qnick
11mo ago
•
23%
People who celebrate the massacre of Jews are certainly criticizing the government.
qnick
11mo ago
•
28%
It definitely failed you. And I'm not your pal.
qnick
11mo ago
•
36%
This is the footage from under the hospital with comments of IDF spokesperson
qnick
11mo ago
•
25%
First explanation: Hamas is lying. Just as as they did before. Second explanation: There're two fucking million people there, and Hamas is actively trying to kill them, which is way easier than killing IDF soldiers.
qnick
11mo ago
•
36%
They oppressed by Hamas
qnick
11mo ago
•
39%
That's some qanon-level bullshit
qnick
11mo ago
•
50%
What's your point?
qnick
11mo ago
•
33%
How is Northeast Africa more important than Central? Could you please elaborate without being racist?
qnick
11mo ago
•
29%
Nobody gives a fuck, because Jews were not involved.
qnick
11mo ago
•
14%
Wars are not "happening". One group of people attack another group of people, and another group of people have to defend themselves. In order to "stop war" you're saying that another group of people should just die without fighting back.
qnick
11mo ago
•
7%
About the half of organizers of this march are directly connected to Hamas
qnick
11mo ago
•
11%
It's a grotesque insult to the British people.
qnick
11mo ago
•
7%
Try to explain that to the "fighters of freedom" beheading another victim.
qnick
11mo ago
•
6%
qnick
12mo ago
•
6%
The last time far-left supported far-right was in 1939. With Molotov-Ribbentrop pact left-wing USSR joined forces with right-wing Nazi Germany. This union ended up with the Holocaust as we all know.
Now, when I see left "progressives" teaming up with right terrorist groups on a basis of hating Jews, it doesn't make me feel good.
qnick
12mo ago
•
16%
It's not 15000 nukes. It's 15000 high-precision strikes.
qnick
12mo ago
•
17%
I find silencing people who calls on killing all Jews to be completely undemocratic.
qnick
12mo ago
•
18%
Hate speech is not part of free speech.
qnick
12mo ago
•
41%
According to the IDF they made 15000 strikes on Gaza strip in the last month. Even if you take clearly made up number of victims from Hamas, you'll see the efficiency of those strikes, and how Israel is trying to avoid civilian casualties.
qnick
12mo ago
•
21%
Autocratic regimes always see the neighbor democracies as a threat. This is why Russia attacked democratic Ukraine, this is why a bunch of countries attack democratic Israel.
It never was about the land, it never was about the religion.
In [this NBC interview](https://youtu.be/XNEMjfK2v6U) Hamas spokesperson said that he likes to see all those protests among western world, and this is a good result of the October 7th attack. How does that make you feel?
www.reuters.com
Abu Marzouk, one of Hamas leaders, after visiting Moscow: > we look at Russia as our closest friend
Safety island in a middle of high speed avenue, beg buttons and flowers in a memory of the previous victim.
In social science, [Value](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Value_(ethics_and_social_sciences)) is simply what individuals or societies consider "good". There's an entire field of philosophy studying values, called [Axiology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiology). Why study values? Because they **affect our behavior**. In the picture above, you can see the results of the latest [World Values Survey](https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSContents.jsp), which is conducted every 5 years by an international organization founded by [Ronald Inglehart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Inglehart) back in 1981. Each country on this map is a point in a two-dimensional space, where the vertical axis represents **traditional** vs **secular** values, and the horizontal axis represents **survival** vs **self-expression**, sometimes referred to as *safety vs freedom*. Here's an explanation of these terms from the original website: > **Traditional values** emphasize the importance of religion, parent-child ties, deference to authority, and traditional family values. People who embrace these values also reject divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. These societies have high levels of national pride and a nationalistic outlook. > > **Secular-rational values** have the opposite preferences to the traditional values. These societies place less emphasis on religion, traditional family values, and authority. Divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide are seen as relatively acceptable. (Suicide is not necessarily more common.) > > **Survival values** place emphasis on economic and physical security. It is linked with a relatively ethnocentric outlook and low levels of trust and tolerance. > > **Self-expression values** give high priority to environmental protection, growing tolerance of foreigners, gays and lesbians, gender equality, and rising demands for participation in decision-making in economic and political life. *NB:* If, after reading these explanations, you conclude that traditional is bad and secular is good, this is only because your personal values appear to be at the secular end. In reality, this is way more complicated. In **traditional** societies, people recognize themselves as a *part of the community* more than as individuals. As a result, they **trust each other** and don't trust institutions. For example, if you need to borrow some amount of money, it would be easier to ask your friends and relatives than to go to a bank for a loan. In secular societies, it's the other way around. People feel more competitive and trust each other less. Community support there is replaced by **institutions**.
