Political AMA

Author: Tejretics

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Ask me anything about my views on politics, economics, international relations, social issues, and philosophy. 
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@Tejretics
What are your thoughts, philosophically, on Nuclear proliferation and the validity of justification for such weapons of mass destruction in foreign policy, in peace and times of war?

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@Tejretics
How do you feel about the 70 billion dollars remittances to India? Does it help develop India and make India strong?

Are remittances the modern day equivalent to colonialism? If so, that would be pretty ironic now that India is the top remittance receiver in the world.



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@Plisken
What are your thoughts, philosophically, on Nuclear proliferation and the validity of justification for such weapons of mass destruction in foreign policy, in peace and times of war?
I dunno what you mean by "philosophical" thoughts. I'm a utilitarian, so my "philosophical" thoughts are gonna be pragmatic. 

I'm not a fan of nuclear proliferation by non-NPT states (e.g., India, Pakistan, Israel). All nuclear states should sign the NPT. In terms of nuclear weapons in general, I wouldn't support abolishing nuclear arsenals, but I do think reducing them is strategically good because it allows nations to cut their defense budgets or reappropriate the money spent into conventional deterrents, which are probably more useful. I don't think there's an imminent threat of nuclear war, so maintaining as many ICBMs as the US does, for example, gives it only minimal soft power -- especially since countries can use conventional weaponry to deter both conventional and nuclear aggression. 

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@Greyparrot
How do you feel about the 70 billion dollars remittances to India? Does it help develop India and make India strong?
I don't pretend to know a lot about remittances in general, but I think they probably promote economic growth, especially since the majority of remittances aren't from skilled workers (so brain drain effects are minimal). 

Are remittances the modern day equivalent to colonialism? If so, that would be pretty ironic now that India is the top remittance receiver in the world.
I don't understand why they might be the "modern day equivalent of colonialism."


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@Tejretics
I don't understand why they might be the "modern day equivalent of colonialism."
Creating wealth outside of a nation and sending it back to the homeland. That kind of colonialism.

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@Greyparrot
Creating wealth outside of a nation and sending it back to the homeland. That kind of colonialism.
I literally don't understand how the former means colonialism.

Colonialism isn't just about wealth creation. Multinational corporations create wealth in one nation and distribute profits elsewhere. That's not colonialism. Colonialism is about exerting political control over one state in order to benefit another state, without democratic consent in the former state. 

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@Tejretics
That's why I said "modern day" colonialism where the wealth can be extracted from other nations with no political force involved.
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@Greyparrot
The wealth in question is being extracted from rich developed countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia), in really small quantities compared to total GDP, to aid in poverty alleviation of low-income families. Even if you want to label it "colonialism," it's hardly bad. And it's not even comparable to the systematic exploitation -- the theft, the mass-murder, the unjust prosecutions, the causing of massive famines and structural poverty to supplement the wealth of the richest in developed global superpowers -- that historic colonialism involved. 
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@Tejretics
I don't think its bad either. It's just interesting that one of the most famous historical colonial nations has learned to reverse the game in their favor without force.
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@Tejretics
What are your thoughts on HIndutva? 
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@triangle.128k
It actively perpetuates discrimination against religious minorities and is damaging, socially and economically, to India, in my view. 
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@Tejretics
Is the caste system in decline? What would be your solutions assuming you are against the caste system.
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@Tejretics
Which Hindu god do you spend the most time worshiping?
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@Tejretics
Do you have any opinion on Dambisa Moyo?
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@spacetime
Which Hindu god do you spend the most time worshiping? 
lol

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@ResurgetExFavilla
Do you have any opinion on Dambisa Moyo?
Hadn't heard of her until now. Will read up on her. 

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@Greyparrot
Is the caste system in decline?
Unsure what you mean by “the caste system.” Assuming you’re referring to discrimination on the basis of caste, it is in decline but it’s still pretty shitty. 

What would be your solutions assuming you are against the caste system.
Similar solutions to those proposed to tackle racism in the United States—affirmative action, investing in poverty alleviation in areas populated by members of socially disadvantaged castes, representation in the police force, comprehensive reform to protect disprivileged individuals from sexual assault, etc. 
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@Tejretics
While investments and laws make sense, wouldn't mandated caste quotas and affirmative actiom create a reverse discrimination of a sort? I fail to see the morality of such an unmeritocratic act, especially considering that caste is already in decline. What makes you believe it wouldn't, or isn't already, escalating tensions? 

