Boo, no fun allowed

Considering they were caught having spyware on Merkel’s phone from 2002-2013, it’s strange to only make the change now.

I think just a card and cash is appropriate for someone you don’t really know, and probably less than $100 unless you’re both rich.

In the first place I think a better way to establish “is life in this given place good”, would be to address to good vs bad in that place, as opposed to the good in that place vs the bad everywhere else.

If you must make the point through comparisons, using the weakest possible arguments while standing in for the opposing side makes it seem you’ve either want to misrepresent it, or don’t feel secure enough in your position.

I could get into the factual claims that could be challenged but maybe that was the AI. There’s absolutely an argument that Western media and cultures create intense, xenophobic biases, but there are more compelling ways to make it.

Using a one-sided narrative to counter a one-sided narrative comes off as disingenuous to me. Despite Marx’s urging, the US turns out to be the place where a worker can strike with his union and own a gun.

We’ve already seen it happen in Canada under Harper, there’s no doubt that it could happen again.

https://youtu.be/ygr5AHufBN4

Yes

Depends on the extent of how much you’d do and if you’d get noticed, really. Leverage being applied against you or your parents could occur, particularly to or via relatives in China, but only if you’re deemed worth the effort. I wouldn’t take that risk, personally, but that’s a very specific, individual decision.

The US is another matter. Sure you’ll go on a list but everyone’s on a list of one kind or another, we’re both on one for using Lemmy most likely.

Would there be any validity in your parents thinking your concerns about this are getting in the way of improving your own life?

I’m not sure the answers so far get to the gist of the problem- how to create these institutions in balance of power, where they can’t just co-opt or capture one another.

I don’t think it’s possible to prevent one institution from actively deciding to give up and relinquish its responsibilities, without constraining or bolstering them to where they can’t act as balances.

If they want power they find a way.

They’d have to connect to it, and possibly reconnect. That aspect is the issue.

Right, which is why I advised OP to avoid places which won’t like the wrong kind of jingoism. You’re understanding now.

My users aren’t going to figure that out.

Oh no they’ll see I’m watching TNG

They prohibit large amounts of media being streamed, and they reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts for it. Multiple years in, that has not happened.

Edit: here, you can read https://blog.cloudflare.com/updated-tos/

Skill issue

The same articles are written every time Europe decides to bomb or occupy a country in Africa or Asia. Coalitions of the willing in Iraq, Libya, Yemen. The list goes on. Our bombs drop freedom, theirs don’t

CloudFlare tunnel with Zero Trust, plus their bot and abuse blocking. Users can get in with the right oauth, plus only allowed from the countries I know they’re in. Then just their username and password on jellyfin.

People are screeching about misinformation and propaganda without actually saying which things are falsehoods. Pretty entertaining.

Most opinion pieces and even purportedly neutral news articles are polemic, Russian or otherwise. Don’t expect a community called Europe to want content that isn’t pro-European jingoism. Only they are allowed to do it!

Harsh but true. When you take away those that actively supports the regime, then those that are apathetic, that’s well over half the population. A present day Boston tea party would mostly result in mass anger over sweet tea availability.

Then those few that remain may not want to risk getting their skulls cracked, legally run over and declared terrorists by the institutions they’re asking to change. It simply doesn’t leave the critical mass necessary to have thousands in the streets.