#Security Strategies

[tinakp]

US/NATO Maniacs Killed The Post-Cold War Peace On Purpose | Alexander Mercouris from The Duran

This is the second segment of the interview with Alexander Mercouris ( @AlexMercouris  ) from  @TheDuran . We talk about how and why NATO elites decided to kill the Post-Cold War peace in Europe that had set in after 1989. The poisonous idea that the US had "won" the Cold War completely distorted all decision-making, leading to some of the worst and most provocative geostrategic blunders in history. Peace was killed by those who thought they could rain with impunity and Ukraine is now paying the price of the zero-sum thinking.

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Murderbot Diaries series (All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, Fugitive Telemetry, System Collapse, and other stories) by Martha Wells

Endorsement from submitter: "Asexual and agender main character. In later books side characters are revealed to be in poly relationship."

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

Science fiction, novella, series, adult

Hunger Pangs series (True Love Bites) by Joy Demorra

In a world of dwindling hope, love has never mattered more...

Captain Nathan J. Northland had no idea what to expect when he returned home to Lorehaven injured from war, but it certainly wasn't to find himself posted on an island full of vampires. An island whose local vampire dandy lord causes Nathan to feel strange things he'd never felt before. Particularly about fangs.

When Vlad Blutstein agreed to hire Nathan as Captain of the Eyrie Guard, he hadn't been sure what to expect either, but it certainly hadn't been to fall in love with a disabled werewolf. However Vlad has fallen and fallen hard, and that's the problem.

Torn by their allegiances--to family, to duty, and the age-old enmity between vampires and werewolves--the pair find themselves in a difficult situation: to love where the heart wants or to follow where expectation demands.

The situation is complicated further when a mysterious and beguiling figure known only as Lady Ursula crashes into their lives, bringing with her dark omens of death, doom, and destruction in her wake.

And a desperate plea for help neither of them can ignore.

Thrown together in uncertain times and struggling to find their place amidst the rising human empire, the unlikely trio must decide how to face the coming darkness: united as one or divided and alone. One thing is for certain, none of them will ever be the same.

Fantasy, romance, paranormal, series, adult

[iridescent-glitter-dragon]

Thinking about what Exit Strategy was like from the POV of the human security person who let Mensah through the security barrier because Murderbot said "Please, they will kill her"

[bumblingbabooshka]

Forever wishing we had an episode about why Tuvok chose to go into security instead of science (especially since he started out as a science officer like Spock and T'Pol)

I don't think it has to do with violence...Like, an outlet. He isn't a violent person. I think it has to do with him liking puzzles so much...the strategy of it - the endless combinations...and perhaps just a bit the thrill of it being life and death. That pressure to make the best possible choice every time. And him growing orchids specifically to be displayed - competition and beauty... In 'Learning Curve' he says "The strongest tactical move is always the one in which you will reap the highest gain at the lowest cost." You can tell that he's really a tactician and I think because of that he'd solve problems a lot differently than Worf, or Tasha Yar. Also, there's his decision to mind meld with Suder in 'Meld' - the fact he can't leave it alone is so character-building to me. He has to know why Suder did this, it isn't enough to catch and capture him if he doesn't understand the motivation behind such a brutal action. It fits into his portrayal as a detective in 'Ex Post Facto'. Someone who'll pursue the truth diligently no matter who it implicates. There's also the fact that despite Tuvok coming off as a very cold and uncaring person in episodes like 'Learning Curve' where it's implied he might be willing to allow others to die if it'd be the best move tactically - he's shown to be very willing to protect others like in 'Innocence' where he sides with the children against the adults, going so far as giving one of them a phaser to protect herself and 'Muse' where he stays up for 10 days straight trying to find B'Elanna and Harry or even how in 'Random Thoughts' when Nimira (someone he's only met just recently) says she needs his help and he replies "Then you shall have it." Noss falls in love with him partially because of how he immediately saves her without even knowing her name AND he's with Janeway when she makes her decision to help protect the Ocampa, ultimately agreeing with her logic that it's the right thing to do. It's interesting for a Vulcan to be in Security. Sarek in TOS is against Starfleet partially because he views it as being a forceful, militaristic organization which doesn't achieve real peace. In TOS we don't see any other Vulcans in Starfleet - I'm not saying there aren't any (I think we'd hear about Spock being the first if that were the case) but Sarek's attitude might be a cultural one which I'm sure shifted over time, especially with Spock's rise in fame, but I can't help but wonder how it affected Tuvok's decision to change from Science to Security, if at all. Especially since he's shown to be a very traditional person. Does it seem a brutal occupation to a Vulcan? Vulcans have a reputation for pacifism, does it lead to him being underestimated? He had already established a family by the time he re-entered Starfleet, how did they react to him going from a professor to that? Speaking of brutality, In general there's a violence to the other security officers' pasts. Tasha lived amongst ceaseless violence at every turn for 15 years, Worf is very proudly Klingon and lives by their warrior's code, Odo was raised/working during Cardassian's violent occupation of Bajor...but Tuvok doesn't have anything remotely like that in his past, which is also interesting. You might be tempted to think a Vulcan who'd take a job like that would be accustomed or connected to violence but again, that doesn't seem to be the case with Tuvok. If anything, he's very much representative of the opposite - staunchly, unabashedly Vulcan. He nearly underwent the Kolinahr, only stopping to raise a family instead. He uses the word "Postpone" when he speaks of this, implying he hasn't ruled the Kolinahr out as a possibility in the future. It's very interesting to me!! I wish it was explored more...

