Re: The Snot Report ("Democracy for the Few")



On Sun, 14 Oct 2007, Aleksej Saushev wrote:

Straydog <asd@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

You wrote excellent interesting comments. I have a few and will
keep them short. After all, most threads last too long. See
below...

On Sun, 14 Oct 2007, Aleksej Saushev wrote:

Straydog <asd@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

OK, this is only going to SRC. And, can you tell me where you are, now?

If you want my geografic position, I'm in Moscow, but I'm not Moscovite,
I descend from other part of country near Kazakhstan border now.

OK, you sounded like "Russian" but not quite. So, I was curious.
Thank you.

I am Russian.

Thank you for satisfying my curiosity.

It's just Russia being large and not homogeneous.

I heard such anecdotes.

the case BSD vs. USL, or Netware vs. SCO, but some decisions are really
wrecked. But studying law (esp. such complex as in U.S.) means you leave
less time to your main goal, software developing.

Once we were asked whether we really can use some GPLed stuff and why, if so.
One day was spent reading GPL several more times, reading GPL FAQ (!!)
and attempting to understand it from commercial developer's point of view.
Finally, we found example of U.S. company and proceded with analogy.

The problem is not with the software but the lawyers. I decline
to waste my time on this, however, if you do commercial work,
then you need to worry.

Right, the problem is in lawyers, but we also have real software
which was created aiming developers (at first), but changed to
feed lawyers more than developers. Individual developer is the
most unprotected person in this case, since he cannot afford
neither recreating analogous software, nor paying lawyer.

Yes. Cynical situation, no? I usually tell people:

1. You can fight laywers or join them, or
2. Get away from anything the lawyers can be a parasite on

(one escape is to, instead, sell ice cream at the beaches)

Analogy is clear, it was used in Soviet law in 1918--36.

But I'm not sure if it may be applied in that case, since product
was done for exporting into U.S.

I am so sorry to disagree. The problem with World War II was
Hitler. The problem with the Roman Empire was the Emperors. Bill
Gates is a crook and a theif. I have read and seen enough that
he used every trick, every cheat, every strategy to dominate, to
destroy competition. All the tanks and missles and guns in the
world hurt no one until one or a few guys in power decide to do
something.

I don't object to disagreement.

Right, Microsoft is no good, and Bill Gates' manifest is no better,
since it is the essense of Microsoft IP policy.

Some of what Marx said about capitalism is true: full of parasites.

Bill Gates was astonishing right in that case. (Well, Microsoft rather.)
How came that software developed for teaching use runs on unaffordable
expensive operating system is not mystery, I know that. But how come
that state police raids upon the same state schools? Don't they know
they have problems with underpaid school teachers already?

It is a separate problem.

I didn't mind anything special at first, just beware.

OK.

Why the hell state fines state school teacher for using operating system
that school cannot afford since this same state doesn't give money to buy
legal OS copies?

Many things in life are strange.

It's no better than "KGB-getstapo" in your words.

There is a shorter word: theif.

Do you know Karamzin aphorism?

No, please educate me. It sounds like it may be a lesson in theifdom.

after that I don't talk without factual evidences and I avoid talking
to those without them too. It's a matter of verification, I don't
want losing time on stubborn heads with no support behind them.

Sometimes you are wise. Othertimes, you participate in
self-entertainment (but, remember you need a sense of humor [and
you have to have some time on your hands]).

I don't want practising offensive English, I can entertain myself
in Russian as well or even better. In addition, I don't have
time at all, but you know, noone is able to get 40% time efficiency,
you have to sleep, eat, and even after subtraction you don't achieve
80% efficient usage.

Maybe you are what we call a workaholic. I am retired. Now I
have more time for entertainment. I did enough work in my life.

Not at all.

Still I find more interesting then teaching history to some or
another fool or respond to offences.

Nothing you said, or how it was said, offended me. But, I will reserve the right to, maybe, a different version.

Yes, I know a lot of people actually liked and respected Stalin.

Enough with Baltic countries, it's very complex problem with big
deal of nationalism.

I agree. But, nationalism is everywhere.

