#system of oppression

[tiktok-singularity]

Why housing issue won’t be solved in Canada and other countries unless the system of oppression is changed by laws.

[nando161mando]

[limonjarritos]

SHE HAS A PLACE AT THE TABLE, SHE IS THE VOICE OF ZAUN BUT AT WHAT COST

[uncanny-tranny]

The leftism/anticapitalism leaving people's bodies the zeptosecond you imply that disabled people who aren't "productive" still matter in society and need to be treated like intrinsic equals who have a place in this world:

[mushramoo]

The media acting like celebrating the death of a CEO is shameful, meanwhile every comment on every news video is in support of it? Even the official ones? Yeah fuck off we love whoever it was, they can make as many videos as they want, we’re never gonna condemn anyone for allegedly killing a man responsible for millions of deaths. They’re gonna run out of people who are blind to it sooner or later.

[thebellekeys]

And a reminder that higher education cannot be considered truly democratised if students can still be doomed to poverty with multiple or advanced arts and Humanities degrees...

[jajanvm-imbi]

My two favorite anarchists 🥰🥰

[finalgirlwillbyers]

Reminder: Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson are all visibly different. They're bullied because their respective sexuality, race, and physical condition make them outsiders. They're not bullied because of Mike.

Mike is someone who's different because of his interests. These interests allow him to associate with other "nerds and freaks". Unlike his peers, Mike has the luxury to hide what makes him different, granting him the opportunity to "enjoy" the prototypical, white middle class, suburban lifestyle laid out for him. Whether that path will lead to his happiness is another thing (that the writers will answer in S5).

Mike struggles to live his life truthfully, in spite of and because of his visibly different friends. While he values their differences and sees them as strengths, he's also keenly aware of how it makes them a target.

He saw bullies mock Will for being "a fairy" when Will's death was announced. He heard Will being called "Zombie Boy" which is an epithet referring to AIDS as much as Will's undead escapades. He saw Max's step-brother assault Lucas for being Black. He heard bullies call Lucas "Midnight". He heard bullies call Dustin "Toothless," and he'll soon witness the aftermath of Dustin being beaten for not forsaking the Hellfire Club.

Like Mike said in S3, "We're not kids anymore". He's grown to understand that being different is dangerous. These differences come with real threats that are just as scary, if not scarier, than the supernatural ones the party fights.

Please don't trivialize the struggles of the other party members. Their struggles are significant to the essence of the show, as well as more visible than Mike's, which makes overlooking them deeply ironic.

[alwaysbewoke]

[themonstrousother]

A lot of people talk about how Utena explores abuse through Anthy, and how she is not a perfect victim, she plays role in perpetuating the system that is built upon her oppression, facilitating her own abuse. But I’ve never seen anyone talk about the role race plays and the implications it has. Utena deconstructs the idea of a perfect victim and what it means to be ‘worthy’ to be saved from abuse and harm, but Anthy’s role as a brown woman who is being abused by a brown man adds a layer to her story and I think it’s extremely important and relevant to discuss

[femmeloverboy]

people actually sit here and believe that the whole point of gender is "man oppresses woman" and apply that to conversations about trans men. As if we exist as trans men just to oppress women bcuz ... apparently that's why gender exists. Great heavens.

I think they hate the idea that trans men are actually not oppressors, and are in fact oppressed, because its challenges their view of gender when all they know is "men exist as a class to oppress women" (which is... so radfem. And probably why all the "trans inclusive" radfems hate trans men)

[raayllum]

I get that in general a lot of kids shows do utilize the protagonists ('good guys') in ways where they're supposed to be role models, particularly because some do have a "lesson of the week" where the character does bad things, then clearly learns and explains what they should've done instead by the end of the episode.

That has just... never been how TDP has operated, and I don't get how and why people think we're supposed to take what anyone does in the show as being unilaterally good or evil. Particularly in arc 2; any moral simplicity that was hanging on by a thread in arc 1 has been taken out back and shot numerous times by now.

TDP very rarely calls anything Evil or Good, and when it does, it's always filtered through the characters' biases, and rarely does more then 2-3 characters ever have the same opinion on something for the same reasons. Soren and Rayla, who have inverted character arcs, are some of the only characters to ever use the term villain / good guys or bad guys, and are two of the most staunchly black-and-white thinking characters, heavily to their detriment, I might add, in terms of coping with the increasing complexity of their lives. They have cognitive biases. They're not always right, and are frequently wrong. This is true for everyone in the show.

