China's mass surveillance and digital dystopia have been exaggerated or just made up in many pieces of Western reporting.

Is there anything worth reading on which of these have been debunked? I remember reading on the Chinese social credit score system for example.
Article on the social credit score

brookings.edu/blog/order-fro…
Good article on the limits of China's supposed surveillance state.

palladiummag.com/2018/11/29/a-w…
"The infrastructure needed to understand and to interpret—including transparent institutions and well-aligned incentives—is very different from the equipment needed to collect data."

the-american-interest.com/2020/03/30/the…

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More from @SamoBurja

17 Oct
Article Super-Thread 📲

Many new followers largely miss the essays that brought us here, as these things fall victim to the passing of time.

To combat this, here is a super-thread of all of my essays, which are also always online at: samoburja.com/essays/

1/n
Why was Obama elected president in 2008? Social media? Cultural changes? His personal fortitude?

To answer this question is to reveal your implicit theory of history: samoburja.com/on-building-th…

2/n
My research focuses on the people who have had the most impact on society and history.

We call those people Great Founders, those who founded exceptionally functional and long-lived institutions, affecting society long after they are gone: samoburja.com/great-founder-…

3/n
Read 9 tweets
15 Oct
@Aella_Girl From observing happy couples:

It should be someone who has a thorough mastery of your social world. Who doesn't need it. You switch social worlds with him to a wider one where you both thrive.

1/2
@Aella_Girl Given the above as the assumption:

1. Check the edge of communities that share your values. Either a new entrant, a heretic or just geographically distant.

2/3
@Aella_Girl 2. He should be liked by most in community, while honestly and jovially ignoring something usually important to it. Coin some questions and ask around for who might make such an impression

3. Debate your values while paying attention to body sensations. Check if he cracks.

3/3
Read 4 tweets
14 Oct
Super-Thread 📲

Far more people watch YouTube than like to admit. Not a bad thing! It has facilitated a revolution in the transfer of knowledge: samoburja.com/the-youtube-re…

Here is a thread of all my videos, organized as an overview on how I see the world and where it is going

1/n
Everyone has an implicit theory of history. Usually inconsistent and incoherent without explication and conscious work, it will nonetheless be the basis of much of your action in the world. With this concept in mind, what is yours?

Watch here:

2/n
What is the best methodology to learn something as vast and cross-disciplinary as history?

In this video, we try to bridge the gap from the overwhelming amount of historical facts to a coherent story of what actually happened. Watch here:

3/n
Read 65 tweets
12 Oct
Nearly 10,000 followers!

It is amazing nearly everyone that comments participates in good faith and an eagerness to learn. Grateful! Thank you! 😄

One of the best parts of orienting my thinking towards the public has been learning from those who write to me. Keep it up✊
Some of the things learned on road to 10k:

You don't have to fit into a neat box after all.

My interests are origin of science, industrial policy, political theory, history of civilization, long lived institutions... and our corner of twitter somehow gets this about me!

1/4
If you love discussing ideas in person, and they use twitter, tweets @ each other make for good bookmarks to follow up in person.

When you link something in email people skip, when you link it on Twitter they read.

2/4
Read 5 tweets
5 Sep
Thinking biological immortality makes things meaningless is cope, but a very human cope. We're stuck mortal so we make the most of these rationalizations.

1/4
To say old age isn't worth it because of frailty is evading the real argument. To equate immortality with being unable to die even if you wish is also evading the real argument.

2/4
A piece of evidence on underlying human preferences: At every opportunity to extend our health-span we do so. Healthy chosen very long, possibly infinite, life coincides very closely with people's revealed preferences.

3/4
Read 7 tweets
30 Aug
1 like = One contrarian evaluation of the relative advantages of the United States and China.
1. The United States has a more centralized government than China.

A governor of a Chinese province or mayor of major city has more autonomy than the governor or even state legislature of a US state.

The Party is heavy-handed because it contests real local opponents.
2. The average Chinese citizen is more effectively skeptical of the Chinese government than the typical American citizen is of the US government.

They understand the distinction between official positions and real evaluations.

See online comment sections.
Read 18 tweets

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