The understanding of [Socialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism) varies so widely among different people, that I genuinely struggled with this post. There are numerous political and economic theories, philosophies, and movements that encompass this term. Here are just a few examples * [Religious socialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_socialism) * [Authoritarian socialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarian_socialism) * [Democratic socialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism) * [Liberal socialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_socialism) * [Libertarian socialism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_socialism) The only common element across all these systems is the idea of **social ownership** of the **means of production**. Some of the theories reject private property entirely, while others support a mixed economy. The differences between types of socialism can be illustrated with modern-day Venezuela and Norway. Both countries are quite socialist, characterized by high taxes, free healthcare, and abundant oil resources. However, life in these countries is very different. Today, nearly every European country has a socialist party in parliament. Most of them represent [social democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy) ideology.
This book describes six years of observations on a colony of chimpanzees living in an outdoor enclosure at the Arnhem Zoo in the Netherlands, conducted by Dutch primatologist [Frans de Waal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frans_de_Waal) and his graduate students. The story of an aging patriarch and younger pretenders undermining his power. Violence and peace, sex and status, like the early seasons of "Game of Thrones", but documentary. For all politicians this book is a "must-read". Book: [Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes](https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9780801886560/) by Frans de Waal
The [Legal Equality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_before_the_law) is the idea that all **people** shall be equal before the law. Most of the countries, though, implemented this idea in a [Rule of Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_law) form, which states that all **citizens**, or **members of society**, should have equal rights. So technically it allows some individuals to be excluded from the definition of "members of society," leading to the deprivation of their basic human rights. This loophole has been widely exploited by various governments to enact oppressive laws targeting specific groups of people. Perhaps the most notorious example is Nazi Germany and its anti-Jewish legislation. During the [Nuremberg trials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trials) the defendants argued that they didn't commit any crimes, because they followed the German law at the time. To oppose that argument, the court used [Radbruch formula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radbruch_formula), created by German law professor Gustav Radbruch. According to this formula, if a law "deliberately disregards" **human equality** before the law, it must not be followed. Today, the Radbruch formula is embedded into most [civil law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_law_(legal_system)) systems worldwide, making it illegal to dehumanize people and evade accountability. It's worth noting that the legal systems of the USA and Canada operate differently, and I couldn't find any mentions of the formula in those jurisdictions.
[Communism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism) is known as another *totalitarian* ideology, but its roots lie in early *Christianity* with their idea of the [second coming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Coming) and establishing the eternal Kingdom of God. After the discovery of the New World, the idea got a new life in the form of an imaginary island called [Utopia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(book)) with no private property, no locks on houses, identical clothing, and everyone having two slaves. With the *Industrial Revolution*, communism appeared as a reaction to the **visible inequality** between workers and business owners. This inequality had existed for centuries, but before urbanization, it was not visible to the peasants. As you can see, the famous ten points of marxism along with **abolition of private property** strongly suggest the **centralization of power**, which might contradict with some other communist concepts, such as [disappearance of the State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withering_away_of_the_state) >1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. >1. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. >1. Abolition of all right of inheritance. >1. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels. >1. Centralisation of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. >1. Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State. >1. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. >1. Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. >1. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equable distribution of the population over the country. >1. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children’s factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production. Another common feature of Communism and Utopia is opposition to urbanism. According to these ideas, people should not live in cities but in small agricultural communities, basically suburbs.
People tend to use this word as a synonym to "everything bad", but it's not its actual meaning. [Fascism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism) is a one of *totalitarian* ideologies, that has *racism* in its core. We'll have a separate post for racism, but its idea revolves around the **natural superiority** of one race over all "others," leading to the belief that all "others" should either be eliminated or enslaved. Natural superiority means it comes from nature, so once being born you can do abolutely nothing to change it. Paradoxically, fascism did not originate from uneducated savages, but rather from respectable and intelligent [professors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Gentile).
