A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
1–10 of 63 posts
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#2"Sixteen years old when I went to the war
To fight for a land fit for heroes
God on my side, and a gun in my hand
Chasing my days down to zero"--Motorhead, 1916
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#3[deleted]
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#4Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#5"It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes." - Theodor Reik
The same tragic, traumatic events are being "rhymed" now in Ukraine. Yeah, perhaps we're tired of hearing it - but I'm writing this because after 110 years of industrialized warfare, our institutions and systems have still not restructured themselves to prevent these cascades of events. The consequences are unspeakably terrible (read the article!).
I'll be quite clear about it: a nuclear superpower invaded a disarmed neighbor, and is currently committing genocide on its territory. This is unquestionably, unconscionably, unacceptably wrong. (I won't mention the situation in Gaza, because that situation is far more complex and horrendously polarized.)
More than any other profession, many of us - as software developers, mathematicians, scientists - have a better grasp of complex systems. And most of us on HN have a healthy, deeply internalized sense of morality. I really hope some of us will branch out into politics or other power-positions in those institutions, and start knocking people's heads together.
I'm constantly - deeply - appalled, at the ghastliness of what's happening right now while we chat, work, and play in our separate worlds. Humanity can do better.
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#6"It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes." - Theodor Reik The same tragic, traumatic events are being "rhymed" now in Ukraine. Yeah, perhaps we're tired of hearing it - but I'm writing this because after 110 years of industrialized warfare, our institutions and systems have still not restructured themselves to prevent these cascades of events. The consequences…
>More than any other profession, many of us - as software developers, mathematicians, scientists - have a better grasp of complex systems. And most of us on HN have a healthy, deeply internalized sense of morality. I really hope some of us will branch out into politics or other power-positions in those institutions, and start knocking people's heads together.
Having a good grasp of complex systems doesn't make one avoid the shortcomings that have created modern genocides and industrialized society, etc. In fact I'd argue that deep knowledge of complex systems makes a politician even more competent at causing harm on massive scales.
Knowledge does not make one moral.
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#7"It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes." - Theodor Reik The same tragic, traumatic events are being "rhymed" now in Ukraine. Yeah, perhaps we're tired of hearing it - but I'm writing this because after 110 years of industrialized warfare, our institutions and systems have still not restructured themselves to prevent these cascades of events. The consequences…
There are so many interpretations of reality. There are also forces that are intentionally directing the messaging in a way that is perceived to be advantageous. This is to say, it's all very well to say one needs to do something, but are you even sure you have the right info? Back to your complex software system, where are you receiving information about the error in a system from, and why are you confident that it actually relays reality in a way that you would agree with? If you are not certain of the signal, why would you want to attempt to reengineer the system? With false information, aren't you bound to make it worse?
Anyway, the real problem is parsing out the information in a way that reflects reality - what is presented on screens passes through many filters before it gets to us: corporate, military, governmental, not too mention all the people that are only able to see the world in the way that their education allows.
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#8"It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes." - Theodor Reik The same tragic, traumatic events are being "rhymed" now in Ukraine. Yeah, perhaps we're tired of hearing it - but I'm writing this because after 110 years of industrialized warfare, our institutions and systems have still not restructured themselves to prevent these cascades of events. The consequences…
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Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#9"Sixteen years old when I went to the war To fight for a land fit for heroes God on my side, and a gun in my hand Chasing my days down to zero"--Motorhead, 1916 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTG6I3jxdnc
There is a lot of really phenomenal metal based around WWI for anybody else interested. Bands like 1914 (sings exclusively about WWI, from Ukraine) and Warbringer (a couple of songs specifically about WWI) come to mind.
Re: A century later, a taped message solves the mystery of a WWI doughboy's death
#10"It has been said that history repeats itself. This is perhaps not quite correct; it merely rhymes." - Theodor Reik The same tragic, traumatic events are being "rhymed" now in Ukraine. Yeah, perhaps we're tired of hearing it - but I'm writing this because after 110 years of industrialized warfare, our institutions and systems have still not restructured themselves to prevent these cascades of events. The consequences…
How do you want to prevent something that is ultimately not in your domain of decision. Most wars are started by autocrats under the belief that they can gain something from them. Those beliefs are often false or at least unfounded, but how do you want to change them from the outside? It is no more realistic than changing someone's religion by persuasion - possible, but rare.
"Knocking people's heads together" doesn't work on people who have the entire military force of their country at their disposal. Such heads are basically un-knockable. Unfortunately one of the things that the state as an institution is really good at is projection of force; and outside democracies which divide power in a state deliberately, that force usually answers to a single person and their whim, or, at best, a small inner circle of people.
And frankly, I trust scientists even less when it comes to politics that anyone else. Khmer Rouge was an academic enterprise. There isn't really a reason why an educated person should have any better sense of morality than a random farmer from the bush. When I look at the activity of the IT giants, it is 50 shades of moral grey underlined by stuffing their pockets and trying to project a cool vibe. It seems to contradict your idea of superior morality in the IT circles.