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[freudistrash]

“Representation of Europe in the Middle Ages in advertisements and video games”

https://www.thestreet.com/video/super-bowl-commercial-preview-amazons-beforealexa?jwsource=cl

Amazon’s advertisement for its product, Alexa a virtual assistant technology, goes through multiple time periods to reflect on “what life was like before Alexa”. Starting in 2020, Ellen Degeneres an American persona, asks what life was like without Alexa and the scene changes from a modern-day upper-middle-class home to a badly-lit room in a castle from the Middle Ages, where, an upper-class woman is knitting, and asks her servant to turn down the temperature, which she does by taking a plank of wood from the fire and throwing it out of the window, catching on fire herself in the process. The scenes follow this theme of representing the Middle Ages as grim, difficult, cruel, and boring. One of the scenes is of a newspaper boy and a shopkeeper doing what can be interpreted as their morning routine; the shopkeeper shouts to the boy, “Alex, what’s the news today?”, and the boy responds, “Doesn’t matter! It’s all fake!”, both laugh hysterically, and the scene ends. The next scene is of two men sitting on a horse and carriage, moving slowly, looking bored to death. One man asks the other to play a song, and he takes out an old water jug, blows on it, and makes a weak, simple melody. Lastly, two peasant women are shown washing clothing profusely. One asks the other to tell her something interesting, and the other response, “the world is flat, and a witch stole his pants”, referring to a man walking around without pants. The advertisement finishes by flashing back to a comfortable 21st-century car, and Ellen and her girlfriend, agree that they would not know what to do without Alexa. Ellen says, “Alexa, play my favorite song.”, and the sound made by the man with the water jug plays, remixed with a popular Chris Brown song. 

When looking for an advertisement relevant to this assignment, I came across multiple sources but decided to focus on the advertisements played during the Super Bowl, an annual American football game that warrants it’s own national holiday in the USA. These advertisements cost around 5.6 million dollars for 30 seconds of air time during the event; meaning that these ads are usually works of art, social critiques, or at least, really funny. Following the guidelines of the assignment, I choose this ad because it is the most current reflection (reflected by the architecture, clothing, societal interactions, forms of transportation, and so on) of the Middle Ages through Super Bowl advertisements. I found it especially interesting for the underlying social critique it makes in reference to our own stereotypes and prejudices, and how they can be reflected in our own society the same way we observe them in the Middle Ages. 

Amazon represents the Middle Ages as a miserable time in which life was incredibly dull, and represents the people as stupid, and their communities as underdeveloped. It uses dragons, witches, and castles to play on popular cultures’ stereotypes of the Middle Ages as magical or mystical. Most importantly, it portrays people from the Middle Ages as uneducated and seemingly unambitious, playing on a dangerous stereotype most have about human history. The notion that past societies were underdeveloped, in comparison to our own, is a common misconception that undervalues the technological and intellectual advancements of the time. The middle ages are often portrayed in the media as miserable; depicted with gray skies, shocking wealth disparity, unhappy characters, and bleak outlooks. This advertisement reinforces that stereotype; however, it also makes a statement about how similar our society is to the perceived middle ages. The response of the newspaper boy to the shopkeeper is meant to show the complacency of the time period through the way they laugh at “it doesn’t matter! It’s all fake!”; yet, fake news is a modern phenomenon. In the middle ages, lack of news circulation, or news provided by those in power could have been the source of ‘fake news’. Nowadays, fake news is the result of the hyper-news circulation, and false claims made by those in power, internet trolls, algorithms, or the average-joe posting on social media. In the scene with two women washing clothes, the response of one is, “the earth is flat, and a witch stole his pants”. This is meant to be a crack at their belief in superstition, and the overall lack of knowledge of the time period; however, the flat earth theory has had a revival over the past few years and a ‘documentary’ called The Flat Earth came out in 2017, following a trend of westerners, especially Americans, who agree with this theory. Finally, the most blatant social critique in Amazons advertisement is at the end of the flashback, when Ellen plays her favorite song; the same simple sound plays on her stereo, like the one made by the bored travelers, but it shortly infuses with the popular Chris Brown song. One could argue Amazon is saying that popular music in our time is as simple and requires as much skill as a man blowing into a hole in a water jug during the Middle Ages. It is almost as if Amazon were saying, “what was life like before Alexa? The same. Idiots.”. 

