Would we actually know if he was dead considering the widespread prevalence of misinformation from Russia and the capabilities of AI-generated falsehoods?

Nice take.

Sounds like a bad idea to announce when the hardware will be moving. We’ve seen past weapons transfers announced to be happening “soon” though they’ve already occurred. They may well already be in Ukraine.

The King of Jordan

fascism

I’m not sure that this is surprising coming from Jordan, but he’s a monarchist not a fascist.

Turning into? Watch the actions of BJP, not their words.

Find the difference between Hindutva and Naziism (hint: they’re the same thing)

Why should Western nations continue to open their arms to those who persecute Christians arbitrarily for their faith? No one should live in fear of the state due to their beliefs. This drift toward fascism is alarming, and it strays significantly from the principles of tolerance and mutual respect that our forefathers advocated.

Your points are well-made, yet they lean heavily on historical precedent while missing recent dynamics. Although past foreign interference is notable, current geopolitics require fresh evidence to assert foreign involvement. Africa is indeed a growing geopolitical theatre, but the narrative isn’t solely about external actors - the agency of African states and citizens plays a crucial role. Dismissing them risks oversimplifying the complex reality.

It’s crucial to remember that Niger is a key western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa. Therefore, direct involvement from countries such as the KSA, China, or Russia seems less likely, as it would conflict with their international relations and objectives.

While it’s conceivable that non-state actors could have a hand in the unrest, available information doesn’t provide concrete evidence for this claim. It’s also worth noting that jihadist groups in the region are not homogenous, and often have differing interests, making their involvement in political coups complicated and less probable.

However, you rightly point out that these situations are rarely as simple as they appear. The truth may well be a mix of local grievances and foreign influences, given the complex and interconnected nature of global politics. Until there’s more information, though, any assertions remain largely speculative.

In the geopolitical context of West Africa, this attempted coup highlights the recurrent destabilizing elements that persist in the region. The instability, primarily fueled by jihadist insurgencies, external powers, and internal grievances, significantly hinders democratic progress and socio-economic development. Niger, like its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, finds itself in a precarious situation, walking a fine line between international alliances, internal political dynamics, and threats from non-state actors. This event calls for an in-depth academic exploration into the cyclical nature of power struggles in post-colonial states, specifically examining how external interventions, both past and present, intersect with domestic power dynamics.

I get it - complaints about complaints, the ‘Inception’ of discourse, right? 😄 My aim was less ‘moan-fest’, more ‘awareness-raising’. But I see how it could have come off as one more tiresome rant. Point taken.

Downvoting? Sure, it’s a tool, but it feels like trying to empty an ocean with a bucket. As a community, can’t we aim higher? Maybe introduce more efficient levers? Let’s not just ‘downvote and move on’, let’s ‘upvote and move up’. Let’s brainstorm and pull this platform to greater heights.

I’m doing my part 😂

The Egyptian government is no friend of Liberty.

Unfortunately that ship may have already sailed. We tried, however in light of these actions, the Cuban government may see us as too unreliable to stake their future on. Hence their subsequent buy-in on China.

It’s intriguing to observe the unfolding geopolitical chessboard. With China allegedly operating a spy base in Cuba since 2019, and now negotiations for a joint military training facility, it seems the legacy of the Cold War is echoing into the 21st century, with the game pieces shifting and alliances being redrawn. A testament to the intricate and ever-evolving nature of global politics.

Absolutely. Look at the solidarity of WGA, SAG, and the Teamsters today. They’re standing up to the real ‘landed gentry’ – corporations trying to strip away job protections and replace workers with generative AI.

Seems like someone forgot to normalize the age dimension in their OLAP cube!

One with a union.

Absolutely, many languages do allow negative indices. The intriguing part about PHP, though, is that its ‘arrays’ are actually ordered maps (or hash tables) under the hood. This structure allows for a broader range of keys, like our negative integers or even strings. It’s a unique design choice that sets PHP apart and allows for some really interesting usage patterns. Not your everyday array, right?

Ever wondered about the array_fill function? It can be baffling. Try filling an array with a negative index:

array_fill(-5, 4, 'test');

Many languages would throw an error, but PHP? It’s perfectly fine with this and you get an array starting at index -5. It’s like PHP is the Wild West of array indexing!

My bet’s on 3D printed meat making it to our plates before we’re DIY’ing insulin.

Regulation for medications like insulin is super tight (rightly so!). You can’t just whip up life-saving stuff in your garage without some heavy-duty checks and balances from the FDA and the like. Plus, the DIY part is insane, we’re talking high-level genetic engineering and biochemistry here, not homebrew beer.

Then there’s the demand part. The hype for environmentally-friendly, cruelty-free meat is real and growing every day. If they can get the taste and texture right, not to mention a decent price, lab-grown meat is gonna fly off the shelves.

Meanwhile, homebrew insulin’s got a smaller audience - mainly type 1 diabetics and some type 2s. And given that botched insulin can be lethal, a lot of folks might stick to the tried-and-true stuff from pharmaceutical companies.

So yeah, I’m thinking lab-grown burgers beat homebrew insulin to the punch. But hey, it’s 2023, who knows what’s around the corner? Fun to think about though!