#Best Import Export Course

[cambtech]

International Trade & Export-Import Course | Cambtech

Join Cambtech’s online trade course. Learn export-import, trade finance, INCOTERMS, global logistics, documentation & compliance with certification.

Cambtech’s Foundation in International Liners Trade course provides comprehensive training in global trade operations. Learn export-import management, trade finance, INCOTERMS, customs documentation, and international trade compliance. This course also covers freight forwarding, risk mitigation, and global supply chain logistics. Ideal for beginners and professionals, Cambtech’s online certification helps you build a strong foundation in international trade and advance your career globally.

[hobiologist]

busan blues | jjk

summary: south korea's most notorious drug king pin lived life as a ghost; never seen, yet never to be crossed. never in your face, but never too far away. never in the room, but always listening.

by day, he lived life as a shadow with a reputation -- ruthless, unforgiving, impatient.

at night? well, he was something just a little bit softer.

pairing: jeon jungkook x (f) reader; jeon jungkook x (f) oc.

word count: 5.2k

warnings: drugdealer!jungkook, drug references, violence, unprotected sex, rough sex, oral sex (f. & m. receiving), guns, pregnancy.

available on ao3

It was rare that there was anything Jeon Jungkook couldn’t obtain. Money, drugs, women, upper class luxuries. Ever since he had been introduced to the world that put the term ‘sin’ to shame, it had bowed down at the mention of his name. Never his actual name, of course. To the world of guilty pleasures and intoxicated misfortunes, he was simply known as The Ghost. Never seen, never heard; yet somehow possessing the ability to make moves no one saw coming from miles away. Tilt the world on its axis without leaving a trace.

He had acquired the business from his uncle who had been in his late 50s and looking to retire; put aside the life of living in the shadows and enjoy what he had left of it. Jungkook had been 22 and searching for his path in life — the timing was perfect, the moment inevitable.

He was now 27 and had mastered the business like an art form — at least mostly. He oversaw nearly every drug import and export that occurred in South Korea, with his base being in the heart of Busan. The city wasn’t nearly as busy as Seoul; less potential eyes on him and his operation. But he was close enough where he could catch an hour plane ride to the capital if he needed to.

“He knows the shipment is supposed to arrive an hour after the confirmation time. This is his last job, he was already on thin fucking ice.”

The words he muttered to himself had been nearly the first spoken by Jungkook in the past hour. Rarely ever out of his office, he now stood underneath the familiar pier, looking out into the clear sea before him. The night sky made it nearly impossible to see, illuminated only by the slivers of light from the moon. 

The businessman was accompanied by two muscular guards about 8 inches his stature, both sporting black hair with fitted black t-shirts and slacks. They stood silently and watchful, more silent than the gentle waves around them. Each sported simple pistols near their waist, unafraid to use them if necessary.

When the sun rose, Jungkook owned a security company. It was how he had become acquainted with the guards who followed him around most of the day. They were quiet and loyal men — had been since Jungkook started the business. 

Truthfully, his security business mostly ran itself. He had an old friend, Park Jimin, who had gone to college for accounting. He ran the books and formed schedules; he mostly worked remotely but he’d visit the office a couple days out of the week. It was fairly simple — clients who needed security paid in cash, Jungkook would supply the workers and Jimin handled anything inbetween. He was compensated well for it. 

Jungkook did his best to make sure the finances for both his endeavors never clashed. The last thing he desired was to put his classmate, who knew nothing of his second life, in harms way. His personal guards were on payroll like everyone else the company hired — however, any overtime they received was directly from Jungkook, off the books. He paid them handsomely for their silence and loyalty. 

Contemplating, Jungkook began to pace back and forth in the thinning sand, hands shoved deeply in the pockets of his dark grey, Giorgio Armani suit. His black tie was rather unruly—loosened thirty minutes prior when his patience had started to run dry. 

In his line of business, structure was vital — deadlines, organization, punctuality. All of which were currently being violated.

Twenty minutes passed before the sound of rougher waves drew his attention. An hour later than expected, the small boat could be seen off in the distance, closing in on the drop off location. They never traveled large or in anything flashy; never wanting to stick out, operating in the shadows. Fairly content now that he laid his eyes on the boat in the distance, Jungkook turned his feet in the sand, looking at the body guard that stood to his right. 

“When he drops off the load, please make sure all $50,000 is there and the inventory matches the order. Lock it all in the safe, then you’re free to go. I’ll handle distribution in the morning.”

The day had been much longer than expected. 

On average, Jungkook was home around 9pm. However, he was beginning to encounter the issue of delayed shipments and logistical errors he had to fix. He wasn’t a fan of having to come out of the shadows — it put everything he worked hard for at risk.

One of his oldest workers, Jihun, was a friend of his uncle’s who had originally stayed on to make sure Jungkook easily acclimated himself to the business. He was a major part of the operation — performing background checks to make sure sellers were credible, scheduling meetings to perform trades and drop offs . What was suppose to be a couple years turned into five years and he was finally ready to retire. Jungkook couldn’t help but oblige. However, finding a replacement for him proved to be difficult. Jungkook had been attempting to do it remotely with the help of a few workers who had only ever communicated with him over email and had never seen his face. It was sloppy, but he was working every day to tighten it up.

The hum of gentle music on the radio settled him in for the 45 minute drive home. He relaxed in the seat of his black Mercedes truck, reaching for his personal cellphone he rarely ever used unless the sun had set. A warm smile spread across his lips as he looked down at the phone, clicking on the message thread titled ‘babygirl 💗’.

jungkook:

missing you, thinking about you. home soon, baby. 00:13 

babygirl 💗:

missing you too, baby. 00:14

The message came with a photo attachment Jungkook immediately opened, halfway keeping his eyes on the highway as he drove through the night.

The attachment displayed a picture of a woman in a pink silk nightgown that hugged her curves, black lace v-line exposing the plump of her breasts just enough to leave something for the imagination. He muttered curses under his breath, quickly typing back a response while keeping his eyes ahead. He felt the zipper on his pants struggle to expand as he attempted (failed) to keep his wild thoughts at bay. 

jungkook:

you’re fucking beautiful. be at the door when i get there. 00:16

The 45 minute drive home was a breeze, city lights flashing in the distance, loafer clad shoe pressed hard to the gas. His eyes played over the photo what felt like a million times, desire running through his veins like a river. 

She had the garage door open for him when he arrived, liked clockwork. She made everything function and flow behind closed doors for him; where as he was in charge and structured in his daily life, she kept their home life in order. She always had a meal cooked, his clothes pressed, the house clean, their appointments in order, the groceries stocked. He cherished her; more than anything else in his life — in his world that was black and white during the day, she filled it with her radiant colors at night. 

He parked his car, fingers slipping into the glove compartment to grab the golden band that waited for him. A soft smile on his lips, he slipped it onto the ring finger of his left hand. Unlocking the door of his home, Jungkook took in the smell of washing powder, accompanied by her sweet scent of vanilla and spring that filled the air, garage door closing behind him. His eyes immediately glared towards the dimly lit entry way, seeing the woman standing in the same pink silk nightgown she wore in the sultry picture.

A low groan emitted from his lips, dark brown eyes pooling with shades of lust that the woman found all too familiar. She gave him a teasing smile, softly curled hair pooling over her shoulders in a way that made her look angelic. He removed his suit jacket, laying it over the couch next to them.

“Strip.”

Keeping eye contact with Jungkook, the woman slowly began to shred her gown as she had been told. She was always a good listener when he spoke. 

His daze followed her fingers as she removed the straps of her nightgown one by one. The fabric slipped easily from her fingers, catching ever so slightly as it slipped past the plump of her breasts. Jungkook’s breath hitched, causing him to loosen his tie, followed by the belt. He stepped closer to her with calculated steps, almost as if he was scared to touch her — scared to ruin the perfect image that stood before him.

The cold air sent shivers down her spine as she gently teased her hair, watching him stare at her in amazement.

“….You’re a work of art. You know that?”

Stepping closer towards her, Jungkook gently cupped her face, thumbs rubbing her warm cheeks. She smelled of vanilla body wash and ecstasy, drawing every inch of sanity he had left to the brink. She shivered as she felt his clothed body press against her skin, the bulge in his pants growing larger as he held her.

Catching the glow of her eyes in the dim light, he smiled at her briefly before meeting her perfect lips with his own. Their lips danced in a familiar, yet electrifying rhythm that sent sparks through his body. In 5 years they had kissed what felt like a million times but kisses like this never got old. She nearly melted into his touch, feeling her knees begin to weaken. He was so warm, so handsome, so hers. He smelled of amber and sandalwood, skin of his hands as soft as it had been when he left that morning. Good, she thought. He was unharmed.

Her fingers entwined in his pristinely cut hair, four carat diamond ring never catching on the gentle strands. It had been three years since they had gotten married. As with most things in Jungkook’s world, the proposal had been in the dead of night.  He woke her up from her sleep, chanting about a surprise that couldn’t wait. With tired eyes she held out her arms as he slipped on her robe and carried her to his truck. She fell asleep nearly instantly in the Mercedes, the soft human of jazz music luring her to sleep once he hit the highway. When she woke up, Jungkook was kissing her cheek, luring her out of the vehicle and into a park that had the perfect view of the stars in the sky. He had walked her around the park for a little while, going over memories from their past and professing his love in a way only Jungkook could — calculated, perfect and with beautiful imagery. Once they had reached the end of the park, there was a picnic table next to the river in their sight. The table was covered in glowing candles, a small meal he prepared and 24 bouquets of the deepest red roses combined to make one large bouquet. One for every month they had been together. 

He got down on one knee in a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants, asking her to be his forever. And she couldn’t have said yes faster. It was the proposal she had asked him for, back when their one year anniversary came around and he asked her if she ever considered forever with him. She told him ���of course’, thinking he couldn’t have asked a sillier question. But she requested that her proposal not be anything flashy; just simple, meaningful and when she least expected it. And he had delivered in every aspect.  