[freudistrash]

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)

[freudistrash]

when i say "i wish i lived in the 60s or 70s" , i do not mean "i wish i was born in the 'good old days' where sexism, racism and homophobia were the norm".

what i mean is "i wish i lived in a time period where there was hope for the future", because with the leaders we have now, i feel hopeless.

the 60s and 70s marked the uprising of political, sexual and musical liberation and revolution. the beatles; gay liberation; twiggy; civil rights movements; the pill for women etc.

• the beatles were a pivotal band in the 60s that changed the way music was thought about. they blew up and they challenged every idea society had about rock groups. as well as the beatles there were; pink floyd who used their music to question the capitalist society we live in; the who, who advocated to black rights and poor people through their music; and david bowie who was a proud bisexual, gender bending, civil rights movement supporter person who used his platform to make sure teenagers knew that they were not alone

• Gay marches and rights were talked about. people were finally believing in the existence of the LGBT+ community. stonewall occurred, marking the day gay people were fed up. books were written, movies were made and songs were written (e.g. lola by the kinks)

• Twiggy killed the fashion industry and changed the way people expressed themself. she found power in clothes and portraying herself to the world the way she wanted: bold and powerful. twiggy challenged the way women felt about fashion and the clothes they were 'supposed' to wear due to modesty

• Black people stood up and were listened to (by some). the first black woman was portrayed on a television series playing a character other than a maid or slave (nichelle nichols in star trek). aboriginal voting rights were talked about and fought for in australia. the civil rights movement brought about: ruby nell bridges, martin luther king jr, ella baker

• The pill was created and women sexuality was breaking out of the taboo. people were starting to learn that women are more than just stay at home mums, and that women were allowed to be what they wanted to be

all of these events and people were pivotal in the change of the way things were. of course, it was far from perfect, but they started a conversation and a different way of thinking.

teenagers were hopeful for a better future, they broke the mold, they questioned things that had never been questioned before. people wanted change and believed a better world was to come.

of course, everyone associates me with the music of the 60s and 70s, and it is a huge part as to why i would have loved to live then. however it's the revolutions and liberation that i also really love. i would have been fighting for all rights in several marches as well as been going to woodstock, monterey pop festival, and the isle of wight festival.

so please, before you fucking say "'oh she just wants to go back to the 'good old days'", just stop and fucking think about who you are referring to!!

i'm a proud bisexual woman and an avid supporter for the BLM movement, and i would have been the same person back then.

[freudistrash]

Pandemics’ effects on myths in society: 14th century & 21st century

Social reactions to the plague resort to symbolic-religious precautions (the cross drawn on the door, quarantine, etc.). Why is it important to underline the link between the effects of the plague and religious - particularly Christian - beliefs in medieval Europe? Is something similar happening in the contemporary world, facing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Looking at the history of our species, we learn that our tendency to resort to mythological reasoning in the midst of internal or external chaos is one that binds us. Ancient tribes like the Aztecs, Incas, Cherokees, to 14th century Europe, or 21st century United States, all have this in common. This argument will focus on the effects of the black plague on religion in the society of Christian medieval Europe, and then work to observe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our society and myths, as well. The Black Plague wiped out a huge percentage of the population of Medieval Europe, and all around the world. It was during a time period where our knowledge of the human body was scarce, we are unsure how much they really knew about the disease in general, much less the plague. It is possible that the lack of scientific evidence, the reasonable lack of confidence in medical practices, and the predominantly Christian population of Europe (including, probably, doctors), made citizens mix their belief and trust in God or 'myths of comfort', with their trust in medicine. In fact, they intertwined it; making sense of death by the plague as a punishment from God, believing a flower under their nose would keep the "stench of evil away", carving crosses on the door of their homes... could it have been an effect of their fear of the unknown? Is this happening today during the COVID-19 pandemic? As Western civilization is having to affront a reality we never really thought would happen to us. We, like 14th century Europe, relied on myth because of our fears. We were, and are, in a state of chaos because this is something bigger than us; we do not have any control, so we make our own version of control. It seems to be more of a natural human reaction, than a direct relation of these pandemics on our societies. During this pandemic, western society rushed to the pharmacies and grocery stores to buy as many breathing masks, plastic gloves, toilet paper, and food supplies, as possible. Opportunistic social media influencers promise their special brand of tea will make you immune to COVID-19. We consoled our worries with these commodities to feel protected and safe. Although we cannot control the virus, we can try to protect ourselves from it in the form of masks and gloves, we can go into quarantine and buy 3-months worth of food, we can buy all the toilet paper in the store, even though we could use the shower if there was truly an emergency because we have to control the illusion of our safety as something in that is our hands. In the 14th century, your safety and health were never in your hands, it was always in the hands of God; however, you could control how God felt about you. In many ways, the way that Medieval Europe found comfort in their religion, 21st century Western Society has found their solstice in capitalism. Will you suffer from scarcity? Or will you 'overproduce' - buy more than you need? We too have mixed our understanding of medicine with comforting myths - our version of a flower under our nose. Medical knowledge is more common and much more detailed than medieval Europe. Our comforting myths in the midst of this pandemic do have some type of medical backing, but not all of them. Our attack on grocery stores, purchase of medical safety gear, or Instagram tea that promises immunity... it is all our society's version of the cross on the door. We do not know how to handle the situation correctly, we are afraid of the unknown, and we want to control the little bit of life we feel we can control; in the same way, the citizens of medieval Europe worked hard to please God, indirectly in control of their health and safety. It is important to understand the link between the effects of the plague and Christian beliefs in medieval Europe because it allows us to understand human nature's reaction on an individual and communal level to pandemics and how they enforce belief in myths or create the need for myths to appear. Whether observed in 14th century Europe or the contemporary COVID-19 pandemic, we can acknowledge that these moments of crisis in the history we as societies search for comforting myths to diffuse anxieties and to find control.

