Are Apple and Google Really Helping to Stop Putin?
Успойкойся
Welcome to March! Spring is just a few weeks away, and soon it’ll start getting warmer. Possibly much warmer, if ol’ Vlad gets a snootful of vodka and pushes the button. And the scientists have suddenly decided we don’t need to wear those stupid masks anymore, now that masks are a losing issue for the Democratic Party, so we can actually stop and smell the flowers. Sure, everything else sucks, but at least it’s not February anymore. February is the worst. Plus, isn’t it white privilege to make the shortest month of the year Black History Month?
What you’re about to see gives me pause. Maybe it’s fake news, but I’m seeing some “conservatives” cheering it on:
Look, I’ve never been a fan of Russia, I hate Putin, and in theory I have no problem with sanctions. But if this is really happening… what did any of these people do to us? They’re just trying to get home from work.
I guess the idea is that the rabble will rise up against Putin? Surround the Kremlin with torches and pitchforks? Or maybe they’ll just resent the West even more and side with their guy.
We’re seeing the same thing in Canada. If you or someone in your country does something to piss off a government or a corporation or some other organization that’s more powerful than you, they can just rewrite some code and turn off your money. “Deplatforming,” I think that’s the euphemism. Because “unpersoning” sounds too harsh.
This is all happening too fast. It feels like everybody just needs to stop and take some deep breaths and think about the implications of all this stuff. Nobody will, of course. What’s their incentive to behave rationally? That’s boring. Taking a minute to think doesn’t give you a quick hit of endorphins. Just block people’s bank accounts like you’re blocking their tweets. Got ‘em!
Or better yet:
Well, that helps. You’ve defeated Putin. Just like beating up old Chinese ladies on the street cured the coronavirus. Good work, everybody.
Russia stinks. Putin is a war criminal. Put a bullet in his head on live TV for all I care. I’m very glad to look at all these stupid Democrats and say, “The 1980s are calling and I told ya so.” I just don’t see how punishing Muscovite straphangers will stop the invasion of Ukraine. This is a precedent a lot of people are going to wish they hadn’t set.