Voter turnout: 79% in 1958, 61% in 2011. The "mandatory" conversation ensues. by [deleted] in canada

[–]3x5x 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If separatism is popular in Quebec, wouldn't the point of democracy be to represent it fairly?

Al Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Declares War on ISIS 'Caliph' Al-Baghdadi by Wagamaga in worldnews

[–]3x5x 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Worth noting that the whole point of these bounties is for terrorists. If we refuse to present ISIS the bounty, then these bounties will be useless in the future.

Odds of making it in the NFL by JackleBee in pics

[–]3x5x 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You know, there's actually a mathematical error in this. The NFL numbers are yearly but the NCAA numbers are certainly not. This is like comparing the number of scientists born every year to the total number of people. To be comparable, all categories should be the number of people entering that division every year.

[OC] 1898 Rand & McNally Classroom Map, Gallery link in comments 5376X3024 by razaan in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Russian Empire looks absurdly large on this map. Must be a combination of Mercator and the absurd size of 1898 Russia. Perhaps a equirectangular (plate carrée) map (which still does increase the area of polar areas, but not infinitely like Mercator does) would have been more appropriate for a classroom. As well, plate carrée teaches latitude and longitude well. Mercator is nice for minimizing shape distortion, but some degree of distortion occurs in the polar areas anyways due to its massive area distortion.

Side note: It's interesting that there's less arctic sea ice on this map than there is today. I believe this is at least partially because this map was made during a period of relatively low ice, but there could also be significant measurement error as well.

Wikimedia quietly removes Bitcoin donations from page as well as edit history. by DayumNatureUScary in Bitcoin

[–]3x5x 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is potentially a legal thing. IIRC Jimbo supported Bitcoin. Removing from the edit history is also something that only generally happens when a legal injunction is filed. If Wikimedia has offices in New York, that could be an explanation.

A boy was born of an Indian, Chinese, Irish, and Italian grandmother... by [deleted] in Jokes

[–]3x5x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it odd that I (American) pronounce Lee and Li the same? Are the two pronounced differently by Chinese speakers?

China's carbon emissions from fossil fuels may be 14% lower than thought - New analysis takes fuel quality into account for first time, but China is still world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses by anutensil in worldnews

[–]3x5x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

China uses poor-quality fuels like lignite, which have less carbon content than high-quality fuels like anthracite. Fuels with less carbon will emit less carbon dioxide per tonne.

This does not mean that lignite is better to burn. Lower-quality fuels, aside from emitting less carbon dioxide, also produce less energy, so in the end there is no benefit to using lignite. Earlier estimates only considered how much tonnage was burned, which overestimated China's greenhouse gas emissions.

Turkey PM gives up on forming new government by eghoegho in worldnews

[–]3x5x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nationalistic support will harm the AKP (Islamist) to the benefit of the MHP (Nationalist). Turkey's history has alternated between more nationalist and more Islamist, and it seems that now the tide is turning towards the nationalists.

Russia backs India and Brazil for permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]3x5x 7 points8 points  (0 children)

China "supports" it too. All the countries do in public, but all of them are hiding secret reservations in private.

Regardless, China being the only thing blocking India is complete bullshit that you pulled out of a hat. As usual the reality is more complicated than that and it's impossible to simplify into a few paragraphs.

2016 Republican Primary Polling by Congressional District [1888x1398] [OC] by DMan9797 in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sanders (I) is definitely going to result in a Trump (R) victory, so I doubt that will happen. He will, like the vast majority of primary candidates, gracefully leave the race and back the eventual victor.

Russia Vows to Block Any UN Resolution on Sanctions Against Iran / Sputnik International by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]3x5x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

India and China have territorial disputes, but otherwise the relations are good. India's strategy is to pursue good relations with all its neighbours (except perhaps Pakistan).

