#sorry its the unemployment

[sobspace]

ari and dante,

i put off reading this one since i was in high school. book nerds were a community, this novel, was the talk of town. 

i was kind of pretentious, still am, to refuse to consume anything being hyped up, refused to be swept up by the trends. i know it rings false, but that’s the way i lived til now, with my hypocrisy.

enough of that, this book had been sitting in my TBR for gods know how long. it’s been forever, ari and dante, cooped up in the margins of my memory. yes, ari’s line. fortunately, the novel had found its way to me again.

it felt a little too late to be reading this one. i wish i had read it as soon as i knew of it. i guess that’s one of the things i regret. it may sound dramatic, but i think reading this in high school might have saved me a little. it felt like i was intruding with the younger version of myself, as i was reading about ari and dante. 

a part of me had probably read this with the mind of a highschooler, ari’s anger welling up inside him inconsolable and unknowable. i felt myself deeply resonating with the melancholia it brings ari. how confronting it is just as bad as running away from it, and, you would not know anything of what to do other than live between the itch of those two urges. 

i liked how the novel tackled mostly the complexities of love, especially of those our parents’. they were grounded of their nature to love, which was one of the mysteries that ari and dante tries to solve. for ari, love was a weight, a pressure. for dante, it’s being himself in the world. 

i kept wondering, what was this secret of the universe they have found? i thought of it as something, probably rhetorical. as i try to gauge it, it’s not that too hard to understand. it could be about learning the secrets of your parents that they have been keeping from you all your life, learning about the reason of unfathomable anger and loneliness you feel excavating you from the inside, or it could be, just as be, learning about the affections you have always had for someone and learning there is nothing more profound than learning you are deeply loved by everyone you care about. that is the only universe that matters. and it frees you.

i wanted to write more about ari, his transition from not understanding love, to completely accepting its characteristics, good and bad, the people around him and especially of himself. how he’s just as capable of realizing it. and it’s a weight just as much as it’s something that can make you feel light as a wind. 

i love you, ari and dante.

you will be living in my head for quite a long time. 

and i hope both your love will extend beyond the life you had given within the premises of this novel. it probably already did.

i am hopeful, and you make me.

As Dante and I lay on our backs in the bed of my pickup and gazed out at the summer stars, I was free. Imagine that. Aristotle Mendoza, a free man.

August 17, 2023

[moonlume]

tumblr said draw something bad so I did but I'm mad I still didn't feel anything

[merry-the-cookie]

alright email sent now that thats done lemme speak candidly the 5sos merch process became a fuckcing trigger after i was done with it so forgive me for like. not engaging at all with it by the end of the process cus i legit needed to recover

i was not taking good care of myself, i was absolutely going through it at work, my mental health was in the ground, it was hell. i learn from every experience and i dont want to let myself get traumatized all over again from doing merch because i do love it in the end, i just take a while to find my own boundaries and limits and i struggle with not letting it take over my entire life. i think i’ve learned from this (again) so hopefully it wont be as draining to send the remaining stock (if ordered at all lol)

im really sorry to all the friends i didnt communicate with, its not an excuse and im working on bettering myself with all this shit.

i hope i can slowly but surely enjoy 5sos again in a way that doesn’t become as suffocating as it did when i was fully in the merch process :’) its honestly just my own boundaries that i keep crossing, so idk hopefully i find some patience and self respect or whatever whilst still doing my best to deliver a good product and a good experience 👍🏼✨

[katandsquad]

.

[couriernewvegas]

was going to like ur post then saw u called a literature degree useless taking my things and leaving 👜 👒 <- those are my things btw

[emypony]

.

[deliciousmicroplastics]

if we're rlly back to square one wrt job search maybe voc rehab would help me afford a Spanish course (not sure abt this one) and some sort of clerical skills (more sure abt this one)

[baldursgrape]

i had a taser pulled on me by a cop last year for falling asleep at a bus stop and then refusing his "offer" for a ride home

[snaileer]

We Didn’t Start The Fire

“See man, the moon!” Kid Flash said as they came outside, standing on the pile of rubble.

“And Superman! Do we fulfill our promises or what…” his voice trails off as a grinding clanking sound echoes behind them.

They turned around, confused to see a tricked out pale yellow Volkswagen bug trucking its way up the rubble and crumbled building blocks. It stopped before it got too steep, a man in a familiar white lab coat stumbling out.

Immediately, they were on guard, the man haphazardly climbing towards them.

Robin drew two batarangs in each hand, standing in front of Superboy as he got closer. It didn’t even matter that the Justice League had just landed behind them, if this CADMUS scientist tried something, Robin would be the first to defend Superboy. Without hesitance.

The man stopped in front of them, huffing for breath.

“You’re-!” He stopped, leaning over his knees with gasping breaths, “Sorry, one sec!” He held up a finger, gasping for another few seconds before stepping forward-

Chains of water surrounded him before they could blink, Robin looking back surprised to see Aqualad standing with extended weapons and a grim face.

“This is odd.” The man looked at the water wrapped around him, wriggling a bit before shrugging. His eyes zeroed in on Superboy, “You’re okay!” He said with a blinding grin.

Superboy recoiled and Robin immediately stepped between them.

“What.”

The man glanced at him briefly before looking back over Robin’s head, “You are okay right? I mean I tried my best but I couldn’t figure out a way to get you out- I mean if I’d known you were there to begin with I’d would have never-but then I wouldn’t have-

“Who are you?” Superman asks, suddenly close from behind them.

The man’s mouth clicks shut, looking between them all before a grimacing smile rises to his face.

He extends his hand at the elbow between the liquid chains, “Dr. Danny Fenton, ex-biochemical engineer of CADMUS labs Mr.Superman,sir.”

Flash zips forward, the eyes of his cowl narrowed, “Ex?”

The grimace turns into a wince. “Oh.. heh, yeah, I’ve found that arson is usually a pretty good kickstart of sudden unemployment,” there’s a thoughtful pause as he looks over the rubble, “It’s usually accidental though.”

Nobody responds.

“What? You didn’t think that lab fire started on its own did you? How else was I supposed to get you here?”

