#IT IS A COMPLETE AND UTTER FAILURE OF MORALITY.

[polgarawolf1]

FFS, people, WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the EXACT SAME modus operandi of HITLER AND THE NAZIS in the leadup to WWII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm tired of Eastern European countries being sacrificied by the West in order to appease Russia. this is exactly what happened after WW2, this is what might as well happen now

[ilikekidsshows]

I hate that Marinette stans pretend like Marinette has no agency in any of her actions and that Gabriel (or any character opposing or challenging Marinette) is to be held responsible for the damage she constantly causes.

That's not how a hero main character works. If your main character can't go up against the villain of the story without every not-pretty consequence or action not being allowed to reflect on the hero's character, then you're main character fucking sucks.

That's literally an MC's job. The way they handle going through their story tells us what type of people and hero they are. The villain cannot be blamed for the MC being a moral failure because the villain's challenge is what's supposed to reveal and show to us who our main character is.

That's basic storytelling. It doesn't matter that Marinette is 14, she's a fictional dime a dozen kid's show protagonist, nothing Marinette is faced with is some unique burden for the genre. And Gabriel isn't some groundbreaking villain concept either. Kids protagonist primarily fight adult villains. Marinette isn't special.

Actually, she is in the sense that hero MCs are normally supposed to show how to be strong enough to not let the villain's mere existence and evil plan be enough to leave the kid hero an immoral mess whose eternal excuse from now on is "I can't be blamed, I had to face a villain".

I mean, that's the MC's JOB as a narrative tool. Herorically facing and defeating the villain while showing what strength the hero had in the end to pull through victoriously that the villain lacked.

Marinette is simply not qualifying for the titel of "hero main character". She has little to zero interest in her job beyond how it affects her, so she literally never gets any closer to defeating ANY Butterfly, she's barely any actual help to the people of Paris beyond defeating the 10.000th akuma in a tie and telling the victims some vague line about conquering their feelings that hardly does anything ever to actually solve a problem deeper than surface level. She has abandoned, mistreated, and failed her own partner, Chat Noir, in almost every way possible and still barely shows any improvement in that regard because instead she forced all accountability and growing onto HIM just cause she had the power to do so.

She failed to actually defeat the villain she was chosen to defeat and how has the world glorify him. She's lying to every person and especially every VICTIM involved in this to spare herself from temporary interpersonal consequences to the point where she was willing to kill the main victim that's also her LOVE INTEREST.

But, again, most importantly: the basic hero MC job of facing and defeating the villain and their evil elaborate plan was already way too much for Marinette to handle because it apparently completely broke her as a person. She did not come out of this stronger, she's not showing what makes her different from Gabriel beyond her being better at punching and being strategic in battle, and seemingly every character AROUND Marinette has to make up for her utter disinterested in what's actually going on and in finding out how to actually HELP THE PEOPLE THEY PROMISED TO PROTECT.

What Marinette is is a tragically failed teenage hero who did their best in a situation they weren't supposed to be put in. She managed to set Hawkmoth's end in motion as she was chosen to do, but it literally left her off way worse as a person, her partner was reduced by her to be walking collateral damage, and her hero angle remained mostly inefficient in genuinely helping the vulnerable and preyed upon civilians. They were just told to grow beyond it themselves because Ladybug can't do better then defeating inconsequential akumas.

That's not a hero. And I'm saying that because that's literally the story being told. Not of a hero, but a tragically failed teenage hero who did her best in a situation she wasn't supposed to be in but at least managed to pull through succeeding on paper at what she was supposed to do: defeating Hawkmoth.

That's the only victory she had and it's a minor on in the grand scheme because it only holds up by mere technicality. Ladybug defeated the Hawkmoth persona. But that doesn't change tayt she failed at every other part of her job.

---

Miraculous is a really good showcase of why you actually need to think about what you are writing, especially for a kids’ show. Marinette constantly acts the opposite of what we're told she's like because nothing Marinette does matters as much as the fact that she is Marinette, the center of the universe.

There's no moral code in Miraculous, because the writers didn't think establishing hard lines for what their characters wouldn't do is important. In fact, they’ve admitted that they don't really care about established characterization because they want to just have the characters do whatever they need for each episode's plot (instead of using their massive cast to find/make a more fitting character). And yet Astruc brags on Twitter on how consistent it is that Marinette lies to Adrien to make Gabriel look good.

Usually, when the main villain is as similar to the hero as Gabriel and Marinette are to each other, it's specifically to show what makes one a hero and the other a villain, but that's not what's going on. Gabriel and Marinette are practically identical in how they objectify Adrien and dismiss his feelings as unimportant. The only difference is that Marinette hasn't used Adrien's Amok to command him (yet, maybe, depending on how you interpret the S5 finale).

Yeah, like, even Hawk Moth actually defeated himself, she just barely contributed. There's so little consideration for anything the team does that even the series bible is laughable in how pathetic it is in terms of guidelines, values or even characterization. The bible barely tells us anything about Marinette’s personality but it states twice that Marinette must always be sympathized with.