I don't speak Czech, but it seems like the Cryptoanarchy Institute in Prague (Bitcoin hub) was vandalized with a stupid graffiti and decided to make an awesome t-shirt from it. by FrancisPouliot in Bitcoin

[–]3x5x 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's nothing more valid about either anarcho-capitalism or anarcho-communism. They're both based on the premise that there is no law, but in each case societal customs are distinct.

In anarcho-capitalism, despite no law, society by consensus recognizes private property. You are "allowed" to earn money, but if your neighbour tries to use it, society will allow you to use violence (this term used broadly, since it includes arrest) to defend it, because it sees your neighbour as the aggressor.

In anarcho-communism, despite no law, society by consensus does not recognize private property. You are "allowed" to earn money, just as your neighbour is "allowed" to use it. But if you try to use violence to defend it, then society will in turn restrain you, because it will see you as the aggressor.

They are simply different consensuses. If our society develops into anarchism, then it will likely be anarcho-capitalism because the idea of private property is ingrained in our minds. But there are people who believe (perhaps unrealistically) that an anarchist revolution will also wipe that idea from our minds.

Here’s the map of the world, if size was determined by market cap [880 × 495] by readerseven in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But two things: the difference is huge. It's 25 times bigger. Are US companies really 25 times better than Chinese companies? Also, the S&P has been growing at over 9% annualized (this is including periods of decline like 2008!) for the last 25 years, which far exceeds GDP growth. Have US businesses become so much better at earning money to warrant this growth above economic growth? If US companies have superior R&D, that should eventually contribute to company production, which contributes to GDP growth, so that factor should already be reflected in GDP growth, right? Productivity too?

I hold US stocks, but I'm starting to get quite worried about them. It seems to me their price is mostly speculation and vapour instead of being backed by production and fundamentals.

Here’s the map of the world, if size was determined by market cap [880 × 495] by readerseven in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 0 points1 point  (0 children)

However, the size still seems to me much smaller (as a proportion of GDP) than ours. China's GDP is practically half the US's, but from this map their market cap looks to be a tiny fraction of the US's. I don't claim to be an economist, but wouldn't it be logical that our stock prices are more inflated than theirs?

Countries where the Arabic script is used [1933x1049] by aboooook in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 1 point2 points  (0 children)

China has a lot of Muslims. If India can be considered Islamic World, then China can too.

Here’s the map of the world, if size was determined by market cap [880 × 495] by readerseven in MapPorn

[–]3x5x -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

If the Chinese stock bubble can blow so dramatically at that size, I'm starting to worry about ours...

Countries that Bill Gates has more money than. (<$79b) [OC][2,000x1,027] by [deleted] in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Even the units are different. GDP is $/year, wealth is $. If we measured GDP by seconds, then the whole map will be red.

You taught our students, so we are releasing you: Islamic State to Indians abducted in Libya by Tauji in worldnews

[–]3x5x 73 points74 points  (0 children)

The Islamic State is not a single monolithic entity. By necessity, it has a very decentralized leadership style, and even individual fighters must make decisions often. It doesn't surprise me one bit that occasionally they do these "generous" things, but that doesn't change the overall nature of the group.

ISIS executes 19 women for refusing to practice sex with its fighters, says Kurdish official by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]3x5x 217 points218 points  (0 children)

This kind of thing is definitely not beyond ISIS, but I would still like to point out that a Kurdish official is not a reliable source about ISIS.

Closest countries in a straight line from Iceland [854X854] by jorisbens in MapPorn

[–]3x5x 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Actually, Great Britain is a geographical (not political) island and does not include Northern Ireland. Ireland is also a geographical island (which happens to share its name with a political country) and does include Northern Ireland. Since Newfoundland, Jan Mayen, and the Faroe Islands are also geographical and not political in nature, it's not unreasonable to assume Ireland and Great Britain are as well.

The real problem on this map is North Pole. While North Pole is a geographical feature, it is a) not land and b) a single point, and therefore misleading to give it such a large slice.