Notices by Yogthos (yogthos@social.marxist.network), page 2

in a nutshell

Anarchism and liberalism share idealist roots, prioritizing abstract individualism over material analysis. Where Marxists see class struggle, anarchists and liberals see moral failings; where materialists identify systemic contradictions, idealists preach personal liberation. No wonder capitalism tolerates anarchist rhetoric while suppressing Marxist organizing. One challenges property relations, the other just rebrands them as 'freedom'.

China has announced new restrictions on the export of rare-earth technologies, including the processing of rare-earth metals and magnets. This move, which is the most significant rare-earth export restriction from China in over a decade, cuts off the US and its allies from supplies of strategic raw materials. China dominates rare-earth refining, accounting for over two-thirds of mined rare earths and almost all global refining capacity.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-21/china-bans-exports-of-some-rare-earth-processing-technologies-lqf1pzw8

#us #china #tradewar

Reading Marx is like unearthing the Necronomicon in a university library, a forbidden text that lays bare capitalism's inner workings.

But the true horror lies in realizing you're surrounded by people who treat exploitation as 'just how things work.' Suddenly the world reveals itself as a self-sustaining asylum, where the so-called 'rational' diligently reproduce the madness of the system.

#capitalism #socialism #marxism

@Hoss@shitpost.cloud mfw dumb fuck yanks don't understand why their manufacturing jobs disappeared

@Hoss @threalist if you think that your oligarchs are going to invest in domestic manufacturing, you're dumber than a bag of bricks 😆

@Hoss@shitpost.cloud @monkey imagine being so dumb that you can't understand that capitalists aren't interested in paying you a decent wage. You don't own the means of production dummy, the means of production aren't even in your shithole country anymore. And they're not coming back.

80% of Americans scream, 'Bring back manufacturing jobs!' But ask them to actually work in a factory? Suddenly, only 20% are interested. And Wall Street? Ha! They’d rather burn money than invest in US production. So forgive me if I don’t hold my breath for this nostalgic fantasy.

https://www.ft.com/content/845917ed-41a5-449f-946f-70263adbaeb7

#us #uspol #economy

A Chinese citizen explains that it's not China’s fault that they prospered.

Both sides played by the rules of mutual benefit. But if one side reinvested its gains into educating citizens, building infrastructure, and industrializing while the other squirreled them away in offshore havens for oligarchs, whose fault is it that the resulting imbalance feels 'unfair'?

#us #china #tradewar #tariffs #economy

China released a new list of its major low-carbon demo projects for 2025. All of them are important and ground-breaking projects, 101 of them in total.

National Demonstration Projects enjoy direct financial support, streamlined policy approvals, priority in government procurement, access to advanced technologies and talent, and long-term institutional backing. These projects reflect national priorities for low-carbon transition.

🧵

#china #cleanenergy #environment

There are three main categories.

1. Carbon source reduction (50 Projects) focused on scaling renewable energy generation, grid modernization, storage systems, and green hydrogen production
2. Process carbon reduction (44 Projects) target industrial decarbonization, sustainable transportation, and energy systems efficiency
3. End-use carbon Sequestration (7 Projects) explore large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), including converting captured CO₂ into synthetic fuels

Compared to Batch 1 (47 projects total in 2023), Batch 2 reflects a dramatic expansion in both scope and scale. Let's take a look at some highlights of the new initiatives.

Let's take a look at a few notable projects from Batch 2 below.

A 700 MW offshore wind farm off Fujian's coast stands out as a “large capacity deep water” pioneer. Utilizing 39 turbines (18 MW each) in waters over 40 meters deep, it aims for a 49% capacity factor, far exceeding typical offshore wind performance. With coastal provinces constrained by land scarcity, such projects could unlock China's offshore potential, positioning 2025 as a breakout year for the sector.

A pilot in Xianyang, Shaanxi, will drill 2–3 km into the Earth's crust to deploy a district heating system powered by geothermal energy. Once operational, it will heat 1.1 million square meters of buildings (10,000–20,000 homes) and displace 20,000 tonnes of coal annually. This model, inspired by projects like France's Rittershoffen, could revolutionize heating in northern China, where coal-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plants dominate.

A hybrid renewable facility in Inner Mongolia aims to replace a coal-fired captive power plant at a Chinalco aluminum smelter. With 1 GW of wind, 200 MW of solar, and 135 MW/540 MWh of storage, the project could offset ~3,500 GWh of coal-generated electricity yearly. Success here could chart a path for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries reliant on captive coal. This addresses a critical hurdle for China's post-2030 emissions trajectory.

Batch 2 includes 10 green hydrogen projects targeting 780,000 tonnes of annual production. The largest, in Inner Mongolia's Hinggan League, pairs a 2 GW Goldwind farm with 500,000 tonnes/year of green hydrogen-derived ammonia and methanol. As China eyes hydrogen for steelmaking, shipping, and aviation, these pilots aim to solidify its position in the global hydrogen race.

Six projects test compressed air energy storage (CAES), positioned as a mid-duration solution between batteries and pumped hydro. The Qinghai pilot (60 MW/10 hours) highlights long-duration potential, while others (300–350 MW/4+ hours) target grid flexibility. As power markets mature, CAES could complement renewables in balancing supply and demand.

Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) projects integrate industrial demand response, EV charging, and storage into grid-responsive hubs. While current pilots are small-scale (e.g., industrial parks), their success hinges on evolving power markets that incentivize real-time load management. With EV adoption surging, VPPs could soon play a central role in grid stability.

While Wall Street panics over the latest market meltdown, China shrugs because around 70% of its economy isn’t hostage to casino capitalism. When your economy is publicly owned, you don’t need a bailout, you just need a five-year plan.

https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/2024/chinas-private-sector-has-lost-ground-state-sector-has-gained-share-among

#china #socialism

Absolutely incredible to watch U.S. treasury secretary openly joke about the US destroying critical German energy infrastructure.