The ending result of the writing team’s shortcomings and shortsightedness is that Marinette, by all rights, is a character who has proven, over and over again, that she can’t handle the power she’s been given, she’s not doing enough good with it to justify the bad she’s doing with it, and she’s ruining even her own mental health while she’s at it. At this point, every problem still in the show, that isn’t the villains doing obvious villain things right in this instant, is Marinette’s fault. Marinette should be stripped of her power, both for the sake of the greater good and her own well-being.

But sure, she’s “the greatest Ladybug” and “the perfect version of herself”. Every single 14-year-old hero (of which there are many) would do a better job in her position. In general, Miraculous, as a show, has an abysmal grasp on the superhero genre and is just a very bad superhero show outside of single cool moments in action scenes. Miraculous’ characters are terrible superheroes, because the writers behind this show don’t seem to understand even the first thing about making an actual superhero character, and Marinette is the worst offender despite getting the most care.

[heartfeltletters-written]

fic masterlist

devotion (xaden/violet) (royalty au) (explicit) > 20k (2/5)

Riorsons only married those who proved themselves worthy in their Gods' eyes. For that, one must go through four trials – one for the Queen, one for the King, two for them both.

She would surrender herself to pleasure, wholly, completely. Be as powerful as Amari. Surrender to her. Embrace the path of utter devotion. And rise high as she, at last, reached completion.

[or: the path to becoming Queen is through ritualistic sex]

when the flames burned green the dragons danced (xaden/violet) (house of the dragon au) (explicit) > 10k (1/3)

“I want them dead,” Violet whispers, “I want whoever did this, I’ll burn them all myself, I want their heads decorating our walls.” She demands, her voice rising higher as the words spill from her mouth. Her husband nods, as she knew he would, she can sense the anger emanating from him. “I will avenge our boy my Queen.” he promises, “A son for a son,"

Xaden and Violet had finally found solace in Aretia, a happiness none of them had felt before with a family of their own, until a devastating tragedy falls over their lives.

we never knew peace (xaden/violet) (post fourth-wing) (canon-divergent) (mature) > 70k (8/?) (on hiatus)

Revolution is happening, shaking the foundations of the world they know. As Xaden assumes his place as Fen Riorson's son, being the front man of the revolution, working to deceive Navarre's Command, the cadets return to Basgiath. With dragons poised for battle and Violet struggling to maintain control amidst the chaos, the stakes couldn't be higher. There are eyes everywhere, watching their every move. The continent teeters on the brink of falling into the hands of the dark wielders, threatening to reshape the very fabric of society.

An Iron Flame retelling where the politics make sense, Brennan is not so easily forgiven and Xaden and Violet talk.

here at your doorway (xaden/violet) (post fourth-wing) (explicit) >6k (1/1)

After returning from Basgiath, Xaden and Violet finally have time to talk.

the ghost scar (harry/ginny) (post-ootp) (canon-divergent) (mature) > 50k (11/?) (on hiatus)

In the aftermath of Sirius's death, Harry finds himself burdened by grief and overwhelmed by the numerous expectations placed upon him by people who were supposed to protect him. Feeling isolated and unable to properly mourn, he becomes tired of the constant pressure and suffocated by the weight of his own life. Determined to regain control, Harry takes matters into his own hands, seeking to break free from the constraints of others and find his own path while batling the ever constant present of Voldemort in his life.

A different take on Harry's story where politics play a significant role and the lines between good and evil are blurred as morals are questioned.

to fall or to fly (poetry collection) (3/3)

a poetry collection about failures, heartbreaks, grief and what it means to be a human dealing with feelings.

[beevean]

Honestly, as unfamiliar as i am with the broader sonic lore, seeing people say Eggman Nega is the actual evil guy compared to Eggman sounds silly. Iirc, in the Rush games both were cooperating to wreck the dimensions for their megalomaniac dream, and even both chafed w eachother occasionally over their massive egos. There's no particular moment where Nega does something that Eggman wouldn't/hasn't done, nor a moment where Eggman disagrees for non selfish purposes. Tbh it feels like they just saw the designs and decided Nega's outfit was more evil lmao

It's all based on this one scene from Rush Adventure:

Dr. Eggman: Nooo! Curse you, Sonic! Eggman Nega: Haa ha ha ha ha! It's time to die, fools! Dr. Eggman: Nega?! Wait... what are you doing...?! Eggman Nega: HAAA ha ha ha! Dr. Eggman: What? No! You're mad! Don't push that button...! Eggman Nega: Planet-Buster Laser, FIRE!

An earlier line:

Eggman Nega: Now, the world shall be my plaything! I shall bring about an age of fear and chaos! And it shall be glorious!

And his plans in Sonic Rivals:

Eggman Nega: [Takes out camera] All I have to do is transfer the energy to the camera on my rocket, and I'll turn this whole planet into a card! Silver: What!? That means my future would be destroyed as well! Eggman Nega: [Takes out a card] If I can't change the future, I'll simply destroy it! There's nobody who can stop me now! Farewell.