“There’s a Justice League public phone! That’s literally its entire purpose!” Kid Flash shouts, throwing his hands in the air. At this point, Aqualad cautiously lowers his water bearers, releasing Fenton.

“Oh, sure, I call a bunch of superheroes and tell them my boss is doing a Grow-Your-Own-Superman in the boiler room. That’d go over well.” He pauses, “Though the sidekicks was a surprise.”

The comment goes uncorrected, as the rest of the league has snapped to face Superboy the moment he says it.

Superman looks stricken as Superboy reveals the logo on his torn shirt.

Fenton unceremoniously breaks the tension, “Sorry I never asked, do you have a name? I’d feel really bad just calling you-“

“… They called me.. Superboy..” He says, still not looking away from the man of steel in front of him.

“That’s not-“ Fenton rubs his temples and sighs harshly, “Okay, I can fix that later, whatever-“

“You’re not gonna be ‘fixing’ anything, Doctor.” Robin snarls.

Fenton blinks. “Huh?”

Batman steps forward, “Green Lantern.”

Green construct cuffs snap around the Dr.Fenton’s wrists, though he looks at them puzzled.

“Superman, check for survivors in the damage, Flash find some salvageable evidence before it finishes burning. The rest of us, we’ll continue this interrogation at the hall.”

“Wait what?” Dr. Fenton says, perking up like a meerkat even as Batman turns away with swirl of his cape.

“What about me?” Superboy asks, desperation in his hesitant step forward.

Batman looks to Superman. Superman nods, and then shoots off into the rubble and emergency vehicles.

“For now, you come with us.” Batman says, and Superboy’s shoulders loosen just a hint.

The dark knight pauses again before turning completely, “And don’t think we’ve forgotten the rest of you,” he says, cowled eyes narrowed over his shoulder, “Robin.”

Robin shirks back, “Heh.. Right.”

“Wait what’s going on?” The Fenton scientist yelled back over his shoulder as Green Lantern pulls him away.

He starts to say something but the construct fully engulfs him now, shifting from a platform to a soundproof bubble.

It seems to shock him enough, Fenton tapping at the walls and looking like he wants to take it apart and take a sample.

Robin grit his teeth.

He was not gonna let these CADMUS freaks touch Superboy again.

Not Fenton or anybody else.

[cali]

2 new jobs invented to reduce unemployment: im sorry and its okay

[mengjue]

What's Happening in China? The November 2022 Protests

Hello! I know that there's so much going on in the world right now, so not everyone may be aware of what is happening in China right now. I thought that I would try to write a brief explainer, because the current wave of protests is truly unprecedented in the past 30+ years, and there is a lot of fear over what may happen next. For context, I'm doing this as someone who has a PhD in Asian Studies specialising in contemporary Chinese politics, so I don't know everything but I have researched China for many years.

I'll post some decent links at the end along with some China specialists & journalists I follow on Twitter (yeah I know, but it's still the place for the stuff at the moment). Here are the bullet points for those who just want a brief update:

Xi Jinping's government is still enacting a strict Zero Covid policy enforced by state surveillance and strict lockdowns.

On 24 November a fire in an apartment in Urumqi, Xinjiang province, killed 10. Many blamed strict quarantine policies on preventing evacuation.

Protests followed and have since spread nationwide.

Protesters are taking steps not seen since Tiananmen in 1989, including public chants for Xi and the CCP to step down.

Everyone is currently unsure how the government will respond.

More in-depth discussion and links under the cut:

First a caveat: this is my own analysis/explanation as a Chinese politics specialist. I will include links to read further from other experts and journalists. Also, this will be quite long, so sorry about that!

China's (aka Xi Jinping's) Covid Policy:

The first and most important context: Xi has committed to a strict Zero Covid policy in China, and has refused to change course. Now, other countries have had similar approaches and they undoubtedly saved lives - I was fortunate to live in New Zealand until this year, and Prime Minister Ardern's Zero Covid approach in 2020-2021 helped protect many. The difference is in the style/scope of enforcement, the use of vaccines, and the variant at play. China has stepped up its control on public life over the past 10 years, and has used this to enforce strict quarantine measures without full regard to the impact on people's lives - stories of people not getting food were common. Quarantine has also become a feared situation, as China moves people to facilities often little better than prisons and allegedly without much protection from catching Covid within. A personal friend in Zhengzhou went through national, then provincial, then local quarantines when moving back from NZ, and she has since done her best to avoid going back for her own mental and physical health. Xi has also committed China to its two home-grown vaccines, Sinovac and Sinopharm, both of which have low/dubious efficacy and are considered ineffective against new variants. Finally, with delta and then omicron most of the Zero-Covid countries have modified their approach due to the inability to maintain zero cases. China remains the only country still enacting whole-city eradication lockdowns, and they have become more frequent to the point that several are happening at any given time. The result is a population that is incredibly frustrated and losing hope amidst endless lockdowns and perceived ineffectiveness to address the pandemic.

Other Issues at Play:

Beyond the Covid situation, China is also wrestling with the continued slowdown in its economic growth. While its economic rise and annual GDP growth was nigh meteoric from the 80s to the 00s, it has been slowing over the past ten years, and the government is attempting to manage the transition away from an export-oriented economy to a more fully developed one. However, things are still uncertain, and Covid has taken its toll as it has elsewhere the past couple of years. Youth unemployment in particular is reaching new highs at around 20%, and Xi largely ignored this in his speech at the Party Congress in October (where he entered an unprecedented third term). As a result of the perceived uselessness of China's harsh work culture and its failure to result in a better life, many young Chinese have been promoting 躺平 tǎng píng or "lying flat", aka doing the bare minimum just to get by (similar to the English "quiet quitting"). The combination of economic issues and a botched Covid approach is important, as these directly affect the lives of ordinary middle-class Chinese, and historical it has only been when this occurred that mass movements really took off. The most famous, Tiananmen in 1989, followed China's opening up economic reforms and the dismantling of many economic safety nets allowing for growing inequality. While movements in China often grow to include other topics, having a foundation in something negatively impacting the average Han Chinese person's livelihood is important.

