#MEANINGLESSNESS SHIT ON TOP OF MEANINGLESS SHIT. FOR PROFIT

[starscreamingg]

Okay I'm so sleep deprived so pardon whatever this is but something that's got me FUCKED up about ai generated pictures songs writing is that it just fucking kills the ability to analyse for me because there's no fucking INTENTION behind it. Like why was this decision made why were these colours used what does that say about the work NOTHING because a bunch of programming took work that DID have intent and theme and purposeful choices and turned it into SLOP. Like I COULD analyse this but it doesn't MEAN anything it's EMPTY I want to EXPLODEEE

[kurgy]

Shaming people for liking Harry Potter is self-soothing purity politics. It doesn’t help trans activism, it doesn’t harm TERFs or JKR It punches sideways to feel good.

HP has massive global cultural reach - if every JKR-aware+pro-trans person abandoned it profits would barely dip. Like, this shit doesn't reach China and Japan - both have their own theme parks otw

What does help is engaging with the text: criticizing and explaining it's flaws + offering more interesting ways to relate to it. This undermines the TERF rot - while pro-trans people withdrawing lets TERFs use HPs cultural impact for recruitment.

Thats what JKR wants, btw: for decent people to shame each other into silence so her people's bullshit looks welcoming and reasonable in comparison.

Shaming clueless nostalgics, casual fans or new kids for something they innocently like pushes them towards radicalization. If HPs used as a hate symbol, yet is too large to kill outright - then it needs to be de-fanged. That can't be done outside the mouth.

Many trans people first questioned their gender because of HP. Its always had a huge LGBTQ+ fanbase with it's themes of struggling with identity, abuse and trauma, hidden oppressed worlds, unjust systems, cruel social structures and found family. Beyond the 'magic' panic THAT was a big part of it being considered 'satanic': the queer kids liked it.

Calling LGBTQ (especially trans) fans 'anti-trans' for liking HP veers dangerously close to fascist logic: only certain kinds of joy or belonging are allowed.

It may be a mediocre childrens story with fundamentally conservative themes and many questionable oddities from a questionable author… so is My Hero Academia. Yet they are still loveable - and people are not wrong for that love. Mindful analysis is more effective a weapon than book burning.

im exhausted but will try do my best with this i guess. implying that i am using fascist logic bc i feel personally unsafe and distrustful around harry potter fans as a transgender person is kinda nuts while jk rowling is behaving like an actual fascist and is buying politicians while half the harry potter fans said "i stand with jk rowling" and went out of their way to dm trans ppl pictures of their hogwarts legacy receipts bc they just wanted to hurt and upset trans people, and show us how the profits would never dip and everything we ever did or said would be meaningless. being forced to see the same argument again, it seems.

feeling anxious, angry, and unsafe bc the rest of the hp fans i meet either prop themselves up as the good ones while still platforming and freely advertising the continued interest in her books and giving her more attention and more money and validation, while the rest of harry potter fans who feel oh so emboldened to "protect womens sex based rights" by directly harassing and stalking trans women and spamming their dms and replies with shit like this?? i refuse to even post the vile suicide wojacks

am im meant to tolerate and share a space with ppl who think trans people are mentally deranged and should be put down like dogs? share a space with ppl who swear they are the cool ones while also still sharing that space with those same bigots who want us dead?

no one is going to come and physically make you give up harry potter, you can do whatever you want, but shit is bad out here right now, for all trans people, but especially joannes primary targets: trans women

you just cannot blame any trans people for not feeling safe or being cool with you being a big harry potter fan now of all times as our rights are being stripped from us and our medical care is further and further criminalized

as for the dig at me about bnha as like some kind of gotcha i guess, that one is probably the worst example to use bc i am not nearly as invested in keeping the hero anime around as you seem to be for the wizard books. i cant even call myself an actual fan of that series because my criticisms outweigh any of the positives, which brings me to my next point:

while the author of that manga definitely did write from his own personal conservative points of view from an extremely odd but centrist lens, and is definitely misogynistic towards his female characters, the thing is, unlike joanne,

mangaka kohei horikoshi is not currently living in a scottish castle funneling millions and millions of dollars of vast wealth into anti-trans legislation and "research" on top of praising a white supremacist and rapist for "knowing what a woman is" while funding more and more rightwing politics

and if the day should come where kohei horikoshi has considerable sway over politics via obscene wealth i will, in fact, kick him and his series to the fucking curb. ive already done this before when i learned something and immediately did a deep dive on scott cawthon.

look, you do not seem like a bad person, and while i am not going to change your mind on harry potter, theres only so many times i can take hearing the most vile transphobic things said by those fans before i just want nothing to do with the property entirely. you feel very strongly about your point of view, and my own experiences make me feel very strongly about mine, but arguing back and forth over this will not do either of us any good, so i feel like this conversation should end here civilly, and we can both keep our peace and part ways on okay terms

[shmorlock]

Arcane: Consumerism, Art, and What it Means to Create Entertainment in the Current State of The World

Yes. I wanted to write an essay about Arcane. If you don’t care, know that my short review is simply this: that was some of the coolest shit I’ve ever see.

Note there will be no spoilers. In fact, there’s very little about Arcane in this review at all, but I promise I have a point here.

…

I don’t want the world to fall apart. I really don’t. But then I look outside and I see so much of it just going to shit. And perhaps it’s the hyperbole of doomerism that gets me down, or maybe it’s the (privileged) hurt of being disappointed time and time again - or maybe it was quite simply always broken.

I used to think hope was the key to everything. But I don’t feel that way anymore.

And there’s some nights where I question where that leaves me as an artist - egotistical, I know. But let’s face the facts: art is dying, and content is its replacement. Entire business models are built on stealing your attention and filling your life with meaningless sludge that only drives you to invest in more content and more distractions until you finally don’t have any free thought left to question the cage consumerism has trapped you in. The systems of our entire world are built on consumerism, spurred by our capitalist institutions profiting off of the oppression and annihilation of others.

So welcome to being an artist. Your only path to “financial” success is to create media that is infinitely profitable. If you truly want to be a great artist, be sure to exploit the system in any ways that you can. In entertainment in particular, we highly recommend creating a cross-media franchise that can attack as many markets as possible. Then you can use those other pieces of media to help market each other in a never ending loop of content.

Oh. You did it? Shit. That’s a lot of eyes on you…

When you end up at the top of the entertainment food chain you have the option to not really care anymore about the quality of your work; quantity is all that matters.

But maybe, just maybe, you’ll remember you’re an artist, and you carry a certain responsibility to creating meaningful work…

When I was a kid I loved Bionicle. I loved Star Wars. I loved all kinds of franchises. I still do. Every franchise falls victim to becoming a never ending content machine, but deep down a small part of ourselves yearn for it to happen, because maybe a certain spark of childhood joy will reawaken in us from new material. Maybe there’s something more to be said.

I realize my own hypocrisy in calling out the problem of fanaticism towards franchises. I’m not special for doing so either. What is it that leads us to fanaticism in the first place?

See deep down, a lot of these franchises DO succeed in stirring something deep inside us, because a lot of them ARE led by true artists. Whether they’re created with greedy agendas or not doesn’t negate the fact that art continues to thrive in these spaces, albeit spaces that are shrinking as the battle against A.I. rages on now. But maybe - just maybe - real humans with real voices can shine through these cracks and show us something truly marvelous. Maybe they can show us a path towards a better future from even inside the cage.

Riot Games is a subsidiary of a multimedia conglomerate that thrives from the content machine. It is a company that has no care for you other than your wallet.

But inside that cage are hard working artists who still believe in something.

Arcane is one of the greatest pieces of media I have ever experienced. It has some of the best visual storytelling, character writing, and world building that I have ever seen. I found myself nearly teary eyed by the end of the show. It’s a masterpiece of a series that touches on just about everything, from the complexity of geopolitics and classism, to the nuances of familial love and heartbreak. Everything is intertwined not unlike life itself, and by the end, it becomes a final fight for humanity. The show’s relationship with artificial, unfeeling lifeforms is not lost upon me either.

And for so much of the shows existence, I watched it on the defense, knowing that at the end of the day it may just be nothing more than an advertisement.

But against all odds, it rises to be so much more.

League as a franchise somewhat thrives in violence and never ending conflict. With that in mind, I often viewed Arcane with a question lingering in the back of my mind: does this show *believe* in anything?

Darkness alone is not a narrative. This is a truth I believe to be the only evidence that I still hold some sense of hope for the future. Perhaps art doesn’t need to have some greater social purpose, but the best art should *believe* in something constructive.

What does Arcane believe in?

It believes in forgiveness. It believes in kindness. It believes in love. Because when there’s no hope left in the world, we find a way to keep moving on. And maybe - just maybe - that love will carry us on to that tomorrow we endlessly chase.

I hope you continue to enjoy your favorite franchise. I hope you appreciate why you fell in love with it in the first place. Because it might just help show you how to live on another day.

(small quote spoiler below)

“We build our own prisons. Bars forged of oaths, codes, commitments. Walls of self-doubt and accepted limitation. We inhabit these cells, these identities, and call them ‘us.’ I thought I could break free by eliminating those I deemed my jailors. But... I think the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away.”

[pyreflydust]

That last part really is it though because things were not supposed to be made to be binged. Binging is for watching old shit you didn't get to see when it aired. Binging is for catching up to where something is once it's caught your attention. Binging is for rewatching stuff you already love. Binging something all the way through the first time often means it doesn't stick with you are long. It doesn't get the time to marinate in your brain the way watching something every week or reading a comic every month or any other slower intake of a story would give you.