In short, Eggman Nega is seen as more insane than Eggman because he, like other villains, want to destroy the world and is not above trying a murder-suicide stunt. It's a classic argument, that Eggman is "softer" because he merely wants to conquer the world :^)

Have a TvTropes as a treat:

Foil: To our own Dr. Eggman. While both scientists are incredibly arrogant utter jerkasses, the good doctor we all know and love is frequently shown to have a degree of rationale below his surface of hamminess and immaturity most of the time, aiming to rule the world rather than destroy it. Nega, by contrast, comes off as soft-spoken and relaxed on the surface but thrives on destruction and lacks any sort of restraint. Also, whereas Eggman tends to walk off his various defeats and try again after a brief fit or two, Nega is a Sore Loser unable to handle the humiliation given by failure, and would be willing to blow up the planet if it meant he could get a win.

The Sociopath: Unlike the goofy Eggman, who despite being evil, has shown to have some form of self-restraint, Nega is completely devoid of empathy and his dream is to turn the world into a playground of destruction.

Viler New Villain: Intended to be what Eggman would be like without his more sensible or endearing traits. While Eggman'll pull an Enemy Mineso the world doesn't get destroyed, Eggman Nega is Ax-Crazy and wants mass-destruction in his plots (if destruction isn't his flat-out goal). And in contrast to how Eggman's goofier traits hide a somewhat pragmatic schemer, Nega's seemingly collected persona hides a stark raving lunatic.

"some sort of restraint" which is why he attempted to nuke Station Square in a fit of rage and even went to detonate the missile itself when it failed. or why he fired a warning shot at the moon. or why he split the entire planet into pieces to awaken a world-destroying deity. or why he attempted to tame a time manipulating abomination with the purpose of eliminating Sonic from the timeline. much restraint, very morals.

Look what they focus on. Eggman is goofy, while Nega is more "suave". That alone makes Eggman look less threatening. Once again, it's all about the Vibes. Who cares if Eggman is not above murder and enslavement, if he's funny about it?

[5x4dark]

The West's position of 'nuclear weapons for me, not for thee!' in regards to Iran (and North Korea) is obviously hypocritical, we all know it, and that doesn't really matter.

Politics is not a game of consistent ideological and moral positions. Anyone who treats it as such is in for a rude awakening; either when their preferred political entity does things that (on the surface) completely fly in the face of what they claim to believe, or when the consistent 'true believers' lose out to the first opposition that takes advantage of throwing out those platitudes.

It's easy to try and analyze politics in the same way that we analyze people. It usually pays off to be personally moral and consistent with your beliefs since the consequences of failing to do so are much more severe for any singular individual person. If I act in a way that I find to be immoral I personally feel horrible. I may have accomplished my goal but the emotional guilt of doing so now means that I'm significantly less happy than I was before, in which case what was the point of the accomplishment in the first place?

Political entities however, largely don't suffer from this.

Sure, personally some individuals involved in politics may have a conscience. The reward of letting a conscience affect political decisions is a constant risk of being out competed by those who don't, and thus removed from the political stage all together. Fast forward this pressure over a long enough time frame and you would expect to see conscience actors become less and less common due to being replaced by unconscious actors.

If political success means that I have to commit acts that would make it impossible for me to sleep at night, I'm probably going to remove myself from politics. The amoral sociopath will not.

Thus; politics will always devolve into cold, Machiavellian, pragmatism.

And so we come to the conclusion that by and large political entities will put furthering (what they feel to be) their own interests over everything else. Hypocrisy, consistency, and honesty become useless platitudes (or even actively harmful) if they are not directly beneficial.

Applying this line of thought to the Western position on Iran clears up otherwise nonsensical and inconsistent policy.

Iran, as one of the stronger rivals to Israel, acts as a counter to Western power in the Middle East. This is why they're nominally allied with Russia (and China to a lesser extent.) The greater their power projection and influence, the lesser that of West. This remains true so long as the ruling regime of Iran stands in opposition to Western nations.

Nuclear weapons are one of the most effective ways to guarantee independence and sovereignty from outside forces. When attempts to overthrow or invade a country can be responded to with complete and utter destruction, those attempts become much more risky and less likely to be done. North Korea is a prominent example of this; their nuclear program presents far too big a risk to South Korea and Japan to make an invasion worth it for countries allied with them. Thus, the Kim's remain in power.

The West views a nuclear armed Iran as an Iran that is essentially a permanent and powerful fixture. A constant threat that now has insane amounts of negotiating power because both sides know that a total failure of negotiations will mean death and destruction on scales never before seen.

A nuclear Iran has more ability to project power, meaning the West has less. A high stakes game, considering the importance of the region to global oil prices.

With these dynamics in mind, it is now incredibly obvious as to why the West cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon under any circumstances. However they justify that to their people at large is kind of irrelevant, and their 'official' reasoning for this policy will be whatever they find to be most convincing from a PR angle.