The show refuses to condemn murder, indirectly and directly condemns the expulsion of humans from Xadia routinely (Evrkynd being a city for everyone, Ezran arguing with Karim, who is the most wrong about the most things), and shows a variety of viewpoints on all things.

The show understands that the choices people make—whether the same character trait is a flaw or a strength—as well as 'moral' choices are all circumstantial.

Are you wrong to burn people alive? Mostly yes (2x07, 6x08) but also no (3x09). Are you wrong to kill people? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes whether it's 'wrong' or 'right' doesn't even factor in. Are you wrong to use dark magic, or use the dangerous Staff of Ziard, or coin someone and condemn them to a 'fate worse than death'? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Is lying or hiding the truth to protect someone wrong? Sometimes yes (1x06, 2x03, 3x03, 5x01, 7x04, 7x06) sometimes no (1x02, 2x03, 6x06, 5x08, 7x08).

Are you doing the right thing?

Do you have no choice? Is that true, or is that just what you think, or how you rationalize it yourself?

When is it right or cowardly to leave (Viren, Lissa, Rayla, Callum, Ezran, the Cosmic Council, the offer made to Karim's troops)? When should you stay? When do you decide to share resources (2x05) to your potential detriment or withhold them in the name of protecting yourself and your own people (Xadia and magic)? At what point(s) do you prioritize your own pain and grief, or someone else's (i.e. the Keeper vs Callum vs Ezran)? At what point is someone too dangerous or 'too far gone' to keep alive (Runaan about Harrow, Ezran about Aaravos)? At what point do you decide someone cannot change? When do you refuse to change (Karim, Terry) who you are no matter what happens, and when do you decide that you must (Ezran, Soren)? When is it wrong to use illusions to trick someone (3x09 and 7x06) and when is it more reasonable (2x03)? When should you be willing to sacrifice others (Rayla with her family, Runaan and Rayla with Callum, Soren with Viren) and when should you refuse? When should you sacrifice yourself, and when it is wrong to? Did you betray them, or did they betray you, or both (usually both)? When should you betray or stay loyal to your family? What is the right thing to do?

The show, tbh, doesn't know, at least 90% of the time. It's not interested in knowing. It's interested in exploring. That's the whole point. At most, it says you should work towards harm reduction, but what constitutes harm, and what peace looks like, is also something that greatly differs for all the characters.

Rayla is willing to sacrifice the love of her life, Ezran is willing to create weapons of mass destruction and wield one, and Callum used a torture spell on someone when he absolutely did not have to. The idea that any of the protagonists are meant to be paragons of unblemished virtue who are always 100% right, or that any of the antagonists do not canonically have a good point of contention with anything that's happened and are always 100% wrong, is reductive to everything the show is and explores, because it is Quite Literally not what the show does, ever tbh.

They literally spelled it out this past season as a core theme; I don't think they needed to have a character directly point it out every time a main character did something that was Kinda Fucked Up or Complicated But Understandable to know that the show knows it was Canonically Fucked Up or Complicated But Understandable.

There is not a single character or action in TDP that is always right, and there is not a singular character or action in TDP that is always wrong. Hell, even narrowing it down to "this is 'right' or 'wrong'" feels counterintuitive because it's so subjective within the narrative.

Every choice the characters make is often well reasoned, aligns with their values and world views, and fits into how they work through problems. Every choice has benefits and consequences, for them or for others. That doesn't mean it's Right for everyone involved. That doesn't mean it's Wrong for everyone involved. That's what makes the show interesting. Everything has nuance. Everything has Complexity. I'm not interested in a simplified version of TDP. I'm interested in the show as is.

I hope you are, too.

[juney-blues]

i'm beginning to think you people don't actually know what "intersectionality" means

[blackstarlineage]

Generational Trauma Left Unaddressed or Normalized: A Garveyite Perspective

Generational trauma is a persistent wound carried by the African diaspora—a trauma that has been left unaddressed, normalized, and passed down through centuries. From the scars of slavery and colonialism to the systemic oppression we see today, these traumas continue to shape Black communities worldwide. But what happens when trauma is not only ignored but becomes a part of our daily lives?

From a Garveyite perspective, the answer lies in self-determination, Pan-African unity, and economic empowerment. Marcus Garvey’s philosophy provides both a critique of generational trauma and a solution for breaking the cycle.