Also, similar efforts in the United States end up discriminating against Americans with ancestry in India (given they call under the Asian category) - especially in the case of Affirmative Action. What's your take on this? 


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@triangle.128k
While investments and laws make sense, wouldn't mandated caste quotas and affirmative actiom create a reverse discrimination of a sort? I fail to see the morality of such an unmeritocratic act, especially considering that caste is already in decline. 
I'm a utilitarian. I don't care about "reverse discrimination" if it fights existing discrimination. Though I would make any affirmative action proportional to population in those regions, at least in the context of caste. And we probably need more innovative solutions than just affirmative action, since that's been the status quo for a really long time and I want to accelerate the pace of change. 

What makes you believe it wouldn't, or isn't already, escalating tensions? 
To some extent, it is, but in India, it's reached a point where it's politically impossible to oppose affirmative action and people have generally accepted it as a way of life. Affirmative action enjoys majority support and no major political party opposes it. 

Also, similar efforts in the United States end up discriminating against Americans with ancestry in India (given they call under the Asian category) - especially in the case of Affirmative Action. What's your take on this? 
I mean, affirmative action at Harvard only reduced Asian-American representation by 7% of what it would have otherwise been. I think, in the context of affirmative action, equally-qualified African-Americans and Latinx-Americans should be preferred to Asian-Americans (because Asian-Americans have much higher median incomes and higher success rates -- the purpose of affirmative action is utilitarian, to reduce net suffering); but Asian-Americans should be preferred to non-Latinx white Americans. It would exist in a multi-layered structure that is sort of similar to the status quo. I do think there's potentially a problem -- described by Tyler Cowen -- where universities discriminate against Asian-Americans and even prefer white individuals to Asian-Americans because white individuals are more likely to donate to these universities when they become alumni; that sort of discrimination is obviously shitty and I strongly oppose it. 
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@Tejretics
Could you tie your utilitarianism in with fighting descrimination with superficial class descrimination in addition to merit, circumstance, community, and other things with a basis in reality?
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@Plisken
I don't understand what this question means.
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@Tejretics
What exactly appeals to you about something like racism, and consequentially racial descrimination, for your stated goals such as reducing suffering?
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@Tejretics
How would you reform cultures that cause suffering in the world, such as Islamic culture, victim culture,  and welfare culture?
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@Plisken
Racism causes suffering. I want to reduce it. 
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@Greyparrot
I don't think the net effect of "welfare culture" or "Islamic culture" is suffering.

I dunno what you mean by "victim culture." 
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@Tejretics
Victim culture is the culture where people are raised to believe they have no agency, leading to a frustrating indentured life with little hope for change.

How would you reform these cultures to make them less harmful to society?

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@Tejretics
Allow me to clarify.  Racism is a belief.  I can't vouch for whether it causes harm to one's self.  I've had a pet dog though which I assume is similar to at least one form of racism, a symbiotic relationship with minimal suffering, so I find it doubtful that racism, and racist philosophy is equatable with suffering, although I believe it's very silly, and probably a result of disorder.  

Anyway, Could you tie your utilitarianism in with fighting descrimination with superficial class descrimination in addition to the alternatives like merit, circumstance, community, and other things with a basis in reality?  


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What exactly appeals to you about something like racism, and consequentially racial descrimination, for your stated goals such as reducing suffering?

I mean to convey through the implication that I am interested in explanation for the former, whilst acknowledging your apparant interest in alternatives as well.





20 days later

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@Tejretics
Who are your top three picks for the next U.S. president?

What is your least favorite policy position of the Democratic party?

Is there anything you agree with the Republican party on?

What is the #1 worst thing Trump has done so far?

Is there anything Trump has done so far that you support?

Is there any major U.S. political figure who you think would make a worse president than Trump? Who? Why?

On a 1-10 scale, how racist is the United States? 1 is the utopian ideal of zero racism. 10 is the height of the Jim Crow era.

Do you think it's possible to create enough well-paying jobs for everyone who wants to work?

Is it immoral to work for a company whose product is a net detriment to society?

Why do you keep asking for my opinions on stuff? I literally don't know anything.