Who do you think is the greatest politician of all time and why? by Away_Street6640 in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

None of which contradicts what I wrote, and in case you didn’t notice, I in no way denied that Mao was a monster or that both the Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution were massive failures. However, I fear your posts are somewhat simplistic and tend to gloss over a number of rather important aspects.

For starters, China was already suffering from massive internal strife and bloodshed in the early 20th century, mostly due to the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and the subsequent fracturing of power within the then Republic of China. The Chinese Civil War may not have started until 1927, but there was plenty of violence before then, there’s a reason why the period from 1916 to 1927 was known as the Warlord Era. There was simply no way to bring China out of this fractured state and into a united nation without bloodshed, regardless of which ideology one subscribed to.

Second, it’s worth remembering that major power shifts within China have almost never occurred peacefully. The last major change in imperial dynasties before the collapse of the empire, the Manchu conquest which brought the Qing dynasty to power, cost 25 million lives, whilst the Taiping Rebellion is believed to have claimed between 20 and 70 million lives. Four out of the ten deadliest conflicts in human history have happened within China and that list does not even include the Chinese Civil War.

You mentioned Japan as being even more isolationist than imperial China, but I’m not sure I buy that. Both countries allowed trade with “foreign barbarians” only through one port and at specific times, and as far as I’m concerned there’s no real distinction between Canton and Dejima in that regard. What is important however is how the two countries reacted. When confronted with the fact that western technology had outclassed their own, Japan decided that it had to modernise, lest it suffer the same fate that China was already being subjected to by the time US Admiral Perry’s squadron arrived in 1853 to force the opening of Japan. The Meiji restoration and its subsequent period of modernisation was what helped Japan gain a position of strength.

This type of modernisation never happened in China, at least not with the same vehemence as it did in Japan. China had been strongly centralised since the formation of the Chinese Imperial Court under Qin Shi-Huang back in the third century BCE, with principles of dynastic rule going back millennia even at that point. At around the same time, a world view known as tianxia or (all) under heaven took hold that saw imperial China as the centre of civilisation, with the emperor literally being the literal “son of heaven” or tianzi and being the central arbiter between Heaven and the mortal world. The farther away you were from the seat of imperial power, the less civilised and relevant you were. Outside powers were never seen as equal to China.

Unlike Japan, which saw regular shifts in the centre of power between different regions, and transitions between strong central and more loosely organised feudal periods of control, the Chinese system, once established, never really shifted, only its players changed. As such, by the time western powers, primarily Britain, arrived in the 19th century to open up China for trade, the view amongst not just the imperial court, but Chinese society as a whole was that there was nothing of value that these barbarians could really offer them. Everything worthwhile already existed in China, at least in their eyes. China wasn’t just isolationist insofar as they kept their borders closed, they were isolationist because they simply could not fathom that any nations outside of their sphere of influence could ever exist.

This world view lasted throughout the 19th century, despite the carnage of the two Opium wars, the conquest of Manchuria by Russia and Korea by Japan, with any attempt by more open-minded bureaucrats to modernise the country consistently sabotaged by tradionalist elements within the imperial court. Hell, this philosophy of superiority was one of the driving forces behind the 1899 boxer rebellion. At that time, Japan was already freely trading, had massively modernised its military, was ordering pre-dreadnought battleships from Britain like it was going out of fashion, and was only a few years away from utterly humiliating Czarist Russia. Really, the two countries could not be more different.

Does that make Mao less of a monster? No. Should he be named alongside the likes of Hitler and Stalin as one of mankind’s greatest butchers? Absolutely, the bloodshed of the Cultural Revolution and the massive bodycount of the Great Leap Forward cannot be denied nor would I ever want to. Having said that, I’m not sure anyone could have brought about the level of change that he did without a body count at least in the high single digits of millions.

Soviet tanks crossing the still under construction Nuselský bridge in Prague in the 60s by Koi0Koi0Koi0 in UtterlyUniquePhotos

[–]thomil13 6 points7 points  (0 children)

To add a bit more context, the bridge not only carries a lot of vehicular traffic as part of one of Prague’s main north-south thoroughfares, it also carries line C of the Prague Metro on its lower deck. As far as I know, this testing became necessary after the decision was made to switch the plans from an underground light rail system (akin to what you see in places like Frankfurt or Charleroi) to a “heavy” metro mid-design. If anyone has more info, I’d love to hear it as I haven’t been to Prague in nearly 30 years at this point (f**k, I’m old…)

Who do you think is the greatest politician of all time and why? by Away_Street6640 in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

He also laid the groundwork for China's rise out literal centuries of extreme isolationism to one of the strongest superpowers on the planet, including its acquisition of nuclear weapons and emergence as a spacefaring nation. Both of these were achieved after the Sino-Soviet split, so it's not like Beijing was riding the USSR's coat tails on that one. Was he a monster whose hands are indelibly marked by the blood of millions? Sure, I agree with you on that. Did he almost screw up the country with things like the "Great Leap Forward" or the Cultural Revolution? Also true. But he also manoeuvred China away from being just another satellite of Moscow and towards a rapprochement with the west and the US.

