I know I'm a broken record on the topic, but the extent to which Americans are incapable of putting themselves in other people's shoes is absolutely incredible and explains a lot of their foreign policy mistakes. You might think they are just being disingenuous when they claim to have been surprised that China perceived that decision as a hostile act, and I'm not saying they aren't to some extent, but for the most part it's true unfortunately. Americans are so convinced of their fundamental goodness that the idea that anyone might doubt their intentions and not see their hegemony as benign doesn't even occur to them.

I just learned this, and it's wild. Did you know philosophers are just saying things? No quotes, no citations. They're literally out here just saying what they think and then arguing for it. Look at that first sentence about justice. Whose thought is that? Who is allowing this?

lol wikipedia

Blacks can never drown or commit suicide. But they should be allowed to lie, commit fraud and stab white ppl to death

The ones propping up a fraudster until the guy suicided when his scam collapsed call the those _who pointed out that it was fraud_ “shameless”, and having “zero moral compass”. I guess they’d know.

When the exodus to Bsky happened I was concerned that it would lead to a harmful segmentation of the intellectual space, but the Arday saga has been a useful reminder that on the whole it has been a healthy development because, while there are a few people who left at the time that I miss, for the most part we have just lost morons, bullies and mentally ill people who actually made Twitter worse.

I'm obviously just speculating here, since I don't have access to private information and don't know what transpired internally at Novara, but I think it's the result of both internal disagreements and audience capture. In any case, I think that whole saga has really shown again that, although some on the left keep hoping they will be able to create a space for people who don't like identity politics and want to focus on economic issues, it's basically impossible. The truth is that, although people on the left like to pose as people who are dismissive of post-materialist concerns, this is just larping and no debate about economic policy will ever come close to unleashing the kind of passions we have seen during the controversy about Arday. Anti-racism and other identity politics issues like feminism are literally the religion of the left at this point and there is no room for any movement on the left that refuses to make a sacrifice to that god when asked.

The Queering of Atoms Through An African-American Lens: Matter for Black Lives

I wish that was true, but man have I seen shit

It never ceases to amaze me how many US-American academics naturally assume I'm left-radical when I barely ever say anything about politics and then they are SHOCKED, I tell you, SHOCKED to find out I'm not supportive of idiocy. Tells you a lot about American academia.

One random indication of a "mood shift" in Finland is that random social democrat-run towns have started enacting burkha bans for some reason (I do not think they have many people wearing burkhas...) but it's still a good thing I think.

I want people to keep in mind that these are the smarter ones, the richer ones, the top 1-3% of India. The best and the brightest the country has to offer. The "best" of India is trying to scam a free wheelchair service for disabled people to board a plane. Very stupid people.

Wokeness and shitty multiculturalism is first and foremost the fault of the white elite They could have not done slavery (they were too lazy and stupid and shortsighted and didn't want to work for their money) ...OR they could have given ample land, enabled true self-governance, and washed their hands in reasonably clear conscience (they didn't want to give away any land and thought segregation would work, idiots) ...OR they could have enacted reparations and proactively gained black trust, which would have given them the legitimacy to crack down and eradicate the criminal element, which would have saved the project of urbanization But instead we get ZERO of these things and just shitty complacency and flight to the suburbs and hand wringing. American democracy is "this is what you voted for" as a license to never try to fix anything. Deeply fucked.

If only it were so simple. The real problem is that people want to be told what to do, but they also want to like it and for it to validate them. For public 'philosophy' to create a positive effect instead of some variant of the boomer phenomena of self-satisfied moralists...

The biggest German philosophy magazine regularly has titles like: "What do we do with our fears?" "Do I have to participate? The freedom of non conformism" "Should I follow my intuition?" This is what "exoteric" philosophy looks like because all normies want is for philosophy to tell them what to do. It's bleak. Hegel was 100% right.

Galton also mentioned that the Chinese seemed to thrive as soon as they’re outside China

It's going to be this all damned weekend

Whenever I’m getting an ego and feeling even a slight bit intelligent, I’ll visit that videos comment section to be humbled:

One kills you with guns, the other with their smell. Choose your poison

Indians not blocking the entire aisle at Costco mission impossible