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Update on the Scottish Dual-Wielding Incident:
The BBC has now published a brief but informative report on the Scottish “dual-wielding” incident, mostly relaying statements from the local police. If you missed the story: a Bulgarian couple, male and female, were approached by local youths in St Ann Lane, Lochee, at about 7:40 pm on Saturday. At some point, an axe made an appearance. The police have issued a statement, and the BBC, in a notably careful choice of words, clarifies: “BBC News understands that officers have found no evidence to substantiate claims being made online the youths were at risk of sexual assault.”
Of course, I have every confidence that some corners of the internet, including select denizens of The Motte, will find this hopelessly unconvincing. If your current epistemic stance is “If she floats, she’s a witch; if she sinks, she’s a witch,” then no combination of facts, logic, or official statements will ever suffice. If your model of the world is that everyone is lying except you and your Telegram group, my ability to shift your priors is probably limited.
Still, let me offer my own semi-informed perspective as someone who is, if not a local, at least more familiar with the Scottish context than your average Redditor. From the beginning, both /r/Scotland and /r/Dundee expressed skepticism toward the popular Twitter narrative. You know the one: a pair of wide-eyed local waifs accosted by a “brown pervert,” who then had no choice but to brandish medieval weaponry in righteous self-defense. You can practically hear the John Williams score.
Now, Scotland is not short on delinquent youth. The British white underclass is, in fact, legendary for its supply of teenage hooligans. Here in Scotland, the local taxonomic label is “ned.” While “non-educated delinquent” is probably a post hoc invention, the behavioral phenotype is easily identified. There is a rich ecosystem of teenagers hanging around bus stops, acting tough, and performing questionable antics. One of their favorite tactics, if challenged, is to shout “pedophile” at the nearest authority figure, thus flipping the script from “annoying brat” to “potential victim.” This tends to work, at least until they age out of the game and (statistically) either get jobs or fall prey to Dundee’s prodigious drug scene.
On the question of weaponry, it bears repeating that it is illegal in Scotland to carry anything that even vaguely resembles a weapon for self-defense. For the Americans in the audience, this is not Texas. Not only is it illegal, it is also, in local context, not normal to walk around with an axe. While I actually find this arrangement not to my libertarian sensibilities, that's neither here nor there. My own priors, which seem to match those of most actual Scots I’ve spoken to, lean toward a more mundane explanation. The girl went out carrying because she wanted to impress her boyfriend, or at least to raise her standing among her peers. She might have been looking for trouble, or simply wanted to show off, and twelve is not too young to have social status games on your mind. Puberty isn’t the only thing that comes early in these parts.
I can only reiterate that an axe is not normal to carry, even if one feels threatened. A pocket knife? I can understand, sure. But this is about as 'extra' as taking a hand-grenade to a seedy pub.
As for the “migrant crime” angle, I want to point out that Scotland is not England, and certainly not Rotherham. The “migrant problem” is much less pronounced here. Outside Edinburgh or Glasgow, brown skin is still a curiosity, more likely to prompt a friendly question than suspicion. Most of the time, it’s just an excuse for conversation. Scotland has its own problems, but racialized sexual predation is not at the top of the list.
I would like to believe that this clarification settles things, but I am also not naïve. If your epistemic filter is tuned to maximum paranoia, then the absence of evidence is merely further evidence of a cover-up. For everyone else, the police statement, local skepticism, and sociological context should nudge your priors at least a little.
Of course, if you prefer your axes in the hands of twelve-year-olds fighting imaginary Bulgarian sex pests, I suppose nothing I write will convince you otherwise.
Corvos
4hr ago
I am terribly sorry for what has happened to you and your family, and I wish you all the best as the situation develops.
I wonder if you would find it helpful to read VALIS by Philip K Dick, the famous science fiction author, who began experiencing mystical/schizophrenic delusions in his later life.
The book is a very thinly veiled exploration of Dick’s own mental state, and his constant struggle to reconcile his rational understanding that he is deluded with his schizophrenic certainty that all of it is true.
I haven’t read it for a long time but you might find it illuminating or humanising.
Tenaz
4hr ago
It sounds like what you're saying is that there needs to be a difference of type, not just "amount", between us and God?
I disagree that omnipotence is just "more powerful" than me. It's definitionally different. It's not that God can accomplish a million times what I can with one one-millionth the effort; he can accomplish infinitely more than me with zero effort. There's no amount of strength or power that will get you there.
To me the difference between morally perfect, and very good, is the same. There's still an infinite gap between "sins every few decades" and "never sins," let alone God's positive virtues.
Anyways you're interpreting what I said as a definition. I didn't give you a definition of God, I gave you who he is--how I identify him. I don't have a definition for you any more than I have a definition of my dad. I can tell you what traits I believe God has, but my internal definition is subordinate to reality. Perhaps if I were infallible it would not be, but I'm not God.
If your God is not Truth, then I do not worship him.
Right, and if my god turns out to be the correct one--someone who means "I am the truth" in any but the most painstakingly, autistically literal way--then you won't worship him?
