#Judy Mudd

[im-getting-cynical]

Vintage 90s / y2k brands I search for online or at the thrift:

- Morgan and Co. by Linda Bernell

- City Triangles

- Byer too!

- Leslie Fay evenings

- Laundry by shelli segal

- I.N. San Francisco

- Dave & Johnny by Laura Ryner

- Alex evenings

- Rampage, CDC, R- wear

- Gilligan & O’malley

- My Michelle

- Hourglass

- Ceduxion

- Speechless

- ENT

- Charlotte Russe

- Be Smart

- Per Seption

- Per Se

- Betsy & Adam by Linda Bernell

- Candy Rocket

- Bari Jay

- A fortiori

- Michaelangelo

- Steppin Out

- Jessica Howard

- Younique

- Sally USA

- Simco formal wear

- Rave city

- Blushe impressions

- Express

- Barbizon

- Taboo

- Cloud 8

- All That Jazz

- Robbie Bee

- La Belle

- Jay Jacob’s

- Brunnella

- ASpeed design

- LoLo

- Brilliante by J.A.

- Roberta

- CR Signature

- City Studio

- Two Roads

- Too Hot

- Moa Moa

- Ice

- XOXO

- Duplex by Tyte

- Get Used

- Jonden

- Self Esteem

- Ruby Rox

- Hot Kiss

- Hennes

- Personal Identity

- Judy Knopp

- Just in Time

- Diesel

- Lip service

- Vanity

- Interi

- 579

- Cosabella

- Limited Too

- Accomplice

- Hell Bunny

- Backstage

- Catch Me

- Mistress

- TV Firenze

- Helium

- Fleurish

- Necessary Objects

- Monsoon

- New Look

- Vixen

- Jonathan Martin

- Miss Chievous

- Gunne Sacs

- Soda Blu

- Eye Candy

- Beware

- 4 U Design

- Maxima

- No Boundaries

- Jamie Nicole

- Horoscopez

- Dollhouse

- Magazine

- Misdemeanor

- Goddess Trends

- Ellemenno

- Onyx

- Exact Change

- La petite francaise

- Bray Steven Alan

- Toba & Co

- Joey B

- Tahari

- Blondie Nites

- Van Heusen

- Mudd

- Miss Sixty

- Donna Ricco

- HYFVE

- Outlooks

- Susan Lawrence

- Cato Woman

- Save The Queen

- YMI

- Gasoline

- Southpole

- Heart Moon Star

- Pimkie

- Morgan De Toi

- K-scion

- i-doll

- Joule

- J for Justify

- Vol. 1

- Delaru

- Golf Punk

- Moa collection

- Minerva

- Bay

- Planet

- Aftershock

- Pilot

- Etam

- Hyphen

There’s so many here already but I’m constantly finding new brands to add. Also some of these brands are still active but I often look for old label pieces.

[gobind-631]

….. Continues from previous….

[Section 4,Part 15.2.2]

Dis very date/day.. Mahatma ji also happened to rake up dat/dis ages old Ram Mandir walla issue..

[Is a die-hard secularist/Congressi at heart..r Mahatma ji.

Ek baar ki baat hai..inhone khud kaha tha mujhse..”Main toh kattar secularist hoon ji.

Jaat-paat vegera ke bhed bhav..main main vishwas hi nahi rakhta/koh nahi pehchanta main..(..toh naturally ..aisi soch ke chalte main ek kattar congress samarthak bhi (automatically)ho jaata hoon”)..]

Inke dwara ki gayi/kiye jaane wali(ajeeb o ghareeb)baaton main bhailog ..aap log aksar/bade hi aasani se..inki iss soch/mansikta(yani ki..secularist/congressi samarthako wali mansikta) ..(ki jhalak) ko .. dekh/pehchan/bhanp sakte ho..

Now when he’d decided to rake up/mention

dis ages old Ram mandir walla issue..on dat day..I was in no way surprised by dis at all..

This was bound to happen some day/at some point/at some stage ..

[An elaborate discussion (vis a vis/wid regard to dis very contentious issue/topic)..between me n him..had to happen someday..I mean..(wat wid him being a kattar congressi…a secularist …a practicing Vaishnava..n all dat..)]

[**Ab woh Mahatma ji bhi hote hai.. [Vaishnavism main aastha rakhte hai veh]..aur saath main ek kattar secularist/congressi kisam ke vyakti bhi..toh main bhi kuch zyada hi curious tha iss baat ko lekar ..ki darahsal woh kya kehne wale the.. [iss wale mudde ko lekar]]…

Toh bhailog..kuch iss kisam ka viewpoint raha tha inka.. iss mudde ko lekar..(uss wale din ko)…[Yaad rahe..22 Dec 2023 wale din ki main baat kar raha hoon yahan par..and (as always)..Eatery being r rendezvous place ]

**Kuch kuch interesting sa zaroor tha..woh sab ..joh veh iss waqt keh rahe the..(humko toh lagta hai)..iss wale vishay ko lekar..

Ek aur baat..

[**Unka generally kehna tha ki .. woh ek kattar/practising Hindu hote hai.. toh iske naate unki bhi aastha Mata Sita aur Shree Ram ji se judi hui hai..lekin unke hamesha se kuch reservations rahe hai…iss mudde ko leker…. [.. ie…kuch aise reservations..jinhe inhone.. ek kavita ke madhyam se kehne/express karne ki koshish ki hai/jinhe..inhone ((inke) khud ke dwara rachi gayi)ek Kavita main (rupantar)/capture kar rakhi hai]

*************

Mahatma ji:

Indian minorities ki bhavnaon ko(iss mandir wale issue ko lekar)maddenazar rakh kar/rakhte hue…likhi gayi..ek garma garam kavita ko …kya sunna chahoge aap?

Yes..sirji..has been authored by me..dis poem..[Has been authored “today”..(only abt n hour or so back)]

Padhne/sunne layak ki hai..meri yeh kavita..meri mano toh/mere hisaab se toh..

Aap ko dikhata hoon ab..ho sakta hai.. aap ko pasand aa bhi jaye..