“So perfect like this. Look at you, baby.”

The wide palm of Jungkook’s hands groped the plush of her ass, kneading it ever so slightly as her eyes locked on his — sultry innocence and uncharted passion; he lived for it, breathed it even.

Locking in on her eyes, Jungkook slowly dropped to his knees, hands pressing into her hips and caressing her pelvic bone. She wore a small lace thong that kept nearly nothing to the imagination with its slit in the middle. He pressed a gentle kiss to her stomach, then to her clit. The moan she swore was gentle echoed through the walls of the mansion. It was way too big for just the two of them and their dog, Bam, asleep upstairs — but they called it home. 

“You’re so sensitive. Been waiting for me to come eat you all day, haven’t you?”

She moaned a hasty ‘yes’, fingers gripping his hair as his tongue began to gently lick her wet folds, slit in her thong providing him perfect access. The familiar taste of her arousal earned a moan of appreciation from him. He had thought it was insane to say she tasted like home but he knew no word greater to describe the taste of her on his lips. She tighten her grip in his hair as she held back her gentle cries, lost in the way his eyes lazily met hers as he took his time devouring her.

In this space, time stood still. In this home, they were in their own world. 

The cool touch of his wedding band against her pelvis made her smile, head dipping back in ecstasy as his lips began to softly suck her sensitive clit. As her orgasm neared, the touch of his ring brought back a distance memory. 

“I’m not a good person.”

It was their second month together, his eighth month in the business. They stood in the middle of a crowded club, neither of their style but they made an amusing commitment to start trying new things together. They had both been dancing, smiles on their faces as the music ran through their veins. The freedom he had felt as they danced, the way his heart pulled at him like he knew what this was becoming — or what it already was. He found himself no longer being able to looking into her eyes and promise her a world with no faults. As she stared back at him her eyes sparked of something Jungkook couldn’t quite place. She gave him a gentle smile, tightening her grip on his hand that rested in hers.

It wasn’t the smartest conversation to have in a room full of people, Jungkook knew better than that. He was a ghost in his work life and he never allowed himself to be seen out in public during working hours. 

“Good is subjective, Kook. Do you hurt people?”

There was a small furrow of his eyebrows that he prayed she didn’t see. He stared down at her eyes, looking back at him as if he controlled the stars. He’d never get over that, the way she looked at him. He was convinced he wanted to see that look for the rest of his life. Hold that trust close to his heart like a prayer.  

“Sometimes. Not unless I have to.” He firmly spoke, fingers never letting go of hers. By now the song had changed but the people around them continued to dance, paying them no mind.

“Do you actually own a security company?”

“I do.”

“Is that where you go when you tell me you’re going to work?” 

“That’s usually where my day starts.”

“If I ever ask you what you mean — all this saying you’re not a good person. Will you be honest with me?” 

Jungkook answered without hesitation, taking himself partly by surprise.

“I will. You have my word.”

“Then stop talking and keep dancing with me.” 

She gripped the couch behind her, feeble feeling arms being the only thing holding her up.  

“You’re so wet for me, baby. Been waiting all day to taste you.”

“God, Jungkook.” Whimpers escaped her lips as her fingers tightened in his hair in an effort to brace herself. He used one hand to hold her hip while the other began unbuttoning his dress shirt that had become far too hot. 

In the rush of feverish kisses and passionate touches, they found themselves moving from the living room to the california king with her cheek pressed to the mattress, his hips driving her to the brink of insanity and pleasure. He kissed the arch of her back as he thrusted his hips, the recoil of her ass making him feel dizzy. 

“Who do you belong to, baby.” His growled his words like less of a question, more of statement. Tears of pleasure welled in her eyes and she melted into his steady pace, lips parting as she struggled to breathe out an answer. She felt so full, so complete — mind so empty, bliss unmeasured.

“You, Kook. I belong to you.”

“And this pussy?” He kept a hand on her waist as the other wrapped her curly strands around his palm, pulling her hair ever so lightly to the rhythm of his thrusts.

“Yours, Kook. God, harder.” She gripped the sheets, fingertips shaking with impending arousal. He always did this. Fucked her to the point where she felt insatiable and nearly incoherent; craving him so much it made her entire soul shake. Like an addict breaking sobriety. 

“You’re going to cum again for me? So fucking greedy. Go ahead, cum.”

Her orgasm arrived shortly after, her fingers clutching the sheets as she cried out his name. The pump of his hips stilled abruptly as he pressed his head against her back, hands gripping her breasts as he released inside of her. He moaned in a way that rung in the woman’s ears, sex heavy in his tone and her name breathless on his tongue, heightening her climax beneath him. The ragged sounds of their breathing clung to walls of the bedroom. Jungkook pressed gentle kisses down the woman’s spine, savoring the feeling of being inside of her for just a little longer — safe, peaceful, perfect.

“Rough day at work?” She spoke after they had finished cleaning themselves briefly, lying in their afterglow and catching their breath. Her head rested on his chest, tracing his abs with gentle and familiar intrigue. 

“Frustrating to say the least.” 

“I could tell. You fucked a little harder than usual tonight.”

With her head against his chest, she listened as his heartbeat sped up. “Harder? Was I too rough today, baby?”

“No, never, Kook. I don’t think you could be rough with me if you tried.”

His finger pressed against her chin, tilting it just enough so that her lips met his in a warm kiss. It was lazy, thankful, still a little hungry — he always did a great job of that; expressing what he didn’t say with kisses. She relished at the taste of herself still left on his lips.

His fingers gentle brushed hair from her face, stroking the plump of her cheeks as he pulled her closer. 

The sound of the central air slowly pulled them towards sleep, dinner long forgotten at the table in exchange for serotonin and coitus. 

“I’ll be leaving early in the morning, around 6.” Jungkook lazily mumbled, arms around the woman’s body pulling her impossibly closer. She hummed in response, eyes heavy with sleep and satisfaction.

“If I’m not up, wake me when you get up?”

“I promise, beautiful.”

When the sun set, Jungkook was a husband.

She had been his secret. In the life full of drugs, money and evil he lead, he had somehow managed to keep her hidden away. It started off when they met 5 years ago during a charity event. Ironic, probably. She was an advocate for the development of cancer research and therapy for patients and families affected by the disease. Jungkook was an anonymous donor. He sat in the crowd but donated virtually under a pseudo name, assuring that he was always one of the highest donors. 

They first locked eyes when she gave a speech at the end of the event. She had been wearing a light pink dress with bows that fell on her shoulders. She wore soft white heels and a smile that showed how passionate she was about the cause. Her eyes scanned the crowd as she spoke, clearly having obtained training in engaging an audience. He sat in nearly the furthest row but their eyes still met. Immediately, there was something curious yet familiar that hung in the air between them — something they couldn’t quite place their hands on. Her eyes hovered over him a few seconds too long before finishing her speech, engaging the crowd and thanking everyone for their volunteer efforts.

He was a man of stealth but he was a man of opportunity.

So he waited until the crowd dwindled and the donors said their farewell before walking up to her, watching her begin to clear her speech material from the podium. He had suavely introduced himself — confident, with a sweet smile and eyes that hoped she’d give him a few minutes of her time. She shook his extended hand, introducing herself with a playful glimmer in her gaze that he longed to know more about. 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Jeon. Have we met before?”

Jungkook woke up around 5:30 am. The smell of eggs and toast was the first thing to fill his nostrils. She had gotten up before him after all. She always did. As he came to, he felt the gentle presence of warm lips pressed against his neck, smooth hands sliding across his bare chest in a way that made his soul smile. 

“Good morning to you too, baby.”

She echoed a hum of appreciation at his words as she continued to kiss his neck, hands sliding down until they reached the bulge in his boxers, caressing it softly.

“You drive me insane, do you know that?” Jungkook continued to keep his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of her touch all over his body. She kissed her way down to the hem of his boxers, toying with the fabric. She pulled them down ever so slowly, cock springing out to brush against the plump of her cheeks. She hummed in desire, beginning to press soft kisses to the head.

“If we had more time, I’d ride you.”

He twitched in her mouth, a groan for what could have been leaving his lips. A sleepy laugh slipped from both of their mouths. She gripped the girth in her hands as she began to alternate between slowly tracing her tongue over the head and taking what length she could into her mouth, eyes hypnotized in pleasure as she savored the weight of him on her tongue.

The guttural moan he released sounded throughout the bedroom, precum sucked from his head as soon as it appeared. 

“Tonight, then. For right now, keep sucking baby.”

When they finished, the couple showered together and both indulged in the breakfast she had prepared. She helped him get dressed in another dark suit that occupied his closet, pressed to perfection just the way he liked it. She prepared an iced coffee for him and a protein drink for the drive. 

She had mastered the art of Jeon Jungkook to a science. She knew his routine like the back of her hand; knew what he would say sometimes before he said it.

Soulmates.

Before she knew it, she was watching Jungkook seat himself in the drivers side seat, practically pulling her in the car as he covered her face with gentle kisses. If his crew could see him now — tucked into the shadows of his own home, bathed in the glow of the woman who made his heart sing — they’d never believe he was the same person they knew.

“Don’t worry your mind too much today, okay? I’m feeling a little tension in your shoulders.” Jungkook playfully massaged the woman’s shoulders, getting a lazy but fond smile from her in return. 

“Can I make a request for the masseuse to do a home visit for you? Or would you rather go in person?”

“A home appointment sounds great, Kook. Thank you for thinking of me.” She traced random lines on his chest as he held her close, eyes scanning her face in search of what she wasn’t saying.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She loved that about him; his ability to know something bothered her without the need to pry. 

“Nothing’s bothering me, I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.” She hated to lie to him. He always knew, without fail. But he never pressed. It wasn’t in his nature — with her, at least.

“I’ll make the call but if this massage doesn’t work, we’re seeing a doctor.” 

