trill1

... or possibly that they seem like nice guys.

Of course, worldwide people are susceptible to superstition, and if you want to talk about harmful superstitions that affect HIV transmission then look no further than policy pushed throughout Africa by US Christian right-wingers. The excellent documentary "God Loves Uganda" discusses how the most recent Bush administration threatened to withhold foreign aid from Uganda and other countries if they distributed birth control or didn't adhere to abstinence-only education.

Here in Cambodia expats constantly gripe about lazy native people, considering them stupid for not wanting to embrace every facet of Western culture. A common example that I've seen repeated in books and internet forums alike is that Cambodians won't adopt Western farming practices (like showering plants in pesticides) and so they must be just backwards and ignorant. Never is it considered that the native people, who have lived here for generations, might have different priorites or know something that a rich asshole from the West, who's been here 6 months, does not.

> I like cats as much as the next guy, but seriously.

Sure about that? I wouldn't want 50 harmless cats exterminated just because they bother the uptight guests of the hotel occasionally. I live in a country were stray cats are everywhere, and they routinely come in my apartment too. No problem, I enjoy it and have had they chance to raise many kittens as well.

The language doesn't look reminiscent of a chatbot to me. It seems that the person made a one-off account, posted something, then thought it didn't go through and made another account and posted again.

Also, Obama is a war criminal, just like W.

Very true. I tried to jump into some higher-level math classes in college after finishing my major, and though I didn't completely fail, I would have learned much more if I had gotten over my fear of looking "dumb" by asking basic questions, or by talking to the professors during office hours.

> It's also a fascinating bit of hypocrisy, to say that the US is hung up on being right, and yet you feel free to bash the US while promoting the things others do right (you listed healthcare, education, roads). How does that work again?

He's not bashing the US, but rather being realistic about the sorry state of American healthcare, education, and infrastructure. And it's perfectly valid to suggest that both American exceptionalism and a general lack of exposure to the ideas and experiences of foreign citizens, are partially to blame for America's failures domestically and abroad.

> The US does in fact improve. See: gay marriage legalization (something many of those supposed progressive nations you're referring to still lack). Body cams for police (a wide national interest in ending police brutality).

Gay marriage is a great step forward, but there are more pressing issues honestly, primary among them reigning in the military-industrial complex that has been steadily toppling democratically-elected governments for the past 60 years, stealing resources, fighting proxy wars, and selling weapons to one or both sides.

> Ending mass incarceration and the war on drugs (changes that are now supported by the majority of Americans). The ACA / Obamacare.

No way the majority of citizens of support ending the drug war. Legalization or decriminalization of marijuana are only small steps toward ending mass incarceration. How many people currently support heroin being legal, taxed, and available down the street? Not many, but until US society has that revelation, there will still be black market violence, and still be addicts ODing because their heroin is anything from 10% to 90% pure and potentially cut with other harmful substances, and because they hesitate to call an ambulance for fear of exiting the hospital in police custody.

Same here. I surfed the internet and played computer games until 1 or 2 AM every night, and then spent a lot of time in junior high and high school nodding out in class.

I really learned almost nothing, which isn't the fault of my teachers or anyone else. I would have been better off in a radically less structured educational environment, something as simple as being put in a room alone with some books and an offline computer for 4 hours a day, with long breaks in between to exercise and socialize.

Right! This whole thread has me scratching my head.

Not long ago Microsoft schemed to stomp out Linux and now they've had a change of heart? Fuck Microsoft! To this day even they engage in anti-competitive bundling with OEMs, not to mention their seedy history in relation to open source.

You get used to the local water, it's safe in most any urban area in SEA.

Refrigerated bottled water is cheap though, only 12 cents, but I know many locals who perceive drinking out of plastic bottles to be a bigger health risk than drinking tap water.

Definitely, the US government can ban or backdoor every commercial encryption product on the planet, and those that are serious about security will still be using GPG, Tor, Linux/BSD, etc.

I'm only suggesting that Apple and others could have taken a stand in favor of privacy much earlier, and that their decision to do so now likely has more to do with their bottom line than any genuine concern for public welfare. BTW, hi Rob! You know me from the PPUA :)

A lot of the big tech companies had an inside look at the growing surveillance state far before the average citizen did. I think an argument can be made that the should have done more to inform the public.