#in my defense states aren't the same as countries

[nsomniacsdream]

I have a hard time talking about American law enforcement, because I have ptsd (like a therapist told me this and everything) from my own experiences with cops and because it's so balls quaking insane.

Like, a cop in the United States can pull you over for any reason. Which is a nice way of saying no reason, because literally anything can be used after the fact as justification. A cop can say its cuz you looked at him, or didnt look at him, or it looked like you were holding something, or looked like you were driving too perfectly for it to be natural. It's insane.

There are apparently no circumstances where a cop can't just kill you. The line the courts have applied is "reasonably believed" you were a threat, but that's such a nebulous nothing limit that people get shot for reaching for their license, having their phone in their hand, you're running away with no weapon, not being able to follow conflicting commands, like anything. And cops are almost never charged, because every court is going to believe he could "reasonably believe" he was threatened. Fuck, if you give me enough time, I can make any situation seem juuuuust plausibly threatening enough to pass that bar. It's insane.

A cop can just rob you. Like tell you to give him your wallet, take all the cash out, and just walk away with it. Exactly like you would imagine getting robbed in an alley would go, except no one can help. And he doesn't even have to hide it, he just drops it in a box at the station and they put it in their bank account. It's legal. You can't prove it wasn't drug money. I can't prove any money wasn't at some point drug money. It's insane.

If a cop just walks in your front door and says "I'm here to kill you and your entire family" YOU ARE GOING TO PRISON IF YOU STOP HIM. There is no positive defense for assaulting a police officer in the United States, and doubly so if you kill him. You have effectively no defense against a homicidal cop, which happens same as any other job. Unless for some reason you have cameras all thru your house and clearly caught the audio of him saying that he's there just to kill you, you have zero chance of not going to prison, probably for life. And that's assuming you aren't killed "resisting arrest" while being taken into custody. It is a crime, in this country, for you to defend yourself under any circumstances if the person you're defending yourself from is a cop. That's insane.

You don't have civil rights if a cop says so. You have the right to have a gun, right? A lot of states have open carry. A cop can shoot you if he sees you have a gun. Doesn't matter if you have a license and everything. So you effectively don't have the right to bear arms if a cop can shoot you for exercising it. You have the right to protest. Unless a cop tells you to stop. He doesn't need a real reason to tell you to stop. And if you don't stop, you can be arrested or shot. So you don't really have the right to protest, do you? A cop cant just search your car or house, right? Unless he claims he heard something, or smelled something, neither of which can be proven. So a cop can search whatever he wants, as long as he pretends there was a "reason". So you dont have protection from unreasonable search and seizure, do you? These are no longer rights- they're things the cops allow.. for now. But legally, those rights have already been found to not actually be rights, because any random cop can decide to take that right from you, for any reason. It's insane.

These aren't like crazy things that I'm just making up, these aren't some weird twisted way I'm looking at something, these are all very real things that we all just.. ignore? Police abolitionists and the media bring these things up all the time, and the overwhelming response to it is: so what? Don't break the law and it won't matter. Blue lives matter. More police funding. Cops should have tanks. It's insane. And I always feel like im just rambling and sound insane when I say this kind of stuff because if you wrote a book and had the dystopian government doing the stuff that the police in this country do every single day, those same people who "back the blue" would line up to say stuff like "*Books government* wouldnt have a chance before us real americans stopped them" on twitter and not even get a hint of the irony.

[halosluvchild]

.

[centrally-unplanned]

This article about Hamas's strategic planning in the lead up to the October assault was at least a partial mind-changer for me. So far I had been viewing Hamas as executing a "bait" attack on Israel for international & domestic political reasons. Kill enough Israelis, and in particular take some hostages, to force Israel to invade Gaza; which you want because that will re-inflame radicalism, tank Israel's growing coziness with Arab states like the Gulf Monarchies, and keep the Palestine Question front-and-center on people's agendas.

What it was not about was achieving any sense of a military victory; Hamas did not think they would be able to defeat the IDF on the field, or even truly hold them back. They thought they would do better than they have in defending Gaza, to be honest, but the goal wasn't to "win" in that way or anything. The actions of Israel, in their inflamed bloodlust, would be the fulcrum of progress for Hamas. It was the most logical interpretation of their strategy, because tbh its working, Israel's strategy void has bungled this war at every level. Of course if it is "worth it" is a completely separate question - Hamas is playing a game from deep, deep in the red, if you aren't going to fold and pack it up from that position these are the hail mary plays you make.

This article, a long (and sometimes overly windy) interview with two career members of the Palestinian governing orgs (primarily Fatah), shines a very different light on that. They outline that over the past ~decade, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar coalesced power around his own faction of highly fundamentalist adherents that convinced itself that divine favor was shining on them and they would be able to actually defeat Israel in the field. The most compelling evidence for this is a conference they held planning the post-conquest occupation of Israel:

So detailed were the plans that participants in the conference began to draw up list of all the properties in Israel and appointed representatives to deal with the assets that would be seized by Hamas. "We have a registry of the numbers of Israeli apartments and institutions, educational institutions and schools, gas stations, power stations and sewage systems, and we have no choice but to get ready to manage them," Obeid told the conference.

They even called people up to ask if they would take the job of governor of this-of-that province! This was not a bored-Friday white paper by any means. They discussed defensive plans and counter-offensives like that was on the table. Sinwar outlined conquest as the goal.

If we accept this premise, it naturally lends itself to the question "okay how did they get the rest of Hamas to go along with this?" Because Hamas is not all These Kinds of People, its a governing state that does politics on the international stage after all. One of the reasons I leaned towards my interpretation was that, for the past ~decade, Hamas has actually been doing a glam-up rebranding of the org to make it more moderate & respectable in international eyes. The 2017 Charter Revision is the biggest example, which included say disavowing the idea that this was a religious war (distinguishing between zionism & judaism), and loosely admitting to the idea that they could recognize Israel as a country if terms were met. Actions like these show actors who are pretty level-headed. Were they inauthentic? Did they change their mind?

Maybe a bit, but its more than they aren't the same people. Right alongside the build-up to the October attack was a purging & sidelining of whole swaths of Hamas leadership. Many were not even informed of the attack - though they knew something was coming. Apparently it leaked on October 2nd, and a bunch of leaders just immediately fled the Strip for safety. This one is the most amusing:

Haniyeh's eldest son took a similar course of action. Around midday on October 2, Abed Haniyeh chaired a meeting of the Palestinian sports committee, which is headed by the minister of sports, Jibril Rajoub. Suddenly he received a phone call, left the room for a few minutes and then returned, pale and confused. He immediately informed the committee – whose members were in a Zoom conference with counterparts in the West Bank – that he had to leave for the Rafah crossing straightaway, as he had just learned that his wife had to undergo fertility treatment in the United Arab Emirates. (He was lying.) He granted full power of attorney to his deputy and left the Gaza Strip hurriedly.

That is one way to duck out of a pointless meeting, take notes people!

So instead of my hail mary politics play, what you have is a story of an institutional coup by a radical faction - which for extremist resistance groups is an ever-present threat. None of this means the "bait" strategy part is wrong of course, that was definitely still the point - but this argument here claims that goal of the bait was to bring the IDF into Gaza where it could be defeated in the field with their extensive fortifications, and then presumably inspire others like Hezbollah to jump on the moment of weakness and besiege Israel proper.

So....is this true? There are two gigantic caveats on this article: the first is that the people being interviewed do not primarily work for Hamas - they are members of Fatah, the leading faction of the PLO. They hate Hamas, they are not Hamas leaders themselves, they have every incentive to paint Hamas as irredeemable. You really can't take this story simply at their word. But they aren't outsiders - they hate Hamas but they work with them constantly, that is how it works, people rotate around in the Palestine orgs. They have met personally and worked with dozens of Hamas leaders; one of them was even called to be offered one of those post-war occupation governorships! (He said no lol) So its a big red flag but not a damning one. And things like the fleeing leaders, the conference on the occupation, those all 100% happened. They released press on it, they weren't hiding it.

