Jan Broersen

Posting about AI, philosophy, politics, climate, logic, music, and film. Professor of Philosophy, Logic, and AI at Utrecht University.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

De huidige VS is natuurlijk wel het allerlaatste land waar je een WK voetbal zou moeten houden. MAGA pruimt al die buitenlanders en (vooral) die Europese etnisch gemengde teams niet. En Amerikanen vinden voetbal woke. Ik roep nog een keer de vermaarde column uit 2014 van de rechtse influencer avant la lettre Ann Coulter in herinnering. Zeer vermakelijk. Zomaar even een stukje eruit:

"I resent the force-fed aspect of soccer. The same people trying to push soccer on Americans are the ones demanding that we love HBO's "Girls," light-rail, Beyonce and Hillary Clinton. The number of New York Times articles claiming soccer is "catching on" is exceeded only by the ones pretending women's basketball is fascinating.".

https://t.co/A0rJb5GrFw

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

Dat ze racistisch zijn, geloof ik. Al is het voor sommigen deels onbewust. Maar openlijk racisme kan natuurlijk niet bij het WK, want dan moeten ze 2/3 van de deelnemers en betrokkenen weigeren. De huidige VS is natuurlijk wel het allerlaatste land waar je een WK voetbal zou moeten houden. Amerikanen vinden voetbal sowieso woke.

[(TCAG) Командир Бред Кроуфорд (CDR Brad Crawford) @evo1tactical]

Good morning to all the NAFO supporters, Ukraine supporters, volunteers, donors, journalists, and everyone around the world who still believes this fight matters.

As I sit here drinking my coffee, roughly 50 or less kilometers from the front, I want to say something that has been bothering me for a long time.

I've spent the last four years in Ukraine. I've lived through missile strikes, air raids, power outages, and all the uncertainty that comes with living in a country at war. I've worked alongside Ukrainian soldiers, commanders, volunteers, and civilians. My job is not to be a frontline assault soldier.

My job is to train Ukrainian soldiers and leaders so they have a better chance of surviving, accomplishing their mission, and returning home to their families. That's what I've done for four years, and that's what I'll continue to do.

What I find amazing is that some of the loudest voices talking shit online have never spent a single day here. They've never sat in a shelter during an air raid. They've never watched a family say goodbye to a soldier heading to the front. They've never spent time with wounded soldiers in a hospital. They've never had a cruise missile hit their city. Yet somehow they think they're the authority on everything.

Now, let me be clear. Being in Ukraine does not automatically make someone right, and being outside Ukraine does not automatically make someone wrong. That's not the point. The point is respect. If someone has dedicated years of their life to helping this country, whether they're Ukrainian or foreign, military or civilian, volunteer or aid worker, maybe show a little damn respect before you start running your mouth.

What really gets old is these ridiculous popularity contests on social media. Some people spend more time picking teams and defending internet personalities than they do actually helping Ukraine. If you like somebody, great. If you don't like somebody, fine. But this constant mentality of "if my friend doesn't like that person, then I have to attack them too" is childish bullshit.

This isn't high school.

This isn't a fan club.

This isn't some competition to see who gets the most likes, followers, or attention.

There are people in this country losing their homes, their limbs, their families, and their lives. While that's happening, some people online are acting like they're competing for a social media championship belt.

Enough.

If someone is legitimately helping Ukraine, stop looking for reasons to destroy them because of personal grudges, gossip, social circles, or internet drama. You don't have to agree with everybody. You don't have to be friends with everybody. Hell, you don't even have to like everybody. But if they're genuinely helping Ukraine, maybe spend less time attacking them and more time focusing on the people actually trying to destroy this country.

Because the enemy isn't the volunteer delivering aid.

The enemy isn't the journalist reporting from Ukraine.

The enemy isn't the donor raising money.

The enemy isn't the advisor training soldiers.

The enemy isn't the person spending their free time advocating for Ukraine online.

The enemy is Russia's war against Ukraine.

Somewhere along the way, a lot of people forgot that.

The vast majority of Ukrainian soldiers are not on X arguing about internet drama. They're busy defending their country. They're sitting in trenches, manning positions, flying drones, and preparing for another day of war. When they do hear about this nonsense, most of them think it's ridiculous.

And honestly, so do I.

After four years here, I've learned one thing above all else: Ukraine does not need more division. It needs more unity. It needs people willing to work together, even when they disagree. It needs people focused on the mission, not on their egos.

So maybe it's time we all start acting like adults, stop the petty bullshit, and remember why we're here in the first place.