[** Yeh sunte hi main thoda sa zaroor chidd sa gaya tha .. iss baat ko sweekarne main mujhe koi hichkichat nahi..

Main sochne laga tha..”dekhlo..Kavita likhenge ab(veh)..woh bhi minorities ki bhavnaon ko maddenazar rakhte hue..

Main sab samajhta hoon.. aage ab Mahatma ji nahi bolenge/bolne wale..balki ek secularist mansikta walla bolega/bolne walla hai.. (Ek congressi bolne wala hai ab).

Inko khushi nahi aise lag raha hai(ki Ram mandir ki Pran Prathishta bas ek aad mahine main hone hi wali hai)..joh yeh sab kar rahe hai ab..khair sunne/padhne main mera kya jaata hai/jaa raha hai..toh sun hi leta hoon”]

Him(again):Poem.. that probably sort of encompasses/encapsulates minority feelings..rite now..with regards to dis (Mandir)issue.. ie…an issue dat has always been a point of contention between two communities in this country..ever since it’s independence(or ( probably )even earlier)

Pls note.. am in no way trying to stand in opposition to/wrt dis issue(meaning..am in no way trying to oppose/express dissatisfaction over d courts final order/judgement ..ie ..dat of allowing construction of Ram temple)

[Bhai..ab main khud Mahatma ji hota hoon.. toh meri khud ki aastha ka bhi sawal banta/hota hai yahan par.

Am only trying to echo/capture/encapsulate out here ..a particular/minority community’s probable sentiments/emotions rite now..as regards dis contentious issue..meaning ..how/wat a minority community person may possibly b feeling rite now vis a vis dis issue(feelings of a minority person.. rite now.. vis a vis dis issue.. is wat am talking about here)]

All dis/these(probable)feelings..have tried to capture ‘em here..in dis Poem..[Now dat dis Pran Prathishta ceremony’s ‘bout to happen in abt a months time]

**

[Pls note..Am only trying to sort of play devils advocate over here..(wrt dis issue).. not criticising anything or anybody..since am in a way neutral..on dis issue..and hence only like watching things from a distance..(specially when it comes to dis issue..)..(Can even say/might I take d liberty of adding here/of (even) admitting here..dat I even slightly lean towards/am in d favour of ..d temple being constructed ..(..n quite naturally so.. as one wud imagine..)

[Is quite natural dis..since am a practising kattar kisam ka Vaishnav/Hindu .. lekin saath main ek secular kisam ka vyakti bhi hota hoon.. toh mere kuch reservations/concerns bhi rahe hai.. is issue ko lekar.. (aur hamesha se rahe hai)..inhe hi main iss Kavita ke madhyam se express/kehne ki koshish kar raha hoon yahan par..bas itni hi si baat hai..aur kuch nahi..]…

[Section 4,Part 15.2.3]… to follow..

[dropdeadfemme]

Harry Mudd is to James T. Kirk as the Pontiac Bandit is to Jake Peralta

[roisinlikesbooks]

Harry Mudd is the Doug Judy of Star Trek

I am not open to criticism

[melissabowden1089]

Profile: UK Populist Leader Boris Johnson

A prominent populist leader in the UK is the current Prime Minister Boris Johnson since 2019. He’s famously known as one of the key figures in the UK’s decision to leave the EU, or Brexit. He’s also been the leader of the Conservative Party since July 2019. Starting off as the Mayor of London in 2008, Boris Johnson has had an extensive career in UK politics and has a lot of experience under his belt. With this comes criticism. Boris Johnson has faced a lot of criticism for the way he’s involved in politics as well as his personal image and how he portrays himself. However, he still has loyal supporters and is successful in what he does as a populist leader. Whether it’s in public or on social media, Boris Johnson always finds a way to spread his ideas and beliefs.

Boris Johnson and Populism

One thing Boris Johnson is known for is keeping people guessing and this doesn’t exclude his politics. Johnson was one of the most prominent figures in the Brexit vote and helped gain supporters on the Leave side of the debate. He constantly pushes the idea of us vs. them and has been compared to Donald Trump in the way that both of them have framed their battles as populist crusades.” Both Johnson and Trump know how to mesmerize voters and step into their role as a sort of savior or hero to their party. They claim that they’re the only ones who can put out the fire that they themselves actually started in the first place.

Boris Johnson fashions himself as the ‘Vox Populi’, or voice of the people, by creating this idea to the public that he is on their side fighting for them and can be their voice. In reality, Johnson has been criticized for being an opportunist who cares more about winning power than actually leading a nation and helping its people. Many populist leaders try and relate to the people in their party and identify with their struggles. Mudde and Kaltwasser say in their book Populism: A Very Short Introduction that Vox Populi “consists of two distinct but interrelated processes: (1) separation from the elite and (2) connection to the people” (Mudde and Kaltwasser, 2017). Boris Johnson has done this many times by claiming to bring about a ‘new government’ to the people that would fit their needs despite his own party already having been in office for nine years.

Boris Johnson’s populist approach reminds me of some of the aspects of populism that Finchelstein gives in From Fascism to Populism in History. One being the notion of the populist leader as a personification of the people and another being the self-presentation of standing for true democracy and against imagined or real forms of dictatorship and tyranny. Finchelstein even gives the example of the European Union here. Boris Johnson attempts to be a personification of the people and relate to his party in order to maintain their support. He claims that he wants to fix the government for the people yet he only seems to want to help people who are like him. He has a long history of sexism, racism, and bigotry over the years so it’s hard to believe that his claims and promises are true. 

In the article titled Us vs. Them: The Birth of Populism, Judis describes rightwing populists as “championing against an elite that they accuse of favoring a third group” (Judis, 2016). Judis also describes rightwing populism as triadic: looking upward but also down upon a certain group. This all checks out when it comes to Boris Johnson in the UK. He looked down upon the ‘elites’ in the EU and pushed for the UK to leave. As previously mentioned, Boris Johnson also has a history of bigotry. He continues looking down upon groups such as women and African Americans and he has displayed Islamophobia in the past as well. He antagonizes other groups and seeks to isolate his party, much like Donald Trump and other populist leaders around the world do.