The second caveat is that its just really not uncommon for large organizations, particularly extremist ones, to engage in mainly performative actions at scale. The South Korean government still maintains a department that plans for the administration of North Korea for example! Not totally useless ofc, but it writes exactly the reports you think it does that get put in a bin and never touched. Sometimes its appeasing internal factions, sometimes its PR, sometimes its just institutional inertia. Its absolutely believable that Hamas would make a big plan for how they would conquer Israel because otherwise...what do you tell the commanders, exactly? Why are they fighting again? A significant percentage of the lower-level fighters need that belief, so you give it to them. While certainly there is a fundamentalist faction in Hamas, are they ones winning? Or are they just another faction being played against?

I don't see enough evidence to say, but there is enough to make me pause. I'm not sold on it in the end, that is my final conclusion. I think more brains than Sinwar were involved in this and they had more realistic aspirations. And yet the level of commitment and disorganization does suggest that at least some of what was pushing events forward was a group immune to doubts being at the wheel. Certainly interested in researching more.

[amadholes-lostre]

Another Wednesday/Wenclair idea because I hate myself- The 5th Ostrace

My brain keeps spewing ideas but refuses to let me write a story lol. The idea is that there is a new Ostrace (using my BNHA au term) category to be generalized.

And that being aliens.

It kinda make sense: nonhumans that can't exactly accustom to norm society, so they will fit into Ostrace society (there're many reason why, especially one big reason).

The idea that multiple alien states contacted humanity before the main series so that the characters could be used to them. The alien states, other than what our countries do for diplomacy like cultural centers and participating in local events, also do student exchange program, including sending some to Nevermore.

(I already have this idea other with other franchises, using my original alien races in doing so, like Harry Potter (got this fic idea since 2013) and The Prom.)

Being nonhumans (some don't even look remotely as one), it will be difficult for the exchange students to fit in. However, another reason why they will be categorized as the 5th Ostrace- well, other than some being vastly different in appearance (one of the race, Rín [not actually the race name] is just a rubber forehead human with only pointy ears) is due them being considered mono-sex races (a homosexual species if you will).

Unlike humans and vast majority of animals being gonochorism, the alien races are mono-sex (think Asari from Mass Effect, which what inspired me [either positive or negative]), though ironically the majority will be classified as semi-monosex. Because of that, depending on the species and culture, gender is not as rigid compared to humans, especially Western cultures.

I don't really know else to write ther next one (I feel like I need to finish what my last paragraph left out lol) but I want to talk about the three alien races, or more like the three countries. There're three alien countries (two states having multiple different races) that come in contact. I don't actually have proper names for them (except the United Planetary Democracy, but that because they never bother with a singular name like the UAE), I do have their type of governmen. The three are: the United Kingdom (not actually accurate since kingdom is gender-neutral in the language, also ghere is a good reasonwhy it's called that), the UPD, and the Empire (in their defense, it's not the proper terminology [think Japan, though that isn't good either], so they wasn't as prepared for the backlash lol).

Okay, enough of that, time to talk about three alien races/countries:

So, first up is the Rín (singular is Rin), who makes up the UK. The UK is one of the states that made up of multiple races, and that because they all originated from the same planet. Rín isn't even a proper race but actually a genus (think Homo like humans). There's some races that aren't even in the same taxonomic family or class, and you piss off a lot of other people off for it. One of the races who made up like 70-80% are - I calling them Idorín for now (I never properly name almost any this, but I did categorize this mentally). Idorín are the most human-like with only superficial details being pointy ears, more colorful anime-like hairs, and having light-blue blood. Internally, their anatomy is a bit more avian (they're still viviparity). This is due to having airsac along lungs, a bit more lighter bones (through more richer with carbon). The average height is 6'3.5, though this depends on the... subsex(lol)? They're also semi-monosex, one being Ovumsere (they give birth; make up 60%), and Polisere (they... provide gametes?; make up 35%)(there are true mono-sex, though very rare; 5%). Anatomically, they're not very different other than heights (only three inches: Ovumsere av. 6'3 and Polisere av. 6'6), voice (only a bit), and genitals (lol). They're very culture diverse, average lifespan of 160 years (now 350 thanks to gene therapy). Also, there're humans in the UK before even contacting Earth (though their population doesn't even make a percentage).

The second race are So'lenas (ironically the name only name I actually come up a decade before), and another ironic twist runs the UPD. The country that has a very vague name is actually the only one that has one species (lol, lmao even). They're human-like, though not like Idorín. They kind of filled up the Blue-Skinned Soace Babe tropes, though not that much (their nose is actually sensory organ like a whale melon, they actually breathe either through their mouth or a blowhole atop their back). Their skin range either teal, light to dark blue, and purple. Their skin is a bit reptilian, though softer, and resemble more like that over your knuckles. They have freckle-like bioluminescence called 'his'kiri (meaning "star-kiss", another named for So'lena is His'lena, "Star-Person"), crest and tendril-like atop their head, semi-aquatic being (though depends on their culture of how they utilize it) which allows them to hold their breath 10-45 minutes (they look very voluptuous because of this), and give live birth (they do have breasts). They have a paddle-line tail that them swim more effectively and digitigrade legs. They're true mono-sex beings, with an average height of 6'4 and a lifespan of 300 years. Because of this, they have very loose gender roles, viewing it more like how queer women view butch and femme identity. Do of the planet (actually a satellite) they hail from (being very hot and humid), many of their culture clothing have lose clothes and transparent garments; it will be common to see their breasts (some fashion are even similar to ancient Minoan)(it also helps they've petite breasts and is not as sexualized compared to many human cultures).

The third race are Rahros ('hr' pronounce like Spanish J but with more vibration, also the full name is Ahnta'Sarnu'Rahros), and they're the majority of the Empire. Their government is a semi-constitution theocratic monarchy. The Empire and UK have a huge rivalry, almost Cold War political environment (think England-France rivalry). The race is the least human (being bipedal with a slight hunchback and 4 limbs their only resemblance), being archosauroform, though resembling more to crocodilians than to avians Most of their body are either in scute or soft scales. Though they have an upper and lower mouth, they have a pair of mandible that helps them push large food down their mouth. Their tongue is more like butterflys' (proboscis), and they can't move their mouth sideways (many of their cuisine are bite sides). They have tendrils- sometimes referred as dread or braid- growing from their head that resemble hair, shaping either smooth circle or overlapping scale oval, ranging half-an-inch to 1½ inches in thickness, and being made of keratin- it can be trimmed without hurting them (think like horse hoof trimming). They have three digit fingers and two opposing thumb in each hand. Their legs are digitigrade so they prefer to wear sandals and a small, vestigal tail. Their body shape is athletic and lean. The average height is 6'7.5, with ovumsere 6'6, while polisere are 6'9. (I have an idea Rahros character who's 8'4, 500 pound beef cake. Their dorm is in the 1st because they accidentally collapsed through the second floor. Somehow, they got their ass kick by Wednesday, fought and lost to the Hyde, and enjoys fighting Enid werewolf form). Their ovumsere/polisere ratio is similar to Idorín, though they give birth through oviparity: 45 days for the embryonic development and 8 months for incubation. Their scute colors range from light (similar to blond) to dark brown, bluish black (similar to alligators), and light sky blue. Their average lifespan is 146 years, though to 320 after gene therapy.

(Congratulations to the local lesbian, especially to Yoko and Divina.)

(Rín mocked polisere Rahros for having similar genitals to males, and Rahros fucking hate it.)