It's everywhere, right, but it's not the same everywhere.

When I talked with Abkhaz about their war, I learned the difference.
He was suspicious of Ukrainians and asked them more questions than us,
he didn't left themm till he knew where precisely they were from.
After several days I asked him why it is so, and he explained that
in that war on Abkhazian side there faught many volunteers,
Russians, Adygs (including Kabardins and Cherkess), Chechens, Armyans,
and on Georgia side there faught only Georgians and Western Ukrainians.
And that veteran had nothing against anyone with two exceptions.

OK

The other fact, Russian from peripheral regions exhibit quite another
nationalist feels and differ from central region inhabitants.
Say, Saratov Russian is more tolerant than his neigbour from Voronezh.
(Probably they are the most tolerant to other ethnic groups,
AFAIU, they don't mind your ancestry at all, they distinguish Tatars
by their behaviour rather than extent of assimilation, by their words
there're "Russian Tatars" and "Tatar Tatars", but it doesn't
mean you can say who is who on Sabantuy.)

Well, we have a range of personalities, too, here.

Russia is over-centralised, it's centralised to that extent,
that its center is not regarded as country itself.

We have some of this, too. Washington vs California, for example.

I think it's another order of magnitude, Moscow differs a lot
from any other city from any other region. Northern, southern,
and siberian towns differ, but they are closer to each other
than any of them to Moscow. It's not like California vs. Washington,
"California vs. Washington" is like "Krasnodar vs. Voronezh", and
Moscow differs in everything.

Well, I don't know about Moscow vs others (I was also in Leningrad for 3 days, and Suzdal for almost a week for a conference). Lots of people here don't like our govt center. If it isn't the taxes (eveyone hates the taxes, the theives [the rich] hate taxes more, but its understandable), then it is regulations, laws, politician lies, and it is two to one against the Iraq war. But, it is also complicated, too.


What I really don't like in U.S. is flourishing hypocrisy.

I don't like it either.

Is it really so, or am I just paranoid?

Yes, it is really so. You are not paranoid. But, I think most
people don't notice it.

So your "multiculturalism" (like "pluribus in unum") doesn't help much.

Well, as you say, it is a complicated situation. And, depends on
many things and I can only give you my version. Other US people
will give a different version. If you are really curious, I will
give my perspective and speculations. The first hypocrasy that
came to my mind was our govt complains about state-supported
terrorism, but the US itself has the biggest organization for
state-supported terrorism: the CIA. Of course I know that all
big countries have a spy-espionage system. The
"multiculturalism" is much more complicated, however.

I don't mind CIA, any state has some or another agency with its functions,
I mean the attitude of citizens to some events world-wide. For instance,
if someone attacks buildings in NYC, it's act of terrorism, if other one
attacks buildings in Moscow, it's act of war for independence.

Oh, not quite true. We hear some news about how other countries think differently. However, our media (news, TV) is controled by wealth. There is absolutely no interest by wealthy people to stimulate any thinking about different world views. But, it is also not patriotic to consider buildings in NYC as anything but innocent victims. It would never make sense to think of any attack on one's homeland as other than an attack. And, there are some agreements to share police resources between US and
Russia (at least the newspapers say this). However, US and Russian history, position on the planet, and perception of the world are, understandably, different. However, I think my country passed up a great opportunity to make a stronger, healthier relationship with Russia after 1989. Maybe, as "victor" over "the evil empire" there is a sense of justification for arrogance. I am sorry. Also, it is very unfortunate that our military budget keeps expanding. A bad sign. There are other bad signs, too.

The USA is basically a big plutocracy (the country is run by the
rich, not the elected politicians).

Not that bad compared to some modern kind of feudalism here.

If you mean the Russian mafia(s) where people get killed and
serious physical attack and the only solution is to pay money to
someone, then maybe you are right.

Why physical attack? They can enforce law, you can't survive here
if you don't break some or another law. It's impossibly hard.

Well, a lot of laws are broken here, too. And, a lot of other laws are not enforced. And, then there are the laws that are enforced for some but not others. However, I will say that most of my life was calm and reasonable. But, we also have various situations where this is not so for everyone.



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