Why do we keep re-implementing the p2p/internet alternative and failing to get it right? I'm taking my time at the airport to read about pear, arweave, freenet, gnunet, threefold, 384, i2p, tor, xmpp, p2panda, etc. It seems like the basic problem is not that hard, but it's complex enough that people can have an infinite number of opinions about how to approach it, and because we're all grumpy dissidents here we can't compromise and get along. i2p for example has an awful UI, which could be largely fixed if a single developer put some time into cleaning it up. People have been trying to fix the internet for as long as I've been alive, using many of the same techniques. Why is it not fixed?

SPECIAL DELIVERY!

#BITCOIN

Everyone has their own reasons why they are here. Me? I'm sick of feeding the machine with my soul.

Can you tell me who blew up the Nordstream?

Anton,

I am sorry that you are being used as a tool for the West.

Russia under no circumstances will lose this War.

Smarten up!

Is this the ghost of Kiev speaking?

Tell me what you think of Boris Johnson's visit?

Complete and total horse shit

First, I could well be wrong on a lot of this stuff, I can only tell you what I think based on what I have heard.

I am aware of Russia's position as stated by Putin, and I think it stinks. It is a stupid reason, an "empire" reason, and I'm always against the idea of a great empire controlling vassal states (while recognizing the impossibility of becoming free of them). I also think it is a sales pitch to Russians and that there are other unstated strategic reasons, such as maintaining access to Sevastopol naval base which Russia has had continuous access to since 1783, even while Ukraine had independence (but was friendly and leased it back to Russia). 2014 was the first time Russia was in grave danger of losing that access, and they immediately took action to preserve it. Also, from the people who I've heard from who live in Crimea, they consider themselves Russians not Ukrainians.

I do not think Russia wishes to capture territory occupied by ethnic Ukrainians. I could be wrong here, this is my most uncertain assertion. I have not done an ethnic analysis of the battle lines. But this would be bad news for Russia if they did, like swallowing poisoned food, such regions would just be a thorn in Russia's side, always fighting them for independence, causing no end of troubles for Russia. I think Russia was much more interested in capturing strategic assets and territory where the people were mostly Russian speaking ethnic Russians. EVEN THOUGH most of those ethnic Russian people actually wanted to be independent from Russia (I am NOT saying they wanted to side with Russia just by virtue of being ethnically Russian, I don't think that is true), at least Russia has a far better chance of subsuming those regions than it does of taking ethnically Ukrainian regions.

But the standard mainstream message has been that Russia not only wants to take all of Ukraine, but then to march over Poland and further into Europe. I'll believe it when I see it. That would be madness, and Putin does not seem mad to me. Evil, authoritarian, dictatorial, but not mad.

I know about the ICC warrant and the Russian ethnic cleansing and their activities with children. At first I didn't believe it, I thought it was a simpler thing, such as protecting children who had been ophaned by the war. But I looked closer. They are indeed ethnically cleaning Ukrainians. And you should indeed fight back.

But just like I say to Palestinians: "You can't win. Why don't you just run? Save your family. Move to Argentina or something. Life would be so much better." Some people get mad when I suggest such things, as if I'm working for the enemy. I'm just being logical, trying to keep everybody alive. My family ran and we don't regret it.

Just because Ukraine is fighting for itself does not mean that the US and NATO are not getting involved and taking advantage of the situation. And it certainly doesn't mean that Ukraine is rejecting the help of NATO. There are US CIA persons in Ukraine and have been for over a decade. There are NATO forces operating targetting equipment that is highly sensitive and requires lots of training. As far as I understand it, Ukraine appreciates the support. And Ukraine has indicated a desire to join NATO which appears to be (proximally) the reason Russia decided to decimate Ukraine before the joined NATO, since it was kind of a "last chance, do it now or else you won't be able to" situation that forced them to choose. Given Ukraine is the only flat-land entry into Russia for ground forces, it is of great strategic interest to Russia, despite whether it is "right" or "wrong" for Russia to abuse you as they are. Ukraine absolutely has the right to make the choice to join NATO, and it absolutely has the right to defend itself against Russia, but Ukraine also knew what was going to happen and the spurned the Bear anyways. When you fuck around, you find out.

I always throw my moral support behind any group of people that wishes independence from another, so my moral support is with you, but it's hard to be hopeful in this situation.

My family tends to flee rather than stand and fight. We lived in Beresan region near Odessa (Landau, Spier) [yes I'm Germanic] and we left when things started going bad, around 1905, and thank god we did because shit really hit the fan after that.

