market, “caused by chronic overcapacity” (The Economist, reprinted in La Nación, September 27, 2025).

Today, some 130 local firms compete for sales, although few manufacture cars in large quantities. If they all operated at full capacity for a year, they would produce twice as many cars as there are buyers. The consequence of this overcapacity has been a fierce price war. The average price of cars has fallen 19% in the last two years, to around 165,000 yuan (US$23,000), according to Nomura. Some models have seen price cuts of up to 35%. Although sales continue to grow (projected to increase by 7% this year to approximately 24 million vehicles), profits have shrunk or turned into losses.

In the first five months of 2025, total net profits for the sector (including those of foreign manufacturers) fell 12% year-on-year to 178 billion yuan (US$24.5 billion), according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Even successful firms are feeling the pressure: in the first half of the year, Geely's net profit fell 14%. Even more surprisingly, on September 1, BYD reported a 30% drop in its second-quarter net profit, although revenue rose 14%. Suppliers are also suffering: some have reportedly closed, while manufacturers are delaying payments for up to six months.

Foreign firms, already lagging behind the pace of Chinese innovation, are also being crushed. They once dominated the market, but the share of local brands climbed from 34% in The decline is projected to fall by 69% in the first four months of 2025, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The price war accelerated the decline: as Patrick Hummel of UBS points out, “they can’t compete in a price war with the locals.”

BYD is China’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer. “In May, BYD cut prices triggered another round of steep discounts, prompting complaints in state media and institutions about ‘regression,’ a term for destructive competition. In June, officials summoned manufacturers to Beijing and demanded they halt the markdowns and expedite payments to suppliers. Several large companies promised to pay within 60 days.”

Similarly: “China is conquering the world in electric vehicles. Its automakers produce far more than any other country and outperform them in innovation. (…) In each of the last five months, battery-powered cars and plug-in hybrids accounted for more than half of total sales.”

But if we look more closely at the industry, the picture is far from rosy. The fierce competition among automakers has already become ruthless, with some 50 manufacturers vying for customers and driving prices down repeatedly. Producers, facing disastrous losses, struggle to pay the companies that supply their parts. And yet, they continue to borrow from state-owned banks to build more factories, leading to massive overcapacity. The frenzy has caught the attention of the highest levels of the Chinese government. Officials have launched a campaign against what they call “regression,” which they define as “excessive competition” (The New York Times, September 2, 2025).

By 2025, car exports from China are projected to exceed six million units; this represents approximately 10% of the global car market outside of China.

Concrete, Cement

China accounts for approximately 50% of global cement production. For years, this production fueled massive infrastructure projects—high-speed rail lines, sprawling cities, and countless residential buildings. However, several factors have converged to create a surplus.

First, a slowdown in the mortgage market. The

Evergrande debt crisis and subsequent defaults are merely the most visible symptoms of deeper structural issues. New construction starts have fallen significantly. Demand for cement has weakened sharply since 2021 due to declining property investment and a slowdown in infrastructure construction, resulting in a 23% drop in domestic cement output from 2021 to 2024, according to data from the China Building Materials Federation (Cement overcapacity high on agenda – Chinadaily.com.cn).

Furthermore, as cement demand falls, so does the demand for iron ore and steel. Demand for transporting raw materials and finished goods also decreases, leading to a drop in global shipping rates. Cement production uses coal. Therefore, global demand for coal also falls, and prices decline.

Solar Panels

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is pressuring major manufacturers to take decisive action to end the chaotic price wars and promote an orderly reduction of aging overcapacity. The state-run People’s Daily published a front-page commentary criticizing the destructive price wars and calling for reforms to restore market order ((China moves to curb solar overcapacity, stabilize pricing – pv magazine International).

“The situation is dire. Major solar panel manufacturers posted combined losses of US$2.8 billion in the first half of 2025, doubling the losses of the previous year. The four largest manufacturers alone—LONGI, Jinko Solar, Trina Solar, and JA Solar—lost US$1.54 billion in the first half of the year. (…) Overcapacity is massive. Global producers (mostly Chinese) can produce more than twice the number of panels the world will purchase in 2025. The solar panel manufacturing capacity utilization rate averaged 24.9% between 2008 and 2023, indicating severe overcapacity.”

More than 40 companies have gone bankrupt or been sold since 2024. In 2024, major companies laid off nearly a third of their workforce (approximately 87,000 workers). However, demand has remained strong: in the first half of 2025, China installed 212 GW of new solar capacity, double the amount installed in the same period of 2024. Furthermore, Chinese solar panel exports increased by 73% in the first half of 2025.

Many companies are forming an OPEC-style cartel with a $7 billion fund to acquire and close inefficient businesses. Prices have begun to stabilize, although they are expected to remain low for the next two years (Quantessa: China’s Solar Collapse: Overproduction Crisis).

Petrochemicals

The situation in petrochemicals is somewhat different from the previous ones, as the growth in Chinese production in recent years is occurring within a context of global oversupply. In this section, we reproduce excerpts from a September 2025 report prepared by Chemicals Consulting.

“The petrochemical industry is at a critical juncture, experiencing one of the most challenging periods in recent history. The market is burdened by persistent oversupply and weak demand growth. The imbalance between supply and demand has weighed heavily on profitability and pushed many producers into states of emergency. This is resulting in numerous plant closures as industry participants struggle to ensure future viability in an increasingly competitive and changing sector. At the same time, the industry is simultaneously experiencing the broader impact of the energy transition, which demands high levels of investment in decarbonization, circularity, and other sustainable channels.

A large part of the current problem is associated with an extended period of capacity expansions, especially in China.” This has put significant downward pressure on industry profit margins