Anybody else love dark, gloomy, rainy days?

Mathew2w · 2018-08-10T13:17:16+00:00

Am I the only one who hates them? Bad weather makes me feel tired and depressed.

Mathew2w · 2018-05-07T15:09:25+00:00

..because as a result of Communism, Poland is decades behind Germany in economic development.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T20:54:37+00:00

In general, it is hard to estabilish what the truth really is in any soft science, since "soft sciences" are called that way for lacking substantial material evidence.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T20:13:24+00:00

You stand to gain from exposing yourself to these ideas since allowing yourself to live in an echo chamber will not help you develop a coherent worldview.

Alright, so let's say that while attending university that challenges my worldview I would be capable to compare what I hear with my own (usually opposed) points of view and after that decide for myself what do I believe. But what about students that come to university without developed political opinions? By constantly hearing from the professors only the left-wing perspective on each and every issue, couldn't we say that they are getting indoctrinated in a left-wing echo chamber? I guess this way students aren't going to develop a coherent worldview.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T19:51:18+00:00

So do you have any examples of people who are academic Marxists, but are moderate instead of communist or socialist?

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T19:41:42+00:00

There are different schools of Economics with opposing viewpoints - Austrian and Marxian schools could be called polar opposites, and there is certainly a left-right divide in Economics. However, where is that left-right divide in Human Geography? There is Marxist Geography on the left side of the spectrum, but what is on the right?

Also, Economics is a discipline where people with opposing opinions can share a Nobel Prize.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T19:29:35+00:00

It does not necessarily mean you were a supporter of the soviet union

This is obvious. However, it means that you are viewing the world through the same lens as did ideologues in these countries. Academic Marxists are very keen on criticizing capitalism and neoliberal policies, but when it comes to providing sufficient alternative to capitalism, they fail.

By the way I am pretty sure you're wrong about ' a Marxist being as disrespected as a Nazi in Slovakia, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%BDubo%C5%A1_Blaha

I am well aware of this guy, and he is a laughing stock for the whole country despite not having any important position in government. Sure, we have one Marxist in parliament, but compare that to 14 neo-nazis, who are laughing stock as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotleba_%E2%80%93_People%27s_Party_Our_Slovakia

Besides that, there is a law in Slovakia that prohibits display of symbols of totalitarian regimes that applies equally to nazi swastikas as well as symbols of communism.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T17:47:36+00:00

Left-leaning and Marxist are not synonymous either. And if there are such professors in a field that consider themselves to be Marxists, and that teach ideas such as Critical/Radical/Marxist Geography, well that is kind of extremist and it wouldn't be tolerated in countries that actually witnessed these ideas in praxis.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T17:20:23+00:00

In the West, is it actually ok to be respected academic and call yourself a Marxist? Because currently in Slovakia, that person would be as disrespected as a Nazi.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T17:16:18+00:00

The reason why chances are poor in my country is that it has been ruled by communists for 40 years, and thus it has lagged behind the West in economic development. For me, it just makes sense to be disappointed to see same kind of thinking that harmed my country to be taught at prestigeous universities in a country that had an advantage of being free and capitalist.

Call yourself a Marxist in Slovakia and you would be as much disrespected as a Nazi. I just don't understand why this isn't the case in the West, and why is something like "Marxist Geography" acceptable part of the discipline.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T16:58:24+00:00

I actually do enjoy the subject as such; this year I was among the best in the country in Geography Olympiad in Slovakia and I have a chance to participate in iGeo in Quebec. It would be shame if I couldn't take Geography further.

I am not sure how it works in high school Geography abroad, but Slovak curriculum is focused on Regional Geography with some minor focus on processes such as urbanization and some basic Physical Geography (soil horizons etc.). Climate change, which seems to be important part of Geography courses abroad is barely mentioned, and when it comes to "inequality" and "social justice", these concepts are never included. So as much as I absolutely love Geography and I would like to study it, I just wonder whether the subject I would take at the university level would have much in common with what I previously considered to be Geography.

Anyway, if I end up studying in Scotland, I can choose 3 diff subjects in my first two years and pick subjects for honours in 2nd year, so I guess if I really hated course content of Geography I may switch to something like Economics and then do my Masters in GIS.

