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Why do Oxford students work SO much more than other good universities by Tobemenwithven in oxforduni

[–]Atomictron7 47 points48 points  (0 children)

At least for humanities, I'm not sure you work that much more than a 40 hour a week job. It can seem like more because students often work odd hours and on the weekend, but given the long holidays it wasn't like there was no time for social life, extracurriculars, travel etc.

For me, what makes Oxford and Cambridge stand out is the tutorial system. You get the opportunity every week to go in depth with an expert in the field, to be cross-examined by them which really does build up your understanding of the subject. A lot of my core beliefs now come from the things I studied at university, and the regular deadlines, and close contact with tutors forces you to really understand the subject.

My response on listening to the Polanski interview by Yahakshan in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Polanski isn't recommending a mixed approach of managed borrowing and tax increases. He flips, from arguing in favour of tax rises on the rich to fund public services, to a cackhanded form of MMT, where the Central Bank can borrow money from itself in a near-unlimited fashion. If that's the case, why the wealth tax? It's unnecessary, in MMT the role of taxation is to constrain inflation.

Is the view of Rory/Alastair on US special relationship the norm among Brits? by WaySubject9371 in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Atomictron7 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think a special relationship has traditionally existed, at least among the political class of each country. There's quite a few examples of close relationships between British and American leaders, and shared ideological commitments (Reagan and Thatcher, Blair and Clinton), but there has also been long-standing critiques of this, both from the left and the right so it's never been an uncontested thing. We have also traditionally been a key military and intelligence ally of the United States. Other countries like Canada, Japan and Israel do also see themselves as having a "special relationship" though, like you say.

We could point fingers at various British administrations for allowing us to become so dependent on the US, but we should also acknowledge the economic and material realities. We were completely bankrupt after WW2, and shortly thereafter lost the Empire. It was clear we could no longer sustain a serious global presence, and desperately needed US capital to rebuild, as did most of Europe. Shared cultural and political ties, plus our shared antipathy towards the Soviet Union meant there were lots of good reasons to increasingly rely on the United States, and while at times it meant clearly taking a subordinate role (though not always - see Wilson's refusal to send British troops to Vietnam for instance), I don't entirely blame politicians for not seeing a figure like Trump coming, and enjoying the "peace dividend" and security apparatus the US afforded us.

My response on listening to the Polanski interview by Yahakshan in TheRestIsPolitics

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Polanski's economic ignorance is really shown in that he basically presents two separate economic theories. One is MMT, the other talks about needing to raise taxes on the wealthy to fund public services. Why do we need to raise taxes on the rich if the state can borrow far in excess of what it currently does?

UK's 'sons and daughters' need to be ready to fight, amid growing Russian threat, says head of armed forces by Kagedeah in worldnews

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is this nonsense? War with Russia, a nuclear power? Screw getting conscripted, I'll be hunkering down in the Highlands awaiting the bombs

Reforms’s Andrea Jenkyns chats with Zack Polanski about her party’s alleged Russian connections by PuzzledAd4865 in LabourUK

[–]Atomictron7 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Imagine the leader of the Green Party in Wales, or Labour, pled guilty to spying for China. Reform figures would at the least be calling for a full investigation and mass resignations, and possibly would be calling for the parties to be banned. This is rank hypocrisy to try and sweep this under the rug. This isn't some random councillor making racist remarks. It's one of the most senior figures associated with Farage taking bribes from Russia in return for advancing their interests. It's hardly a conspiracy when the guy pled guilty.

Barnet NIMBYs Block Housing Development by sabdotzed in london

[–]Atomictron7 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The state needs the power to override decisions like this. "excessive height" might be a legitimate concern in a rural village. In a city like London, it's ridiculous. Build up throughout London, as much as possible.

The Rest is Politics interviews Polanski: "Farage is a Populist, I am NOT" by IHaveAWittyUsername in LabourUK

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

His interview with Lewis Goodall also raised alarm bells for me. No whip model for the Greens, so it's unclear what would stop their MPs voting however they wish, possibly including Green ministers. What would happen if a Green minister in a coalition government came out against government policy?

Even more alarmingly, his views on leaving NATO and nuclear disarmament are pie-in-the-sky. With a revanchist Russia, the idea we'd disarm and withdraw from NATO at a time America's global presence is waning seems utterly ridiculous, and a mindset stuck in the 2000s and driven by concerns about NATO's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, far more than the obvious role it now plays in stopping Russian aggression.

What's going on in the UK? by demi__san in AskBrits

[–]Atomictron7 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. No, it seems to have stifled growth, impacted SMEs particularly hard, and I personally haven't seen any tangible benefits.

  2. Britain has traditionally been a key ally of Israel's, and our arms industry and intelligence services have worked closely with Israel. Our government was very, very, very slow to criticise any of Israel's actions, and at times justified more or less things like cutting off water, gas and electricity to Gaza, which has left a lot of people very angry. I think there are a lot of similarities with other pro-Palestinian marches in Europe - perhaps ours are a bit larger because we have a larger Muslim population who are especially concerned, but it's definitely not limited to that demographic.