Boris Johnson and the Media

Like many other politicians and populist leaders, Boris Johnson is no stranger to the Internet and social media. Boris Johnson has social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. but is nowhere near as chaotic and dangerously unpredictable as Donald Trump is on social media. However, Boris Johnson has his fair share of controversial moments on social media. For example, he recently put out a tweet congratulating Joe Biden on winning the US presidency, but if you look closely at the photo, you can see the word Trump right behind Biden’s name. This indicates that Johnson was expecting and hoping for Trump to win and it’s no secret that Johnson and Biden don’t get along either.

In relation to Brexit, Boris Johnson was known for supporting the Vote Leave campaign and encouraged the spread of anti-elitist and often racist and xenophobic messages on social media and in the press. This is unsurprising given that Boris Johnson and other rightwing populists in the UK have reputations of racism and xenophobia.

Another interesting way that Boris Johnson attempted to gain support for Brexit using social media would be through his use of an advertisement released in December of 2019 parodying the movie Love, Actually. This advertisement depicted Boris Johnson in a humorous and likable light yet was still spreading his populist message of leaving Brexit and urging voters to vote conservatively. He used buzzwords and slogans such as “let’s get this done” and telling voters that their vote would make “all the difference.” It was a successful campaign ad and was discussed globally, making it all the way to Australia. This ad was a creative one that Johnson’s team decided to do to grab the attention of voters and put out something new and different. I’d say they managed to do just that.

[brianshapanus772]

Vox Party Profile

Right-wing populist VOX has entered a Spanish regional parliament for the first time after gaining 11 per cent of the vote in Andalusia on Sunday, according to exit polls.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2018/12/02/right-wing-populist-party-enters-spanish-regional-party-first-time/

The vox party is the far-right populist party within the political landscape of Spain formed in late 2013 but did not come to the forefront until 2016. They are known for their far-right views including being against women’s rights and immigration along with xenophobic tendencies. They oppose things such as same-sex marriage and abortion. They take a radical right stance versus the PODEMOS party which is a left-wing populist group. The Vox Party has grown drastically in numbers over the past years. They are a very nationalist group that is seen at odds with anyone who is not a true Spaniard in their eyes. One of their main platforms is they are against the Catalonian independence movement going on in Spain and believe it will hurt the country if Catalonia gains independence. The Vox Party is in direct disagreement with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who has formed a coalition with PODEMOS. Sanchez said he is willing to talk with Catalonia about independence which the Vox Party vehemently opposes. This anti-separatist movement is being led by Vox Party leader Santiago Abascal who believes separatist parties should be abolished because they will ruin the unity of Spain and drive the country apart. They also have publicly criticized the European Union saying it does not give enough power to the people and believe it needs to be completely altered which is a much more radical view compared to the PODEMOS. This shows how the Vox Party takes Euro-skepticism one step further to being Euro-critical. The party prides itself on the slogan “Make Spain Great Again” and is now the first far-right party in Spain to hold seats in Parliament since 1982.

Santiago Abascal is the leader of the Vox Party who is the mind behind these radical views that define them. He is a 43-year-old from Bilbao in the Basque Country and has a degree in sociology. He got into politics at a young age. His father was the leader of the Basque People's Party and his grandfather was a pro-Franco mayor. He believes the Catalonian independence movement is a major threat to Spain and should be put to rest immediately. He also believes that all illegal immigrants who reside in Spain should be deported immediately as they do not belong there and are posing “very serious economic and coexistence problems”. Abascal has also been known to take anti-Islam stances as well. He believes the way to stop Catalonian independence is to stop their autonomy and to take control of their television, police, and education. These are some of the radical right-wing populist views the Abascal holds.

Many of the Vox Party’s arguments, self-presentation, and grievances related to larger frameworks of populism. Many of their ideas align with populist views, especially those that are right-wing. They believe they are restoring the power to the “true people” of Spain which is a very populist point of view. “Responding to frustrations over the effects of both older and newer transformations of European politics and society, such as European integration and immigration, populist radical right parties emerged across the continent, though with different levels of political and electoral success. These parties combine populism with two other ideologies: authoritarianism and nativism” (Mudde and Kaltwasser, pg. 34). This relates directly to how right-wing populism was defined by Mudde and Kaltwasser and how the Vox Parry would fit perfectly into this category. They present themselves in a way that takes a clear stance against immigration and their argument against it is the main part of their platform which helps them right into this overarching category of right-wing populism. “Populist campaigns and parties, by nature, point to problems through demands that are unlikely to be realized in the present political circumstances. In the case of some right-wing populists, these demands are laced with bigotry or challenge democratic norms” (Judis, pg. 3).

As many populist movements have the Vox Party has developed a very adverse stance towards the media. The Vox Party continually undermines mainstream journalists and media claiming that they are out to get them and are deliberately spreading media against them because their views do not align. Vox spreads this sentiment through misinformation just as many populists groups do. They dub trusted media sources as fake news and use abrasive language to turn their followers against the media. Abascal, the leader of Vox, has used his Twitter to promote the party and what he believes to be their success while simultaneously shutting down media that reports not so favorably on the party. “At the top of his Twitter feed, Abascal has pinned a long series of tweets, beginning in the spring of 2018 and continuing to the present. Each one links to a clip or a photograph of a conference hall or stadium packed to the rafters with people cheering and clapping. The later tweets also contain the hashtag #EspañaViva — #LivingSpain — and rapturous commentary: ‘Neither death threats from dozens of communists nor insults from television can stop #EspañaViva.’ These tweets, plus the party’s constant attacks on the ‘fake’ opinion polls in the ‘biased’ media, had a purpose: Those following Vox had the feeling they were part of a huge movement” (Washinton Post). Vox Party members have even gone as far as to physically assault journalists at their anti-government protests. One tv reporter states that he was stopped from filming the protest while simultaneously being shouted homophobic slurs at and being called a communist. Another journalist who worked as a photographer for a local newspaper was assaulted as members of the Vox Party took his camera and threw it on the ground as well as ripping his shirt. These are just a couple of the occurrences of the far-right Vox Party supporters assaulting media and journalists. These attacks show clearly how the Vox Party feels about the media in Spain.