Truth, honesty, and consistency have no relevance on the matter.

~i just wanna grill man, maxi 🩶🖤~

[violensense]

alrighty GIVE those opinions, thoughts on whether or not Dex is romantic about Matt or just heart eyes at a noble cause he feels he can become a part of (y'know, noble being SHOOTING people like Fisk). Becoming an anti-hero/ or are people reading into this "WHOOOA HE's in love with Matt!!!" (naturally they are entitled to their opinions and no anti-gay of course) just wondering your thoughts on where Dex is going overall/his thoughts through s1

I think people may be reading too into it and extrapolating. I’m not saying there isn’t a lot there but the last scene we see of Dex before the reboot is him going under the knife because of Matt. And for Dex, this is a failure. A humiliation. He has never been put in a position so powerless at that like in that moment. And the thing is, they’ve established he has no sense of moral compass. He has a map. He has the destination. But its mostly because he’s been taught to follow those rules not because in any way or sense does he believe it. He is a gun with no aim who is happy to take down everything and everyone within his perimeter. 

It’s why Fisk sees in him a good toy to wind up and set loose. He’s a husk of  just violence. It’s why its so easy to put him in the Daredevil suit and pretend they’re no different. He doesn’t really know who he is. He knows what he can do. What he wants to do. He knows what he should and shouldn't do. But that’s as far as his notion of humanity really goes so far. That want for connection is really just mostly to tether himself to a society that deeply deeply does not want him nor does he actually feel an earnest place in. I think Born Again makes it more obvious. He was going through the motion, drugged out and bored before Vanessa. And Vanessa gave him a purpose. A target. And he’s like a dog with a bone. Once he’s set his eyes on something – off he goes. Matt after that was really just an after thought because he took away his best friend. What worse could Matt do to him that Dex hasn’t already done to him? I’m not sure where they’re going with s2 just based on the set photos but what I do know is Dex has a deep capacity for being vindictive and cruel. And again, he’s really a husk with no sense of person. The mask gives him some sense of that but its hollow – in complete. With the Fisks having disappointed him and used him as their tool not once but twice now, he might try and fix his eyes on Matt’s sense of fortitude. He’s not infallible. He knows that but to some degree, I think, he can see that Matt out of everyone is more determined than most and when you pair that to how perhaps out of everyone else Matt has been consistent in beating him. It can become either this twisted thing of he will drag him down with the likes of them to prove himself right that no one, not even god’s little devil, will find a way to stay with him ( wether its playing this cat and mouse game for the rest of time ) or he’ll obsess in finding every way to needle at the hurt and the pain he’d cause this silly little man to the point of obsession because its the only sense of human connection he can understand. 

Comic!Dex for me however is definitely obsessed with him. Like he wants to skin him alive to see what makes him tick and bring him to the utter brink of distraction only to pull him right back in to see that same sense of unfiltered will to live or to die he’d put him in. He wants him dead. He wants him alive. He wants to be the one holding his heart in his hands counting to the very last pulse. But definitely more in love with the notion of characters like Frank or Elektra. But that’s only truly because they’re not as restrained as Matt. No catholic guilt around those people. They’re pure art of violence. 

[plethoraworldatlas]

What would actually get people to vote Biden again:

The democrats stopping their support for a genocide

really that's the biggest point right now (You have elderly voters who've voted democrat their entire lives deciding they morally can't vote for a genocide funder)

like, people were likely going to vote for him again even with his mixed success rate on just about everything (Some good Environmental wins, but with massive logging and pipeline projects given a thumbs up, a good start to progressive immigration reform that Democrats are currently saying they will gladly kill to secure more funding for Israel, Spectacular wins for LGBT+ Rights that conservatives have basically ignored to little backlash or punishment, lots of diverse judges appointed who really haven't had much effect on conservatives taking away peoples rights, a complete and utter failure to do anything substantial about police brutality besides have the FBI assassinate more activists and put more brown people on watch lists, etc), him actively funding and supporting a genocide being the breaking point is frankly restraint. They've cut him so much slack that JUST asking for him to not be genocidal is the bare minimum they've been talked into accepting and people are still saying they're being "unreasonable"

things that will not get people to Vote Biden again

Screaming Crying throwing up and calling every brown person or person with a shred of morality who doesn't think they can vote for him while he's actively supporting a genocide with our taxes a "brain dead fascist who wants Trump to win"

[scribblestatic]

So, this is less a storyline thing and more making sure I have the background stuff straight.

Completely by utter accident, as I was bathing yesterday and thinking about the Sonic Robotnik AU, I was like, "What if Sonic was previously made by G.U.N. using notes from Shadow's creation, but since they didn't have an abundance of ultramega powerful alien to use cells from, they used Chao and Wisp cells? But all of their previous attempts at building the creature up correctly kept failing, so they decided to try a few different cell clusters. A scientist with G.U.N. gets one of them to work. What they didn't tell anyone is that the cells are from Maria Robotnik's corpse."

And then I thought about the fact I'd given Sonic the real name "Matija" in this universe and I was like, "Damn. This checks out fr."