She loved the way he spoke. So sure, so steady. He never left room for confusion or uncertainty, but he always took her into consideration.

He wanted to tell her that when she was ready to really tell him what was plaguing her mind, he’d be there. But he let her have it for now, not wanting to push her before she was ready.

“That sounds fine baby.” She gave him a soft grin, kissing his lips and stroking his cheek. She took a few seconds to admire him — the rosy tone of his cheeks that spread just a little as she stared at him — his big brown eyes that she never regretted getting lost in. He was everything she ever needed, she had been thoroughly convinced a million and one times. 

“Be safe. Eyes on the road and head on a swivel.”

“I promise, my love.”

Soon she was waving goodbye to Jungkook as he pulled away from the home and onto the road. She waited until he was far in the distance to close the garage door. Once he did, she double checked that the doors in the house were locked and that the security system was armed. She closed all the curtains and headed to the kitchen, opening a bottom drawer she knew Jungkook would never check. Inside the drawer laid two pistols she quickly checked to make sure were still fully loaded with bullets. Seeing that they were, she closed the drawer contently, heading to her office. 

Her office was her personal sanctuary. Having one at his place of work, Jungkook understood how important it was to have your own space to relax and work on your ideas, so he never entered without her permission. That’s why she had been able to leave the positive pregnancy tests on her desk for the past few days without him finding out. 

She was only about a few weeks along, nowhere near close to showing. She figured she had a couple of months before she had to break the news. This had never exactly been in their plan. It was somewhat an unspoken assumption that they’d never have children — with the lifestyle that Jungkook lived and how busy he always was, it never seemed in the cards. They had used the family planning method for years without difficulty. She had recently recovered from being under the weather and she suspected that threw the cycle of things off somewhere along the lines. 

For now, she tucked the four tests in her top draw, lying next to yet another black pistol. Tears welled in her eyes and she held her cellphone in her hands, contemplating if she should just call him and tell him. 

Her excuse ended up being that he was likely driving and she didn’t want to distract him. 

When she thought it about later, her excuse was that he must be busy at work and she wanted him to focus.

Her excuse when he came home that night, earlier than expected and in a much better mood than the previous day, was that he deserved to relax and she didn’t want to ruin his good day with news she was sure would devastate him.

It hadn’t been something they talked about, even when they got married. He never brought it up, so neither did she. She just loved him almost blindly, a blessing and a curse she was aware of. 

As she held him that night, listening to his soft snores and stroking his hair as he slept, her mind raced and she contemplated what life could look like for them if she confessed and continued the pregnancy. Would he have to give up what made him Jungkook? Would she be stuck at home to care for the child while he continued to place himself in whatever situations he dealt with on a day-to-day basis? She couldn’t fathom that. 

Staring at his sleeping face, she sighed and put her thoughts to rest, enjoying the weight of his body in her arms and eventually drifting off to sleep. 

She wasn’t completely oblivious to everything.

She had long known that Jungkook only wore his wedding band at home. Through some snooping, she found out that he always kept it in the truck, safely tucked away as the only thing in his glove compartment. He thought she didn’t know that he took it off the second he got in the truck to leave for work. Or that he put it back on as soon as he parked in the garage every night. She found out after they had been married for about 3 months, noticing the lack of lines on his finger whenever he washed dishes.

She didn’t think he was throwing himself at women when she wasn’t around. But she did worry that they’d throw themselves at him. She did believe he portrayed himself as single once he left their home. What she didn’t believe was that he was doing it for some adulterous reason. At least that was her prayer. 

She knew more about him than he thought. But she’d never ask him about it.

In 5 years together she hadn’t figured out exactly what he did outside of his security job.

She knew it likely wasn’t legal and that his daily life was surely more dangerous than he let on. She held his promise close to her heart every day; the promise he made to tell her his true occupation — the one that paid for the house, the cars, the suits, the lifestyle — if she ever asked. Truth was, she found herself a little too scared to ask. It’s better to be unaware, she convinced herself. She somehow told herself that it was better to sit at home and be unaware of if her husband would come every night than deal with the fact that the man she loved could be the devil himself.

Ultimatums, definites — two widely different sides of the spectrum.

His love was all consuming like that; thoughtful, selfless, inciting, promising. She had never feared him, not for a single second. But what scared her the most was that she knew she could find out he was the reincarnation of sin himself and she’d still never turn away. He treated her too good, loved her too hard, fucked her too perfect, knew her too well. She’d make any excuse in the world for him and sometimes that terrified her.

So she let him keep his secrets for now. She had hers too. 

authors note: i haven’t written anything in years so any form of feedback is appreciated. thank you for reading! :)

[howi99]

Prince of Vale 6

Meeting with Ironwood

Ironwood: *entering the headmaster office, saluting Jaune* I came as soon as i could, your majesty.

Jaune: *saluting back* General Ironwood, your punctuality is greatly appreciated. Did headmaster Ozpin give you a round down of the situation?

Ironwood: *sigh, shaking his head in disappointment* He did, yes. Jacques misconduct towards you was both an insult to your authority and to our alliance.

Jaune: *nod* Indeed. *Sigh, taking a seat and inviting Ironwood to do the same* As you must know, his demands cannot be acknowledged, as the Royal family is strictly prohibited from political marriage, with only a few exceptions.

Ironwood: *taking a seat, acquiescing* I am well aware you majesty. The law was implemented so the king or queen wouldn't be influenced by foreign interest. The exceptions being of course nobles from your own country or the rulers family of another nation.

Jaune: Yes. And Jacques claims that as one of the ruling oligarch's family of Atlas, his demands are in conformity with the second exception.

Ironwood: *sigh* And as you probably know, the Schnee family was one of the cadet branches of the Mantleese royal family. His claims are legitimate.

Jaune: *shaking his head* If he was a Schnee of birth. Jacques Gelé has no legitimate right to demand I marry one of his daughters. Willow is the one who has authority on that matter, even if she delegated her duty. And he knows that, hence why he is using his monopoles of the Dust industry as leverage.

Ironwood: *pensive* ... And you want me to pressure him out of the idea, i presume?

Jaune: Indeed. You might not be one of the Oligarchs, but you have your reputation and two seats at the council.

Ironwood: ... *Sigh* The huntsman academy and the military are greatly dependent on dust. You have to understand that i cannot go against him.

Jaune: *looking serious* James, the entirety of Solitas is dependent on food importation from Vale. Should i remind you how your country lost the Great war and the Faunus war?

Ironwood: *angrily* Your majesty, you cannot be serious! You would starve my people for a marriage!?

Jaune: *shaking his head* Of course not. I wouldn't do something so drastic for a reason this stupid.

Ironwood: Then why are you-

Jaune: *cutting him* But the nobles can certainly cut their exportation in sign of protest. And i can't go against their wills General. *Looking at the ground* I am young, inexperienced and i have no power over internal affairs for the next 4 years. *Shaky breaths* They are bickering now and one wrong move could mean a civil war.

Ironwood: I... See. *Sigh* The best i can do is show no support at the meeting.

Jaune: *nod* It is plenty enough.

Ironwood: Was there anything else?

Jaune: *shaking his head* Nothing to do with you, except if you can magically fix the Faunus discrimination problems of Mistral.

Ironwood: If i could have done that, i would have fixed my country first...

[moleshow]

honest to god, what should i read to better understand economics? last time i seriously studied it was when i was 16, and my major had nothing to do with it. sorry if it’s a bit dumb but it seems you know a lot, and i of course don’t

(economically illiterate anon, LOL): I forgot to say, but it’d be best if it was somewhat targeted towards US policies, particularly those that Trump adopts, because I keep seeing many experts, and you, claim he is going to crash the economy, but I live in a red state, so I haven’t met any other local IRL who thinks so… Everyone praises Reagan and talks of how he “saved us” and all the “progress” and etc, and I know it’s bullshit, because I do know history, but I still don’t understand the economic policies themselves, and why they are irredeemable, for lack of a better word.

not dumb! i do have a post to this effect (sort of) right here with books that i will also link here. i've elaborated on which of those works might be useful to you after the cut down below.

the predictions of a crash have to do with a couple of different elements. some of the Big Ones, in my view, are as follows (not taking into account industry-specific problems or we would be here all day):

there are not enough private sector jobs to make up for the mass layoffs in the federal government. cuts to federal spending in other forms (e.g., NIH research grants) reduce employment in industries that money was funding. both of these factors drive unemployment up and aggregate demand down. people who don't have money coming in spend less, so there's likely going to be a ripple effect on employment from that as businesses dependent upon that spending close. we get the february jobs numbers on friday, folks, so keep an eye out. furthermore, the DOGE business is at least partly contributing to weakening consumer confidence so you'll likely see people holding back on big purchases.

the way this administration conducts itself is erratic, unpredictable, and generally unsound. companies do not like this. it is difficult to make purchasing decisions when you can't be sure whether an import is going to cost 25% more tomorrow than it did today. for firms exporting to countries hitting us with reciprocal tariffs, their costs just went up. because some goods bounce across borders a few times before they're finished products, they're getting dinged multiple times. additionally, there's real hesitancy when it comes to any business dealing with federal dollars now because it's not guaranteed that funds promised will actually go out. you can click here and hear (read) most of this stuff straight from the horse's mouth.

when you have a sustained period of high unemployment and stagnant or negative economic growth, what you end up with is a problem--one that tax cuts cannot fix.

of these works i think the frieden, stein, and rivoli are probably going to be the most useful for you, as well as the reinert section on international trade but especially the chapters on the political economy of trade (ch. 5), trade policy analysis (ch. 6), and on crises and responses (ch. 18).

none of these works are specifically about trump's policies but i will explain their relevance. the reinert is good to give you a foundation in thinking and talking about international trade--that'll give you the background to understand what's sort of at play.

the frieden will give you a historical view on the development of our current financial system and how previous recessions/depressions occurred, and the section at the end on the "trilemma" outlines how monetary policy involves a lot of tradeoffs. but this stuff matters for illustrating how the US is economically load-bearing and how it became that way

the stein is useful for looking at steel because that is an industry which trump has paid a good deal of lip service to, so it's worth getting a sense of what exactly happened to the industry in the US and what it takes to actually incentivize domestic production (spoiler: you need government spending and finely tuned trade policies). this is something also addressed in stein's lecture on c-span, which also touches on the economic situation leading up to reagan's election (particularly from 1:27:00 onward)

finally, the rivoli book helps illustrate (using garment production as an example) how supply chains operate on an international scale.