So, yeah, fan content stagnates. You get a bunch at once in order to jump on the hype wagon and then people move on. You can't really speculate as much. Maybe stuff at the end if it ended on a good cliffhanger, but all that week to week or month to month that comes with regularly scheduled stories is missing, so it falls off pretty quick.

And, yeah, to top it off the people paying for these shows to be made and put out have the most unrealistic expectations of how people watch shit. But I'm mostly just convinced they don't know how human beings work at all because they're too focused on the idea of infinitely growing profits instead of stable income. Not only do they see creatives as machines meant to make profit for them, they see the audience that way.

Even if a show draws in a huge audience, if it doesn't bring in new subscribers they'll say it was pointless. Even if a bunch of people watched something completely legally and manage to talk about it, draw attention to it, and bring in even more people, if they didn't watch it within the first 24 hours this is somehow meaningless. They don't want people to engage with art. They don't even care if you put the show on and go to bed, as long as your account finishes the show. There is literally no human element about it to these people. They just want money and artists and audiences are both suffering for it.

It's also why I hate when people give the companies themselves credit. Everything good that happens in a series happens despite Netflix or Disney or anyone else. Thank the artists for making things you like, not the companies.

"binge-worthy show" man fuck that

i want my shows one episode followed by a whole ass week of going a little insane over it with the people on my phone, writing fics theorizing and going over every single scene through amazing gifs and meta, before the next ep drops and the cicle begins anew

[retphienix]

Man, I hate the NCR.

Like outta the big two you can choose between they are obviously better, but I hate how NV is a practice in "choosing the lesser evil" as if I don't get enough of that in real life complete with the unending downward spiral it creates.

Those at the top only care about expansion and profit, and 95% of those who are given any amount of power within the organization are pieces of human shit like this guy who only care about success (mostly in terms of their careers, not in the moment) and see the lives they affect and have power over to be meaningless pawns.

Hate how rank in the NCR equates to disinterest in human life. The only good NCR are like the bottom of the rung farmers and soldiers who falsely believe the NCR stand for justice when they clearly only stand for rapturous unending expansion and money at the expense of life.

Bleh.

All said I dig this little quest. Same reasons as most NV quests, because it plants some good stakes, it tells a story through its characters (mostly about how this Ranger is a shithead but also a story about hard decisions [being made a bit too easily if you ask me] and the tactics the Legion makes use of- it's good stuff!), and it has multiple solutions which I enjoy.

You're asked to secretly kill the hostages so that the NCR can attack head on; You're then told you can't save them, that's impossible but more importantly it's wasteful- this dude sees a chance to take the Legion's bargaining chip as preferable to saving his own men's lives.

Then, maybe key to what I love about a decent portion of New Vegas quests, while you are told the only solution is to kill the hostages- ignoring this and instead saving them IS a solution- it's just a solution you are told outright isn't possible, but it is possible and the game reacts to it.

Now that I say it out loud, most NV quests kinda paint out what the different solutions are, but there are some with hidden options and that's maybe my favorite part of NV. I love hidden solutions, especially ones that allow "better" results through either stubborn action or creative thinking.

[b0ytemper]

God I wish more casual queer representation existed in art that was interesting and mature and compelling instead of just bland meaningless nonsense that only exists to turn a profit off of the lgbt+ community.

I’m really sick of the only options being “interesting art that pretends queer people don’t exist or makes a big weird deal out of a tragic character being gay because if a character is gay it’s their only character trait and also the source of all their suffering”

OR

literally the only selling point of the art is that queer people are in the background and no effort is put into anything else and there is no meaningful communication at all and it’s so bland it makes saltine crackers seem spicy

I know art that includes queer characters while actually also having something interesting to say exists but it’s hard to find! Because it’s not a genre I can browse and I can’t guarantee that I’ll like every piece and it’s all going to be wildly different genres and settings and characters and messages. And on top of that between rampant institutionalized queerphobia and neoliberal capitalist bullshit, sincere queer works tend to not have the funding to advertise so not enough people know it exists for me to hear about it from my usual channels. AS WELL AS independent queer artists being too small scale to protect themselves from hatemobs trying to shut them down, be it homophobic fascists from 4chan or baby queer Twitter teens who think a queer character doing something bad in a story is the pinnacle of malicious bad representation.

And then ON TOP OF ALL THAT, the mediums that tend to be more accessible to independent creators on small budgets are also the LEAST accessible to ME, dumb idiot baby with the double whammy combo of ADHD and PTSD giving me the attention span of a hummingbird and the memory capacity of a mola mola. I can’t read books! I have Swiss cheese for a frontal lobe! I need movies and animated shows and aesthetically robust video games! And that shit takes money and so much labor from large teams. Pain.

[moondonky]

No more bullshit

No more war, no more corruption,, no more loopholes of laws and jurisdictions,, no more extortion, no more destroying our planet, no more dehumanization,, no more privatizations of systems of governance, no more ill gains of destruction,, no more control out of created chaos..

People waking up, getting smart, understanding what has been going on, they be looking at the top with telescopes like microscopes,, people have had enough,, people are more than capable of helping themselves,, what those boots on there necks prevents,, all the ill regulations,, the nonsense put in place to benifit and protect only them,, people moving in better directions,, we don't need to fight them, we do not need to risk losing our freedoms,, all we have to do is say no, enough is enough, no more,, fuk em,, we do not wish to buy there product from there buisness of profit, regulated by banksters and lobbyists.. what actual service do they provide us,, and in what world do they think it is that valuable,, taxes within taxes within taxes to fund bullshit,, to go in pockets of people who don't do shit,, wasting the fruits of our own labor, when it should go towards the betterment of everyone, not a 1%.. not towards more dysfunction, and safe haven greyzones of more bullshit.. even prisons are buisnesses filled with kids who where not taught shit, just zoned out for failure..

Its wild, because I am a hard worker, skilled trades, can do alot with my hands, I pride myself on it, but at what point is it meaningless,, I do not have to do it, I could go offgrid very quick, could do it in the middle of a city if I wanted, more than capable of self sustaining myself, and it would be better for the planet,, why would I be a support and service to that system of endless bullshit and destruction, when it comes to money in the bank that is my smallest basket, and its a credit union for a reason, I got more in silver cash coins tools seeds and bullets.. I have no issues paying my fair share,, but its them I don't like giving it to, and I dont, they take it, why I call it extortion, cuz id got to jail if I didn't let them, nothing they do has any effect, last twenty years its only gotten worse, and I stubbornly take nothing from the system that I pay into.. i refuse unemployment, stamps and snap, credit, loans, I do not rely on cops, I drive around potholes,, I do not have an ira, crypto is my retirement plan, I do not have health insurance, I highly doubt theres any social security left, all I see is people being forced to quit and give up pensions, my mailbox is usually filled with ads and spam, waste of paper in my opinion,, I dont drink water from the tap, I even have generators solar panels batteries and power inverters in case I dont want to pay for that,, I could go into a forest and literally build a bigger house than the apartment I live in, Japanese style with no foundation,, but even doing that i would still need to pay a tax, every direction u try to go,, theres sum bullshit u gotta deal with and pay up.. Im glad the financial system is collapsing from its own inflation and corruption,, it wouldn't affect me in the slightest, its what stands in my way from my pursuit of happiness of freedom of independence... it is nothing but a temptation from keeping me from going to heavon,, money is not my security, it is what threatens it.

There will be no revolution, will never repeat that bullshit, that snake eating its tail, only a renaissance,, bringing what is good, and leaving behind everything that is wrong and bad, that is the better future

[mgkconfessions]

(screenshots by themessybookofmgk aka nomad)

Kells cheating on Megan was never a question of "if", but rather "when".

I just wasn't expecting it that early on in their relationship like only a month after she had told him that she loved him and in the same month where he released the acoustic version of BV, which he dedicated to her, claimed to be "in love" with her and they began to use their relationship for publicity and to sell his music. In that same month he still managed to invite at least one girl over to hook up with her and even let her knew that he was already dating someone else. The messiness and overlapping of his relationships, dating phases and hook ups will never cease to amaze me! In case there are any newer fans, Kells has always been like that. I don't think that he has ever been in a monogamous relationship before and if he was then either he or the girl have cheated on each other. Even his longest relationship with Hedi was on and off and they had an open relationship. Now I don't know how much his sex drive plays a role here, because if he actually has a sex addiction, which he has hinted at before (not professionally evaluated tho, just his own opinion) then it might also partially explain why he can't stop having sex when he doesn't get it from his official girlfriend, but still if he can't and doesn't want to be monogamous, then don't keep dating girls who want exactly that! It will never work, because both want fundamentally different types of relationships. Anyone who thought that he would never cheat on Megan is a bit naive and if Megan thought that as well, then her too, because you can't expect to get a guy by cheating with him on his then girl and expect him not to do the same to you. Especially not when he has a messed up dating past like Kells! He has always been like this and his relationships have always looked like this too.

The only difference is that he and Megan decided that the attention and publicity was too good and so they started to create this amazing love story to sell to the public although it looks to me like Megan was the one who started it with them having to have this once in a life time romance and tried to force that onto them, while Kells never felt that seriously about them and probably still doesn't, but he went along with it, because again the publicity and attention feeding his ego and career were too good to turn down. Just look at the past week and how he presented Megan like some trophy he wants praise for. Truly disgusting! So whatever they have said and done, it's a big pile of nothingness and meaningless words. Get your tattoos, do your couple podcast and continue to call each other twin flame, but the reality is that Megan has already kicked him out of her car and made him walk because she was so mad at him and he has already cheated on her and the way Megan clings on to him, makes me believe that she's either aware of it or suspects it, but she's still staying with him and both continue their fake and staged over the top show of love, because she as well craves the public attention and wants to get her name out there again more than having any self respect and leaving him. Nothing they do or say has any deeper meaning. It's a show for the public and for themselves in hopes that anyone actually believes it so they can continue to feed their egos, get their publicity and profit of their "relationship".

