context

that's a what-about-ism, tankie

well if he were out there barefoot with an assault rifle in his pajamas he'd look ridiculous now wouldn't he?

i never noticed his bare feet before. ready for combat with the protestors, but not at all prepared to step outside of a clean swept floor to do so. hope those windows behind you never break, buddy.

thanks! no worries

please keep post titles informative and include a link to the source. you can quote scripture down in the comments.

thank you for clarifying again, because this means i didn't misinterpret. but maybe it's better to leave it up and try to explain more.

you seem to be a well meaning liberal. but you keep using the word "tribal" to be synonymous with "backwards and undeveloped." afghanistan and pakistan are not underdeveloped because they're tribal societies. rather, they're underdeveloped because of exploitation by imperialist countries throughout the past century or so. countries that notably justified their imperialist exploitation by claiming to bring modernity to the backwards tribal peoples they were exploiting. that's why your initial comment comes off as racist, you're basically insinuating that people exploited by imperialism are responsible for their own condition because their backwards ideas cause them to reject modernity.

"developing countries" are not underdeveloped, they are overexploited. the people are kept poor by exploitative trade relations that are enforced through imperialist violence. saying it's because they're "tribal" is just wrong, and is a notion rooted in subconscious white supremacy.

does that make sense? it's a ridiculous and racist comparison that you and neal stephenson are making. i don't think it's intentional on your part or his, but do please knock off the way you're using the word tribal.

thank you for clarifying, i've restored your comment. i apologize for misinterpreting.

fuck you, what shitty joke?

seems like you're probably intending some kind of ironic "bringing modernity to the imperial core" thing, but it's coming across as ironic white man's burden, and ironic racism is just racism. please refrain.

true, the problem is really that i'm a useless apparatchik

but of course!