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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   11694 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 11, 2025

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Ok, the weirdest part of the Wikipedia on the British Indian Ocean Territory is that its motto references Lemuria, an extremely outdated scientific theory that has connections to Theosophy.

But my understanding is that the most relevant element of the territorial dispute for people outside of Mauritius is that the territory nominally controls the .io country-code TLD. Geopolitical instability over British soverignty led to the mass exodus from .io domains.

The deal signed between the UK and Mauritius means that Mauritius will take control of the TLD; there was some doubt that it would continue to exist as a valid domain. We're definitely in a bizarre world where internet domain names are the subject of geopolitical disputes. But .su will bury us all.

Apparently the US also has military infrastructure on the islands, and Trump was a fan of the deal?

an extremely outdated scientific theory that has connections to Theosophy.

‘Scientific’.

Was lemuria ever a science hypothesis? I was under the impression that even back in the day it was ancient aliens tier.

Apparently the US also has military infrastructure on the islands, and Trump was a fan of the deal?

I highly doubt Mauritius is dumb enough to tell the US to take their base away.

Apparently the US also has military infrastructure on the islands, and Trump was a fan of the deal?

Trump probably figures the US can bully Mauritus much easier than it can bully the U.K. After all, there's little chance that Trump will be swayed by the scolding of some international court.

If he thinks that (and I’m not sure he does, America has been very anti the sale) then he’s an idiot. The UK is reflexively pro-America.

I realise this doesn’t sound correct to you, because the UK criticises America (especially Trump and MAGA) so much, but it’s still true. The UK sees its criticism as coming from a colleague in the same tent, and will never side with China or Russia or really any other power on a matter of serious geopolitics. All we ask for in return is some subsidies and some head pats but we will make do even without.

There are maniac Leftists of course, even in the government, but they hold no influence on these matters and they will certainly not support Russia/China over America.

I doubt the same is true of the Mauritius.

I doubt the same is true of the Mauritius.

I mean, if push comes to shove something like "y'know all those planes full of bombs we have sitting on the island we're leasing from you? the neat thing about bombs is that you can drop them absolutely anywhere!" seems like it would be a lot more effective on the Mauritanians than the Brits?

"Mauritanians could be here" he thought, "I've never been on this island before. There could be Mauritanians anywhere." Made in the USA reverberated his entire airbase, making it pulsate even as the $9 Billion subsidy circulated through his powerful thick military budget and washed away his (merited) fear of soviet aligned countries. "With bombs you can drop them anywhere you want" he said to himself, out loud.

I see you are a man of culture as well

this is, for me, hands-down meme of the year.

I realise this doesn’t sound correct to you, because the UK criticises America (especially Trump and MAGA) so much, but it’s still true. The UK sees its criticism as coming from a colleague in the same tent, and will never side with China or Russia or really any other power on a matter of serious geopolitics. All we ask for in return is some subsidies and some head pats but we will make do even without.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if europhiles in the UK would rather be part of Macron's vision of "Strategic autonomy" than America's junior partner when it comes to foreign policy(perhaps to the extent of preferring neutrality in the case of a Taiwan-based active conflict). Whether something like this ever happens is impossible to say but I don't think it's at all impossible, particularly if elite anti-America messaging continues at the same level of intensity.

There are maniac Leftists of course, even in the government, but they hold no influence on these matters and they will certainly not support Russia/China over America.

The forthcoming UK recognition of Palestine is I think an example that leftist anti-western opinion definitely has a role in UK policy-making.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if europhiles in the UK would rather be part of Macron's vision of "Strategic autonomy" than America's junior partner when it comes to foreign policy

Not a chance. Joining AUKUS was a giant middle finger to the French (who had been supplying the original contract) and a very visible symbol of allegiance to America over European integration. This is why DeGaulle tried to keep us out of the EU, he figured Anglo instincts would come to the fore.

preferring neutrality in the case of a Taiwan-based active conflict)

Neutrality maybe. But definitely not taking the Chinese side. More like our position re: Ukraine.

The forthcoming UK recognition of Palestine is I think an example that leftist anti-western opinion definitely has a role in UK policy-making.

I was going to have a sentence excluding that specifically but I mean global power politics between the big players. Being pro-Palestine is different, it’s going against US desires but it’s not siding with Russia or China except incidentally.

The U.K. is indeed pro-American, but if Trump figures he can just act as if the U.S. owns the place and Mauritus can suck it, that's even better, at least from Trump's perspective.

Maybe, though I think that's a mistake on his part. In any case it sounds like I misread you:

I realise this doesn’t sound correct to you

so apologies for that.

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