Слава Україні. Героям слава. 🇺🇦

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@ZwarteDuivel64 @sonjawillink @ShashiRoopram Mwhahh, ik vind je te negatief. Ik heb Nederland in 25 jaar behoorlijk rijk zien worden. Overal. In de steden en op het platteland (waar mijn familie woont en ik nog elke week kom).

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@sonjawillink @ShashiRoopram Het is de kruising van de Pieter van der Werfstraat en de Wigbolt Ripperdastraat in Nieuw-West (tegenwoordig, met AI, kun je zoiets relatief eenvoudig uitzoeken). Als ik in de buurt ben, neem ik voor de lol een foto en post die hier.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@sonjawillink @ShashiRoopram Ik zou misschien kunnen uitzoeken waar het is. En dan fiets ik er eens heen. De kans dat het er nu keurig uitziet, lijkt me groot.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

No, I do not think so. In my opinion, capitalism has little to do with it. Failing democracies do. The sociopath and malignant narcissist did not come into power because he was such a successful capitalist. To the contrary. He bankrupted 6 of his enterprises. He came into power because the failing US democratic system allows successful capitalists to buy influence and votes by owning the (social) media. That is not possible in our democratic system. And I am deeply grateful for that. I am also deeply grateful the EU is explicitly trying to limit the influence of big tech on our democratic processes.

[blue @bluewmist]

I'm finally reading Dune. This quote, which is in the first few pages, hits hard:

"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them."

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@elonmusk Then disavow white supremacy.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

It is sheer chutzpah for them to claim "Gross Violations of Democratic Procedures". Detaining and killing political opponents is not? Controlling the media and the internet is not? Putting people in jail for protesting a war is not?

[NEXTA @nexta_tv]

🤡 Russia Accuses Armenia of “Gross Violations of Democratic Procedures”

Zakharova claimed that the election was held under Western pressure and that the Armenian authorities had allegedly carried out repressions against the opposition and its supporters.

“All of this is a gross violation by Yerevan of democratic principles and the procedures of free elections,” said the Foreign Ministry’s chief booze spokeswoman.

Moscow also insists that Armenians want to maintain close ties with Russia and remain in the CSTO and the Eurasian Economic Union, while describing the country’s European ambitions as a “dead-end path.”

“The Armenian people are brotherly to us, and we wish them peace and prosperity,” the Foreign Ministry representative added.

Please, cry some more — Armenia’s self-proclaimed defenders of democracy. 😢

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@mhmck Excellent news. A first crack in the wall.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@anders_aslund It cannot. Wait a few years, and you will see.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@BohuslavskaKate Zelenskyy understands how to deal with the Kremlin. He is the right person at the right time in the right place. He is fully earning his place in history.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

Few seem to draw the correct lesson from this. If you support the side that looks strongest and not the side you know is right, you will eventually lose yourself. Always support the side that is right, do it quickly, and do not relinquish.

[Olga Lautman 🇺🇸🇺🇦 @OlgaNYC1211]

All I have to say is thank goodness that Ukraine is no longer reliant on the US and can strike Russia as it chooses without getting permission

[Suzie rizzio @Suzierizzo1]

This girl found out that the Albanian island that the Kushner’s are buying is registered in Amsterdam by Zvernic South Adriatic Development & it’s owned through a chain of Dutch Shell Companies & it’s managed by a trust office.They’re really trying to hide the owners names well.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@TKelnar @BohuslavskaKate If this is a still from the video, then I guess you are right.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@sonjawillink @ShashiRoopram Wat ik echt niet goed begrijp: wat wil iemand nu zeggen met zo'n filmpje? Dat de samenleving waarin we leven zo'n enorme klotezooi is? Kom op, zeg. Absolute onzin. Kijk goed om je heen. En ga eens naar een gemiddeld ander land en kijk daar goed om je heen.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@sonjawillink @ShashiRoopram Dat klopt. Ik woon in Oud-West, Staatsliedenbuurt. Maar ik kom door de hele stad. Op bezoek bij familie, kinderen, vrienden, scholen, collega's, etc. Meestal op de fiets. Nieuw-West ken ik ook goed. Dat is waar dit filmpje lijkt gemaakt.

[Jan Broersen @broudsov]

@sonjawillink @ShashiRoopram Als professor van ouders die niet meer opleiding hebben gehad dan de lagere school, en die weet wat het is om zware fysieke arbeid te verrichten, en die niets opheeft met moeilijkdoenerij, vermeende klassenverschillen, highbrow-cultuur en luxe, zou ik het wel moeten tegenkomen.