Analysis and images of the parades is all over the internet and in the last megathread; for the China-India stuff I recommend this article, as well as the Tricontinental in general.

Image is from @xiaohongshu@hexbear.net’s comment in the last megathread.

Last week was the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, and on such an occasion, China put on quite an impressive military parade, especially in comparison to the rather drab and corporate parade that the USA recently had. In attendance were many world leaders, including Putin, Kim Jong Un, and a very happy-looking Lukashenko.

This took place shortly after the SCO summit in Tianjin, in which Modi was notably in attendance. That one of the world’s most powerful fascists was in attendance in China near the anniversary of the World Antifascist War is obviously pretty ironic. Regardless, the mood was still relatively positive; for example, Xi announced the acceleration of the creation of the SCO development bank, and Indian-Chinese relations are once again in the thaw cycle of their long-term cyclical pattern, with direct flights resumed and links expanded. The fact that there is this much projected optimism from China about a Global South which is being increasingly tariffed, infiltrated, starved, looted, bombed, invaded, and massacred in the hundreds of thousands by rabid imperialist dogs is perhaps a little tone-deaf, but buoying up the SCO is better than doing nothing at all, I suppose.

Any astute Geopolitics Understander can tell you that this is certainly not India joining the side of the Global South, but instead a move somewhat forced upon them as they seek to balance both sides for their own gain. As Trump amps up pressure on India via tariffs, it is natural that India would seek leverage, and there is much that India gains: industrial development, increased intra-regional trade, and scientific knowledge from a China which has, in numerous fields, now pulled ahead of the USA. India is also facing numerous internal crises, ranging from run-of-the-mill capitalist incompetence and corruption, to worsening conditions for farmers, to the ravaging impacts of climate change, and increasing their links with China is a way to vent off a little of that pressure and protect Modi’s regime.

Last week’s thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.

Please check out the RedAtlas!

The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.

Israel's Genocide of Palestine

If you have evidence of Zionist crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.

English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.

English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Sources:

Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.

Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.

Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:

Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.

  • seaposting [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    33·
    14 hours ago

    Thai baht surge sends shockwaves through economy

    PATTAYA, Thailand – The Thai baht has surged to its strongest level in more than four years, unsettling exporters, tourism operators, and farmers alike. Analysts warn that the speed and scale of the currency’s appreciation could cause deeper and longer-lasting damage than policymakers had anticipated.

    On September 9, the baht briefly touched 31.58 per U.S. dollar before easing to 31.74 later in the day, according to Kasikorn Research Center. Since the start of the year, the currency has gained 7.5 percent, making it one of the strongest performers in Asia. The rally has been fueled by a combination of a weaker U.S. dollar—down nearly 10 percent this year under political pressure on the Federal Reserve during Donald Trump’s presidency—rising global gold prices, and heavy foreign capital inflows into Thai bonds. Thailand’s significant gold reserves, together with speculative flows into local markets including cryptocurrency, have further boosted demand for baht.

    The appreciation is rattling the country’s export-reliant economy. Thanakorn Kasetsuwan, president of the Thai National Shippers’ Council, described exporters as “shocked” by how quickly the baht moved from 34 to 32 per dollar within just a few months. He explained that every one-baht gain wipes out roughly 10 million baht in export value. For example, a $10 million shipment that would have been worth 340 million baht at an exchange rate of 34 now yields only 320 million at 32—a loss of 20 million baht, or 5.8 percent, on the same order. While large corporations can hedge against this volatility, most small- and medium-sized exporters cannot, leaving them exposed to significant losses.

    read more

    The tourism industry, which has welcomed more than 22 million foreign visitors so far this year and generated over 1 trillion baht in revenue, is equally concerned. Thienprasith Chaiyapatranan, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), warned that a strong baht makes Thailand appear expensive compared with regional rivals. Tourists may not cancel their trips outright, but they are spending less. With fixed travel budgets, a stronger baht translates into fewer restaurant meals, less shopping, and fewer excursions. Although the upcoming high season may temporarily mask these effects, the longer-term picture is troubling as competitors like Vietnam and Japan—where the yen has fallen dramatically—become more attractive. Farmers, too, are feeling the strain. Revenues from rice and field crop exports have been cut even as domestic costs continue to rise. The result is a squeeze on rural producers who already operate on thin margins, deepening financial pressure in the agricultural sector.


> Business leaders are calling for urgent intervention. The Thai Chamber of Commerce has described the current situation as a “currency shock that runs counter to the real economy,” urging the government and the Bank of Thailand to act before competitiveness erodes further. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking has gone so far as to recommend separating Thailand’s gold balance sheet from its core economic indicators, arguing that gold-related inflows distort the real strength of the baht. At the same time, officials are cautious, knowing that overly aggressive intervention could risk accusations of “currency manipulation,” particularly from the United States, which has linked exchange-rate issues to trade negotiations.

    Kasikorn Research believes the baht could soon test the 31.50 per dollar level if U.S. interest rate cuts go ahead, with the next support point seen at 31.30. Few expect it to return to the historic peak of 30 baht per dollar reached in 1978, as the central bank is expected to quietly intervene to prevent excessive gains.

    Yet the warning signs are already visible. Kriangkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), has stressed that the sharpest rally in four years is damaging exporters, tourism operators, and small businesses across the board. While cheaper imports such as oil offer some relief, the net effect is decidedly negative. If the baht continues to appreciate independently of economic fundamentals, he said, Thailand risks losing its competitive edge.

    For policymakers, the paradox is stark. A strong baht is often hailed as a sign of investor confidence, but its rapid and excessive rise is inflicting real pain on the ground. Exporters are losing contracts, tourists are spending less, and farmers are taking losses they cannot pass on. With a new finance minister and central bank governor preparing to take office, the business community is urging swift action. Unless the baht is managed more carefully, Thailand could be left with a currency that looks strong on paper while the real economy weakens beneath it.

      • redchert@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
        9·
        4 hours ago

        Thailand is doing austerity and regressive tax hikes too.

        Yeah they drove their whole asian tiger thing into the wall because they where the first to adopt neoliberalism in southeast asia.