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> Responding to a threat doesn't mean the threat is valid Quite fundamentally disagree there. Responding to a threat definitely validates it. If it's not a val

> Responding to a threat doesn't mean the threat is valid Quite fundamentally disagree there. Responding to a threat definitely validates it. If it's not a valid threat, there's no need to respond.

shakna 6y ago
Cats attack laser pointers. People flail when they encounter a spider's web. They are responding to a perceived threat, in which there is no threat at all. Responding to a threat is not a validation that there is a threat.
- hypertele-Xii 6y ago
  Did you know there exist spiders in our world that can kill you if they bite you? Sensible reaction. I don't think cats are threatened by laser pointers.
  - shakna 6y ago
    > Did you know there exist spiders in our world that can kill you if they bite you? Sensible reaction. I'm Australian, so yes, I am very aware there are spiders that can kill you. However, that doesn't suddenly make every spiderweb a threat. The reaction may have a reason behind it - but it does not mean that there is any threat present. Lets try putting it another way. Children are often frightened of the dark. This makes sense, as they cannot know what is in the dark, and the dark _may_ hold a threat. This response on behalf of the child in no way says that there _is_ a threat. In all likelihood, there is none. Responding to something as if there is a threat doesn't suddenly turn something benign into a threat.
wombatmobile 6y ago
> Responding to a threat definitely validates it. I'm not sure what you mean by "valid threat". If you mean the capability of the threat to cause damage if carried through, that's something we don't find out until the party that made the threat tries to carry it out. If you mean the grounds on which the threat was made, such as here, the Australian governments claim that Google owes Murdoch money, then that's not something that is "validated" by a response. A response to a spurious threat, or an illegitimate threat can be prudent whether the threat is real, imagined, justified, or totally bogus. In this case, will the Australian government actually impose a tax on Google's practice of linking to content which is allowed by the sites own robots.txt? That seemed pretty audacious to me when I first heard about it, particularly since I don't buy the case that Google owes Murdoch money. But maybe they will try, if they think they can get away with it at the ballot box. I don't know how to predict that outcome. At first I thought it would backfire on the government, but Google's ham-fisted bluff to exit Australia might end up backfiring on Google, if Google even carries out that counter threat, which is by no means certain. We'll see.

> Responding to a threat doesn't mean the threat is valid Quite fundamentally disagree there. Responding to a threat definitely validates it. If it's not a valid threat, there's no need to respond.

shakna 6y ago

Cats attack laser pointers. People flail when they encounter a spider's web. They are responding to a perceived threat, in which there is no threat at all. Responding to a threat is not a validation that there is a threat.

hypertele-Xii 6y ago
Did you know there exist spiders in our world that can kill you if they bite you? Sensible reaction. I don't think cats are threatened by laser pointers.
- shakna 6y ago
  > Did you know there exist spiders in our world that can kill you if they bite you? Sensible reaction. I'm Australian, so yes, I am very aware there are spiders that can kill you. However, that doesn't suddenly make every spiderweb a threat. The reaction may have a reason behind it - but it does not mean that there is any threat present. Lets try putting it another way. Children are often frightened of the dark. This makes sense, as they cannot know what is in the dark, and the dark _may_ hold a threat. This response on behalf of the child in no way says that there _is_ a threat. In all likelihood, there is none. Responding to something as if there is a threat doesn't suddenly turn something benign into a threat.

wombatmobile 6y ago

> Responding to a threat definitely validates it. I'm not sure what you mean by "valid threat". If you mean the capability of the threat to cause damage if carried through, that's something we don't find out until the party that made the threat tries to carry it out. If you mean the grounds on which the threat was made, such as here, the Australian governments claim that Google owes Murdoch money, then that's not something that is "validated" by a response. A response to a spurious threat, or an illegitimate threat can be prudent whether the threat is real, imagined, justified, or totally bogus. In this case, will the Australian government actually impose a tax on Google's practice of linking to content which is allowed by the sites own robots.txt? That seemed pretty audacious to me when I first heard about it, particularly since I don't buy the case that Google owes Murdoch money. But maybe they will try, if they think they can get away with it at the ballot box. I don't know how to predict that outcome. At first I thought it would backfire on the government, but Google's ham-fisted bluff to exit Australia might end up backfiring on Google, if Google even carries out that counter threat, which is by no means certain. We'll see.