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Notes on Tajikistan

mattlakeman.org

291–300 of 412 posts

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No, but kicking out the greedy WASPs and their lackeys and post-colonial infuence schemes does though - though seldom realized This is the same mentality that contributes to these countries remaining poor. Just kick out the “WASPs”…so that the local kleptocrats take over. The problem is corruption and lack of rule of law, not WASPs or whatever acronym can be used to blame foreigners instead of taking responsibility…

> This is the same mentality that contributes to these countries remaining poor. Just kick out the “WASPs”…so that the local kleptocrats take over. The "local kleptocrats" are usually just lackeys of those WASPs, put in place, supported financially and diplomatically, with arms and so on (and by pressuring their opponents) to ensure the stealing continues. On their own, they're small time crooks, the real bulk of the…

Zimbabwe kicked out all the WASPs. Where did they end up? A failed state.

The issue is not WASPs, it’s bad governance. But I guess life is easy when one can just blame WASPs rather than examine themselves to find fault.

We Africans have autonomy but refuse to use it for good. It’s condescending to assume we have no role in our problems and, to follow the logic, no role in the solutions.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#292
post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most Russians hold racist views. It doesn't change if they are expats. As a result of the colonial conquests, Russia is a multiethnic state. But the minorities have never been fully accepted. The govt balances between suppressing the far right and managing it for its own purposes. This wiki article has plenty of references, with many pointing to the racist actions by the senior officials https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki…

> Most Russians hold racist views I understand that people are unhappy with Russia right now, but what a truly gross thing to say (and absolutely not true).

It's really not gross if you can accept that the author of such a statement would likely also believe racist is not a term that is used not as a binary (as in - you are either racist or not racist) but that racism is something we are almost all guilty of to some degree or another and not something that means you're going to hell or are a horrible person. In the same way that we are all at times capable of being selfish, or at times capable of being ignorant, or weak to temptation.

Saying they are racist in that light is more like saying that relative to the average, they are a bit more racist than the best of us.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's not punching down or hiding behind an ethnic identity, he's mocking the idea of someone being upset over a parody/mockery/comedy.

Rich dude makes fun of a nation for being poor and when they take issue he plays antisemitism card.

Sure, that's one way you could describe things, although not especially accurately.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#294
post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most Russians hold racist views I understand that people are unhappy with Russia right now, but what a truly gross thing to say (and absolutely not true).

I am aware that this is a bold claim and that it may be hard to believe. I also wish this weren't true. That's why I put a reference to support it. Check out the section on Public sentiments and politics. In particular, that 60% of population support the statement "Russia is for Russians" and what that phrase implies. If you are curious to learn more, check out studies and polls by any organization that you support -…

I'm from the US South and am well traveled in Europe and Russia, including minority Russian republics like Adygea. In my experience, Russians are way less racist than Americans and Western Europeans - I almost never heard a racist word from them (I understand the Russian language).

Please watch these:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_xq7WcM_J0

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdtCCi249xE

Also, feel free to hit that translate button on videos like these, especially the top voted ones. The comment from Russians are generally very positive (even heartwarming) towards foreigners who are adequate, learn the language and follow the local laws.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#295
post #219

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No, there were real conflicts, violence, and refugees fleeing both across and outside countries before the fall of Soviet Union (not predicted by anyone) and afterwards. Before you reach for checklists and flowcharts to figure out whether you should call them “atrocities” or “civil outrage”, let me refresh your memory. First, we need to look at oil and gas pipeline maps from USSR to Europe. It's easy to do, we're on…

[flagged]

How would "dealing" look like?

Russian Federation still maintains freedom of travel with most of ex-Soviet republics. Good luck entering Britain without visa being a former colonial subject.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#296
post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most Russians hold racist views I understand that people are unhappy with Russia right now, but what a truly gross thing to say (and absolutely not true).

Very true when it comes to antisemitic views: only 1 in 10 Russians would be ok having a Jewish friend. "In a Levada Center poll, for instance, 45 percent of Russians said they had a positive attitude toward Jews in 2021, up from 22 percent in 2010. Russians said Jews were the minority group they were most comfortable having close to them — but only 11 percent said they’re ready to have a Jewish friend, up from 3 per…

Oh please, Levada? lol. I understand there's a big psyops push to dehumanize Russians right now, but they are people like the rest of us. Crazy, right?

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Gaza/Israel is not an open political system. They are subjects and born in a state that doesn't grant them the rights of people equally subject to and born in the same area. My entire point was that closed political systems embolden radicals, Gaza makes that point extremely well. When you have zero chance of having a say in the government that controls all your borders, any and all food allowed into your area, any an…

Citizens of Gaza are not citizens neither subjects of Israel. Israeli citizens vote on Israeli elections, PA citizens vote on PA elections and Gaza citizens vote on Gaza elections. Israel doesn't occupy Gaza and doesn't control all the borders either — that's Israel and Egypt. And both of these countries decided to close borders and install maritime blockade only after Hamas stated indiscriminate attacks against civilians, which happened after it came to power.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

... No, it's not complex at all. Russia invaded a sovereign country. Just like they did in 39', 40', 08'.

The West encouraged Georgia to invade its breakaway former province South Ossetia in 2008. Turns out it was a lousy idea. Why blame Russia for bad voluntary choices of Georgian government?

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i lived there, gulf monarchies are financing construction of mosques all over the *stans, and are sending people to "study islam" in ... Pakistan and Bangladesh, where they are radicalized and brainwashed. various conflicts in Causasus in russia - where caucasians were bankrolled and brainwashed via gulf money (dagestan and chechnya)

Are you replying to the wrong comment? I asked for one example where an open political system led to radical Islamists cementing power

Afghanistan was relatively open during US and USSR occupations, still radical islamists prevailed.

Iran during Shah times was relatively open politically, although it was monarchy.

Egypt before the brotherhood took over.

Turkey was relatively sectarian, but with Erdogan it became more and more islamist.

Iraq after occupation was relatively open, yet ISIS ideology took off

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#300
post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just honestly don't understand what the issue is with NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and why Russians in particular are so butthurt about it. During some of the worst massacres in Yugoslavia, more people were murdered in the span of a few days than died during the entire aerial campaign. The campaign put a decisive end to wars, and the following decades have brought massive success. Former parts of Yugoslavia like Croa…

I think Dan's point is that there's never a need to introduce references to a commenter's nationality or other presumed essential traits. No matter how self-evidently full of excrement their droppings here may be.

"I think Dan's point is that there's never a need to introduce references to a commenter's nationality or other presumed essential traits.

No matter how self-evidently full of excrement their droppings here may be."

@dang

So how comments like this fit the site's guidelines?

Btw, that's another account "using HN primarily for political and nationalistic battle".

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