• filoria@lemmy.mlOP
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    8 months ago

    The absolute horror of research in Antarctica. Clearly a sign of colonial intent.

    • I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I try to stay away from conspiracies so I haven’t gone down the rabbit hole too much, but there have been some weird things going on in Antarctica the last few years. Lots of visits from a ton of different heads of state for no officially stated reasons, civilian ships being turned away from certain areas, numerous reports of military aircraft flying around.

      Like I said, I try not to dig into conspiracies too much, but this one sticks out to me. Maybe it’s just because it reminds me of the pre-2016 days when conspiracy theories were fun to think about because they involved stuff like aliens and bigfoot. Now, every conspiracy is just some nonsense political BS that’s clearly trying to push a message.

      • PorkRoll@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Modern day conspiracies are so shit because they’re all like 2 degrees removed from some antisemetic bullshit. The flat earth conspiracy has been hijacked by neonazis for fucks same.

    • Thrillhouse@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      It is just common sense. Nations never do things for just one reason. Possession is 9/10ths of the law - if they fill Antarctica with their facilities they can later claim they have so many facilities they should just govern Antarctica. Not a bad strategic move in times of global warming.

      • aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social
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        8 months ago

        There are dozens of research stations. Argentina has 14. The US also has 5 research stations and makes up one quarter of the summer population (China makes up 4%). Don’t see any articles hand-wringing about US ambitions in the region, for some reason.

        • Thrillhouse@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Yeah because the US is the ally of my country. Geopolitically if you’re from a BRICS nation it’s not a concern. NATO and 5 eyes nations aren’t supportive of an ambitious China expanding influence and territory.

        • set_secret@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Australia has already claimed 42% of the continent fwiw. yes when climate change makes the rest of the world unliveable Aus 2.0 is waiting just down the road.

    • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Where does this association that all things bad and colonialism must always be one-in-the-same? If it’s not colonialism, it must not be bad. If it’s not bad, it must not be colonialism.

      Regardless, the solution to the problem is fairly simple. The American stations, at least, are somewhat multinational, people from all over can go there. Perhaps they could invite foreigners to do work as well?

      • carl_marks[use name]@lemmy.ml
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        8 months ago

        The American stations, at least, are somewhat multinational, people from all over can go there. Perhaps they could invite foreigners to do work as well?

        Where do you get the info that China isn’t inviting foreigners?

        China’s Qinling Station in Antarctica, the country’s fifth research station on the continent, started operation on Wednesday. The research facility is expected to help enhance mankind’s scientific understanding of Antarctica, provide a platform for China to cooperate with other countries in scientific expeditions and promote peace and sustainable development in the region, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

        https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202402/1306895.shtml

        Also American research sites aren’t somewhat open either. They kicked out the Chinese from the ISS…

        • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I don’t know if they are or are not inviting foreigners. However, I do know that inviting them and allowing them full access to the station would put national security concerns to rest.

          I was talking about American antarctic stations, not all American research sites. Though I’m now curious what the reasoning was for the ISS kick.

          • davel [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            What national security concerns? Antarctica is on the other side of the planet. China isn’t going to invade the US from there, so I’m not especially concerned for my safety.

            • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              The article cited signals intelligence. I’m not with the NSA or anything, so I’m pretty much just going off the article.

          • carl_marks[use name]@lemmy.ml
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            8 months ago

            Your comment implied they weren’t thats why I asked. Especially since the Chinese are in fact inviting foreigners as per their foreign ministry.

            Though I’m now curious what the reasoning was for the ISS kick.

            Iirc it was the same national security bs

            • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Do we have invitees accounts of that, or just the word of a governmental body?

              National security is a legitimate concern, hand-waving it away as just “bs” is not a very practical attitude.

              • carl_marks[use name]@lemmy.ml
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                8 months ago

                Do we have invitees accounts of that, or just the word of a governmental body?

                The word of a governmental body that has been consistent in their foreign policy and also accounts of other research projects: Why Some Scientists Choose China’s Space Station for Research - NYT Also the station is opened not even a month…

                I see you moving goal posts. You’re not even doing basic research and implying that there’s no invites for international cooperation going out. How about you back up your initial claim that they aren’t or at least edit your post?

                National security is a legitimate concern

                For rubes, as anything can be a national security concern. Anything can be used dualy (militarily and civilian)

                • Candelestine@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  In other words no, just the words of the governmental body. My goalpost there has been pretty consistent. I’m not tossing any accusations whatsoever, despite apparently offending you. Just pointing out that national security concerns can be alleviated, there is a viable, diplomatic path forward for that. Since I am not an expert on the subject matter, I simply do not know if that has been attempted in earnest or not. I’m just being cautious before simply giving completely blanket trust to a country, I’m withholding my judgement and not yet forming an opinion.

                  No, not anything. Studies on, oh, let’s say emperor penguins would be difficult to militarize. Or, atmospheric studies using ice cores. But many things, yes. Hand-waving them away and tossing casual insults about it is silly regardless.

  • CascadeOfLight [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    8 months ago

    It’s concerning because they’re approaching a certain mountain range of unusual height and blasphemous age, dotted here and there with strange Cyclopean stone blocks and cave mouths of unusual regularity… at all costs, they must not investigate those mountains of madness!

    • rando895@lemmygrad.ml
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      8 months ago

      How sneaky of them trying to exist. They should make their ambitions more clear like 'Merica does with their desire to dominate the world as the de facto international police force.

  • Nobody@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    China is threatening the West’s strategic penguin reserves. This cannot be allowed to stand.

  • carl_marks[use name]@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    “I wouldn’t read too much into it until they have a more permanent and sustainable presence in the region… It’s more symbolic than anything. At the moment, it does not represent any strategic pivot beyond the regions China wants to go,” he added.

    Said Prof Ho: “While it is certainly possible for the Chinese to use these bases for strategic geopolitical purposes, I would not think the Antarctic is top of their list, given they have other domestic priorities like their economy to think about.”

    But the White Paper does not constitute an official Antarctic policy and there is no telling when such a policy, serving as a guide for China’s actions, may be put out, said Associate Professor Liu Nengye at Singapore Management University’s Yong Pung How School of Law.

    Since 2013, Beijing has proposed to establish an Antarctic Specially Managed Area around Kunlun station, which would allow China to maintain more stringent environmental protection of the surrounding space of potentially thousands of square kilometres. Such proposals have to be approved by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, which consists of 29 countries including Russia, the United Kingdom, the US and China.

    While the Madrid Protocol permits such an area, the proposal received pushback from other governments, including the US, which questioned China’s motives.

    There are currently seven such areas, of which two are managed by the US, one by Australia and the remaining four jointly managed by countries including Brazil, Poland, Chile and India.