The Spark - 24 Nov 2022 Urumqi Apartment Fire:

The current protests were sparked by a recent fire that broke out in a flat in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang province. (This is the same Xinjiang that is home to the Uighur people, against whom China has enacted a campaign of genocide and cultural destruction.) The fire occurred in the evening and resulted in 10 deaths, which many online blamed on the strict lockdown measures imposed by officials, who prevented people from leaving their homes. It even resulted in a rare public apology by city officials. However, with anger being so high nationwide, in addition to many smaller protests that have occurred over the past two years, this incident has ignited a nationwide movement.

The Protests and Their Significance:

The protests that have broken out over the past couple of days representing the largest and most significant challenge to the leadership since the 1989 Tiananmen movement. Similar to that movement, these protests have occurred at universities and cities across the country, with many students taking part openly. This scale is almost unseen in China, particularly for an anti-government protest. Other than Tiananmen in 1989, the most widespread movements that have occurred have been incidents such as the protest of the 1999 Belgrade bombings or the 2005 and then 2012 anti-Japanese protests, all of which were about anger toward a foreign country.

Beyond the scale the protests are hugely significant in their message as well. Protesters are publicly shouting the phrases "习近平下台 Xí Jìnpíng xiàtái!" and "共产党 下台 Gòngchǎndǎng xiàtái!", which mean "Xi Jinping, step down/resign!" and "CCP, step down/resign!" respectively. To shout a direct slogan for the government to resign is unheard of in China, particularly as Xi has tightened control of civil society. And people are doing this across the country in the thousands, openly and in front of police. This is a major challenge for a leader and party who have prioritised regime stability as a core interest for the majority of their history.

Looking Ahead:

Right now, as of 15:00 Australian Eastern time on Monday, 28 November 2022, the protests are only in their first couple of days and we are unsure as to how the government will respond. Police have already been seen beating protesters and journalists and dragging them away in vehicles. However, in many cases the protests have largely been monitored by police but still permitted to occur. There seems to be uncertainty as to how they want to respond just yet, and as such no unified approach.

Many potential outcomes exist, and I would warn everyone to be careful in overplaying what can be achieved. Most experts I have read are not really expecting this to result in Xi's resignation or regime change - these things are possible, surely, but it is a major task to achieve and the unity & scale of the protest movement remains to be fully seen. The government may retaliate with a hard crackdown as it has done with Tiananmen and other protests throughout the years. It may also quietly revamp some policies without publicly admitting a change in order to both pacify protesters and save face. The CCP often uses mixed tactics, both coopting and suppressing protest movements over the years depending on the situation. Changing from Zero Covid may prove more challenging though, given how much Xi has staked his political reputation on enforcing it.

What is important for everyone online, especially those of us abroad, is to watch out for the misinformation campaign the government will launch to counter these protests. Already twitter is reportedly seeing hundreds of Chinese bot accounts mass post escort advertisements using various city names in order to drown out protest results in the site's search engine. Chinese officials will also likely invoke the standard narrative of Western influence and CIA tactics as the reason behind the protests, as they did during the Hong Kong protests.

Finally, there will be a new surge of misinformation and bad takes from tankies, or leftists who uncritically support authoritarian regimes so long as they are anti-US. An infamous one, the Qiao Collective, has already worked to shift the narrative away from the protests and onto debating the merits of Zero Covid. This is largely similar to pro-Putin leftists attempting the justify his invasion of Ukraine. Always remember that the same values that you use to criticise Western countries should be used to criticise authoritarian regimes as well - opposing US militarism and racism, for example, is not incompatible with opposing China's acts of genocide and state suppression. If you want further info (and some good sardonic humour) on the absurd takes and misinfo from pro-China tankies, I would recommend checking out Brian Hioe in the links below.

Finally, keep in mind that this is a grass-roots protest made by people in China, who are putting their own lives at risk to demonstrate openly like this. There have already been so many acts of bravery by those who just want a better future for themselves and their country, and it is belittling and disingenuous to wave away everything they are doing as being just a "Western front" or a few "fringe extremists".

Links:

BBC live coverage page with links to analysis and articles

ABC (Australia) analysis

South China Morning Post analysis

Experts & Journalists to Check Out:

Brian Hioe - Journalist & China writer, New Bloom Magazine

Bonnie Glaser - China scholar, German Marshall Fund

Vicky Xu - Journalist & researcher, Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Stephen McDonnell - Journalist, BBC

M Taylor Fravel - China scholar, MIT

New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre - NZ's hub of China scholarship (I was fortunate to attend their conferences during my PhD there, they do great work!)

If you've reached the end I hope this helps with understanding what's going on right now! A lot of us who know friends and whanau in China are worried for their safety, so please spread the word and let's hope that there is something of a positive outcome ahead.

[iberiancadre]

Blaming job precarity on labour protections, thay is some real neoliberal shit for a post tagged "real marxist hours". Are you sure there aren't any other causes? Like, I don't know, the recessions and crashes of 2008/2012/2014/2020, tolerance of employers who hire and pay under the table, insufficient protections for people affected by the practice (especially non-EU workers), relative disregard for unions in labour law negotiations, inequalities in infrastructure distribution and so on? None of those things are essential parts of social democracy, they're the consequences of right-wing attacks on it, and Spain's specific failures at social democracy are not universal nor a reflection of the system in general.

And the issue of colonial and post-colonial exploitation wasn't addressed sufficiently in marx's very works either, or under any application of socialism in a country already high-up in the hierarchy of imperialism (remember when a certain socialist country became one of the largest fossil fuel producers by drilling oil on indigenous land, effectively turning most of "its" territory into a settler colonial regime servicing the state oil industry? Talk about funding public expenses through imperialism!)

