honzabe's recent activity
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe (edited )Link ParentFun fact: my whole country has a population roughly comparable to NYC. The economy of NYC is approximately four times the size of ours; NYC's GDP is comparable to a mid-sized EU country like...Fun fact: my whole country has a population roughly comparable to NYC. The economy of NYC is approximately four times the size of ours; NYC's GDP is comparable to a mid-sized EU country like Spain.
California's GDP is even bigger; it surpasses Japan's and makes it the fourth-largest economy globally.The size, wealth, and impact of the US as a whole are so big that American politics very likely affects my future more than our own. This is what's so maddening about observing it from the outside.
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Comment on James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers in ~science
honzabe Link ParentNice theory, makes sense. I will add it to my collection of theories explaining why smart people can be so stupid. I will call it Eji1700's theory of extreme dedication.Nice theory, makes sense. I will add it to my collection of theories explaining why smart people can be so stupid. I will call it Eji1700's theory of extreme dedication.
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Comment on James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers in ~science
honzabe Link ParentMy pet theory is that intelligence is not a permanent property of a person, but it's kinda like health. You can be born with above-average health, but you can still ruin it with a bad diet. I...My pet theory is that intelligence is not a permanent property of a person, but it's kinda like health. You can be born with above-average health, but you can still ruin it with a bad diet. I suspect the way we treat extremely successful people is a very unhealthy diet for the mind.
After reading The Enigma of Reason, I believe the ability to reason has not evolved as a truth-discovering tool, but as a social tool. We need to make good arguments to convince others to do what we want, justify ourselves to others, etc.
Now, imagine you win a Nobel Prize or launch a billion-dollar company. You get rich and famous, people label you as a genius, your followers keep showering you with praise and admiration even if you say the stupidest thing ever... well, maybe you no longer need to reason to maintain your social standing, right?
It must be brutally tempting to start believing the hype and convince yourself that you know better than everybody else. Especially if we are talking about a person with certain predispositions, like insecurity.
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Comment on Cataloging your home library in ~books
honzabe Link ParentI have pretty good experience with the html5-qrcode JavaScript library for scanning ISBNs and the Google Books API for grabbing the book data, which is still free for a small-scale use. The...I was really hoping there'd be a free API for ISBN lookup but I've had no luck finding one.
I have pretty good experience with the html5-qrcode JavaScript library for scanning ISBNs and the Google Books API for grabbing the book data, which is still free for a small-scale use. The success rate is sufficiently good for me. I would say that the info is incorrect in about 1 out of 50 books. I use it for common books, though - I am not sure how it would work with rare books. You can give it a try:
https://www.googleapis.com/books/v1/volumes?q=isbn:9780007232161
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Comment on Cataloging your home library in ~books
honzabe (edited )LinkI need to sell about a thousand old books, and I am familiar with Flask, so I quickly knocked together a simple app to catalogue them. It is heavily tailored to my needs, which is one of the...I need to sell about a thousand old books, and I am familiar with Flask, so I quickly knocked together a simple app to catalogue them. It is heavily tailored to my needs, which is one of the reasons I did not want to use something like Libid - I needed something that would generate markdown, links to prefill search forms of specific stores where I check prices, etc. If you are a bit technical, you can easily vibe-code something tailored to your needs.
For me, the most important need was avoiding manually writing book titles and authors, and looking up the publisher, year of publishing, and all that stuff. For that, you can use html5-qrcode to scan an ISBN, pass it to the Google Books API to get the book info, and feed that info to the storage of your choice. I use PostgreSQL, but I guess it wouldn't be too difficult to feed it to Google Sheets. Older books don't have barcodes, so I was thinking about using AI to recognize those, but I have not gotten to it yet. I don't have that many books without barcodes, so it does not feel urgent enough.
BTW, all that selling books turned into a surprisingly fun pet project - instead of using some prefabricated online e-shop, I even made my own simple second-hand bookstore that is a static site generated with the Hugo static site generator (with a bit of JavaScript to handle shopping cart, client-side search with Fuse.js, and sending forms via Web3Forms).
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe (edited )Link ParentI have all kinds of explanations for this (one of them being that it is hard not to feel nostalgic about the times you were young), but after thinking about it for a while, I decided not to go...I have all kinds of explanations for this (one of them being that it is hard not to feel nostalgic about the times you were young), but after thinking about it for a while, I decided not to go into a discussion about them. Instead, if you don't mind, I will share how I feel about this, can I?
