this post was submitted on 17 May 2026
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One month ban for pointing out that consumerism bad. What a shithole of a site over there on the grad.

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[–] hello_hello@hexbear.net 41 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Responding with "what the fuck even is this comment" isnt helpful, while a 1 month ban is extreme, there are much better ways to frame criticism of China than running tempers high from the get go which will get you nowhere as its indistinguishable from leftcom rhetoric on China which is just as abrasive.

[–] soyaboya@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 3 days ago

Was that not exactly what you thought after reading that mess though? I lacked context of OOP but it was for me. I sympathize.

[–] Drewfro66@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 days ago

CriticalResist is right and ur dumb

Your understanding of Political Economics is unscientific and based on moralism instead of materialism.

The fact that a Socialist system can more efficiently satisfy a demand within a Market is a success of the system. While not sustainable, Socialism in One Country is not sustainable and no one has claimed that it is. But the success of Chinese businesses internationally is a success for the Socialist political bloc.

[–] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 24 points 4 days ago (1 children)

If you live in China then by all means go ahead and criticize China's relationship to production, though it is probably more productive to so that on platforms that have a majority Chinese userbase rather than lemmygrad and Hexbear

If you live in the Weϟϟt, then shut the fuck up about China's imperfections. Every demonization of a country which the Weϟϟt has set its sights on helps oil the imperialists' guns.

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Even if you also criticize the terrible crimes of the West much more harshly, China is exempt from even the lightest criticism 👍

[–] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 19 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You posted a single contextless image to complain about our comrades over on grad banning you. From what I see in the image, you first come in hot and have nothing of value to say (comment 1) and then exhibit much vitriol toward a country my genocidal leaders want me to fear and hate (comment 2) for a a sin that is not unique to China, then wonder why people treat you with suspicion.

If you wanted to have a discussion about wasteful production you could have done that and talked about the economic context (global capitalism) in which China exists, as well as China's long term strategies.

I don't really care what you have to say. I don't care about "consumerism" in China. Why do you? Imperialism is the primary contradiction.

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

I wrote my first comment out of frustration after writing out a whole comment and then deleting it because it was more effort than it was worth. And then I ended up needing to write basically the comment out again in the reply.

And it's not consumerism in China that's the problem. It's consumerism in America that's the problem, obviously, because China and particularly Shein is manufacturing for export. China is serving a market need, and I think they are uniquely poised to exploit their position to serve this need in a way nobody else is. The West provides the incentive, China capitalizes on it. But quite frankly at this point it would be incredibly tiring to write out a nuanced take with enough caveats, counter criticism of the west, and sugarcoating to appease the dogmatists who take any criticism of China as evidence of liberalism.

I'm going to touch grass and I think so should y'all, because you can't be nuanced without writing a whole dissertation here ig.

[–] Lowleekun@hexbear.net 2 points 3 days ago

Shein is manufacturing the same way amazon does. It is a market platform.

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Like, don't get me wrong, the imperialist machine is absolutely trying to tear down China through criticism among other things, but are we as Communists not allowed to discuss what we could do differently, not for the purposes of improving China, but for the purposes of honing our own goals and methods? Or is learning from the mistakes of others only allowed after Gorbachev dissolves them?

[–] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

We are allowed to, sure. I don't see you doing that in your screenshot.

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago

I don't see how I'm not

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net -1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

And I know what the reply is going to be, "build a successful revolution, then you can discuss what to do."

Overthrow the government and then figure out what you want to do seems like putting the cart before the horse.

[–] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 11 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Motherfucker that's not what my reply was. Don't put words in my beak

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 0 points 4 days ago

That was not aimed at you directly

[–] LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 32 points 4 days ago (1 children)

having none of the other context i.e. the video (which i wouldn't watch anyway) i wouldn't interpret comment 1 as saying "this is good," with no other context it just reads as "you're only hearing so much criticism of this specific company because of imperialist xenophobia" and after two decades of hearing bullshit about how "china is destroying the earth (don't bring up that it's by manufacturing shit we're paying them to make)" i can see why one would be inclined to make that sort of comment

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 0 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

The assertion that leftists are criticizing only Chinese clothing manufacturing companies for being bad for the environment is an utterly absurd one, especially when Amazon got flak for fast fashion years before anyone in America ever heard of Shein or Temu. Shein gets more criticism now partially because it's so cheap that it makes the problem even more accessible and therefore worse.

Go China for making things cheaper and more accessible to the masses, boo consumerism for making cheap shit that goes in the garbage after one use.

The fact that i got a month ban for that is wild

[–] Jabril@hexbear.net 9 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Yes in general China's relationship with production needs a change but it is just getting into the position to make those decisions and people in China are the ones pushing for them to happen. There is a growing trend in China for hand made things and "slow" products, especially among the youth. China has been doing business as usual to catch up and now surpass the west but they need to start taking the lead on doing things better than the west as well. The single use plastic in China is one example you see literally thousands of different ways each day in China, but in general Chinese consumerism is pretty intense especially for cheap plastic shit that is cute and maybe cool design wise but otherwise could use a big shift in the sustainability/green angle, from material choices to packaging. Luckily that transition will happen much faster and more effectively once it becomes a priority for China.

[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 3 points 3 days ago

Still doesn't qualify them as a "shithole of a site".

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Like yes, I recognize that the imperialists want to zero in both on untrue criticisms and on criticisms of China that also apply to America and American companies.

But that does not mean criticisms that apply to American companies are to be celebrated or even ignored when they apply to Chinese companies, we just have to be balanced in our attention. And me personally, I hate using Amazon, I hate Amazon as a business, I hate how their return policy contributes to consumerism and also waste.

