Leaderboard

I live in Russia (please note that I support Ukraine). I believe that the political scientists now do not fully understand how authoritarian and totalitarian regimes function, and what is their weakness. These regimes all declare that they are “people’s”, that dictators express the “will of the nation” and so on. These dictators, with the help of propaganda and the repressive machine, do often indeed shape the opinion of the majority of the population in their countries; but they never admit it. I want propose the easiest way for Western countries to defeat Putin and Xi. First, the United States must reconsider its nuclear doctrine, and declare that the use of US nuclear weapons is possible only in the form of a symmetrical response. If Putin nukes one city, the United States would nuke one Russian city, if Putin nukes ten, the United States would nike ten, and so on. Next, the United States must announce that they plan to enter the war in Ukraine, but can reverse this decision, if Putin initiates a referendum in Russia with a proposal to end the war, abolish censorship, and release the political prisoners. I am sure that Russians will vote in this referendum to end the war. If the war continues, Russian soldiers will be unable to fight, because they will suffer from cognitive dissonance - what are they fighting for? For censorship and repression?

This, and to recognize the irony of allowing yourself to be picky, but complaining that women are doing the same thing. It’s almost like there’s an asymmetry in what agency men and women are to be permitted.

Quite possibly. But we might be able to convince the "undecided" and I don't want the nutters to have the last word.

I think nuclear power is a deterrent, not an actual tit-for-tat mechanism. This, I think, was well understood by the '60s by the likes of Robert McNamara and others. The MAD principle guarantees that. The actual tit-for-tat takes place on a whole different level once the MAD is guaranteed. It creates a fulcrum for other forces to operate, that's all. BTW, I also think "political scientist" is a contradiction in terms.

Maybe stop theorizing and just approach woman as real people with an attitude of openness. Nurture a sense of humor, don't take yourself so seriously, cultivate friendship rather than obsess over romance. Stop intellectualizing and just listen. Knock it off. Get your gaze out of your navel. Srop trying to effect. We all need friends. We make friends by sharing things and being ourselves. If you are honest in showing who you are then someone will appreciate that, even if you aren't the hero of your tale. And if they don't appreciate that, then move on: they don't get you and are not worth your time.

Oops, I've turned them into quantum objects.

Wouldn't better access to reproductive care and contraception be a simpler solution? We could do that now, if the owners of aging pale penises would step out of the way.

Women are not from Outer Space. Think of them as people, not objects.