1. The Origins of Generational Trauma

Slavery and Colonialism: The Foundation of Oppression

The African diaspora was built on the forced removal of Africans from their homeland, the erasure of their culture, and centuries of systemic dehumanization. These experiences left deep psychological, social, and economic scars:

Displacement & Identity Loss: Stripping African people of their languages, traditions, and names created a generational disconnect from their true heritage.

Psychological Degradation: Centuries of forced subjugation led to internalized inferiority complexes.

Economic Enslavement: The denial of wealth-building opportunities reinforced cycles of poverty and economic dependence.

How Trauma is Passed Down

Generational trauma doesn’t just disappear—it is inherited. It manifests in:

Fear and Survivalism: Parents unknowingly pass down the survival strategies developed during oppression.

Cultural Disconnection: A lack of knowledge about African history and heritage leads to internalized self-hatred.

Economic Hardship: Systemic barriers (e.g., redlining, mass incarceration, education inequities) reinforce generational struggles.

2. The Normalization of Trauma in Black Communities

When oppression becomes routine, trauma is no longer recognized—it is accepted. Garveyism challenges this normalization, calling for Black people to wake up and reclaim their dignity.

Signs of Normalized Trauma

Colourism & Self-Hatred: The colonial obsession with whiteness led to generations of Black people being conditioned to prefer European beauty standards.

Community Distrust: Systemic oppression created deep divisions within Black communities, fostering competition instead of unity.

Economic Dependency: Many Black communities have been taught to depend on external institutions instead of building self-sufficient economies.

How Institutions Maintain the Cycle

Education: Schools reinforce Eurocentric histories while minimizing African achievements.

Religion: Christianity and other religious institutions have often been used to pacify rather than empower.

Legal Systems: Mass incarceration and policing disproportionately target Black communities, reinforcing trauma.

3. The Garveyite Solution: Reversing Generational Trauma

Marcus Garvey believed that mental liberation precedes physical liberation. Breaking the cycle requires:

1. Mental Reprogramming: Rejecting Internalized Oppression

Reclaiming African Identity: Teaching real Black history and embracing African traditions.

Celebrating Black Excellence: Uplifting achievements that counter colonial narratives.

Healing from Colonial Trauma: Rebuilding self-worth and rejecting inferiority conditioning.

2. Economic Self-Sufficiency: Building Wealth & Power

Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) championed economic independence through:

Business Ownership: Black entrepreneurship as a means of liberation.

Cooperative Economics: Community-driven wealth circulation.

Land Ownership: Agricultural and industrial development for sustainability.

3. Pan-African Unity: Strength Through Global Connection

Garveyism teaches that Black people worldwide must unite to reclaim power. This means:

Cultural Reconnection: Restoring the bond between Africa and its diaspora.

Global Economic Networks: Strengthening Black-owned businesses and trade.

Ending Internal Division: Unifying around a shared vision of liberation.

Final Thoughts: Breaking the Cycle is Our Responsibility

Generational trauma is not just history—it is an ongoing reality. But trauma does not define us. Garveyism teaches that we are the masters of our destiny. The path to liberation requires rejecting the psychological chains of oppression, rebuilding economic independence, and uniting as a global force.

If we fail to address generational trauma, we allow it to continue. But if we reclaim our power, we break the cycle for future generations.

Rise up. Reclaim. Rebuild.

[thelaurenshippen]

okay, but, like, THAT'S how you do a villain story. in the FIRST scene, you watch him shoot a man in cold blood. the show tells you right away "this man is not a good man".

but then it gets you to sympathize - look at how much the world has stepped on him. look at how terrible the whole of gotham is. and even when he kills more people, does more terrible things, you still root for him. because it's fun to watch someone be terrible to terrible people. you root for sofia too, because if anyone deserves revenge its her, but you're rooting for both of them somehow.

and then the show tells you "when he was a boy he killed his brothers". but even still, you want to see what he'll do. the show is called the penguin, you want to see the penguin rise. when he lets his mother's finger almost get cut off, you pity him. he's a sad, broken thing. how could he be anything but bad? but he loves, so there must be something else there.

but then. but THEN

the show always told you: "this is the devil". but you thought, maybe the devil can make hell a little more bearable for some people. the devil is so often nuanced, sympathetic, complex. maybe he's like that.

you're wrong. there's nothing good within him and YOU rooted for him to succeed. you wanted to watch the destruction. and now you have to live with the consequences of thinking, even for a second, that he could be redeemed.