Subj : Starlink helps destroy Ru
To   : Dennis Katsonis
From : August Abolins
Date : Thu Mar 24 2022 09:46 pm

Hello Dennis!

** On Thursday 24.03.22 - 20:50, you wrote to me:

 AA>> Perhaps there is such a thing as the right thing.  :/

 DK> That is not for companies to decide.  Matters of
 DK> international politics should be dealt by statesmen who
 DK> understand diplomacy, international relations, not CEO's
 DK> who think because they know how market a product, or make
 DK> some money, that they can solve the worlds political
 DK> problems.

I don't believe everything, specifically hardware-based
technology, has to be sanctioned by gov't before it is released  
to the public. Most gov'ts don't even understand technologies.


 DK> This is a recipe for disaster as international relations
 DK> is not beholden to these rogue actors.

As far as I know, businesses are free to conduct business with  
other countries as they see fit. The gov't has tarrifs and  
duties that they impose.


 AA>> It would be not different if a bunch of doctors got
 AA>> organized on their own, call themselves Drs Without
 AA>> Borders, and go help people with meds and medical
 AA>> expertise.

 DK> Offering medical assistance is completely different to
 DK> enabling and supporting military activities.

Well.. conducting medical services to a soldier is just as much  
as "enabling and supporting militarty activities". He gets  
treated, and back he goes to fight.

Wrt, to Starlink, the internet service is just a comms system.  
What users/customers do with it is THEIR doing. Criminal and  
secret things get conducted over the internet all the time.

A lament on privacy from 1972..

 https://kolico.ca/mpg/TGC1972-privacy.mp4


 DK> Russians and Chinese won't see it the way you do, which is
 DK> important because they both have nukes, and the ability to
 DK> defeat the US in war should one start.  This is a time to
 DK> tread carefully, to negotiate a peaceful solution, but if
 DK> some random CEO is going to do something which starts a
 DK> conflict, we're stuffed.

It is hard to know if just the Russians and Chinese can defeat  
the US. No doubt all large countries have plenty of nuclear  
power to cause a lot of damage.  But a nuclear fight will  
affect the agressor and destroy the livelyhood of many  
surrounding places.

Perhaps Putin underestimated the resourcefulness of private  
citizens of other countries to one-up him on severing typical  
comms systems and the internet in the country that he is  
blasting. The people who are either trapped in Ukraine or who  
choose to stay deserve to be in touch with the outside world  
and their loved ones.

--
  ../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.51
 * Origin: A turtle that surfs the dark web. [o] A TORtoise (2:221/1.58)

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