Oddbean new post about login | logout Spot on
No it’s not spot on. All land is stolen. There’s no such thing as “stolen land” it’s just a leftist manipulation tactic.
Well, history said otherwise. Just one among uncountable examples: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Creek_massacre Recognize our 'sins' and don't repeat them, is the best way to improve ourselves. It works for a person, a family or a country. Anyway I (partly) agree with the assumption that most of the land in the world has been stolen from one people to another at one point in history. That's doesn't change the definition of steal. It's like saying that everybody more or less steal, so it's ok to steal. Principles/values should be independent of widespread behavior and habits.
“Our” sins? Speak for yourself. I share no collective guilt with you or anyone.
Well I speak for myself then. Don't want to accuse anyone. Just to explain my view: I'm certainly an individual, but also a member of a society, country, civilization and humankind. Thus I share their merits and guilts. I understand you dont believe in collective guilt and I even agree with it, at least in a criminal law sense, but in practice humans view others in groups. We share the same earth and we are more than individuals. How would you explain cultures otherwise? That said, I generally don't like to label every idea in the left-right spectrum, even less to be classified in just one abstract ideological category. The black and white dichotomy is too reductive. World is way more complex than that.
Well said. The purpose of acknowledging past wrongs is to prevent repeating similar wrongs, not to be personally guilty for what our ancestors did. It is correct to acknowledge the irony of stopping migrants coming into a country that was invaded by Europeans. Actually, my personal opinion is that securing the border is wise, and that mass migration erodes diversity in cultures we see around the world. I think mass migration is not necessarily good for the migrants nor the residents, at least in the short and medium terms. There are also cultural conflicts that often occur. However, it is also worth acknowledging that the US/West meddling in the foreigners affairs of the world creates conditions for people to want to leave their corrupt/impoverished countries. However, the financial manipulation that is at play is hopefully levelling out as other powers such as China rise, helping to balance the powers. BTC is arguably a libertarian movement divorced from traditional western “left-right” politics, and it would be better in my opinion for the above posters to realise this. Ultimately, we have to choose between right and wrong, and fairness and injustice. It’s unfortunate some quickly resort to “you are the enemy for raising some facts”.