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Countries don't do anything, people do. Recently I've been thinking a lot about people in so-called hostile countries, and the conclusion I arrived at is that t

Countries don't do anything, people do. Recently I've been thinking a lot about people in so-called hostile countries, and the conclusion I arrived at is that the vast majority of those people are leading broadly similar lives to us in the West. They face similar struggles and yearn for similar things. This idea of us vs them and the proliferation of nationalism doesn't sit right with me. I look at the things the people in charge of the country whose nationality I possess (UK) does and I am aghast at the idea that people around the world would associate them with me. I'm sure there are many people in Russia and China etc. who feel similar.

watwut 4y ago
> and the conclusion I arrived at is that the vast majority of those people are leading broadly similar lives to us in the West. Did you found that solution after actually reading up about lives, opinions or attitudes of those people or you just imagined everything being the same (and uncertainty surrounding those)? I do not mean it in the sense of being being bad or good, but in a sense that a lot is quite a lot different in many important ways.
- nicbou 4y ago
  If you travel a bit, it's hard to ignore the similarities. Teenagers in particular are hilariously similar no matter where you go.
jemmyw 4y ago
It would probably be true that in any war the people doing the fighting have more in common with one another than they do with those directing them to fight. But I'm not sure I see much practical use knowing that. Those in charge in Russia and China know this, so they control information to whip people up against their supposed enemies. I suppose, in retrospect, policies in the west could have been designed to try and prevent those countries creating internet firewalls that allowed so much control. Being so aggressive on it would have looked over the top at the time though. It makes sense though that if everyone on every "side" can access all information, for good or for worse no one actor can stay on top of it.

watwut 4y ago

> and the conclusion I arrived at is that the vast majority of those people are leading broadly similar lives to us in the West. Did you found that solution after actually reading up about lives, opinions or attitudes of those people or you just imagined everything being the same (and uncertainty surrounding those)? I do not mean it in the sense of being being bad or good, but in a sense that a lot is quite a lot different in many important ways.

nicbou 4y ago
If you travel a bit, it's hard to ignore the similarities. Teenagers in particular are hilariously similar no matter where you go.

jemmyw 4y ago

It would probably be true that in any war the people doing the fighting have more in common with one another than they do with those directing them to fight. But I'm not sure I see much practical use knowing that. Those in charge in Russia and China know this, so they control information to whip people up against their supposed enemies. I suppose, in retrospect, policies in the west could have been designed to try and prevent those countries creating internet firewalls that allowed so much control. Being so aggressive on it would have looked over the top at the time though. It makes sense though that if everyone on every "side" can access all information, for good or for worse no one actor can stay on top of it.