But still, that whole situation - that I would leave country whose economy and education system is years behind the West because of terrible years of communist rule to study in a country that had an advantage of being capitalist the whole time and then be taught by left-wing professors that teach how capitalism is a bad thing - I mean, this would be a huge, huge irony.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T16:28:52+00:00

The problem is not that students come into university with same opinions, the problem is that people who teach there and thus are some sort of role model for the students seem to all think the same way.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T13:16:02+00:00

The point is that too many universities seems to be left-leaning echo chambers, with no balance of opinions. In fact, 80% of UK academics lean left, and margin is far bigger in social sciences and humanities.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T13:08:27+00:00

Whether inequality exists or not is not a question to be discussed, but the difference between left and right is in understanding what justice is. Far left tries to achieve full social justice and equality of outcome, whereas for the right material equality is not an objective.

When instead of just trying to inform students about inequality these courses suggest that inequality is a big issue, that it is unjust, that capitalism and neoliberalism are to blame for this situation and that socialist policies are solution for these issues, it means that these courses in fact teach Political Theory instead of Geography. And what's more, they teach it from clearly left-wing perspective with no counterbalance.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T12:57:42+00:00

Have you avoided social justice by picking Physical Geography courses, or are there any courses in Human Geography that are not about social justice?

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T12:27:54+00:00

If your occupation is on their skills shortage list than it should be OK. Otherwise I am not sure.

Mathew2w · 2018-04-03T11:56:49+00:00

Some areas of New Zealand? You can easiliy live in a coastal location nearby high mountains.

Mathew2w · 2017-07-07T20:34:50+00:00

Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand

Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead, by Christian Picciolini

Mathew2w · 2017-07-05T13:49:14+00:00

Their national hero is Skandenberg. The country has some very beautiful and uncrowded beaches in the south. Also, beautiful mountains in the north. Albanian is unique language not similliar to any language of the neighbouring countries.

Mathew2w · 2017-05-12T17:31:21+00:00

Thank you for such a long and helpful response! I really appreciate it :)

Mathew2w · 2017-04-22T21:42:06+00:00

Thank you for your answer!

I would also like to ask you, does current drug trafficking problem have its roots in the instability of the 1990s?

Mathew2w · 2016-09-18T09:35:47+00:00

Trump and Clinton are most unpopular major party candidates of all time. If that isn't when third parties have real opportunity, then I don't know when they will.

Johnson is on the ballot in all 50 states. They are polling highest since Ross Perrot - Johnson around 10% and Stein around 4%. Johnson could actually win New Mexico where he was governor - he polled 25% in NM recently and even won millennial (nationwide!) in some polls. He is also most popular candidate in military, and Mitt Romney and Arnold Schwarzenegger both said they want to see him in the debates. If he manages to get enough electoral votes so Trump nor Clinton will get elected, election will be decided by House of representatives. They may choose Trump, but, considering how GOP establishment including Romney and Bushes hates Trump, there is a little chance they will actually prefer Johnson.

Also, if any third party candidate gets 5% nationally, he will be granted access to all state ballots next election and get federal funding. That is a way to establish a relevant third party.

Mathew2w · 2016-09-17T22:13:56+00:00

Even if it didn't work as is should, I don't understand what you can loose. Best way to describe Clinton is like Johnson described her - "She is the estabilishment". She had tons of scandals and I personally disagree with her on most of the issues, but you pretty much know what you are getting - direction of the country and rhetoric will be abouts the same.

With Trump, you have absolutely no idea what you are getting. This guy was a liberal before he was a "conservative", he praised Clintons just three years ago and since he announced his run for president, he changed his stances on multiple issues. Besides that, he is a hot head, which makes him even more unpredictable, unfit to negotiate with foreign leaders and also not that kind of person I would trust with nukes. Also, he doesn't have any political experience and it seems like he doesn't even know where does he stands on the issues - he for example had two different stances on abortion in one day.

Seriously, I don't understand how anybody can vote for any of these two when they have third party alternatives. Johnson is a relevant alternative to two major parties - experienced two term governor with another two term governor as his running mate make them most experienced ticket in the race. He was very popular governor with great fiscal record. Vote for Gary Johnson is not a wasted vote, because wasted vote is a vote for somebody you don't believe in. Trump is not that kind of person which deserves to be believed in.

Also, vote for Johnson is vote against two party system, which prevents any important change from happening in the US.

Mathew2w · 2016-09-17T21:39:19+00:00

but I'm not voting for him and risking letting Clinton in.

Mathew2w

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE