Live data from Hacker News

Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

techcrunch.com

161–170 of 256 posts

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#161

I wonder if Belarussians have become prisoners of their geography, or more precisely their neighbour? If they removed their dictator from office, then it may be very likely that Russia will use the situation to do a land grab or finance instability. If current dictator knows that, then perhaps in a twisted way they want to keep status quo, so at least people can live without fear of the civil war. This is of course u…

This is basically what happened in Ukraine - they overthrew a Russia-aligned dictator and had to deal with a Russian invasion within months.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#162
post #94

There are rumours that Belarus will become part of Russia shortly. Putin just said that the West/United States crossed the line and tried to murder Lukanseko. Upheaval is coming https://twitter.com/ivan8848/status/1384815408495140865 So much about the techcrunch article

Yep, bot account.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#164
post #15

I've been following the situation in Belarus since last August and it's really terrible. I admire how so many brave people look death in the eye and still fight for freedom. I have friends there and this allowed me to understand that there's so much potential in Belarus -- there are so many talented, intelligent people getting by in this adversarial environment. So sad to see how Lukashenko's kleptocracy regime waste…

What are the legal ramifications of running such proxy? For instance, if a group of people coordinate a criminal activity and it is proven that they used the proxy to communicate? Could owner of such proxy become liable?

In a dictatorship, it doesn't matter so much if you use it in a legal way or not -- what matters, is instead if the dictator does not like it (or if he likes it).

If you use such a proxy in a completely legal way, but that the dictator thinks might make him lose his power, then he can make up fake charges against you and put you in prison.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The prime purpose of NATO is deterrence There is no point of deterrence when if Ukraine is gone, and you have Russian tanks in Vienna in one week, Munich the other, and the rest of Europe in a month.

No, you will not. Russia cannot invade Vienna or Munich. Germany, France and Italy are each powerful enough to stall the Russian offensive. Russia will not even attempt it. Ukraine in comparison has a miserably weak military that is strongly outdated compared to Russia.

You think so?

How much tanks does Germany have, and how much does Russia?

I will do Googling for you.

354 vs 12000

Russia's tank force biggest problem? Having more tanks than pilots.

Half of this tank fleet is in long term storage for this reason, and what's left half is in rather bad semi-written-off condition.

If we let Russians to regain their breathe, it would not take them long to restore them, and regain this enormous military asset.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can speak for Venezuela, and the corrupt murderer dictator party has been in power for just over 20 years. The country was completely ruined by the "corrupt murderer dictator" without any input from "the West".

I would not call US sanctions "without input from the West" https://www.state.gov/venezuela-related-sanctions/

Pretty sure sanctions didn't start until after they nationalized (stole) the major foreign owned companies.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#167
post #15

I've been following the situation in Belarus since last August and it's really terrible. I admire how so many brave people look death in the eye and still fight for freedom. I have friends there and this allowed me to understand that there's so much potential in Belarus -- there are so many talented, intelligent people getting by in this adversarial environment. So sad to see how Lukashenko's kleptocracy regime waste…

A banned book in Belarus, called "Paranoia", by Victor Martinovich, captures the situation that Belarusians are in.

"In the summertime, in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, young couples rent boats. They float, seemingly aimlessly, with the current of the Svisloch River, until they find themselves under a bridge. Then they row against the current for as long as they can, hoping to find shelter from the sun and from prying eyes. The premise of Belarusian writer Victor Martinovich’s Russian-language novel Paranoia is that this is impossible. As a police state such as today’s Belarusian dictatorship approaches perfect control, someone is always watching. The young lovers are watching each other, whether they understand this or not. The only way to be safe in such a society is to abandon love, but true solitude courts paranoia."

[1] New York Review of Books, "Paranoia" Review: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/10/28/darkest-belarus/

[2] Non-paywalled version: https://archive.is/fTOcP#selection-647.0-651.318

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lets imagine the coup is orchestrated by the West. The guy currently in charge is corrupt and a murderer. Is living in Belarus going to get worse without him?

I don't know, ask all the Arab Spring countries. In the history of regime changes by the West and by West i mean US, it has never really worked out. In fact, it always destabilises the countries. Not supporting the current regime, just saying history has proven West supported coups don't work.

History has proven west supported coups mostly work.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in...

From Costa Rica to South Korea to Japan to modern Iraq to Egypt in 1952 to Lebanon etc..

Iran didn't work out. Some of the central American operation didn't work out. Cuba didn't. But things are not static either. Things have a habit of working out given a longer timescale.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#169
post #15

I've been following the situation in Belarus since last August and it's really terrible. I admire how so many brave people look death in the eye and still fight for freedom. I have friends there and this allowed me to understand that there's so much potential in Belarus -- there are so many talented, intelligent people getting by in this adversarial environment. So sad to see how Lukashenko's kleptocracy regime waste…

A banned book in Belarus, called "Paranoia", by Victor Martinovich, captures the situation that Belarusians are in. "In the summertime, in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, young couples rent boats. They float, seemingly aimlessly, with the current of the Svisloch River, until they find themselves under a bridge. Then they row against the current for as long as they can, hoping to find shelter from the sun and from pr…

This sounds like an excellent read. Will definitely get my hands on a copy. I don't know what it is about East European authors' ability to explore the human condition with exacting clarity.

Anyway, thanks for sharing.

Re: Belarusian regime’s thugs shut down Imaguru, the country’s key startup hub

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IDK. "Holding the line" scenarios in last 100 years generally ended up badly for the defenders: expensive and ineffective. Modern wars are all about movement, maneuver and sudden concentration of power in a spot chosen by the attacker. If the recent Nagorno Karabakh war is of any use as an example, Russians and Russian-trained officers were unable to hold their positions against killer drones. Drones are cheap and th…

The Anti-Drone strategy in Nagorno Karabakh would have been airstrikes. But the rules of engagement were such that this was not doable. Beyond that, actual Russia support was very limited as punishment for Armenia's reorientation. If this was a full-scale war then the skies would have been full of Su-35s swatting out the TB2s and killing drone operators.

The key to small drone efficiency is that they don't need big airfields which can be bombed.

Instead the attacking force will be hard pressed finding hundred separate drone teams hiding in bushes, and forests on the frontline, while flying over enemy AA themselves.

Post reply on HN