Kells has multiple songs where he talks about accepting fake love and I think it's the same case here as well. Megan Fox told him they're twin flames and she loves him? Awesome, let's run with it, make her think that's what he believes too (maybe there was a point where he actually did in the beginning), but also sell the shit out of their relationship to benefit his career and feed his fragile ego by treating her like some trophy and not an actual person he should respect and show interest in as his girlfriend. And then there's Megan who apparently wants to have a meaningful and out of this world relationship so badly that she forces that idea on every relationship she has and when she can use that relationship for her comeback and to get back into the spotlight without having to work, even better! In that aspect Kells and Megan fit very well together and in my opinion it's the only reason why they're still together, because they can use each other for publicity. But it doesn't make their relationship any more real, loving, serious or lasting. It only shows how both of them put publicity and their need for attention over the possibility of developing and working on any real emotions and a real relationship that simply can't be forced like Megan did from the beginning.

This isn't even everything I could say about it, but I think you get the point and my thoughts about it and the rest will be mentioned in other posts.

[carcino-generic]

HOW HUMANS ARE HAVING THEIR LIVES RUINED BY KARKAT VANTAS

[plain text]

ALRIGHT, HERE’S THE BASICS OF CAPITALISM FROM A WORKING CLASS AMERICAN. I WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT EUROPE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, OR ANY OTHER “FIRST-WORLD” COUNTRIES. I DON’T KNOW WHO TORIES ARE AND I DON’T CARE ABOUT EMMANUEL MACRON. FOREIGN AFFAIRS ARE NOT MY CUP OF TEA THANKS. I HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH DOMESTIC POLITICS. ALSO DON’T GET ON MY ASS ABOUT CALLING IT AMERICA INSTEAD OF THE U.S.A., CANADIANS DON’T ACTUALLY WANT TO BE AMERICANS AND IF THEY DO THEY’RE MORONS FOR REASONS THAT WILL BECOME CLEAR AS YOU READ ON. 

YOU KNOW HOW IN A NORMAL SOCIETY, TRADE IS DRIVEN BY RESOURCES AND PRICES ARE DETERMINED BY THE AVAILABILITY, COMPLEXITY, AND DIFFICULTY IN PRODUCTION OF A PRODUCT? SO IMAGINE YOUR COUNTRY GETS ENOUGH MONEY, POWER, AND SHEER BLIND DEVOTION FROM ITS CITIZENS TO THROW ALL THAT IN THE GARBAGE, AND THEN IMAGINE THAT EVERYONE CAPABLE OF MAKING MEANINGFUL CHANGES AT A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL, WHILE REMAINING WITHIN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, IS OWNED BY SOMEONE WHO BENEFITS EGREGIOUSLY FROM EVERYTHING STAYING THE SAME, AND EVEN MORE EGREGIOUSLY FROM THINGS BECOMING WORSE. NOW IMAGINE THAT WHEN I SAID “SOMEONE” I MEANT “ONE OF MAYBE FIFTEEN MEGA-CORPORATIONS THAT OWNS EVERY OTHER BUSINESS IN THE COUNTRY,” AND WHEN I SAY “EVERYONE CAPABLE OF MAKING MEANINGFUL CHANGES...” I MEAN POLITICIANS WE ELECT TO PRETEND TO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS WHO HAVE IN REALITY BEEN BOUGHT OUT BY CORPORATE INTERESTS AND RISK LOSING THEIR JOBS IF THEY MAKE LAWS THAT THREATEN THOSE CORPORATE INTERESTS’ BOTTOM LINES. BASICALLY, WE INVESTED ALL OUR POWER INTO PRIVATELY OWNED MONEY SINKS AND FORGOT TO CARE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER, LIKE THE ACTUAL CITIZENS? OKAY THIS IS GETTING AWAY FROM ME, WE MIGHT HAVE TO START FROM THE BASICS. 

I DON’T KNOW HOW YOUR SOCIETY WORKS, BUT IN OURS, YOU START OUT AS A LITTLE BABY. AS SOON AS YOU’RE PHYSIOLOGICALLY CAPABLE OF EXISTING FOR CONSECUTIVE HOURS WITHOUT THE PEOPLE WHO RAISED YOU, THEY SHOVE YOU IN A CLASSROOM AND START FEEDING YOU A MIXTURE OF COLONIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND POLITICAL PROPAGANDA. THAT’S ALSO WHERE THEY TEACH YOU HOW TO SOCIALIZE WITH KIDS YOUR AGE AND SHIT. FOR SOME KIDS IT’S THE *ONLY* PLACE THEY CAN LEARN TO SOCIALIZE, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE TOO BUSY, ABSENT, OR PROTECTIVE TO BRING YOU OUT TO INTERACT WITH PEERS. EITHER WAY, THIS IS WHERE KIDS FORM THEIR CONCEPTS OF BOTH PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND SOCIAL CONTRACTS. THE TRAUMA OF RACIAL AND GENDER PROFILING IS NASCENT HERE, BUT OH BOY IT INTERNALIZES QUICKLY. (MORE ON HOW PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE WAR ON DRUGS, AND PROFIT ARE ALL LINKED LATER ON, OR MAYBE JUST LOOK UP A VIDEO ESSAY ON IT IDK.) 

IT’S PRETTY MUCH THIRTEEN YEARS OF THIS SAME SHIT, ESPECIALLY THE PROPAGANDA BIT. KIDS GROW UP BEING INDOCTRINATED WITH THIS COMPLETELY WHITEWASHED VERSION OF REALITY, BELIEVING CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS* IS THE SHIT AND CAPITALISM IS THE ONLY EFFICIENT MODEL FOR MODERN SOCIETY. THEY’RE USUALLY TAUGHT ALL ABOUT WORLD WARS I AND II, THE VIETNAM WAR, THE COLD WAR, AND THE SPACE RACE, WHICH (BY UNEQUIVOCALLY POSING AMERICANS AS THE GOOD GUYS AND THE SOVIETS AND CHINESE AS THE BAD GUYS,  CEMENTS THE CONCEPT THAT CAPITALISM INHERENTLY RULES AND COMMUNISM INHERENTLY FAILS) FURTHER INDOCTRINATES KIDS. IF YOU’RE REALLY AN ALIEN I DOUBT YOU’VE SEEN THIS IMAGE, BUT EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN EARTHLING HAS:

THIS GUY IS NAMED UNCLE SAM, HE’S BASICALLY AMERICA’S FURSONA. HE EXISTS TO PRESSURE YOU INTO SIGNING UP TO FIGHT IN A WAR. HE WAS USED A LOT IN THOSE WARS I TALKED ABOUT UP THERE, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST THREE. HE’S NOT AROUND SO MUCH ANY MORE BUT THE GENERAL SENTIMENT IS. HERE’S HOW. 

WHEN YOU GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THE LAST “REQUIRED” STAGE OF SCHOOL, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT AND GET A JOB TO SUPPORT YOURSELF. BUT NOWADAYS, IF YOU WANT A JOB THAT PAYS FOR YOUR HEALTH CARE, LETS YOU STAY HOME WHEN YOU GET SICK, GIVES YOU DAYS OFF TO GO TO FAMILY EVENTS SUCH AS WEDDINGS, FUNERALS, THE BIRTH OF YOUR CHILDREN, AND OTHER UNIMPORTANT DRIVEL THAT DOESN’T MAKE CEOS MONEY, YOU BET YOUR ASS YOU’D BETTER GET A COLLEGE DEGREE. HAVING A DEGREE IS THE NUMBER ONE WAY YOU CAN GUARANTEE THAT YOU MAKE MORE MONEY. THAT ALL SOUNDS FINE AND DANDY, EXCEPT NOW YOU HAVE TO PAY SOME INDUSTRIAL-SCALE LOAN SHARK MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER HAVE IN YOUR 401(K) TO LET YOU GET YOUR HIGHER EDUCATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE END UP OWING UPWARDS OF FIFTY GRAND TO A PRIVATELY OWNED LOAN AGENCY BY THE TIME THEY’RE TWENTY-ONE, BECAUSE AS FRESH ADULTS THEY WERE TOLD THEY WOULDN’T GET A WORTHWHILE JOB UNLESS THEY HAD A DEGREE. BUT HERE’S THE THING: A LOT OF TIMES, JOBS LIKE THAT WON’T EVEN HIRE YOU UNLESS YOU HAVE A MASTER’S DEGREE NOW! THAT’S ANOTHER TWO YEARS OF CLASSES AND ANOTHER HUGE CHUNK OF MONEY YOU NEVER HAD TO BEGIN WITH. 

