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Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

bbc.com

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Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#121

Post by toast0 »

azangru wrote: post #10

> Details of what the test involved were vague So we don’t know what exactly they tested. Why is this news, let alone an international one? Also, as far as I understand, what the Russians were officially saying was that they were developing fallback systems for the event if, in another bout of sanctions, Russia gets disconnected from the global internet. Which, given their standing with the international community, m…

> But the journalists present this story as Russia's voluntary step towards isolating itself from the global internet. I am not sure why.

Because sanctioning a country off the internet has never been done. It's not a credible threat given the topology. Russia is land adjacent to many countries that would be unlikely to participate in a partitioning led by the US, and such a partition would not be very effective if only some countries participated.

Neither North Korea nor Iran are or have been disconnected from the global internet or phone systems by outside countries, and they are the most sanctioned nations.

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#122

Post by duhast »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #13
vbezhenar wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are a welcome development for governments who'll be able to execute tighter control. I don't think that they're a welcome development for citizens, even for those who do not really care about politics. Want to play World of Warcraft today like you always did? Too bad, servers are in France. Want to learn some web development? Too bad, MDN is not mirrored.

I’m hoping Elon’s StarLink takes off.

StarLink will be blocked in countries like China or Russia or they will have to follow their law.

Thought experiment: Can you imagine Russian satcom provider providing Internet service to US based customers in violation of the US law?

Rarely is technology a sole answer to social or political problem.

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#123

Post by duelingjello »

Rising balkanization, tariff wars, sanctions, isolationism and nationalism sets the table for future ”dark ages”-like declines and world wars. Sanctions, isolation and tariffs, each like eye-for-an-eye, makes the whole world “blind.” Overall, it’s another nail in the coffin of the mythology of perpetual progress, showcasing eras of decay, retreat, chaos, division and regression. Some points of the existing order need to be adjusted before corruption, greed, hate and narcissism scatter us like dust into the wind.

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#124

Post by SiempreViernes »

freeflight wrote: post #111
ClumsyPilot wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are not wrong, but right now the consequences are materially different. As a Russian citizen it is not uncommon to go to jail for two years for expressing anti government views online, that kind of thing does not happen int he west - for now.

It doesn't happen in the West, because the West rather makes it happen in the Middle East [0], to such a degree that whole generations of people have been scarred for life [1]. While at home we jail people for viewing "terrorist content online" [2], which is so vaguely defined that it regularly ends up being "The other sides PoV", if that PoV even manages to penetrate to the everpresent layer of moderation on social…

> It doesn't happen in the West, because the West rather makes it happen in the Middle East

Uh, I get that you want to highlight the hypocrisy of the west, but that was an astoundingly poor argument: By killing Pakistani the west silences criticism at home? And then as proof this happens you link to examples of domestic criticism?

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#125

Post by jzwinck »

toast0 wrote: post #121
azangru wrote: post #10

> Details of what the test involved were vague So we don’t know what exactly they tested. Why is this news, let alone an international one? Also, as far as I understand, what the Russians were officially saying was that they were developing fallback systems for the event if, in another bout of sanctions, Russia gets disconnected from the global internet. Which, given their standing with the international community, m…

> But the journalists present this story as Russia's voluntary step towards isolating itself from the global internet. I am not sure why. Because sanctioning a country off the internet has never been done. It's not a credible threat given the topology. Russia is land adjacent to many countries that would be unlikely to participate in a partitioning led by the US, and such a partition would not be very effective if on…

> Russia is land adjacent to many countries

Not to mention Japan, to which they are directly connected via two distinct 640 Gbps links, Hokkaido-Sakhalin and Nadhodka-Naoetsu: https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/asia-europe-afr... and https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/asia-europe-afr...

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#126

Post by ivhilaire »

8bitsrule wrote: post #96
ivhilaire wrote: post #76

Russia is a kleptocracy and all these 'tests' are just another way to steal money. Kleptocratic billionaires can not keep being billionaires without such 'projects'.

Did you ever wonder where those former Soviet citizens - now oligarchs - picked up their capitalist skills?

They didn't. No selling and multiplying. Only taking and dividing.

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#127

Post by jnurmine »

azangru wrote: post #10

> Details of what the test involved were vague So we don’t know what exactly they tested. Why is this news, let alone an international one? Also, as far as I understand, what the Russians were officially saying was that they were developing fallback systems for the event if, in another bout of sanctions, Russia gets disconnected from the global internet. Which, given their standing with the international community, m…

Perhaps the isolation is planned to be only temporary, though voluntary.

As I read the articles, the "disconnection from the internet" seems to be one more tool in the toolbox for internal control. A disconnection will also prevent possible "outside influences" from amplifying problems during any sensitive periods (e.g. the time following Putin's eventual death).

President Vladimir Putin may hunt shirtless, fly with cranes, cuddle with tigers, etc. but he is not (yet?) immortal.

Once Putin dies, the people running the show need a successor for the supreme leader of the Russian Federation to step in fast and assert legitimacy, with force, if necessary.

Any dissent against the successor needs to be squashed quickly, otherwise any displeasure in the form of rioting runs the risk of spreading and giving the currently oppressed opposition chances to grow their influence.

Also, opportunistic power grab attempts by lesser players and regions need to be contained.

Edit: to be clear, I assume Putin will somehow keep his power even after he is officially not the President (after the 2024 elections).

Re: Russia 'successfully tests' its unplugged internet

#129

Post by gyuserbti »

azangru wrote: post #10

> Details of what the test involved were vague So we don’t know what exactly they tested. Why is this news, let alone an international one? Also, as far as I understand, what the Russians were officially saying was that they were developing fallback systems for the event if, in another bout of sanctions, Russia gets disconnected from the global internet. Which, given their standing with the international community, m…

Plausible deniability must be assumed with morally controversial actions on the part of institutions, especially government security institutions.

One way to deal with this is context. In this case the pattern of Russia with regard to electronic free speech is pretty clear, so it's reasonable to assume these actions are at least partially motivated by something other than emergency preparedness.

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