• OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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    14 hours ago

    … Literally everyone.

    Really? I certainly didn’t. The PRC has a much larger economy and military and much greater diplomatic influence. To paint them as a “follower” of Russia at any point in history is ridiculous. I guess lib circles have been obsessing about “Russiagate” and whatnot but that’s not really serious analysis.

    A blatant whatabboutism

    “Whataboutism” isn’t a real thing and if it was, this isn’t one. We’re literally talking about whether the war is accelerating US decline, and now literally anything I say as supporting evidence is categorically ruled out by this absurdity.

    after this all gets sorted out internally.

    Hilarious that you think that will happen. But of course, Trump and what he represents is just a bump in the road, a strange anomaly that came out of nowhere and may disappear just as randomly. That is, if you have no understanding of where Trumpism came from. It’s here to stay, I’m afraid.

    Additionally, you know the US has been the world’s largest source of charity and investment in developing nations for decades, right?

    Lmao, do you have a source for that?

    The reason we don’t have healthcare is fascism, not “military spending taking all the money”

    Corporate wants you to find the difference between these pictures.

    • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      Really? I certainly didn’t.

      The unspoken implication there was credible people. Generally one can assume things like that, if they’re discussing in good faith. It’s like how I didn’t point out you’re so unfamiliar with this topic that you can’t even spell realpolitik right - it’s a minor concession made to ease conversation that costs me nothing. “The benefit of the doubt”, as it were.

      “Whataboutism” isn’t a real thing and if it was, this isn’t one.

      Oh buddy, no. Just no.

      • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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        14 hours ago

        Affecting a condescending tone is not a substitute for having an argument or positions with any basis in reality.

        Oh buddy, no. Just no.

        Oh buddy, yes. Just yes.

        It’s literally made up, it has no logical basis and is just a tool to shut down people pointing out relevant and important context for the purpose of propaganda and controlling the conversation. Or in this case, it’s not even shutting down context, it’s shutting down points that are directly related to the topic of discussion, which is why I said, even if it were a thing, this isn’t it.

        I’ll take it you don’t have the source I requested, btw, meaning that you just made that claim up and it’s complete bullshit.

          • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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            14 hours ago

            Lmao you mean you were talking about donations from individuals? Now that’s a “whataboutism.” I thought we were talking about policy.

              • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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                13 hours ago

                No, I didn’t.

                The first link is the only one that’s at all relevant. That data shows that the US spent more than China, but only in ODA (official development assistance) spending. As one of the sources for the China number notes, “the bulk of Chinese spending focused on other official flows (OOF), which is primarily intended for commercial projects, AidData said.” It seems that the numbers provided exclude the bulk of China’s massive BRI investments. Please note that you said, “Additionally, you know the US has been the world’s largest source of charity and investment in developing nations for decades, right?”

                That source still shows the US ahead in the period from 2000 to 2014, but that data is pretty old at this point and the rate of China’s investments has been growing, if I’m not mistaken. Either way, even if the US is narrowly ahead, it’s a richer country and it’s a much smaller fraction of the military budget compared to the same numbers for China, so my characterization of their approaches is still broadly accurate.

                I have no idea what the second link is supposed to be showing.

                The third link, as I addressed, is completely irrelevant.

                I have no idea what the fourth link is supposed to be showing.

                • Warl0k3@lemmy.world
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                  13 hours ago

                  Do you notice when you’re doing that? Constantly shifting the conversation to a new topic when you’ve been batted down over the last one, rejecting things out of hand that might go counter to your position instead of trying to at least understand the intent with which they were shared? Remember when this was about Ukraine, Instead of what you’re trying to shift it to, the moral relativity betwixt China and the US?

                  All those links are highly relevant here (I admit #2 requires you to scroll a little, and #4 is a database frontend so maybe it was unfair to assume you’d be able to interact with it), arguably the third link most of all (it shows a ton of things in that very compact table, individual donations yes and it’s a fine example of how China’s restrictions on extraterritorial charity affect their potential impact.)

                  Look I get it, you’re pro-china, but you’re just assuming I’m opposed to you. It’s… I mean, it’s the stereotypical reason why so many people dislike .ml users, you’re constantly coming in here and intentionally provoking interactions that you comfortably know the dance steps to. You personally are persecuting yourself, and it’s kinda embarrassing. Gladhandedly dismissing the other party, focusing only on the things you support, never reflecting on anything that’s actually said in favor of attacking in kind.

                  even if the US is narrowly ahead, it’s a richer country and it’s a much smaller fraction of the military budget compared to the same numbers for China

                  (edit:) Look you did it again. “Even if you were right, it doesn’t matter and anyways I’m still right”

                  Anyways, here’s a fun hypothetical example: I do not support China because of their ongoing public genocide of the uyghur people.

                  Oh, you edited it:

                  That source still shows the US ahead in the period from 2000 to 2014, but that data is pretty old at this point

                  Which data on that time period wouldn’t be pretty old?

                  characterization of their approaches

                  That was never the topic of discussion, I was never arguing US vs China, but I’m a nice person so you’re free to claim your uncontested victory on this point.

                  • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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                    13 hours ago

                    Do you notice when you’re doing that? Constantly shifting the conversation to a new topic when you’ve been batted down over the last one

                    I haven’t done that even once this conversation. That would require me first to have been batted down on anything this conversation. Point me where I’ve done what you’re accusing me of, even once.

                    However…

                    Here, a fun hypothetical example: I do not support China because of their ongoing public genocide of the uyghur people.

                    …You just did exactly that. Projection much?

                    Also, whataboutism.

                    rejecting things out of hand that might go counter to your position instead of trying to at least understand the intent with which they were shared?

                    Haven’t done that either. In fact, I just spent time investigating the data you sent me, and conceded the possibility that you may be right on the relevant point, even if your overall perspective is still wrong.

                    Remember when this was about Ukraine, Instead of what you’re trying to shift it to, the moral relativity betwixt China and the US?

                    That’s very relevant to the point being discussed. What I said was that the war in Ukraine was contributing US overextension and decline, and the focus on military conflicts over peaceful development is causing it to lose ground to China. Did you lose the train of the conversation? My whole thesis is that the money spent in Ukraine would be better spent on peaceful economic investments, either at home or abroad. I don’t recall making any arguments about “the moral relativity betwix the US and China,” only comparing the facts of their spending and their general approaches to geopolitics.

                    See how you’re trying to impose artificial limits on the conversation, excluding points that you don’t like even when they come up naturally?

                    All those links are highly relevant here

                    One of those links is a fucking search bar. That’s like if I sent you a link to www.google.com and then asserted that it was “highly relevant,” with no further explanation connecting it to anything. Clown shit.

                    Edit:

                    Which data on that time period wouldn’t be pretty old?

                    That’s… the point. The time period is pretty old.

                    That was never the topic of discussion, I was never arguing US vs China, but I’m a nice person so you’re free to claim your uncontested victory on this point.

                    Ok, cool! So you agree that the US should copy China’s approach of avoiding military entanglements like Ukraine and instead focus on peaceful economic development! Glad we got that cleared up.