[freudistrash]

...feminist theory is all about an essential difference... though not a difference between woman and man, nor a difference inherent in ‘woman’s nature, but a difference in the feminist conception of woman, women, and the world.” -Teresa de Lauretis

[freudistrash]

Abilio Estévez, “Tuyo es el reino”

“La política produce en la literatura igual efecto que una pistoletazo en un concierto” 

[freudistrash]

It is difficult for men to measure the enormous extent of social discrimination that seems insignificant form the outside and whose moral and intellectual repercussions are so deep in woman that they appear to spring from an original nature. The man most sympathetic to women never knows her concrete situation fully.

Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex

[freudistrash]

It must be said in addition that the men with the most scrupulous respect for embryonic life are also those who are most zealous when it comes to condemning adults to death in war.

Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex

[freudistrash]

Enforced maternity brings into the world wretched infants, whom their parents will be unable to support and who will become the victims of public care or ‘child martyrs’. It must be pointed out that our society, so concerned to defend the rights of the embryo, shows no interest in the children once they are born; it prosecutes the abortionists instead of undertaking to reform that scandalous institution known as ‘public assistance’; those responsible for entrusting the children to their torturers are allowed to go free; society closes its eyes to the frightful tyranny of brutes in children’s asylums and private foster homes

Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex

[freudistrash]

Man or Machine? : Mass Media Theory Essay

“Around 1776, certain important people in the English colonies made a discovery that would prove enormously useful for the next two hundred years. They found that by creating a nation, a symbol, a legal unity called the United States, they could take over land, profits, and political power from favorites of the British Empire. In the process, they could hold back a number of potential rebellions and create a consensus of popular support for the rule of new, privileged leadership. When we look at the American Revolution this way, it was a work of genius and the Founding Fathers deserve the awed tribute they have received over the centuries. They created the most effective system of national control devised in modern times and showed future generations of leaders the advantages of combining paternalism with command.” (People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn, p.59)

