rendx

I think you're operating from a different definition of RJ than the author.

> As part of their restorative justice, the victim is forced to reconcile with their attacker. The attacker walks freely without punishment, whilst the victim is told to stop living in the past and to stop identifying with the pain.

And this clearly illustrates it. When you look at the article, she talks about how it is a necessity of the kind of restorative justice she is talking about not to require reconciliation, nor can it operate with any level of force or demand participation. It's even there in the shorter excerpt.

Interview with her and her sister on her personal background stories: https://portside.org/2020-04-06/radical-work-healing-fania-a...

EFRJ Briefing Paper On The Use Of Restorative Justice In Cases Of Violence Against Women: https://www.euforumrj.org/efrj-briefing-paper-use-restorativ...

"The EFRJ drafted a briefing paper aiming to address key aspects of restorative justice and its application in cases of violence against women, such as sexual and domestic violence. It seeks to clarify concerns, highlight evidence-based practices, and emphasise the need for safeguards and high-quality standards to ensure restorative justice processes are safe, voluntary, and empowering for victims."

Keenan, M., Bonini, V., Martin, D., Haarländer, A., & Dev-Halonen, A. (2025). Domestic Violence and Restorative Justice: Responding to Feminist Concerns. The International Journal of Restorative Justice. https://doi.org/10.5553/TIJRJ-000228

"This article examines feminist concerns for restorative justice in cases of domestic violence in what is a divided feminist landscape. Primary concerns focus on the potential risks for victim participation, given the power imbalances involved; whether informed consent can ever be reliably given, given the potential for victim manipulation by perpetrators; and whether restorative justice could lead to the re-privatisation of domestic violence, something feminists have long fought to change. […] Having examined the feminist critique of restorative justice in domestic violence we conclude that the risks and concerns identified can be addressed and mitigated by restorative justice practices and processes."

Interview with the ex-Vice Minister of Justice in Colombia:

"In the context of large-scale and systemic conflict, restorative justice must focus on the experience of victims, not only on their pain, but also on their capacity to process and address that suffering. It is important that these initiatives do not divide society into rigid categories of those who have caused the violence and those who have suffered from it, as there are many sectors that do not fit neatly into these categories. People may have participated in the conflict through their discourses, practices or ideas, or they may have been affected in different ways by the actions of others. There is therefore a need to move beyond this simplistic view and to develop social dialogue systems that allow for a holistic approach to addressing harm."

https://www.euforumrj.org/interview-camilo-eduardo-umana-her...

I read a lot of heavy stuff, but this collection of quotes makes me sick to my stomach.

And even more so: how this inhumane, perverted treatment of fellow human beings, regardless of whether you fantasize/reason that DOGE does net good for the planet, finds no mention yet in the comments here, at all. To add to that, these are people who have spent much of their life in public service, for the benefit of society.

To be honest, I don't even know what is worse; the quotes, or that.

Is it really so hard to just read what somebody writes without reading something into it that just isn't there? When in doubt, simply ask, no need to insinuate.

Cecil, C. A. M., & Nigg, J. T. (2022). Epigenetics and ADHD: Reflections on Current Knowledge, Research Priorities and Translational Potential. Molecular diagnosis & therapy, 26(6), 581–606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40291-022-00609-y

"The convincing evidence for genes as risk factors for ADHD does not exclude the environment as a source of etiology. The fact that twin estimates of heritability are less than 100% asserts quite strongly that environmental factors must be involved. ADHD’s heritability is high, and that estimate encompasses gene by environment interaction. Thus, it is possible that such interactions will account for much of ADHD’s etiology. Environmental risk factors likely work through epigenetic mechanisms, which have barely been studied in ADHD [148]. The importance of the environment can also be seen in the fact that, as for other complex genetic disorders, much of ADHD’s heritability is explained by SNPs in regulatory regions rather than coding regions [149]."

Faraone, S. V., & Larsson, H. (2019). Genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Molecular psychiatry, 24(4), 562–575. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0070-0

https://williamjbarry.substack.com/p/the-first-1000-days

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/looking-in-the-cultu...