OF COURSE THERE ARE LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS, LIKE TRADE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE. BUT REMEMBER THE PROPAGANDA I MENTIONED? IT’S SO PERVASIVE, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T EVEN CONSIDER TRADE SCHOOL AN OPTION NOW, BECAUSE WE CULTURALLY VALUE THE “INTELLECTUAL” JOBS—DOCTOR, LAWYER, ENGINEER, ACCOUNTANT, BUSINESSMAN—WHICH ARE STRANGELY ALSO THE CAREER PATHS THAT REQUIRE THE MOST INVESTMENT OF TIME AND MONEY! NOW IF YOU DECIDE TO BE LIKE ME AND GET A JOB RIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE THE EDUCATION INDUSTRY IS A PUTRID WASTELAND, YOU’RE AUTOMATICALLY LOOKED DOWN UPON. A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE PURSUING LESS LUCRATIVE CAREERS THAT INTEREST THEM***, INSTEAD OF THE BIG MONEY JOBS, ARE DISPARAGINGLY ASKED IF THEY WANT TO “END UP WORKING AT MCDONALDS.” I DON’T PERSONALLY WORK AT MCDONALDS BUT THIS SHIT STILL OFFENDS ME. BUT THEN AGAIN I’M A MILLENNIAL SNOWFLAKE SO WHAT DO I KNOW. 

ACADEMIA HAS A LOT OF ITS OWN PROBLEMS BUT I’VE ONLY HEARD THOSE SECONDHAND, SO LET’S LEAVE THAT HELLSCAPE TO ITS ELITISM AND STAY WITHIN THE BLUE-COLLAR SUBCLASS. COMMON PARLANCE WILL REFER TO THREE MAJOR CLASSES: THE LOWER CLASS (DIPLOMATICALLY CALLED THE “WORKING CLASS”, HA FUCKING HA!), THE MIDDLE CLASS (WHICH THEORETICALLY MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION), AND THE UPPER CLASS (FUCK THOSE GUYS BUT WE’LL GET AROUND TO THAT LATER.) THIS MODEL IS PRETTY MUCH JUST DESIGNED TO CREATE TENSION WITHIN THE PROLETARIAT, BUT HANG ON A SECOND, I JUST REMEMBERED YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THE PROLETARIAT IS YET. 

SO BASICALLY, THERE’S NOT THAT MUCH DEFINABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE “MIDDLE CLASS” AND THE “WORKING CLASS.” WHEN YOU THINK OF WORKING CLASS, COLLOQUIALLY, YOU THINK OF THOSE LOSERS THAT WORK IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY OR DRIVE TAXIS OR (AND THIS IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO SOME PEOPLE) HAVE NO JOB AT ALL. THE MIDDLE CLASS IS MORE LIKE TEACHERS AND MIDDLE MANAGERS AND GUYS THAT BUILD SOFTWARE REMOTELY FOR MICROSOFT. REALLY THOUGH, THERE’S NO WAY TO DRAW A DEFINITIVE LINE BETWEEN THESE PEOPLE. THE BEST WAY TO DEFINE CLASS IN AMERICA, (AND ALSO APPARENTLY GERMANY, AT LEAST IN THE 19TH CENTURY,) IS TO SEPARATE THOSE WHO PRODUCE GOODS AND THOSE WHO OWN THE GOODS THAT ARE PRODUCED. THERE IS NO “MIDDLE CLASS”, THAT’S JUST A MEANINGLESS THING TO STRIVE FOR BASED ON WHAT WHITE FAMILIES IN SITCOMS LOOK AND ACT LIKE. 

WORKERS WHO PRODUCE GOODS AND SERVICES ARE THE BACKBONE OF SOCIETY AND THEY’RE CALLED THE PROLETARIAT. THEY ARE SERVICE WORKERS AND JANITORS AND TAXI DRIVERS AND HOTEL VALETS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS AND MECHANICS, AND THEY ARE LAWYERS AND DOCTORS AND PROFESSORS, AND THEY ARE YOUTUBERS AND INFLUENCERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS. THE PROLETARIAT IS ANYONE WHO MAKES MONEY BY SELLING THEIR LABOR. THEY CAN BE CONTRACTORS SELLING THEIR LABOR TO INDEPENDENT BUYERS, OR FREELANCERS SELLING THEIR LABOR TO MULTIPLE LARGER BUSINESSES, BUT MOST OF THE PROLETARIAT IS DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY SOME KIND OF COMPANY OWNED BY A MEMBER OF THE BOURGEOISIE. 

THE BOURGEOISIE IS KIND OF A MEME AT THIS POINT BUT THEIR IMPACT ON THE WAY WE LIVE IS FUCKING INESCAPABLE. THEY’RE PEOPLE WHO *BUY* OUR LABOR, ACCRUE CAPITAL BY SITTING ON THEIR (SOMETIMES LITERAL!!!) THRONES, OWNING COMPANIES AND PEOPLE, SOMETIMES BEING A PUBLIC FIGURE (LIKE ELON MUSK) WHO RAKES IN ADORATION FROM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MINDLESS TWITTER DRONES WHO STILL BELIEVE IN CLASS MOBILITY****, OR SOMETIMES BEING A SHADOWY FIGURE IN THE BACKGROUND (LIKE THE KOCH BROTHERS) WHO JUST PASSIVELY RAKE IN THE BENEFITS OF OUR HARD WORK AND CAN’T BE ASSASSINATED BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD RECOGNIZE THEM IF THEY WERE SEEN AT KROGER. THEY ARE USUALLY BORN WEALTHY, BUT VERY RARELY THEY CAN USE THEIR CHARISMA, INTELLIGENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTIONS, AND INTRINSIC PRIVILEGE AS A WHITE PERSON TO YANK THEMSELVES UP FROM THE PROLETARIAT (READ MY CLASS MOBILITY NOTE FOR MORE!!!) 

SO THE RESULT OF THIS CLASS DIVISION IS AS FOLLOWS: 

THE PROLETARIAT NEVER EARNS THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THEIR LABOR. A “SMALL” CHUNK IS ALWAYS TAKEN OUT FOR THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP, WHO “RUN” THE COMPANY (BUT REALLY THEIR JOB IS USUALLY TO EAT FANCY LUNCH AND TELL RACIST GOLF JOKES TO RICH INVESTORS). IN FACT, WAGES ARE USUALLY ENTIRELY DISSOCIATED FROM THE ACTUAL PROFIT THE COMPANY MAKES. FOR A BUSINESS TO BE PROFITABLE, IT HAS TO PAY THE EMPLOYEES IT RELIES ON LESS THAN WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, WHICH MEANS MOST COMPANIES ESTABLISH A BASE WAGE THAT’S EITHER EXACTLY THE STATE’S MINIMUM WAGE OR A COUPLE CENTS HIGHER TO COMPETE. THEY LITERALLY PAY THE LEAST THEY LEGALLY CAN. SOMETIMES *LESS*.

YOUR JOB IS EXPECTED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. EXHAUSTED AFTER YOUR FORTY, FIFTY, OR SIXTY HOUR WORK WEEK? THAT’S JUST NORMAL, THEY’RE NOT SQUEEZING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF LABOR OUT OF YOU THAT THEY CAN WITHOUT KILLING YOU! WANT TO TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF TO SPEND TIME WITH YOUR WIFE AFTER SHE GAVE BIRTH TO YOUR INFANT CHILD? SORRY, YOU’RE OUT OF SICK DAYS. MISSED THE BUS AND THERE’S NOT ANOTHER ONE FOR AN HOUR? IT’S YOUR FAULT FOR NOT HAVING A CAR OR SPENDING FIFTY BUCKS ON AN UBER. TRYING TO GO TO YOUR FIFTH FAMILY FUNERAL BECAUSE ALL YOUR RELATIVES ARE DROPPING LIKE FLIES AFTER A HARD SIXTY YEARS OF LABOR? OOH, SORRY, YOU ONLY GET FOUR FUNERAL DAYS A YEAR! NEED TO GET ANOTHER JOB BECAUSE YOUR CURRENT ONE DOESN’T PAY ENOUGH? WELL, YOU FORGOT TO DISCLOSE IT TO YOUR BOSS AND THEY FIRED YOU FOR TWO-TIMING THEM! A JOB IS MORE OF A COMMITMENT THAN A SPOUSE, AND IF YOU HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES, YOU WON’T LAST LONG. 

BECAUSE THE BOURGEOISIE OWNS SERVICES THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, LIKE HEALTHCARE, HOME AND AUTO INSURANCE, A LOT OF HIGHER EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS, CREDIT BUREAUS, LOAN COMPANIES, AND HOSPITALS, PROFIT IS THE MOTIVE THERE TOO! WHICH MEANS IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF INSURANCE, NEED TO BUY A HOUSE OR A CAR, WANT OR NEED AN EDUCATION, ARE CHRONICALLY ILL, OR JUST EXIST ON A GENERAL BASIS, COMPANIES ARE RIPPING YOU OFF. YOU ARE BASICALLY PAYING THOUSANDS A MONTH FOR THE CHANCE TO GET *SOME* OF YOUR MASSIVE HOSPITAL BILL COVERED IF YOU GET IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS ONE IS NEAR AND DEAR TO ME. FOR UNIMPORTANT REASONS, I MANAGE TO RACK UP A LOT OF DEBT EVERY YEAR GOING TO HOSPITALS AND URGENT CARE, CALLING AMBULANCES, PAYING FOR MEDICATION THAT DOESN’T WORK. DID YOU KNOW YOU’RE CHARGED NIGHTLY TO STAY IN HOSPITALS LIKE THEY’RE GODDAMN HOTELS? LIKE IT’S A FUCKING VACATION? AND DID YOU KNOW THE BILLING DEPARTMENTS OF EACH OF THESE PRIVATELY OWNED ESTABLISHMENTS IS MADE UP OF UNDERPAID, OVERSTRESSED MEMBERS OF THE PROLETARIAT WHOSE JOB IS TO FUCK UP YOUR BILL SO YOU OWE MORE THAN YOUR VISIT ACTUALLY COST? 

MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE ALSO PUSHED TO SELL OVERPRICED DRUGS THAT DON’T WORK TO PEOPLE. HEADS UP, GUYS, BUT ANTIBIOTICS DON’T WORK AGAINST VIRAL INFECTIONS, AND YET THEY’RE PRESCRIBED FOR THE FLU AND COMMON COLD EVERY DAY. AND SOMETIMES THE DRUGS DO WORK, BUT THEY’RE STILL OVERPRICED! IF YOU’VE BEEN ON THE INTERNET AT ALL THIS YEAR YOU’LL KNOW ALL ABOUT THE INSULIN CRISIS, WHICH WAS CREATED ARTIFICIALLY. BASICALLY THE PEOPLE WHO OWN INSULIN (YEAH, *OWN* A LIFE-SAVING MEDICATION) RACKED UP THE PRICE SO MUCH THAT PEOPLE COULDN’T FUCKING AFFORD IT ANYMORE, DESPITE A NORMAL DOSE OF INSULIN COSTING LIKE FIFTY CENTS TO MAKE?? OR, HOW ABOUT THIS—THEY INVENTED THIS COOL NEW CHEAP PAIN-RELIEVING DRUG CALLED FENTANYL AND DISCOVERED THEY COULD MAKE A SHIT TON OF MONEY OFF IT, SO DOCTORS PRESCRIBED THE HELL OUT OF IT UNTIL PEOPLE GOT SO ADDICTED TO IT THAT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIED OF OVERDOSES. OH, DID I SAY “PRESCRIBED” IN THE PAST TENSE? MY BAD, THEY CONTINUE TO PRESCRIBE IT EVERY SINGLE DAY. IF YOU HAVE CHRONIC PAIN AND ASK DOCTORS NOT TO PUT YOU ON PAIN MEDICATION, A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL STILL PUT YOU ON PAIN MEDICATION. IF YOU EXPLAIN TO YOUR DOCTOR THAT YOU KICKED A HEROIN ADDICTION AND YOU REALLY WOULD NOT LIKE TO HAVE OPIOIDS PUT IN YOUR BODY, THEY WILL PROBABLY STILL BE LIKE, HUH, SUCKS FOR YOU, AND PUT OPIOIDS IN YOUR BODY. 

DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE ANY OF THIS? PERHAPS PETITION YOUR LOCAL POLITICIAN, OR GOD FORBID, STATE CONGRESSMAN, TO PASS A LAW THAT YOU THINK MIGHT IMPROVE YOUR LIFE? WELL, IT TURNS OUT YOU NEED A LOT OF MONEY TO RUN A CAMPAIGN NOWADAYS, AND POLITICIANS ARE ALLOWED TO BE SPONSORED BY BIG BUSINESSES, BECAUSE BUSINESSES ARE PEOPLE. SO IF YOU’RE THE SENATOR OF NEW JERSEY OR WHATEVER, AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT YOU TO VOTE TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE, BUT YOUR CAMPAIGN IS OWNED BY WALMART, WHO WANTS TO KEEP PAYING ITS WORKERS ELEVEN BUCKS AN HOUR, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE BETWEEN MAKING A COUPLE LITTLE WORKING CLASS IDIOTS ANGRY OR GETTING ALL YOUR FUNDING FROM WALMART PULLED BECAUSE YOU THREATENED THEIR PROFIT MARGINS. 

NOT ACTIVELY DYING FROM A TREATABLE ILLNESS, WASTING AWAY FROM DRUG ADDICTION, OR ENTRENCHED IN SLAVERY TO A CORPORATION WHOSE PRODUCT YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN? GREAT! DID YOU KNOW THE PLANET WILL BE ON FIRE IN LIKE A FEW DECADES? OIL AND GAS COMPANIES HAVE SO MUCH INFLUENCE OVER THE LAWMAKERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROHIBIT THEM FROM RUINING THE PLANET, THEY’VE PUT THE ONUS OF SAVING IT ON INDIVIDUALS’ SHOULDERS. REDUCE YOUR CARBON EMISSIONS BY TAKING THAT HOURLY BUS (YOU’LL EITHER BE FIFTY MINUTES EARLY TO WORK OR TEN MINUTES LATE!) OR RECYCLING YOUR SHIT (BUT IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR MUNICIPALITY CAN’T RECYCLE, THEY’LL THROW THE WHOLE BATCH OUT WHEN YOU PUT TRASH IN) OR TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF IN YOUR HOUSE (JUST EAT DINNER IN THE DARK YOU PIECE OF SHIT) OR INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR HOUSE (FUCK ME FOR RENTING I GUESS?) THERE IS SO MUCH WE CAN DO JUST WHENEVER TO SWITCH TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, BUT EXXON AND BP AND SHELL OWN SO MUCH INFLUENCE THAT WE’RE JUST *NOT*, AND LEAVING THIS WASTELAND OF A HOME PLANET TO OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. BUT AT LEAST ELON MUSK BUILT THIS REALLY COOL LOW-POLY BETHESDA LOOKING PIECE OF SHIT FOR US TO MAKE MEMES ABOUT

HERE’S THE SKINNY OF IT, PEOPLE. THERE’S NO OUT WITHIN OUR CURRENT SYSTEM. EVEN IF YOU DID THE MAGIC AND PULLED YOURSELF UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS AND NOW YOU’RE A BIG BOY WHO OWNS HIS OWN COMPANY, YOU LEFT BEHIND A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T WIN THE BIRTH LOTTERY LIKE YOU DID. INNOCENT FOLKS ARE DYING OF HUNGER OR ILLNESS THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO TREAT, CRASHING CARS THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO FIX, WORKING THEMSELVES LITERALLY TO DEATH TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES OR THEIR FAMILIES, AND SCRAPING BY WITH A MEASLY ALLOWANCE OF FREE TIME WITH WHICH TO UNWIND AND CATCH UP WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE NEWS, THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE SOCIETY THEY LIVE IN, CONCEPTUALIZE UNIONIZING OR REVOLTING OR BUILDING GUILLOTINES. THEY WANT TO KEEP US EXHAUSTED AND STRUGGLING BECAUSE IT’S WHAT KEEPS THEM COMFORTABLE UP THERE, KNOWING NO ONE HAS THE ENERGY OR THE GALL TO TOUCH THEM. THE ONLY FUCKING WAY TO ESCAPE THIS HELL WE’VE CREATED IS THROUGH REVOLUTION. WE NEED TO SCRAP THIS WHOLE THING AND START OVER. BUT I THINK THAT’S ANOTHER ESSAY. ANYWAY I HOPE THIS WAS THOROUGH ENOUGH FOR A LITERAL ALIEN SOCIETY. 

TL;DR: WE ARE ALL FUCKED IF WE DON’T OVERTHROW THE RICH. 

---------------

*CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IS SOME EUROPEAN WHO SAILED THE WRONG WAY AND ENDED UP IN THE AMERICAS. HE AND HIS BUDDIES RAPED AND PILLAGED THEIR WAY THROUGH A BUNCH OF INDIGINOUS COMMUNITIES AND DECIDED THIS COUNTRY WAS “FREE REIGN” TO SETTLE IN. HE IS HAILED AS THE AMERICAN ODYSSEUS AND CREDITED WITH THE “DISCOVERY” OF AMERICA BECAUSE OF COURSE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE FIRST DON’T COUNT??

**I DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT WARS EITHER BUT LET’S GET INTO IT FROM THE POV OF A GUY WHO PASSED HIS WORLD HISTORY CLASS WITH A STRAIGHT B MINUS. 

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: I DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THIS ONE.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR: THE ONE WHERE A BUNCH OF SCIENTISTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICERS BOMBED A COUPLE OF CIVILIAN SETTLEMENTS IN JAPAN AND I’M PRETTY SURE AN *ENTIRE HAWAIIAN ISLAND* JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. TURNS OUT IT KILLED A BUNCH OF CIVILIANS. HUH! WHO’D HAVE EXPECTED THAT! OH IT ALSO TURNED AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF OTHERWISE DECENT FOLKS INTO RABIDLY PATRIOTIC IDIOTS, BECAUSE THE PACE AT WHICH THIS COUNTRY CHURNS OUT PROPAGANDA DURING A WAR IS FASTER THAN THE SPEEDING RUBBER BAND I SHOT WITH MY FINGERS AT THE TEACHER WHO WAS EXPLAINING WHY EVERY OTHER COUNTRY WAS IN THE ABSOLUTE WRONG DURING THIS CATASTROPHE.

VIETNAM: OKAY SO BASICALLY PEOPLE HATED THIS ONE BECAUSE THEY REALIZED SOLDIERS WERE GOING ALL CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS ON THE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY WERE STATIONED. ENOUGH SAID. 

COLD WAR: THIS IS NOMINALLY A WAR BECAUSE THE GOOD OLD U.S.A. AND ITS HATEFUCKBUDDY THE U.S.S.R.† DID THIS WITH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 

(EVENTUALLY THEY DECIDED TO PUT THE FINGER GUNS AWAY. I’M GONNA LET YOU TRY TO PUZZLE OUT ON YOUR OWN HOW COUNTRIES “PUT AWAY” NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABLE OF ENDING ALL LIFE ON EARTH.)

SPACE RACE: THE U.S. AND THE U.S.S.R. HAD A FUN COMPETITION TO SEE WHOSE DICK WAS BIG ENOUGH TO GET TO THE MOON. SCIENCE IS RUINED. 