It makes me feel really, profoundly sad. It was a cruel, repressive, and unjust regime, and the fact that there are people who would want it back fills me with dread (people like that are in my country, too). It is no coincidence that these are often the same people who are now spreading Russian propaganda and supporting Russia in their aggression against Ukraine - that makes me feel even worse.
I am not sure if you are an American, but if you are, I can guess what you think about MAGA (after all, we are on Tildes). And now imagine that in 25 years, you will read that "54% of respondents over the age of 40 had a positive opinion of the MAGA era in US history", and that it was a better country to live in for people like them.
That's how I feel about it.
Luckily, as the recent elections demonstrated, there is less than 5% of those who are nostalgic enough to actually vote for communists. That gives me some hope.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe (edited )Link ParentFive stores? Five stores?! Is that what all the fuss was about? If that is the case, then I have to admit I foolishly fell for some sort of distorted pseudo-reality. If it's just five stores,...Mamdani wants to open "five municipally owned stores, one in each New York City borough", specifically targeting food deserts and "areas with limited access to full-service supermarkets".
Five stores? Five stores?! Is that what all the fuss was about? If that is the case, then I have to admit I foolishly fell for some sort of distorted pseudo-reality. If it's just five stores, forget what I said. I concede, there is nothing "radical" about this. You have my upvote.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe (edited )Link ParentTo me, that sounds like the exact equivalent of someone saying "it's ok to say you are a fascist without it being supportive of the Third Reich". Just... no. Fascism and communism were the most...I think it's ok to say you're a communist without it being supportive of the USSR or the PRC.
To me, that sounds like the exact equivalent of someone saying "it's ok to say you are a fascist without it being supportive of the Third Reich". Just... no. Fascism and communism were the most destructive forces in human history, each of them resulting in tens of millions dead. If you want to understand how I feel about being nuanced about any of them, then just think about how you feel when someone is trying to be "nuanced" about fascism.
Orwell is a great example of being an anti-Stalinist communist
To that, I would say [citation needed]. Orwell was a socialist, but labeling him a communist is a bridge too far for me. I am not aware of anything that would suggest he saw himself that way, and everything I am aware suggests he strongly disliked communism and did not separate some theoretical "good" communism from authoritarian communism of the Soviet type, which he clearly warned against.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe Link ParentFrom my eastern european viewpoint, I would say it was the best thing that ever happened to us. With the rest of your post, I simply agree.From my eastern european viewpoint, USSR crashing was a universally great thing
From my eastern european viewpoint, I would say it was the best thing that ever happened to us.
With the rest of your post, I simply agree.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe (edited )Link ParentBut I am not trying to. I do not think your goals and principles are bad, absolutely not - on the contrary, I totally believe they are noble. I merely suggest you think carefully about methods to...You are not going to convince me that my goals and principles are bad by likening them to communist failures.
But I am not trying to. I do not think your goals and principles are bad, absolutely not - on the contrary, I totally believe they are noble. I merely suggest you think carefully about methods to achieve those goals, because some of them have second-order effects that might not be immediately visible. Those effects might create more poverty. And this would go against your goals and principles, just as it would go against mine.
When I read people like you (by which I mean "ideologically right of centre")
Am I ideologically right of centre? I am for universal health care, robust social security, sufficiently long paid vacation + parental leave, subsidized public transport, free education, progressive taxing, consumer protections against unfair business practices, environmental protection, food quality control, gun control, and gay marriage (that's all I can think of now, but there might be more). In my country, I might be considered slightly right-leaning, but I am pretty sure I would not be considered "right of the centre" by most Americans.
but most of Europe has been politically dominated by centre-right politics for the last few decades
I strongly disagree with this. Perhaps some parts of Europe are turning in that direction in the last few years. But most of Europe? Dominated? Decades? Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Italy, Spain? I just don't see it.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe (edited )Link ParentI mean, it's a bit subjective - they sound radical to me, but I don't claim that this is the objective truth. It's about a point of view, isn't it? BTW, to me, Sweden seems somewhat radical. That...I mean, it's a bit subjective - they sound radical to me, but I don't claim that this is the objective truth. It's about a point of view, isn't it? BTW, to me, Sweden seems somewhat radical. That does not mean bad (I think Sweden is an awesome country) - just distant from my views or what I consider mellow boring mainstream.
To the rest of your comment, I think there is a big difference between subsidized and free public transport (the free part is what makes it radical in my eyes).
When it comes to rent control, I am no expert, but I looked into it a bit a while ago, and when looking at case studies, I came to the conclusion that rent controls usually drive prices up and availability down, even for poor people. I might be wrong, and if you point me to the evidence that suggests otherwise, I am open to changing my mind.
