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InitialsDiceBearhttps://github.com/dicebear/dicebearhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/„Initials” (https://github.com/dicebear/dicebear) by „DiceBear”, licensed under „CC0 1.0” (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)O
OboTheHobo @ OboTheHobo @ttrpg.network
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3 wk. ago

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • As I said, if the opinion of the people of Taiwan change to be in favor of reunification then I will also support it, regardless of what western influences want. I understand the situation is complex but consent and self-determination are not.

    Again, my stance on Taiwan is simple: because the people of Taiwan do not wish to be part of the PRC, I do not believe they should be. Do you disagree with me?

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • I couldn't care less about what the US government has to say on the matter. As I feel I've made abundantly clear, I do not believe Taiwan should be a part of the PRC because the people of Taiwan do not wish to be a part of the PRC. Any other factors are fairly insignificant compared to that. Even your pro-PRC article clearly states the statistics - that reunification is extremely unpopular to the people of Taiwan - so I really doubt that is western propaganda or the US narrative.

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • Well, as I said, if the people of Taiwan are ever willing to unify with the PRC then I will support it. But they don't, they never have, and I see no reason to believe they ever will soon. China's insistence that Taiwan is currently and always has been a part of China does not seem to me like waiting for consent of the people.

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • And I guess that's where we're just going to fundamentally disagree. The state should not have control over who does and doesn't get freedom of speech. If they do, there is not truly freedom of speech.

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • Alright, I apologize for putting words in your mouth with the Chinese utopia thing, but you did the same to me, just to be clear.

    As far as "conflict of interest" goes, I appreciate they are transparent in their interests, but what I mean by "conflict" is that if they have their interest is also to be fair and truthful (something I would hope is the case for any media) then they cant be fair and truthful about a conflict when their other interest is explicitly one side of that conflict. Again, I'm not dismissing the article as a whole but it's very clearly one-sided.

    From the resource you provided on Taiwan:

    7.6% of respondents support some form of reunification

    I don't see how there is much conversation to be had beyond that. I don't care that the majority of its population is ethnically Chinese, they don't want to be part of the PRC. I recognize the American interests in keeping Taiwan independent and the problematic ties to the American military, but at the end of the day, if 92.4% of the population does not want to be a part of China then they should not be a part of China. And China, in wanting to control a foreign territory without the consent of its people, is imperialist in that regard. If the majority opinion of the people in Taiwan ever changes to be in favor of reunification, then I will change my mind on that matter.

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • Apologies, I only saw the Qiao Collective described as a Chinese group, and thought that meant it was based in China, not just that it was made up of Chinese people. Still, they're very clearly a media organization made with the intention of supporting the PRC, and I've found claims they receive significant funding from the PRC, which I don't think makes them truly independent in the same way that the massive western media conglomerates are not truly independent because they must answer to their own capital interests. Point is, the conflict of interest is still very, very clear.

    And no, I don't view china as a dystopia, I recognize that there's a lot going right there and that the people are, for the most part, doing fairly well. But conversely I don't view it as a communist utopia, it has genuine issues with surveillance, freedom of speech, and political persecution. And I haven't even mentioned its own imperialist tendencies with Taiwan, a country in which the opinion of reunification is in the overwhelming minority. And the country's massive participation in and influence from the global market makes me really doubt how free the country is of capital interests.

    In my opinion, the idea that china is a utopia and the greatest country in the world is similarly naive to those who say the same about America.

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • So, exactly as I thought, if someone "has influence" (read: their speech is reaching people) then their speech is limited. That sounds to me like speech is only free if it's fairly private, and as soon as it has any influence it can be shut down, which is not in any form actually free speech, sorry.

    Also, to be clear about something - I am not against socialism. I am not the kind of American who thinks that China bad because they're communist/socialist. I am, however, a believer in democracy, a defender of free speech, and against the idea of a surveillance state regardless of whether its capitalist or socialist or whatever else.

    Do you not see the blindingly obvious conflict of interest of reporting on allegations of genocide and human rights abuses from a media controlled by the state those allegations are levied against? Should I go ask the IDF what's happening in Gaza next, and just start spreading that around as what's "really happening?"

    I'll still give it a read because I want to be well informed but I'm not going to put much faith in that article's ability to be truthful given its source. If you want to convince me, give me independent media.

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • Even if its western organizations, if they're asking current citizens of the country who are residing in that country i would say their responses would still be limited by that country's freedom of speech.

    Also, how exactly do they differentiate regular citizens from those other groups you mentioned? Do they have a strict line between "citizen" and "celebrity"? Because if I was an authoritarian and someone was saying something online that I didn't want spreading, as soon as they got any traction or platform online (so, the moment that speech starts to actually make a difference) I would label them a "celebrity" and take away their freedom of speech.

    Not to mention the speech of regular citizens is absolutely controlled, with social media sites having blacklists on topics and words, for example.

    I also doubt that there is any line between "private media" and "private media that is controlled," and I will always argue that a free press is an absolute necessity for freedom of speech because control over the information citizens receive is a form of control over their thoughts.

    On a final note. I wonder if the chart above contained the opinions of any Uyghurs in western China? And would the rest of the country believe so thoroughly that the rights of all were protected if media was allowed to report on what's happening there?

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • Even just hypothetically, can you really trust a survey like this when it comes from a country with mass censorship and no freedom of speech?

  • Libs on surveillance cameras and ChInA BaD

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  • I don't think anyone actually thinks this other than like currently serving politicians and cops

  • UPDATE: ‘No evidence’ of an active shooter on University of Arkansas campus

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  • CU Boulder may have just been swatted as well. Think that makes 6 within the last week. No idea why

  • Our Channel Could Be Deleted - Gamers Nexus

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  • That's definitely an option. It would be a good idea for him to do that, I think. But my main point is that losing YouTube would be devastating for GN regardless of whether or not they're on peertube, and moving entirely to peertube isn't really feasible for them

  • Our Channel Could Be Deleted - Gamers Nexus

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  • Waaaay less money to be made there. Not saying he's exclusively doing this for the money like the other reply, but we're not talking about some solo guy making videos in his free time for fun. The man is running a business, needs money to make this videos happen, and to my knowledge this is his job.

  • California bill would require restaurants to disclose food allergens on menus

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  • I haven't looked at the law but I would assume its the same common allergens as are already required to be listed on ingredient lists.

    Edit: indeed, it's the 9 most common: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, sesame and soybeans. It's in the article.

  • Germany debates sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine

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  • They're being deployed to defend a sovereign nation from invasion, I don't know what else you would consider "peacekeeping"

  • Trump's DC Occupation Costs 4 Times More Than It Would Take to House City's Entire Homeless Population

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  • Yep. Cruelty and intimidation.

  • It Turns Out, Steam’s Adult Content Ban Has Been Plotted For A Year And Is Spearheaded By One Of Project 2025’s Leading Voices

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  • The thing that's been bothering me is, since when did a local, "ragtag group" of activists have this much influence on the actions of massive corporations? Bigger, more powerful groups have tried and failed to make changes like this over and over again. Why does collective shout have so much pull? It doesn't make any sense to me.

  • ICE Arrests US Army Veteran, Husband of Former Congressional Candidate During Citizenship Interview

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  • Not that I disagree with you, but I do honestly think this stuff is more important.

  • Jimmy Wales Says Wikipedia Could Use AI. Editors Call It the 'Antithesis of Wikipedia'

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  • I guess in his defense it wasn't too bad before 2018, as far as I can remember. Most of the enshittification of fandom I can remember has happened since.