***ARTISTS, WRITERS, JOURNALISTS, VIDEO ESSAYISTS, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO ISN’T EITHER OWNED OR SPONSORED (THAT’S A FANCY WORD FOR “OWNED”) BY BIG BUSINESS TEND TO BE THREATENED BY POVERTY. PRETTY MUCH ANYONE WHO CAN FREELANCE ACTUALLY, BECAUSE WORKING FOR A CORPORATION PROVIDES THE SAFETY NET THAT SOCIAL PROGRAMS WOULD OTHERWISE TAKE CARE OF IF SOCIAL PROGRAMS WERE FUNDED EVER. 

****ALSO KNOWN AS THE AMERICAN DREAM, IN WHICH *ANYBODY* CAN MAKE IT IN THIS COUNTRY IF THEY TRY HARD ENOUGH! UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS A MYTH, AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE FACT THAT I AM STILL REALLY POOR, AS IS LIKE 90% OF THE COUNTRY. PLUS CLASS MOBILITY WORKS REALLY HARD TO KEEP MINORITIES IN EXTREME POVERTY, BECAUSE IT DOESN’T EXIST AS AN ISOLATED SYSTEM AND ANYONE WHO THINKS IT DOES IS A DUMBSHIT WHO’S BOUGHT INTO THIS EVEN MORE THAN THE AVERAGE DUMBSHIT. 

†RUSSIA’S COOL NEW NAME WHEN IT TRIED OUT SOCIALISM

[banderhoe]

late night (colin ritman x reader)

hello, this is my first colin fic; hope you enjoy! ~

synopsis: (Y/N) works at Tuckersoft with Colin and is overwhelmed during a stressful workday. Fluff!

word count: 2134. i got carried away

___________________________________________

“(Y/N)!” You jumped as Thakur slammed his arms down on your desk playfully, shaking both your computer and Colin’s, who worked on the other side of your desk. He glanced up, shooting an annoyed glance at Thakur before shoving his headphones down harder over his ears and returning to work. “Whatcha workin on today?”

“Uh, still working on James’ proposal for next week. Why?” Your job at Tuckersoft was essentially to draft documents describing and proposing new games being developed at the company and send them off to major distributors to convince them to purchase the games in bulk when they came out. Developers would give you a demo of their game once it was completed, and you would use the power of persuasion to sell it to stores.

“Listen, I know this is last minute, but GameStuds down the street is struggling financially, and the manager told me today that they would double what they were previously gonna pay us for two new games if we get the proposals to them by tonight. Computer games are apparently their main sell, and he thinks they might be able to stay afloat longer if they can sell more. He wants Andy’s and Lola’s new games.”

“So you’re saying I need to have two new proposals for them by tonight?” Your heart sped up; that wouldn’t be nearly enough time.

“Well... I mean...” He sighed. “Yes. Yes, that’s unfortunately what I’m saying.”

“What the hell, Thakur?”

You glanced over at Colin, grateful for his interruption. He was standing up and walking around to your side of the table, headphones hung lopsided around his neck.

“You know how much work she puts into those things, and it’s the reason so many stores distribute Tuckersoft games. You can’t just make her bust out two full length proposals in a day.” You could feel Colin looming above you, the weight of his hand protectively on your shoulder, but you didn’t look up. Colin was always much more outspoken with Thakur than you ever were.

“Yeah, I know it’s not ideal, but it’d really boost profits for months to come if we can get double pay for two new games. And you’d obviously get double, too, (Y/N).”

Your eyes darted from him to your computer, Colin’s grip on your shoulder growing stronger. “Yeah, okay, I guess. I’ll do it.”

“Great. It’s 2:13 now, so, can you get them in by 2 am? That’s almost twelve hours. You don’t even have to run them by me, just email them straight to GameStuds.”

“Okay,” you nodded.

“I’ll have Andy and Lola send you their demos.” Thakur flashed you a grateful thumbs up and disappeared into his office.

“Well, I guess it’s gonna be a late night,” you said, spinning your chair around to face Colin.

“Jesus.” He was angrily staring in Thakur’s direction. “Are you gonna be able to do that?”

You shrugged. “I’ll have to. I don’t get off easy like you programmers, with months to work on one project. Spoiled assholes,” you grinned.

“Oh, fuck off,” he swiped at your arm. “I’ll be here for moral support if you need me.” He stuck a blunt in the corner of his mouth and winked, returning to his seat.

“Thanks, Col.” You ran your hands through your hair, preparing yourself for the long night before you.

You and Colin had been close for nearly a year, since you started working at Tuckersoft. You took classes at the nearby university and had picked up the job randomly for some money on the side because the job description had consisted of writing. You were not a computer science person, and, frankly, not a gamer. Because of this, you had no idea who Colin was when you started working at the company, and therefore were unfazed by his ego and blunt personality which could come off as intimidating to some. His frequent sarcasm and emo taste in music matched completely with yours, and in a short matter of time you two were practically inseparable, waiting for the other to finish what they were working on so you could take your lunch breaks together, and picking up breakfast for the other person when they were running late to work. When Colin needed a break from constant programming he would meander over to your side of the table and sit next to your computer until you payed attention to him. It made what was initially a meaningless side-job into something you genuinely enjoyed every day. Days like today, however, were much less enjoyable.

Your inbox beeped with an incoming message from Andy, a programmer who had been working at Tuckersoft for a little over a year. You opened the file and pushed your earbuds in, hitting the “RUN” button on your computer to test out the game. After about thirty seconds of smooth gameplay, the screen buzzed and glitched, revealing a blue and pink pixelated screen before ultimately crashing.

“Fuck,” you whispered under your breath, ripping out your earbuds and walking over to the other side of the room where Andy’s desk was. “Dude. Your game isn’t stable.”

“What?” He glanced up at you.

“Look, I usually wouldn’t mind giving you a few extra days, but Thakur needs this proposal in addition to Lola’s in by 2 am. So I can’t waste any time here. You have one hour, or I’m gonna be here literally all night.”

“Okay, you got it. Sorry (Y/N).”

By the time you returned to your seat, Lola had sent you her demo, which thankfully was stable. You breathed a sigh of relief and opened a blank document.

“What was that about?” Colin poked his head around his computer, looking at you from across the desk. He was wearing a faded grey graphic tee and a blue collared shirt on top, unbuttoned. He looked damn good, as usual. But you knew he wouldn’t feel the same; you two were friends. Just really good friends.

“Oh, Andy’s game isn’t stable. But it’s okay, Lola’s is ready, so I’ll just write her proposal first.”

Colin frowned. “Well, listen, if you need me to threaten that kid until he gets his shit together, just say the word, yeah?” He leaned forward in his seat. “And Thakur too, for that matter. You don’t need all this fuckin’ work.”

“I’ll be okay, Col, no threatening necessary.” You forced a smile, but Colin wasn’t fooled; he could tell you were stressed out. You were bouncing your knee and biting your lip, telltale signs of your anxiety. He knew them inside and out by now.

“Hey.” He leaned forward and grabbed your left hand. “Look at me.” You did. “You’ll be completely fine. Just relax. You’re a bomb ass writer; you’ll get it done.” He stroked your hand lightly with his thumb, and it sent a jolt through your entire body.

“Thanks, Colin.” You tried to calm your heart rate, but couldn’t be sure if it was so high due to the work ahead of you or the boy in front of you.

~10 hours later~

You had finished Lola’s proposal but only received Andy’s demo a few hours ago, and it was nearly 12:30. Most of the office had left already, expect for you, Colin, and the secretary at the front desk. Even Thakur had checked out. You and Colin were usually the latest workers anyway, but you had to control a whimper at the thought of finishing this entire proposal by 2 am. Andy’s game was complicated, and to write convincingly about it you had to learn all the ins-and-outs of the game, which took even more time in addition to the writing. You worked feverishly, eyes glued to the screen.

“(Y/N). Hey.” You jumped nearly all the way out of your seat, Colin’s voice having brought you out of your computer-induced trance.

“Jesus, Colin. Don’t do that.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he chuckled. “Just trying to wake up the zombie. Let’s go take a break, yeah?” He kicked your leg lightly.

“No, I gotta finish this proposal first.”

“Nooo, you need to take a break,” he said, steering your chair away from the computer. Usually, you were the one dragging him away from his programming, forcing him to drink a cup of tea and clear his head for a bit.

“No, I need to keep doing this, Colin, just let me do this first, I need to--” your voice broke, eyes tearing up. You were utterly exhausted.

“Hey, hey.” Colin kneeled down and held your shoulders. You avoided his eyes; you didn’t want him to see you crumbling under the pressure like this. It was embarrassing.

“You’re doing so well. You’re almost done, love.” He brought his hands up to your cheeks, lightly stroking them. “Hey, look at me.”

Grudgingly, you met his eyes. His touch was at least calming you down a bit.

“I promise you, you’ll be done soon and it’ll all be okay. I just need you to come with me for two minutes, okay? Just for a little break. Alright?” He touched his forehead to yours, breathing in slowly. You tried to match his pace and calm yourself down.

“Okay,” you said weakly.

“Okay. Come on, sweetheart,” Colin murmured softly, practically dragging you up out of your seat for the first time in ten hours. He wrapped an arm around your waist and led you to the break room. You leaned against the counter in an exhausted daze as Colin moved around the small kitchen. A minute later, he was by your side again, holding a cup of tea.

