281–290 of 294 posts
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Hmmmm. Just to point out, that specific comment is Australian humour. It's not good Australian humour, but it's humour. It's taking the piss out of (mocking) a "stereotypical Australian" reaction, as commonly found in pubs and other (cheaper) drinking establishments.
Sure, but the issue is https://news.ycombinator.com/posts?id=throwawaynothx , not that specific comment.
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Most people whining about “free speech” when something like this happens, are actually calling for “consequence free speech”. What does "consequence free speech" mean to you? To me "consequence free speech" means "One must be polite and extend invitations to tea even to those who advocate for the extermination of your race!" That's not what I mean when I whine about free speech. If that's what you also mean about con…
> What does "consequence free speech" mean to you? Pretty much what the dictionary defines those words to mean. If you say something, and expect people to not react or respond in some way. The business didn't choose to jail him - once they make a complaint about it, it's out of their (the business') hands what action is taken. The business tried to contact him, repeatedly. He refused to respond, and repeatedly posted…
It's interesting that you think those are somehow different and unrelated problems, but they are not. If you spend some time thinking through both problems, step by step, you will see how they are deeply intertwined
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I would say almost no completely third world countries, but there are large parts of many, if not most countries that are very much severely underdeveloped or riddled with systemic corruption (third world by the classical definition), This is sometimes even found in the middle of some of the worlds most highly developed nations (cough, cough, Baltimore, New Orleans, etc). To what percentage of a country's human-inhab…
> these bubbles only represent a small fraction of the totality of these places, You are substantially under-estimating the size of the urban population of these countries if you think that the major cities only represent a "small fraction."
I partly speak from personal experience here too. The city I live in has a largish core urban zone that's fairly tourist-friendly, clean and highly, fashionably modernized and cultural (but with a charming colonial aspect).
Since the city in general has well over 15 million inhabitants, this "bubble" area itself contains well over a million people, easily, but it's just a small fraction of the rest of the city, which is very much what you'd call a dangerously third world place in terms of crime, corruption, administrative ineptitude and barely functional infrastructure.
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I had two run un with tugs on New York city. Family got robbed on Orlando, friends on San Francisco. My wife got scammed at London airport by the officers there.
I’ve had zero run-ins with thugs in NYC in my entire life. What the hell were you doing?
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> What does "consequence free speech" mean to you? Pretty much what the dictionary defines those words to mean. If you say something, and expect people to not react or respond in some way. The business didn't choose to jail him - once they make a complaint about it, it's out of their (the business') hands what action is taken. The business tried to contact him, repeatedly. He refused to respond, and repeatedly posted…
> Good for you. Personally I'm more focused on avoiding societies where innocent people are imprisoned or killed by police, rather than those where breaking a law results in a punishment. It's interesting that you think those are somehow different and unrelated problems, but they are not. If you spend some time thinking through both problems, step by step, you will see how they are deeply intertwined
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> Good for you. Personally I'm more focused on avoiding societies where innocent people are imprisoned or killed by police, rather than those where breaking a law results in a punishment. It's interesting that you think those are somehow different and unrelated problems, but they are not. If you spend some time thinking through both problems, step by step, you will see how they are deeply intertwined
Linking a belligerent expat being arrested for defamation to systemic racial discrimination and murder-by-cop is a pretty ridiculous stretch.
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Courts are not built to determine the truth, though, they're built to come to a verdict. In practice there are many countries that restrict the speech against the rich, including here in the US (ie the whole Peter Thiel/gawker debacle). I don't want to misstate the case, though, you are clearly much safer from these laws here in the US than in other ex british colonies. Also, what does the cold war alignment have to…
First, Second, and Third world country designations originated as US-aligned, Soviet-aligned, and non-aligned. However, the meanings of these have changed from political designations to economic designationms.
Economically, american citizens have much lower access to basic social services and we let people die on the street with vacant housing in the neighborhood. Does that make us second world or third world?
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> Good for you. Personally I'm more focused on avoiding societies where innocent people are imprisoned or killed by police, rather than those where breaking a law results in a punishment. It's interesting that you think those are somehow different and unrelated problems, but they are not. If you spend some time thinking through both problems, step by step, you will see how they are deeply intertwined
Linking a belligerent expat being arrested for defamation to systemic racial discrimination and murder-by-cop is a pretty ridiculous stretch.
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Why is moderation so heavy ham fisted on this site? I've read the entire thread (as it gives a good idea what to expect as a tourist there) and I have yet to find a comment from anyone that could possibly break some silly rule. People here are intelligent adults, and if something hurts their "feelings" too bad. People need free discussion, ESPECIALLY during this scamdemic where everyone is seriously on edge. Edit: If…
> People here are intelligent adults If that's true, it's because this community hasn't yet gone too far down the path to brain death followed by heat death, which has traditionally been the fate of internet communities. The HN guidelines are a way of attempting to stave off that fate: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so... . Swipes like "What are you talking about", "Wrong", "You’re inventin…
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This is double edge sword for Thailand, maybe corrupt justice system can work as a new revenue source, but it will definitely impact new tourist going there. I had a good time there, but I remember my expectations were low. But news like this make me cross that country from the map of future traveling. I remember feeling when at entrance in Singapore I got stamp on passport with small print warning that "drug usage i…
A few years ago there was a scam in the Philippines where airport security staff would drop bullets into foreign traveller luggage so that when it was discovered by their colleagues they could shake down tourists by extortion in exchange for getting off the hook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninoy_Aquino_International_Air... As for Thailand and other Asian countries, what you must understand about Asian culture in g…
I got searched by airport security. They found the medication. They asked me what it was. I told them. And then this guy says "Okay good, I will have some after my shift". He then opens the bottle takes 2 pills out and puts them in his pocket and hands it back to me.