So yeah, that's what I'm going with.

Matija "Sonic" Robotnik was originally made as a G.U.N. experiment to create their own version of Shadow, but it "failed" because some of the binding cells to ensure everything worked together came from Maria Robotnik. As such, Matija inherited her NIDS, and G.U.N. deemed his creation a failure, so they were going to incinerate him just like how they'd incinerated the previous attempts. But some people with some actual fucking morals decided to try and save the little experiment by falsely marking him as incinerated and actually escaping with him.

Tragically, a car accident killed one of the people in the small group saving him, though the little hedgehog survived because his body might be killing itself, but he can inherently stand blunt force trauma.

That's where Ivo comes upon the crashed car and the dead person since his sensors picked up a strange energy from the area. While inspecting the crash, he sees the little creature the person was protecting and decides to study them.

After some blood tests, he finds out fairly quickly about the NIDS, and the little thing is having a hard time breathing, so Ivo puts the little experiment in something of an incubator. He notices the chaos energy coming off the struggling creature, so he's like, "Well, if this little thing wants to survive, I suppose it's best to tend to it. After all, it's an interesting study subject."

He does his best not to admit how much he cares for the little creature once he gains enough strength to curl his little paws around one of Ivo's fingers.

He's most definitely not gotten in too deep once he gives the creature the "Proper Robotnik name" of Matija (again, pronounced MA-tee-ah, which is like Matthew but Serbian).

He definitely doesn't take pictures of Matija when his little ears open up and he responds to sound, or when his eyes finally blink open for the first time.

His heart does not melt when the little infant Mobian starts cooing happily or trying to crawl toward him whenever he sees him.

And he doesn't feel anger the longer he struggles to solve the problem with NIDS, going as far as to study medical science to try to better understand the syndrome. It most certainly doesn't help that Matija's body is a really screwy cocktail of Mobian, Chao, and Wisp with remnants of Black Arms and even teeny, nearly indecipherable, incredibly damaged and scrambled insertions of what used to be human DNA. Making medicine that works for him is an absolute nightmare, but it's a problem the great Doctor Robotnik can most definitely solve as a genius.

And he doesn't feel sadness seeing the days Matija's NIDS acts up more and he has to have a little oxygen tube uncomfortably inserted in one of his little nostrils just to help him breathe.

Matija is definitely not his son. For sure.

He absolutely does not become a softer, more caring but still selfish man simply because of the little Mobian's influence

...Anyway, by the time Sonic meets Knuckles, Dr. Robotnik already knows that Sonic's body uses chaos energy, but he doesn't have the know-how to teach him how to channel it or possibly try to self-heal himself. So, when Sonic starts learning how to start controlling the chaos energy in his body more, he considers it a bonus, but he's dedicated to eradicating the pumped-up bastardized disease for good.

To Sonic, Robotnik is his dad, wacky uncle, and primary care physician. And he'd do just about anything for him, short of taking over the world. Thankfully, Robotnik's megalomaniacal tendencies have shifted to better, more manageable goals and topics. Still incredibly selfish, yes, but that's just how his dad is. He loves him regardless.

[vacantgodling]

break and skin for the birthday boy 🎉

birthday boy!!!! 🥳🎉

break: What would cause your OC to break down completely? What do they look like when that happens? Has anyone ever seen them at their lowest?

amon is an Exceptionally tough cookie so it’s quite difficult to get him to a state of utter break down — because in his mind “breaking” is giving up, and he never ever lets himself do that, no matter the circumstances. the lowest he’s perhaps ever been was when he first got his scars but he was also just barely out of the woods of being on the brink of death so i don’t quite think it’s fair to count that. other contenders is when he and hya have that huge fight in chapter 20 (that i can’t shut the hell up about) and then the aftermath of his despondency and loss of vibrancy that carries into chapter 22. erecia is usually the only person who sees him this low because amon tends to isolate and self soothe with drugs (alcohol and the like) until he decides he’s wallowed enough and puts himself back together again.

skin: How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they grapple with anything that lives inside them—a beast, a curse, a failure, a monster? How do they face the smallest, weakest, most horrible version of themself? Are they able to acknowledge it at all?

on a scale of 1-10 probably a 8? he does have his insecurities but he’s old enough to know that they’re irrational, or that there’s no point in dwelling on them because he can’t change the past or what’s happened. amon embraces his inner monster tbh—it’s why he is who he is; it’s hard to have a fully straight moral compass when you’ve grown up the way that he has and seen what he’s seen. but he hates to see himself as weak. he crushes weakness within himself quickly because weakness, like aforementioned is giving up and he can’t. he won’t let himself. he may despair, but even when he does he’s still dragging himself forward. after he survived his scars, they almost serve as a living reminder that he will never be weak again. he’s going to die swinging than die cowering yknow?