[orrphelia]

If by any chance anyone ever wondered what music I listen to, here's a playlist for you! It also happens to be our go-to playlist for the bookstore 😌 

aerosmith - dream on // aimee mann - save me // alabama shakes - this feeling // alex turner - hiding tonight // alt-J - matilda // alt-J - every other freckle // alt-J - hunger of the pine // alt-J - breezeblocks // atoms for peace - ingenue // austra - the beast // bahamas - lost in the light // ben howard - promise // beth hart - jazz man // beth hart - caught out in the rain // beth hart - your heart is as black as night // billie eilish - you should see me in a crown // billie eilish - ocean eyes // billie eilish - when the party’s over // billie eilish - idontwannabeyouanymore // the black ghosts - full moon // bon iver - blindsided // bon iver - holocene // bon iver - i can’t make you love me // cat power - the greatest // cat stevens - the wind // chris cornell - billie jean // chris isaak - baby did a bad, bad thing // the cinematic orchestra - breathe // coldplay - the scientist // daughter - youth //  depeche mode - the worst crime // depeche mode - going backwards // ed sheeran - cold coffee // ed sheeran - firefly // feist - 1234 // flora cash - you’re somebody else // gary clark jr - bright lights // glass animals - toes // hanni el khatib - heartbreak hotel // hozier - work song // hozier - take me to church // hozier - to be alone // hozier - someone new // hozier - like real people do // josé gonzález - heartbeats // josé gonzález - teardrop // judy collins - who knows where the time goes // katatonia - omerta // LP - other people // lykke li & david lynch - i’m waiting here // lykke li - get some // lykke li - heart of steel // lykke li - love me like i’m not made of stone // lykke li - no rest for the wicked // madeleine peyroux - weary blues // the mamas & the papas - dream a little dream of me // marie fisker - the first time ever i saw your face // mark lanegan - in the pines // meg myers - the morning after // michael jackson & paul mccartney - say say say // nancy sinatra - summer wine // nick cave & pj harvey - henry lee // nick cave & the bad seeds - i let love in // puddle of mudd - spin you around // puscifer - green valley // radiohead - i promise // radiohead - weird fishes // the royal concept - fashion // soko - we might be dead by tomorrow // this is the kit - bashed out // urban sound collective - bad guy // woodkid - iron // woodkid - run boy run // young the giant - jungle youth

[shannonlight772]

Julius Malema and The Economic Freedom Fighters

A South African populist group known as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), formed in 2013 as a far-left political party. The party is led by a former president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Julius Malema (SAHistory).

                                         Photo retrieved from BBC.com

This photo depicts EFF leader, Julius Malema.

The Rise of Julius Malema

Julius Malema grew up in the northernmost province of South Africa known as Limpopo, where he was raised by his single mother. At the young of nine, Malemabegan his political career by joining the African National Congress’ Masupatsela movement where he was tasked with removing National Party posters that were being placed outside of police station for the first democratic elections in South Africa (TheSouthAfrican, 2019). Malema continued his career in politics and at the age of 14, where he was elected as chairsperson of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). He then went on to become the chair of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), an anti-apartheid student organization in South Africa, in 1997. In 2001, he became a national chairman of the Congress Of South African Students (The Telegraph, 2011). It was in 2008, that solidified his position as a political leader.

Malema was elected president of the African National Congress Youth League in 2008 and quickly became a controversial figure. Malema began to show his populist views when allegations towards the ANC president at the time, Jacob Zuma, came to light (SAHistory). As Deborah Posel discusses in her writing, “Julius Malema and the post-apartheid public sphere,” Malema became a “ubiquitous presence in the national mass media, provoking emotive commentary and analysis in the press, on television and radio” (Posel, 2014, p.32). Malema was well-known for undressing the ghosts of the apartheid era by using his power and strong voice to command political attention. In both 2010 and 2011, he was found guilty of hate speech and had already been known to have offended women, white farmers, journalists, and his own political bosses (BBC, 2019).  

The Birth of The Economic Freedom Fighters

In 2011, Malema made headlines for being axed by the governing party. His controversial speeches and questionable comments resulted in him being suspended from the African National Congress for 5 years and was forced to step down from the position as the president of the ANC youth league (The Guardian, 2011). This only added fuel to the fire. After officially stepping down in 2012, Malema established the Economic Freedom Fighters party with one main goal in mind- to challenge the ANC in the upcoming election. Malema, taking on leadership of the group, brought his same propositions from the ANC to the EFF, voicing that the EFF would focus on communist ideals pushing for land expropriation for redistribution and nationalization of mines and banks in hopes of economic emancipation (Britannica, 2019). The group, in opposition of the ANC, wears a uniform of red overalls representing the solidarity of the country’s workers and laborers using the color red to represent both communism and blood of the laborers (The Atlantic, 2014).  Like the ideas proposed by authors Mudde and Kaltwasser in their book Populism: A Very Short Introduction, Malema can be described as a populist strongman, often using coarse language, popularity, and charisma to gain support (Mudde & Kaltwasser, 2017, p.66). Malema prides himself on representing the people and fighting for what was taken away from the black South Africans under the rule of the apartheid government. His group, the Economic Freedom Fighters, fits John Judis’ definition of populism in the article “Us vs. Them: the birth of populism” when he says, “leftwing populists champion the people against an elite or an establishment (Judis, 2016).

It didn’t take long for the far-left radical group to gain support from young adults, the unemployed, and the poor. Malema became known for his anti-government rhetoric, which grew his popularity in the media. As stated in an article by the South African Elections, “in less than ten years, Malema has gone from being a marginal political player to one of the most talked-about politicians in the country (The South African Elections, 2019).

Julius Malema: Populism in the Media

Being known as a controversial political leader, Julius Malema is no stranger when it comes to making headlines. It began when he was still part of the ANC and made comments threatening to kill those who opposed President Zuma, the president of the ANC at the time, who was under fire for corruption allegations. Malema also made many sexist comments towards a woman who had accused Zuma of rape (SA History). An article by the Daily Maverick uncovered Malema’s popularity in 2010 stating, “newspapers, websites, and TV stations display his face daily, the media and public alike are abuzz with his latest shenanigans” (Daily Maverick, 2010).