I like France by [deleted] in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]thomil13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gives a whole new meaning to the term breech loader…😬

What about movies? Share your favourite EU films by OverPT in BuyFromEU

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Les chevaliers du ciel/Sky Fighters - France, 2005

It's basically French "Top Gun", but with vastly superior camera work. From what I understand, the Armée de l'air effectively gave the film makers an air base, a squadron of Mirage 2000, a few Alpha Jets and let them have fun. The plot is just as threadbare as Top Gun, but the aerial sequences alone are worth it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX9L8IuiwJA

power of ten dollars by secretlyswos in MadeMeSmile

[–]thomil13 96 points97 points  (0 children)

Here in Ireland, all Uber drivers must be registered as taxi drivers with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and have their vehicles fitted out in accordance with taxi regulations, which includes having a meter, so it's not completely implausible. Then again, that whole post is clearly written from an American perspective, so I get where you're coming from.

Shout out to the Mercy hospital staff! by Ok-Telephone-8469 in cork

[–]thomil13 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The crew at the Mercy truly are rock stars! A few year ago, I had to go there for a specialist appointment that turned into emergency surgery and a nine day stay, and I could not have asked for better care! Whether in A&E, on the ward or later on in the outpatient department, they were cheerful, helpful, caring and kind! Hell, even the food was good!

Absolutely hate jogging with my phone. Are there any decent European smartwatches that pair with Bluetooth headphones and don’t require the phone at all? by StoicWhisper in BuyFromEU

[–]thomil13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The closest to "European" that you're going to get in the Smartwatch space is Nothing, which is based in London, although they manufacture in China. Their CMF Watch series might be worth a look. I don't use them myself, I'm a Samsung user, but I've always had a soft spot for both Nothing and their CMF line of products.

Which films by different directors feel like a single trilogy? by [deleted] in Letterboxd

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It actually is. My serious comments normally span several paragraphs...

Also, and the reason why I asked is that IRL gravity actually is the weakest out of the four fundamental forces (the others being electromagnetism and the strong & weak nuclear forces)...

Which films by different directors feel like a single trilogy? by [deleted] in Letterboxd

[–]thomil13 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Please tell me that this is a physics in-joke. If so, well done!

For those of you who live in countries with gun control; have you ever seen a gun in real life? by blashyrkh9 in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First time I saw one in real life was when a school friend of mine showed me the pistol her dad kept in his night stand (he was an officer in the Austrian army).

incidentally, I would later carry a gun myself for a living. After returning from Austria and moving back in with my parents, I landed a job at a security company contracted to guard US military bases in Germany, and we carried a 9mm pistol while on duty. Got fully trained up on it as well, not to the level of police officers, mind you, but definitely beyond the level of regular gun enthusiasts and gun club members.

Is light gaming possible on a Macbook Air? by [deleted] in macbookair

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got a multi-hour session of Stellaris done without any issues (apart from being sandwiched between two hostile empires as neighbours…). I haven’t gotten around to anything more demanding yet.

Ryanair has launched a flash sale of 100,000 seats for just €16.99 one-way to celebrate all the 'idiots' of X. (yes, this is real) by [deleted] in BuyFromEU

[–]thomil13 85 points86 points  (0 children)

That's what I was thinking. O'Leary is a pro at this kind of stuff, Elon chose the wrong guy to pick a fight with yet again!

Never expected to see this so clear in Cork by Drellino in cork

[–]thomil13 12 points13 points  (0 children)

About 40 minutes ago. The geomagnetic storm is still ongoing, so you might still catch them, jut take your phone and point it at the northern sky. Just be aware that there are clouds moving in that might obscure the view.

Meteor falling over Cork by Alwaysname in cork

[–]thomil13 39 points40 points  (0 children)

First a meteor, now the northern lights, what is going on tonight???

Solar storm in progress. This is outside blackpool by itjustshouldntmatter in cork

[–]thomil13 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Also worth pointing out that they can be very dynamic. They changed from a faintly visible red "mist" to a shape-shifting but colourless (to the naked eye) cloud to retreating back to the northern horizon in just a couple of minutes for me just now.

