Europe at War

[Todd]

From the NIH: Censoring political opposition online: Who does it and why

Conclusion:

Contemporary pundits often blame the apparent increase in polarization on "the internet" or "social media." Researchers have found some basis for such assertions by demonstrating that internet users are indeed selectively exposed to evidence that would lend support to their views. Our findings move beyond this literature by demonstrating that moderators employ censorship to not only bring online content into harmony with their values, but to actively advance their causes and attack opponents of their causes. From this vantage point, those whose political beliefs are rooted in their identities are not passive participants in online polarization; rather, they are agentic actors who actively curate online environments by censoring content that challenges their ideological positions. By providing a window into the psychological processes underlying these processes, our research may open up a broader vista of related processes for systematic study

Some people want to interact in echo chambers.

[Fëanor]

Germany Has Evidence of War Crimes in Ukraine 'In Three-Digit Range' - Prosecutor

I'd surely like to see what is meant by "three-digit range".  It would seem to me that it would be higher.  It is also clear that the count will only go up as the war continues and the West continues its cold-blooded policy of sacrificing Ukrainian lives to weaken Russia in furtherance of explictly stated US policy. 

Whataboutism.

[Fëanor]

You clearly missed the most important bit of the story.

Different customers, different means.

[Todd]

Whataboutism.

Fundamentally incorrect.

Different customers, different means.

It's rather more than just different means.

[Florestan]

why does "Incorrect" bug you so much?

Because "Incorrect" full stop betrays a fundamental disdain of one's opponent. If "Incorrect" were followed by a thoughtful explanation of why it was incorrect, I'd have nothing to complain about.

[Florestan]

Todd used to be a moderator

OMG!

In my book, "Todd as moderator" is the exact equivalent of "Nietzsche as Germanophile".

[Todd]

In my book, "Todd as moderator" is the exact equivalent of "Nietzsche as Germanophile".

Can you elaborate on what you clearly think of as a clever post?  If not, that's fine.

[Todd]

China Helping Russia's War With Ukraine With Military Aid—Violating Sanctions—Reports Show

Hmmm.  A national security threat in the form of a terrifying balloon, and now this.  This is how wars escalate.

[Madiel]

It seems odd to demand someone kicked out of a forum like this, which has a generally laissez-faire approach to moderation, because he or she is annoying without explicitly breaking any rules, just because some people are incapable of restraining themselves from reading or replying.

Well I guess that we don't have an explicit rule against advocating, say, poisoning children because we didn't imagine anyone was going to do it. While I write laws for a living, I'm not in this situation going and checking what the rules say. We have a member who is derailing a conversation, advocating quite horrible positions on a topic, and explicitly saying how useless and pathetic the forum and its members are. If none of the rules cover that then it's time to fix the rules and/or to ask exactly why it is you need rules to tell people something as obvious as the last of those in particular.

[Karl Henning]

OMG!

In my book, "Todd as moderator" is the exact equivalent of "Nietzsche as Germanophile".

It's certainly an interesting data point.

[Herman]

It's certainly an interesting data point.

Surely you were around at that time?

[Herman]

Because "Incorrect" full stop betrays a fundamental disdain of one's opponent.

well, but that's his entire point, and to get mad about it only gives him satisfaction.
so don't. just ignore.

[Todd]

A stink of corruption in Ukraine: the bad smell coming out of Kyiv

Best headline of the week.  Time's corrupt Puppet of the Year is doing some more housecleaning before an upcoming meeting with EU leaders. 

Note that The Week is described by Media Bias Fact Check and All Sides as "Left" and as delivering factual reporting.

One thing that definitely should not happen is an audit of the lucre bequeathed to the new Bastion of Democracy.

[Karl Henning]

Surely you were around at that time?

Not sure, @Herman ... I don't seem to have any recollection of his being a mod. Could be an item that dropped out of my brain in my stroke....

[drogulus]

    From The Week, a notoriuosly facty leftist rag:


'Keeping officials under a magnifying glass'

There's some good news in all this, said Yulia Lavryshyn on Zn.Ua (Kyiv). The war may have provided cover for crooks, but the slew of media revelations that has brought about the ousting of these officials shows that Ukraine's free press is well capable of "keeping officials under a magnifying glass" even in the present dire circumstances.

Ordinary Ukrainians are understandably furious that graft remains so prevalent in their country, said Stefan Wolff and Tatyana Malyarenko on The Conversation (Melbourne). Ukraine's economy is being battered by the war, and while these people are feasting on public funds most people are struggling to survive.

But few hold Zelenskyy responsible for the ongoing scandals: his approval ratings remain sky high and most people back him to make good on his prewar promises to root out wrongdoing. It's imperative he does so. Last week's welcome news that both Germany and the US will send tanks to Ukraine was "clearly linked" to Zelenskyy's new anti-graft initiative. How well he manages to solve the corruption problems will determine the shape of Ukraine's postwar future.

    So Zelensky is a puppet of Western anti-corruption mongers? Say it ain't so!!

   

[Madiel]

As previously noted, Zelenskyy has been talking about corruption since he was a fictional President. It's a major theme, arguably THE major theme, of Servant of the People.

[SimonNZ]

Arguing with an editors click-bait headline instead of reading the reporters actual text is the kind of semiliterate dullard behavior that Todd used to be above.

[Karl Henning]

Arguing with an editors click-bait headline instead of reading the reporters actual text is the kind of semiliterate dullard behavior that Todd used to be above.

I almost don't remember that bygone era ....

[JBS]

Not sure, @Herman ... I don't seem to have any recollection of his being a mod. Could be an item that dropped out of my brain in my stroke....

I certainly have no recollection of it.

[Madiel]

The Myth of Todd.