As a populist leader, Malema used his popularity in the media and applied it to the Economic Freedom Fighters platform. By promising violence, making threats, and showing no mercy, the Economic Freedom Fighters and Julius Malema are South African journalists' main target. The Daily Maverick discussed the EFF and Malema’s presence in journalism stating, “the role of a journalist, among very many others, is to test the things political leaders say against what they do” (Daily Maverick, 2019). The Economic Freedom Fighters are known for campaigning using social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Starting from his role in the ANC, to being the leader of the EFF, Malema and his charismatic personality has filled the mass media of South Africa and even acquired him the public nickname ‘Juju’ (Posel, 2014, p.42). He has had multiple accusations against him regarding hate speech. In 2011, Malema was found guilty of hate speech towards the Afrikaans population of South Africa (The Telegraph, 2011). An article posted as recent as September 14thof this year by Times Live revealed that Malema was again accused of hate speech. On September 14th, the EFF leader tweeted a video paying tribute to former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. Included in the video was a quote from the late president, “the only white man you can trust is a dead white man.” After sharing the video, he proceeded to tweet again, “Stratcom #GUSHUNGO”, a phrase that refers to disinformation or dirty tricks under the apartheid government (Times Live, 2019). Malema’s hate speech controversies have led to the conversation of whether he is violating the right to freedom of expression under section 16 of the constitution. With his frequent involvement in the media, Julius Malema will keep using these platforms as a way to express the Economic Freedom Fighters efforts to overcome economic emancipation.

[amargarone772]

Notre Dame Donations Spark Outrage Amongst     Yellow Vest Protesters

The Fire

           On Monday, April 15th, 2019, the world was shocked as reports of the famous cathedral Notre Dame burned to the ground. The Notre Dame, or “Our Lady,” located in Ile de la Cite in Paris, is the most famous gothic cathedral in the world and receives over 13 million visitors a year. The building was completed in 1345 and was the site of some of the most important events in France’s history (CBS News). A fire broke out just beneath the roof with no signs of foul play by arson or terror attack to be involved and it was ruled an accident (CBS NEWS). The cathedral had been in the midst of its renovation, with the roof covered by scaffolding; some suggest this could have contributed to sparking the flames (CBS News). While there was a tremendous amount of damage done (including the world-famous stained glass windows), some vital towers and interior structures are believed to have been saved, along with priceless paintings and artifacts (CBS News). The cathedral is a symbol of not just France, but specifically Paris, and is significant on religious, civil, and national levels (CBS News). The fire has been considered a “tragedy for the world” as it was culturally devastating for worshipers, historians, artists, and tourists everywhere.

Anger Amongst the Yellow Vest Protesters

           While many are devastated by the events that happened to the Norte Dame, we cannot forget about the yellow vest protestors who are also occupying France at this time. Their sadness and tears have been replaced with anger and outrage as donations begin to pile in for the rebuilding of the Notre Dame (PBS). While they themselves have even donated the little that they have to the church, they are upset by those in authority who seem to have prioritized the fire over the issues that have been protested for months now (PBS). President Emmanuel Macron made an effort to rally the people of France together to both mourn and support the rebuilding of the cathedral (NY Times). Macron sought to rally a devastated country into national unity in the midst of months of criticism and protesting, using the grief of the people to his advantage. As the New York Times stated and compared, “Like his predecessor, Francois Hollande, who steered France through two terrorist attacks, Mr. Macron suggested that politics be forgotten in the aftermath of the fire and called attention to the grand national rebuilding project” (NY Times). There was even a truce amongst left and right political parties on April 16th, something usually seen during wartime, which represents how drastic this event is to them (NY Times). Macron vowed for the restoration to be complete in a mere five years. Wealthy benefactors in France have promised to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to the restoration of Norte Dame, including some of the top companies in France and the richest man in France, representing what the 1% value (CNN). As of April 16th, 700 million dollars was pledged to be donated, but numbers are sure to have risen with elites all over the world vowing to contribute and have reached about 1 billion dollars (CNN).

           Prior to the fire, the president was set to give a speech about his analysis of what has been called the “the Great National Debate,” the time during which citizens expressed their grievances over the issues the Yellow Vests have been protesting (NY Times). This includes lower taxes, higher pensions, and opening up of institutions (NY Times). Once the fire happened, the speech which had been long awaited by the yellow vest protesters was canceled. They are not necessarily part of this national unity that the fire created. Political scientist Gerard Grunberg spoke out against Macron stating, “He wants to make the national reconstruction project a Macron project. He wants to make it his project. It’s a project for France that he wants to put himself as the head of: ‘I’m the one who will give you back your cathedral’” (NY Times). This suggests that Macron is trying to win over supporters by acting like a heroic figure for France, emphasizing his long-term vision for the nation that emphasizes his desire to be in power for a long time (NY Times). One could compare Macron to a populist leader in this sense. As stated in Media as the Incentive or Mediator of Populism, a populist leader likes, “knowing clearly what the people want just like a superhero. . . only they can be the liberator/hero of the people” (Izem Zeynep Bulut). While Macron wasn’t necessarily winning the hearts of the yellow vest protesters with his promises, he was winning the hearts of everyone else in France and boosting his popularity. He adopted the populist persona of being the salvation for the people during their time of sadness and despair by making the unrealistic claim to fix the cathedral in 5 years, making it seem as if this the most important issue going on in France right now.

            Yellow vest protests have continued since the burning, with protesters claiming the government is ignoring the poor and that they care more about a building than their own people (AP News). “I think what happened at Notre Dame is a great tragedy but humans should be more important than stones,” said protester Jose Fraile (AP News). It seems almost ironic that the protesters are using fire and violence to now protest a fire, and the same firefighters have to put out both flames. If anything, this event has only emphasized their concern that Macron’s “centrist” government is favoring the wealthy and big business, while they represent the working class (AP News). As another protester stated, “Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre Dame and proposes that they do the same thing with Les Miserables” (AP News).