"Although many twin studies have been conducted (which is quite an understatement; there are almost 9,000 hits for “twin study” on PubMed!), there have long been critics who argue that they are scientifically worthless."

Smith, Jinkinson. (2020). The debate over twin studies: an overview. http://dx.doi.org/10.22541/au.159674847.78026661

"Because heritability is defined by both genetic and environmental influences, it is not a fixed characteristic of a disease or trait, but a population-specific estimate, analogous to, for example, the mean height, cholesterol level or life expectancy in a population. It also cannot be interpretated at the family or individual level."

Kaprio J. (2012). Twins and the mystery of missing heritability: the contribution of gene-environment interactions. Journal of internal medicine, 272(5), 440–448. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2012.02587.x

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/looking-in-the-cultu...

"Although many twin studies have been conducted (which is quite an understatement; there are almost 9,000 hits for “twin study” on PubMed!), there have long been critics who argue that they are scientifically worthless."

Smith, Jinkinson. (2020). The debate over twin studies: an overview. http://dx.doi.org/10.22541/au.159674847.78026661

"Because heritability is defined by both genetic and environmental influences, it is not a fixed characteristic of a disease or trait, but a population-specific estimate, analogous to, for example, the mean height, cholesterol level or life expectancy in a population. It also cannot be interpretated at the family or individual level."

Kaprio J. (2012). Twins and the mystery of missing heritability: the contribution of gene-environment interactions. Journal of internal medicine, 272(5), 440–448. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2012.02587.x

In an "original" definition, manipulation literally means "to move". In that sense, we all manipulate. We move.

The two combined together: You're allowed to "move". You are broadly "allowed" to "manipulate" in that sense. If you add lies, deceit, etc, you're in territory others might not find acceptable, and will in turn reject you or remove you from their lives.

If you feel bad about your "success" but can't see why on a rational level, you may want to remember how your parents or other people growing up treated you. Can you find some childhood memories related to this? Potentially "adverse" experiences related to "manipulation" around you?

"Prolonged trauma in childhood, however, can produce severe identity disturbances that may interfere with the encoding and later retrieval of personal semantic and autobiographical event information. […] In light of our accumulating empirical and theoretical understanding, genuine recovered memory experiences no longer appear as bizarre or counter-intuitive as they have been painted by those who are skeptical of their occurrence. The field has not been well-served by much of the existing literature, which has uncritically embraced a variety of myths, logical errors, and false assumptions, and adopted a simplistic approach to what are complex and fascinating memory phenomena […]"

Brewin, C.R. (2012). A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Recovered Memory Experiences. In: Belli, R. (eds) True and False Recovered Memories. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, vol 58. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1195-6_5

The Rise and Fall of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation (2020)

https://news.isst-d.org/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-false-memor...

"Debates are frequently characterised by people hunkering down with theoretical rigidity and engaging in ad hominin attack, rather than using scientific debate to further knowledge"

I don't see how "outright cranks", "debunked ideas", are a constructive way to engage in such discussions. You asked for professional opinions, I provided professional opinions. You provided nothing.

Chu, J. A., Frey, L. M., Ganzel, B. L., & Matthews, J. A. (1999). Memories of childhood abuse: dissociation, amnesia, and corroboration. The American journal of psychiatry, 156(5), 749–755. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.156.5.749

"Higher dissociative symptoms were correlated with early age at onset of physical and sexual abuse and more frequent sexual abuse. A substantial proportion of participants with all types of abuse reported partial or complete amnesia for abuse memories. For physical and sexual abuse, early age at onset was correlated with greater levels of amnesia."

Boyer, S. M., Caplan, J. E., & Edwards, L. K. (2022). Trauma-Related Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders:: Neglected Symptoms with Severe Public Health Consequences. Delaware journal of public health, 8(2), 78–84. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2022.05.010

"Dissociative amnesia is characterized by gaps in autobiographical memory beyond normal forgetting, that may range from one experience to several years."

Ehlers, A., & Clark, D. M. (2000). A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour research and therapy, 38(4), 319-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(99)00123-0

etc

> also says awareness of climate change causes trauma, which it does not

Albrecht, G., Sartore, G.-M., Connor, L., Higginbotham, N., Freeman, S., Kelly, B., Stain, H., Tonna, A., & Pollard, G. (2007). Solastalgia: the distress caused by environmental change. Australasian Psychiatry, 15(Suppl 1), S95–S98. https://doi.org/10.1080/10398560701701288.