[trafalgardlawless]

listen i do appreciate canon marineford for the tragedy it is. however it does happen to also be extremely funny.

ace is on his knees on the execution platform, the same place the father that he despises and has tried to define himself outside for his whole life had knelt, thinking this might be the most fitting ending to the life long crashout ace started when he found out who his father was

and then in comes LUFFY, his cheerful persistent little menace of a brother, who has come to COP CENTRAL to break ace out PUBLICLY.

Not only that, but he’s staged a mass break out of the formerly inescapable prison IMPEL DOWN (HE WASNT EVEN LOCKED UP IN THERE? SO EVERYONES A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED AS TO HOW THAT HAPPENED???)

He also kind of looks like shit? But he’s fighting like he’s on day three of a methamphetamine high so no one can be sure how injured luffy Really is.

side note: luffy tanked a lung full of Kills You Dead Toxin and then got shot full of Lowers Your Lifespan Drug and on top of all that, DEMANDED the Super Lowers Your Lifespan Drug when he realized he might need anything resembling recovery time.

as an elder sibling myself, ace might’ve been truly grateful for being loved at the end, but i KNOW there’s a part of him that was INFURIATED that his kid brother managed to crash out harder than he did like OMG STOP COPYING ME FRRRRRRRRRR.

[unnamedcorvid]

so while I was first listening I might have paused Part 53 to see if someone can fit a zippo lighter all the way in their mouth cause it feels a lot more secure than him just gripping with his teeth and like,, he’s absolutely put worse things in his mouth. that wouldn’t even make top five I bet

(it is absolutely possible, unless lighters were a bit bigger back then, it was pretty awkward but absolutely fits, it can go all back and can be held in place with molars with lips closed around)

guess it doesn’t matter though cause he has clothes now, but I really did want him to go full hamster with that thing (artistic rendition below)

[bookwyrmsbuttons]

https://bookwyrmsbuttons.etsy.com

[fannedandflawless]

Hogwarts Security Issues: The Safest Place? Really?

"Hogwarts is the safest place there is."—Allegedly.

✔ This quote (or a close version of it) comes from Hagrid, who says:

“Hogwarts is the safest place in the world for something like the Philosopher’s Stone, apart from Gringotts.”

📌 Dumbledore indirectly supports this claim, as he is the one who allows the Stone to be kept there under school protection.

But oh, darling. The irony. The Golden Trio? They lived through all of this—year after year, chaos after chaos—and still got homework assigned like none of it ever happened.

🧱 YEAR 1: PHILOSOPHER'S STONE & TROLLS

A fully grown mountain troll breaks into the dungeons during a feast. No alarms. Just vibes.

Three eleven-year-olds sneak past every enchantment protecting the Philosopher’s Stone.

Quirrell, possessed by Voldemort, was teaching all year. No one noticed the face on the back of his head.

Hogwarts’ response? "Ten points to Gryffindor."

🐍 YEAR 2: THE BASILISK IN THE DRAINS

A basilisk has been slithering through the plumbing.