In 2016, Donald Trump was elected president of the United States of America, shocking the world and his own country as well. The media assumed Trump’s loss to Hillary Clinton months before election day; they ridiculed and laughed at his campaign, and considered his followers to be harmless, and a minor part of the American vote. Trump’s campaign was tied to racist groups, his speeches followed frighteningly nationalist and xenophobic rhetoric, he made obviously false claims, coined the term fake news to throw at any media source that criticized him, and convinced the public not only that he was a working-class billionaire, but also that they should get rid of public healthcare, cut taxes on the richest class (even though the wage-gap in the US is already astonishing), change absolutely nothing about the lack of gun control, regardless of the mass shooting crisis, blame immigrants for their problems; and do all this under the facade it is for their own benefit. Trump made himself the anti-establishment, man of the people - a populist and patriot -  and manufactured a narrative that he sold to millions; while he put himself in the position of power to win economically, and still convince the people he is on their side. In some ways, he must be admired for his ability to distort facts, convince the masses, and avoid responsibility for the effects of his ad baculum rhetoric, and for the promises made in his campaign that he has not kept. Through the lens of Lazarfelds Two-Step Flow Theory, Trump is an opinion leader, someone that people use as a source of information and respect as an interpreter of information from mass media sources. However, his position as an opinion leader continues to gain momentum, and at this moment, Donald Trump can be analyzed as his own mass media source, a propaganda machine. With 15.5 million followers on Instagram, 55 million followers on Twitter, and no regard for the presidential process of calling press conferences, (where speeches are written beforehand, fact-checked, and approved by a council); Trump takes matters in his own hands by sharing information with the masses at his disclosure, disregarding fact checks, and using rhetoric that distracts the people from the reality of the quality of information in his statements. However, to understand how Donald Trump has surpassed the media, the establishment, the academics, scholars, and social theorists, in regard to the flow of information to the people, we have to observe him as a propaganda machine through Chomsky and Herman’s theory the Propaganda Model.

The Propaganda Model was developed in the book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media written in 1988 by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky, in which the authors propose “the mass media serve as a system for communicating messages and symbols to the general populace. It is their function to amuse, entertain, and inform, and to inculcate individuals with their values, beliefs, and codes of behavior that will integrate them into the institutional structures of the larger society. In a world of concentrated wealth and major conflicts of interest, to fulfill this role requires systematic propaganda.”. The filters of the Propaganda Model are the concentrated ownerships - in this case: Trump; the reliance of the media on information provided by the government, business, or experts approved by the agents of power - again - Trump; "flak" which refers to what Chomsky and Herman see as efforts to discredit organizations or individuals who disagree with or cast doubt on the prevailing assumptions, or fake news, a term Trump has used “...between January 20, 2017, and today...” (January 19,2018) ‘...Trump has used the word "fake" at least 404 times in tweets and public appearances, sometimes more than once in the same sentence.”(CNN); and lastly, anticommunism (common enemy tactics). Through alternative-facts, false-equivalence and post-truth rhetoric, he conveys his opinions in the form of valid information and levels the playing field between him and scientific facts, political statistics, and critical journalists; claiming the messages as fake news and attacking those who report the facts, instead of the arguments themselves. An example might be Trump’s false view on climate change - in a tweet he posted, he wrote, “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make the U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”, the reality is that his economic interests are fueling his fake news barrage on climate change. Trump is very pro-coal, pro-business and against clean energy - pulling out of the Paris Agreement to allow businesses to flourish without the barriers of cleaning up the planet. Using claims of fake news - a term he repeatedly throws at those who oppose him - to fuel disinformation campaigns on social media,  he creates a conspiracy that seems like actual news - alternative facts - in order to have a political effect. In this case, China creating climate-change specifically to screw the U.S. economy, he ignores, and in many ways, discredits (in the eyes of the masses) the hundreds of climate scientists who continuously provide evidence of the existence of climate change. Trump calls the media "the enemy of the American people", and provides his version of the truth, to millions of followers who believe in his manipulation tactics. Politifact.com, a fact-checking website for U.S. politicians statements, scores his tendency, to tell the truth at 5%, some of the truth at 10%, half of the truth at 14%, mostly false statements at 21%, false statements at 35%, and absolutely untrue statements at 15%. However, by claiming that other media sources that counter him only create fake news, he discredits all of the messages produces by those other media sources, as they are perceived as liars, and thus telling lies. Chomsky’s Manufactured Consent Theory, states that in a propaganda machine, the creation of a common enemy is critical to the acceptance and support of content being pushed by the machine. Hidden under the patriotic rhetoric, and sometimes not hidden very well at all, Trump blames multiple common enemies that the American people should blame for their economic and social failures. Switching often to and from scapegoats like; all other media sources aside from himself, immigrants {specifically those from Latinamerica, Central America, the Middle East, or any other “shithole countries”(Trump, 2018)}, African-American inner-city gangs, the democrats, etc. Using this red-herring strategy of attacking the common enemy, he distracts the people from the information of the dialogue, and again in the direction of whom or what subgroup he opposes. 

