Ukraine attacked Russian Terriritory along the border and penetrated about 30 kilometers into Russia. They now control about 100 square kilometers of the Kursk Oblast which is about as much territory as Russia has taken from Ukraine over the last 6 months.
Before this Russia did not treat it's borders like active war zones relying on its threat of nuclear retaliation as a deterrent. Possibly related, maybe unrelated there was also an attack on the Zaizaporizia (I don't know how to spell it) Nuclear Power plant in Ukraine that Russia controls. Both sides blamed the other. This was a serious attack that has the potential to cause nuclear meltdown. Massive plumes of smoke were seen billowing out of a cool down tower as flames raged at the base of the tower.
Ukraine killed and captured thousands of Russian conscripts during the attack. Per Russian law Conscripts are not to see active war duty so there will be some major splaining needed to those families. Russia is calling it an Active Terrorist Attack which is far different from War. Active Terrorist Attacks don't see enemies troops on the ground facing off against your army.
This is probably going to relieve some pressure off the Ukraine forces on the front lines as Russia will be forced to spread it self thinner to defend the now vulnerable Oblasts on the Ukraine border.
Also; it's estimated 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in this war. More than any other war except WWII. Sounds like there's going to be a discount on mail order brides soon.
I can't imagine Russia allowing a nuclear meltdown. Their scorched earth policy was really about destroying infrastructure (for example, oil production), not rendering entire areas uninhabitable for generations - including for their own use.
But I guess we shall see.
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Thinking again about the Jordan Peterson discussion, I wonder what would happen if they interviewed him, and simply pointed out he was talking about things that the majority of scientists disagree with.
For example:
"Why do you think 90% of psychologists (or whatever specific group) disagree with you?"
"What is it that they are getting wrong?" "What would it take to convince you they were right?" "What might you be getting wrong?"
I wonder if this is a better way to treat minority opinions. If done correctly, I think it could lead to very interesting discussions, because it would hone in on the differences, and if the person is intelligent (like Peterson) it may also illustrate where they all agree.
A similar application would be useful to people who were against things like specific vaccinations (Covid being the recent example):
Same questions or types of questions above, but you'd also want to know if they are against all vaccinations. Maybe follow with: "Do you think it was a bad thing to eliminate Polio? Can you think of any other way we could have done it?"
I can't imagine Russia allowing a nuclear meltdown. Their scorched earth policy was really about destroying infrastructure (for example, oil production), not rendering entire areas uninhabitable for generations - including for their own use.
But I guess we shall see.
___________
Thinking again about the Jordan Peterson discussion, I wonder what would happen if they interviewed him, and simply pointed out he was talking about things that the majority of scientists disagree with.
For example:
"Why do you think 90% of psychologists (or whatever specific group) disagree with you?"
"What is it that they are getting wrong?" "What would it take to convince you they were right?" "What might you be getting wrong?"
I wonder if this is a better way to treat minority opinions. If done correctly, I think it could lead to very interesting discussions, because it would hone in on the differences, and if the person is intelligent (like Peterson) it may also illustrate where they all agree.
A similar application would be useful to people who were against things like specific vaccinations (Covid being the recent example):
Same questions or types of questions above, but you'd also want to know if they are against all vaccinations. Maybe follow with: "Do you think it was a bad thing to eliminate Polio? Can you think of any other way we could have done it?"
He gave an interview to the NY Post (a conservative rag sure, but thats where he interviewed) in which he explained his stance and why he disagrees with the current popular opinion. I think this answers most of your questions.
Here are his thoughts: Warning to others: These are strong opinions about transgenderism. You may not agree with the opinion. I don't care one way or the other.
Spoiler
What did I say, that resulted first in my suspension from Twitter itself and now the inquisition?
“Remember when Pride was a sin, and Ellen Page just had her breasts removed by a criminal physician?”
Was this a political opinion, too, a mere example of my “right to free speech,” my right to shoot my mouth off, however hedonistically and impulsively, as I see fit?
Or was it, instead, the exercising of my professional responsibility, in the face of an egregious and increasingly widespread medical crime?
Let’s consider the latter possibility. First, let us note that the United Nations itself recognizes “forced sterilization” not only as a crime, but as a veritable crime against humanity, the most serious imaginable crime.
That implies, at the very least, a responsibility among medical and adjacent professionals to speak up when they note such occurrences.
Second: it is also the case that I am duty-bound by the very standards imposed by the regulatory body in question to report all observed cases of the sexual abuse of minors.
Now, Ellen Page was no minor when her breasts were amputated, magically transforming her into a now mandatory-Elliot.
However, the rampant and self-serving publicity she engaged in, post-surgery, parading her new, mutilated chest for the world to see was certainly an enticement, given her undeniable celebrity, to legions of confused young women literally willing to risk physical dismemberment and sterilization to garner the attention they cannot otherwise seem to attract.