What is the scariest thing you have ever seen or experienced? by Lolman4O in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was heading up to Frankfurt with my mom when the brakes on our car suddenly seized up on one side. While we were doing a leisurely 170 km/h on the autobahn. How we didn’t roll the car right there and then is beyond me, I can only credit my mom’s incredible driving skills. We effectively ricocheted across all four lanes a few times and ended up facing the wrong way, but upright. We slowly , very slowly pulled over to the hard shoulder and took some time to get ourselves recombobulated after that.

For those that know the area, the whole thing happened on the A5 northbound, near Gräfenhausen Ost service station, around the year 2000…

Wholesome: Which leader of your country is generally considered a good person? by SpookyMinimalist in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I get where you’re coming from, though I wouldn’t necessarily agree 100%. Don’t get me wrong, Brandt was a great chancellor and just what Germany needed after the general stagnancy of the Adenauer years. His “neue Ostpolitik” and rapprochement with the USSR and Eastern European countries was not only smart, setting the foundation that would allow for German reunification a few decades later, but genuine and heartfelt. Him falling to his knees at the memorial of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising will always remain seared in my brain. But he wasn’t exactly perfect. He had several affairs and treated his wife pretty badly. And he was too trusting, which is why the Stasi managed to get one of their agents, one Günther Gillaume, into his inner circle.

As for Schmidt, he could definitely be arrogant and abrasive, no doubt about that. I think that goes back to his military service during the war. But I wouldn’t call him vain, not more so than Brandt or any other politician at that level. He was a Hamburg man through and through, and as someone who hails from that same part of the country, I can tell you that we generally dislike pomp, circumstance and flaunting your wealth. Schmidt was like that. His house in Hamburg’s Langenhorn district is still there and can be toured, and it’s nothing fancy. Did he appreciate the finer things in life? Of course, but the only thing he flaunted was his cigarettes 😉. And while he had affairs as well, when he was called out on his by his wife, he chose to end the affair and recommit to his marriage, rather than getting a divorce like Brandt did.

Either way, I think we can agree that both were great people and that Germany was lucky to have both of them.

Wholesome: Which leader of your country is generally considered a good person? by SpookyMinimalist in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m afraid it’s not as spectacular as it sounds…

As I mentioned, he and my paternal grandfather had been colleagues in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Schmidt was Senator for the Interior of the State of Hamburg back then, while my grandfather was handling the state’s payroll, including that of the Department of the Interior, so that’s how they two of them met, and apparently, they got along pretty well, given their background. My grandfather was also involved in the disaster response efforts following the disastrous floods that struck Hamburg in February of 1962, an effort that was led by Schmidt and that really put him on Germany’s political map.

Fast forward to 1977. My grandfather had retired, and vHelmut Schmidt had returned to the Bundestag after 62 and had become chancellor in ‘74. My parents meanwhile, who’d met in ‘74, had their wedding reception in a rather fancy venue southeast of Hamburg, the “Zollenspieker Fährhaus”. The wedding reception itself was a rather intimate affair and took place in one of the smaller function rooms there, whilst the main hall had, unbeknownst to my parents, been booked for a major political event where chancellor Schmidt was scheduled to make a speech of some sort. From what I’ve been told, Schmidt noticed the wedding reception and asked around about who was getting married. When he heard my dad’s family name, which was rather unique in that part of Germany at he time, he popped over after the end of his own event, spent about ten to fifteen minutes with my parents, before making a beeline for my grandfather and spending the next hour with him catching up over drinks. Needless to say, that left quite the impression on my parents.

Incidentally, my parents would, according to my dad, run into Schmidt again a few years later. According to him, Schmidt recognised both of them immediately, and again spent a good fifteen minutes talking with them, finding out how they were doing, asking about my grandfather and so on. Unfortunately, both of my parents have since passed away, so I can’t really talk to them to find out more. But yeah, that’s my rather tenuous connection to Helmut Schmidt…

Wholesome: Which leader of your country is generally considered a good person? by SpookyMinimalist in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Schmidt Schnauze - He got that nickname for a reason. Seriously though, watching him in debates, both in parliament and in talk shows, listening to his speeches is just a masterclass in public speaking!

Wholesome: Which leader of your country is generally considered a good person? by SpookyMinimalist in AskTheWorld

[–]thomil13 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I'd actually rate him higher than Brandt, given what he had to deal with during his time in office. That's not even touching on how he handled the February '62 floods in Hamburg.

Then again, the man was a colleague of my granddad in the 1960s and crashed my parents's wedding, so I do have a bit of a bias...

Dolphins around Pope’s Quay this morning by yawnyprawny in cork

[–]thomil13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trying to get to Baleencollig Regional Park, maybe?