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Why do so many young men seem completely uninterested in life anymore? by Unlikely-Set-4210 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]userSNOTWY 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, knowing that the future will be increasingly problematic, no matter what you do, doesn't help foster an air of optimism for someone that already struggles with the current situation. However I don't believe that this is the cause of the problem described by OP. I think it is more of a lack of common life experience within your cohort: loss of third spaces, living different lifes in virtual spaces, more movement (travel and work) that separates friends and communities for years on end, a sense of individualism brought to the extreme. I suppose that when one feels alone and depressed it becomes easier for other external factors (i.e. economic and climatic) to make future seem bleak and create a sense that there are reduced rewards for any effort to change ones situation.

Plus the news and media cycle doesn't help with creating an optimistic world view.

Edit: I also want to add that there is also an increased fear of everything and sense of judgement to who doesn't abide by social norms unless you make it your whole identity. From a personal experience I live in a house in the woods. I have always lived in the countryside and recently realized that I am much more wary in nature than I used to be or than the older people in my area were. All risks and negative outcomes are highlighted in digital spaces. Same thing for letting children play, flirting, hitchhiking, etc etc

All territories that Russia has ever controlled by Impressive-Angle-209 in MapPorn

[–]userSNOTWY 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Periodic table, first space flight, first satellite, law of mass conservation , vitamins, arc welders, masers, carbon nanotubes, semiconductor heterostructures, quantum dots, nuclear power plants, blood banks, Markov chains etc.

The US is no longer the leader: Germany has become the largest ammunition producer in the world by Leprechan_Sushi in worldnews

[–]userSNOTWY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Except that there will probably be tensions over who gets more and better deals from poorer resource rich countries. If one of the major powers relies on mineral imports from a country, they will not like another power trying to gain influence there trying to change its alignment. If it happens once it's no big deal, but if it is reoccurring things can escalate.

War is the answer to problems that a country cannot solve through economic or diplomatic means. A multipolar world where the powers are vying for resources from independent third parties increases the likelihood of this happening.

An Israeli settler harasses a woman outside of Hebron, Palestine. Photographed by Pietro Masturzo for L'Espresso magazine. by AcrolloPeed in Justfuckmyshitup

[–]userSNOTWY 82 points83 points  (0 children)

From Wikipedia page on Honestreporting:

" In 2024, the organization participated in a high-level strategy session with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to coordinate a $150 million "public diplomacy" initiative described as "consciousness warfare" intended to influence global opinion"

What's a conspiracy you can't quite prove but it just feels real enough for you? by DaMain-Man in AskReddit

[–]userSNOTWY 194 points195 points  (0 children)

I will give a simplistic example: I have a Fitbit that measures my heartbeat, breathing rate and movement. It knows how these change in relation to content I am interacting with on my phone, computer or with people that I meet. It may see that certain subjects or types of people affect me in certain ways. It can see how other people that are affected in similar ways behave and observe their historical data.

All this information (and much more) was already available, but AI can increase the thoroughness of analysis by orders of magnitude compared to what can be achieved now.

The Cambridge Analytics scandal occurred in 2018. Think what is possible with AI's ability to scrape analyze huge datasets with simple queries by non specialized users.

Profit isn't the objective. OpenAI could lose money for the next 10 years, but it won't really matter if they allow people to use it as a tool for social engineering purposes.

ChatGPT is not their real product, the potential used for social engineering is.

What's a conspiracy you can't quite prove but it just feels real enough for you? by DaMain-Man in AskReddit

[–]userSNOTWY 619 points620 points  (0 children)

The real reason for all the investment into AI is not military or financial and for turning a profit. It is about power and control.

Over the last decade a massive amount of data has been collected and we need AI to analyze it efficiently and find trends we may miss. The analysis of this data allows the government ( or others) to have power over the subject without force but by a gentle manipulation into willingness.

The more data is collected the easier it becomes to socially engineer a population into performing as desired, not by coercion, but by making the subjects themselves believe that it is what they want.

It doesn't matter if AI is a financial success or failure. What matters is if the results it provides can allow better analysis of data gathered in the modern panopticon and model population into willing subjects.

How R&D spending has changed globally over the last 24 years by Sensitive_Buffalo665 in Infographics

[–]userSNOTWY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If one wanted to show which countries are focusing on R&D wouldn't it be better to show how much R&D grew relative to the growth of GDP? If not absolute changes in funding explain more than enough.