[mspopstar]

What does the gang do for a living?

"When I'm in need of some gold I'll go an' run package deliveries for Delivery Waddle Dee all over Dream Land! If I can't do that then I run a small Maxim Tomato to sell off excess or undesirable stock from the Waddle Dee farmers! The best part is that anything that doesn't sell I get to eat at the end of the day!" -Kirby!

"Hah, well in my case, I work as the Great King's royal advisor! I make sure His Highness is kept up to date on all proceedings within his territory and I am given permission to give His Greatness suggestions and advice to better the people and land he rules. Such a high position isn't given to anybody! I'm also the Royal General of the King's Royal Waddle Dee Army. Otherwise known as the K.R.W.D.A.! I hope that one day, I'll ready the Waddle Dees to be as strong as I am, when that day comes Great King will be unstoppable! Sir Meta Knight can't see this, right?" -B.W.D.

"I truly believe that we, myself and my men, are the closest thing Dream Land and His Highness have as a means of in-planet, interplanetary and outer-planet military defense and interplanetary communication. For myself as an individual, I am a knight who patrols, uplifts, and protects all of Dream Land. I patrol the main areas of Dream Land morning, afternoon and night. I stop trouble in its tracts and help those in need. I occasionally do what I can to help out in the community and promote healthy and knightly ideals to better the citizens. While I do not earn coin, the safety I provide to the citizens is more than enough. To earn capital, it is thanks to my men and the vessel that I command. For lack of a better term, outside of protecting Pop Star, the Legendary Halberd works as a means of defense and freight for hire. Providing safe-travels for space faring vessels and transporting a manner of all kinds of goods for these vessels. Not only that, the Halberd is the main source of exporting and importing of goods to and from Dream Land usually at King Dedede's request. The gold gained from these ventures provides more than enough for me and my men to live comfortably and for me to continue my duties as the protector of Dream Land." -Lord Meta Knight of The Legendary Battleship Halberd

"Well, ain't it obvious! I get ta' do whatever I want, whenever I want! Course' I care for and protect my people but that's a given!" -The Great King, King Dedede The First

[kamisatomay018]

May I request a Wriothesley version of the legend of the red string of fate please??

Yes of course!! Thank you so much for putting in your request and giving me the idea🫶

Soulmates huh? I like the sound of that..

Wriothesley x fem!reader

Fluff, based on the Legend of the Red String of Fate, Will contain spoilers from the chenyu vale world quest!

I hope you all enjoy reading!

“Tea bags, check..gift, check, tea leaves- check! Okay I’m ready to head off.” You muttered to yourself, cross checking your luggage before you depart from Chenyu Vale to Fontaine for a very important meeting. With whom you might be wondering? Well, it was none other than the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide himself.

Chenyu vale is known widely for its famous and aromatic Adeptea, and has always exported copious amounts of tea to Fontaine. However for the past 2 years, the tea’s quality started to decline, and so did the exports. It had come to your attention that out of all the Fontainians, the Duke of Meropide was particularly displeased about this situation, going so far as to penning a kind yet stern letter to the head of the village, asking about what has been happening to their tea. It was safe to say that this letter had raised quite the panic, for the fortress was the major buyer of the Adeptea and losing such a buyer was something your small yet humble village could not afford. What’s worse was that none of the people were able to understand what was going wrong with the tea, except of course for you and Grandpa Lu.

You were a prominent figure in Chenyu vale, known for your artistic pottery and fine brewing skills. You would handpick the slots of tea that was being sent to Fontaine yourself, knowing that they needed the best quality tea. Not only that, but you were also skilled in the Adepti art of Adeptus Fujin herself, which made you understand that the harmony of nature had been disrupted, leading to the tea quality’s decline.

Thankfully for all of you; the renowned traveler had arrived with their companion and with your aid and Fujin’s power, the problem had been resolved. The only problem that now remained, was the displeased Duke of Meropide. So you took it upon yourself to travel to Fontaine and offer an explanation and apology, for no one else understood the true depth of the situation. As compensation, you made him the most beautiful tea set, infusing in it a little bit of your power which would allow the tea to remain fragrant and hot for extended hours. You truly did hope that this would placate the man.

After bidding farewell to your mother, you got onto the boat that would take you to the renowned and magnificent nation of justice. Fontaine truly seemed magnificent, with its technological advances and strict judicial system. You had always desired to visit the city, although not in such a diplomatic way. No matter, you would make sure to get a tour of the city later. Upon hearing of your visit, the duke had been kind enough to write to you personally, informing you of basic but important laws that you must not break if you didn’t wish to extend your stay in the fortress from a few hours to a few days. The letter was…extremely lengthy, given the amount of ridiculous and extensive laws the land held. Archons, how did the people even remember them all? Well no matter, it’s not like you were going to stay there for long….right?

As you arrived at the Lumidouce harbour, you noticed two officials waiting for you, probably to guide you to the fortress. You bowed at them politely, following their lead while admiring the beautiful scenery of Fontaine.

“Welcome to the Nation of Justice, Ms. Y/N. We have been tasked by Monsieur Neuvillette to guide you to the fortress of Meropide through the Opera Epiclese. Please, follow us.”

Thanking them you boarded yet another boat, and then an aquabus where you met a cute little creature. Ah, that must be the melusines that the duke had mentioned in his letter. The melusine was so sweet, giving you a detailed explanation about the city, even answering your curious question. In the end, you quickly rummaged through your bag, giving her a little Qingxin flower as a thank you for her service. The smile that adorned her little face truly made your day better.

Eventually you headed to the back of the grand Opera Epiclese, where you saw a dignified tall man with a black fur coat hanging on his shoulder standing with his back faced to you. His aura seemed intimidating to you, however you kept your composure. “Duke, we have brought your guest.”

“Ah, you have my profound gratitude. You both may leave, I shall escort my guest from here.”

“Yes sir.”

At that moment, he turned around to face you, and you felt your entire world stopping. Your jade green eyes met with his ashy blue ones, and you swore you felt a spark through your entire body. A beautiful and delicate Res String tied to your little finger made its way to tie itself around his thumb, making you freeze in place. You had found your fated Soulmate. He was a godly man, perfect from head to toe. You had never seen a man as handsome as him, his every feature truly was perfect. You didn’t fail to notice the scars on his face and neck, making you realise he truly had been through a lot in his lifetime.

Meanwhile, Wriothesley was utterly stunned, yet confused. In front of him stood perhaps the most beautiful maiden he had ever seen, her delicate figure adorned with a pastel green outfit and jade jewellery, matching the colour of her eyes. A dendro vision was tied to your outfit while your long hair flowed freely down your shoulders. He was in awe of your beauty, it was as if some kind of force was pulling him in to you. However he was baffled to see a delicate red string connect the two out of you, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Your equally shocked look did not escape his watchful eyes. What in Teyvat was going on? He cleared his throat, talking rather softly. “Uhm, Miss Y/N, how about we..head back to my office to talk?”

You snapped out of your thoughts, nodding immediately as you felt your cheeks blushing like anything. “Yes, yes of course Duke..”

He let out a raspy chuckle, shaking his head. “No need to be so formal, you can just call me Wriothesley.” Oh archons, why was everything about him so attractive?! You looked down with a shy smile, nodding. “Understood. Please, lead the way..”

He smiles slightly, enjoying your flustered state for some reason. As much as he desired to ask you about this mysterious red string, he chose to wait. Such important and private discussions were better suited for his office, where he could guarantee no one would eavesdrop. He led you down the elevator and through the boat to the Fortress, noticing how observant you were about every little detail. Hm..that would explain the Dendro vision. “Welcome to the Fortress of Meropide. I’m sure you must have heard a thing or two about this place, but I can assure you it’s not as awful as it sounds. Here in the fortress every exile and every prisoner is given a chance to start life anew, to work hard and earn their freedom and dignity back. If I dare say so myself, the fortress is essentially a place of rediscovery and rebirth. The law treats everyone fairly, and the fortress is no different.”

You listened to him in awe, admiring the way he spoke like a dignified gentleman. Although he looked intimidating and cold, his demeanour was quite relaxed and welcoming. “That is quite admirable, to give a chance to the offenders to start life anew.” He nodded at your words as he led you to his office. “Of course, that is not to say that criminals do not get their punishment. No one leads a cushiony life in here, and those who have broken the law and hurt others get treated the same way. The rest who actually wish to turn over to a new leaf are given the chance to do so. Many prisoners choose to stay here even after their sentence has concluded.”

That surely came as a shock to you. As…magnificent as the fortress was, it was devoid of sunlight and nature, it felt suffocating to you. Why would people live here willingly? Noticing your silence and the unasked question in the air, Wriothesley laughed a little. “I’m sure you must be wondering why they would choose to do that. Well Fontaine is a nation much different than the rest. Here, status, reputation and wealth matter a lot. Life up at the surface is full of pretensions and dramatic situations. Here in the fortress; everyone is equal, everyone is straightforward. They start with nothing, and through sheer hard work, earn their daily necessities. Perhaps that equality is what attracts people to stay here rather than going up to the surface and continue to play the part in the endless opera that Fontaine is.”