[Robert Sapolsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sapolsky) has spent decades researching primate brains, and in this book, he explains in detail how electric signals in different parts of the brain accumulate into emotions, cognition, and automaticity. If you want to understand how people do, say, and feel various things, this book will certainly help. [Read the sample on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Behave-Biology-Humans-Best-Worst-ebook/dp/B01IAUGC5S) (click the picture of the book) Book: [Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst](https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781594205071/) by Robert M. Sapolsky
[Totalitarianism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism) is a form of *authoritarianism* that indoctrinates the population with a specific **ideology** and pursues a long-term vision for the transformation of the **entire society**. Initially, the term was derogatory, but, just like with *suffragette* or *impressionism*, it was [reappropriated](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reappropriation). Benito Mussolini proudly called his regime the “Totalitarian State,” and after some historical events had occurred, it became derogatory again. Unlike traditional dictatorships, totalitarianism appears in [industrial societies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_society), with urban populations and developed mass media. Full control of media and educational institutes is required to enforce the ideology onto the people. Another interesting feature of totalitarian regimes is closed borders. People who are considered by the State to be a valuable resource tend to avoid having the ideology enforced upon them and may try to flee the country.
Post for questions and general discussion
Historically, [democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy) was rarely favored by philosophers: Aristotle classified democracy as a deviant constitution because it gives advantage to the rich populists. Plato claimed that democracy is dangerous due to its excessive freedom. Churchill famously [said](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1947/nov/11/parliament-bill#:~:text=Many%20forms%20of,time%20to%20time), "*Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms.*" Some people are scared by the idea of the [mob](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd) taking power with unpredictable consequences (this is called *demophobia* or *ochlophobia*). So, why is democracy taking over the world? Even autocratic states are now claiming to be democracies and attempting to mimic its institutions. The key lies in the **dispersal of power**, or the **diversification of power**. Democracy, unlike all other forms of government, provides a mechanism for spreading power, which makes it "fault-tolerant." Similar to how [genetic diversity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_diversity) in biology allows species to tolerate environmental changes, power diversity makes democracies resilient to stresses such as coup attempts or pandemic outbreaks. This is why democracy has so many [forms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_system) and [variations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition), and why it tends to remain in place once established (with rare exceptions, such as the Roman or Galactic Empires).
The core idea behind these two forms of government is the **concentration of power**. In [Autocracies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autocracy), power is concentrated in the hands of a single individual, while in [Authoritarianism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism), it resides with a small group known as *elites*. Power concentration occurs even in democratic and socialist organizations, a concept known as the [Iron Law of Oligarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_oligarchy). This appears to be a natural force in human societies, similar to gravity. So, why do we even have democracies? How do they come into existence? I will try to answer that in tomorrow's post.
Using a range of sociological data collected by official and independent polling agencies as well as circumstantial evidence and indirect markers of behavioral changes, including demographic data and crime statistics, Ekaterina Schulmann attempts to trace an evolution of public opinion in Russia from the final erosion of the Crimean consensus in 2018 until into the full-scale war in 2023.
This book from 1651 became one of the most influential works in political philosophy. Its insights and ideas have led to countless references and allusions in a wide range of following works. One such concept is [Hobbesian trap](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbesian_trap), that describes a scenario in which two groups or nations, driven by the fear of an imminent attack from the other, become locked in a dangerous cycle of mutual distrust. This sense of insecurity can lead to an arms race and a predisposition towards preemptive strikes, escalating tensions and increasing the likelihood of conflict. The solution to this trap is in the book title: one central authority, or *Leviathan*, that has [monopoly on violence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_on_violence). Book: [Leviathan](https://www.isbns.net/isbn/9781439297254/) by Thomas Hobbes, [full text online](https://web.archive.org/web/20030218000757/http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/hobbes/leviathan-contents.html)
The community is mostly educational, without explicitly expressed favour to one or another political view. Opinions and discussions are welcomed too, but without agreement on terminology it doesn't make much sense, so currently I only make posts with some general knowledge sharing.