Above all, we should acknowledge that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century.

Initially Socrates claims that rhetoric falls short of being a genuine art (τέχνη) for two reasons. (1) It has no concern for the good of the audience, specifically for the best condition or “health” of their souls. And (2) it cannot give a rational account (λόγος) of both the nature of the soul and the methods whereby it gratifies or “flatters” the soul.

Matt Taibbi writes about Canada’s Online Harms Act (C-63) which provides $20,000 bounties for those who turn in those who are successfully prosecuted for “Hate Speach”:

this is where it trips over into as yet unimagined dystopian territory. If the courts believe you are likely to commit a ‘hate crime’ or disseminate ‘hate propaganda’ (not defined), you can be placed under house arrest and your ability to communicate with others restricted. That is, a court can force you to wear an ankle bracelet, prevent you using any of your communication devices and then instruct you not to leave the house. If the court believes there’s a risk you may get drunk or high and start tweeting under the influence – although how is unclear, given you can’t use your phone or a PC – it can order you to submit regular urine samples to the authorities. Anyone who refuses to comply with these diktats can be sent to prison.

Doomberg describes how government technicalities has resulting in 6 generators in the UK switching from coal to wood:

By government decree, burning wood no longer produces more CO2 than burning coal. It apparently produces no CO2 whatsoever, at least according to the carbon counters in Brussels and London—surprisingly convenient for those in the burning business instructed to care about CO2 emissions. Not actual CO2 emissions, of course, just the ones the government has decided to count