All of what you're saying sounds great and would be valid if they weren't objectively false. I don't think you're usamerican (the target audience of the post you're replying to) but you sure sound like one. If you aren't, we'll I'm sorry but you're just ignorant:

btw this is in relation to this post in case anyone wants to read it

"Blaming job precarity on labor protections sounds like neoliberalism" If by protecting labor you mean legalizing and protecting a type of work that allows workers to spend most of the year effectively unemployed, unable to claim unemployment because they're technically employed, and also prevents them from getting a second job because they are at the mercy of their first employer's needs? Then yeah, I am blaming labor protections for job precarity. This is one especially egregious example of what the socdems in this country have done, and it's funny you mention neolibs because this new law allowing "fixed discontinuous" work is a direct continuation of the 2012 labor reform done by neoliberals. I am blaming a precarious form of work which already has millions of contracts under it for precarious work.

I'll remind you also that marxists/communists are not just the people to the left of socdems or progressives or how you may call it. We reject the very system all those other ideologies operate within, therefore any criticism aimed towards social-democracy isn't comparable to neoliberalism because it's levied from a completely different framework.

"The recessions of 2008/2012/2014/2020 are a cause of precarious work and a consequences of right-wing attacks" it's funny you mention 4 crisis because it leads very well into the point about recessions. Capitalism, because of the anarchic nature of its production and focus on maximizing profit, has cyclical recessions regardless of who is managing capitalism at the moment. Recessions in capitalism have occurred since capitalism first took form, because of mechanisms like overproduction (capital tends to produce too much, inflating stockpiles and eventually necessitating a sudden drop in prices) and the falling rate of profit:

The rate of profit is the total portion of value that capitalists as a class are able to extract from the working class after paying off their costs. Because of reasons too complex to explain here (but you can look at graphs and verify that it always tends to fall), the rate of profit tends to fall and diminish. The only times it ever increases is because of destruction of capital and/or productive forces, such as during a war, or because of superprofits enabled by imperialism. This rate of profit has been getting smaller and smaller, it temporarily rises after recessions and it also means capitalism will either destroy itself or destroy the human race in an effort to raise it. The rate of profit is not applicable to individual companies or even sectors, it is a capitalist class wide trend.

Going back to the point of recessions, they aren't the sole reason for precarious work. they certainly worsen it, but the point of the post is that social-democracy not only does not alleviate this particular problem, but they are also fully capable of worsening it. They are doing this in Spain and in other countries too.

"Tolerance of employers who pay under the table is a cause of precarious work and a consequence of right-wing attacks" First of all, this wasn't the kind of precarious work I was talking about in the post innit?. Apart from that, who do you think is tolerating extralegal work. Is the right-wing forcing social-democrat governments across the world to tolerate this? Of course not. Work that isn't regulated by a contract is useful to the bourgeoisie because it keeps a portion of the working class in a limbo between unemployment and employment, allowing the reserve army of labor to not shrink while also exploiting a part of this reserve army and generally lowering costs. Social-democracy tolerates this because it is just one manager of capitalism, and they fundamentally serve the class interests of the infrastructure because they are part of the superstructure. This is true regardless of how much they like to talk like pro-worker communists and how much welfare they instate.

"Insufficient protection for people under irregular work contracts or no contracts, especially inmigrants, is a cause of precarious work and a consequence of right-wing attacks" This is also not the kind of precarious work I was talking about in the post. Regardless, the reason for this is similar to the one I explained above, it is convenient of capitalism to have workers halfway between employment and unemployment, and social-democracy protects capitalism. It's really insidious of you to bring up non-european workers and their exploitation while defending social-democracy, since the various European progressive and left-of-center governments have all contributed one way or another to NATO's interventions in SWANA and West Africa, the very places these inmigrant workers come from, escaping the violence these governments have caused, sponsored and benefitted from. I've already addressed who benefits from the cheap labor these inmigrants and refugees produce.

"Disregard of unions in labor law negotiations is a cause of precarious work and a consequence of right-wing attacks" Oh boy have I talked about unions on this blog. In short, unions are not the magic wand which makes exploitation disappear that so many people on this website and app seem to think they are. Their only function is to achieve temporary better working conditions while staying within the bounds of capitalism and salary work. This is also a point that's really funny to make while talking about the social-democrat precarious labor reforms because they signed it with the full approval of every big labor union in Spain. Another aspect of unions that I addressed in the linked post is that they also serve as the lapdogs of social-democracy. Something that happens in every single country where social-democrats are in power including the usamerican leftist's crush, the nordic countries.

Socialism-communism isn't when UBI, good wages and beating the capitalists at their own game. It's the complete overthrow of a bourgeois system to replace it with a proletariat system, it is rejecting the workings of the game at which social-democrats and labor unions pretend to try to win.

"Inequalities in infrastructure distribution is a cause of precarious work and a consequence of right-wing attacks" I'm not exactly sure if by infrastructure you're referring to like, roads and railways, or infrastructure in the sense of the avenues through which the state provides welfare, subsidies, etc. Either way, the inequality in the distribution of things like communication networks, utilities and state programs is one of the many contradictions inseparable from capitalism. I thought the point of "inequality is inherent to capitalism" was like, leftism 101. Is anon aware that social-democracy is still capitalism? Universal healthcare and government programs are not going to solve the unavoidable effects of the capitalist mode of production. That's what revolutionary marxism is for.

"So many more things are a cause for precarious work and a consequence of right-wing attacks" I can't answer if you don't give me more concrete examples, sadly. But I hope it's become clear to the reader why social-democracy is not the way to solve all of this issues, and why it is actually interested in keeping it around.

"None of those things are essential to social-democracy, and Spain's particular case isn't reflective of social-democracy in general" If I were a lesser man I'd say you sound like what "tankies" sound like to anti-communists when we address the mistakes and failings of proletariat states. But I don't think this would be a good answer to you, and I get the point you're making. Social-democracy is one variant of government in bourgeois democracies.

For this point to make sense to you, anon, (im really trying to be patient here, if I come across as condescending it's not intentional) you have to first understand that marxists believe, noht without reason, that the primary character of any state is the economic system that it protects. In our case, this system, the infrastructure, is capitalism, so the state and any party that governs it (part of the superstructure) will keep protecting capitalism because that is what's in its class interests. Individual people are able to go against class interests, but individual actions are close to irrelevant when we talk about the infrastructure.