Several students are petrified, and still no evacuation plan is activated.

Myrtle was killed decades ago, and no one thought to check the bathrooms?

Oh, and the Heir of Slytherin was allegedly back—but no adult investigated seriously.

Hogwarts security: "Let’s ask the cat."

🐺 YEAR 3: WEREWOLF PROFESSOR & DEMENTORS

Remus Lupin, a werewolf, is hired as DADA professor—without telling a single student.

The only safeguard? Wolfsbane Potion, brewed exclusively by Severus Snape. One missed dose? Chaos.

When Lupin transforms unexpectedly, it is Severus who steps between the children and danger:

"Get behind me, Potter."

And yet, he’s branded the bitter one.

Meanwhile, Dementors—soul-sucking wraiths—hover freely around the school.

Sirius Black, an escaped convict, sneaks into the castle multiple times. Once even into the dormitories.

🌳 The WHOMPING WILLOW Issue

Planted specifically for Remus Lupin to access the Shrieking Shack during full moons.

The tree is sentient and violent—can literally kill a child in passing.

There is no protective barrier around it.

Only a secret knot can calm it—and yet students are never taught this.

It’s framed as a quirky landmark, when in truth it’s a hazardous liability.

🧪 SEVERUS SNAPE: The Unsung Safety Net

Brewed Wolfsbane every month—flawlessly.

Protected students even when he despised some of them.

Risked his life to shield the Trio from a raging werewolf. He literally puts himself between the children and a charging werewolf, even though: ‣ He hates Harry. ‣ He despises Sirius. ‣ And has massive trauma from being nearly killed by Lupin once during a "prank."

And yet. He still protects them. Dumbledore: “Severus, please be civil.” Severus: “CIVIL? I JUST FOUGHT A WEREWOLF FOR YOUR CHOSEN CHILD.” (🪧 Me in the background holding a sign that says: “Give the man a raise or a new spine, he’s carrying the whole plot.” You can hold the backup sign. It says: “I just watched him fight a werewolf in pressed robes—PAY HIM.” 😤)

Knew the truth about the Marauders’ past, the Map, Lupin’s condition—and still kept silent.

Endured mockery and suspicion, but always acted when it mattered.

Hogwarts would have collapsed into a heap of magical malpractice without him.

🐉 YEAR 4: THE TRIWIZARD DISASTER

Harry is forced into a lethal tournament through magical coercion.

Students have died in this contest historically, yet it's brought back for funsies.

Children fight dragons, swim with grindylows, and nearly die in a hedge maze.

Ends with Voldemort's return and the murder of Cedric Diggory. No reparations offered.

🧠 YEAR 5: TORTURE IN THE CLASSROOM

The Ministry places Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts—who literally tortures children with quills that carve words into skin.

Teachers are aware. Nothing is done.

Dumbledore ghosts Harry for an entire year to “protect him emotionally.”

Ministry interference, student trauma, and no adult protection. Gold star for Gryffindor trauma.

💔 YEAR 6: DRACO'S CLOSET OF DOOM

Draco secretly repairs a Vanishing Cabinet to let Death Eaters into the school.

Katie Bell is cursed by a necklace. Ron is poisoned. Multiple near-deaths.

The grand finale? Dumbledore dies on the Astronomy Tower. Iconic, but preventable.

💥 YEAR 7: DEATH EATER BOARDING SCHOOL

Hogwarts becomes a military regime.

Carrows torture students in class.

Neville leads a resistance movement from within the school.

Snape, as Headmaster, walks a tightrope of silent resistance, but it's still a war zone.

"Hogwarts is safe"—If you're the Chosen One. Maybe. 😂

—

Before we venture further into Hogwarts' ever-growing list of structural curiosities and magical oversights, my next post will take a detour into one particularly absurd contradiction: how Sirius Black managed to infiltrate Hogwarts with ease, while several powerful ex-students turned Death Eaters couldn’t do the same.

✨ Stay tuned for: Sirius Black Vs The Wards: Why Death Eaters Weren’t Invited To Tea

[uncanny-tranny]

r u chill w non transitioning ppl?

Why wouldn't I be? At one point, every trans person who is transitioning was once someone who wasn't (whether or not that was a choice or their need is a separate discussion).