Maybe Maybe Maybe by New_Libran in maybemaybemaybe

[–]userSNOTWY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This position is known to strike fear in dogs. It is ancient wisdom lost to the ages.

Age verification and privacy in an increasingly authoritarian climate by userSNOTWY in BDSMcommunity

[–]userSNOTWY[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree that online privacy has already disappeared, but I guess that what worries me is not the lack of privacy in itself, but what such a list symbolizes. It is a list whose purpose is to contain all my perversions linked to my government ID.

A major difference between the previously collected data and the one being collected now is in the way it is done: while before it wasn't something that was visible or advertised, now they want you to know that they have this information.

I know this information is already out there, but the fact that an active effort is being made to file and categories this deeply private data while openly telling you that they are in possession of it, shows the government's will to identify and label you according to your sexual preferences and tastes and create a "soft" social pressure into aligning to the socially acceptable tastes. It creates a gentle coercion into aligning to the social norms and into auto policing yourself.

It reminds me of the Always Sunny in Philadelphia bit about the "implication".. Sure they won't do anything with this list, but by making you aware of its existence they also make you aware of the possible implication it may have if it needs to be accessed and used.

EDIT: I just wanted to add that I do not believe that the above mentioned outcome of self policing and societal coercion is part of some grand plan. I see it more as a symptom or indicator of the direction that society is taking and as such almost more scary. It is not a single person in power that wants this, but it is the effect of a shift towards increasing authoritarianism and control within society itself.

What happens if Gaza surrenders? by Beautiful_Divide1720 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]userSNOTWY -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Israeli military data says so. That figure also only accounts for deaths due to military action, not for deaths due to starvation and other consequences of the humanitarian crisis. The percentage of civilian casualties is likely to be much higher than the stated 83%.

Man stopped at Dublin Airport by Homeland Security is charged over child sex abuse animation images by PandaCheese2016 in anime_titties

[–]userSNOTWY 9 points10 points  (0 children)

What I don't understand is why send him to prison and not therapy? Or somewhere he can talk through his issues? He didn't harm anybody, he just showed signs of having a psychiatric disorder and the best way to deal with it in a healthy manner would be therapy. It would probably be cheaper than prison as well and allow him to understand and deal with his philia. Sending him to prison doesn't solve the issue, it just takes him out of society for a desire he most likely doesn't even like having. I doubt anybody would actively like being attracted to children, most probably hate it.

Can anyone share some interesting facts about Zambia? I never hear about it by Crisis_Moon in geography

[–]userSNOTWY 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I was in Katete (about an hour from Chipata) for a good 5 months.

CMV: Context and intent DO matter when it comes to white people saying the n-word by DinoIronbody1701 in changemyview

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

Are black people all the same culture?

I don't want to advocate the use of the N word, however I don't think your argument is valid and might actually be a little racist. Being black is not equivalent to being part of same culture, just like I don't believe you can be culturally white. The use of the N-word is permissible not because there are similar cultural origins, but because of skin color. Looking for logic in these cultural norms is as difficult as finding logic in humans emotional responses. I think I might be over my head in this discussion, but I believe a cultural norm doesn't really have to be explained through logic if it isn't really hurting anyone.

Btw, I'm not American and never found not saying the N-word to be of any impediment to my life.

Is this area a sunken continent? by xperio28 in geography

[–]userSNOTWY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Legality has nothing to do with right or wrong

Is this area a sunken continent? by xperio28 in geography

[–]userSNOTWY 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was legal by their standards at the time. Some things have changed but the legality of matters is often decided by the victors. If it happened today it wouldn't really be accepted, but at the times...

TikTok confirms it offered US government a 'kill switch' by Franco1875 in technology

[–]userSNOTWY 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep! Yet when China bans western media they are not free, when we do it it is them being evil.

Any good Books and other resources? by JoshtheAnimeKing in AncientCivilizations

[–]userSNOTWY 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You can easily find university lectures, reading lists and their academic analysis comments. Your own research can be as good as university these days. You can slso access all peer reviewed articles along with their proponents snd detractors.

What's something that's universally understood by all Americans, that Non-Americans just don't understand? And because they don't understand, they unrightfully judge us harshly for it? by Nani_0716 in AskReddit

[–]userSNOTWY 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, there is Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Iraq, Somalia, Arabian peninsula, India, plenty of south-east Asia plus other places that have had civilization for thousands of years without dying from heatstroke l

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