1) Assuming this is true, and I see no reason to be overly skeptical, it's a good example of how color revolution hijackings work.

First, stoke legitimate unrest through media campaigns, then use militant provocateurs to continuously escalate the violence to the breaking point.

https://twitter.com/Tracking_Terror/status/1573376385162297344

2) I have empathy for the people protesting hijab laws and law enforcement in Iran, I think their cause is just and sincere, but they're no longer pulling the strings in the broader context. They've become the pretext, and that pretext is the sole focus of imperialists.

THREAD 🧵:

Back in January, Kazakhstan raised the price of gas, which led to peaceful protests in parts of the country.

Within a few days, police were beheaded by jihadists, government buildings were stormed in multiple cities, and the important city of Almaty was a warzone. The most dramatic events took place at Almaty's international airport, which was seized by the "protestors", who were now armed with automatic weapons. Russia sent 3000 paratroopers to Kazakhstan the very next day, who played a key role in restoring order.

1) The Pechenehy dam on the Seversky Donets has been reportedly hit by Russia. I haven't seen a report that it's breached, but this gives me an excuse to make another map and explain the consequences of such a breach.

I'll keep the thread short(ish) this time. 2) For context, the Seversky Donets (SD) has played a big role in this conflict, acting as a strong barrier to offensive actions across it throughout the conflict. It's quite shallow this time of the year, but a Pechenehy dam breach will make it far more difficult to traverse.

1) I’m gonna do a quick thread of updates from ASB on Telegram, there are some interesting ones.

Here’s a statement from Kadyrov. He’s been the hype man for the Kremlin so I take his words with a grain of salt, but he seems excited. British “intelligence” services claim that Russia is preparing for a war economy.

After Erdogan met with Putin at the SCO summit, he said that Russia is looking to finish the war ASAP.

1) This relates to a question I've been thinking about for a while now: Is it correct to conclude that the West colonized Yeltsin's Russia, along with the other post-Soviet states?

"Colonized" feels like it's too strong of a word to use, at least in the case of Russia.

https://twitter.com/RedPrecariat/status/1572275344199110658

2) As awful as things got in Russia when the West was looting it harder than Ghengis Khan, I don't know if it was as bad as the colonization of Africa/Asia; it certainly didn't last as long.

At the same time, Russia was exploited in a way that was/is materially similar...

1) Here's an article that gives more details on this drone.

If Russia already has ~5000 of them, then that represents a serious threat to the AFU. Yemen has used them to great effect against the Saudis, striking oil facilities deep in the country.
militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detai…

https://twitter.com/baronitaigas/status/1571556754432966658

2) It's a swarm drone designed to avoid/overwhelm air defenses, and it flies fast at a low altitude. They're generally sent out in packs of five, and they're easy to transport. We don't know the warhead size, but they weigh 200kg and it's safe to assume most of that is explosive.

Thread 🧵:

I just realized that Mauzer happened to upload a music video about Manchuria the same day I posted about it.

Some responded by pointing out the state of Japanese forces at the time, so let me expand on why this offensive was so impressive.

https://twitter.com/RedPrecariat/status/1561435275611496448

What usually gets the most attention in military affairs is the actual combat and the "quality" of the opposing militaries in terms of training and arms. This makes sense as that's easy to understand and portray with videos and pictures. There's SO much more to it though.

1) With how Western imperialists have falsely put Dugin on a pedestal as the representative of Russia ideologically, I think it's important for us to avoid talking about him in the terms set by the imperialists.

As Marxists, we can criticize/oppose him as a fascist without...

https://twitter.com/snekotron/status/1562512801125769218

2)...playing into the hands of those who crafted an image of Dugin that's used to justify aggression towards Russia. That requires us to develop a basic understanding of the man and his thinking that is untainted by the narratives pushed by the likes of Rachel Maddow.

1) This thread might be a hot take, but I think the level of violence that comes with revolutionary change is directly proportional to the power of reactionary forces within a country. In places where the ruling class is strong, the revolutionary process involves civil war. 2) In places where the ruling class is weak, the revolutionary process can move forward with little more than sporadic violence.

An example of the former would be Russia, where Tsarist and bourgeois forces initially stood strong even after the Soviets seized power.

1) The party lines of CPUSA and KPRF are fundamentally compatible on Ukraine. We're both opposed to America's involvement in the war, which includes directing its Ukrainian puppet government against Russians. We support peace, and the US is the primary obstacle to it in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/GASLIGHTER_/status/1562122862772817920

2) This is the key point in CPUSA's party line, we are focused on what we can impact as Americans.

As is usually the case with party lines, there's room for interpretation. I would only be deviating if I was opposed to a peaceful resolution, which I'm not.

1) I imagine the shelling of the nuclear power plant in the Zaporozhye region is going to expedite Russian plans for a southern offensive. I know they've moved some significant forces into the area over the past month.

