91–100 of 148 posts
The blockchain hype seems to have some parallels to the Second Life[1] one. The technology isn't quite there, the valuations are immense, and it all seems like a real life implementation of a Neal Stephenson novel. Second Life doesn't seem to have gone anywhere but it doesn't mean cryptocurrencies won't as well. From the outside they do look just as niche and generally lacking in use cases. [1] https://en.wikipedia.o…
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I agree, but they're making quite good steps now. This document also declares: `Investment according to English Law will be allowed.` The process takes time but Belarus slowly removes borders and getting better. From 2017, residents of 80+ countries (including entire EU and US) were allowed to enter Belarus without a visa for 5 days (subject to be extended even further)
No investor in their mind would believe this. Belarus needs structural reforms first.
Belarus is the source of great engineers that created Viber, Juno, MSQRD, WoT to name a few. PVT revenues will reach $1 bln. in 2017. This decree just added more perks to already existing tax privileges.
The system is stable and growing, why kill the cash-cow? IT enterprise is not and oil factory that you can nationalize. Engineers will take the laptop and fly away same day and your seized company will turn into empty building with zero profit. Even dictators understand it.
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Of course they can. They just chose to re-elect him. Belarus is a democratic republic with proper election system.
It's not hard to choose when there's only 1 real candidate. USSR had elections too.
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You're just in the middle of being disrupted with whats called a black and white swan event.
I assume you mean just “black swan”? I was curious about the white swan bit - maybe it was an orthogonal concept? But I settled on the regular kind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory
Just FYI Belarus is not a democracy and the laws change at the whim of the rulers. Read the journal of this blogger who got arrested there https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/blogs-trending-38804499 , the people(the foreign nationals) who were in jail with him...
The thing about Belarus is not that laws change at whim. They are not. According a lawyer I know from Belarus in courts small and not so small cases are considered rather fairly. One in principle can count that in a daily life rule of laws applies and the level of corruption is not that bad. But the moment your case is perceived by authorities as political or somebody with power finds your business interesting, one g…
Lukashenko is a dictator. Being able to change laws at a whim is a defining characteristic of dictatorship.
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But it is big deal. In worst case scenario, most of Lithuania's land would be no-go zone. Violating Espoo and Aarhus Conventions, lying and covering up accidents, while normal practice in Russia & co countries, it is not in EU. Could you please provide source for "EU checked it and found everything within norms"?
The construction spot complies with all MAGATE standards: http://www.belta.by/economics/view/ostrovetskaja-ploschadka-... MAGATE SEED mission external risks report is overall positive: https://news.tut.by/economics/546471.html http://minenergo.gov.by/wp-content/uploads/Report-SEED-missi... Here's interview with vice-minister of energetic where he answers a lot of questions and concerns of Lithuania: There's 7 more MA…
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No investor in their mind would believe this. Belarus needs structural reforms first.
Actually, there will be risk takers on top of existing ones. Belarus is the source of great engineers that created Viber, Juno, MSQRD, WoT to name a few. PVT revenues will reach $1 bln. in 2017. This decree just added more perks to already existing tax privileges. The system is stable and growing, why kill the cash-cow? IT enterprise is not and oil factory that you can nationalize. Engineers will take the laptop and…
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I assume you mean just “black swan”? I was curious about the white swan bit - maybe it was an orthogonal concept? But I settled on the regular kind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory
They might mean a swan that is black on one side but white on the other, i.e. gives the appearance of being an extremely rare or a very common event, while in fact being the opposite.
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Right, Armenian sources obviously not independent in this case. Azerbaijan has a beef with Armenia about non-recognized territory that this guy visited and wrote in his blog how he fooled Azerbaijan military and same crap that he wrote about Belarusian jail. Azerbaijan started criminal case for Lapshin using fake Ukrainian passport (renounced in 2011) to enter the country and of course Armenia supports him for visiti…
> I think decision to transfer this guy to Azerbaijan was the right one That's cool but not what we're talking about. OP said Belarus jailed a journalist. You said it was in response to an Interpol warrant. We have impartial evidence of the jailing. We have no impartial evidence of your claim.
P.S. Also he's a blogger, not journalist. And the story of Belarusian jail that OP referring to is full of shit, even some Belarusian opposition members who spent some time there, not few days like this guy, wrote in comments to the article that he wrote mostly bullshit. Of course it's not a resort, and for someone who got there first time it can be tough and shocking, but it's not as bad, as he describes.
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Yeah, Lithuania making big deal out of this nuclear station. They aren't happy that it's based close to the border and they trying to say that it's not safe, blah-blah-blah, nobody will buy electricity and so on. Other countries don't have issues with this station though, EU checked it and found everything within norms. But every time something happens at the construction, like they pour concrete at the wrong spot, L…
Lithuania had its own Nuclear Power plant (Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant) which it closed in order to join the EU. At first, it was promising to its people that the EU will help it to build another one ("safer"), but of course nothing happened. And with the new Belorussian Nuclear Power Plant, there is no good business case for it anymore.
As you say there is no reason for another plant to be built in the area now, but it'll also mean the Baltic states most likely end up purchasing electricity from Belarus. As they have strong political ties with Russia, that doesn't really help their case in becoming more independent.