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Christoper Weyant :: @ChristophWeyant

* * * *

The weekend news cycle

Democrats are on tenterhooks waiting for Kamala Harris’s vice presidential running mate selection. She spent much of the weekend meeting with three (?) final candidates. In the meantime, her campaign is advertising heavily on NBC’s Olympics broadcast. For the first time, I received an unsolicited call from a legitimate Democratic organization inviting me to engage in GOTV efforts. I engaged the volunteer in conversation and was pleased to hear that he received positive feedback from call recipients nationwide.

Sadly, a leading development is the continuing moral collapse of the New York Times, which seems incapable of breaking itself of the habit of slanting its coverage in favor of Trump. When the obituary of the Times is written, its utter failure to rise to this moment will be cited as a proximate cause.

On Friday, Trump posted on his social media that he would debate Kamala Harris on September 4, televised by Fox, with Fox anchors, to be held in an arena. (Fox was surprised to learn it would host the alleged debate.)

In other words, Trump offered to debate Kamala Harris at a Trump campaign rally. That would not be a debate; it would be a spectacle worthy of the Coliseum under Emperor Nero, complete with lions and gladiators. It was not a serious offer; it was a sham and a joke. It was clickbait for unserious journalists.

The Times took the bait. It ignored the fact that Trump had withdrawn from the previously agreed upon debate and blared that “Trump Agrees to Fox News Debate on September 4.”

After reputable journalists pilloried the Times’ for its misleading headline, the Times was shamed into correcting the headline to read, Trump Cancels a Debate With Harris on ABC News and Pitches One With Fox News Instead.

But even after correcting its headline, the Times couldn’t get the details right. The Times wrote that Trump proposed the debate be held before “a live audience.” Wrong! Trump demanded that the debate be a “full arena audience.” The difference is material and the Times’ reporters failed to report a material term of Trump’s sham offer.

Here's the point. The Times’ biased reporting in favor of Trump is the steady state. That means that we must not only defeat Trump but defeat him decisively at every turn. No half measures, no narrow margins, no letting up—on Trump or on the media. The Times responded when its readers revolted—in comments to the article and on social media. We need to keep it up.

Over the weekend, Trump's surrogates defended his racist statements questioning the racial identity of Kamala Harris. See ABC News, Byron Donalds: Trump's comments on Harris' race 'a side issue'. Trump's surrogates will continue to push his racist agenda until the voters punish those surrogates.

For example, Dennis Aftergut notes that GOP Rep. Mike Garcia (CA-27) has recently used racist tropes to attack Kamala Harris, saying, “She’s not very intelligent, she’s not very well-spoken.” See Dennis Aftergut, Salon, Dog whistling past Dixie: Republicans are in over their heads playing the Kamala Harris race card.

Aftergut writes,

Whether Garcia’s trolling results from implicit or explicit bias or racialized cognitive dissonance, the net effect is that he’s gone full MAGA. He accused her, in effect, of what’s known in other circles as being “inarticulate while Black.” Garcia resides in Southern California, representing a “Biden district” – one that the president carried while Garcia beat his Democratic opponent.  Unlike those actors, however, Garcia is living in the past. This November, his district’s voters can send his House membership right back there with him.

Good point, Mr. Aftergut! George Whitesides is challenging Mike Garcia for the honor of representing CA 27. Show George Whitesides some support and teach Mike Garcia that racism has no place in politics—particularly in CA-27. See George Whitesides for Congress.

Finally, Trump held a rally in Georgia over the weekend that was his usual toxic mix of lies, hate, and incomprehensible gibberish. During the rally,

Trump congratulated Vladimir Putin on the prisoner exchange;

Attacked Georgia’s Republican Governor (Brian Kemp) for not helping win (read: cheat) in 2020;

Attacked Brian Kemp’s wife;

Said Atlanta was a crime-ravaged city “like a killing field”;

Called Kamala Harris “a low IQ individual”;

Said Kamala Harris wants to get rid of cows;

Said that an electric vehicle charger is a “gas pump that has electricity come through it”;

Claimed that he won Georgia in 2020 (he lost);

Dissed Bruce Springsteen (“I only like people who like me”);

Had numerous glitches where he couldn’t read the teleprompter and simply gave up.

So, whatever Trump is doing, he is not appealing to swing voters in Georgia. He is constitutionally incapable of doing so. Which is why Kamala Harris’s campaign should give all of us hope and confidence for the next 90 days.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[beardedmrbean]

An antisemitic sign was hung outside the office of an outspoken pro-Israel congressman from Michigan.

Michigan Republican Rep. Tim Walberg, a former Christian pastor, issued a news release on Monday saying an antisemitic sign had been posted on a tree outside his office window.

The sign depicted Uncle Sam removing his American stovepipe hat to reveal a kippah – or yarmulke – with a Star of David underneath reading "Jew u$ury buy$ USA pols" (sic).

GOP LAWMAKER SAYS PRO-ISRAEL SIGN AT DC OFFICE DEFACED WITH BLOODY HANDPRINTS

"Our once great nation's downfall," the sign continues over a U.S. flag with the stars replaced by the Israeli flag. "Solution: name the Jew."