A Solution to the Grievances

           As suggested in Mudde and Kaltwasser’s book Populism: A Very Short Introduction, if Macron wants to satisfy the French citizens and really be a hero, he needs to meet their demands. If this is not done, populist leaders like Marine Le Pen will continue to fight for power and be the heroes to those who are part of the yellow vest movement, particularly extremists. As stated in John Judis’s Us v Them: The Birth of Populism, Marine Le Pen and her party are championing for “the people” against an “establishment” or “elite,” representing especially the “little people” or “forgotten members (Judis, 2016, p. 3). There is no more of a time for the yellow vest protesters to feel forgotten by their President than now since his speech to address their grievances was canceled over the fire. As the Mudde and Kaltwasser state in chapter 6, “The best way to deal with populism is to engage – as difficult as it is – with populist actor and their supporters. The aim of the dialogue should be to better understand the claims and grievances of the populist elites and masses and to develop liberal democratic responses to them. At the same time, practitioners and scholars should focus more on the message than the messenger” (Mudde, Kaltwasser, 2017, p. 118). This suggests that Macron should do more to meet the needs of the protestors, especially since his 15 minutes of fame may not last long once the hype over the Notre Dame fire dies down. He should make sure to reschedule the speech that was supposed to take place prior to the fire, and ensure that the grievances of the people are heard. The grievances will just continue to grow if this is not done.

[chartreuseblood]

i'm 98% sure someone has said this but harry mudd is just kirk's doug judy

[bamster44]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Black satin heels, size 8.5 Medium width.

[jamesm772]

The National Party and Nelson Mandela

National Party of South Africa in 1948 following their election win, the beginning of apartheid. Source: The Nation

The National Party came to power in South Africa in 1948 and began instituting the system known as apartheid immediately. The party was made up of Afrikaners, decedents of the original Dutch colonialists, and the other whites that were a large minority in the country. (Britannica, 2022) It was originally founded in opposition to the Anglicization of the country but began focusing on white superiority around WWII, during which the members who would eventually lead the National Party in 1948 were Nazi sympathizers. Even though this party is well-known for its racial segregation and suppression of black South Africans, it was just a continuation and expansion of the system that had existed in South Africa since the beginning of colonial rule. All non-white South Africans had been suppressed and treated as second-class citizens since the beginning of European colonization, but the system of apartheid took it to a whole new level, especially because the fact that it lasted until 1994.

It was this system that gave way to Nelson Mandela’s success and eventual election as president of the country after having been in prison for twenty-seven years, only being released in 1990. Mandela was able to use populist ideas such as the people vs. the elite as discussed by Judis and fighting for further democratization as discussed by Mudde and Kaltwasser. (Judis, 2016) (Mudde and Kaltwasser, 2017) The National Party’s suppression of and control over the majority black population was bound to fall as this populist movement led by Mandela gained popularity and power among the citizens of South Africa. From 1989 until 1994 Mandela negotiated directly with the National Party leader and South African president Frederik Willem de Klerk to find a solution to this problem that had at this point lasted for hundreds of years. After coming to power in 1994, Mandela and the rest of the African National Congress could have decided anything regarding the treatment of the former white suppressors, but Mandela was insistent on a fair and equal society.

This makes Mandela one of the few populist leaders I have discovered who increased levels of democracy after gaining the majority share of power in the country and this was a result of them knowing the reality of being treated like second-class citizens. They didn’t want former National Party leaders and supporters to feel the pain they did but rather focused on helping them understand it. One of Mandela’s most popular quotes is, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” (Ellis, 2019) One of the things he meant by this was that educating those in the National Party and all others who supported apartheid was much more effective than taking up arms against them or fighting in some other way. Although the National Party was disbanded in 1997, the racist feelings of many white South Africans did not go away and even today there is a neo-Nazi party called the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, who make absolutely no attempt to hide their true feelings and has existed since 1973. (O’Malley, 1991) This speaks to South Africa’s ability to allow democracy to flourish under their new leadership rather than banning or making illegal the types of parties that had suppressed them. Instead, they focused on making sure these groups never had enough power to take away the right to democracy ever again.

[srd772]

Populist Profile Part 1: Indira Gandhi

This is the first of a two-part profile series highlighting India’s two contrasting populist leaders. The two leaders have differed significantly in their political views as one resides in left-wing populism and the other in far-right-wing populism. With this divide in political views, they choose to target different groups as well as pursue different policies, ultimately having differing impacts on India’s overall democracy. 

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Indira Gandhi, born November 19, 1917, was an Indian politician who served as the first female prime minister of India. She served a total of four terms: three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977, then her fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. As it is known that India gained independence from the British raj in 1947, it is important to note that Indira Gandhi’s grandfather, Motilal Nehru, “was one of the pioneers of the independence movement and was a close associate of Mohandas (“Mahatma”) Gandhi”. Indira Gandhi joined the India National Congress (INC) Party in 1938, as she had been in and around politics her whole life, and her father brought the India National Congress to power in 1947. As a party, the India National Congress promoted liberalism, secularism, and social-democratic principles. After the sudden death of Nehru’s successor, Lal Bahadur Shastri, in 1966, Indira Gandhi was named to lead the India National Congress as prime minister under the circumstance that she was a compromise between the INC’s left and right-wing viewpoints. 