BTW, about the fact that rent control is normal in Germany and Sweden... yep, it exists in Czechia (where I live) too. I believe it is one of those things that some voters want despite the fact that it actually damages them. However, from all of Mamdani's ideas that I consider somewhat "radical", this one seems the least radical. Only a wee-bit radicalish.
The "food oligopolies where large chain stores control the market" you mention - yep, but that is something different, isn't it? I believe that regulation is necessary whenever the market fails (oligopoly is a market failure), but that is not the case in NYC, or is it? I would still consider city-run stores a sub-optimal solution to this, but it would make a lot more sense to me.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe Link ParentIt sounds reasonable, doesn't it? As I mentioned somewhere else, some ideas are really seductive. I totally get their appeal. The problem is second-order effects. I see two possible results here:...If they successfully compete by offering lower prices, why wouldn't customers benefit?
It sounds reasonable, doesn't it? As I mentioned somewhere else, some ideas are really seductive. I totally get their appeal. The problem is second-order effects.
I see two possible results here: either there will be only a few city-run stores. In that case, they will not have any significant effect, not even the supposed positive one.
Or there will be a lot of them, and in that case, you will have unfair competition between regular stores and subsidized ones. That is not sustainable, because grocery stores typically have small profit margins (BTW, I have no idea where some leftists got the idea that supermarkets are ripping Americans off - it does not seem to be supported by the numbers). The result will be that many of the non-subsidized grocery stores will go under. And you will have a distorted market with all the inefficiencies that come with it. That will either drive prices up or create scarcity.
What Mamdani is proposing, in effect (unintentionally), is to use taxpayers' money to damage the competition in the sector... but competition drives prices down. BTW, you can also think of it this way - Mamdani would do to NYC groceries what China did to the US manufacturing with the first China shock.
I grew up in a communist country, and I wish you could watch our propaganda movies from the fifties. Some of them are surprisingly subtle, convincing, and their optimism was contagious. Like... we will build things together, let's help each other, nobody should be poor. Their vibe matches the cheery Mamdani vibe so much that it gives me the creeps.
I want to be very clear here... I am not saying Mamdani is a communist; it's just that it seems to me that some, not all of his ideas share the fundamental systemic flaws that made communism collapse, and I have been inoculated against these so strongly that anything that even touches them triggers my immune reaction. And I hope that might be useful to you.
Don't get me wrong - ideas like helping the poor are noble. The fact that you care makes you a good person. You (I mean you Americans, not you personally) should absolutely find a way to help the poor. I just encourage you to be very skeptical when it comes to seductive ideas - sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. And specifically, be skeptical of public programs that have the potential to hurt private initiative.
I am wondering if this is one of those things you have to experience to actually get it on a gut level. Can I share a personal anecdote? It is a bit of a tangent, not that related to Mamdani, but it might help understand why I feel so strongly about this.
One of the most crushing memories of my life was visiting Austria after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Everything looked shockingly clean, well-maintained, and unbelievably rich... it opened my eyes. I mean, I kind of knew my country was in trouble, because by that time, you could not buy even the most basic items, like meat or toilet paper - our stores were mostly empty... and not just grocery stores - all stores. Everything was literally falling apart - buildings, roads... You know those Cold War movies where everything in the Soviet sphere looks gray and dirty? It actually looked like this. But when you live in a decaying country with no comparison, it seems kind of normal to you. Visiting Austria made me see how fucked my country was. And it all started with beautiful ideas about equality and helping the poor.
tl;dr - be wary of seductive ideas, think of their second-order effects, and do not underestimate those.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe Link ParentI think people are pretty ideological beings, and some ideas are really seductive. And people often support ideas that go against their interests. So, no surprise here.I think people are pretty ideological beings, and some ideas are really seductive. And people often support ideas that go against their interests. So, no surprise here.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe Link ParentI am also from Eastern Europe, and these sound completely normal to me - in my country, these are so mainstream that they are not even discussed, basically every party agrees (personally, I would...Some examples: people's right to privacy, adequate annual paid vacation time and parental leave, social security networks, free or affordable high quality healthcare, urban planning that enables healthy lifestyles rather than car-dependency (affordable public transport is just the cherry on top), consumer protections against unfair business practices (for example planned obsolescence and obscure algorithmic consumer manipulation), women's equal rights, divorcing religion from governmental policy, and so on.
I am also from Eastern Europe, and these sound completely normal to me - in my country, these are so mainstream that they are not even discussed, basically every party agrees (personally, I would also add reasonable gun control to that list).