The shelling will stop with the fall of Nikopol. 2) The thing that confuses me most is why haven't the Russians put more effort into developing an offensive towards Pavlograd up to this point in the war. I know the Donbas is still the focus, but taking Pavlograd would severely hamper Ukrainian logistics east of the Dnieper.

1) The biggest disconnect between the various communist ideologies is how they understand the role of American hegemony over the world. There are a lot of Marxists that think the American Empire is comparable to the German or British Empires of the 19th and 20th centuries. 2) It should be clear that this isn't true, the US-led imperial cartel is a far greater threat to the working class than any other historic empire.

Imperialism functions similarly to major corporations, it eventually consolidates itself into one all-powerful monopoly or cartel.

1) While Marxism is at the core of my thinking and influences all my opinions, it's not the only thing that guides me. My interest in geopolitics, general statecraft, and diplomacy also plays a big role in shaping my perspectives on leaders and governments. 2) There are a few non/anti-communist leaders I have some respect for, mainly those that I think we can learn from.

The most controversial examples of my perspective here are Kissinger, Bismarck, and Caesar.

1) Putin has led Russia for 80% of my life and from my observations of him, I can conclude this: Putin is an ideological chameleon, a survivor. He's the ultimate "opportunist", a word that's typically used negatively but I'm using it in a more neutral sense here. 2) There's plenty for communists to justifiably dislike about the man, but he's arguably what Russia needed after the Yeltsin years. I would prefer a principled communist over Putin, but I definitely prefer him to a "communist" like Gorbachev or a Western puppet like Yeltsin.

THREAD:

Whenever Libya comes up in the news, like with the clashes in Tripoli last night, I find myself in a reflective mood. This awful conflict played a big (though subtle) role in my political development growing up, and I just want to share what I'm thinking right now. When the so-called "Arab Spring" of 2011 started, which led to the conflicts in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, I was a young high school student. I was a big history nerd but I hadn't really developed an interest in politics yet. The events of 2011, specifically in Libya, changed that.

THREAD:

In the spirit of this good thread, I'll point out one of the excesses of the USSR I find important: A paternalistic foreign policy.

I think "social imperialism" is bunk, but Soviet paternalism is the nugget of truth at the foundation of that theory.

https://twitter.com/zukosmama/status/1542555205119741955

Paternalism is when a person or entity enacts some control over a "subordinate", supposedly for their own good. The "subordinates" in the case of the USSR would be the socialist governments that wouldn't have existed without it and the socialist organizations that weren't...

1) I have lots of hazy ideas about the future of socialism in former socialist countries (Russia/Serbia/etc.) that also have greater implications for socialist development globally. To sharpen those ideas, I'm going to explore some booj revolutions in 3 threads.

⬇️ CONTINUE ⬇️ 2) I will also explore the subsequent counterrevolutions.

I need to do a bit of reading and organize my thoughts beforehand, but the first thread on the English Civil War will hopefully come by the end of the day or tomorrow. The second thread will be on the French Revolution.

THREAD

I think an important part of being a good communist is understanding that, at the end of the day, you likely won't be individually remembered by many for your contributions.

That sounds harsh for people born in a culture like the US, it took me a while to accept, but... ...accepting that is genuinely freeing. You don't need to be famous for doing good work, and you don't need to lead the revolution for your contributions to be valuable. We are fighting for the working masses that we're a part of, not solely for ourselves as individuals.

1) A parallel point to this good thread that I would like to make is that going around telling people that the protests NEED to be violent is counterproductive and asinine. The average person going to these protests probably isn't willing to risk life and limb because some...

https://twitter.com/killerguerilla/status/1540519176879702019

2)...impatient radicals want them too. Militant movements develop organically; our job as communists is to lead them, not command them.

Yes, revolutions generally involve some level of violence (usually in self-defense), that's undeniable. That doesn't mean we jump...

THREAD:

I've always hesitated to call the US a fascist state, not because I think it's wrong to do so, but because I think that word is overused to the point that it's almost meaningless now.

I don't feel that hesitation anymore. The US is a fascist state. I can't remember who said this on here, I think it was @MarxistHeathen, but there are two equally valid, basic definitions of fascism: The first is it being a constant undercurrent in imperialist states, and the second is it is a qualitative change in capitalism during a crisis.

I am aware that the direct consequences aren't actually that significant, Kaliningrad can still be supplied by air and sea anyway. The important part is that it's a new escalation in a strategically fragile and critical territory for Russia.

The Russians can't truly know if...

https://twitter.com/AusriVilimaityt/status/1539729207525351425

...Lithuania and the EU will stop there regarding a land blockade of Kaliningrad, or if they're testing the waters for further escalation there. The EU has been constantly escalating with Russia for months now, the latter has absolutely no reason to trust the former on anything.