I'm aware of that, most folks on here really respect Mao but aren't Maoist. (I recognize you are probably just helping with a distinction, not trying to be snarky)

Yeah I figured, but just in case I wanted to make the clarification

the Maoists I've briefly talked to about this make the case that a lot of the talking points lobbed at Shining Path are ones that anti-communists lob at all socialist revolutions, and so that would be a reason to be critical of the sweeping assumption that Shining Path = bad.

Yeah this is basically what I meant when I said I wasn't well read enough on it.

The whole China debate is something I also struggle with. Like, China is a superpower at this point, why would they feel compelled to trade with the Phillipines? Why did they, for a time, side with Cambodia (iirc). I cannot think of reasons why China could not make a more moral choice in these instances.

I think the sibling comment from purpleworm has a good explanation for the Philippines. China seems to be trying very hard to not export revolution, for better or worse, and appear "politically neutral" at a world stage. I think this is something I'm personally disappointed in, but it also seems they're playing the long game and that the world, and the future possibility of leftist movements, would be much worse off if China were to cease to exist.

As for Cambodia, are you referring to China backing the Khmer Rouge (and in particular, against the Communist Party of Vietnam)? IIRC that was still under Mao, and I think a lot of the poor foreign policy decisions of that time are a direct result of the Sino-Soviet Split, which ended up manifesting in very weird ways (the US and Mao's China both backing the Khmer Rouge against Vietnam, which was backed by the Soviets, for example).

At the same time, I have heard compelling arguments that justify China's cobalt mines in terms of there being more reciprocal benefit as opposed to colonial extraction, and it does seem to operate differently from other forms of colonialism. So they do seem to operate in a unique capacity compared to the US.

Would you happen to have any resources about the cobalt mines? I would like to read more about that if you have it handy, plus it would be nice to keep it in my back pocket.