But I have to agree with @V17 and disagree with the article. Things like city-run grocery stores, free transit, and rent control... Not only do I think they are bad ideas, but they do not sound normal to me. They sound radical. As if the polarization in the US reached such a high level that there is no room for moderation anymore, only extremes.
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Comment on Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ in ~society
honzabe Link ParentLet me point out that this is not how the economy works. They will not be supplementing them; they will be competing with them, and it will be unfair competition. Given that grocery stores usually...The city-run grocery store is not replacing any privately owned ones, mereley supplementing them.
Let me point out that this is not how the economy works. They will not be supplementing them; they will be competing with them, and it will be unfair competition. Given that grocery stores usually operate with very small profit margins, the city-run (=subsidized) stores will push many of them out of the market and crush the livelihoods of locals who own the independent grocery stores (BTW, almost all of them are immigrants and minorities). And I am willing to bet the customers will not benefit from this.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
honzabe LinkI am reading "Papillon" by Henri Charrière, a novel about Papillon's incarceration and subsequent escape from the French penal colony on Devil's Island. It is one of the books of my childhood. I...I am reading "Papillon" by Henri Charrière, a novel about Papillon's incarceration and subsequent escape from the French penal colony on Devil's Island.
It is one of the books of my childhood. I now have to get rid of a lot of old books, and as I was putting them into boxes, I opened Papillon in the middle to read two or three paragraphs out of nostalgia. Suddenly it's midnight, and I've just finished reading the first volume. It is a fast-paced, colorful adventure, and despite the fact that it contains a lot of cruelty and injustice, it is surprisingly uplifting.
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Comment on Cyclist falls down 130-foot ravine in France, survives three days by drinking wine he had in shopping bag in ~life
honzabe LinkWow, his age makes it even more interesting. That is one tough old man.The 77-year-old missed a bend on his bike on his way home from the supermarket on a lonely road in the mountainous Cevennes region, careening down a rocky slope and into the ravine near Saint-Julien-des-Points.
Wow, his age makes it even more interesting. That is one tough old man.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
honzabe (edited )Link ParentIf you are into allegories, you might enjoy his "White book" (and I know with certainty that this one has been translated). This one I find really funny, although I am not sure how that kind of...If you are into allegories, you might enjoy his "White book" (and I know with certainty that this one has been translated). This one I find really funny, although I am not sure how that kind of humor translates. It is about a man who learns to use his willpower to overcome gravity. This book is also about repressive regimes and their anti-progress nature - it is basically about a man who freaks out the establishment by discovering something fundamentally new, so they prosecute him for "breaking the laws of nature".
Also, thank you, "How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed" looks really interesting.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
honzabe (edited )Link ParentIf you are interested in a novel about this topic and like really dark and absurd humor, I would recommend "The Hangwoman" by Pavel Kohout. The book mocks the torturers of totalitarian regimes,...If you are interested in a novel about this topic and like really dark and absurd humor, I would recommend "The Hangwoman" by Pavel Kohout. The book mocks the torturers of totalitarian regimes, who revel in their power and the supposed nobility of their mission, but deep down are nothing more than pathetic and ridiculous mental cripples.
I don't usually recommend this kind of book to people from the West, because I feel that to truly understand them (and laugh at them), one must have experienced a repressive regime. Unfortunately, it seems that Americans are now rapidly gaining this understanding.
I would recommend another book by this author, "Kde je zakopán pes" (Where the dog is buried), but although I quickly found Spanish and German translations, I can't find the English one. This book is his description of real events Kohout personally experienced (he himself was a dissident). It reads like a thriller with a bit of dark humor sprinkled in. It is also strangely uplifting, because a lot of it is about strong friendships formed by people who were "screwed together". Some of these friends were really colorful characters - like "Lanďák", a famous Czech actor, a rowdy drunkard, philanderer, and a loyal friend with balls. One of the "lessons" I got from the book is that if you resist the regime, you might end up in prison, but you make interesting friends.
I still hope you guys get your shit together and somehow manage to break that fall. Not only because my country is affected by your shit.
Many years ago, when I was in college, I spent 7 months in the US. These were the best times of my life. I met amazing people there, and I will always remember Americans as open, generous, and friendly people. I landed at JFK in June 2001, and the months before 9/11, the US felt so light-hearted. Now it feels like this was the last time America was happy. I remember breakdancers on Times Square at night, so much energy and the crowd cheering... do people still do that? It's hard to describe the atmosphere, but there was joy in the air. I will never forget that. I really hope you manage to get that back somehow.