Cunsolo, A., & Ellis, N. R. (2018). Ecological grief as a mental health response to climate change-related loss. Nature Climate Change, 8, 275–281. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0092-2.

Usher, K., Durkin, J., & Bhullar, N. (2019). Eco-anxiety: How thinking about climate change-related environmental decline is affecting our mental health. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 28(6), 1233–1234. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12673.

Coffey, Y., Bhullar, N., Durkin, J., Islam, S., Usher, K. (2021). Understanding Eco-anxiety: A Systematic Scoping Review of Current Literature and Identified Knowledge Gaps, The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 3, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100047.

Walinski, A., Sander, J., Gerlinger, G., Clemens, V., Meyer-Lindenberg, A., & Heinz, A. (2023). The Effects of Climate Change on Mental Health. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 120(8), 117–124. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0403

"The available evidence shows that traumatic experiences due to extreme weather events increase the risk of affective and anxiety disorders, *especially the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder*. Heat significantly increases the morbidity and mortality attributable to mental illness, as well as the frequency of psychiatric emergencies. Persistent stressors such as drought, food insecurity, and migration owing to climate change can also be major risk factors for mental illness."

etc

https://www.ludwig-janus.de/downloads-in-english.html

Various texts by other psychologists linked to at the bottom of that page.

https://www.traumaandphilosophy.com/ and https://traumatheory.com/

Other writings: For example the books by Vivian Broughton, a UK therapist: https://www.vivianbroughton.com/my-books/ Her latest book ("You were just a child...") contains critical essays, which you might enjoy.

Essential reading: The books by Judith Herman, who coined the term "Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" and lobbied to get it added to the DSM. Her latest book is all about justice for victims (and how the system is failing them).

The most famous critical essays about modern society from a therapist are by Sigmund Freud. You may want to start with "Civilization and Its Discontents" (1929). Quote:

"The present cultural state of America would give us a good opportunity for studying the damage to civilization which is thus to be feared. But I shall avoid the temptation of entering upon a critique of American civilization; I do not wish to give an impression of wanting myself to employ American methods."

" Section 1. Restriction on Entry. (a) Pursuant to sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), the entry into the United States of aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in a specialty occupation under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b), is restricted, except for those aliens whose petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000 — subject to the exceptions set forth in subsection (c) of this section."

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/rest...

Personally, I do not see anything vague and uncertain about that. I agree that how Trump has been handling things anything and everything is vague and uncertain. But the language of the actual executive order, which in any sane jurisdiction would be the only thing relevant, is pretty clear. Note how it says "restriction on entry", and zero about new applicants.

See https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/rest...

Nothing in there says it only applies to new applicants.

see e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45313274 in this thread

I'd perhaps call that cynicism.

"Developing" what, and to what end? The term itself sounds absolute, where in fact it implies a relative order, but doesn't give away what (arbitrary) properties you include in the comparison.

Take Gross National Happiness or the Happy Planet Index, for example. You could very well call countries with a low but slowly rising GNH "developing countries". USA is 122/152 in the HPI, which sounds about right, and probably not "developing" but declining.

The point is that the imperial West defines what is "good" and "bad", and from that point of reference uses terminology that implies an absoluteness; as another example, as if "long life" is a universal goal of humanity, when in fact other cultures prioritize community over individuals. (There's no point in valuing a "long life" when you believe in reincarnation.)

To discriminate between developed and developing countries also means you assume some countries are somewhat "finished" where others can play "catch up", which is not how global economies actually work: Capitalism requires winners and losers.

I come, rob your house, take away most of what you have, and call you "savage". I then give you "development aid", telling you how to spend it and make you dependent on my services and "assistance", calling you "developing". How does that feel? Are we interacting on eye level, or am I looking down on you?

https://www.dwds.de/wb/jetzig

https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/jetzig

https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/jetzig

I remember the collective obituary moment when somebody's bouncer quit for good, almost two years after the person's passing.