Americans also generally just don’t understand China. This is a broad generalization, but even if/when Chinese individuals hate their government or an act of government, they still believe in “China” as a collective, as a greater good that is worth sacrificing individual wants or needs. This thinking it completely alien to Americans culturally trained to think individually.
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This is very true.
There’s a lot of “if only the Tsar knew” when people have grievances. Beijing is very effective at putting local governments in lose-lose dilemmas when there’s a situation that could make the government as a whole look bad.
one of the most remarkable aspects of the war so far is how anyone with a smartphone can play a role in the extraordinary Ukrainian resistance. “Osint” researchers – open source intelligence gatherers – are methodically scouring the internet for the latest photos and videos coming out of Ukraine and verifying and geolocating them in real time.
Every tank is being logged. Every truck and every troop movement is tracked, registered and added to open source maps and databases. This is a country of 44 million people recording every twitch their Russian invaders make. It’s a firehose of real-time information that, with the help of this volunteer army, is being turned into real-time military strategy.
I woke up and it dawned on me how incredible it is that our most recent ex president decided to call John fucking Daly to discuss Russia.
John Daly for secretary of defense. Trump 2024!
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the most amazing thing is that JD is probably a deplorable but you can hear him just nodding along hoping trmp hangs up as soon as possible
Yeah that way Putin’s rural base, who never have any reason to be harassed by the FSB or screwed in the court system, can just choose not to believe it’s happening to anyone else.
Bhutan
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you mean women? yeah.
i don’t know anything about saudi politics. i am only aware roughly that a portion of the oil money is translated jnto a relatively generous welfare state, and standards of living are high enough that dissent is almost unthinkable
right, it is
Shockedpikachu
Seven stages of “denial” by Russian authorities regarding police grabbing people’s phones and searching them:
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We are not doing that
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It would be illegal for us to do that
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Who you going to believe, me or your lying eyes
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If it is happening, it is only non-authorized rogue agents doing it
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It we are doing it, it is not illegal
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We may be doing it
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Shut up before I shoot you
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https://twitter.com/AlexandruC4/status/1500546492205084681
That looks like a hell of a shot with an RPG.
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The guy just standing there with his feet even rather than staggered so as to better steady himself from the recoil was strange. I guess the thing must not have much.
Yeah and the tank may have been abandoned. Going back to shoot again in the same spot would be a very bad idea if anyone was around to shoot at you.
Yeah, true. Why blow up the tank, then, when you can instead donate it to a local wheat farmer?
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Looks like some target practice.
https://twitter.com/adam_e_casey/status/1500517532280700932
Good thread on how the power centers are set up in modern Russia.