(One thing I trying to do is make their culture [each species has hundreds of different cultures and ethnicity] seem as different than our own, especially due to their sex and gender. One thing is that they having communal bathing and multiple relative family units living in the same housing [some Idorín/Rín culture/planet/satellite has segregated sex but this is due of excluding males from public space]).

I don't really have a plot, not compare to the Harry Potter one, however I do have some ideas.

My idea is the two children of my two OC have (ironicall, i based them on Wednesdayand Enid) are a couple, one being an Idorin (ovumsere) and anorher a So'lena. Even though both characters can't get either the other one pregnant (this isn't star trek/star wars), they use genetic engineering, so each child will have one percent of the other parent's genes. The two children are some of the main protagonists in the fic- the other are Wednesday and Enid - following their staying at Nevermore. Some conflict I think of is the Idorin OC having an identity crisis- she basically a clone of their mother and trying to explore who they are (and being short, only 5'8). The So'lena child doesn't have this problem since an average So'lena gain 95% from their mother. However, the So'lena OC too has one, of be it having an ethnic/species identity crisis- they rarely interacted with their own species that wasn't their own So'lena mother (they both lived their Idorin mother maternal family, the housing having around 100 people in it [it helps the family are a noble dynasty]).

Another idea is about how all three (or multiple) species are, either though physically and biologically different from one another and to humans, still share some common traits. One is how all 4 love to gossip and talk shit behind their back. I want Wednesday, who was excited about meeting them, disappointed how asinine, unambitious, and unimaginable they're, being so similar to humans. The Idorin OC will point out how idiotic and problematic she sounded, especially if she had said that to another Idorin.

Probably another idea is Nevermore nonalien characters exploring the aliens culture. One idea is Yoko trying to learn So'lena lingua franca, helps that I based the language on Japanese and Hawaiian (syllabary characters, no third person pronouns, a mixed of particle and grammatical case, subject-object-verb sentence, etc). Divina enjoying swimming with So'lena due of having aquatic body-type, though they will complain about the cold (their thermoregulation is meant to dissipate heat as quickly as possible). Enid will enjoy listening to one of the Rin races (having a more feline appearance) song genre, sounding similar to K-pop and J-pop (genre name in English will be Songstress Motet), though she will be shock just how dark and gruesome some of the lyrics are (think Yoru ni Kakeru).

I don't have much else to add, but this is a good amount, I think.

[gothhabiba]

Hi Miss Najia! You're quite knowledgeable about Palestine and about workers as a class and solidarity so I'm hoping you can help me here. I work in a floral wholesale warehouse that imports a lot of their product, and we used to get a shipment from Israel but it's been stopped since October. I was hoping we wouldn't buy from an Israeli grower ever again, but I just found out it's starting again this week. I don't know what to do that would be effective getting the company to stop buying from this grower, do you have advice? (we aren't unionized obviously 🙃)

I'm really not an expert on labor actions, I'm disabled and don't per se have a "job."

As a start, I would suggest reading up on other situations where workers have refused to handle goods because they came from apartheid states (e.g. the Dunnes Store strikes). You'll need to think about what's similar and what's different about your situation and apply some creativity. Talk to the people you work with and sound out their willingness to A. form a union (check relevant legal protections in your country or state) and B. refuse to handle Israeli goods. Also look into legal defense for unions and for pro-Palestine protestors in your area--these are good numbers to have in your back pocket.

You might also be able to do something from outside the workplace. If you have a local pro-Palestine organisation or BDS branch, they may be able to provide strategy or support. Same with branches of Marxist &c. organisations that have pro-Palestine stances. Getting people to put up flyers, stickers &c. advising customers that the store sells Israeli goods, perhaps alongside other grocery stores and the like in the area, is something you could do without your boss necessarily knowing it was you / you and your coworkers.

Maybe some of my followers will have other tips or leads.

[kylowritten]

Why Me?

Pairings: Phillip Altman x F!Reader

Summary/Excerpt: "There's a litany of things you never thought you would do, one of them being returning to your home town to attend your high school reunion. Next on the list: falling in love with Phillip Altman."

Warnings: cussing, recreational drug use, talking about sex, making out, partial nudity

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N: The title of this should actually be "Why is Adam Driver so Fucking Adorable"

This fic is a part of the prompt exchange with @juniperwoodwell

There's a litany of things you never thought you would do, one of them being returning to your home town to attend your high school reunion.

"It's not a setback," you tell your reflection. "It's just a...readjustment."

The woman in the mirror hardly looks convinced. But you promptly ignore her, grab your purse, and head out the door to meet your Uber. You aren't so desperate as to rectify the failing relationship with your mother by asking her for a place to stay — God, you couldn't even imagine the state of your childhood bedroom — so you rented the cheapest motel room that you could find.

The door swings shut behind you and the sound of your heels on the weed-clotted pavement joins in with the symphony of cicadas. Humidity presses against you like an unwelcome embrace from an elderly relative. Flippantly, you think that you should've packed a travel size hairspray, or deodorant into your purse, but your thoughts have been far away from appearances and personal hygiene.

You had one thing on your mind.

You clarify that the driver is here for you, and climb into the backseat. An old country song floats through the speakers. You're barely out of the Motel 8 parking lot before trepidation fills you — high school wasn't a grand experience (but was it for anyone?). As soon as you flung your cap on the air, you swore you would never come back. So why were you now?

The car abruptly halts at the side of a curb. You look up from your phone, which you've had nervously clasped on your lap, tapping away meaninglessly. The houses that surround you are distinctly suburban, nice, but not overly so, like most of the neighborhoods here.

"What's going on?" You ask. "I need to go to the high school."

The driver meets your gaze in the rearview mirror. "I'm picking up another rider."

"What? No, I didn't want Uber pool."

"Sorry, kid," the driver replies. "I'm the only Uber in town, and everyone is going to the same place."

Great, you think, sinking back in your seat. Not only were you going to have company, but it was going to be some chum from your class. Worst case scenarios run through your head: an ex boyfriend? The mean girl? But a surprising warmth forms in the pit of your stomach when the new rider flings open the door and crouches down to get inside. "Shit, fuck," the rider declares as they hit their head on the car.

Then, rather ungracefully, Philip Altman folds himself into the backseat besides you.

He doesn't realize who you are until he's finished rearranging his long legs and muscular form, barely succeeding in making himself comfortable in the backseat of the car. You're staring at him when he finally glances your way, and a blush dusts your cheek as his eyes light up. "Is that you? In the flesh?"

"I know, I'm surprised too," you say.

"What are you doing here?" He excitedly asks, then shakes his head. "Don't answer that, I know why. I guess I just didn't think that you were the reunion type."

You raise a brow. "And what type would I be?"

"You know," he said, as if you did. He jostles your side in a companionable fashion. When you don't register what he's implying, a look of shock takes over his handsome features. "What? The hot girl? You seriously don't know."

You fix him with an incredulous look. "C'mon, Phillip."

He holds up both of his hands defensively. "I'm being completely honest. I swear on my father's grave, bless his soul," he adds, then tilts his head. "Can you still swear on people's graves?"

"I heard about that," you say, softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." A look passes over his face, one that you can't quite read, disappearing quickly. "Fortunately, I have coping mechanisms. Adult ones."

He pulls something from his back pocket: a joint.

You glance at the driver, then Phillip. "I haven't..." you trail off, gesturing with your hands, "since high school."

Amusement flickers across his face. "We're going to our high school reunion, don't you want to reunite with something else?"

You order the driver to drop you off a few blocks away from the high school. Phillip grabs your hand and tugs you out of the car, throwing a "thank you" over his shoulder. You're both giggling as you find an alleyway to duck into, an uncontainable smile unfurling on your mouth as Phillip strikes up his lighter. 

He takes a long drag, then hands it to you. You fumble with it. "Do I even remember how to do this?" You ask, to no one in particular. 

Phillip grins at you, smoke streaming steadily from his mouth. "It's like riding a bike," he remarks. "Except the bike is made out of smoke and the road is made out of good times."

