Ask Lemmygrad Neodosa • 1 year ago • 76%

I’ve lived in China now for almost a month, and when walking about you will see many political slogans plastered everywhere including stuff about socialist construction and great rejuvenation. The thing I see the most however is the ‘socialist core values’ which list the following: 富强、民主、文明、和谐 prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony 自由、平等、公正、法治 freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law 爱国、敬业、诚信、友善 patriotism, dedication, integrity, friendship I always found these a bit weird and I don’t really understand their purpose and I also don’t quite see why they should be plastered everywhere. I have some ideas but I would like to hear all of your guys’ opinions. Btw, I don’t need a vpn to access lemmygrad funnily enough

Yes, I have to start with the obligatory: the first time I watched the movie I was disappointed, but upon rewatch I realized how deep the rabbit hole goes, and after tens of hours of studying this movie, I can finally see what a masterpiece it is.  After having spent tens of hours with this movie, I've finally sorted out most of the major questions and have a pretty good idea of what's actually going on. The movie is so hard to wrap your head around though because you basically have to think in four dimensions, and you have to build a mental model for a crystallized universe and keep track of all the actors at all times, and their motivations. Our brains are not made to comprehend stuff like this, so it's understandable that people were frustrated with the movie. However, I think I reduced my odds of developing Alzheimers by 95% during the process of studying this thing and the process itself was very gratifying. Still though, I'm not done building more intuition for the movie so I will definitely be spending even more time grasping the details. I highly recommend committing yourself to the process 👍 It's without a doubt my favorite movie of all time. come at me brah (or just throw me some questions idk)

Comradeship // Freechat Neodosa • 1 year ago • 94%

I've probably tripped around 20 times throughout my life. I did it mostly because I bought into the idea that psychedelics would improve my life and habits in some way. I don't believe that anymore, and I don't think psychs really changed my life at all except it gave me lots of cool memories. I kind of feel some level of nostalgia for that reality-bending feeling of being on psychs, even though the last time I took it was only a couple months ago. It's just so different from everyday experience.

GenZedong Neodosa • 1 year ago • 95%

Over the past two years I've been watching a lot of Bilibili to improve my mandarin, and I wanted to share some of the things I've noticed in no particular order. Chinese social media has a LOT of high quality resources to study marxism and you can find in-depth analyses of various Marxist works such as das kapital. However, there is generally a greater interest in nationalism rather than marxism, which has been pointed out here before. There is also some general hostility towards Vietnam. One of the reasons for this dislike seems to be that Vietnam is supposedly cozying up to the US, and had apparently hosted an american navy ship. There isn't however much dislike towards the DPRK, and people tend to think of it as a generally happy country although perhaps a bit quirky and closed off. Of course, Chinese youth is much more interested in kpop and south korean culture overall. There is a lot of content from Youtube that will be reuploaded directly to Bilibili. They tend to have a title prefaced with: "油管百万播放量" (Basically meaning: "this video has millions of views on Youtube"). Even some very political Youtube videos will be uploaded to Bilibili, for example, I saw someone who reuploaded a [debate ](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1m5411f7ZX/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=0aaacf4222a2654998cc8ad8828f38e7)between Infrared haz and Vaush with Chinese subtitles. The comments pretty much said: "This is how americans debate politics? Why are they screaming so much? Why is this vaush guy pretending to be a leftist?". I've also seen some reuploaded low quality 'social credit' memes (you can find it by searching 社会信用 on Bilibili) as well as some [discussion ](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Wh4y1s7no/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=0aaacf4222a2654998cc8ad8828f38e7)around how westerners obsess over the social credit system. 弹幕 (Dànmù) is a feature on Chinese social media that allows users to leave comments on the screen of the video itself (so you will see comments going across the screen while watching a video). At first I hated these, so I turned them off, but I've actually started to really like this feature and now I kind of wish it was on Youtube as well. (Yes I know it makes my attention span even worse, since besides just watching a heavily edited video, I'm also seeing people's reaction at the same time to keep me less bored) I've been consuming a lot of content relating to China's space program, and I've noticed that there are a lot of people who seem to believe that the US moon landing was fake. You'll never see content creators themselves say that it was fake, but whenever the US moon landing comes up, there will always be dànmù talking about how it's faked. I do think this is a bit weird, since Chinese social media will usually remove stuff that's non-scientific, but to be fair, there has been some funny jokes coming out of this. In the comments of NASA's Chinese channel where they showed off their plans for the artemis program, the top comment was like: "This time the moon landing will feature next generation 4k photorealistic CG, with revolutionary new filming techniques and special effects that will make you truly believe that the US landed on the moon" Criticism of the government is quite normal but it isn't comparable to the way we in the west criticize our governments. People will usually focus on criticizing specific policies or socioeconomic developments rather than the ruling government, since people are generally happy with the government as a whole. I've found people criticizing the Chinese education system, how the society is afraid of sexual education, how household debt is rising, how youth unemployment is rising, etc. As for some of my favorite content to watch, I'll start by highlighting the building sphere of Bilibili, where people build lots of cool stuff. For example look at this sci-fi [desk ](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV19v411M7Rs/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=0aaacf4222a2654998cc8ad8828f38e7)thing. I also found [this ](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ns4y1A7fj/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=0aaacf4222a2654998cc8ad8828f38e7)great video that does a really great job of summarizing the science of language learning. Also, there are so many amazing free university lectures accessible through Bilibili, covering things like Das Kapital, Machine Learning, PID control systems, and more. Maybe its just my recommended page, but Chinese social media seems to be much more obsessed with educational/science/news content rather than the cheap try not to laugh content which floods Youtube.

