Taking in some rapey savage from a remote tribe that despises our civilization and does everything to undermine it, investing him with rights that we conceptualized and defended and that are the same rights this savage doesn’t recognize within his own tribe, and then tying ourselves in knots to respect the savage’s possession of these rights no matter what the cost to ourselves is a ridiculous, self-sabotaging pastime with no value.
Yes, I’m talking about Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram. But it’s not just him. It’s the principle of the thing. It often looks like we are scouring the world in search of ululating barbarians to drag over and then defend them in spite of everything they do to show how much they despise us. It’s some sort of a weird masochism where we most love those who want us to die.
Clarissa's Blog 
Dear Clarissa, I agree with your points in the second paragraph of your post, but for the life of me I’m unable to see what Mr Durov has done specifically to deserve the opprobrium you are heaping on him.
I’ve searched the Infernet for more details of his crimes, but the only really suspicious thing I was able to unearth is the dubious (specious?) legitimacy with which he acquired French citizenship, thereby becoming “Paul du Rove” in his French passport.
LikeLike
He works for the FSB. There’s no other scenario under which he’d be allowed to control the platform where 99% of Russian war-related communications take place. As such, he’s directly enabling the war whose openly declared goal is the collapse of US dominance in the world. As a citizen of the US, I’m against this.
Leaving this aside, though, why should we look for dirt on this dude instead of waiting for information on how he benefited our countries? How has he proven his usefulness to us? Shouldn’t the burden be on him? Why are we extending to him the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” which he’d never extend to us?
LikeLike
So why do we continue to support Israel then, with its rapey military, rapey politicians, and rapey-apologist religion? You never quite solved this one. There must be a reason why all indicted rapists flee to Israel at the earliest opportunity.
When you do, you’ll see why rights are important, no matter whether the “tribe” is “savage” or not.
LikeLike
I had never heard of this dude, nor of Telegram, before two days ago. Who is this “we” trying to defend him?
LikeLike