He finishes this intelligent analogy right as you bring the joint to your lips and inhale. You snort and then choke on your laughter, and then on the smoke, inducing a coughing fit that is not at all remedied by Philip's own howls of laughter. "Dumbass," you say, swatting his arm. 

You snatch the joint back from him once you're satisfied that your coughing fit is over. The weed hits your lungs, pungent and powerful, and you can feel the tension begin to melt from your body. You tilt your head back and gratuitously blow out the smoke, watching as it rises into the air, twisting and turning. When you look back at Phillip to proffer the joint again, he's already staring at you. It's in this moment that you remember all of the rumors in high school. 

Although you didn't necessarily run in the same circles, you saw each other at the occasional party or school function. The rumor then was that he was an apologetic flirt and playboy, hopping from one eager girl to the next. 

The rumor didn't matter to you in high school, you had your own shit to figure out. 

But now, looking at him, illuminated in the hazy dusk light, there's a tightening in your stomach that high school you had never acted on. 

Smoke breezes past your face as Phillip exhales, drawing you from your trance. His brows pull downwards. "Everything okay, kid?"

"Yeah. Perfect," you tell him. You pause. "Can I tell you the real reason I'm here tonight?"

He feigns offense. "You mean it wasn't to smoke some shitty weed with me in a dark alley like a couple of prepubescent hoodlums?"

This brings a smile to your face, but you ignore him. "Promise you won't laugh." Phillip makes the motion of crossing his heart. Taking another drag and summoning your courage, you tell him, "I never had sex in high school. So I thought that by coming back I could fuck someone from high school and it would kind of, like, settle the score."

"Oh." Philip's lips twitch with barely retrained amusement.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" You tell him. "It's stupid, I know."

"I don't think it's that stupid," he assures you. "There's some people who genuinely want to relive their high school days and reconnect with their peers." 

He says this as if it ranks only just below murdering a bunch of baby orphans.

"I guess," you say. You feel relieved to have said it out loud, like Phillip was a priest and you were confessing your sins to him. When he changes the topic, reserving his judgement if he had any, it only solidifies your trust in him.

You waste almost half an hour, smoking and swapping stories about your lives since high school. You thought, going into tonight, that you would have to embellish yourself and your achievements, but you didn't feel that need with Phillip. He made you feel safe. Worthy. It was an excellent precursor to the reunion; you no longer felt nervous, and upon realizing that you were going to be unfashionably late, Phillip pinches the top of the joint and shoves it back into his pocket before once again seizing your hand. Another thing to add to the litany of things you never thought you would do: run giggling, hand in hand, with Phillip Altman through the front doors of your high school.

Horribly loud music washes over you as you check in at a table, giving your name to a girl that you don't even remember. Quickly, you scribble down your name on a name tag and slap it on your chest. Phillip snickers as he scribbles something down, sharpie scratching against the material. He proudly slaps it on his chest.

It reads: Phillip Assman.

The girl at the front table makes a face.

You, however, find it absolutely hilarious. 

Philip eventually ushers you away, still cackling, as more last-minute people trickle in through the door. He grabs your shoulders and directs you into the gym where the reunion is actually being held. Streamers with your school colors are taped limply on the walls. Several high-top tables occupy the gym floor, most of them crowded around by former students deep in conversation. There's a bar on one side of the gym, and a DJ booth on the other. 

You open your mouth to ask Phillip if he wants a drink, right as he's flagged down by someone standing around one of the tables. You don't recognize them. He waves and moves as if to join them, but stops and addresses you, "I'll be right back."

You watch him leave, ignoring the small kernel of disappointment inside you. 

Whatever, you think. It's not like you came together. He was just a guy that had the same Uber with you and you shared a joint. Not a big deal. 

Straightening your shoulders, you turn on your heel and march over to the bar.

Alcohol, as it turns out, is a wonderful crutch for social interactions. You drift awkwardly through the gym, catching up with a few people whose friendship have gradually eroded over time, and pretending to be enjoying yourself. Your high helped, clinging to you like a weed-fueled security blanket. But you maintained a vague impression that you made a mistake coming here. 

No one had magically gotten more attractive or interesting in the years since you graduated. There was one guy from your freshman algebra class that you bumped into while waiting in line for the bathroom, a guy who you probably would've totally fucked under different circumstances. But your mind kept wandering, and you ended up making up some half-ass excuse and scurrying away from his blatant attempts at flirting. 

Because, infuriatingly enough, you only had one guy on your mind.

Unhappy with this realization, you quickly do your business and then hightail it for the parking lot. You're embarrassed that you even came, you're embarrassed about why you came, and you're embarrassed that - not unlike a high school girl - you can't stop thinking about the stupidly good-looking guy you interacted with for only a few moments. "Idiot," you mumble to yourself, pushing your shoulder into the door and stepping outside.

The cold sobers you up considerably, and you ditch the red solo cup you'd been carrying for the last hour or so. You needed to just go back to your motel. In the morning, you could forget that this ever happened and erase Phillip Altman from your mind. 

"Hey, where are you going?"

You stop and turn, your heart pumping out a traitorous rhythm as Phillip emerges from the front doors and jogs over to you. Fuck, how did he manage to even look good in the shitty glow from the streetlights? He shoves his hands in his pockets. 

"You're not leaving, are you?" He glances over your head, scanning the lawn as if expecting to discover a reason for your departure, then back to you. "Come out here to puke or something? Those bushes right over there are --"

"No," you interrupt, sharper than you intend. You sigh, and try to soften your voice. "I shouldn't have come here. I-I'm going home. Well, not home, but my motel room."

You're rambling. And you're aware that you're rambling, but it's doing nothing to deter it.

"You can't leave," he says.

You arch a brow. "What? Why not?"

He withdraws the joint from his pocket, which admittedly looks a little more crumpled than the last time you'd seen it. "This joint is legally binding. You have to finish it with me."

"Or?"

He shrugs. "We probably shouldn't find out. You know, just in case." 

"Phillip -"

"We could go back to your room," he says. Recovering, he adds, "If that's okay. Or even that dark alley. It was warm and inviting, not to mention sanitary. We could go back there."

You smother your grin. It's not fair, that you've just reconnected with this man who you knew only in the abstract before, but now have become utterly transfixed by him. He has a magnetism about him that you can't ignore. 

You feel yourself thawing. "What about all of your friends?" You ask, gesturing towards the school. "You can't just leave them."

Phillip makes a face. "Who cares?" He grabs your hand - did he do that a lot? Grabbing hands randomly? - and hauls you to the curb, where he expertly flags down an awaiting Uber driver. "M'lady," he says, as he holds the door to the backseat open for you. 

The drive back to the motel is spent with you discreetly (read: not discreetly) sharing the joint and blowing the smoke out the cracked window. Your Uber driver seems less than impressed with you by the time you tumble out, but Phillip assuages your poor behavior with a generous tip. The heady combination of alcohol and weed, and Philip, fuels you. 

There's no saying who makes the first move -- your mind is swimming with elation from your company. But it happens sometime between the car pulling away from the curb and reaching the room of your motel. Phillip pushes you up against the side of the building, peppering your neck with kisses and whispering dirty things in your ear as you fumble for the key card. He feels so warm and comfortable and secure, and you desperately want to undress him, to explore him with your hands and your mouth and discover what he's like as he unravels. 

The door clicks as your key card finally registers. "Finally," Phillip all but growls. 

You squeak as he lifts you up, wrapping your legs around his waist as he nudges the door open with his foot and marches you inside. You're both still giggling like kids between desperate, hungry kisses, his hands reaching under your shirt and your hand disappearing beneath the waistband of his jeans. 

It's only when you're both left in your underwear that Phillip pauses.

