syki

Joined 4 years ago

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Comment · 4 years ago

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/26/china-sees-strategi...

Comment · 4 years ago

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/26/china-sees-strategi...

Comment · 4 years ago

The college I worked at had a few classes at the prison. I was an adjunct and agreed to do it. None of the tenured faculty would do it. Didn’t really have any support. Did wear a body alarm. One way the body alarm would be activated was if it was horizontal for more than 3 seconds.

Comment · 4 years ago

I quickly figured out they were mostly there to break the monotony. I threw out the curriculum and did basic graph theory and some logic stuff. I only had one run in with someone. The prisoners treated me decently. I gave them all passing grades and just wanted them to get out of the experience whatever they wanted to get out of it.

Comment · 4 years ago

I taught a semester in a max security prison. It was described to me as a controlled movement facility. It was an interesting experience and one that stuck with me. That prison was a bad place. Thanks for your anecdote about the former police officer.

Comment · 4 years ago

Thank you for sharing your experience and bringing these things to light. As Dostoevsky said, you can judge a society by how well it treats its prisoners. We are not a free people when we live under the threat of being out into a prison system as barbaric as the one we have.

Comment · 4 years ago

It’s hard to give meaningful security assurances when the powers involved have nuclear weapons. Ukraine is far more important to Russia than it is to the U.S. Clearly the U.S. is not willing to go to war with a nuclear power over Ukraine. Treaties are only as useful as the willingness of the signatories to abide by them and/or enforce them.

Comment · 4 years ago

The question is about Putin and his cronies using their power as dictator and oligarchs doing a specific type of stock trade. Nancy Pelosi is neither a dictator or an oligarch and as far as I know has not shorted the market since she’s planning to start a war. Why bring her up?

Comment · 4 years ago

I see no amount of evidence will convince you that China is ok with Russia invading Ukraine. Your thesis about China and international norms is clearly false and your beliefs about China’s position is not supported by the facts.

My contention that Russia has China’s blessing is correct. It’s ok to admit when you are wrong.

Comment · 4 years ago

Still think you are right?

https://www.businessinsider.com/china-editor-says-must-suppo...

Comment · 4 years ago

Hardly surprising: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/china/china-ukraine-russia-re...

Comment · 4 years ago

RU actions are against PRC interests in terms of international norms.

They are not and I don’t believe Russia would do what it is doing in Ukraine without Chinese approval. The timing of the recent agreement between Russia and China is pretty much proof that Russia has China’s blessing.

Since 1960 China has had military incursions against Vietnam, Soviet Union, and India. It has blatantly violated norms regarding the laws of the seas and used pseudo naval vessels to blatantly overfish in the territory of other countries. It has told VW that if it wants to sell cars in China then VW must stop doing business with a Lithuanian company. Your views on the subject of China and international norms is weird to me and not supported by history.

I will not convince you of anything and likewise I doubt you’ll be able to convince me of anything. I stand by my assertion that China approves Russia’s actions.

Comment · 4 years ago

I believe your analysis is wrong and that there is no way Russia would do what it is doing without approval from China. China will do nothing to punish Russia. They might make some meaningless gestures but nothing meaningful.

Comment · 4 years ago

So you don’t know which situation I was referring to? The fact the Musk accomplished what he did with SpaceX is prima facie proof that he had sufficient power/influence to accomplish the goal.

Comment · 4 years ago

Some Russians view Ukraine as legitimately part of Russia. China views Taiwan as part of China. China also wishes to garner as much support as possible for its desired takeover of Taiwan. The recent agreement between Russia and China spells out each country’s respective views on these matters. They are in agreement with each other.