The antisemitic sign also included a link to a conspiracy website.

Walberg's spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the antisemitic sign was hung on a tree on the sidewalk in front of the office.

The congressman's staff was able to take pictures of the tree through their office window.

In a news release, Walberg said that antisemitism "continues to sweep across the world, and sadly, it is alive in Michigan."

"This crisis reflects a lack of morality and genuine education," Walberg said. "Nowhere was this more clear than last week, when some of the most prominent names in academia’s leadership displayed utter moral cowardice but also a broader systemic failure in higher education."

"One in five young Americans now think the Holocaust was a myth, and significantly more think it’s been exaggerated," he continued. "Unfortunately, in part due to a failure of truthful and honest education, this type of incident has become common."

"We need to make it rare again," the Michigan Republican added. "We need to not only call out this bigotry when it occurs but examine the root causes and eliminate it."

‘SNL’ MOCKING STEFANIK INSTEAD OF COLLEGE PRESIDENTS WAS ‘A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF COMEDY’

This is not the first time Walberg's office has been hit with anti-Israel vandalism.

Walberg's office revealed in October that his "I stand with Israel" sign was defaced, with the congressman declaring, "Antisemitism has run rampant across the country."

"This is yet another despicable act which should not be tolerated," the former pastor said in a press release.

"At a time like this, we must think of our Jewish community members, including those on my staff, who are enduring this targeted behavior and harassment following the largest attack on Jews since the Holocaust," he continued.

Walberg's office told Fox News Digital the sign had been put up earlier this week, and that the congressman had tweeted about standing with Israel after the country was attacked by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, sparking a war.

The Michigan Republican's office said the congressman employs Jewish staff members and believes the vandalism is unacceptable.

[ferdifz]

theme/idea: Morality is one thing, Politics is another

Drawing/cartoon idea:

Morality is one thing, Politics is another.

The two realms have properties that interact with each other, but ultimately the two are separate enough that there are many, many cases where effective morality is ineffective politics, as well in reverse oftentimes effective politics is ineffective morality.

Aiming for optimum morality can result in complete political failure, as is the case that aiming for concrete & effective politics can result in complete moral failure. You can have the most pristine moral standing but in the end everything you stand for is physically erased from reality due to utter political failure. As well as you can achieve absolute political victory and yet as a result you completely lose any and all moral standing, you become a moral death-eater, a moral black hole.

...But yeah, how to draw it. How to visualize it. I'll tackle that next time, for now I'm just writing this down before I completely forget all of it.

[abbysthighs]

Things have been heated in the community here lately to say the least... let me just make a few things clear.

I support Palestine 100%. Genocide is patently wrong, and what is happening in Gaza is a complete and utter travesty. Israel is completely fucking wrong here.

Yes, I purchased the $10 TLOU2 upgrade. I plan on donating $20 to relief for Palestine once my tax return comes in. I donate annually ($50-60 spread across 2-3 organizations) after tax season.

Neil is NOT single-handedly funding the genocide. He donated $2,500 to Israel relief as well as $2,500 to Palestine relief back in October. $2,500 is NOT making a statistically significant increase in the resources Israel has. It's far more effective to focus on large corporations who have investments with problematic companies who HAVE donated LARGE sums to Israel.

The Last of Us was inspired by the feeling of wanting revenge. That is a pretty normal human emotion... love makes people do wild, sometimes evil things... that is the whole premise of Part I AND Part II. That does NOT mean that the game itself is Zionist. It may have been inspired by the conflict, but it is not propoganda.

Do what you can to support Palestine, but ultimately, you still have to protect your mental health. Be aware of burnout! You can't do anything to support Palestine if you're indisposed. Do what you are capable of, and do it consistently. Don't blow your energy in two weeks and then forget about Palestine.

I will continue to post about The Last of Us on all three of my blogs. I will also continue to reblog information about the genocide. Doing both is not a moral failure, and approaching people who are doing their best with unwarranted outrage, virtue signalling, or name calling on behalf of Palestinians who absolutely did NOT ask you to do so is a) not fair at all b) not helpful to you, me, or Palestine and c) will result in my blocking you.

[thebookofjeremiah]

"Bring Down the Crown." From the Book of Jeremiah 13: 18-19.

Jeremiah adds to our existing understanding of the Holy Spirit:

18 The Lord said to me, “Tell the king and his mother to come down from their thrones, because their beautiful crowns have fallen from their heads.[a]

19 The towns of southern Judah are under siege; no one can get through to them. All the people of Judah have been taken away into exile.”

To understand the Holy Spirit one must siege the human race and attack it, force it to behave according to very conservative social principals. This includes Royals, who are expected to watch over a piece of territory their entire lives and those of their offspring and ensure the people are protected, kept fed, and remain happy. One cannot, like Charles Mary use royalty as a vantage point from which to find the next little boy to come over and stick drugs down his catheter tube. That is gross and disgusting, it is not sound government, it is not appropriate stewardship over the land.