Learn the Chinese language Neodosa • 1 year ago • 95%

I started my third playthrough of Cyberpunk a couple days ago, playing it with the Chinese dub, and I have to say that it has worked really well as an immersion resource! You can enable the Chinese audio dub by right clicking on the game on steam, then click 'properties', then under 'general' there will be a 'language' option where you can choose a number of languages. I don't know about the Witcher 3 since I haven't played it, but Cyberpunk is really dialogue heavy, so there is seriously like hundreds of hours of dialogue to go through (and then there's also the shards to read). The game makes heavy use of poetic language as well as highly informal language, which has really put strain on my current abilities, so I'm having to jot down new words all the time. While the marketing and release of this game was scummy to say the least, there is actually quite a good game here if you just try to take in the story, the scenery, as well as delve into the sidequests (the sidequests are honestly a lot more interesting than the main story). One of my favorite moments I've had while playing any video game has to be when I accidentally fell into the 'hidden' park that's hidden 'underneath' the city center, subsequently going for a calm walk, being amazed by the scenery, and then stumbling upon a buddhist monk who gives a short guided meditation. Even though I have 140 hours on this game, there are still so many sidequest lines to go through. Since I'm using the game as an immersion resource now, I'm definitely going to be replaying the game.

FuckCars Neodosa • 1 year ago • 100%

Many have the impression that China is a very car-polluted country with heavy traffic and wide streets occupying much of the cities. I think this impression mostly comes from the fact that much of the imagery one sees while hearing news about China is that of multi-lane streets going through cities. What you don't see in these shots however, are the enormous blocks that lie in between these streets. You can look at the map of any Chinese city, and you will see that the blocks are usually around 500x500 meters. In Soviet fashion, these blocks are big enough to have all of the services one would need during the day, as well as green space. At the same time, there are usually larger parks in the vicinity as well hosting various [community activities](https://youtu.be/EK1K_ENtnXg). All of this is reflected in the fact that China has a very low motorization [rate](https://www.oica.net/world-vehicles-in-use-all-vehicles/). If you're wondering about why these wide streets exist in the first place, one has to understand that these cities are big, and these wide streets are kind of a rare sight when looking at the cities as a whole (although they are very much necessary for car traffic). I would much rather like to see wider streets at a lower cadence than frequently having to wait at shorter crossings. Here in Stockholm, crossings feel like such a headache since they're so frequent. These green space developments are most obvious when you go just outside the city center. Here, you will usually find very high density tall housing as seen in the picture above. Having these tall buildings then leaves good amount of space for greenery.  This is a picture of Shijiazhuang, which is far from a tier-one city, and it is also far from being known as a city with greenery (it is stereotypically a polluted city). After looking around a bit in the city center, this was pretty much the most concrete-looking part I could find. You can still see, however, that each block has some amount of green space, and besides, there are big parks just outside of this frame. Shijiazhuang is the city which I will be living in during the coming year due to my upcoming exchange year. As for public transport, I think we all have an idea of what the situation looks like.

I can't wait to build hyper-walkable cities and make parking space non-existent. However, it feels like all games I've ever been hyped about have turned out disappointing, like Cyberpunk and KSP2. However, the CS2 devs seem to be showing off their game without much restriction and they aren't exactly making out of this world promises which makes me feel that this time it might turn out diffirently...