“Here, love.” You accepted the cup, your fingers sliding off of his as he gave it to you. He smiled supportively down at you, and you couldn’t help but to smile back despite the wrecked mental state that you were in. It was times like these when you wished you could just reach up and kiss him, but lacked the courage. You didn’t want to ruin a perfect friendship, anyway.

You swallowed a few sips and began to feel a bit better, the warm drink comforting your throat. Colin reached down and rubbed your back, and you leaned into his chest, closing your eyes and breathing out deeply for the first time in hours. You two stood like that for a minute, until you remembered the time, and the fact that you had less than two hours to finish your work. You slowly moved away from Colin, gulping down the rest of the tea.

“Feeling better?” he asked softly, his hand still lingering on your back.

“Yeah. Thanks, C. I just gotta finish this now.”

Colin nodded, taking your empty cup and following you back to your seat.

As you continued working, Colin moved his chair over next to you, as he was done with his work for the day. He sat there with his headphones on, eyes closed, reclined and quietly listening to music as you typed away, occasionally resting a hand on your arm or rubbing his knee against yours if you let out a frustrated noise or got too antsy.

At 1:52, you typed the last word and fell back in your chair, scrolling through the impossibly long document you had just written to make sure everything you needed was there.

Colin scooted closer to you. “Done?”

You nodded, did a quick spell check, saved the proposal, and sent it off to GameStud’s manager. “Oh, my God. Finally.”

“And look at that! Seven minutes before the deadline! What a pro,” Colin said, his voice husky with tiredness but happy.

“Hey, I’m sorry I kept you up so late. You didn’t have to stay with me.”

“I know, but I wanted to.” He reached out to wrap his arms around you, and you leaned in, falling into his lap, your arms around his torso and your head buried in the crook of his neck. He pressed a light kiss to the top of your head, and your heart nearly burst right there. If this was the way you two were going to be, you knew you wouldn’t be able to conceal your feelings any longer.

Raising your head up, you prepared to take your chance-- but Colin beat you to it, grabbing your chin and pressing his lips to yours. Fiercely, you kissed him back, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

After a few seconds, you pulled away, still in shock. “You feel the same way?”

“Well, obviously,” he chuckled, and pulled your head down to peck your lips again. “Since the day we met.”

_________________________________________

whEW that was longer than i expected lol. anyway, i might do a sequel for this if you guys want-- let me know! i will try to respond to any requests as well.

[joshmcclenney]

Photo: “NET PROFITS” - feature film

Day 440: “Sweetcakes & Milkshakes”

Date:

1-4-20

Mood:

Come here

Actor:

Edited voiceovers, gonna send tomorrow.. Also after I do some cleaning I’m looking at the year and finding when the hot & cold months are. Makin a plan 😉 Thought today about wants. Specific wants. I see myself as a series regular on a great comedy series. And doing voice work for the top animated shows. Then I thought.. shit. This is all really doable. I’m going to put in motion a plan to attain these things. And I’m giving myself a timetable. This is all good stuff mind you.. I just realized how attainable all this stuff is and now I’m going to continue to put in focus (much like I have been doing) to get it done. Feeling really empowered.

Filmmaker:

I put a beginning onto one of my shorts.. well I should say a “why”. I put them on the other side of the world... then I was 🤔 thinking do I have a fear of making bad work. And I think I may be a bit scared if that. Probably because of how much I put into it.. if it’s bad then I’ll feel like a failure. I’ll feel as though my life is meaningless.. yeah that’s a bit extreme but the feeling is there. Not overwhelming. More of whispers.. That’s why the short films are so important. Get out all the bad stuff.. then I thought. Hell yeah I gotta produce 3 this year. I will..

Clay is a personal story that I juggle with everyday. Still haven’t found my missing piece. But I see hints of it daily.. It’s an everyday thing working on Clay. And I’ll tell ya. These shorts are already helping majorly.

Final Thoughts:

This year really feels like a new year. There’s something to it. I sense major changes around the corner..

I’m gonna keep on my movie watching intake. It really helps with the writing to watch a great film. More so to watch films that inspire me.. so I’m gonna keep that up...

damn. I feel it’s a bit tough tonight to find my feelings. I don’t know if I’m hiding them or if I’m just so beaten up and burnt out that they’re just too fatigued to react. Well. I know what I’m doing and I feel good about my decisions. Some things have been dragging me through the mud. But I’ve made strong choices. And followed through.. Tonight I watched Before Sunrise. Linklaters 90s brilliant film.. truly love this movie. It’s right up my alley. I’ve stored away the feelings and ideas from it. Probably why I’m so in my head right now. Okay Josh. Something different. You got your long term stuffs. Now let’s try something new. Short term thangs. Goals and what have you. Apply then this week. Have something regular sized that you’d like accomplished in 7 days time. Let’s see how this feels and how I react to this. Im interested to see if this makes me more anxious or more proactive.. just trying to add something new to the arsenal. Alright. Gonna set up the calendar for tomorrow and the coming week, watch some peaky blinders then go to bed... gotta remind myself to meditate tomorrow too. Okay have a great night. See ya tomorrow. 🌟

Ps.... no seriously I love the movie Before Sunrise. Like lots and lots... gonna watch the other two in the trilogy this week as well.

It shall be a goal for the week! ☝🏽🧐

[nhasachquan]

Jarllan - Moriarty/Gregor

Okay, I’m feeling like shit again and worried for my life as hell so here it is, someone to go with our Moriarty

@sherbal @elenatria @cocomoraine @tryingtobealwaystrying

[[MORE]]

We all know Moriarty was preparing for a World War to profit from it. Well, this is the Cold War era, I have little to none actual knowledge about it, so please endure.

Moriarty is filthy rich at the moment with more power than you can probably imagine because this is a war where nations are running for weapons, nuclear power, etc. So yeah, he is just sitting back, selling shits, being the Napoleon of crime with no Sherlock Holmes.

Come Gregoir. Now I have not actually watched Ronin, just bits and bits and thanks to @sherbal ‘s post about him and MI6 undercover agent, I have got the general idea. This ex KGB has fucked up big time. He thought he could get away from the KGB with the secrets he holds and also, the suitcase he’d stolen. So now, basically, he is being hunted by not one, *but two* groups of dangerous individuals.

We all know of course if Moriarty was real, he would definitely play a part in how the Cold war happened and even pushed to have a World War III. So Gregoir, back when he was still a KGB agent, had investigated Moriarty and had met him before.

Imagine a game of minds. With how incredibly intelligent Moriarty is and of course Gregoir being a, let just say, top secret agent of KGB is definitely not a foolish man. They played the game of cat and mouse, both trying to manipulate each others, pushinh each other’s edges. Of course Gregoir couldn’t never get the upperhand but it had been a long, long while since Moriarty enjoyed such a game. And then feelings developed.

Though, no matter how much their enjoy the rivalry between them, Gregoir was assigned somewhere else by the KGB. Moriarty of couse, kept eyes on him but never reached out. At least, not until Gregoir got himself into trouble.

Moriarty reached out, offer a deal that if Gregoir comes to his side, be his *ahem* pet, then he would protect him. Gregoir, of course, very very very disliked this arrangement, nevermind if he had a crush on Moriarty, Gregoir just didn’t like to bow down to others, and the thought of being so helpless he had to sell himself for his life? Yeah, not a big fan of that. And beside, he didn’t really care if he lived or died, after all, his life was kinda meaningless up until that moment. So he refused and chose death instead.

Moriarty was enraged and obviously wouldn’t let that happen. So he took Gregoir without his consent (oops, uh...) and protect him and they lived happily ever after.

Lmao it was getting dangerous there, huh?

(But imagine Moriarty doing things to Gregoir with Gregoir trying to fight back but fail spectacularly)

And, done?

[lj-writes]

As much as Disney appears to be burying their heads in the sand about TLJ's failures - media shills still honk about how alternatively good TLJ is, which, ughhh - I seriously hope that behind the scenes Disney is quietly researching and figuring out exactly why majority of audiences hate TLJ. Am I too foolish to hope for that??? Like, isn't Disney resourceful enough a business to accomplish that, especially when box office longevity is at stake??? Or, nah, Disney doesn't know shit anymore...???

“Alternatively good” may be one of the hippest-sounding faint praises I have heard in a long time god... 😂

I think we’re looking at this franchise beginning to crack under the strain of its arrogance and incompetence. A movie every year is not a realistic schedule, particularly when the requisite development hasn’t gone into these projects. There wasn’t fan demand for these movies in the first place, and by churning out rush jobs in the midst of highly publicized chaos LF is cheapening its own brand and alienating fans.

TFA was a huge triumph, yes, but now I’m beginning to think it may be the last. The fractures were starting to show with Rogue One, which was ultimately successful but was hardly smooth sailing with all its reshoots. Directors for Solo and Episode IX who never should have been hired were fired left and right, setting back already tight production schedules. An actor who can’t act was cast for one of the most iconic movie characters of all time, leading to that movie being essentially written off if the rumors are true.

On top of all this they’re going to do an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie? A Boba Fett movie? An entire new trilogy? Nobody wanted or asked for these things. What’s more, it looks like LF is going to forego proven fan favorites in casting choices, most likely whitewashing Boba Fett in the process.

And the thing is, they’re not going to change course. TLJ may be a trash fire that embarrassingly underperformed TFA and quite possibly killed Star Wars in the international market, but it generated enough profits on the brand name and has enough critics shilling for it that Kennedy and her yes-people can convince themselves they’re on the right track. At this rate they’re going to continue to alienate fans and dilute their own market with sub-par movies.