Just because Ukraine is fighting for itself does not mean that the US and NATO are not getting involved and taking advantage of the situation. And it certainly doesn't mean that Ukraine is rejecting the help of NATO. There are US CIA persons in Ukraine and have been for over a decade. There are NATO forces operating targetting equipment that is highly sensitive and requires lots of training. As far as I understand it, Ukraine appreciates the support. And Ukraine has indicated a desire to join NATO which appears to be (proximally) the reason Russia decided to decimate Ukraine before the joined NATO, since it was kind of a "last chance, do it now or else you won't be able to" situation that forced them to choose. Given Ukraine is the only flat-land entry into Russia for ground forces, it is of great strategic interest to Russia, despite whether it is "right" or "wrong" for Russia to abuse you as they are. Ukraine absolutely has the right to make the choice to join NATO, and it absolutely has the right to defend itself against Russia, but Ukraine also knew what was going to happen and the spurned the Bear anyways. When you fuck around, you find out.

I always throw my moral support behind any group of people that wishes independence from another, so my moral support is with you, but it's hard to be hopeful in this situation.

My family tends to flee rather than stand and fight. We lived in Beresan region near Odessa (Landau, Spier) [yes I'm Germanic] and we left when things started going bad, around 1905, and thank god we did because shit really hit the fan after that.

Sorry your the beach head. But that I'd just the reality of the world. ATM.

The Nuclear Option

Yes, we are in WW3. And yes, there are nukes on both sides. You might argue we are not in WW3, but there are Western troops on the ground in Ukraine and both sides know it. Just because they aren't announced, nor uniformed soldiers, doesn't mean that NATO isn't directly fighting Russia. In fact the bombing of the Nord Stream 2 was a direct NATO attack on Russia. The suggestion by France that they could put forces in Ukraine, and the leak by Germany of a plan to bomb the Crimean bridge are just the latest in a series of events making it more obvious. The silly distinction of what defines WW3 is immaterial. For quite a long time now, probably a decade, these superpowers have been fighting: in space, under the sea, on the Internet, and in proxy wars from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria to Ukraine. Let's not be pedantic about definitions.

I keep hearing people say that if Western boots are on the ground in Ukraine, then Russia could nuke us all. But that's not a reasonable response. There are hundreds of ways for either side to escalate a war without resorting to "the nuclear option". There is a reason that this phrase is colloquially used to mean the final and most extreme thing somebody can do. Russia will not jump to the final and most extreme thing they could do. They will escalate along one of the many (hundreds I say) other ways. Because neither side benefits from a nuclear strike.

So be prepared for further disruption to global shipping, including to the food supply, disruption to telecommunication, disruption to economic systems. You probably don't need a nuclear bunker. But you probably DO need to live local. Find local food supplies and local trade partners. Be prepared to use cash (yes lightning/bitcoin is nice but you might need something physical again), or amass a colleciton of something you can barter (e.g. bottles of wine). Maybe get a VHF radio. Make sure your emergency supply kit is well stocked. And with any luck you won't need any of this.

The government is literally stealing your life with taxes and fiat monetary inflation…

As a conservative example:

You start working at 20.

You work until you’re 65.

You pay +/- 33% of your income in taxes.

The government takes 1/3 of your working life…

They have stolen **15 YEARS** of your time, energy, and work.

And for what?

For roads? (LOLOLOL)

For a broken education system?

For a medical system that wants to keep you sick and medicated?

For the military industrial complex which gets rich off foreign forever wars you never agreed to?

And while they are stealing 1/3 of your life, they are PRINTING MONEY OUT OF THIN AIR, stealing MORE of your time/energy/life force through the destruction of your purchasing power.

The taxes you pay don’t even fund the government; an ever-growing pile of national debt does, fueled by money created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve System. The dollars in your bank account are worth less and less every year, as your purchasing power is systematically destroyed.

I am grateful #Bitcoin exists so I can opt out of this nonsense and save the value of my time and energy.

Anyway, have a beautiful day.

The government is literally stealing your life with taxes and fiat monetary inflation…

As a conservative example:

You start working at 20.

You work until you’re 65.

You pay +/- 33% of your income in taxes.

The government takes 1/3 of your working life…

They have stolen **15 YEARS** of your time, energy, and work.

And for what?

For roads? (LOLOLOL)

For a broken education system?

For a medical system that wants to keep you sick and medicated?

For the military industrial complex which gets rich off foreign forever wars you never agreed to?

And while they are stealing 1/3 of your life, they are PRINTING MONEY OUT OF THIN AIR, stealing MORE of your time/energy/life force through the destruction of your purchasing power.

The taxes you pay don’t even fund the government; an ever-growing pile of national debt does, fueled by money created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve System. The dollars in your bank account are worth less and less every year, as your purchasing power is systematically destroyed.

I am grateful #Bitcoin exists so I can opt out of this nonsense and save the value of my time and energy.

Anyway, have a beautiful day.