You look up at him. He hovers over where you lay, sprawled out on the bed. He's infuriatingly, devastatingly handsome, even when traces of doubt line his features.

"What's wrong?" You ask. "Is everything okay?"

Philip's mouth opens then shuts, as if deciding on what to say. "Why me?"

"What?"

"Why me?" He repeats, in no way clarifying himself. Phillip quickly elaborates, "You said that you went to the reunion just so that you could fuck someone from high school."

You struggle to find a response. "Why not you?"

"I mean, is this--" he waves his hand as if hoping to magically conjure the words that he's searching for, "--is this just nothing? I mean, I'm fine if you want to just settle some score and use me for my body but I'd like to know so I can charge you afterward."

His tone is nonchalant, light hearted, but there's a vulnerability lurking below. 

You sit up on your elbows. It's difficult to address him like this, when his naked torso is practically staring at you in the face. It would be difficult for anyone to concentrate. But you want to be serious, truthful, because you found something in Phillip tonight that you have never found in anyone else. It was too early to call it love, of course, but there was a deeper connection that you would be foolish to so hastily get rid of. 

"I'm not saying that I wouldn't whore you out," you tell him, "but I can promise that I don't want to do this for some dumb reasoning. I mean, sure, that's why I came here tonight, but I didn't expect to meet you." This admission sounds highly cliche, and it brings a blush to your face. "What I'm trying to say is--"

Phillip interrupts you with a goofy smile. "Say no more."

There's a litany of things you never thought you would do, one of them being returning to your home town to attend your high school reunion. Next on the list: falling in love with Phillip Altman. 

[david-goldrock]

You are my age. I haven't had the horror of seeing a wall erected as a border, but my country has one too. There are so many people suffering. The people's front for the liberation of palestine is one of the widely supported resistance movements that existed long before hamas. The british mandate of palestine was cruel, and immigration laws from britain are what prevented jewish immigration. A hundred hamas members in one huge city does not make every child in that city not innocent. It is Israel's government that is choosing to drop bombs. Self defense is not the same as aggressive destruction.

The nabka is not trivial. how as a victim of violence do you dare trivialize pain? haven't you seen an old woman with the key to a house that was razed? haven't you felt that powerlessness knowing a US funded destruction is waged against an entire region?

aren't you angry that anything anyone is trying to justify this?

Look friend, I just frankly disagree on a lot

I haven't seen the wall being built, I am too young, but I know the difference it made. My mother was next to several terrorist attacks in a few years. Had she been early or late a few minutes, neither her not I would be alive today. The wall erected stopped nearly every infiltration, and radically decreased terror from Judea and sameria.

What do you think the Arabs there are "resisting" dear? Over 80% of them, when asked on a poll, answered that the only solution they'd accept is a 1 state for their people "solution". They aren't resisting neither occupation not hardship, only the presence of Jews.

And with all due respect, I'd prefer a hundred innocent Palestinians will die for this war before I will send 1 solider to sacrifice himself for them. Even today, 70% of Palestinians support hamas and their actions on Oct. 7th. Many of the people who die aren't much different from the terrorists in their intentions nor in what they'd do were I to be strapped to a chair next to them, the only difference between them is that one chose to be a salesman and the other, a terrorist. Not ideology, only a career choice. And please, seriously, if we don't bomb their facilities, we send a clear message to them, and every other terrorists, that human shielding works and is good. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't take precautions, and make sure we give every chance possible to civilians to evacuate and save their souls. No intentional killing of civilians either. But I don't have any hard feeling when a building with 10 terrorists and a family of 5 is taken down.

The "nakba" is a virtual event. You start a war, start to lose, go away from your homes to return when the Arab forces kill all of the Jews, and you cry when you aren't allowed back? Not to mention that the ammount of evacuations and deportations in that time was insane. This is after WW2. Millions of Germans and poles and Russians and many more displaced from their lands to others, they all integrated and were fine. "Palestinians" (they weren't called that back then) got citizenships in Jordan, and Lebanon, and america, and many other lands. By any definition except for UNRWA, there are almost no more "Palestinian refugees" alive that were considered so even a year after the war. That is not to say some innocent villages weren't rekt, but this is a wildly exaggerated event, especially when it serves as the "Palestinian people" story of origin, as before the war, these people were all different flavours of arabs from different tribes. The same ammount as that of people who got out of Israeli land in the war is that the ammount of Jews that fled the middle east at that time because of pogroms all over this land. Billions of dollars worth of land and property was lost, do you see Israelis complain for 75 years? We built what we could with what we had, like Jews do.

And please, if I have a criticism of the US's actions in the middle east is that it does not agree to wage war in here. It does everything it can to avoid a war here, even sacrificing every value we had in our relationship, only so that Biden can get reelected in November. If the US was what you claim it to be, it'd have given Israel a green light to do whatever it wants, and the war would already have been over.

[kerrikins]

It's hard for me to tell at the moment whether I can't see anything in the Build tag because of the massive amounts of spam or if it's just that people aren't saying anything, but I guess that is neither here nor there, other than that if nobody is saying anything after the last week it leaves me a bit ??

I last posted about this whole topic back in July - if I remember it was right at the start of the July 17th leaks, though at this point I'll admit that it's all become a bit of a blur. We've had what, now, five leaks since May? Yeah.

I've thought a lot about whether or not to post again since then. I had a friend visiting from out of the country at the time, and between that and the insanity that is my workplace at the moment, I quite frankly did not have the time or the brain space to actually work through my thoughts and put them down on paper, so to speak. When I did have some more time things had quieted down again, and I thought - well, no use dredging it up again, since I'd already laid out a lot of my thoughts here and then on twitter, too. There was also the unspoken fact that I didn't know whether or not there would be another leak, of course.

So here we are a month later coming off of another round, and after the last week I feel the need to finally get some things off my chest.

First of all, I've done some poking around and I'm disappointed but unsurprised to see that as usual, there is very little discussion outside of pro-Build spaces about how disturbing and obsessive all this is. The campaign of hate, bullying, harassment, coercion and blackmail continues and by and large people are happy to participate in it because apparently those things become okay when they are dealing with someone they view as a bad person as long as they pay lip service to 'well they're both bad people', which does not even come close to being an actual criticism of what she's doing. As always, there's also little discussion of the clear fact that she obviously doesn't care who she hurts during this process, even if it's the faves of the same fans participating in the hate campaign.

None of this aligns with my moral code. It never will. I think it's disgusting and I think that the people participating in it should be ashamed of themselves, though I know that they never will be.

I've gone into detail on all of this before, however, so I don't see the point in going into it again. I will simply state that yes, I do still believe in second chances and opportunities for redemption for anyone, regardless of what they have done. So I will always say that people should give Build the chance to try and be a better person, and that they shouldn't try to dictate to others whether or not they support him.

However (you knew that was coming, right?) - what's in those messages doesn't align with my moral code either. And yeah, I do feel like I need to say it, partly because I feel like the bubble/byl fandom at large is being a bit too dismissive of it.

I get it. I laid out up above why I think what is being done to Build is wrong. I haven't changed my mind on that. People feel so strongly that what is being done to him is wrong that it makes them extremely defensive of him.

But this situation isn't black and white and never has been, and multiple things can be true.

Example A: Some people who hate Build are guilty of behaving extremely badly and contributing to the harassment and bullying and blackmail.

On the flip side: some people who support him are guilty of hating on the other cast members in spite of the fact that there's no evidence of them doing anything. Some are also guilty of willfully turning a blind eye to the fact that he has admitted the messages are his and has apologized for them - which means that as of today the current evidence we have says that they are his, they're not fake, and he is taking responsibility for them.

Example B: His ex is clearly mentally unwell, a narcissist who is obsessed with revenge and is conducting a hate campaign to turpedo his life and career while benefiting her own.