I still want a straight answer here. Or at least a "I can't possibly be wrong" so that we can end this conversation.
AvocadoPanic
4hr ago
I've been reading some of the literature.
It seems late onset schizophrenia is more prevalent in women and there may be a hormonal connection as there is with many things in women.
I'm trying not to obsess, but I've been a bit hypervigilant for the past couple weeks.
WhiningCoil
Ghost of Quokka's Future
4hr ago
I'd almost guess some sort of early onset dementia?
ToaKraka
Dislikes you
4hr ago
Any advice on what to do?
The huge container ports on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River are fairly cool. (Read The Box to learn about their history.)
ABigGuy4U
4hr ago
Full disclosure I just hate the government and have no libertarian biases.
Thirty-on-thirty-on-thirty
lagrangian
4hr ago
Going to explore New York (city) for a week or two (starting ~now). Any advice on what to do? Anyone around and want to grab a beer?
OracleOutlook
Fiat justitia ruat caelum
4hr ago
it's not like any other human being is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, or omniscient.
Ok, but there are some humans who are more powerful than you, there are some humans who are more good than you, there are some humans who know more than you. Do you worship them in this capacity? Is being stronger, smarter, and nicer than a human what distinguishes God to you above, say, your mom?
quiet_NaN
5hr ago
I am sorry, I was referring to your analogy between SJ and super-rabies with the outright statement that for the latter murdering the infected would be acceptable.
Of course, I did not pay close enough attention to your disclaimer:
(None of these are exactly my own views. This is an ironman post.)
So feel free to reapply my label to the fictitious person who would make that kind of overton-breaking argument in earnest instead.
AvocadoPanic
5hr ago
47
My therapist said schizophrenia, or BPD / bi-polar. She asked for the emails and chat logs I have. I'll see her again this week and give her the logs and emails.
WhiningCoil
Ghost of Quokka's Future
5hr ago
I mean, personally I've always enjoyed some online game nights with old friends in far flung parts. For a time we were pretty good about playing older games we all grew up with. Dooms, Quakes, StarCraft, etc. It can be very comforting to slip into adolescent activities with old friends.
If old friends are in short supply, I'm always down for some random internet fun.
AvocadoPanic
5hr ago
High spirits are in short supply.
Our church has been very supportive.
Our oldest made a local swim team, his siblings are going to swim at the same location as part of their club program. It'll keep them and me busy several nights a week.
I'm open to suggestions.
Ioper
5hr ago
He posted on Elon main account Sending codes on Elons main account that I would understand
This sounds like a textbook case of schizophrenia, no? How old is she?
WhiningCoil
Ghost of Quokka's Future
5hr ago
My condolences. I can scarcely imagine the waking horror you now inhabit. Do you have any outlets to keep your spirits high?
I worship Truth. If your God is not Truth, then I do not worship him. Fortunately, Jesus said "I am... the Truth," so I'm happily a Christian.
Right, and if my god turns out to be the correct one--someone who means "I am the truth" in any but the most painstakingly, autistically literal way--then you won't worship him?
What is God to you? I still don't understand. What differentiates him from another human being?
I don't have a definition of God any more than I have a fully comprehensive definition of any person, place, or thing on Earth. He's my omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient creator. The precise mechanics of my beliefs about his divine nature are comparatively unimportant, and certainly not a measuring stick I'll use to denounce the real God if it turns out I was wrong in some particular.
But yeah, I mean, it's not like any other human being is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, or omniscient. There's really not any possibility for confusion here unless you willfully misunderstand alternatives to your own framework. And it's not like any person or alien is capable of becoming any of those things either.
ArjinFerman
Tinfoil Gigachad
5hr ago
TL;DR: The battlefield to defeat SJP is the marketplace of ideas.
Tell me, why are we here, and not on Reddit?
RoyGBivensAction
Zensunni Scientologist
5hr ago
I don't think any NGO was involved, that part was the joke, but honestly at this point nothing woupd surprise me.
I don't think an NGO was involved, but the media kerfluffle appeared to be an attempt to kick off the racial reckoning (that didn't fully work; they got the formula right with Floyd).
OracleOutlook
Fiat justitia ruat caelum
5hr ago
I understand - double agents often make the ultimate sacrifice.
The_Nybbler
If you win the rat race you're still a rat. But you're also still a winner.
5hr ago
I am not privy to that information.
RoyGBivensAction
Zensunni Scientologist
5hr ago
I hope you all appreciate the sacrifice I made to explain the joke.
Thank you for your service. Of course, you still won't be spared in the purge of Tumblrites...
WhiningCoil
Ghost of Quokka's Future
5hr ago
The UK has the best hay people. Everybody knows it. They said many years ago "The UK will have the best hay people" and I said "No, I want America to have the best hey people". But it's better this way, I'll let the UK have the best hay people. Just this one time. Maybe I'll tariff their hay people, I don't know. What do you think?
Thanks for the recommendation.
My library says I should have the ebook in ~2 weeks.
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