JJ Abrams is enough of a pro that he could quite possibly end the sequel trilogy on a high note, but other than that the future of the franchise looks dim to me. Which is fine with me because I didn’t care about any of these meaningless movies anyway, I just hope Episode IX won’t be a complete train wreck.

[retphienix]

> Oh that’s neat, recruits have a rudimentary alignment chart to correspond to your decisions in game (Wonder how cut and dry that goes). It’s also interesting that they chose L/N/C instead of good/neutral/evil. Games love that black and white shit, so seeing them choose the other side of the coin is interesting. Can’t wait to lose my intended main team because I end up going all in on lawful or chaos and everyone hates me lol.

> Our duke wants to get a NAP with the only people we’ve really claimed to hate, the dark knights. This should go swimmingly.

> It’s a REALLY GOOD AND HONORABLE thing to ask for peace with the intent to kill their allies and then kill them after. Nice plan, Duke.

> Oh nice, I suppose I could have seen this if I used my eyes, but this includes the AI system FFT adopted as well. I mean, it’s borderline useless, but I always appreciated that.

> I was going to mention the economy so far. It SEEMS you don’t get paid anything for winning fights, but picking up bags is profitable as heck. Not only do excess weapons sell, but you often find coins which have no other use but to be sold for loads of money.

> Did another meaningless but necessary progression fight.

> OH THAT’S NEAT! I love when equipment slots gain extra utility. In this case you can forego a weapon to bring a slingshot that increases your item use range (Chemist throw). I genuinely think that’s sick, especially since I’m starting to find items more useful on my magic users than attacking. (Oh and on top of the magic mp item there are skills that give you mp in exchange for tp which adds up to making mp more prevalent).

> Saved a woman warrior from some jerks.

[anthropohedron]

Disney has Done Some Shit but at this moment in time they are pretty good stewards of a lot of artistic talent and content. They bought Marvel and have made quality superhero movies mainstream, fun, and profitable. They bought Pixar and have not only continued to give them free reign to make top quality Pixar movies but have also Incorporated Pixar technologies and artistry into their own movies (e.g. Tangled and Frozen). They bought Star Wars and have put out above bar movies that are respectful of existing characters and lore without catering to the dumbass fans who can't conceive of protagonists who are non-male, non-white, and/or non-romantic.

Meanwhile, DreamWorks continues to produce quality animated television and features. Laika produces straight up fucking art over and over again. Disney's Marvel movies have driven Paramount's DC to finally make the first non-Batman movie (Wonder Woman) that didn't suck since Christopher Reeve. Quality animation from Japan, Korea, Canada, and France (just off the top of my head) continues to be made.

Right now, regardless of its size, Disney is the best its ever been and the animation industry (and other film/television genres in which Disney competes) is tremendously broad and healthy.

Unless you're talking about the Oscars? In which case fuck you because the Oscars and the Academy have been a fucking joke for decades and no one should give one flying fuck about the awards. The nomination process is garbage, the judges pretty much don't even fucking watch the movies targeted at kids (or which just seem to be targeted at kids, which includes any animation ever because the judges are fucking tasteless fucks), and the awards show is a meaningless charade.

So, in short, the state of animation and pretty much every other film/television genre Disney competes is just fine, and animators are in demand at multiple studios domestically and abroad.

Broke: Disney should make 2D movies again

Woke: Disney should be dissolved and their assets and resources redistributed, partly opening up more room for other artists or groups thereof to have a chance against a near monopolistic studio

[freedomartspress]

Post-Rapture — Breht O’Shea

You wake up, the morning sunlight softly flooding around the edges of your drapes, illuminating the bedroom and falling gently upon the body of your partner who is still sleeping. You get up to let the dog out, and wave to your neighbor who is doing the same.

“You going to make it to movie night tonight”, you neighbor inquires, “our friends on 27th street are hosting this time. They blocked off their enitre cul de sac and I made sure to run over the neighborhood projector yesterday”.

“Of course”, you reply, “the kids love movie night! Ill see you there!”

Since the revolution, community means a lot more than it use to. At some point it stopped being an empty platitude uttered by rich politicians on the campaign trail and slowly became a tangible reality in your daily life. You remember the days before the revolution, when you didn’t even know your neighbors names; now you work closely with all of them to organize local councils and gardening projects, coordinate with other neighborhoods, and put together communal events. Some of your best friends, you realize, only lived a few blocks or houses away from you for years, but you never even knew it until you all began setting up community organizations and local grass roots collectives during the revolution.

Now that life has been decommodified and people no longer live to serve the market, you have a lot more free time. You started a philosophy club with some of your neighbors, and your wife spearheaded a project to storm-proof your entire neighborhood and coordinate local   disaster relief projects across the entire county. Seeing her be able to pursue her interests and find meaning in her life has meant the world to you; her depression and anxiety used to be crippling in the old days, but now she has really come into her own. A happy tear slides down your cheek as you reflect on how proud you are of her.

The work week has been cut in half, and you remember with sadness the days of old when you were forced to work three different jobs just to make ends meet. You never really thought of housing as a human right before; it never occurred to you that your family could be guaranteed a comfortable home without having to pay half of your income in rent to a landlord.

You call your dog back into the house, he clumsily navigates the flower beds and raised gardens you have littered throughout your yard. Lawns of mono-cultural grass are a thing of the past, now every lawn in your neighborhood has been turned into bio-diverse community gardens. You water your plants, then you head back inside, gather your stuff, and walk down the block to the high-speed rail station. As you enter the train, headed into the city center, you notice that the walls of the train have art on them. You sit down under a beautiful print of Von Goghs Starry Night, remembering that before the revolution, this train wouldn’t have existed, and if it did, that painting would have been replaced with an advertisement for a car company or deodorant or something else equally as meaningless. You hated the constant bombardment of advertising in the old days, not so much for yourself, but for your kids. You remember how they use to sit in front of the TV screen, staring blindly at colorful advertisements for sugary cereal and shitty plastic toy products that would break after a couple days. The cartoons they watched, you realize, were only there to keep their attention between commercials.

As you hurtle down the rails, you think about how the very concept of Rush Hour Traffic has all but vanished from your mind. All those cars packing the interstates at 8am and 5pm, all that smog and co2 being pumped relentlessly into the atmosphere… you wonder how many hours of your life were wasted sitting in bumper to bumper traffic as billboards towered over you in every direction, trying to convince you that you weren’t a complete person unless and until you bought their product.

The train gradually begins to slow down and eventually stops, you exit the train, walk out of the station, and head to your job. Before the revolution, you were a barista and an uber driver, and on the weekends you tended bar. Now you work in the field of environmental science, helping others from your area build and maintain the new global green energy grid. The government paid for your education and training, arguing that they wanted to invest in their people and implementing full employment for those who could, and wanted to, work. You don’t love every aspect of your job, no job is perfect, but you only have to work 20 hours a week, and now that your healthcare, housing, transportation, and children’s education are offered as human rights by the society at large, you are no longer working yourself to the bone out of desperation paycheck to paycheck, but are contributing to a society that you believe in and sincerely feel a part of. As you walk toward your building, you notice the utter lack of both cops and homeless people. Before the revolution, these city streets were packed full of the mentally ill and poor, huddling in tents on the sidewalk and sleeping in the gutters, being constantly harassed by an out of control police force with no accountability to the people that they brutalized and oppressed. You now realize that you haven’t seen a homeless person in years, and you find it hard to believe that at one time it was accepted as normal by pretty much everyone. Now those people have healthcare and homes as well as robust community ties at the grass roots level and structural, institutional protection at the highest levels to ensure no one slips through the cracks; that no one goes without.

You turn the corner and enter your building, the morning meeting has already started, and you join your fellow co-workers to plan out the day. In the old days, you remember getting scolded by your boss for clocking in late or taking too long of lunch break. You cringe when recalling how belittled you felt, apologizing to that asshole on the regular and catering to his infinite narcissism just to ensure you didn’t get fired and lose your ability to support you family. You put up with so much shit… but you had to. A small smile spreads across your face, as you reflect on the fact that your kids, will never know what it feels like to have to cower in front of a petty tyrant like that, and cater to their every demand. They will never have to feel the humiliation of having to lower themselves to the level of subservience to another human being. You laugh at the idea of someone now a days puffing out their chest and handing down orders to their co-workers. They would be laughed out of the building…

As you ascend the staircase to your floor, you pause to gaze out of the window and are entranced by the beauty: every building is topped with lush greenery and solar panels. With the huge investments into science and technology detached from profit motives brought about by the revolution, you know those solar panels no longer require extractive mining operations in the global south to obtain the minerals; the expansion of investments in science and public health have allowed for the emergence of asteroid mining and strict international laws against extractive environmental degradation. The huge sums of wealth and resources funneled to the global south after the revolution has reduced global poverty to near-nonexistence, and the science and technology created in any corner of the world is shared with every other corner of the world, reducing borders to a thing of the past and allowing for the free movement of peoples across the entire globe.

You turn away and continue to ascend the stairs. You know the world isn’t perfect, and there is so much more to do, but when you reflect on how far we’ve come since the revolution, you feel a burning passion deep inside your chest to do everything you can to make sure we never go back to the barbarism of our specie’s capitalist past. You know, deep down, that you would do anything to make sure your kids will never, ever have to live like your parents had to, and you sense within yourself a blossoming feeling of pride knowing that you and your comrades helped make this possible, that you participated earnestly in the monumental struggle of your time, and that you all fought for this new world, against all odds, and won…

and that you’ll never stop fighting for it.

--

Breht is a revolutionary communist. He hosts the podcast Revolutionary Left Radio and co-hosts Red Menace.