What's in the News? 2.0

[Missy]

The whole system is rotten and requires review.

yeah stuff like this is why I've seriously looked up the requirements for asylum in Canada.

I mean basically the Republicans are a Fascist party now, if they gain seats in 2022, I'll really be looking at it seriously again.

[Haibane]

Things are looking very grim in Myanmar.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-56062955

[stormwyrm]

Now this is really bizarre. A somewhat prestigious Chinese professor seems to be spreading conspiracy theories that the ancient western civilisations like Egypt, Sumer, Babylon, Greece, Rome, etc. were faked in the 19th century to demean China. 🤦‍♂️

https://taiwanenglishnews.com/chinese-professor-there-were-no-ancient-western-civilizations-just-modern-fakes-made-to-demean-china/

I suppose every nation has its nationalist pseudohistory, but this Prof. Huang Heqing seems to be a much more prestigious figure than most other nationalist pseudohistorians.

[Haibane]

I can only assume that the saying "every person has their price" could apply here.

[Beorning]

Wow. And I thought that our Polish conspiracy theory of the "Great Lechia" empire erased from official history by the Papacy and other Western powers was nonsense...

[Missy]

Well I suppose it fits with the Xi regimes agenda, therefore it must be true!

[Haibane]

For a long time, since remains were discovered in 1929 the Chinese have insisted that homo sapiens originated in China. Its just political rubbish of course, but disturbing as to why some nations have this massive need to validate themselves above any others. What is it justification for? Not some collective cultural ego surely?

[Haibane]

Cummins is a slimeball. Glad he's gone.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/15/revealed-cummings-role-handing-covid-contract-firm-run-by-friends

[Beguile's Mistress]

You do realize this means none of us really exist.  We are fake people. 

[Haibane]

Probably the most stupid conspiracy theory I've ever encountered was by a person who'd found newspaper photos taken in the 1950s of the "restoration" of Stonehenge. In the 50s (and going back to the 20s) "restoration" meant something quite different to what it does today and some of the fallen sarsen stones were re-erected with cranes and supported on new concrete bases. Today we'd view this as vandalism but its what happened in the past.

This person however saw these photos of cranes "building" Stonehenge and set up a website claiming it was a fake made in the 1950s.

The website and their YT video were full of comments from people disproving the daft idea but they wouldn't budge, calling their critics "gullible sheep" who should "do their own research".

The fact we have references in literature going back to Henry of Huntingdon in the 12th c. didn't seem to faze this person at all, calling these old works of literature "modern fakes" "put into old libraries" as well. One can see how silly a conspiracy theory has to twist and turn once evidence disproving it arises; one just has to dismiss that evidence as well.

[stormwyrm]

Wow. And I thought that our Polish conspiracy theory of the "Great Lechia" empire erased from official history by the Papacy and other Western powers was nonsense...

This is the Turboslavism (Turbosłowianizm) I've heard of?

For a long time, since remains were discovered in 1929 the Chinese have insisted that homo sapiens originated in China. Its just political rubbish of course, but disturbing as to why some nations have this massive need to validate themselves above any others. What is it justification for? Not some collective cultural ego surely?

Most of these nationalist pseudohistories seem to be developed and encouraged in order to justify ethnocentrism, xenophobia, and irredentism. It can be used as a justification for the oppression of ethnic minorities. Textbook example is Nazi Germany. They had the mother of all nationalist pseudohistories, which they used to justify a campaign of conquest and genocide.

[Sabot]

Probably the most stupid conspiracy theory I've ever encountered was by a person who'd found newspaper photos taken in the 1950s of the "restoration" of Stonehenge. In the 50s (and going back to the 20s) "restoration" meant something quite different to what it does today and some of the fallen sarsen stones were re-erected with cranes and supported on new concrete bases. Today we'd view this as vandalism but its what happened in the past.

This person however saw these photos of cranes "building" Stonehenge and set up a website claiming it was a fake made in the 1950s.

The website and their YT video were full of comments from people disproving the daft idea but they wouldn't budge, calling their critics "gullible sheep" who should "do their own research".

The fact we have references in literature going back to Henry of Huntingdon in the 12th c. didn't seem to faze this person at all, calling these old works of literature "modern fakes" "put into old libraries" as well. One can see how silly a conspiracy theory has to twist and turn once evidence disproving it arises; one just has to dismiss that evidence as well.

I kind of like the flat earth videos, the moon is hollow, mars is inhabited, space is fake, moon landings were staged. And of course....free energy, in all it's many splendid forms
!

[Skynet]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/us/asian-american-racism.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/asian-american-racism-violence-1127876/

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-Bay-Area-s-anti-Asian-violence-15952649.php

There's been an extreme uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes, particularly in San Francisco but other American cities lately. Senior citizens in particular have been targeted.

[Haibane]

Probably because its their fault and all, you know the China virus.

/s

[Beorning]

This is the Turboslavism (Turbosłowianizm) I've heard of?

Yup. Ancient Slavs / Lechites (whom us Poles are descended from) had an empire that stretched well into Asia! The Lechites are even mentioned in the Bible! And why no version of history mentions any of this? Because the jealous countries of Western Europe had all of this covered up! 

[Haibane]

The abduction and house imprisonment of UAE Princess Latifa is outrageous and repellent. I very much doubt though that a bunch of pot-banging by the UN will achieve anything.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56093100

[Callie Del Noire]

Rush Limbaugh, in my opinion was a demonstration of why the fairness doctrine shouldn’t have been undone, passed of
Lung cancer. Not a way I’d wish anyone to die

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/media/rush-limbaugh-obituary/index.html

[Beguile's Mistress]

I've know people who have passed from lung cancer and it isn't a way I would want to go.  Limbaugh bragged about being a dedicated cigar smoker so this isn't surprising.

[TheGlyphstone]

Dang. I'll never say I was a fan, in fact probably as far to the opposite as I could be, but anyone dying of cancer is worth a moment of mourning.

[Aiden]

I won't celebrate his death nor will I give him a moment of empathy.

Rush was cancer, it is fitting that is what took him also.

[Haibane]

Its about time Dr. Fauci was recognised as being a voice of reason, realism and truth, as he struggled for a year with a boss who was a nut case. The man is hero just for biting his tongue when Trump spewed all that BS about bleach and such.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56081182

[legomaster00156]

I've know people who have passed from lung cancer and it isn't a way I would want to go.  Limbaugh bragged about being a dedicated cigar smoker so this isn't surprising.

He spent decades pushing the tobacco industry's lines. I doubt he's the only person he's killed with smoking.

[Oniya]

Facebook has banned Australia.

https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/

In response to Australia’s proposed new Media Bargaining law, Facebook will restrict publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content.

The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content. It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia. With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter.

[Deamonbane]

Rush Limbaugh, in my opinion was a demonstration of why the fairness doctrine shouldn’t have been undone, passed of
Lung cancer. Not a way I’d wish anyone to die

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/media/rush-limbaugh-obituary/index.html

Call me toxic but...



Fuck that guy. A deserved a lot fucking worse.

[Mr Quixotic]

Facebook has banned Australia.

https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/

Google had also threatened to withdraw all their services from Australia over the same legislation, but looks like they've come around and have signed pay deals  with some of the major media companies here over the past few days.