I hate consumerism. Because I'm a fucking Communist. How's that for balance

[–] john_brown@hexbear.net 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Nothing in the pictured comment suggests they're celebrating it. They're just pointing out the reality that China is doing a thing that the west did but the west only decides to criticize it when China does it. The OP comment in your screenshot is completely correct.

[–] soyaboya@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That's a stretch. They don't really make much sense in their sentence formation but it sounds like they said: (western) leftist criticism of China's state of sustainability is "greenwashing" and an aid for imperialism.

I agree in the end any criticism can aid the us. But what do you do? Shein exists, and is bad. It is mandatory for all communists to criticize it.

But what does greenwashing have to do with anything. Criticizing fast fashion is not greenwashing. Sounds like Israeli.

[–] john_brown@hexbear.net 4 points 3 days ago

It is mandatory for all communists to criticize it.

completely lost me with that one chief

Sounds like Israeli.

the fuck?

[–] Biddles@hexbear.net 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I hate consumerism. Because I'm a fucking Communist. How's that for balance

Hate to break it to you, but people will still wear clothes and care about fashion in communism

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 0 points 4 days ago

Dishonest and unhelpful comparison

[–] TreadOnMe@hexbear.net 16 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I'm not going to comment on the China thing, as it doesn't really matter outside of jousting on our respective moral high horses.

However, doing the whole, "I'm not mad, actually I'm laughing. I am laughing my fucking ass off." is extremely embarrassing.

Just admit you are pissed. Christ.

[–] Pili@hexbear.net 9 points 3 days ago

I imagine it would have went a lot better if they could formulate their point in a more eloquent way than "wtf even is this comment"

[–] Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml 21 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That's not what you were doing, they're right, cry about it

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

If you read wrongly into my comment that's on you. What I wrote is pretty clear.

[–] Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml 21 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Yes, what you wrote is clearly anti-china bullshit and you got banned for it. Take the L and move on.

[–] beanenjoyer@hexbear.net 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

~~Oof media literacy really is low these days~~

E wtf op is Xavienth? Lmao deserved ban

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Tell me, precisely, which words are anti-China.

This is utter nonsense and you should feel ashamed.

[–] MLRL_Commie@hexbear.net 16 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It just seems to me thay you interpreted the person you were responding to in the worst possible way and got banned for taking a discussion about cynical imperial greenwashing and making it "no they're both bad". I see how you interpreted it, too, and I'm sympathetic that you just take very seriously the consequences of current modes of production. But the person you responded too likely also takes that seriously and was having a completely different discussion about advanced production methods and how they are demonized cynically

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Fair point, but the comment does still feel dismissive of environmental concerns re: Shein and the like. The reason I responded is it feels like an overcorrection. Yes the imperialists are trying to malign China, but to completely cast aside any criticism that imperialists make and then imply that even leftist making that criticism have been duped feels like an overcorrection. Like, on a personal level, I feel the same way about Shein as I do Amazon, but ofc I recognize two facts:

  1. Whoever reads my comment in a vacuum doesn't know my feelings about non-Chinese companies doing the same nor how much it occupies my personal attention
  2. I am an individual participating in a system, and so I must be aware of how, even if my criticisms of Chinese companies are balanced by equal criticisms of American companies elsewhere, there is still an imbalance of focus caused by the capitalist class and its media apparatus.
[–] Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago

Likewise, comrade

[–] Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml 7 points 4 days ago

Thank you for saying the things better and more civilly than I could

[–] john_brown@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago

screenshotting this for future laughs

regardless of the substantive merits, i think you put yourself at a rhetorical disadvantage using the dismissive, moralizing register. obviously this is endemic in online lefty spaces, certainly here too; but maybe it's worth reflecting on why you have so much emotional investment in other's appraisal of your appraisal of Shein. it's not worth it.

[–] Lowleekun@hexbear.net 9 points 3 days ago

One month ban seems fair. No, you did not point out how consumerism bad. You shat on a comment first, without pointing out what you disagree on. If your critique of capitalism boils down to "consumerism bad" I am not really sure if you have done enough educating.

[–] Mog_Pharou@hexbear.net 15 points 4 days ago

lol I have second hand embarrassment over this post

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 10 points 4 days ago
[–] Poophammer@hexbear.net 5 points 3 days ago

People really mad over nothing, your fault for whining also mods bad

[–] edie@lemmy.encryptionin.space 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)
[–] bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 3 days ago

Wow, even this thread itself is a dead ringer for rule 3. Personally I don't have an objection to this ban. Posting like this is extremely embarrassing on the part of OP.

[–] trabpukcip@hexbear.net 10 points 4 days ago

Xhs link to original video.

http://xhslink.com/o/3pkwUWj46NL

Guy walks around gangzhou(?) fabric district explaining how shein operates. Is interesting content.

[–] john_brown@hexbear.net 10 points 4 days ago
[–] Sabbo@hexbear.net 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Looka like you graduated from the grad. You're a gradgrad!

[–] SleepySaf@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago

from the deeply unserious to the beanly unserious heh

[–] soyaboya@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 3 days ago

Hey buddy I think lots of people here are pretty unfairly hard on you for this. They say the first response lacked valuable information, was rude, and emotional. That is true. But that is acceptable in many situations online and not here. I don't understand why either. OP was a word vomit. I think they should've said something valuable first, before you even commented.

Here, seing shit like "go live in China" was embarrassing. Also namedropping "primary contradictions" and calling others uneducated... yikes.

Don't let excuses dull your senses. Keep learning. Just drop this since your sentiments aren't welcomed here. That's my two cents.