4 ms·
This is just confirmation bias. You're looking for patterns so you're finding them. If you look for the opposite patterns you'll find them too. Russia besides
by ajuc 3y ago
This is just confirmation bias. You're looking for patterns so you're finding them. If you look for the opposite patterns you'll find them too.
Russia besides the mandatory invasion every decade has been infiltrating the west and avoiding the direct confrontation for decades, they spent a lot of money on encouraging brexit, trump and financing a lot of far-right and far-left parties in EU in hope of breaking it.
Russia also invested heavily into gas infrastructure hooking up Germany to have direct influence on its politics.
China isn't above invading some countries either when it thinks it can get away with it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_Peo...
China is also currently running concentration camps for hundreds of thousands of people. Somehow we don't talk about that.
Both countries are agressive militaristic dictatorships using whatever tools they think will serve them best at the moment. China is simply more patient because it isn't in obvious decline (yet).
Another contrast is that China is importer of basic resources and exporter of goods - so it needs international peace to profit. Russia is exporter of basic resources - so it needs international chaos for best prices. When you listen to Russian economists they often talk about international "pressures" that are beneficial to their economy because oil prices go up.
- UweSchmidt 3y agoI concede that this is a pattern that I enjoy contemplating and could be confirmation bias. A "Go" philosophy, if it were indeed a thing, is in itself certainly not morally superior, as it ultimately tries to surround and eliminate enemy pieces in an attempt to control most of the board. Chess on the other hand also includes plenty of moves that are intended to control the board or provide small longterm advantages that are hopefully not fully clear to the opponent. I do think that the Eastern way of avoiding direct confrontation is a major cultural difference to the West, and is reflected in both Go and geopolitics. Going back to the article, any Strategist should probably study a wide range of games to maybe gain a small improvement in strategic thinking.
- hef19898 3y agoHow do you define "Eastern", because the Mongols, Huns, Chinese, Japanese definetly didn't shy away from direct confrontation. Historically speaking.
- icegreentea2 3y agoI think strategists should study a wide range of actual wars and conflicts, and fall back to games (as opposed to actual "war games") as like a third tier approach. And I think you're perception of "go" philosophy <-> geopolitics as practiced is absolutely confirmation bias. For one thing, Chinese Chess is absolutely a thing, and at least within China, is at least as popular, if not more popular than Go.