Only you knew how much you were admiring him at this point. Not only was he fair and just, he was also respectable and empathetic, treating humans as they were supposed to be treated rather than declaring them as unruly criminals. “I really admire the way you manage this place Wriothesley..to be able to view offenders as something more than their offence is an admirable quality. No wonder you are the Duke.” As much as he wished he could deny it, Wriothesley felt his heart skip a beat at your words. “You flatter me Y/N. here, this is my office. Let us go upstairs. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you. Ah before I forget, I brought you a small present to compensate for all the inconveniences you have had to face due to the small crisis in Chenyu vale.” Taking out a box, you opened it to reveal the most beautifully embroidered tea set that Wriothesley had ever seen. “This is a tea set I crafted myself, and I have infused it with a little bit of adeptal power. That will allow the tea to stay fragrant and warm for hours on end. I imagine that your work must be arduous and time consuming. So, you need not brew a hot cup of tea every now and then. I hope it is to your liking..”

Looking up, you felt your heart flutter at the way Wriothesley was smiling, his eyes shimmering as he admired the tea set. “This is simply divine, I cannot thank you enough for your hard work. There was no need for a present Y/N..but thank you so much, I will gratefully accept it.” Smiling happily, you stood up, getting the tea leaves out. “Well if you’ll allow me; I can brew us some tea right now. I do believe we have a lot of things to discuss Wriothesley..” He smiled and nodded, accompanying you as he watched you brew the tea. The aroma of fresh tea filled his office, instantly relaxing him. A while later you both sat down, drinking tea. “This is exquisite tea, you are exceptional at brewing.” You blushed at the praise, shaking your head. “Thank you..well then, I believe it is time I addressed something very important..” You raised your left hand, bringing to his notice the red string that connected the two of you. “Yes please go ahead, I am quite curious about this string.”

You took a deep breath to prepare yourself for the worst possible outcome after you explained everything to him. “This is the red string of fate..Inazuma and Liyue have a..tradition where the gods have destined two people together as…Soulmates. The red string appears when two soulmates lock eyes with one another, and it signifies the union of two fated lovers…The red string may stretch endlessly, but it can never be snapped or broken. Of course…some people can…reject this bond, but that won’t erase the existence of this string..”

Wriothesley listened to your words carefully, also noticing the way you held your teacup close, caressing the edges anxiously. You weren’t looking into his eyes, and he knew that you were afraid that he would reject this bond. Truth to be told, as strange as this entire situation was, he felt so comfortable in your presence, so soothed and happy that it felt like home. He knew he was attracted to you, and wanted to be with you. Whether it was the string acting or his heart, he did not know and nor did he care. He gently held your hand in his, making your jade green eyes look at him with an expression so hopeful that it melted his ice cold heart.

“I do not wish to reject this bond. Even though I’ve only met you today; your presence has..comforted me. The fortress has always been cold and stuffy but your presence here feels like a breath of fresh air…I know that I feel connected to you. And if the gods themselves have fated us to be together then who am I to overrule their judgement?”

You smiled ever so happily, not being able to hold back as you hugged him, resting your head against his chest. Meanwhile wriothesley, though tense at first, melted into your embrace, wrapping his arms around you gently. His bigger frame completely engulfed you, as if hiding and protecting you from all evil. He was your home, you knew it. “If you are not rejecting this bold, then I pledge you my devotion and loyalty until my last breath. From now on, I am your soulmate..” you spoke, looking up into his beautiful eyes. He chuckled at your words. Gently cradling your face, smiling at the way you leaned into his touch. He knew you both would have to work a few things out, but everything would turn out to be just fine. He then held your left hand, tenderly kissing the place where the red string was tied.

“Soulmates huh? I like the sound of that. Then from this day forth, I am yours, just like you are mine.”

[katealpha]

Art by Vissiny15

Story by Owl

—-————————————-

“Greetings, Namaari.”

“Oh, hello there, Ja—”

Before she could even finish greeting the dragon, Namaari found herself stopping dead in her tracks. For the most part, the day had been fairly normal, as far as peace time in Fang went. Rebuilding relations, overseeing exports, and the occasional dragon returning from the far north. Kumori’s exile was a few years back, and with it was the departure of several dragons. Even then, in the time passing, few have returned, most asking for forgiveness. Of course, with someone like Sisu managing those relations, almost all of them were welcomed back. Still, it had been a few weeks since the last arrival of an exiled dragon, so it may be likely those that did not return would never do so. The fact that any had returned in the first place was a boon in and of itself, but it’s clear the majority had made their choice.

That said, of the many dragons, Jagan was the one Namaari knew best, if only because he was the one dragon aside from Sisu herself who regularly visited Fang. It was seemingly fitting, then, that the two were blood siblings, barring the same personality if not differing in temperament. However, despite their acquaintanceship, they didn’t see each other too often, as Jagan mostly made his home at Heart. Of course, that was where Sisu and Raya lived, so Namaari understood, but part of her really wanted Jagan to stay at Fang more often. He was always so kind to her, and it was nice to have an overall positive presence by her side, especially after everything that has happened in the past decade. She supposes she could just ask him to stay, but she didn’t want to come across as imposing, and the last thing she wanted was to push someone away by being demanding. At the very least, she did have other important matters to focus on, so her mind never wandered too much.

His return now was one she didn’t quite expect, not to mention her mind was pondering other matters, so she didn’t quite get a full look at him. But it was only after he directly called her name, and she did look back at him, did she find herself a bit lost for words. It wasn’t that he looked particularly different; in fact, had Namaari been paying even the slightest bit less attention, she may not have even noticed it at all. The way his body curved and bunched up, it almost disappeared into the natural flow. And yet, seeing it now, there was no way she could fully unsee it.

Situated right in Jagan’s midsection was a defined, round belly.

Namaari was caught so off guard by this sudden change, she didn’t realize she was starring right at him, or his belly to be more exact. Or how long she was starring at him. She did eventually snap back when she heard him chuckle, bringing her attention back to his face. “Oh, that? Heh, yeah. Sorry,” Jagan remarked. “Got real hungry on the way here and kinda…gorged on a whole bunch of fish. I think some of them are still swimming around in there…”

“O-Oh! I see…” Namaari nodded, glancing up at Jagan before returning her gaze to his middle. Certainly, she has had times when she ate a bit too much, but she’s never been bloated like that before. Granted, he was a dragon, and if he swallowed them all whole…that would make sense, right?

“Oof, still a bit of movement, for sure,” he noted, wincing a tad. “Care to give it a feel?”

Her eyes widened, a small blush coming over her. It seemed a little odd to her to ask for that, but maybe it was a normal occurrence for dragons? Again, if he was able to just eat a whole load of fish like that, perhaps it wasn’t too unusual for others to do so, and for them to feel each other’s bloated bellies in response. It certainly wasn’t normal sounding from Namaari’s perspective, but then again they were two different species that have not integrated for over half a millennium. There was going to be a culture divide, and if she wanted to bridge that, she had to be willing to get in close.

Collecting herself, she reached out, and felt Jagan’s belly. It was a touch cool, soft and surprisingly fluffy. It reminded her of the times Sisu would pull her into a hug, yet still different. Her mind started to trail on the possible differences in dragon coats, before her attention was recaught by a sudden kick to her hand. However, it felt off from what she expected, not quite a fish pressing against anything, but rather…something like a foot?

Regardless, she still pulled and jumped back, mainly from surprise. As she did, Jagan started to laugh, but in a well-meaning way. “Sorry, sorry,” he replied quickly, still chuckling as he wiped a tear from his eye. “I came up with that off the cuff, and I just had to pull that one someone. You were just the first person I stumbled across.”

“So…that’s not fish in your belly?” She asked, if a bit hesitant.

“Well, yes and no,” he responded with a shrug. “I did, uh…have a few fish on the way in, but no harm there, right? Expectant father’s gotta eat, ya know?”

“Yeah, I—” she started, before the realization hit her hard. “W-Wait, wait…expectant??”

“Yep,” he nodded, a big smile on his face. “That’s what I actually am. Pregnant. Big one too, if you couldn’t tell.”

Namaari opened her mouth to speak, yet she was lost on words for a moment. “I…wha…I didn’t…um, congratulations?” She tried. “S-Sorry, I’m just…a bit surprised. I know dragons are different species and all that, but uh…didn’t know male dragons could get pregnant.”

“Not normally, no,” he went on to explain. “But with all the dragons that left with Kumori, it’s a desperate time these days. Dragon numbers are sparse, even with the ones who have returned. Plus, after five hundred years…we all agreed it’s time for a new generation to begin. I volunteered to be one of the bearers. Raya did, too, if you recall.”

Namaari nodded. “Yes, of course. Her and Sisu…they told me about this big ceremony that had and everything. You did the same?”

“More or less,” he remarked. “Raya’s a bit behind me, but she’s already about as big as me. Baby dragons typically incubate for about a year, so we were bound to catch up to one another this late in. About a month away from being due, so I think I may hang around Fang until the baby comes, long as you’re willing, of course.”

“O-Oh, of course!” She replied quickly, nodding. “All of dragonkind is welcome in Fang, after all. You are no different, Jagan.”

“Wonderful!” He grinned. “Oh, and not to cut our chat short, but there is some matter I need to discuss with others. Main reason I came here. Let’s catch up another time, yeah?”

“Of course.”

“Awesome. See ya!”

And with that, the dragon hurried down the hall, Namaari standing by as she watched him go. As he disappeared into the halls of the palace, her mind began to churn and think, this new information really getting to her for some reason. She supposed Raya getting pregnant wasn’t that odd, even considering her partner was Sisu. If anything, her being with Sisu to have a baby made more sense, considering her nature as a dragon. Now, though, here was Jagan, a male dragon with no partner, who was pregnant himself, through apparently the same ritual as Raya took.

Namaari wasn’t exactly one for romance; perhaps, sometime down the line, for Fang’s legacy she would see to siring a heir, but at the current moment, it did not feel to be in the cards. Despite that, the idea of having a child, a new life grown within her…something about it intrigued her. Certainly, she would not be as foolish as to seek someone out just to experience this, as that would be absurd. However, a dragon child? She could easily have one herself, and get someone like Sisu or Jagan to oversee the ritual just as simply. Not to mention there is a need for a new generation of dragons, and who knows how many others are willing to tackle a year long pregnancy. Plus, assisting in such a noble goal would surely improve Fang’s standing with the other territories; not that that is her main intent, but it would certainly be a helpful byproduct.