Through the lens of Chomsky’s theory, one could argue that Trump distracts the people from their reality, blaming others so that he can hide his economic goals and continue to erode democracy, gain power, and increase his economic success. He has created one of the most polarized environments in American politics, ever, where two political parties are unable to compromise in any way, hatred is becoming the backbone of political and social relations, and everyone is to blame… except for Donald Trump. The success he has had in manipulating the public, becoming the confidentially of the public, while so actively, and obviously working against them, is incredible. In the eyes of the Propaganda Model, Donald Trump has created the perfect mass media machine.

A.J. Liebling remarked, “ a man is not free if he cannot see where he is going, even if he has a gun to help him get there

Work Cited

Barbaro, M. (2016, November 9). How Did the Media - How Did We - Get This Wrong? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/podcasts/election-analysis-run-up.html.

Dawsey, J. (2018, January 12). Trump derides protections for immigrants from 'shithole' countries. Retrieved fromhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html. 

day, M. than once a. (n.d.). Trump averages a 'fake' insult every day. Really. We counted. Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/2018/01/17/media/president-trump-fake-news-count/index.html.

Donald Trump's file. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/.

Martin, J., & Haberman, M. (2019, July 23). Trump Relies on Populist Language, but He Mostly Sides With Corporate Interests. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/23/us/politics/trump-working-class.html.

  Tocqueville, A. de. (1994). Democracy in America. New York: Knopf.

[freudistrash]

Abortion is a Human fucking right.

The history of abortion in the United States of America was supposed to have ended with the court case; Roe v Wade (1973). This court case legalized abortion practices as a medical necessity, and allowed for abortion clinics, like Planned Parenthood to open up all over the USA. Today, women are still fighting for a monopolized right over their own bodies. 

  Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature passed the most restrictive abortion ban in the country, The Human Life Protection Act, also known as House Bill 314 (HB 314) and the Alabama abortion ban, the state government of Georgia has become the sixth state to pass a bill called restricting abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy, which is only two-weeks late on your period. Bills like these, are popping up all over the United States, joining the Hyde Amendment; that restricts government-funded abortion and reproductive health clinics, or TRAP laws that target abortion providers (Planned Parenthood, 2019), and they go directly against everything gained in the Roe v Wade. In order to understand the urgency of this situation, one has to understand the way the United States government creates and upholds laws. The creation of laws in the US can be done by presenting a law in a state court, that contradicts a court case that precedes it in a Supreme Court ruling so that eventually it can be taken to the Supreme Court to be fought and overturned or upheld, through something called the appeals process. (State Laws). For example, House Bill 314, is in direct opposition to the precedent held in Roe v Wade, making it “...blatantly unconstitutional…’, says Staci Fox, a senator who stopped the bill from proceeding in Alabama. One might think that the legislators made a mistake thinking they could use loopholes to ban abortions in their state, when in fact, they have chosen to oppose the Roe v Wade standing on purpose. Currently, we have a majority Republican government, specifically, in the Supreme Court, where Trump swore in Brett Kavanaugh, a staunch conservative and antiabortionist to fill the missing Supreme Court Justice seat, tipping the majority of the seats to Republicans. In a calculated and anticipated move, these anti-abortion states, have passed bills with the intent that the Supreme Court will try to oppose them on the precedent of Roe v Wade. In this Republican government, senate, court, and presidency, the state legislators have been opportunistic about these bills; the goal is not to ban abortion in a few states, the goal is to overturn Roe v Wade all together, by presenting a case to oppose it, in a conservative court justice system that will help to destroy the progress made for women’s rights in Roe v Wade. 

Here is what we know about the most restrictive proposed ban; the Alabama Abortion Ban or HB 314. It is a statute enacted on May 15, 2019, stating that under the Human Life Protection Act, any intentional, or in some cases, unintentional, termination of a pregnancy will be considered a Class A felony of up to 99 years or life in prison. The Alabama legislature rejected proposed amendments that would have allowed abortions in cases of rape or incest, it will be illegal to go to any other state for an abortion, and if the mother has a miscarriage, she can be investigated and charged with a Class A felony if found guilty (Andrews, 2019). 