It's not that every aspect discussed is essential to social-democracy, it's that social-democracy is essential to capitalism, which in turn ensures the existence of these problems. You're putting the cart before the horse.

With that denser part out of the way, regarding Spain's case. The post you're replying to wasn't meant to be an exhaustive treaty on the class character of social-democracy. It's a rant complaining about seeing usamericans championing the very fucking same talking points and policies that I see every single day fail. I know that social-democracy across various countries is different when it comes to these particular cases. But their class character is the same and their function within imperialist capitalism is the same.

To the second part of the ask now.

"The issue of colonialism wasn't very discussed in Marx's works" Yeah I know. Maybe you're under the impression that marxists are blind followers of Marx, I understand. But if you ask any actual marxist or communist, they'll acknowledge that Marx and Engels lacked in a lot of places (especially Engels in anthropology, he was very racist and uninformed in that regard). Which is why we also recommend people read other works such as Lenin's, which as far as I'm aware popularized the term of imperialism as a descriptor for capitalism, and the concept of dividing capitalism into stages, so many pseudo-communists like to say. There is also a myriad of work about imperialist capitalism written by colonialized people, such as Frantz Fanon or Eduardo Galeano. These are the places where marxist theory is most developed regarding colonialism, and it's where the idea of social-democracies in imperial core countries benefitting from imperialism in every instance comes from.

As a side note on marxism, the reason it's called that is not because we treat every work of Marx like holy texts, but because the analytical framework that his works establish and develop is the basis for any analysis and criticism of class conflict and revolutionary communism. We do not blindly follow what he says, we take his works (or any marxist work for that matter), instead, we analyze, critique and explore the ideas presented.

"The USSR was imperialist" (this is basically what anon is saying in the last portion of the ask) Imperialism is a specific stage in the development of capitalism, characterized by the export and tendency to monopoly of capital. It is a concrete economic descriptor that is useful to a specific timeframe in history. It is not, however, when a big country does something in a small country and expands. This definition, while simpler and more useful to the liberal status-quo, is functionally useless to define a state when it can be applied to the Greek colonization of the Mediterranean in the 6th century BC, the trading kingdoms of South East Asia, the Roman state before Caesar and the prinicipate, the germanic tribes that moved into souther Europe, the mongol state (and later states) that stretched from the sea of Japan to Hungary and from the arctic circle to Persia, the Incas and Aztecs, the HRE, the Iriquois confederacy (I'm not that sure on this one, but I'm including it because they were quite big and that's what qualifies as an empire to some people), the various rich kingdoms of west Africa, the modern USA and a long etcetera.

The more popular definition of imperialism, the one that somehow tries to coherently categorize all of the examples above and more under the same word, essentially boils down to territorial expansion. It should be called expanisonism, not imperialism. So if you're using that definition, and it looks like it, then yeah, the USSR was expanisonist. Extending the proletariat state against bourgeois states is good, actually.

I don't know what you think settler-colonialism is, but extracting fossil fuels definitely isn't it. Also, the oil and gas was extracted by the corresponding republics within the USSR. Many smaller republics, such as Turkmenistan, could specialize in fossil fuel extraction because the USSR guaranteed that the goods they didn't produce would reach them regardless. This is one of the reason the capitalist shock therapy posg-1991 forced onto the ex-soviet republics was so catastrophic, their production was organized under the assumption that they wouldn't need to sell off half their country to access basic consumer goods from a capitalist market.

Goddamn was that a long post to type on a phone. If anyone, including anon, replies to this with a low effort insult or to what they think I said instead of what was written on the post, I'm going to block you without exception. you've all been warned

[cardboardheartss]

LE SSERAFIM COACHELLA WEEKEND 2

going to be talking about tweets from my tl about lsfm’s performance…. this not a tarot reading lol

⁉️exactly…. the hypocrisy is actually absurd tbh….

⁉️see the result of the government not dealing with high rates of unemployment 😞💔

⁉️like are kpop stans okay in the head?💀🤡🤡🤡

⁉️periodttt pookies! Perfect Night SOTY 😚✨

⁉️i guess locals and social media people weren’t wrong about kpop stans…. y’all do act like children and throw tantrums over people you don’t know NOR will their actions affect you. Like I said before… if you don’t like the note being sung, the volume button is right there.

I remember clearly that I promised myself to never defend celebrities but this criticism opps I mean HATE is getting out of hand. If people genuinely cared about vocals thy could’ve spoken about it that day and leave it but NOOOOO y’all are here spamming the girls comments with hate comments and just proving how y’all are just like sorry for the language but fucking hypocrital psychopaths who don’t have lives…

EUNCHAE’s FAMILY MEMBER?! A WHOLE ASS FAMILY MEMBER HAD TO TELL YALL TO STFU BECAUSE ITS GETTING OUT OF FUCKING HAND BECAUSE FROM MY TL AND OOMFS REPOSTS… I AINT SEEING NOT ONE PROPER CRITICAL COMMENT THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE SHADE…

for me… I’ve noticed a certain pattern in the Kpop stan industry… people really hate women… y’all hate women and it’s actually showing. GG or BG stan it dont matter, female kpop idols go through soooo much behind the scenes like BRO even ILL’IT! I asked the members how they feel about their Billboard entrance… the girls were unhappy and scared because they know the fan wars are coming. LE SSERAFIM want ILL’IT to be safe because look what’s happening to BOTH girl groups RIGHT NOWWWWW?!?!

I genuinely pray and hope for LSFM to feel better because I know these words will stick with them, I can relate no matter how confident you are… these words hurt and having to see it over vocals that don’t even affect this planet and our lives is crazy 😩🤡

Kpop stans please go get jobs… like I’m unemployed because I’m still in high school but i have actual hobbies that keep me busy and not on social media ranting about my least fave groups…🧍🏽‍♀️

Trust… it’s not that difficult 😚🤭

A.N.Y.W.A.Y.S

LASTLY MY FAVE TWEETS FROM MY TL!!

[alezangona]

The Shadow of Khansar (Salaar Fic)

Part 7 - The Descent of Virabhadra

Part 6 | Part 8

“Stop. Who are you?” The guards stationed outside Mahit’s home don’t hesitate to point their guns in Deva’s direction and he maneuvers himself to stand in front of Chintu, pushing down the spark of irritation clawing its way out of his body. 

