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It's not okay to casually appreciate the vacation pictures of a corrupt Russian oligarch, even if they overlap with an area of technical interest. Kapersky is

It's not okay to casually appreciate the vacation pictures of a corrupt Russian oligarch, even if they overlap with an area of technical interest. Kapersky is part of a corrupt regime that has killed tens of thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians and murdered leaders of rival political parties. You can get numb to it, but it is a horrible, historic war crime. He is complicit and his boat pictures can go to hell.

lo_zamoyski 9mo ago
> It's not okay to casually appreciate the vacation pictures of a corrupt Russian oligarch This is totally incoherent and nonsensical. There is no moral case for this and you are making a purely emotional remark.
- samothrace 9mo ago
  I don't think either of you have made your point very well. "It's not okay to ... appreciate ... pictures..." Isn't nonsensical, but it doesn't really convey the meaning that I'm assuming was intended (so I guess it's incoherent to some degree). That assumed meaning being that it's not okay to support people that support evil regimes. Even if that support is minimal and indirect. Would you buy an art book by a Nazi officer in 1942? After all, the officer would only receive a very small portion of the proceeds of the book, in reality providing an infinitesimal benefit to the Nazi party itself. Would you recommend said book to people you know? After all, you wouldn't be providing even that tiny amount of material support. And after all, it's simply the creative work of another human, unrelated to the war or atrocities, not representing the interests of the Nazi party itself. I'm sure that there are plenty of people that will show up to argue that actually, yes, they would gladly buy the book if they liked it and they would recommend it. And some will have the logical devices to show that there are no moral obligations involved. I disagree. Generally speaking, each of us only have tiny levers to pull, and we should pull them.
- proprietario 9mo ago
  I feel like this an interesting angle and I want to approach the discussion in good faith.. So why should it be morally ok to show support/better the public image/engage with a party that is supporting/purporting some huge morally bad things? My reasoning is as follows, I wonder where you wouldn't agree: A: You shouldn't support people doing morally bad stuff B: Someone supporting morally bad things is morally bad B.2: Sharing/Engaging with them shows support and betters their public image C: Kaspersky is an oligarch supporting stuff that is morally wrong D: So you shouldn't support him by driving engagement to his site
  - deleted 9mo ago
    [deleted]
axus 9mo ago
Ooh, are we holding Larry Ellison and Elon Musk accountable for US actions now?
- samothrace 9mo ago
  Whataboutism. Are you implying that OP hypocritically supports Larry Ellison and Elon Musk? Are you implying that not supporting Larry Ellison and Elon Musk by not promoting their media or avoiding their products is absurd? Are you implying that people should hold Larry Ellison and Elon Musk accountable for US actions, but don't, and therefore doing it to other oligarchs is unfair or unreasonable?
  - axus 9mo ago
    I'm OK with anyone expressing their feelings on Kapersky, Ellison, Musk, their boats, and their politics. My guess is that throwaway has similar feelings about all three. Personally I do feel that we share guilt proportional to our contributions to the ones hurting others; and I'd be interested in the calculus of their respective moral burdens. My tax payments mean I bear 0.0000001 % of the responsibility for US government behavior.
- throw-the-towel 9mo ago
  Why not?

lo_zamoyski 9mo ago

> It's not okay to casually appreciate the vacation pictures of a corrupt Russian oligarch This is totally incoherent and nonsensical. There is no moral case for this and you are making a purely emotional remark.

samothrace 9mo ago
I don't think either of you have made your point very well. "It's not okay to ... appreciate ... pictures..." Isn't nonsensical, but it doesn't really convey the meaning that I'm assuming was intended (so I guess it's incoherent to some degree). That assumed meaning being that it's not okay to support people that support evil regimes. Even if that support is minimal and indirect. Would you buy an art book by a Nazi officer in 1942? After all, the officer would only receive a very small portion of the proceeds of the book, in reality providing an infinitesimal benefit to the Nazi party itself. Would you recommend said book to people you know? After all, you wouldn't be providing even that tiny amount of material support. And after all, it's simply the creative work of another human, unrelated to the war or atrocities, not representing the interests of the Nazi party itself. I'm sure that there are plenty of people that will show up to argue that actually, yes, they would gladly buy the book if they liked it and they would recommend it. And some will have the logical devices to show that there are no moral obligations involved. I disagree. Generally speaking, each of us only have tiny levers to pull, and we should pull them.
proprietario 9mo ago
I feel like this an interesting angle and I want to approach the discussion in good faith.. So why should it be morally ok to show support/better the public image/engage with a party that is supporting/purporting some huge morally bad things? My reasoning is as follows, I wonder where you wouldn't agree: A: You shouldn't support people doing morally bad stuff B: Someone supporting morally bad things is morally bad B.2: Sharing/Engaging with them shows support and betters their public image C: Kaspersky is an oligarch supporting stuff that is morally wrong D: So you shouldn't support him by driving engagement to his site
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]

axus 9mo ago

Ooh, are we holding Larry Ellison and Elon Musk accountable for US actions now?

samothrace 9mo ago
Whataboutism. Are you implying that OP hypocritically supports Larry Ellison and Elon Musk? Are you implying that not supporting Larry Ellison and Elon Musk by not promoting their media or avoiding their products is absurd? Are you implying that people should hold Larry Ellison and Elon Musk accountable for US actions, but don't, and therefore doing it to other oligarchs is unfair or unreasonable?
- axus 9mo ago
  I'm OK with anyone expressing their feelings on Kapersky, Ellison, Musk, their boats, and their politics. My guess is that throwaway has similar feelings about all three. Personally I do feel that we share guilt proportional to our contributions to the ones hurting others; and I'd be interested in the calculus of their respective moral burdens. My tax payments mean I bear 0.0000001 % of the responsibility for US government behavior.
throw-the-towel 9mo ago
Why not?