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PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

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Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#11

Post by wp381640 »

SXX wrote: post #6
Molly555 wrote: post #2

Well, as far as I know, monstrous things are happening in this country right now. What is the cost of a complete disconnection of the Internet throughout the country? I can't even imagine how many millions of dollars it cost the authorities. I also heard that people are afraid to follow the news through the Telegram channels, because it is simply not safe. https://utopia.fans/tools/clash-of-the-titans-telegram-vs-wh.…

There was only huge problems with internet for the first few days of protests. Now they only censor specific websites, but internet is more or less working around the country.

Blocking websites thanks to silicon valley network co. Sandvine![0]

They were also used to censor the web in Egypt but nobody on the US end seems to give a shit that local companies are facilitating dictators

[0] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-28/belarusia...

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#12

Post by merpnderp »

mola wrote: post #8
zerr wrote: post #7

When we see that nations are hostages of their criminal governments - what real mechanisms are there for helping those nations? e.g. what would be the outcome of targeting specifically Lukashenko, Putin, Kim Jong-un along with their inner circles respectively?

Usually(last 50y) US and EU would initiate sanctions, if it doesn't collide too greatly with their own interests, that would put pressure on respective government by putting their economy in peril. Lately US has stepped down from that role, and openly started diplomatic hostilities towards the EU. EU isn't powerful enough alone, plus they deal with their own economic and social issues which make them not stable enoug…

I'm not sure how the US has stepped down from that role: https://www.state.gov/ukraine-and-russia-sanctions/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-belarus-election-usa-sanc...

And if you mean "diplomatic hostiles" in that the US is angry at the EU for not cooperating with the sanction process against targeted countries or meeting their military obligations so that they qualify to vote in international politics, then I guess you're right.

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#13

Post by JackPoach »

Molly555 wrote: post #2

Well, as far as I know, monstrous things are happening in this country right now. What is the cost of a complete disconnection of the Internet throughout the country? I can't even imagine how many millions of dollars it cost the authorities. I also heard that people are afraid to follow the news through the Telegram channels, because it is simply not safe. https://utopia.fans/tools/clash-of-the-titans-telegram-vs-wh.…

Monstrous things happen in any country when government wants to make a point of you. Just ask Julian Assange. It's a terrible situation to be in.

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#14

Post by _fat_santa »

My last gig we hired a team out of Minsk to help us with a project, brought them over to our US headquarters for about a month to help with planning and buildout.

When coronavirus took hold I got laid off and the team was cut loose. Not sure how they are holding up over there but damn I hope they are alright.

And fuck Lukashenko, I hope the man chokes on a cheeseburger.

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#15

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

zerr wrote: post #7

When we see that nations are hostages of their criminal governments - what real mechanisms are there for helping those nations? e.g. what would be the outcome of targeting specifically Lukashenko, Putin, Kim Jong-un along with their inner circles respectively?

They can be targeted with economic sanctions, as Lukashenko and many of his government officials have been. If they're willing to pay the cost of the sanctions... that's pretty much the extent of the options, as long as their wrongdoing stays within their borders. The principle of sovereignty ultimately means a government doesn't have to be a free democracy if it doesn't want to.

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#16

Post by MuffinFlavored »

_fat_santa wrote: post #14

My last gig we hired a team out of Minsk to help us with a project, brought them over to our US headquarters for about a month to help with planning and buildout. When coronavirus took hold I got laid off and the team was cut loose. Not sure how they are holding up over there but damn I hope they are alright. And fuck Lukashenko, I hope the man chokes on a cheeseburger.

> And fuck Lukashenko, I hope the man chokes on a cheeseburger.

This kind of low-effort comment belongs on Reddit, not HackerNews. It's not insightful/up to the standards of typical content for this community.

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#17

Post by mattdeboard »

bmmayer1 wrote: post #3

Whereas this is monstrous, one has to ask if PandaDoc leadership is acting recklessly by criticizing a foreign dictatorship from afar, while their employees and assets are still at risk. At least Bill Browder had the foresight to get most of his employees (and his money) out of Russia before he started going after Putin...and yet Magnitsky still paid the ultimate price. This is a dangerous game that they're playing a…

I'd suggest that no one has to ask if PandaDoc's leadership is acting recklessly by speaking. Because the alternative is complicity. It is absolutely dangerous to speak, though, you're right about that. The danger exists regardless of whether their leadership speaks. The difference is timing.

Yes, it is dangerous. But the party making it unsafe is the fascists. Outrage should be directed there.

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-nie...

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#18

Post by lmz »

agustif wrote: post #5
bmmayer1 wrote: post #3

Whereas this is monstrous, one has to ask if PandaDoc leadership is acting recklessly by criticizing a foreign dictatorship from afar, while their employees and assets are still at risk. At least Bill Browder had the foresight to get most of his employees (and his money) out of Russia before he started going after Putin...and yet Magnitsky still paid the ultimate price. This is a dangerous game that they're playing a…

PandaDoc was founded in Minsk, belarus, so not so much foreigners I guess? ... In 2012 company was founded by Mikita Mikado and Sergey Barysiuk in Minsk, Belarus. In 2014 company headquarters were moved to the Silicon Valley...

Isn't that even worse? Foreigners may be naive, but as natives they should know what the regime may do.

Re: PandaDoc employees arrested in Belarus after founders protest against violence

#19

Post by westmeal »

MuffinFlavored wrote: post #16
_fat_santa wrote: post #14

My last gig we hired a team out of Minsk to help us with a project, brought them over to our US headquarters for about a month to help with planning and buildout. When coronavirus took hold I got laid off and the team was cut loose. Not sure how they are holding up over there but damn I hope they are alright. And fuck Lukashenko, I hope the man chokes on a cheeseburger.

> And fuck Lukashenko, I hope the man chokes on a cheeseburger. This kind of low-effort comment belongs on Reddit, not HackerNews. It's not insightful/up to the standards of typical content for this community.

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