“Devaratha,” he just manages to hold back from snapping. A flicker of surprise passes through him when they flinch, dropping their guns immediately.

“We’re so sorry, sir. We didn’t recognize you.” They step back and gesture toward the stairs that lead up to the entrance. Deva nods quietly and pulls Chintu along, feeling the rush of adrenaline as he realizes just how close he is to seeing Varadha. He couldn't have been gone for long, maybe a day or two, but the separation is agonizing. It comes as a small shock to him that he wants more than to just see Varadha, but to feel him against his body, to be able to melt into him again, and never let go.

“No. No, no, no.” A commanding voice stops them in their tracks just as they take two steps into the grand foyer. In front of them stands a short woman, draped in a pink Sambalpuri sari. Despite her small demeanor, the strict set of her jaw as she glares at them in disdain is more than enough to have Deva freeze in place, his posture taking on that of a soldier awaiting orders. “They’ve just finished cleaning the entire house after hordes of men piled in hours ago. I will not have you two tracking any more blood on these floors. You there, go hose these two down in the back before helping them get settled in.” She orders the footman before turning back to look at Deva, her gaze gentler than before. “It must have been a long night. Once you freshen up, there’s some food I can serve you if you’re hungry.” 

All he can do is nod as they’re led back out. The stream of water from the hose isn’t as powerful as he expects, but the cool flow of it is pleasant against his skin in comparison to the humidity. Soon, he and Chintu are drenched from head to toe and are handed soft towels to dry off with. The footman leads them through the house, where Deva can hear distant conversation as they pass by what must be the dining room, and up the stairs. The footman opens the third door on the right and gestures for Chintu to make himself comfortable. Deva kneels down to sign, trying to keep a reassuring smile on his face.

This is our friend’s house. Freshen up and we can go downstairs for dinner. All our friends are there.

At least, he hoped all of them were. Not something he’d say to the kid considering he finally looked a little less scared than before. That’s not to say that he won’t be plagued by nightmares later on in the night, but they’d deal with that once they get there. 

“Where’s my room again?” Deva asks, pushing himself off his knees and rising to full height.

“Just this way, sir.” The footman leads him down further in the hallway. 

“Who was the woman we were talking to earlier?” Deva finds himself asking in an effort to seem more talkative. Low standards, but Bilal would be proud. Or would pick on him relentlessly. 

“Rudramma. She was initially hired as a cook, but within the next couple months, she was running the household. I don’t think the General would be able to function without her to keep his scattered brain in check.” The footman blanches visibly. “Please don’t tell him I said that. I don’t even mean it in a bad way! He’s great at his job, but the second he’s home, he’s kind of just everywhere. The attention span of a hummingbird, but a good man. Which, well you know. You’re one of his friends.” He begins to ramble, clearly flustered as he ponders the possibility of unemployment in his future. Deva finds himself genuinely amused by the interaction.

“Don’t worry, I’ve only met him a couple of days ago. He won't hear anything from me.” They share conspiratorial grins, finally coming to a stop in front of one of the rooms. 

“Well, this is it sir. Your room. The kitchen is located downstairs to the right of the stairs. My name is Anand should you need anything else.” 

Deva makes his way into the room after the exchange, closing the door and slumping against it as he processes the day. Save for one moment of utter panic, he feels like he handled everything as well as he could’ve. First and foremost, he discovered that his people aren’t extinct and are very much alive. If not slightly overcome by the need for revenge against the crown, but in their defense, who doesn’t want Raja Mannar dead. For now though, he just needs a quick shower so he can make his way downstairs and see–

“Deva? Rey, Deva?” At the sound of his voice, Deva’s body flips into autopilot. He rips open the door, taking a step into the hallway, his heart hammering in his chest. His eyes find Varadha instantly and before he knows it, he’s tackled into a hug with so much unrestrained force that he’s pushed back into his room. This time however, Varadha is in his arms.

They don’t say anything for a few moments, their harsh breath echoing through the room. Deva holds onto Varadha for dear life, pressing his cheek into Varadha’s soft hair as wetness forms in his eyes. Varadha doesn’t seem to be in any better shape as he grasps on just as tightly, a tremor shaking his frame. 

“We were going to find you,” Varadha whispers, so low that his words couldn’t be distinguished from a quick hiss of air. “I was preparing to head out when we found a lead, but that’s when Rudra attacked. I had no choice but to stay back and help, Deva. I’m sorry.” Deva laughs lightly, moving his hand up to brush through Varadha’s hair. 

“Pichaa? We both know that I can handle myself just fine. They needed you more in the moment than I did.” 

“Where were you anyway? Kampu koduthunavu ra.” 

“Rey,” Deva starts to pull away. “Yevado ethukelipothe nannu em chayamanthavu? Give me a second to shower and I’ll-”

“No. Don’t go yet.” Varadha pulls him close once again. “Who was it that got you?” 

“Bhaarava.” At the sound of his name, Varadha rears back to look at Deva sharply, fury glowing within pools of obsidian. 

“What did Radha Rama put him up to?” His eyes begin roaming down Deva’s body on high alert as he looks for signs of malice. 

“It wasn’t her. Not this time.” Deva sighs, stepping back slightly. “I’ll get into all of that, but I think I need a shower first.” Varadha drops his arms to his side, hands fisting as a flicker of uncertainty passes over his features. His eyes dart between the door and Deva before he nods.

“Yes, of course. Then I’ll just-” Deva swoops in before he can finish, palm resting against Varadha’s cheek and pressing their lips together in a gentle, yet firm, kiss. 

“Wait for me? Right here?” He requests, pressing his forehead against Varadha’s. 

“Yeah, okay.” Varadha smiles shyly at him. The gesture is enough to set off fireworks in Deva’s heart. 

~*~ 

“I had Anand bring your meal up here.” Varadha says the moment Deva steps out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel.  

“And Chintu?”

“Baba’s with him right now. He’ll be able to hold up till tomorrow, at least.” 