On the flip side: it seems clear that Build is guilty of awful behaviour, of saying horrible things about people who were seemingly nothing but kind to him, of being homophobic, racist and sexist. (I'm not going to touch on the abuse allegations here because I've discussed those previously.)

Again: yes, I do think he should be given the chance to start over and redeem himself and I like to think he's capable of it, but fans really should be acknowledging what he's redeeming himself FROM.

From what I've witnessed in a lot of spaces - that's not happening. I've seen a lot of denial, I've seen a lot of handwaving and glossing over the situation. I've seen some insane claims, too. Some fans are going so far as to say that they think that his show was never going to happen, that the messages are all doctored and this is all a plot between the company, his ex and his former co-stars. (Which is just - ??? I don't even know where to start.)

Some are simply refusing to read the messages (how can a person defend him if they don't know what they're defending? I don't quite understand) while others simultaneously claim that the translations out there are misleading - but refuse to share 'acceptable' translations because that's privacy invasion. Again - ???

It's insane and downright exhausting and I am just... done. I speak up for what I think is right and call out what I think is wrong, and I while I think the handling of this is horrendous and has been from the start, I also think it's wrong to minimize and downplay what he's done. In his apology he's holding himself accountable for what he did, why won't some of his fandom? How can people argue for him to get a second chance if they won't even admit what he did that he needs a second chance for? Technically this is a third chance, I might add, because some of those messages are from after his scandal last summer.

I want to reiterate here that I don't hate Build. It seems like so often any criticism of his behaviour at all means that suddenly you're an anti or that you hate him or you're against him. I'm not going to suddenly go on diatribes about how he's a horrible person. I think it's likely that there's a lot more going on here than what meets the eye, particularly since there are people who are still well liked by most of the fandom who have stood by him until July (a certain picture that was posted with a filter comes to mind, as does someone who liked every single one of his posts since his return until they were mentioned in one of the leaked messages).

What I mean here is simply this: I don't think Build is a cartoon villain, I think he's a whole person capable of a variety of things, both good and bad.

I also want to make it clear here that I'm not here to hate on people in the fandom. I mean - glass house, stones, all that. But also I think we've had enough of that. This fandom is one of the most polarized I've ever been in and the vitriol is off the charts, I'm not going to contribute to it.

I guess my hope is just that people will think about why and how they're choosing to come to his defense, if for no other reason than the fact that in my opinon and experience, the more extreme fan claims are making it worse for him, not better. I've said this on twitter and I'll say it here - when people are confronted with attempts to downplay things, it makes them more intent on proving the opposite. If you acknowledge them then you change the footing and the conversation can move on to other things.

As I said, this is a complex situation. It's okay to acknowledge that. Things don't have to be black and white. A lot of fans are in echo chambers right now on both sides of the aisle.

Anyway. I truly hope that this will be the last post that I ever have to make on this subject. For now, at least, I've said my piece and addressed what I need to in order to feel comfortable and not just like I'm avoiding talking about the topic.

In the meantime I've turned my attention to Bible and the rest of the cast because I always have and continue to adore them and I feel like I've neglected them over the last six months (as much as a fan can neglect celebrities, of course). For all my issues with the company, I've always loved the cast.

I'm more active on Twitter than here, but I do go back and forth between the two sites.

Take care. 💗

[opiatesandspeed]

I've been watching the Israel/Palestine protests... Here are my thoughts.

Both sides are acting like children and get emboldened by each other attacking one another. This will never end with both sides because they thrive when their side is attacked... I believe there can be both types of people living in the same place... The United States is a prime example of this... We have every race on the planet living here and although there are disagreements we still coexist... If I was Biden I would implore the government to stop giving money to Israel without conditions... Again BOTH sides are acting like children... What would happen if you gave a child rockets, bombs, and guns without worrying about their defense because the most powerful "child" will come at your aid if anything major happens... Like wtf is wrong with both of these sides... I am extremely democratic and support Palestine/Israel... Both.. AT THE SAME TIME.. ALL PEOPLE should be able to do this... This is not our battle, both of these fucking groups of people need to sack up and stop blowing each other up... It is literally going to cause a fucking demon to become reelected because people don't think Biden is handling the sitaution the way he should... He does not have the power to just stop funding this bullshit... It is something that congress and the senate needs to vote on to stop aiding a country to exterminate another... I thought we were better than this... Israel, allow Palestinians back into their homes and land and stop being fucking pieces of shit... Palestinians, stop strapping suicide vests to yourself and killing children who literally aren't even old enough to understand this conflict... FUCKKKK there are so many more important things in the world going on that matter besides blowing another person up that you don't like, MIDDLE EAST GROW THE FUCK UP. Israel stop trying to be like the US and expand every mother fucking chance you get and maybe you might be respected. No wonder no one wants to negotiate with you fuckers because you just expand and expand until a group of people are gone...

[maya-matlin]

I'm currently very much in a Sellie state of mind, so expect an ask about them this week if you're up for it! Meanwhile, I've seen comparisons between Ellie Nash and Peyton Sawyer and definitely get why, but I think they have some differences too. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how the characters are and aren't alike and which one you personally prefer 1. as a character and 2. as someone you'd want to be friends with in real life :)

Can't wait!

Okay, this will be interesting. So I relate to both Peyton and Ellie, but definitely have my issues with both despite overall liking both characters.

The similarities are pretty obvious. Both are introverted. They were forced to become very independent from an early age due to the fact that their parents left them to their own devices for one reason or another. Peyton's adoptive mom died young while her dad chose to work away from home seemingly without assigning Peyton a guardian while he was away. Ellie's dad was in and out of the military while her mom was unable to properly care for Ellie due to her alcoholism. By Ellie's sophomore year, she was the one caring for her mother rather than the other way around. Both girls likely suffered from some form of depression with only Ellie's mental health being addressed. Peyton's PTSD following her attack is briefly touched on, but overall the focus is on Peyton learning self defense and building up her physical strength as opposed to taking care of her mental health. We see both girls attempt suicide or at least test those waters. Peyton purposely drove through red lights. Ellie intentionally walked into the ocean during a dark moment. Both have questionable taste in men and clear "not like other girls" issues. Ellie allowed both Craig and Jesse to mistreat her in the hopes they'd spare her some affection. Peyton took a very long time to leave her toxic relationship with Nathan and later became incredibly desperate for Lucas. Ellie looks down on girls like Manny and Hazel who have more conventionally feminine tastes. Peyton judges Brooke from afar during the first season, viewing her as less deep than Peyton herself.

As for their differences, I feel like there aren't very many. First things first, Ellie was a better, much more loyal friend than Peyton ever was. At least when Ellie decided she wanted Craig, it was after Ashley had left the country and dumped Craig for another guy. Peyton stabbed Brooke in the back twice after telling her repeatedly that she had no feelings for Lucas. Both times. And then had the audacity to ask BROOKE if she was in love with Lucas months into their second relationship. Peyton's a much more active person and will happily step in if she sees injustice or thinks a point should be made. Ellie prefers to remain on the sidelines. She'll back up her friends if it's something important, but overall Ellie is someone that doesn't get involved. Peyton's much more artistic compared to the more logical Ellie.

I'd choose Ellie. I simply wouldn't trust Peyton. Not if I ever hoped to have any successful romances. I know what Lucas and Peyton had was supposed to be "true love always," but you can be direct about your feelings and show some class rather than repeatedly throwing yourself at the same boy the second he's in a loving relationship with someone else. Especially when that person is your best friend, and she's repeatedly told you multiple times how insecure she is that she doesn't measure up/and or that history will repeat itself. Anyways.

[scringleydingleydoo]

i'm just saying if I was apart of the Harry Potter verse, shit would be different. I would ask the important questions.

"if the guys so dangerous why hasn't anyone tried shooting him yet?"

"hey, dont shit on the USA, people who lost the war aren't allowed to speak. I'm allowed to shit on it cause i'm from the United States bitch."