Thus, in my opinion, which I hypothetically have not only the right but the responsibility to express, the actress Ellen Page is enabling the butchers of the surgical profession to deprive minors who by definition are incapable of providing truly informed consent of their ability to reproduce (as well as their perfectly healthy sexual organs, primary and secondary, and their long-term health, both psychological and physical).
It might be objected — and indeed is being: the true danger to such children is not the enablers and butchers, but the bigots like me who are merely interfering with the expression of the true identities of these innocent and somehow for-the-first-time-in-history fully self-aware children.
My response? I have an explicit professional obligation to employ diagnostic techniques that do not and must not rely solely on self-report.
Ethical psychologists must specify their sometimes genuinely delusional clients’ identities using multiple measures: certainly, the direct and subjective testimony of those clients, but also objective measures of psychopathology and health, the reports of others, and whatever additional relevant historical and behavior data can be obtained.
None of this is optional: until yesterday, so to speak, it was both self-evident and mandatory.
Now the insistence on the omniscience of the subjective self is such that even though these requirements are still on the books, so-called therapists are required to ignore them, placing both themselves and their clients in peril.
Every clinical psychologist worth his or her salt knows this; indeed, has to demonstrate familiarity with such rules to obtain the very licence that is now in question in my case.
Every clinical psychologist who is holding his or her tongue in the face of the increasing tide of surgical butchery sweeping over the equally silent medical profession is therefore guilty of egregious malpractice by omission.
We will look back in the decades to come at the absolute catastrophe of the "gender affirming" movement with the same horror we view the days of lobotomies and eugenics.
For reference here is the article I copy/pasted. I skipped some of it. He talks about 4 Tweets that got him in trouble but the part I quoted is the most relevant to our discussion.
Joined: Nov 10, 2013 Posts: 17750 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Thanks for posting that. All very reasonable. Not sure why transgenders would even take offence considering his beef is if minors should be able to have transformative surgery when they don’t even know who they are. There are reasons minors can’t get tattoos.
It’s not like being gay. Sexual attraction is an impulse and you will know if you like guys or girls when you’re a minor. But knowing if you’re a guy or girl? There’s no way you could know that as you don’t know your identity yet, and your identity will evolve in your early life through quite a few transformations, luckily none of them are physical.
Anyway, my favourite part of his post, which should come as no surprise is the « now mandatory-Elliott » lol. Absolutely insane.
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I’ve seen 3-4 episodes of House of Dragon s2 so far. Enjoying it lots. Before it wasn’t obvious if you’re supposed to like Hightower or Targaryen more but it didn’t take them long to paint the ruling party of Kings Landing as the bad guys. The king, his brother and Christian Cole are just all totally detestable characters with no real redeemable characteristics. They’re supposed to be painting Cole as the most complicated character but I’m not seeing that at all.
I think the last episode showed a full shot of a blowjob in progress, mouth moving over shaft and everything. I think it’s the most graphic sexual act I’ve ever seen on cable television but I don’t watch much. I remember when Brown Bunny was a big deal and that’s a full feature length movie in theatres, not on tv. Emily and my mom were in the other room and I was very aware of it during that scene lol
Joined: Nov 03, 2013 Posts: 7271 Location: Your Head
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The swipe at Elliots chosen name was unneeded to make his point. I don't know anyone who has a problem calling Childish Gambino and Donald Glover by his chosen name at his chosen time.
Joined: Nov 10, 2013 Posts: 17750 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
That’s not his point at all. He’s not making fun of « Elliott » at all. He’s making fun of ´mandatory’ which has nothing at all to do with Elliott or Ellen
And he’s not really even making fun of it. He’s pointing to an actual fire in the room we’re all living in and almost everyone is saying he’s being offensive by calling a fire a fire
Nah its about respect man... you don't call someone in away that is detrimental to them... The part that is curious is that a big chunk of the world has a problem with that, only when is asked by trans people.
Joined: Mar 18, 2016 Posts: 5360 Location: Anyway the wind blows
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“Curious”
it’s like I never laid out any reasons in discussions here it’s just all so baffling and no idea why
You’re talking about people’s fundamental perceptions of reality. It’s not comparable to nicknames or aliases, those things don’t demand you abandon your own understanding on the nature of reality and become subservient to an another person’s worldview. They don’t insist you call a creature a dog when you know it’s really a cat. Nobody gives a **** if you call Glover “Donald” or “Childish Gambino”. Or if you call your friend their legal name or nickname - nobody is going to try to get you fired from your job or yell in your face or call you Literally Hitler or get you in legal trouble in some countries.
“Curious”
Ymmv and everyone is welcome to draw their own lines where it’s acceptable to their conscience imo but to act like you don’t understand why some are unwilling to surrender the same ground that you do is really a failure of empathy on your part
Joined: Nov 10, 2013 Posts: 17750 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Plus, Peterson has no problem calling someone what they want to be called. He has a huge problem (as should you) with the government telling him he HAS to. That’s completely insane overreach.