Now that Deva has time to really look at him, he notices the casual way Varadha is dressed. The fabrics wrapped around him are rather thin, working to fight against the humidity of the day and keep him cool. His jewelry is stacked on the dresser in a heaping pile and his face is void of the usual khol and tilakam that he wears during the day. Varadha looks so normal to Deva, all his defenses lowered as he sets aside a glass filled with bourbon. 

He reaches out an arm, gazing fondly at Deva. Within seconds, the towel is thrown across the back of a chair and Deva is planted on Varadha’s lap, pulling him in for a searing kiss. Varadha laughs, a tinge of surprise and joy, and gives back as eagerly as he gets.

“I know you’re hungry, but there’s also food that you can dig into, you know?” 

“For the life of me, I can’t imagine that anything can taste better than this.” Deva emphasizes with small pecks, lips meeting with teeth at some point when Varadha’s smile turns into a full blown grin. 

“You’re such an idiot.” Varadha grasps his chin, pulling him in for a deeper kiss once more. “But come on, you need food and Rudramma’s shouldn’t be missed at any cost.” 

“She really has you wrapped around her fingers doesn’t she? First the coffee, now the food. If this doesn’t meet the hype, I’m going to start questioning your taste.” Deva pulls himself reluctantly off of Varadha and grabs the plate. He knows instantly when the smell hits him that he’s in for a treat. 

“I told her you liked your food on the spicier side, I guess she accommodated?” Varadha teases as Deva digs in, refusing to leave a grain behind. 

“Oh god, I think we have to steal her from Mahit. Satti oka level aithe, eema unko level, anthe!” Deva sighs happily as he finishes eating and goes to wash his hands, leaving the plate on the desk before coming back to join Varadha on the bed. 

“Sare kani, ippudu chepara.” Varadha takes Deva’s hand from across the bed. “What happened, Deva?”

“Bhaarava is a Shouryanaga.” Varadha’s hand tightens painfully around his own and it’s a reaction he expects. “He’s not the only one that survived. Their parents saved them that night and they’ve been laying low for years as they grew their network.” 

“Deva, this is great!” His posture animates visibly, as if the burden of his father’s actions have lifted off his shoulders, like he could finally forgive himself just a little. The optimism evident on Varadha’s face makes it difficult for Deva to continue. He almost doesn’t want to because maybe, just maybe, he could handle this problem on his own. 

Varadha had spent so much of his life feeling accountable for the actions of his father and atoned for the sins in his own way by living a life less than he deserved. He faced humiliations for years and years, never uttering a word on his behalf, and taking the insults with the unyielding strength of a mountain. There was no reason to add more to Varadha’s plate than was necessary. Not when he was already responsible for the lives of his family and soldiers. If there is anything he can do for Varadha, it is to protect him from his instinctual ability to save and shield. 

The enemy of the Shouryanga’s was Raja Mannar, not Varadha. There wasn’t any palpable threat at the moment that he had to warn him about. Right?

“Yeah, yeah it is!” he swallows with difficulty and plasters on a smile that he hopes is reassuring. “He just wanted to make sure I knew and with how tense the atmosphere in the city is, he thought this was the only way to get to me without risking their cover.” 

“So, what does this mean? What do they want with you?”

“I have no idea if I’m being honest.” Liar. Liar. Liar. “I don’t even know how to process this. I think I just need some time?” At that, Varadha lifts their intertwined fingers and presses a kiss into the inside of Deva’s wrist. 

“Would talking about this at a later time be better for you?” He whispers, concerned.

“Yes, please.” Deva’s shoulders slump at that, making evident to him just how much tension he was carrying. “What happened while I was gone? Are you all okay?” Varadha looks away for a split second, trying to come to a decision.

“Promise not to panic, okay?” Which is the wrong thing to say because Deva is immediately on edge, but he waits patiently as Varadha pulls his arm away. A sharp hiss leaves his lips when he lifts his arms above his head, limbs moving in crisp motions to shrug out of his kurta. Deva’s gaze narrows in on the bandage wrapped around Varadha’s left shoulder, his teeth grinding against each other as red clouds his vision. 

“Is that–”

“My first ever gunshot wound,” Varadha rolls his eyes, picking up his glass of bourbon again to take a large gulp. “I’m currently high on painkillers and alcohol, which might be counter productive in the long run, but feels quite effective right now.” He grins broadly at that, the look in eyes probing for Deva to find this all as amusing as he does.

Deva, however, can feel rage overtake his body, physically manifesting in the tremor of his fingers. Thunder roars in his ears as he considers just how close the bullet was from touching his heart. A couple inches lower and Varadha wouldn’t be sitting in front of him right now, glowing gold among the dim lights, full of life. 

“Stop it,” Varadha’s lips turn down in disapproval as he takes in Deva’s stormy look. “I’m okay and everyone else is too. Baachi, Baba, Bilal, and Rhinda at least.  Some of our men didn’t make it, but mostly everyone has and Mahit is letting us keep our heads low here until it’s safe enough to move to the bunker.” He sighs, moving Deva’s arms up as he settles his head into his lap. “We can worry about everything later, but it’s been such a long night Deva. Just stay with me?” 

Deva works to control his fury, swallowing down the dryness in his mouth as he nods. He runs his fingers through Varadha’s hair and places a kiss on his forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”

~*~

“Anna! Anna!” Varadha startles awake at the sound of Baachi’s voice, grimacing at the sharp pain that shoots from his shoulder. 

“What?” He grumbles, voice rough with sleep as he rises to his feet and makes his way towards Baachi when he sees the wide-eyed, urgent expression. 

“Nee Salaar em chesado choodu!” Varadha’s head whips to the bed then, stomach dropping when he notices Deva’s absence. He takes off instinctively, pushing past his younger brother as he races through the mansion. The sound of celebratory cheers reach his ear immediately and he makes his way into Mahit’s garden only to catch sight of a large crowd standing in a circular formation, blocking his view. His legs start to slow down as he waits at the edge of the circle, a vision of Deva chopping off Naarang’s head flashing before his eyes for a split second before his attention comes back to the sight in front of him.