RELATIONSHIP TO POPULISM 

As previously mentioned, Indira Gandhi was India’s first and only female prime minister who was in power from 1966 until 1977, and then again from 1980 to 1984. As prime minister, she is known for combining socialism with populism as she held a more left-wing populist view. She made a point to highlight the poor and made a strong argument that they must be protected at all costs against the corrupt elite. This view was highlighted by Mudde and Kaltwasser as they noted that “all forms of populism include some kind of appeal to “the people” and a denunciation of “the elite” (Mudde and Kaltwasser, 2017, pg. 5). Her known slogan read: “garibi hatao”, which is translated to “remove poverty”. Indira Gandhi projected herself as a strong leader and the sole representative of the Indian people coining the phrase “Indira is India, India is Indira”. She spent her early time as prime minister gathering public support as she pushed agricultural movements to aid in India’s self-sufficiency in grain production, eventually creating the Green Revolution. As her power continued, she was voted out of office in 1977 as she showed increasing favor towards authoritarian policies, “including a 21-month state of emergency in which Indians’ constitutional rights were restricted”. When this emergency was declared, the country was facing extreme levels of corruption within the government, inflation and unemployment skyrocketed, and economic chaos began. With the addition of other radical economic policies, her leadership ultimately led to financial ruin and significant damage done to the Indian Constitution (Dutta, 2018). Per John B. Judis’s Us v Them: the birth of populism, “despite usually being short-lived, [populist leaders] have, nevertheless, had an outsized impact” (Judis, 2019, pg. 4). 

RELATIONSHIP TO MEDIA

Indira Gandhi was known to have “transformed herself into the most powerful public orator and charismatic leader by the time of the 1971 elections” (Dutta, 2018). Media is the vehicle that carries information to the people and the government, which, around the time Indira Gandhi's favoritism as prime minister was slowly fleeting, was facing mass criticism. Back then, television and radio were under full government control as there were no private television companies. Print media’s power supplies were also under government control so disruption, delay, or cancellation of print was common. The government was unable to manage state affairs during the emergency, mentioned above, so they used the media as the scapegoat. All in all, despite being a good public communicator, Indira Gandhi ultimately had a negative relationship with the media as she failed to fulfill her promises to the people.  

[shaunagrehan]

Picture found on Twitter.

Brief Political Summary of Hanson:

Pauline Hanson is the co-founder of the far-right Australian political party One Nation, founded in 1997. Hanson was expelled from One Nation in 2002 for alleged electoral fraud. She was found guilty in 2003, spent 11 weeks in jail for it to be overturned by three judges in the Supreme Court of Queensland. After her release, she did not intend on returning to politics but stood as an independent in the Queensland Senate. She launched Pauline’s United Australian Party in 2007 that promoted the welcoming of everyone “no matter where you come from.” She then deregistered this party in 2010, to move to the UK because she was welcomed at the far-right British National Party. Hanson stated she wouldn’t sell her Australian home to Muslims and said that Britain was overrun with immigrants and refugees, refusing to move. Hanson spent a few years as a motivational speaker till she ultimately decided to return to One Nation in 2013 (Wikipedia). 

Far-right, anti-Aboriginal, anti-multiculturalism, anti-immigration.

Hanson gained a lot of attention after her maiden speech, in 1996. She was campaigning against multiculturalism and indigenous rights, according to the Oxford Handbook of Populism. Mudde and Kaltwasser stated that in many cases populists will combine different interpretations of the elite and the people, like morals, class, and ethnicity, “[Hanson] would juxtapose the true people of rural Australia, proud of their British settler heritage, to the intellectual urban elite, who “want to turn this country upside down by giving Australia back to the Aborigines.” She even went as far as to say, in her maiden speech, that Australia was being “swamped by Asians” and that immigrants “have their own culture and religion, form ghettos and do not assimilate.” (the Oxford Handbook of Populism). She claimed that those who promote political correctness and those who control various taxpayer-funded industries that service Aboriginals, multiculturalists, and such are promoting reverse racism (‘Political Correctness’: Pauline Hanson and the the Construction of Australian Identity). She is claiming that the left-wing is being racist towards mainstream, white Australians by trying to benefit the lives of the minorities of Australia. Her view on ‘the elite versus the people’ was more along the lines that the elite (far-left), is not benefitting the people because they are spending their time and resources providing for the minorities of Australia; Aboriginals, immigrants, and refugees/asylum seekers, according to Us v Them; the birth of populism by John Judis. Hanson was a pretty regular face on Channel Nine’s Today Show for just over a year in 2019. Prior to this Hanson campaigned to ban the climbing of Uluru, a sacred site for Aboriginal people, but shortly before the ban came into effect, Channel Nine paid for Hanson’s trip to climb Uluru and it was aired on one of their nightly programs (Wikipedia). Even though the show paid for and aired her trip to Uluru, after she banned people from climbing it, they removed her from her role on the show after she referred to people who lived in Melbourne public housing as drug addicts who couldn't speak English. These campaigns and behaviors continue throughout Pauline Hanson’s time in politics. While she may advocate for the mainstream, white Australians she has no respect or interest in benefiting; immigrants, Aboriginals, refugee/asylum seekers, or anyone that may be associated. 

Hanson in the Media:

Pauline Hanson was a very prominent and aggressive figure in the media. Her supporters viewed her as an ‘ordinary person’ who is challenging political correctness as a threat to Australia’s identity, while the left probably viewed her as a radical, racist whose only intention was to benefit the white “mainstream” Australians. She also tries to justify that she was one with the people because she previously owned a fish-and-chip shop (the Oxford Handbook of Populism). She didn’t have much of a filter, refusing to take advice from her public relations advisors (Populism and the Media, Benjamin Moffitt). Her former media advisor, John Pasquarelli, stated that she lacked guile and nous, in his tell-all book, he compared her and the media to “two unwilling, brawling participants in a shotgun wedding.” Kay Saunders went a little farther in her description of Hanson. Saunders was invited to give a public lecture, on Pauline Hanson, at the Center for the Study of History of the 20th century, at the University of Paris. Saunders stated that the intellectually and culturally sophisticated Parisians found Hanson to be “engrossing and bewitching.” (Taking the International Spotlight: Pauline Hanson and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party). After Saunder’s presentation, they found Hanson to be gaudy in presentation, wearing highly sexualized clothes. They said she was full of masculine aggression with coquettish femininity. 

