4 ms·

>Somehow it’s a crime when Russia does it to us, but good 'information ops' when we want to discredit Beijing’s Belt & Road initiatives worldwide This just sou

by r721 2y ago

>Somehow it’s a crime when Russia does it to us, but good 'information ops' when we want to discredit Beijing’s Belt & Road initiatives worldwide This just sounds like "Somehow it's bad when enemy soldiers shoot at us, but we also shoot at them! What a hypocrisy!"

ignoramous 2y ago
> This just sounds like "Somehow it's bad when enemy soldiers shoot at you, but you also shoot at them! What a hypocrisy!" The problem is, there's a beginning, sure, but no end to such circular reasoning; seeding perpetual conflict.
yibg 2y ago
Of course in a war both sides shoot at each other. The hypocrisy comes when one side is good and the other is bad for doing the same thing. So it would be "The enemies soldiers are evil and just want us all dead, but we're the heros protecting our country".
- kiba 2y ago
  There is such thing as bothsideism, which isn't necessarily better than "my side is only good". Sometime the world is indeed black and white. Other time, it's greyer if not outright muddy. In other words, it all depends.
  - yibg 2y ago
    Blanket positions either way isn't good (both sides are equally good / bad or we're good they're evil). Nuance is always important I agree. But it's far more common for "us" to be the good guys and for "them" to be the bad guys. Even without knowing anything about "them".
    - kiba 2y ago
      But it's far more common for "us" to be the good guys and for "them" to be the bad guys. Even without knowing anything about "them". I would call that perspective too cynical for what the world actually looks like.
- armada651 2y ago
  If only someone during WW2 saw the hypocrisy of shooting at German soldiers we could've avoided the whole war. Chamberlain was right all along!
- lenkite 2y ago
  Not merely the heroes: If the other nations of the world do not agree with us or trade with those we don't like, we will sanction you and/or encourage "regime change" via paid NGO's, misinformation, bald-faced lies and propaganda - but this is fine since we are the "good guys". Oh - and don't copy our laws regarding foreign agents. That is bad! Do as we SAY not as we do!

by r721 2y ago

ignoramous 2y ago

> This just sounds like "Somehow it's bad when enemy soldiers shoot at you, but you also shoot at them! What a hypocrisy!" The problem is, there's a beginning, sure, but no end to such circular reasoning; seeding perpetual conflict.

yibg 2y ago

Of course in a war both sides shoot at each other. The hypocrisy comes when one side is good and the other is bad for doing the same thing. So it would be "The enemies soldiers are evil and just want us all dead, but we're the heros protecting our country".

kiba 2y ago
There is such thing as bothsideism, which isn't necessarily better than "my side is only good". Sometime the world is indeed black and white. Other time, it's greyer if not outright muddy. In other words, it all depends.
- yibg 2y ago
  Blanket positions either way isn't good (both sides are equally good / bad or we're good they're evil). Nuance is always important I agree. But it's far more common for "us" to be the good guys and for "them" to be the bad guys. Even without knowing anything about "them".
  - kiba 2y ago
    But it's far more common for "us" to be the good guys and for "them" to be the bad guys. Even without knowing anything about "them". I would call that perspective too cynical for what the world actually looks like.
armada651 2y ago
If only someone during WW2 saw the hypocrisy of shooting at German soldiers we could've avoided the whole war. Chamberlain was right all along!
lenkite 2y ago
Not merely the heroes: If the other nations of the world do not agree with us or trade with those we don't like, we will sanction you and/or encourage "regime change" via paid NGO's, misinformation, bald-faced lies and propaganda - but this is fine since we are the "good guys". Oh - and don't copy our laws regarding foreign agents. That is bad! Do as we SAY not as we do!