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Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

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Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#111
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Countries that have that capability can't shoot down 40000 of them.

If this becomes a thing, they will put a laser on a satellite and call it a day. All of the big 3 (military, not economically, you know who I am talking about) can do this easily. edit: In response to below - they are putting SHORAD lasers on Strykers soon. Things have become a lot more compact.

High powered lasers on an aircraft carrier work because it has a nuclear power plant onboard. How will you launch a nuclear power plant into space?

Note that the response to star wars contributed to the Soviet Union's bankruptcy :).

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#112

Context: Russian Mercs in Belarus: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/belarus-arrests-dozen...

If we can have different point of views that would be helpful for a better judgement:

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2020/08/the-russian-coup-plot-...

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#113
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think a hostile state won't just send cops to drive around until they see a 50' aerial antenna and then shoot everyone in the house it's attached to? It'll only take a few before all the antennas come down.

Most hostile states aren't so powerful that they can openly do that kind of thing. Even in this case, Belarus doesn't say they shut down the Internet; they're pretending that it's a foreign cyberattack.

So they'll pretend that the people they shoot are drug dealers. Works in the US.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#114
post #34

"Controversial Election"? Now that's an understatement if I've ever seen one... I don't think elections in Belarus have ever been seen to be free and fair.

So-called "elections" after 5th-6th term are a bad joke. Face it, ex-Soviet republics Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan never seazed to be totalitarian regimes with pathetic tries to convince the world they adopted some democracy.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#115
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm typing this from Jammu. Since 370 abrogation last year, number of terror incidents in J&K is down by 40%. Every story has two sides. While I hope the govt brings back full 4G connectivity soon, I am grateful to them for taking the terror situation seriously.

Shit like this has no place on HN. Using random statistics to justify taking away the freedom to access internet is NEVER okay.

shut the fuck up. we know nothing about this situation, I want to know why they’re even doing this and this guy is explaining why. delete your account.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry to hear you are struggling with internet access, but I don't see how the actions of India create legal precedence in Belarus?

> I don't see how the actions of India create legal precedence in Belarus? It's a precedent for the world ignoring such actions.

FWIW, it hasn't been ignored; the US State Department has condemned the restrictions in Kashmir.

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#117
We have an office there and people were able to use normal internet services on Monday (albeit over VPN in some cases). Some people did have home network service interrupted.

I haven't heard of any escalations today, but obviously my sample size is limited (70 people in Minsk).

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#118

this is nothing. shameless plug. I am a kashmiri typing this from 2G internet which apprently is the only acceptable thing for the indian government to allow me. 4G access has been stopped since 5 AUGUST 2019. a freaking year has passed and no high speed internet. I didnt have 2G for like 7 months. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revocation_of_the_special_stat... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Kashmir#Cens…

I'm typing this from Jammu. Since 370 abrogation last year, number of terror incidents in J&K is down by 40%. Every story has two sides. While I hope the govt brings back full 4G connectivity soon, I am grateful to them for taking the terror situation seriously.

I will need source for that.

Which other countries deal with cheating in exams or rumors on whatsapp through internet shut downs?

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#119
I presume the ISPs had shut it down on the Govt. orders. But how does VSAT providers act in such situations? e.g. if Starlink had subscribers there, would it need to comply with Govt. orders or would Govt.(except U.S.) have no control over it and has to physically cease the devices(and ban it from selling it further).

Anyways, VSAT + WiFi nodes for non-cellular mobile Internet[1] seems to be a good case for protecting the freedom of Internet.

[1]https://needgap.com/problems/51-non-cellular-network-mobile-...

Re: Belarus has shut down the internet amid a controversial election

#120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have my solidarity. I take so much for granted as an American. Stay strong, and live a fulfilling life regardless of the authoritarianism. That is the last thing they want you to do.

funny enough. i was willing to spend a shit load of money because my business is online and i was not able to. months later when things calmed down a bit, say after january and that is what? 6 months and local businesses were given permission to internet with restrictions. here is one article i could pull from early november but these companies mentioned in the article were huge https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/n…

From the Economic Times link (second most read business publication after WSJ):

"The Jammu and Kashmir administration has restored the Internet connections of more than 80 subscribers who have signed a bond agreeing to use the services strictly for business purposes...The bond directs users not to upload encrypted files containing any sort of video or photographs. “For the allowed IP, there will be no social networking, proxies, VPNs and Wi-Fi and that all the USB ports will be disabled on the network"

Wow. I shouldn't be surprised but that's awful.

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