Even with all these benefits to doing it, Namaari surprised herself with being so willing to partake in this. The fearless and bold leader of Fang such as her, pregnant? And at an extended length at that? It almost sounds absurd! Yet, the more she thought about it…the more a desire grew within her…slowly, she hovered a hand over her midsection, taking a moment to imagine it large and heavy…

“Chief Namaari!”

Her daydream was quickly interrupted by a call from down the hall, grounding the woman once more. She started to take off, but paused for just a moment longer, looking back down the hall Jagan disappeared down. She then shook her head, and hurried off.

Surely, it was just a spur of the moment fantasy…right?

[network-rail]

200th Anniversary Train Pageant

A while back, I was asked about making a train pageant, and now that I am no longer busy, it is time to have one! The way this will work is there will be a series of categories for trains to compete in, and you can submit your favorite british trains to some or all of the categories, along with making your case for why they should win. After four days, submissions will close (last day is March 5th), the judges will go over all of the competitors and decide who the winners are! This is a great way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the railways, so you can submit british trains from any time, although depending on when they're from they might fit in some of the categories.

Of course, we here at Network Rail also will be submitting a few of our favorite trains, along with a few of our maintenance vehicles.

Below are the categories we'll be using to judge this pageant, so when you submit a train, make sure to mention which categories you're planning to run in, along with why that train deserves to win that category.

Best livery:

Trains in britain have been painted all sorts of colors over the years (especially during privatization), so show us your train's best outfit! We'll also be giving a special bonus prize to the train with the best heritage livery, so if you've got a train with a historic paint job, show us!

Most graceful:

Some trains elegantly glide along the rails, while others are big, clunky, and loud. While both are beautiful in their own ways, this category is for the trains that can go 200km/hr without spilling your cup of tea. (this isn't a requirement, just an example of graceful movement)

Strongest:

A fairly simple category to explain, this one is for the train with the most muscles and by muscles we mean watts.

Hottest:

This is for the train that is the most sexually attractive (not hottest in terms of temperature). Sure, the train might not have many other redeeming characteristics (though it could), but that doesn't stop you from thinking "I can fix it". Or perhaps "we can make each other worse."

Best singer:

You know how when a train leaves a station, and you hear that nice sound as it pulls away? Or perhaps it has the cutest honk you've ever heard? Well, this category is for the train that makes the best noises. Audio submissions are appreciated (we have not been on every train and do not remember what all of them sound like).

Most comfortable:

For the trains that just lull you to sleep in their warm embrace, this category is for the trains that make you feel safe and cozy.

Best at ironing clothes:

Some trains are not that comfortable, but hey, at least those seats are good for ironing!

Most hated that isn't the Pacer:

The Pacer was perhaps the most hated train on the british network, and now that it's finally dead we need to see what train will take its place. Or whichever one was most hated before it came along. Or the one that, whenever you got on board, had you think "Well, at least this isn't a Pacer!"

Most accessible:

Accessibility requirements are very important – they're what finally did in the Pacer, after all – so it's essential that we celebrate the trains that are the most accessible, especially when so many are not.

Most likely to catch fire:

We've all occasionally felt like we were on the verge of bursting into flames, but some trains actually manage to do so. Of course, some trains might be supposed to do this, but sometimes spontaneous combustion does happen by accident.

Best export:

British trains aren't limited to only Britain, and some of them have have travelled far and wide around the world. Whether it's purpose-built like the Thailand export of the Sprinter; or just a british train running on foreign rails (like the 125's about to be crushed by Mexican GEVO's) any train that's been in service elsewhere can enter!

Cleanest:

Whichever train is the least dirty, or best at keeping other things clean! We don't want to spread diseases now do we?

And, finally:

Most popular:

We'll put all of the submissions for this category into a poll and let the people decide which one is the best!

Of course, we might also decide to give out other prizes along the way, for example if we find a submission particularly funny.

[centrally-unplanned]

I have been taking my fit-and-starts second stab at playing Victoria 3 - I did a Japan run, and a Korea run, and this is a very frustrating game. It bothers me because its deep core is probably the best of Vicky so far. It understands that the appeal of these game is Factorio-esque; you want to build up this cool little supply chain that goes chug chug chug I make-a the widgets and numbers go up.

Vicky 1 was ofc just pure cheese; most goods could just be dumped on the global market with no buyer and do fine, certain goods were just hard-coded to be profitable, and insane things like 100% of import costs coming out of the government's budget pushed you towards a kind of samey, slapdash hyper-industrial mercantilism. Vicky 2 was the opposite - so opaque in its function that you as the player didn't really have agency over it, as the vaunted World Market just does its thing. Your strategies "worked" no matter what you really did though, so you just kind of followed basic "build factory in same territory as RGO" logic and let the system run itself. Both of these systems made for functional-but-not-exceptional gameplay loops.

Vicky 3 is more complicated than its predecessors, but in ways that makes how the economic system functions more concrete. You have local prices for goods, wider markets with clearly labelled high-and-low demand, and clearly defined "production methods" where buildings can commit to better tech at the cost of different inputs. As a player you can build factories, farms, and mines of a dozen different types anywhere, so you always have agency - and those new production lines gives you goals. Invent steel tools, so now your tooling workshops can make more tools but will need steel instead of iron as a input? You can switch over the lines...but make sure you have enough steel mills! And oh, that drives down the price of tools once you do it...so now your cattle ranches can justify switching their line to tool-assisted butchers! And now you make more meat, your local cost is low, but oh in the Russian market meat prices are high - as shown by that little gold coin icon it - so you can export it now!

Things are looped, contingent, and based on your decisions. It is simple, of course, you are making lots of little, easy calls that build you up over time - which is what makes it fun. It has to be simple, because otherwise it is a dizzyingly complex web of a million markets, it would never work. You feel like you are actually building the economy without being overwhelmed by it.

Which would be great if it wasn't stapled to one of the worst political & military systems I have ever seen, played with a UI God abandoned in shame.

So you can join the markets of other countries? Like you have your own market as a default, so you can click the "market" tab and it will show you how much wheat your country makes, how much iron it buys, etc. All good. But if you join another country's market, now that tab shows the collective market, everyone's wheat, iron, etc. Useful but like obiously I am not playing the market, I am playing the country; so how do I see how much wheat I make?

You can't.

You actually can't! Idk maybe they patched it in recently, but I couldn't find it and all the reddit threads I google from 2023 say you can't. Are you planning to declare independence and wanna see if you make enough food for your people? Too bad! Fuck around and find out I guess. I saw one thread where someone's advice was "save the game, declare independence, screenshot the new market, then reload". Quantum timeline level of experimental design going on in these guys' Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It isn't even the gameplay implications that bother me the most - this is a game about building an economy. You want to see what you built! And they stop you. It is baffling, and is just the tip of the iceberg - there are so many things like this. One of my favourites is that your "construction sector" is a hybrid of government and private projects, sometimes it is you spending the money, sometimes investors. Okay, cool, when it is you spending it comes out of your treasury, right? Well, yes, but the way they show that is when everyone spends it comes out of your treasury, but the private sector reimburses you for their share. Which you will not understand your first ~3 games, and instead just see huge red numbers on your budget screen and panic. And you are just left asking why? Why do that?

Beyond UI, the political system is just half-baked. It is "interest groups", each has baseline popularity, and verrrry slowly that changes as your economic structure changes (or revolutions). And to change laws you initiate campaigns to drum up support with roll dice to pass/fail. Which isn't a bad baseline, but it completely fails to capture how political change occurred in the era. Like the Meiji Restoration is "done" by you putting industrialists in power and kicking out the "landlords" lol. Japan didn't have industrialists then! Landlords are the ones who did the restoring of Meiji.

More importantly than inaccurate it isn't fun - to change a law you just arrange a coalition in power than kind of backs it, then pray you get good random events. In Vicky 2 they had a lot more railroad-style decisions and stuff you could do to capture history, "hit this military score benchmark and launch a civil war" kind of stuff. It wasn't complicated, and it was less organic, but it was pro player agency, you could take active steps to achieve it. In Vicky 3 it is mainly waiting or cheese - people often talk about getting the Meiji Restoration by deleting all your armies at game start and launching a civil war immediately that the AI will lose by default. A checkbox decision is better than that!

The military mechanics are the epitome of their "systems over gameplay" approach. What they wanted to do was two-fold; reduce micro in Vicky 2 where it is "click army to province" over and over, and "balance" the game by making combat not reward micro where players could cheese the AI. Very valid goals, I totally support it. What they did was built a system where armies auto-move to "fronts" and their AI can't handle it, but now as a player my agency over my units is gone so I can't fix it. The UI is awful, you can't even really tell armies to attack or defend, they just ~whim. You have to do a lot of clicking to fight the system - yes it is less clicking than Vicky 2, but in Vicky 2 that wasn't mentally taxing, it was fun enough to wage the war you wanted to wage. Everything was concrete and in your control.

Here...look, as Korea I declared war on China to gain independence. Then the UK - not my ally, just separately, declared war on China as well. So now we are kindaaaa on the same side? At which point half my army auto-reployed to Hong Kong because a "new front" had "appeared". One my one boat. Then the UK declared war on me as well and then 50% of my army was fighting the UK in the South China Sea alongside the Russians (???) while the other half of my army is sitting there at home facing the Qing troops along the Yalu River going "bro, wtf?". At one point a newly spawned army of mine tried to auto-redeploy to Senegal.