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Just got back from Romulus. It was really good. It plays homage to every single alien movie except the AvP ones, thankfully. A real labour of love for the first two especially. Heroine is fantastic and super cute. It’s crazy how much she’lll remind you of the heroine from Covenant except with more depth and backstory
I was legit scared at least twice but never crawling out of my skin scared like in Alien. Very few movies pulled that off with me. It’s not going for that level of fear anyway
Joined: Nov 03, 2013 Posts: 7271 Location: Your Head
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If I worked with a guy named Timothy and started calling him Tiny Tim and he asked me not to yet I keep doing it I'm going to get called into my boss or HRs office and told to stop calling him Tiny Tim. They'll even tell me my job depends on it. I don't see the difference between that and anyone else with any other name.
It's my Mohommad Ali rule. When someone asks to start being referred to as Mohommad Ali you stop calling him Casius Clay. You look like that stupid reported that kept doing it in interviews and who now regrets it
Joined: Mar 18, 2016 Posts: 5360 Location: Anyway the wind blows
Identity: doesnt really matter
Preferred Pronoun Set: to me
Yes. There’s no obligation for you to acquiesce to the other side if your conscience dictates otherwise. It’s not a matter of empathy to disagree over an opinion, but to apparently not even be able to grasp the thoughts and feelings motivating those on the other side of an issue from you - for an issue that didn’t just appear yesterday and you haven’t had a chance to probe it - that’s just a failure of empathy. Empathy isn’t just for one demographic of people luls you have empathy for your fellow man or you don’t.
If I worked with a guy named Timothy and started calling him Tiny Tim and he asked me not to yet I keep doing it I'm going to get called into my boss or HRs office and told to stop calling him Tiny Tim. They'll even tell me my job depends on it. I don't see the difference between that and anyone else with any other name.
It's my Mohommad Ali rule. When someone asks to start being referred to as Mohommad Ali you stop calling him Casius Clay. You look like that stupid reported that kept doing it in interviews and who now regrets it
And if I identified as a king and demanded you refer to me as Your Royal Highness even when I’m not in the room with you, would your job be out of line saying you have to refer to me that way or get fired?
It’s not even a good example. The issue with name and pronoun changes isn’t that some people make up nicknames for them it’s that some people wish to call them by their birth names and believe pronouns are sex based rather than identity based.
IMO a name belongs to a person, and I’ll call a person by whatever name they choose. 3rd person pronouns are a different ballgame and require a different analogy than your tiny Tim example - they are how you talk about other people and imo belong to you. If you want me to call you sixty I’m very happy to but if you expect me to refer to you as Your Royal Highness whenever I talk about you I’m going to laugh at you
If I worked with a guy named Timothy and started calling him Tiny Tim and he asked me not to yet I keep doing it I'm going to get called into my boss or HRs office and told to stop calling him Tiny Tim. They'll even tell me my job depends on it. I don't see the difference between that and anyone else with any other name.
It's my Mohommad Ali rule. When someone asks to start being referred to as Mohommad Ali you stop calling him Casius Clay. You look like that stupid reported that kept doing it in interviews and who now regrets it
And if I identified as a king and demanded you refer to me as Your Royal Highness even when I’m not in the room with you, would your job be out of line saying you have to refer to me that way or get fired?
It’s not even a good example. The issue with name and pronoun changes isn’t that some people make up nicknames for them it’s that some people wish to call them by their birth names and believe pronouns are sex based rather than identity based.
IMO a name belongs to a person, and I’ll call a person by whatever name they choose. 3rd person pronouns are a different ballgame and require a different analogy than your tiny Tim example - they are how you talk about other people and imo belong to you. If you want me to call you sixty I’m very happy to but if you expect me to refer to you as Your Royal Highness whenever I talk about you I’m going to laugh at you
We're talking about people's names, not someone asking to be referred to as a dog or a king.
Joined: Mar 18, 2016 Posts: 5360 Location: Anyway the wind blows
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We’re pretending this topic is just about birth names and not about pronouns and basic beliefs about the sexes?
You think Peterson’s line of inquiry about Elliot vs Ellen is just about a *name* and there isn’t a deeper fundamental issue at play? Like are you guys even trying to think seriously about this or you just picked an ideological side and sticking with it?
You think Peterson’s line of inquiry about Elliot vs Ellen is just about a *name* and there isn’t a deeper fundamental issue at play? Like are you guys even trying to think seriously about this or you just picked an ideological side and sticking with it?
If you haven't been able to tell by the examples I have given I see no difference in one person asking to be called a specific name and another person asking to be called a specific name. I'm thinking very seriously about this. Seems you're the one that has a problem when only 1 specific group asks you to call them something. I don't distinguish.
And you're right; it's not just about a name - to him, and you apparently- but to me it's just about a name.
Joined: Mar 18, 2016 Posts: 5360 Location: Anyway the wind blows
Identity: doesnt really matter
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That’s fair. I also happen to not have a prob calling people whatever they want. But we live in a multicultural society and for lotta sub/cultures it’s much deeper than name and we either tolerate cultural differences or we don’t
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