[serenaleavitt]

Profile of Nelson Mandela

(Source: Garcia, Feliks. “Former CIA agent admits involvement in Nelson Mandela Arrest”. Independent. May 15, 2016. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nelson-mandela-cia-arrest-south-africa-a7030751.html)

A prominent figure in South Africa's history is Nelson Mandela.  He was the country's first man of color to become President, which he accomplished in a post-Apartheid environment.  Mandela won the won election of 1994 and stayed in office until 1999.  Before becoming the first President of South Africa, he was President of the ANC from 1991-1997.  In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize  with Frederik Willem for "their work for the peaceful termination of the Apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa." Mandela was able to unify a country that suffered from decades of racial segregation.  He had the challenging task of setting new policies for a nation that didn't know how to co-exist.  In Judis's definition of populism and its significance, they describe it as a "function as warning signs of a political crisis."  Mandela was a pioneer in reforming South Africa during the end of Apartheid, while it was evident that the country needs a strongman (Mudde and Kaltwasser, pg. 63) to lead them to co-exist.  The journey to bring the races together in the country is a continual problem today, but Mandela made sure that it will be a long battle worth fighting during his time as president. His ability as a leader inspired his future successors as he laid the groundwork for the ANC.

While a part of the ANC, Mandela's ideas of nationalism were better organized and rationalized than the ANC's way.  As highlighted in previous articles, the ANC is now under investigation for corruption.  In the News24 article, William Gumede discusses how Mandela's ideology differs from how the ANC currently runs and why.  Mandela was a strong leader, but it is impossible to force his ideas into the minds of every South African.  The ANC consists of multiple members and many diverse groups. To start, Mandela was not the one to negotiate with the National Party.  Mandela was the type of leader who believed a general agreement needed to form for any ANC rulings to occur.  Many negotiations occurred within the ANC during Manela's ruling.  Gumede made an example of this.  He explains, "Mandela is no longer an ANC symbol.  Mandela is a South African symbol".

Nelson Mandela was a pioneer for media freedom in South Africa.  South Africa did not support press freedom during the Apartheid era.  The Internal Security Act of 1982 suppressed freedom of the press and expression.  The act banned newspapers and censored anything that could "endanger the state's security or the maintenance of public order." In 1994 Mandela expressed how the ANC had nothing to fear from the criticism of the press.  "It is our considered view that such criticism can only help us to grow, by calling attention to those of our actions and omissions which do not measure up to our peoples' expectations and the democratic values to which we subscribe."  There have been a few instances where Mandela did not support press freedom.  He viewed black journalists as puppets who only wrote to please their white editors.  He believed the press was guilty of suppressing the ANC's responses to critical articles.  It is interesting how the Presidents following Mandela say the press is biased against the ANC.  His successor Mbeki set any journalism against the ANC as an act of racism.  Gevisser noted, "the serious effect Mbeki had on the media was to play the race card.  He went for the critics -black and white- and demonized them, branding them black critics 'Uncle Toms'".   Makhanya reflecting on Mandela's effect on the media, agrees 'Nelson Mandela taught us what a free society looked like.  Even Mandela was challenged by the media, but he became one of our biggest defenders.  We created this state of media freedom for ourselves; now it's about defending it.  We must do what we do and not be frightened".  Without Nelson Mandela, journalists would not challenge the media in South Africa, and black South Africans would not be allowed to express themselves freely.

[thomas-butt772]

The Bad Students - An Education in Democracy

(Phasuk, Sunai. “Thailand’s ‘Bad Students’ are Rising Up for Democracy and Change.” Reuters, 17 Sept 2020. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/17/thailands-bad-students-are-rising-democracy-and-change)

In Thailand, a group of pro-democracy adolescents have emerged over the past few months. The “Bad Students” are demanding a better education and a better form of rule in their country.

Youth-led demonstrations calling for more freedoms have emerged over the past summer, and the organized Bad Students movement began in August 2020. (Bangkok Post) The issues at hand for the Bad Students and other protesters alike are evident, especially in regards with the Thai public school system, which is run with as much freedom of expression as one would expect from a military run nation. Widespread problems among schools include government slanted textbooks, insufficient materials and educators, gender inequality, corporal punishment, and little to no toleronce on freedom of thought. (Bangkok Post) 

What makes the Bad Students stand out is their approach and tonality as a political activist group. In a sense, they make their demonstrations an art of theater. On a Saturday night in November, the group stormed downton Bangkok, with many protesters dressed in T-Rex costumes to signify the current government regime as “dinosaurs.” “They are stuck in tradition. They’re conservative, old-fashioned and refuse to change. Their time is up, they must go and open the way to other people who are more competent,” said one demonstrator, referring to Thai rulers, as other Bad Students danced along to anti-government rap songs in the streets. (VOA News) They demanded the resignation of the country’s Minister of Education, and formally sent a petition to the school. (Kuhakan 2020) The group also has big picture goals that they hope to accomplish with regards to the entire nation, stating that “their campaign for school reform is part of the wider political campaign to end authoritarian rule in Thailand.” (Phasuk 2020) Going the extra lengths with these theatrics appears as a purposeful tactic to spread recognition and attention so that others can listen to what they have to say about national reformation.

If they’re not a sensation yet, the Bad Students certainly have the makeup of a movement that could rapidly catch on at a global level. Compared to a political party, a social movement like the Bad Students is more captivating and polarizing within the general public. “Social movements are informal networks that bring together people with a shared identity and a common opponent who engage in noninstitutionalized collective action to pursue a goal,” (Mudde & Kaltwasser, pg 44) which suggests that they are rooted in authenticity and earnestness, something deemed not found in politics. Within a particular movement, “the different people and parties called ‘populist’ enjoy family resemblances of one to the other.” (Judis, pg 1) This adds a personal element to the cause for social/political change.

On the other hand, social movements are unpredictable and flat out fail to react to issues at a vulnerable state. It should be noted that, during the 2006 government coup of populist icon Thaksin Shinawatra, “there was very little opposition to this coup from social movement organizations, even as the coup regime began to dismantle numerous TRT programs” (Glassman, Park, & Choi 2008) Social movements tend to be more reactive, rather than proactive to an issue. For this reason, the legitimacy of social movements like the Bad Students can be questioned. Do these kids have a solution to their problems, or are they just marching the streets of Bangkok because they are, as Howard Beale said in Network, mad as hell and need an opportunity to vent their frustrations. Either way, the Bad Students are not going to take it anymore.