"I'm just saying, ive never seen someone get up after being shot in the head."

"Y'all ever wonder how big his wand is? Like i know hes evil and wants to kill us all, but do you think hes evil, wants to kill us all, and a virgin?"

"Cedric Diggory? More like Cedric-get-that-dick-in-ME-"

"Wait, our professor is a fucking WEREWOLF?! LIKE FROM TWILIGHT?!"

"No Ron, muggle pictures dont fucking move.....Wait if wizard pictures move does that mean-FRED GEORGE, PLEASE TELL ME THAT WIZARDS HAVE THEIR OWN VERSION OF PLAYBOY-"

"In my defense, the little bitch was being a racist prick and where i come from we beat up people who talk shit."

"Lockhart? more like LockSHART am i right?"

"That Luna girl is so weird and off putting, do we know if she's single?"

"For the last time Ron, no, Americans don't use bald eagles, we use owls same as you guys."

"That's Virginmort? Where's his nose?"

"So, do you think his nose was all he lost when he got revived or do you think that he lost....other things as well."

"I wonder if Voldemort ever gets diarrhea? Don't look at me like that, it's a serious question!"

"Hey, Ginny, is your friend Luna single? I wanna ask her to the Yule Ball thing!"

"Luna you are the weirdest girl I have ever met, it's amazing, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Dude Hermione looks good as hell, whoa. Ron's a fucking idiot."

"Luna, I wanted to ask if- ("Yes, I would like to date you Juni.") well alright then, glad we got that out of the way."

"Wait, so you guys were just gonna skip a year of school and go off on some grand ass adventure across the country and you DIDNT INVITE ME?!"

(The poly juice potion scene in the 7th book.) "Ewww, this guy has wadded up tissues in his pockets, what the hell!"

"Holybshit this is just like that movie flushed away, I cant believe i'm about to flush myself down a toilet-"

"Y'all have issues, not saying I don't, but i'm better than y'all."

"I had my parents send me a glock. Just in case."

"EVER HEARD THE PHRASE 'NEVER BRING A WAND TO A GUN FIGHT' BITCHS?! EAT MY FUCKING AMERICAN MADE LEAD-"

(7th book when The Golden Trio goes back to Hogwarts): "Omg Luna! You look even more off putting than you did the last time I saw you! Its amazing!"

"Yknow, if we had shot this Virginmort guy like I suggested, Harry wouldn't be dead right n-HOLY SHIT HE'S ALIVE?!"

"YEAH MRS.WEASLY YOU TELL THAT BITCH WHO BOSS!"

(after the battle): "Damn how y'all gonna get the funding to fix this shit?"

anyways tell me if y'all want more of this tomfoolery

[renardtrickster]

I feel like you maybe shouldn't kick a hornet's nest if middle-school rhetoric like "at least I can criticize the countries I believe in while if you did the same you would get arrested" could kill you instantly with no possible defense or recourse. But I feel like the thing that's ultimately pathetic about tankies, why they're such moral and intellectual blackholes, why they are incapable of achieving any real wins for the socialist cause and can only resort to jerking off over their based historical figures like Stalin or Mao or deluding themselves on copium like the idea that fucking China is a communist state, and why any proletarian interest movement can only survive if they exclude, make fun of, and defend themselves from infiltration from losers like these, is for one simple reason.

When anarchists call China and the USSR and similar "authoritarian", they mean that genuinely. They probably think their state like the US or Canada is objectively better than those guys, but I've yet to see one who thinks its perfect. The US is fucked with authoritarianism, the police have stupid amounts of legal immunities and ill-placed public support, millionaires and corporations have their thumbs pressed on the internet, feds trawl through our private messages, and our political body is seemingly incapable or unwilling to fix any of this, and that sucks, and I want it changed, and will support any action or cause that seeks to ameliorate these issues. I want the excesses and flaws of my country righted, then the rest of the world. Meanwhile when MLs and other LARPers bust out this line, they are not interested in the call coming from their own house. They aren't aware of any human rights abuses or censorship, or they do know but don't care, or they do care but think it's correct in some way and will explain why disappearing protestors and unionists is vital for a worker's state, and if they can't do that they'll just deny it (while saying that if it hypothetically did happen it would be okay). They are the worst of the worst America exceptionalists "like it or get out" but for countries that have red flags. And they resort to smears like this when talking with obvious, shaking contempt towards anarchists (who they hate because their authoritarian daddies killed them, and they can't stand the knowledge that anarchists hold more potential for societal change in one knucklebone than they do their entire body) because they certainly can't come up with a convincing defense for their shit. So the best they can do is throw bad faith (and stupid) rhetorical gambits like these out, because they aren't interested in constructing socialism, they're interested in deconstructing (exclusively american) capitalism and anyone who actually wants to build real socialism. Completely un-revolutionary and pathetic.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Thoughts on American foreign policy after Afghanistan and 8 months into this Ukraine nonsense.

So I've never really been able to put into words my idea of what US foreign policy should look like in the wake of Ukraine. There was so much conflicting information in those first weeks and months (and still, tbh) that I just threw my hands up and said "fuck it, I don't care as long as we don't send troops". But that never sat right with me, because I've always been in favor of expanding US power on the world stage. Isolationism is awesome, but sadly not realistic. If we don't maintain a strong military and keep our ability to project international power, some other country will (see: Russia in the Middle East and China pretty much everywhere). But at the same time, I recognize that giving politicians access to that power is a Bad Idea, because they will use it for their own ends. And that's where I am now. I think America should look after her interests to the exclusion of all other interests. I'm not against foreign action, including boots on the ground, as long as we're going to get benefits back that are equal to or greater than what we put in. In hindsight, we should have fully occupied Afghanistan and Iraq, drained as much oil and other natural resources as we could, and then left. Cold? Yes. Harsh? Yes. Immoral? Probably. And yet, here we are, 20 years later and all we have to show for it are tens of thousands of dead soldiers, billions in abandoned military equipment in the hands of people who hate us, and no influence in a region that has been responsible for the most American deaths from foreign attacks since Pearl Harbor. We can never do that again. We can never half-ass foreign involvement like that again. We need to get ours.

And by "ours", I mean something that benefits the country, if not its citizens. Not letting politicians plunder other countries or use their wars to launder money. And not so other nations can outsource their national defense to us while giving us nothing in return. And yeah, that means I'm not really in favor of sending troops in to combat "evil" that doesn't directly effect us anymore either. As awful as Russia is, what they do to Ukraine has nothing to do with us. Let Europe deal with that. Let the Eastern European states form their own anti-Russia defensive pacts and leave us out of it. Not one cent of American money should be going to foreign military unless we can use that military when we want in place of or to augment American troops.

And before anyone says it, I know how callous this is. I know that, by what I've just said, I would be arguing against the US fighting Nazi Germany until we were forced to (which is what happened anyway, but that's not the point I'm making) or until we saw an advantage to us. Maybe that means I'm not as moral as I like to think I am. Maybe there just aren't enough righteous people left to ever have another "Greatest Generation". Maybe I'm just cynical after 20 years of a war that got us nothing followed immediately by agitation for another war I see no benefit in fighting between two relatively awful governments. And maybe my ideas on this will change in a few months or years. But this is where I am now, and I wanted to write it down.

[valerieeeeeeec]

Do the expectations of Hispanics affect their identity? "I Speak Identity" Documentary Blog

Earlier in my blog, I mentioned that many people seem to have a stereotype of Hispanic people. They expect all Hispanic people to speak Spanish because of how they looked or just based on their heritage. This can have an effect on Hispanic people because they can struggle with their identity or develop insecurity. However, is this actually true?

