Interesting Links for 19-03-2023

[andrewducker]

1. Scientists develop a 'cosmic concrete' that is twice as strong as regular concrete, made with potato starch. Even better than the one they made from blood and urine

(tags:materials mars concrete viaDanielDWilliam blood potato wtf )

2. 'Mutual free movement' for UK and EU citizens supported by up to 84% of Brits

(tags:polls UK Europe migration )

3. Russia Wants a Long War: The West Needs to Send Ukraine More Arms, More Quickly

(tags:Russia Ukraine )

4. Across the world, politicians are scapegoating LGBT people to distract from their own failures

(tags:LGBT bigotry )

Comments

[hairyears]

It's disturbing that Russia appears to be adapting to a long war: whatever the public perception might have been, a year ago, economic and demographic analysis suggested that Russia was far less able to sustain a long war than Ukraine.

Tha sanctions have been extremely damaging. The manpower losses - both the caualties and the emigration of eligible men - are exacerbating Russia's demographic spiral.

But...

These processes are slow and we are now seeing an 'Iraq Effect' in which sanctions strenthen the regime's grip on a shrinking economy.

An increasingly criminal and corrupt economy, which is a surprising thing to say about Russia: I would not have believed that the place could get even worse without collapsing. I guess that a country on a war footing has unusual resources available for maintaining control and cohesion...

...Which brings us to propaganda, politics, and internal repression: tight control of the media and the exile of large numbers of the most intelligent and propaganda-resistant men (and women) is changing Russian society.

[andrewducker]

And it looks like they're managing it with the help of China, which is worrying.