emergencyfood @ emergencyfood @sh.itjust.works

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987

Joined

2 yr. ago

It's not that it can't practically be followed, it is just that everyone running after H-index or whatever the hot thing is now has resulted in a drop in quality.

In addition to what The Bard In Green said, while we know that evolution does happen, there is a lot of debate over what is its main driving force. Darwin argued that the main force was natural selection, and most biologists agree with him. But there are also other schools, such as Kimura's neutral theory (evolution is caused primarily by luck) and Margulis's symbiosis theory (evolution is caused primarily by mutualism).

I expect a modern computer to be able to do whatever updates it wants in the background, and apply any kernel changes when I restart it. Ubuntu has been able to do both for years.

Eh, it's a little complicated. The Maldives just kicked out our (India) army, which historically provided security, and instead gave the contract to China. Nepal now has a pro-Chinese government. Bangladesh seems to be moving in that direction. Do the Maldives / Bangladesh / Nepal / Malaysia have the right to grow closer to China? Absolutely. Will they benefit from doing so? Possibly. But it will also make India, Japan, Australia, etc. feel encircled and threatened. I just hope this doesn't escalate further.

It usually happens when they buy from a respectable company, so the machine doesn't come with a free (pirated) Windows preinstalled.

The vast majority of people use a web browser, an office suite, an image viewer, a video player, and maybe some games. They'll use whatever OS came free with the machine, or whatever they can get a friend / relative to install for them.

A rule of thumb, in cases like this, is to ask who benefits from this. The cable connects Europe and Asia, and so would affect all or most Eurasian countries to a greater or lesser extent. Further, as traffic is redirected through intact cables, there could be indirect effects across the world. Finally, the perpetrator must be capable of cutting not one but four metre-thick cables at the bottom of the sea.

Once you consider these points, there is only one possible suspect.

Godzilla.

Most likely he already has someone with your first name in his contact list.

Also if the ashes of multiple vampires get mixed up together you could open new frontiers in body horror.

Countries do not have, or lose, interest in doing this or that on a whim. The British government agreed to Indian independence because continued large-scale protests were making it difficult to profitably exploit India's natural resources, and the home economy (and army) were in a state of rebuilding after WW2. Also, there was diplomatic pressure from the two superpowers to end colonialism.

Russia claims to be concerned with (1) Ukraine joining NATO, and (2) the treatment of the Russian minority in Ukraine. (In addition, Putin is probably using this war to rally domestic support, and weaken / arrest the opposition.) Would either of these concerns have been assuaged by a stronger Ukrainian military?

Again, I am not saying that violence should never be used. The Nazis, clearly, had to be defeated militarily. France had to be driven out of Vietnam. But violence should always be the last option. And the buildup of weapons encourages politicians to respond to any problem with force, which just makes things worse for everyone.

Some Christians in India worship Jesus as their top god, and local deities as secondary gods. I'm guessing this is common in places where Christianity spread peacefully into a culture with a polytheistic (and preferably decentralised) pantheon.

The last election was over a decade ago. Also, Gaza is only one part of Palestine.

Don't worry, you'll have a bright future at Boeing.

Hamas isn't the government of Palestine. That is the PLA. Hamas are an extremist group that controls the Gaza strip.

I don't think invading other people's countries is morally right. But the Russian decision to invade Ukraine was taken, in part, due to concern that Ukraine might join NATO.

I think the idea of all weapons are bad, is a idea born by people far far away from any dictators or aggressive neighbors etc.

My country won independence from the biggest empire in the history of the world through non-violent methods. This of course does not mean non-violent methods will always work. But going to war without trying peaceful methods first is a great way to commit suicide on a national level. And having more weapons does seem to encourage such behaviour.

Right, I'm not saying countries should dismantle their armies, just that weapon manufacturing and stockpiling should be avoided as far as possible unless your country is under attack.

Ukraine was similarly lacking in arms from 1990 to 2014. Russia only felt the need to attack when it felt threatened that Ukraine might join NATO, because that could result in US troops on its doorstep.

If you don't want to be invaded by uncooperative and irrational autocracies, you have to build up as much military capacity as your unpredictable systemic rivals.

Every resource spent on weapons is a resource not spent on infrastructure / education / what have you. Military expenditure is at best a necessary evil; a better option is to have just enough weapons to stop an enemy's initial attack, and to invest the rest of your resources into building industrial capacity that can be used for military production if the need arises.

Remind me again, who had the military advantage by sheer numbers in the war on Ukraine?

Russia doesn't calculate how many weapons it needs to produce depending on how many Ukraine has. It's main threats are the other superpowers - the US and China. So of course in a conflict with Ukraine they will have a massive advantage.

In peacetime, countries do not make as many weapons as they can. They make as many weapons as they think they need, based on how many weapons they think their rivals have. So when you make a weapon, you also make a lot of other countries make weapons. And this weapon buildup increases the risk of war.

I live in a tropical area, so baths and showers are always in cold water. Hot water is for small children and the sick or elderly.

This is apparently a huge culture shock to people coming from the colder parts of my country.

Great success!