Nukes and ICBMs are extremely complex devices. They also require extremely specialist servi e work to remain functional. Even worse, the only people who can actually check that work are the ones doing it.

Russia hasn’t detonated a nuke in decades. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of their arsenal are now duds. The money embezzled, while boxes were ticked. Similarly, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of their ICBMs just wouldn’t launch.

Russia’s nuclear capabilities are likely a paper tiger, and Putin likely knows this. Until they try and use them, they are scary. If they try and they fail, they are in a VERY bad situation.

Putin is many things, but he’s not stupid. It would take a LOT more pressure from nato for him to even consider using nukes.

The message wouldn’t be to Putin directly. It would be to those both in his power base, or capable of disrupting it.

The goal would be to push Russians to the point they deal with Putin internally, and/or put putin in a position where he needs to end the war to stabilise his own position. It’s all about making the right people feel the effects.

Oh, and as a European, I think the risk is acceptable. If Putin struck at a NATO country, the results would likely be swift and short. The only unknown would be Russian nukes, and even those are far more of an unknown than most people think.

If a gang is using children to deal drugs, then it’s an unfortunate, but necessary, thing.

A while back, gangs realised that the police and courts will go easy on teenagers. Teenagers are also notoriously easy to manipulate. This makes them the perfect cover and scape goats for a gang.

The real question is why blacks are being targeted. Is it the police being racist, or are the gangs targeting them, and so the police follow?

That’s also my pet peave with situations like this.

Are they searching black people (and so racist)?

Are they searching poor people (and so classist)?

Are they searching based on evidence (fair)?

All could reach the same result, but the solution is vastly different.

Unfortunately, 1 points to a simple problem, with someone to blame. The other 2 are complex social problems that require complex solutions and don’t have a simple bogeyman to blame.

Most of the work on facturio has been on the underlying engine. Factories that would bring a high end PC to it’s knees, at the start, now race along on a mediocre PC.

The factorio devs don’t play factorio in the game anymore, they play it with the engine. By the results, they are both a team of geniouses and completely addicted.

I’ve found a layered approach is the best bet. A lot of articles have little to no political subtext. These can be read in a relaxed manner. Those that appear to have some bias can then be subject to a deeper analysis.

It’s not perfect, but it limits the cognitive load to something manageable, while allowing you to catch the worst articles easily.

The image posted makes a good 2nd or 3rd pass guide.

On the contrary, do not ignore them. People base their feeling on the group opinion almost entirely on how often they hear a particular argument. They won’t remember that 90% came from 1 person.

Secondly, unless an idea is actively disagreed with, people (subconsciously) assume you agree with it.

Take every opportunity to disagree with the idiots. You won’t convert them, but you will sow seeds in the minds of those they might be swaying.