A short documentary on bilingualism called “I Speak Identity” represents the topic strongly because it focuses on real people talking about their experiences as Hispanics in the United States. It turns out that Hispanics have long struggled to maintain a sense of their culture and identity while living in the United States, regardless of whether they are non-native Spanish speakers or immigrants. Because of how the United States has influenced them, the people featured in this documentary relate their own personal stories regarding their lack of fluency or the fact that they believe they are losing their identity as Hispanic.

Early in the documentary, Laura Bolanos mentions that she was raised in a household where English was the primary language and goes on to explain that her parents spoke English to her as a form of defense. Due to the long history of hostility toward Hispanics and immigrants, as well as the shame that was brought upon them for speaking Spanish, it was used as a defense mechanism. Because of the unfortunate occurrence of this during the immigration era, parents of that generation were determined to make English the only language their children could speak. Speaking English was, in a sense, their only route out because they didn't want their kids to experience the same difficulties they experienced simply because they were Spanish speakers. (5:44-7:40)

Laura then explains how growing up she felt like a part of herself was missing because she was not fluent in Spanish. Language is a big factor for Hispanics today because it is one of the things that unites us, regardless of which Spanish country we come from. This is because being Hispanic or being from a Spanish-speaking country is very much accepted in this generation, like being bilingual, it is popular to speak more than one language. We are proud of our culture and speaking Spanish is one of the many ways we can communicate and interact with each other. This caused Laura to feel separated from her people.

People might assume you are a Hispanic solely based on how you appear or where your family is from, which can have an impact on your sense of who you are as a Hispanic and how you identify. People tend to doubt your identity when you differ from their ideas of what a Hispanic "should look like" or how they should be talking. Simply because they aren't fluent in their own language, they feel ashamed of themselves. They would also face humiliation and slurs due to their lack of bilingualism (linguistic shaming), considering that being bilingual is now common and mostly expected of Hispanic people.

To return to the original question, do Hispanics' expectations have an effect on their identities? I think it's true and this documentary does a good job of supporting my claim because some of the older Hispanic generations are also affected. Laura described a universal Hispanic experience that many others have as well. I believe it is genuine that the people in this documentary were picked solely for their willingness to share their open experiences. This is more of an educational documentary than a sad one. A film that truly got people to reflect on how they had lived and what they could do with their circumstances now as Hispanics. The way the documentary was made and the reasons behind it were quite powerful since they shined a light on the challenges of Hispanics who don't speak Spanish well. There are enough viewers to see this view even though there are fewer than expected. 

I noticed from watching this video that these experiences, as a Hispanic who is not fluent in Spanish, are fairly common and influence not only the younger generation but older generations as well. I also learned that linguistic shaming and stereotyping have the power to seriously harm our sense of identity and create insecurity. It's important that Hispanics understand that being proud of your background and culture comes before knowing Spanish. Even though this is how you can be considered "less" Hispanic for not knowing the language, that is just a way for people to bring other people down on their identity. Although I have previously touched on this in this blog, it is worth mentioning about being prideful in your heritage because it gives a confidence boost. It can even decrease insecurity so that way non-fluent Hispanics can learn Spanish without being ashamed about it!

[tiodolma]

Thing is why are people so scared of morgana turning “evil?” As if Merlin was doing any better himself. He was secretly protecting his friends and family that were running an oppressive system of government. That’s awful too! Merlin who has all the power in the world is “helping” by lying and gaslighting his way thru life, thru his friends, thru his enemies, all for the sake of his “cause.” His inaction, duplicity and passivity were also getting a lot of innocent people arrested and killed. State secrets that shouldve been made public were deliberately hidden by Merlin and co. in order to protect Arthur/Camelot’s perfect image. Too many war crimes get hidden in that way. Jfc that’s not good too!

No guys... you hate that Morgana has turned to terrorism and destabilization of the oppressive government that is run by her friends and family. You hate that she has become a tyrannical warlord and a conqueror and using every tactic that she could in order to get the "justice" she wants.

Put a name to it i beg you.

Just dont brand it recklessly as "evil” or "bad” or "good”. In nation building, such things aren't that certain and clear-cut. I know the show leads its viewers to think that way. Please don't fall for it. Using those terminologies are propaganda tactics, divisive ways to turn people against each other. Neighbor to foe, brother against brother, friend against friend.

“It’s not that serious” “BBC Merlin is just a fictional world.” And yet! And yet! The fandom reacts in the same way as my countrymen do when another person suspected of involvement in illegal drugs gets murdered in broad daylight. You act the same when politicians and celebrities, teachers and instructors were red-tagged and branded "communists" by the anti-terrorism commission in my country. “They are evil” “all of them should just die” “it’s for the good of all” “those who are against the state are traitors” “history is fake” “hes just doing it for the people he loves” “they deserve all those atrocities coz they were against the government and were making a fuss” “That kill was in self-defense because the criminal fought back!” “No need for trial all of them are evil” “As if having a trial will make things better, killing the guilty is more efficient!”

Over and over again, I heard the same whistles and hoots that have plagued me while watching the national news for the past two years. I hear it in most of this fandom's staunch defense of the atrocities commited in the show in the name of "Good.”

Check yourselves my darlings. BBCM may be funny homophobia allegory to most of you all but to us, to me, you’re all sounding fascist as hell too.

..................

This is actually why Adventures of Merlin is so fascinating and enjoyable to me. It’s so good at portraying a pro royalist/fascist/authoritarian way of thinking and it delivered that story so goddamn well.

....................

You, me, are not immune to propaganda.

[moonlitfirefly]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP81BVCDy/

Great article “A 29-Year-Old (Charlie Fitzgerald), Just Gave The Best Explanation As To Why Millennials Aren’t Having Kids” by Alana Valko of Buzzfeed

"It absolutely baffles me that the government is pretending like they don't know why we're not having kids because, frankly, it is glaringly obvious."-Charlie Fitzgerald

You're probably aware that the fertility rate in the United States has been declining for over a decade (last year, it hit a historic low). And you might be familiar with how conservatives are pointing blame at childless millennials.

There was J.D. Vance's resurfaced comment from 2021 that went viral for suggesting that the nation was being run by miserable "childless cat ladies."

He's also called the falling fertility rate a "civilizational crisis" and has advocated that people without children should pay higher taxes and have less voting power than people with children. In defense of the childless cat lady backlash, he said Democrats are "anti-family" and "anti-child."

Then there was Fox News commentator Ashley St. Clair, who suggested millennials who "just want to pursue pleasure and drinking all night and going to Beyoncé concerts" are a reason for falling birth rates. "It's this pursuit of self-pleasure in replace of fulfillment and having a family," she said.

But others are not so quick to blame cat ladies and Beyoncé fans — many argue that it's not that millennials don't want children; it's that they can't in the current environment. This is the case for 29-year-old Charlie Fitzgerald, who goes by she/they/he pronouns, and who went viral for laying out why millennials aren't having kids.

Charlie began, "I'm gonna drop some opinions on the whole 'millennials aren't having kids' thing as a working-class millennial."

They continued, "It absolutely baffles me that the government is pretending like they don't know why we're not having kids because, frankly, it is glaringly obvious. The economy is a fucking tire fire right now. The cost of groceries, the cost and availability of baby formula, the cost of diapers, the cost of childcare, the cost of giving birth in the United States."

Charlie continued, "Statistically speaking, when you're born poor in this country, you're probably gonna die poor, and your kids are gonna be in the same boat. Being poor fucking sucks. I don't want that for my kid." This is a common phenomenon known as the poverty trap, or the cycle of poverty.

"It's not that we didn't try to have better lives," Charlie said. "A lot of us went to college and what did that get us? A bunch of us have debt that we're never gonna be able to pay off. A lot of us have degrees that are almost irrelevant because the jobs that we were told were there when we got our degrees aren't really there, as it turns out. Or they are there, and the people that are in those positions can't afford to retire, so they're just gonna stay where they're at."

https://apple.news/A6P9qR0U-TjCIbZTkbxX0qQ