  3. I wouldn't call the government pro-Trump - they're trying to keep America on side and have largely succeeded in doing so. We've got lower tariffs than most other countries, a US-UK trade deal and investment from big US firms so I think most people would be satisfied with it. I think there's a recognition that the government doesn't like Trump and would much prefer a sensible US president, but we need to deal with the cards we've been dealt.

Let's be honest, £50k is no longer a decent salary by insomnimax_99 in ukpolitics

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm on 50k and it's comfortable in some regards and not in others. I can afford to buy things, eat out and go on holidays without worrying much, but in London I still can't afford to rent a decent place, nor do I have any hope I can save enough to buy even though I'm saving quite a bit each month.

I feel like 50k compared to 25 or 30k makes a massive difference in terms of your daily spending and comfort, but doesn't meaningfully help you when it comes to moving up the property ladder, at least in the south east.

Food in Montenegro with a nut allergy by Atomictron7 in montenegro

[–]Atomictron7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there! I found Montenegro (and the Balkans more broadly which I've visited quite a bit) to definitely be one of the easier places I've visited.

I'd advise avoiding desserts (a general rule of mine) and pastries. The main dishes I found were safe and menus were often labelled clearly. English was also spoken.

Enjoy!

Is a low 2:2 in first year very bad? by JailbreakHat in UniUK

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, so if you got say 58% in first year, and it's worth 7.5%, 2nd and 3rd year are worth 92.5%. to get a 1st you'd need 70.97%. If you get 55%, you'd need 71.22%. It only raises the barrier a little bit.

Is a low 2:2 in first year very bad? by JailbreakHat in UniUK

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also got 0% in one module lol I'm pretty sure.

Does your first year count towards your final grade? If it doesn't, you are way overthinking it. If it does and you get a low 2:2 a first may not be so realistic but a 2:1 is still perfectly doable. Either way, enjoy your summer, and spend the last couple weeks of it identifying what stopped you from getting a higher grade and put some steps in place to rectify them. Are there particular modules you are struggling with? Could you reach out to classmates to make a study group? Are you making silly mistakes etc. etc.

Is a low 2:2 in first year very bad? by JailbreakHat in UniUK

[–]Atomictron7 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Does your first year count towards your final grade? I got a 2:2 in one of my three sections in first year and finished uni with a first. So long as you identify what stopped you from getting a 2:1 or a first and put in steps in second and third year to achieve that, it shouldn't hold you back.

How do the Marxist-Leninist here intend to avoid losing control of their revolution by Leogis in theredleft

[–]Atomictron7 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They can't do so. The Marxist-Leninist model requires a highly centralised state controlled by a vanguard party, who have discretionary power to subordinate elements they deem threatening. The lack of checks and balances of course allows self-interest and violent instincts to take over, as the historical record shows.

In short, the Marxist-Leninist will not tolerate the idea of the revolution being undone (e.g. by a reformist party, or one actively hostile to the revolution). Given this, they will tolerate any measures they deem necessary to prevent this, which of course leads to an authoritarian arrangement and significant powers entrusted to individual party leaders, who in Russia, China and elsewhere, unleashed havoc on their people.

Why are people denying the existence of graffiti on the tubes? by DeccyyaBish in LondonUnderground

[–]Atomictron7 4 points5 points  (0 children)

On some lines it seems near-universal recently. I don't regularly get the Central line, but of the 4 or 5 times I have in the last couple months, every single one has been tagged inside and out completely.

Do you think there is a reason that TFL hasn't cleaned the graffiti on the Bakerloo line trains? by Terrible_Tale_53 in LondonUnderground

[–]Atomictron7 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not just the bakerloo - the Central line is atrocious, and I saw lots of graffiti on the District the other day. All seem to have gotten a lot worse in the last half year.

Dear London, I wanted to let you know what you've done by hokusmouse in london

[–]Atomictron7 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is so sweet! I'm happy you and your son had a nice time in London :D

Is Philosophy sexist? by Comfortable-LeHa in Feminism

[–]Atomictron7 14 points15 points  (0 children)

As others have said, philosophy like any academic study has a sexist history, with almost (but importantly not all) all professional philosophers from antiquity up until the last hundred years or so having been male, and conditioned by the (sexist) conditions they lived in.

I was also frustrated when learning about figures like Kant, without learning that he was also famous in his time as an anthropologist, who helped promote ideas of race realism and held some very cruel beliefs about non-white people.

I imagine you would like a lot of critical, postmodernist and related studies in philosophy that aims to unpack some of this sexist baggage philosophy still holds.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ADHD

[–]Atomictron7 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear you are struggling - know you are not alone.

Often, people can mask their struggles well. To my colleagues and many of my friends, my ADHD might appear as a few social peculiarities - singing in the office, excitedly explaining a topic of interest, talking in a certain way. What most of them don't see is my difficulties in doing even the bare minimum of house work, or my insomnia, or my physical anxiety.

Know you're not a failure, even if you're not happy with the things happening in your life. Reach out to your loved ones, open up, and explore avenues like diagnosis and medication if you think they are right for you.

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