“Come on Anna,” Baachi grabs his hand, pushing through the crowd. Many of the men start to complain till they catch a glimpse of Varadha and step back enough to give him room. The gradual parting of the group allows for them to get to the front of the circle sooner than later, and Varadha’s breath catches at the image in front of him, yet he isn’t shocked. 

Deva is situated at the center of the circle, drenched in blood. He is stark-still, a regal aura to him as he keeps his gaze to the ground, allowing for two henchmen to pour buckets of water over his head. The powerful flow follows the sculpted build of his body, taking the blood with it in a path from the roots of his midnight hair, to the broad curves of his shoulders, and down the span of his long legs before pooling on the ground, forming thin streams of liquid that reach out like veins toward the beginnings of the inner circle. 

“I’ve heard the tales of his feats from many of my friends,” Varadha hears Rudramma speak from next to him. “I didn’t think there was any credibility to them initially. Just stories exaggerated during wartime when people need something to believe in. Even when he came in last night, he looked so innocent that I couldn’t fathom that this was the man who was shaking up Khansar by name alone. Now though– he doesn’t look like a human to me. Nor to anyone here, I presume. It’s as if Virabhadra himself has descended to this land.” 

Varadha couldn’t respond, fixated on the form in front of him. 

“The guards told us he left the mansion in the early hours of morning,” Baachi starts, voice rising to be heard above the squall. “Then he came back like this a couple of minutes ago. They’re saying he killed Rudra and Om, after taking on fifty of their men single handedly. I can’t believe I ever doubted your Salaar, Anna. I should’ve trusted your judgment. It’s not a mistake I’ll ever make again.” 

As if sensing his presence, Deva’s gaze snaps up to him, observing through long lashes and void of any expression. Varadha’s heart tugs uneasily. A hand on his shoulder snaps him out of his thoughts.

“I’m not sure what triggered him enough to launch an attack without informing us.” Mahit mutters, standing close with a grim expression, no part of him reflecting the excitement of the group. “We’re lucky he’s on our side, but now we have to fight to keep him here because if for any reason he chooses to go against us, we’ll lose everything we’ve dreamed of. He’s a weapon Varadha, a powerful one that we can’t afford to let slip from your grasp.” 

Deva’s eyes flicker to the hand resting on Varadha’s shoulder for a singular moment before dropping back to the floor. The water crashes over him forcefully, like a tide pounding against rocky shores. Though the dark red washes away, the stain of it tinges Deva’s dusky skin like a blemish. 

Varadha can only watch.

[aristotlecoyote]

i'm sorry you aren't able to pay for watcher's new service. it was a tough decision for me too - i'm unemployed right now and had to look at my savings and decide to skip on buying a few things - but in the end i chose to support them. there are fans sharing accounts and gifting subs. some people in the fandom want to help with solutions but you can't hear them over everyone blaming watcher for suddenly being in the 1% somehow?? (they're not) this is still in beta mode so we all need to take a breath and see what they announce after seeing the feedback. but watcher didn't ruin the economy and make it so hard for people to get welfare and help - you need to contact some government officials for that - not shane's wife

You are fundimentally missing the point. And why are you feeding a problem when they have clearly show they dont respect their fans with their silence, and their employees and spouses snide comments.

The watcher hate train that you think is clouding my thoughts simply isnt. I look at other fans to see if i my perception is more then just automatic frustration. And its not. I think alot. I get heated when i feel theres injustice. But i think through every single thing in this situation for flaws in my own logic because i know people like you will say i am blowing out of proportion. dont patronize me with those arguements.

Yeah governement stuff isnt their fault but they know where the world is. Or atleast they should and they are choosing to bleeding their fans dry. I never said they were the 1% but they are rich. Being rich doesnt automatically put you in the 1 percent but it does give you a leg up to being safe.

I took a breath. I took a whole breath today and lived my life on an extremely small trip on a train. To get free samples from an event with a discounted ticket. I bought a single nice thing that i wanted and for the first time in three days i didnt think about this shit show.

I wanted to support them but seeing as they dont care that they are making

1. A bad decision that everyone except people like you can see

2. Using a base platform that is notoriously unfriendly to creators

3. Didnt respect their fans enough to do market research and give us a finished product or a timeline for things moving forward

4. Act like they are drowning while they are on a yacht. And show that yacht to the people they kicked out of a lifeboat. Then blame us for needing to get a slightly smaller yacht. (This is an analogy)

Its not the same.

3 shows i like is not worth. 6 dollars.

I dont want Sara rubin's fucking help. I am saying she is showing the reality. That these people dont care. Its a common fact of todays world that very few youtubers actually care. That you giving them 6 dollars for a thing that has never worked in the long term unless years of effort and research is put into it. And you are on unemployment? I dont know.

You are the ones that dont see the reality.

But like i said in my post. I respect that humans can do whatever they want. I just think you should think and ask questions and when you dont get clear answers. Wonder why.

All of this mess is something you need to watch before you jump.

I simply chose to step away from the cliff because i saw sharks in the water.

EDIT: some parts in this feel unfinished. I am tired and working on very little sleep because of how my brain has chosen to process this situation. I wont update this post with corrections unless someone can give me a hard reason to.

[thelensart]

venty post as fuck but I really don't think I can do this for much longer I'm sorry. I've been rejected from every single fucking job in existence. I am unemployable, that's it, that's all. Not even mcdonalds wants me. And if I got it what the shit would I do, just make Joe Bloodbath here ten trillions so he can send f35s to bomb a fox den overseas because they dug too close to the oilfields. I've stopped taking my meds and stopped caring about going clean from alcohol, I'll hoard them so I can have enough to end myself in some time because I still want to draw. By god do I want. The hotlines did jack shit. I hate this shit man I can't do it. I can't keep just trying and still getting nothing and being called a sir no matter where I go or how I dress. The world is there and has its rules and I can't for the life of me even tend to the basic ones. I love my family and love my situation but wish everything humans are meant to do wasn't such an uphill battle. Can't even go get groceries without feeling anxious. Sorry all and I wish I had something good to say ever cheers