Learn the Chinese language Neodosa • 1 year ago • 100%

Hi everyone! For the past two years I've been studying mandarin intensively pretty much every day (544 day Anki streak at least). I've reached the point where I can talk about most topics without much issue (that includes more advanced topics like AI or general geopolitics), and I can also consume news and social media. I followed the [Refold](https://refold.la/simplified) method, since it's by far the most fool-proof and efficient way to learn a language in my opinion. I started out immersing in gaming content, since it's very visual and you don't really have to understand what's being said in order to follow along. Some popular gaming channels on Bilibili include: 中国BOY, 徐大虾, and 老番茄. It is during these beginning stages where I would say learning Chinese is the hardest, because you will have a very hard time hearing the tones and you will also likely have a hard time hearing the difference between for example 'xiang' and 'shang', or 'chi' and 'zhi'. In order to be able to hear these sounds, your only option is just to bash your head against the content until your brain magically figures it out at some point or another. As long as you keep immersing and don't get too upset at yourself for not hearing the difference, your brain will kind of magically sort it out eventually. The same thing is true for the speed at which you can comprehend words. At first you will have to seriously make an effort to decode all of the sounds and convert them to meaning, and so you will feel that they are talking way too fast for you to comprehend. Eventually however, your brain will start to do this conversion from sound to meaning automatically and consuming content will feel more effortless. This is why it's important in the first couple of months to just have some 自律 and push through the immersion and trust the process. Once I started to feel quite comfortable with gaming content, I started moving towards consuming dating shows like 新相亲大会 and 非诚勿扰 (these can be found on youtube). These shows are seriously great sources of immersion for three reasons: 1. The shows are very predictable so it's easy to follow what's going on even if you've missed multiple sentences. 2. There are hours upon hours of content for you to consume, and I would even recommend you to rewatch episodes. 3. The shows are seriously fun to watch! There are some really great moments from these shows and you usually don't need very advanced vocabulary to follow along. I would say that 新相亲大会 was *the *show which improved my Chinese the most. Watching through all the seasons let me get a natural sense of Chinese grammar, it propelled me to conversational fluency, and I finally felt comfortable with all of the sounds of the Chinese language. The next step of my immersion journey involved watching [the news](https://tv.cctv.com/live/cctv13) as well as consuming political and educational content on Bilibili. I'm still at this stage today and so I'm just slowly widening my vocabulary and building more of a cultural understanding of things. To give some more general tips on language learning, I'll start by saying that the most important thing to do is to build a language learning habit. You should worry less about progress or if you're doing it "right", because if you do immersion for long enough coupled with some speaking practice later down the line you are guaranteed to reach the level of fluency you want to be at. In order to build a habit, you need to do what is fun for you and worry less about if it's the right level of difficulty or if your study method is correct. I'm also sorry to say that if you can't build the habit of immersion, then you aren't going to reach fluency as there are no shortcuts to this process. You simply have to put in thousands of hours if you want to reach fluency, and for most of those hours you are going to be seriously doubting yourself if it's even possible to reach fluency in the first place. I would also recommend everyone to learn more about the science of language learning. There are tonnes of great Youtube channels which talk about the science of immersion learning, but a classic is of course Matt vs Japan and also the Refold Youtube channel. Also, it can't hurt to watch some Xiaoma for inspiration. I kind of cringe watching his videos nowadays but back in the day Xiaoma was really the person who got me on the path to learn Chinese in the first place, so I'm still very thankful that his channel exists.

