I’m trying to figure out if I believe this really is a win for China.

Basically, Shein is an Amazon for the production line where you have any sort of organization represented, i,e, could be mom-and-pop prod, to companies, to co-ops, Shein itself is, as the video points out, just a data platform. So the exact nature of Shein is harder to pinpoint since it’s structured heterogeneously (with regards to as to who owns Shein’s means of production). But it is Shein who controls the labour process and who appropriates surplus value. Is Shein running a micro-planned-economy because it does economic planning (fashion forecasting) before production? For me that is a no. The reason Shein can operate the way it does is however because China operates under five-year plans with a specific focus on energy, home-ownership and the vegetable-basket program. So perhaps a win, but this is still, I’m guessing, a pretty exploitative business model if you are just looking at Shein. Socialism with Chinese characteristics aims at developing the productive forces, is Shein itself doing that? To me that is a no, but this further makes me wonder; is merely existing within Chinas socialist framework enough to fulfil that criteria?

Start with easy staples: learn oat milk, crispy tofu, mushrooms, bean patties, and a few sauces. Vegan cooking gets much easier once you know how to build texture and flavour. Focus on beans, tofu, grains, vegetables, fats, and sauces, also take B12 supplements until you learn the ropes :) I would go for:

• Tofu stir fry with rice or noodles
• Black bean burgers or patties
• Chilli with beans, lentils, tomatoes, corn, and spices
• Pasta with mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, or cashew cream
• Curry with chickpeas, potatoes, coconut milk, spinach, and rice
• Wraps with hummus, roasted vegetables, tofu, or bean patties
• Aloo gobi

You can make your own wrap bread with very little effort and it tastes better! For oat milk you do:

• 1 part oats
• 4 parts cold water
• Pinch of salt
• (Optional) 1 tsp syrup or sugar
• (Optional) 1 tsp neutral oil for a creamier texture

Blend for 25 seconds. Strain through a fine sieve, nut milk bag, or clean cloth. Do not squeeze aggressively; that makes it slimy. You can use the leftovers as a sour dough starter or just for baking.

Tofu is pretty bland by itself so it needs drying, seasoning, texture, and sauce. Use firm or extra-firm tofu.

• Press it for 15–30 minutes, or pat it very dry.
• Tear it into chunks rather than cutting perfect cubes. Torn edges crisp better.
• Toss it around in a bowl with: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, cornstarch, (small amount of oil)
• Pan-fry, air-fry, or bake to delight.
• Add BBQ sauce at the end and stir-fry briefly.

But this is of course just one example.

I believe in fasting, I don’t know how well it can heal a fatty liver but each day of fasting (I cheat with black coffee and water) will spare your organs, letting them rest for that day. My health significantly improved when I started taking one day a week fasting. I am also vegan.

This is fair, I interpreted the news article incorrectly and I think you are correct as to the intent of Putins messaging.

Is this really trustworthy, I mean, do we really believe that the Russian SMO will end because Russia wills it? Neither Russia nor Ukraine show any peace propensity so even if Russia was honest (which I doubt; and I’m not judging, if I was Putin I probably would have done the same) who’s to say that the “western bloc” doesn’t see it as more reasonable and profitable to continue this war of attrition conflict. Or in Marxism:

• Thesis: Russia’s ruling bloc seeks to terminate the war only on terms that secure its regional-strategic objectives and domestic legitimacy.
• Antithesis: Ukraine, backed by Western imperial blocs and their military-industrial interests, resists settlement on Russian terms because defeat would mean subordination, while continuation also serves Western strategic and capitalist interests.
• Synthesis: The war will not end through declared peace intent, but through a transformed balance of class, state, military, and imperial contradictions. Most likely being exhaustion, elite recalculation, or a frozen compromise that preserves unresolved antagonisms.

So: who is suffering more, who is loosing more and who has the higher depletion rate in this war of attrition?

I am ashamed to admit I only recited the psalm 1000 times today