All of this is just so preventable - you wanna reduce micro? Make combat provinces really big. You just invade "Manchuria", no clicking from Jilin to Mukden, and have bordering armies support each other defensively or something like that so you don't have to dash back and forth. Don't try to make your AI "do it for you" because it clearly can't and you want to play your own game. I'm sure the above will get better as I learn the system but I can just see the hundreds of players who saw this system and insta-quit, because until you "understand" it, it stabs you in the back. Not what you want out of a game.

Anyway enough me whinging about the game for way too long - the fundamentals are strong in the end. I will test out mods, I could see an overhaul mod really fixing everything except maybe the combat (and then you just cope). I definitely want it to work, the potential is high.

[psblooms]

secret proposals

lee heeseung x fem reader smau series

previous - masterlist - next

FIFTEEN (PART ONE) you´re the worst of my crimes wc: 1550

contains: parental issues, issues in general that may make him still a bit unlikeable

the inner monologue of lee heeseung

saying people could not understand the struggles lee heeseung was facing would be the biggest way to remark on the insane privilege he had. he was a handsome young man, the son of the chairman of a successful company; he was smart, he grew up with the fanciest clothes and going to the nicest schools, he had made his own money and established himself in the industry while still having a trust fund bigger than what a normal person could imagine.

he could pretty much do nothing and make himself richer just by breathing.

except he didn’t, he learned at the young age of 14 that there were clear expectations in a family like his, and he understood that as much as his family claimed to be different in front of the cameras, the same basis was set into his life, he was always meant to be the spare of a company, a shadow if you will, even if he genuinely had a passion for something, he could never be better than lee seunghan.

the heir, the best, the older brother he wished he didn’t have, his brother was not brilliant; he was simply average, but being the oldest son meant everything, he could have failed an entire course but he would still be the golden child, heeseung never understood that.

how was he meant to compete with something he would never be able to change?

his parents kept pushing and pushing, trying to get him to try harder, but not hard enough, it was a push-and-pull game he never truly understood.

Why? Why bother?

the first eight years of his life were better, there was not a lot of competition, eight-year-old heeseung would probably claim that he got along well with his brother. It wasn't until lee seunghan was ten that he was introduced to what one day would be his, the leiras automotive company. leiras meant everything to the lee family, a small family that focused their every resource on turning a small company that manufactured car parts into designing and producing their own cars that were being used in almost all of asia, he heard stories of how his grandparents struggled economically to create the company, he remembered one of the only times he saw his father smile being the time the company secured the exportation deal that got the company out of south korea.

he was well aware leiras meant everything to his family and he worked his butt off to belong in it.

but listening to the talks of the relatives calling his brother the heir and the new ceo stung his heart, he remembered he would never be able to aspire to be more than a director in the company, his ladder stood lower than the one lee seunghan had.

still, he kept trying and holding on, hoping that maybe one day his parents would wake up and realize that capability and passion were more important than age and status, he wanted it to be a fair succession race.

but after every meeting, he realized he was still a child wishing for the unimaginable.

he was well aware that he could not trust anyone; when he was in his early twenties the media ate him alive, the bachelor who would never commit was born after multiple photos leaked when he was sent on the blind dates his parents organized, he learned those leaks came from inside, because who would people trust more in a company?

the popular and young heartbreaker? or the pristine older brother?

he didn’t want to hate his brother, he was also a pawn in the capitalistic views of his family but still deep inside he felt rancor, he resented him a lot, heeseung knew he wasn’t as passionate as himself, yet he never tried to step down or come to an arrangement, he was fully comfortable benefiting from that flawed system and deep inside him he understood that, if he had the chance of being born as the first son he would’ve been unstoppable.

the life he lived was pretty much decided by other people, he was not used to the idea of doing something because of his wants, his life was rigged by what people needed of him. even though he was a full-grown adult he was still speaking with the people his parents approved of. he was lucky enough that his friends were from wealthy families and that his parents didnt fully opposed it.

since he turned twenty-five the talks of marriage for succesion started being heard in the halls of his family home (and maybe his frontal lobe finished developing) he started "acting out" which was pretty much him being selfish for the first time in his life. he started making secret business with his father's blacklisted companies because he clearly was more bothered by his ego than by their capabilities; heeseung created in a year an amazing team making his department the most lucrative in the work division, he moved out and started living alone.

he was finally doing okay and he was finally proud of his work and convictions.

until everything got ruined by his parent's plans. and he underestimated the amount of pressure he could feel now that their eyes were on him.

he felt out of control and just like he felt at 18 right before going to business school or at 22 when he was sent to work at the company and he felt stressed from just thinking of what his coworkers thought of him from entering through the door just by being the boss son.

heeseung was falling, he was losing it. he hated not being in control of everything which was ironic since he was well aware that said control was limited by the people in higher power than him. he felt trapped and unable to think of a way to get away from it.

he could leave, quit the company, and risk being disowned, but he was scared, all his life working and preparing himself for having the same job and following the life his parents created way before he was able to talk.

but the feeling of the unknown was even more scary for him than the idea of following the steps that were drawn for him.

until he saw the girl who kept reaching for his hand coming back to him, even when he hurt her, and when he was embarrassing himself in front of her, he could not understand her, why was kang yn so nice to him? can people really not be interested in money? or connections? how can a relationship like that work?

Heeseung could not understand her even though he spent almost every afternoon with her for more than a month. they were raised differently and he understood how having a support system could mold the view of the world. and she was keen on sharing her lifestyle with him, even when they did not enjoy spending time alone together, she got along with the people near him, and sharing time with her started to get less and less annoying.

he started feeling comfortable with someone new for the first time in a while. but he was the best at self-sabotaging the little happiness he was able to feel. he felt unworthy of that, he finally started to know the feeling of wanting something and he was aware that those feelings were not aligned with his career and future path.

heeseung didnt even gave himself the chance of admitting he felt something when he first kissed her at the party; even less after knowing he fucked up the little chances he still allowed to feel he had of having something real with her. after many drinks he felt comfortable with himself admitting that he was a fool by not thinking of a way to protect her, she hid a lot of her relationships with the people he knew and he was aware that there was not enough trust with each other.

and still, he burned the bridge even before it was built just by staying silent while people gave backhanded comments he was not aware existed, after a while comments about him fell on deaf ears but he was selfish enough to forget that kang yn was still new to that atmosphere.

he was not that dumb, he knew he fucked up; but he was a proud man, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but himself, mainly because of the fact that he did not know how to fix it.

there was not a single part of him that did not regret how things went down, but he knew there was no way in hell she didn't hate him when she had every right to, and that made him scared of trying to fix it. he knew it was better for her to hate him when he didn't even know how to keep her in his life while not hurting her any longer.

even in his drunk mind, he was conscious enough he was not in the right place to be with her any time soon, at least until he found a way to fix himself and the issues around being with lee heeseung.

so why is she still reaching out to him?

note: and we’re back!!! well kinda, it’s still going to have slow updates but I’m not letting the story go

taglist: (@eleanorheartschishiya @enhaslxt @ddazed-lhs @nctislifue @ariadores @ineedsomezzz @webjeje @enhaz1 @strayy-kidz @firstclassjaylee @cupidity99 @heeoao @trinxt @flwrstqr @heeswif3y @woninluv @erehkinnie30 @inlovewithasa @mrmld @sumzysworld @simjyunnie @yizhoutv @splat00z @heehappi @yogirllia @partyparty-yah)

[rjzimmerman]

This is "interesting," (to use a mild word), because it shows us how trump and his minions are manipulating our thinking toward their imperialistic goals. In this case, the threat to impose tariffs globally on any country that impose tariffs on the US are not intended to generate revenue, but rather are intended to generate increased exports of fossil fuels, in particular, liquified natural gas, from the US to the rest of the world. Who benefits? The fossil fuel industry. Unfuckingbelievable, yet very believable when one considers the source, methodology, motivation.

Excerpt from Bill McKibben's Substack, The Crucial Years:

In the last few days, Taiwan, India and Japan made clear they will be buying exported American LNG in the months and years ahead. Why? Entirely in an effort to hold off tariffs from the Trump administration. As the Japanese prime minister put it,

“We will cooperate to strengthen energy security between the two countries including increasing exports of United States liquefied natural gas to Japan in a mutually beneficial manner.”

Here’s how Bloomberg described the Indian decision-making:

Indian importers are under pressure from the government to reach deals that could smooth relations with Trump, the people said, but they will be looking for the best possible terms before signing any agreements.

Meanwhile, as Sing Yee Ong reports from Taipei

Taiwan is preparing to buy more liquefied natural gas from the US to reduce its trade surplus and potentially avoid higher tariffs.

Oh, and more to come

South Korea, Vietnam and the European Union are among energy buyers trying to appease President Donald Trump — and reduce the threat of tariffs — by looking to increase purchases from the biggest exporter of the super-chilled fuel and largest producer of crude.

I want to highlight these shakedowns, which have mostly been lost amidst the thousand other terrible things the Trump administration has loosed upon the world, because I know that before long Big Oil will be holding them up as evidence that the world needs and wants more fossil fuel. In fact, the world wants to move in entirely the opposite direction: 85% of new electric generation in 2023 came from renewables, and the numbers for 2024 will almost certainly be higher. That, of course, terrifies the fossil fuel industry—which is why they spent record amounts on November’s election. As fracking baron Harold Hamm explained, “We’ve got to do this because it’s the most important election in our lifetime.”

And now they’re getting the payoff: Trump threatens tariffs, and offers to make them go away if they buy some LNG. It’s akin to a protection racket. Pay up, or your windows get broken. It’s not criminal—it’s all entirely legal. It’s just wrong.

This particular protection racket makes no sense for America at large. Forget, for a moment, that LNG is a huge driver of the climate change driving fire and flood (by the time you’ve shipped it overseas it’s far worse even than coal); exporting it in huge quantities also obviously drives up the price for Americans still reliant on fracked gas for heating and cooking. The Energy Information Administration just predicted that natural gas prices will rise 21 percent in the year ahead. Politico did the math

Paul Cicio, president of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America trade association, said U.S. LNG exports are pushing natural gas and electricity prices higher. Every “dollar increase in natural gas costs consumers $34 billion plus about $20 billion in higher electricity cost,” Cicio said in a statement Tuesday. It's “only going to get worse from here as LNG exports increase.”t of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America trade association, said U.S. LNG exports are pushing natural gas and electricity prices higher.