GenZedong Neodosa • 2 years ago • 100%

As you may know, GPT-4 just got released and you can access it through ChatGPT plus. Here is the conversation: Me: What are the four cardinal principles put forward in the constitution of the CPC? GPT-4: The Four Cardinal Principles are the fundamental guidelines outlined in the Constitution of the Communist Party of China (CPC). They were first proposed by Deng Xiaoping in 1979 and emphasize the importance of maintaining the socialist path with Chinese characteristics. The principles are: -Upholding Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought: The CPC is committed to adhering to the foundational theories of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, which have guided the Party throughout its history. These theories form the ideological basis for the Party's policies and actions. -Upholding the Socialist Road: The CPC is committed to developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, which emphasizes economic growth, modernization, and national rejuvenation. The Party aims to create a harmonious and prosperous society by balancing social, economic, and environmental factors. -Upholding the People's Democratic Dictatorship: This principle refers to the CPC's governance model, which combines democratic practices with the central role of the Party in governing the country. The People's Democratic Dictatorship emphasizes the importance of the Party's leadership and the people's active participation in the political process. -Upholding the Leadership of the Communist Party of China: This principle emphasizes the central role of the CPC in governing the country. It asserts that the Party's leadership is essential for ensuring the success of the socialist system and maintaining national unity, stability, and development. These Four Cardinal Principles remain at the core of the CPC's ideology and policy-making, guiding the Party's actions and decisions as it navigates China's development in the 21st century. Me: What party organs exist to make sure that the party constitution is followed? GPT-4: The Communist Party of China (CPC) has established several party organs and institutions to ensure that the Party Constitution is followed and implemented effectively. These organs work together to maintain discipline, ensure policy compliance, and uphold the Party's core principles. Some key party organs responsible for these tasks include: -Central Committee: The Central Committee is the highest decision-making body of the CPC when the National Congress is not in session. It is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Party Constitution and ensuring the Party's policies and principles are followed. -Politburo (Political Bureau) and Politburo Standing Committee: The Politburo is an executive committee that makes policy decisions and supervises the work of the Central Committee. The Politburo Standing Committee is a smaller and even more powerful body within the Politburo. Both are responsible for implementing the Party Constitution and maintaining discipline within the Party. -Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI): The CCDI is the Party's primary anti-corruption and internal disciplinary organ. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that Party members adhere to the Constitution and maintain high ethical standards. The CCDI investigates and punishes corruption and misconduct within the Party, helping to maintain its integrity and credibility. -Organization Department: The Organization Department is responsible for managing the CPC's personnel, including appointments, promotions, and evaluations. It plays a key role in ensuring that Party members follow the Party Constitution and uphold its principles and values. -Propaganda Department: The Propaganda Department is responsible for guiding public opinion, disseminating the Party's policies, and promoting the Party's ideology. It ensures that the Party Constitution is followed in the realms of media, education, and culture. -Party schools and training institutions: The CPC operates party schools and training institutions at various levels, aiming to educate and train Party members about the Party Constitution, Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and other key ideological tenets. These institutions play a crucial role in ensuring that Party members are well-versed in the Constitution and its guiding principles. These organs work together to maintain the Party's discipline, promote adherence to the Party Constitution, and ensure that the Party's ideology and principles are upheld throughout the organization. Me: Explain the reform and opening up process and address critique saying that it doesn't adhere to marxist principles. Explain using historical materialism. GPT-4: The reform and opening-up process, initiated by Deng Xiaoping in 1978, is a significant turning point in China's modern history. It aimed to modernize China's economy, improve living standards, and restructure the economic system by moving away from the centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system. The reform and opening-up process involved introducing market mechanisms, attracting foreign investment, and fostering the growth of private enterprises. Critics argue that these reforms deviate from Marxist principles, as they seem to promote capitalism and create social inequalities. However, proponents of the reform and opening-up process can defend it through the lens of historical materialism, which is a key concept in Marxist thought. Historical materialism posits that the economic base of society (the mode of production and productive forces) determines the superstructure (politics, ideology, and culture). According to this view, societies transition through different stages of economic development, with each stage giving rise to different social, political, and ideological systems. China's reform and opening-up process can be understood as a practical application of historical materialism. In this view, China's transition from a centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system was a necessary step in the country's development. By introducing market mechanisms and attracting foreign investment, China aimed to develop its productive forces, which were lagging behind after the Cultural Revolution. Proponents argue that the reform and opening-up process adheres to the Marxist principle of dialectical materialism, which emphasizes the interplay between economic development and social change. The reforms were seen as a way to address the contradictions that had emerged in China's socialist system, such as inefficiencies in production and distribution, and to promote the country's progress towards a more advanced stage of socialism. Furthermore, Chinese leaders have consistently maintained that the ultimate goal of the reform and opening-up process is to achieve communism. They argue that these reforms are a temporary, necessary step in the country's development towards a more advanced socialist society. In this context, the reform and opening-up process can be seen as a pragmatic adaptation of Marxist principles to China's specific historical conditions, rather than a deviation from Marxism itself. In conclusion, while the reform and opening-up process may appear to deviate from Marxist principles, it can be defended as a pragmatic application of historical materialism. By addressing the contradictions within China's socialist system and promoting economic development, the reform and opening-up process has allowed China to progress towards its ultimate goal of achieving communism.

GenZedong Neodosa • 2 years ago • 95%

I haven't heard much in regards to gender equality in China, but would like to hear if you have any interesting sources to share. I know that western media used to really push hard on the "China censors feminist movements like metoo" point so I would also like to know of things relating to that. Thanks

GenZhou Neodosa • 2 years ago • 100%

I've seen two figures when it comes to China's debt: public debt, which is really low (like 30%), and the other being much higher, (although I can't remember where I found it, what it measured, but I remember it being like 125%). And now when I was digging around for the exact numbers I've found other statistics saying the public debt is upwards of 70%, and others saying 50%. Can someone explain because I'm just really confused? Thanks

GenZhou Neodosa • 2 years ago • 100%

It's clear while looking at what the CPC is doing that it is working towards the benefit of the working class, but I still have not fully grasped the structural and theoretical reason for why the party represents the working class. Like, I can see that capitalists don't have much foothold in the party, and corruption is low, but why? Is there something that stops capitalists from climbing the ranks? Many western 'socialists' also like to claim that party elites have become the new ruling class. But really, what is there to stop the party elites from working for their own benefit? Basically: How is the top level of the party still held accountable to the wants of the working class?