Hatred of any kind of trans person is not a Righteous or Good Thing - every single trans person has their place, their entitlement to safety, community, and respect of who they are

[jollycross]

Yknow how MB says that SecUnits are “cheaply produced, and we suck” yet kicks extreme amounts of ass? Well I think MB is comparing itself to Combat SecUnits, which could shrug off hits like it was nothing (from the one example we have at least)

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Adult SFF Books Bracket: Round 3

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

The Murderbot Diaries series (All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, Fugitive Telemetry, System Collapse, and other stories) by Martha Wells

Endorsement from submitter: "Asexual and agender main character. In later books side characters are revealed to be in poly relationship."

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

Science fiction, novella, series, adult

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

A groundbreaking work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants spend most of their time without a gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture that he encounters.

Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.

Science fiction, classics, speculative fiction, anthropological science fiction, distant future, adult

[magicwin36023456789]

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[tmarshconnors]

Franklin D. Roosevelt was warned.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour became one of the most infamous events in American history, leading the United States into World War II. However, a lesser-known aspect of this tragic day is the series of warnings that were issued to American military installations in the days leading up to the attack. Ten days before the Japanese planes descended upon Pearl Harbor, both the Army and Navy sent explicit messages warning of imminent war to key locations, including Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, and the Canal Zone. These warnings, unfortunately, were largely ignored by the facilities in Oahu, resulting in catastrophic consequences.

In late November 1941, the increasing tension in the Pacific was palpable. Intelligence gathered by American cryptanalysts indicated that Japan was planning a significant military operation. On November 27, 1941, a "war warning" was sent out by both the War Department and the Navy Department. This warning indicated that a Japanese attack was likely and urged all Pacific commands to take appropriate defensive measures.

"Negotiations with Japan appear to be terminated to all practical purposes with only the barest possibilities that the Japanese Government might come back and offer to continue. Japanese future action unpredictable but hostile action possible at any moment. If hostilities cannot, repeat cannot, be avoided the United States desires that Japan commit the first overt act. This policy should not, repeat not, be construed as restricting you to a course of action that might jeopardise your defence."

Similarly, the Navy's communication emphasized the imminence of war and the need for vigilance:

"This dispatch is to be considered a war warning. The negotiations with Japan in an effort to stabilize conditions in the Pacific have ceased, and an aggressive move by Japan is expected within the next few days."

Despite the urgency conveyed in these messages, the response from military facilities in Oahu, where Pearl Harbor is located, was shockingly lax. Several factors contributed to this alarming oversight, including a misinterpretation of the threat's location and a general underestimation of Japan's capabilities and intentions.

Another controversial aspect of the lead-up to Pearl Harbor is the role of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Critics argue that Roosevelt was aware of the impending danger but failed to take adequate steps to prevent the attack. While it is true that Roosevelt had access to intelligence reports indicating a potential threat, the extent to which he understood or acted on this information remains a topic of debate among historians.

Some theorists suggest that Roosevelt might have allowed the attack to happen to galvanize American public opinion in favor of entering World War II. However, most historians dismiss this notion as a conspiracy theory, citing the immense risk and unpredictable consequences of such an action. What is clear, though, is that the warnings from both the Army and Navy were not given the level of attention and urgency they warranted, either by Roosevelt's administration or the military commanders in Hawaii.

The attack on Pearl Harbor had devastating effects, resulting in the deaths of over 2,400 Americans and the loss of numerous ships and aircraft. In the aftermath, numerous investigations sought to understand how such a significant surprise attack could have occurred. These inquiries highlighted the failures in communication, preparedness, and the underestimation of the Japanese threat.

One of the crucial lessons from Pearl Harbor is the importance of heeding intelligence warnings and ensuring that all levels of command understand and act upon them appropriately. The tragedy underscored the need for improved communication and coordination among military and government agencies to prevent such lapses in the future.

The events leading up to the Pearl Harbor attack serve as a poignant reminder of the consequences of ignoring clear warnings. The messages sent ten days prior to the attack were explicit and direct, yet the failure to act on them resulted in one of the darkest days in American history.

As we remember Pearl Harbour, it is essential to acknowledge the lessons it taught us about vigilance, preparedness, and the critical importance of acting on intelligence to safeguard national security.

[nights-at-the-opera]

IYKYK