As the Sierra Club points out, Trump’s strategy “makes no sense.” And they’re right—as long as we’re talking about the future of the planet or the cost to American consumers. But that’s not who Trump is thinking about. He’s got one constituency and one only: the Big Oil execs who bankrolled his campaign. For them, this is sweet payback, a 100-1 return on their investment.

And it’s a stark reminder that we have to fight back on the only turf we have: the fact that the sun and wind can deliver the same product as LNG, only more cheaply and much more cleanly. We can’t threaten tariffs to get our way; we can only make the case in such persuasive terms that we start to change the zeitgeist. That’s the point of SunDay project I described last week and that you are going to hear a lot more about. Many thanks to those who went to sunday.earth to help us draw some suns as we prepare for the official launch of this big effort. So many of you took part already. Here’s a beautiful example from the effervescent Ayana Johnson (whose book What If We Get It Right is a document for this tough moment)

[cambtech]

Online Port & Terminal Management Course | Cambtech

Master port & terminal operations with Cambtech. Learn cargo handling, shipping, logistics, documentation & get certified in maritime logistics online.

Cambtech’s Foundation in Port and Terminal Management course is your gateway to a thriving career in maritime logistics. Learn essential skills in port operations, cargo handling, freight forwarding, container terminal management, and import-export documentation. This online program also covers stevedoring and supply chain integration, making it ideal for aspiring professionals in shipping and logistics. Join Cambtech’s expert-led training and earn your certification from anywhere.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Talks: Tariffs

Disclaimer: The description of Tariffs in this is mainly based on Economic theory and can have other factors that are unseen play into it. I also did my best in simplifying the effects of what Tariffs do to better explain the process. For those with questions or find that this explanation is lacking. Feel free to reply to the post with questions, or elaborate on where I did not properly explain.

_____________________________________________________________

People really don't understand how Tariffs work.

Now, I should explain something to all the people freaking out about Tariffs.

THEY ARE A COMMON PRACTICE IN MACROECONOMICS. A practice that has been used LONG before 2016. So this is nothing new.

Now to explain what a Tariff is. It is simply this:

Now does this make goods more expensive? Yes and no.

In the case of domestic goods, most cases is no. If anything it actually helps in incentivizing the purchase of domestic goods. Which is a good thing. As it encourages growth in domestic products, which causes expansion and in cases where production expands, it often becomes cheaper. Meaning that goods can end up becoming cheaper to incentivize more purchases, but not always. It will rarely ever become more expensive.

In the case of Foreign goods. Obviously yes. This would raise the price of foreign goods by a margin, as to compensate for the Tariff, the importer will have to charge more, OR simply move less product in the country imposing the tariff. Now the person/business importing the goods pays the the tax on Tariffs, but this sucks for the exporting country that has the Tariffs placed on them because if the importer has to raise price on goods, they will sell less and that is where the price is being paid.

Now, for most countries, Tariffs are actually limited in how effective they can be. In the case of America... Tariffs are incredibly powerful. America is the biggest importer in the world. MANY countries export their goods to the US. So the US imposing Tariffs on them can range from crippling to Near economic destruction. That's how powerful the US is on the World stage economically.

Interestingly, Tariffs are actually less about the money that the US will get from them, and more of a deterrent that is the economic equivalent of launching missiles. But unlike with shows of force, economic damage is more efficient and more humane in terms of getting countries to do things. It is a means of getting countries to comply with demands that are less expensive.

Tariffs can vary and can be as precise as targeting a single product from one country, to as broad as targeting every product from EVERY country. Of course doing the later would be insane. But doing the former is surprisingly effective.

Now to those wondering if the future Tariffs are good or bad. This series of yes or no questions can help you determine that.

Do I live outside of america? Yes or No

Do I work for a company that is not headquartered in the US? Yes or No

Do I or the company I work for rely heavily on Foreign/imported goods? Yes or no

Now if you answered ANY of these questions with Yes. Then bad news, Tariffs can have a massive impact on you and it will likely have a negative impact on you. Unless your country and/or Company plays ball (makes concessions to avoid the Tariffs)

BUT if you are in the US, aside from some goods becoming more expensive (depending on who the US makes have the Tariff) your life will likely not be impacted negatively. Or in some cases, economic growth may actually occur in the long term.

But the truth is, Tariffs will likely be used more as threats than actually utilized to the extreme degree people fear.

TL:DR:

Tariffs makes some things more expensive in the short term for long term gain. And if you are in the US, you will be fine. If you are not in the US... well things may suck unless you go along with what the US says

[eretzyisrael]

by John McGuirk

From time to time, I get asked by readers why it is, exactly, that I spend so much time writing about official Ireland’s attitudes towards Israel.

There’s a personal answer to that question (I’ve been to Israel, have friends there, find it to be a wonderful and welcoming country where people live cheerfully even in the knowledge that there are constant plots to kill them) and there’s an substantially more important political answer: That Irish attitudes to Israel are a marker for so much else that’s wrong about the country.

The first thing I’d say is that no issue more clearly sums up the entirely performative nature of Irish politics, in which our dear leaders prance about on the stage playing at being the “goodie” in a pantomime. For example: How many times this week have we heard, solemnly, from our leaders that Ireland is committed to international law and human rights? 

And how many times, dear reader, have you heard that lie – and it is a blatant lie – challenged by the Irish media?

This is, of course, the very same Ireland that literally rolled out the red-carpet last year for the visit of the Chinese Premier, while that Government perpetrates what actually is an internationally recognised genocide against the Uigher people.

It’s the same country that sends Ministers every Saint Patrick’s day to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where women are routinely whipped for alleged adultery, which includes being raped by a man other than their husbands. It’s the same country where the party of the official opposition used to import guns from then Libyan dictator Muamar Gaddaffi in order to murder British (and Irish) civilians.

Indeed, the President who took to his rostrum yesterday to spew more invective against the Israeli Government, and to criticise the alleged extra-territorial ambitions of Israel, is called Michael D. Higgins. He bears, not coincidentally, the same name as the Irish President who just some months ago wished his very best in their endeavours to an Iranian regime that has infringed on the sovereignty of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq in recent years, and which openly exports arms to terror groups right across the Middle East.

He’s the same Michael D. Higgins also who extolled in the most poetic terms the late and apparently missed Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro. That’s the fellow spluttering barely coherent outrage about the apparent fact that the Israelis might think we were unfairly singling them out for criticism.

This rank performative nonsense – which is what it is – is not confined to the international arena.

Our Taoiseach is an actor. He acts, and poses, as a man of great activity and ambition.

He stands before us, tears in his eyes like a melodramatic republican-era Roman stageman of yore, telling us five years ago that he would solve the crisis of children unable to access Scoliosis surgery. He signs contracts for a children’s hospital, then pretends to be blameless for their contents. He talks a great game about leading the fight against climate change but knows full well his country can do nothing about it. It is all a performance; a man play-acting at power and influence who neither has it nor would know how to wield it if he had.

[communist-manifesto-daily]

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific - Part 12

[ First | Prev | Table of Contents | Next ]

In England, the bourgeoisie never held undivided sway. Even the victory of 1832 left the landed aristocracy in almost exclusive possession of all the leading Government offices. The meekness with which the middle-class submitted to this remained inconceivable to me until the great Liberal manufacturer, Mr. W. A. Forster, in a public speech, implored the young men of Bradford to learn French, as a means to get on in the world, and quoted from his own experience how sheepish he looked when, as a Cabinet Minister, he had to move in society where French was, at least, as necessary as English! 

The fact was, the English middle-class of that time were, as a rule, quite uneducated upstarts, and could not help leaving to the aristocracy those superior Government places where other qualifications were required than mere insular narrowness and insular conceit, seasoned by business sharpness. [2] Even now the endless newspaper debates about middle-class education show that the English middle-class does not yet consider itself good enough for the best education, and looks to something more modest. Thus, even after the repeal of the Corn Laws, it appeared a matter of course that the men who had carried the day – the Cobdens, Brights, Forsters, etc. – should remain excluded from a share in the official government of the country, until 20 years afterwards a new Reform Act opened to them the door of the Cabinet. The English bourgeoisie are, up to the present day, so deeply penetrated by a sense of their social inferiority that they keep up, at their own expense and that of the nation, an ornamental caste of drones to represent the nation worthily at all State functions; and they consider themselves highly honored whenever one of themselves is found worthy of admission into this select and privileged body, manufactured, after all, by themselves.

[2] And even in business matters, the conceit of national Chauvinism is but a sorry adviser. Up to quite recently, the average English manufacturer considered it derogatory for an Englishman to speak any language but his own, and felt rather proud than otherwise of the fact that "poor devils" of foreigners settled in England and took off his hands the trouble of disposing of his products abroad. He never noticed that these foreigners, mostly Germans, thus got command of a very large part of British foreign trade, imports and exports, and that the direct foreign trade of Englishmen became limited, almost entirely, to the colonies, China, the United States, and South America. Nor did he notice that these Germans traded with other Germans abroad, who gradually organized a complete network of commercial colonies all over the world. But, when Germany, about 40 years ago [c.1850], seriously began manufacturing for export, this network served her admirably in her transformation, in so short a time, from a corn-exporting into a first-rate manufacturing country. Then, about 10 years ago, the British manufacturer got frightened, and asked his ambassadors and consuls how it was that he could no longer keep his customers together. The unanimous answer was:

You don't learn customer's language but expect him to speak your own;

You don't even try to suit your customer's wants, habits, and tastes, but expect him to conform to your English ones.

[ First | Prev | Table of Contents | Next ]