Pope Francis was a rapist and a liar. He did not understand the Holy Scriptures and his church has also raped millions of little boys. Donald Trump and Jerry Falwell and Mike Johnson, third in line to the US Oval Office also rape little boys. Now you know I like my Fruit Loops, but the Law and all laws are sacrocanct, and they say there are standards and norms for sovereign human behavior and the former are not a match.

On the other hand, I have been celibate in excess of three years, I do not leave my place of residence except to go to the grocery store, I do not hook up, I do not sleep around, I do not use drugs nor believe they play a role in romance and the course of human development. I do not solicit sex from minors, I never have. I believe the Torah is correct in its assessments of how to properly navigate these challenges. They have not let me down so far. I plan to stay on course until I meet someone capable of filling some very big shoes that were left vacant after the DC Metropolitan Police decided to abandon me and my family to the disgusting people in the Church and the Republican Party. And I am not the only one, and you would not believe the BULLSHIT that I have been told about this.

As Jeremiah says we need to come down to earth together, and share in the enforcement of social norms that ensure the poor are raised up, the violence ends, prosperity grows, and the enlightenment of mankind becomes possible. Men who give little boys and teens from the Soccer Game lots of drugs, take a little cinema break, and then go to the Capitol Buiding or the White House afterward need not apply.

Perhaps one day soon, our public officials will recognize the importance of these words, do their jobs and return the human race back to its normal course of evolution without uttering a single stupid comment, resorting to bureaucracy, with complete respect and courtesy for all the persons the aforementioned have harmed.

In case no one has noticed, I am seething with anger over the failures of the government and the police to recognize the significance of all of this and act like they are capable of earning their keep.

The Values in Gematria are:

Bring the Crown Down=2318, ‎, techagich‎, "let it emerge."

When we bring the Crown down, we bring self-determination and moral conduct down into the body and this is then expressed outward into the world.

v. 18: The Lord said to me: The Number is 6774, ‎ ‎, szad, "who hunts, captures."

v. 19: All of the people of Judah have been taken away. The Number is 8338, ףג‎לח‎, "a haircut."

Haircuts "coronations" are forbidden for people that want to be beautiful on the outside but are shitty on the inside. When you are ready to act like adults and do your jobs, you can all go get a nice haircut.

The final Gemara is לגיחשזרדפגל‎ח, legichshazardafgal‎ch, "You have to be shaved."

The human race is acting like cavemen, covered in smelly hair with shit clinging to it from head to toe. You do not allow persons who lie, cheat, corrupt, or traffic in sex with minors operate a state. A retard could tell you this. So long as we tolerate violations of the law, especially with regards to the Age of Consent and violent crimes, God will not bless this place no matter what you are told.

Trump- you are an asshole idiot. DC is a very small town. Everyone here knows what you do, and your stupid friends circulate your movies all over the place. I will not stop telling my story until you get what's coming to you and you pay your debts to the people whose lives you destroyed.

[randyseaver]

Free Fallin'

I have never been so ashamed to be a resident of Biddeford, Maine as I am tonight. What I witnessed during this evening’s city council meeting was a complete and utter failure of leadership, morality and principles. Tonight, the city council and Mayor Marty Grohman found a way to screw over a local businessman who, ironically, was just trying to help the city help our unhoused…

[r0ckyc0llegej0urney]

MODULE 12 Tragedy Scripted and Staged

Act III, Scene IV, widely known as the "Closet Scene," piqued my interest due to its tremendous emotional conflict and essential place in the play. This scene depicts a private talk between Hamlet and his mother, Queen Gertrude, in her chambers. It is full of dramatic tension, offering profound psychological insights into both characters while moving the story ahead with pivotal disclosures and acts.

In the following scene, Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude about her marriage to Claudius, who displays contempt and sadness. During their heated argument, Hamlet mistakenly murders Polonius, who is hidden behind a tapestry, believing it is Claudius. This act of violence exacerbates Hamlet's perceived craziness and increases the rift between him and the royal family. The scene also includes the ghost of King Hamlet, who comes to remind Hamlet of his goal to avenge his father's death. Still, Gertrude cannot see the ghost, adding to the supernatural tension and doubting Hamlet's sanity. Shakespeare's vocabulary in this passage is complete with images and rhetorical tricks. As Hamlet chastises his mother, he employs caustic metaphors and similes throughout his utterances. For example, Hamlet depicts Gertrude and Claudius' marriage as "stewed in dishonesty, honeying and making love / Over the nasty sty." This powerful vision emphasizes his repulsion and moral anger.

The scene also showcases Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony. The audience knows Polonius's position behind the arras, establishing a feeling of impending dread before Hamlet stabs him. This mistaken identification deed is essential, escalating Hamlet's inner agony and triggering terrible events. Hamlet's relationship with the ghost is another critical component of the drama. The ghost's apparition strengthens Hamlet's feeling of responsibility and the play's supernatural components while also increasing the mystery around Hamlet's mental condition. Gertrude's failure to perceive the ghost calls into doubt the validity of Hamlet's visions and sanity.