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hbt commented on Israel launched a dozen attacks on UN troops in Lebanon, says leaked report   ft.com/content/151eb482-6... · Posted by u/zhengiszen
edanm · a year ago
Maybe.

Worth considering that in terms of relative size, Israel has a population of 10 million, Jews in the world number ~14 million.

Whereas the Arab world, which tends to be relatively anti-Israel, numbers ~220 million. And Muslims, which tend to be anti-Israel as well, number 1.2 billion.

So just in terms of number of voices, the natural pro-Israel voices [1] are vastly outnumbered by the natural anti-Israel voices.

Think about how this impacts what you hear, how this impacts the votes in the UN (which is not democratic but votes are by country), how this impacts economic reactions (number of consumers), etc.

[1] This is a sweeping generalization, but it is statistically true that Jews are usually pro-Israel and Arabs and Muslims are usually anti-Israel. With other religions/ethnicities it's more complicated.

hbt · a year ago
Though global populations show a larger anti-Israel sentiment, Western media and internet forums don't reflect this balance.

Western media often aligns with Israeli perspectives due to strategic alliances, lobbying influence, and media ownership dynamics, framing Israel’s actions as defensive while sidelining broader Arab or Palestinian views.

Online, pro-Israel narratives are reinforced by organized digital campaigns and moderation practices that shape public discourse. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian voices lack comparable resources and organization in Western spaces, limiting their visibility. This creates a media and digital environment where Western audiences are exposed to narratives that don’t fully represent the global spectrum of perspectives.

hbt commented on U.S. military to apologize to Alaska Natives for 1800s terror campaign   msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-... · Posted by u/impish9208
mtnGoat · a year ago
How do you think compensation would/could be handled? Do you think it would set a bad/good precedent?
hbt · a year ago
Germany has taken commendable steps to confront its role as the perpetrator of the Holocaust and to ensure that Holocaust victims and their heirs receive restitution and/or compensation. Germany also honors and remembers the victims of the Holocaust and has worked to cultivate a culture of remembrance. Its restitution measures range from compensating former owners and heirs for assets wrongfully seized during the Holocaust to making substantial financial contributions to victims’ funds and survivors’ pensions. From 1945 to 2018, the German government paid approximately $86.8 billion in restitution and compensation to Holocaust victims and their heirs.
hbt commented on Canada's extremist attack on free speech   theatlantic.com/ideas/arc... · Posted by u/duringmath
legitster · 2 years ago
An angle of this that I don't think gets brought up - conscientiousness is a measurable personality trait (EQ) - and it isn't equally distributed across the population!

You can have two people with almost identical positions on controversial issues on something like Israel-Palestine. But your ability to phrase and articulate your position can drastically change which side of the hate speech line you are on.

These sorts of policies are not actually in pursuit of reducing actual received harm - what's actually going on is a redrawing of our class system. People with high EQ are excluding low EQ people who can't "behave" in twenty-first century society. Even if you have never personally harmed someone - you won't get access to the same kinds of institutions - academia, journalism, politics, etc.

Reading these laws makes me think less of 1984 and more of, like, the 21st century equivalent of jaywalking or zoning rules or even redlining. We have new rules about how to fit in and behave - but the rules are not going to be equally or fairly distributed.

Keep in mind, you haven't heard the word "pluralism" as a democratic ideal in the last 20 years.

hbt · 2 years ago
Your point about EQ's role in speech and its unequal distribution is spot on. It underscores a significant issue: those who can't master the nuances of "acceptable" speech are getting marginalized, especially in fields like academia, journalism, politics, and now social media with this type of legislation.

Plain, straightforward speech has immense value. It promotes clarity and honesty, ensuring ideas are communicated without the need for high-EQ code. Restricting political discourse to high-EQ speech to avoid offense stifles genuine expression and hampers robust debate. This not only limits free speech but also degrades the quality of political dialogue, making it more about adhering to social norms than addressing real issues.

We need to value pluralism and strive for inclusivity in our discourse, ensuring that all voices, regardless of EQ, can be heard and respected.

Being a free speech absolutist ensures that all ideas, even those clumsily expressed, get a fair hearing. It fosters an environment where truth and innovation can thrive, unhampered by artificial constraints on how thoughts must be articulated.

Speech shouldn't require constant PR massaging to be accepted / "legal"

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hbt commented on ICJ orders Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza, stops short of ordering ceasefire   apnews.com/article/israel... · Posted by u/xbar
tptacek · 2 years ago
No, I don't think questioning the allegiance of pogrom victims is a good play.
hbt · 2 years ago
No, there were no reports of a pogrom against Jews in Egypt in 1956. However, during the Suez Crisis in the same year, some Jewish individuals faced increased tensions and discrimination. Many Jews eventually left Egypt, but it wasn't a pogrom in the traditional sense.

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hbt commented on I Can't Sleep   blog.paulbiggar.com/i-can... · Posted by u/pbiggar
hbt · 2 years ago
Another interview where Paul speaks and clarifies how tech (technology and people) plays a role in this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzXASFo-cf0

u/hbt

KarmaCake day762July 31, 2010View Original