Pips

Pips , 8 days ago to news in Roger Stone Caught on Tape Discussing Trump’s Plan to Challenge 2024 Election

Tankies are literal authoritarians. People say they’re “authoritarian communists,” which ignores they’re mostly Maoists or Stalinists, both of whom were closer to fascism than the left. It sort of ignores the basic premise of communism or even socialism to have a single authoritarian ruler. Kind of like how the Nazis called themselves socialists. I guess they were a workers’ party to start, but I don’t think you can reasonably conflate their ideology with the tenets of socialism.

Pips , 9 days ago to technology in Internet forums are disappearing because now it's all Reddit and Discord. And that's worrying.

Didn’t he tour with Mastodon?

Pips , 9 days ago to technology in How One Chinese EV Company Made Battery Swapping Work

I don’t see anywhere that you can’t also just buy a battery and charge it yourself if you’d prefer that over a subscription.

Pips , 9 days ago to technology in How One Chinese EV Company Made Battery Swapping Work

Sort of like how you pay over and over for gas, without which your car doesn’t work?

Pips , 14 days ago to technology in YouTube looks to be testing server-side ad injection to counter ad blockers

Everyone I’ve spoken to about it has noted that it’s become a very different place. I’ll still use it for reviews and getting tips for serious things like privacy and some basic DIY. But a lot of that advice will be obsolete in a couple years and very few people are replenishing it. Who’s going to give a shit about the best home theater setups of 2023 in two years?

Pips , 22 days ago to news in Clerical error was behind Michigan man’s viral suspended license hearing

It is the easiest thing in the world to not actively be driving while video calling in to a court hearing, regardless of what the hearing is for. He could even physically be in the car sitting in the passenger seat with it parked and be fine, but why take the risk? Especially when the consequence is jail.

Pips , 22 days ago to news in America is next: South African minister says countries aiding Israel liable for ICC prosecution

The US didn’t sign on to the treaty that creates the ICC’s jurisdiction. In most countries, you still need to at least pretend to have jurisdiction to bring criminal charges. Unlike people, states can only be sued to the degree they consent to be sued. It’s what sovereign immunity is based on and it’s a very double-edged sword.

Also, outside of a few warlords, the ICC is pretty bad at enforcing international law because they have no way to do so. The ICC is inefficient and slow. Someone has to actually bring the defendant to them to stand trial, then countries negotiate over who doesn’t have to deal with jailing the person if they’re convicted.

It’s also arguably super imperialist, given that it was designed by a bunch of Western powers and has mostly been used to enforce international law against individuals from Africa. The two Russians who are being “prosecuted,” Putin and Lvova-Belova, can’t be detained because the ICC has no power to enforce their warrants. Granted, these people are often evil, but it’s not like the West doesn’t have its fair share of evil people.

All that to say, while this looks good, it’s mostly just PR. We also arguably don’t want the ICC prosecuting Americans. We should instead make our domestic system better.

Source: Used to work on analyzing ICC cases and I’ve read thousands of filings from various cases. It’s a well-intentioned but highly flawed system that is basically only designed to prosecute international crimes in Africa and doesn’t really focus on anything else.

Pips , 28 days ago to news in Man with suspended license appears in Michigan court over Zoom while driving

Don’t do the thing you’re being accused of while appearing before a judge is common sense though. It is so incredibly easy to not physically be in a car for this hearing.

Pips , 28 days ago to technology in A Ticketmaster hack spilled sensitive data for 560 million customers, hackers say

It’s a fairly routine argument by the defense (we’re being singled out/the regulations are unclear). And regarding federal enforcement, there’s a lot of hamstringing by Congress.

All that to say, this is arguably a good sign of the FTC properly enforcing, not a reason for pessimism.

Pips , 28 days ago to technology in A Ticketmaster hack spilled sensitive data for 560 million customers, hackers say

I’m not sure how that’s indicative of the FTC not being serious? You’re quoting a defense argument, of course they’re going to argue the agency is wrong.

Pips , 29 days ago to science_memes in I only want reality breaking stuff

Yeah, but it’s in Akademgorodok when it should be in Mousecow.

Pips , 1 month ago to nottheonion in Kyle Rittenhouse Tells Native Americans They Can ‘Leave’ If They Hate America

Because as important as it is to deplatform these idiots, we also need to know what they’re doing. They’re still going to be out there actively radicalizing people and you can’t fight this shit if you don’t know it exists.

Pips , 1 month ago to nottheonion in Kyle Rittenhouse Tells Native Americans They Can ‘Leave’ If They Hate America

Pretty caucasius of you.

Pips , 1 month ago to technology in Male birth control breakthrough safely switches off fit sperm for a while

It’s medical ethics, not the Hippocratic Oath. Most doctors swear to an ethical standard. Besides, “first, do no harm” is a bit unhelpful if you’re a surgeon.

Otherwise you’re right, the risks of pregnancy outweigh the side effects of birth control, which is why birth control for women doesn’t have as high a standard for mitigating other consequences.

Pips , 1 month ago to world in Britain covered up tainted blood scandal that killed thousands, report finds

Through lots of lying, most likely.