 States like Lousiana, Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Mississippi,  Tennessee, Florida, are following suit with the Alabama Abortion legislation; while entities like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are taking this legislation to court on the basis of its unconstitutionality. With Donald Trump in the White House, the conservative party was able to appoint two judges to the Supreme Court that may try to overturn Roe v Wade,  if it is presented in the Supreme Court of Justice. For the moment, anti-abortionists are doing everything they can to restrict access to abortions. Religious based anti-abortion clinics are popping up all over the midwest, luring women into what they think is an abortion clinic, when in reality they are harassed about their choices and pressured into keeping the fetus; “Fake health centers try to trick women into entering these facilities by masquerading as full-service women’s health clinics. Some even claim to provide abortion care to get women in the door, and then use lies and manipulation to try to dissuade them from considering abortion.” (ProchoiceAmerica, 2019). “In Texas, the following restrictions on abortion were in effect as of September 1, 2019: Most patients must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage them from having an abortion, and then wait 24 hours before the procedure is provided. Counseling must be provided in person for women within 100 miles of the provider and must take place before the waiting period begins, thereby necessitating two trips to the facility. Private insurance policies cover abortion only in cases of life endangerment or if the woman's health is severely compromised. Health plans offered in the state’s health exchange under the Affordable Care Act can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised physical health. Abortion is covered in insurance policies for public employees only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised physical health. Medication abortion must be provided using the FDA protocol. The use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is prohibited. The parent of a minor must consent and be notified before an abortion is provided. Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest. A patient must undergo an ultrasound at least 24 hours before obtaining an abortion; the provider must show and describe the image to the patient. An abortion may be performed at 20 or more weeks postfertilization (22 weeks after the last menstrual period) only cases of life endangerment, severely compromised physical health or lethal fetal anomaly. This law is based on the assertion, which is inconsistent with scientific evidence and has been rejected by the medical community, that a fetus can feel pain at that point in pregnancy. The state requires abortion clinics to meet unnecessary and burdensome standards related to their physical plant, equipment, and staffing.” (Guttmacher Institute, 2019). In Alabama, 25 white, male, Senators, have decided to make abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest. (Vice News, 2019). The abortion bans popping up all over a Republican majority United States are attacks on the rights of women, attacks on human rights. Statistical analysis of the relationship between mortality rates and abortion access proves that in countries where it is easy to access to safe, clean, and free abortions, fewer women die. The reality is that in countries where it is difficult to access abortions, like in Northern Ireland, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Libya, Syria, Qatar, Niger, people still get abortions; however, they do it in unsafe ways. A study published by the Guttmacher Institute shows that in countries where abortion is illegal or inaccessible, 37 women per 1000 get an abortion; and in countries where it is legal to get an abortion, 34 women per 1000 get one. “Preventing women and girls from accessing an abortion does not mean they stop needing one. That’s why attempts to ban or restrict abortions do nothing to reduce the number of abortions, it only forces people to seek out unsafe abortions. Unsafe abortions are defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as ‘a procedure for terminating an unintended pregnancy carried out either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards or both.’ They estimate that 25 million unsafe abortions take place each year, the vast majority of them in developing countries.” (Amnesty International, 2019)

The reality of these abortion bans is that they are not aimed at saving lives, they put pregnant people and medical professionals in danger, and can quite literally cause deaths. As a result, I ask these politicians, if they are so focused on saving lives; why are they not working on free healthcare for all? Climate change, food scarcity, police brutality, or the 2.5 million children who were homeless in the US last year? This is an attack on women’s rights and has some incredibly sinister correlations to the dystopian society presented in The Handmaids Tale, (25 Alabama white-male senators rejected the bill that would allow abortion in the case of rape or incest). Banning abortions is dangerous, oppressive, and there is an unspoken crisis in the United States taking form in the conservative rights’ restrictions on abortion, and ‘pro-life’ rhetoric. Statistics do not lie, banning abortions does not stop people from getting abortions, it puts pregnant people’s lives in danger, and is a blatant attack on the rights of a womxn to decide what happens to her body. This antiabortion/pro-life rhetoric values the life of the unborn, over the life of a living, breathing, feeling, person, and once this starts, years of progress in human rights will begin to be unraveled. 

That was for school. 

Real conclusion, fuck you ‘prolifers’.

[freudistrash]

No genuine social revolution can be accomplished by the male, as the male on top wants the status quo, and all the male on the bottom wants is to be the male on top. The male `rebel’ is a farce; this is the male’s `society’, made by him to satisfy his needs. He’s never satisfied, because he’s not capable of being satisfied. Ultimately, what the male `rebel’ is rebelling against is being male. The male changes only when forced to do so by technology, when he has no choice, when `society’ reaches the stage where he must change or die. We’re at that stage now; if women don’t get their asses in gear fast, we may very well all die.

 Valerie Solanas 1967 (via liesofthepatriarchy)