#why should the people fight against their own government just to leave themselves vulnerable to imperialist domination | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

whatifxwereyou · 3 years

Text

Firestorm Part 10: Obvious

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021 Liu Kang x Reader

A/N: new stuff soon, <3

Start From the Beginning << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

The trio moved the remaining few things you owned and then setup your new space. Then you setup a few lights in the hall so that it wouldn’t feel like such an unwelcoming space. You decided that you might try your hand at decorating if you wound up stuck there for longer than a few weeks. You were trying very hard to be positive. The next few days, while resting, you would clean up the adjacent rooms and washroom. That would help keep you busy and keep your mind off of the inevitable end that seemed to be creeping ever closer.

You sat on the floor, looking over a list of hospitals in Andong while pouring over maps. Together you charted places to stay while you were there and places of note. You couldn’t recall where your parents had lived but you remembered the hospital the moment that you’d seen the name. Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital.

The search for your truth, whatever that meant, would start there. You couldn’t prove you existed anymore. All of your important papers and identification had been lost in the fire. You were sure that the Chinese government had record of your existence but that wasn’t what you’d needed. You hadn’t minded losing all of that at first. You hadn’t thought about it that hard. You’d found a new purpose and a new identity in Raiden’s Temple with your friends. They’d become your found family.

But there were times, like now, where it made you sad. You’d worked hard for the life you’d built and there were times where you missed your remaining family. You’d never been close and the relationships had been incredibly toxic, but you also still loved them. It would have been so much easier to track this stuff down if you could stop by your sister’s and ask your father. You were estranged but he would have still given you the information. If it came down to that, Liu Kang had said he was willing to speak to them under the guise of a story on the town and the history of the dojo. That would have been awkward too, so you hoped it didn’t come to that.

“I’ll start moving my things over tomorrow. I’m sore.” Kung Lao yawned. He’d opted to take a room that was on the floor above yours.

“If you had just waited to move furniture like a normal person…” Liu Kang scolded, going over the maps again and charting out a course in the notebook he’d been using.

“Today has been exceptionally long. You don’t know that is the reason I’m sore.”

“He’s got a point.” You didn’t look up from the map. “Sure you won’t change your mind? You can just stay in your room. I’m really okay here by myself.” You didn’t want them to isolate themselves. They were important people in Raiden’s Temple. You were the only one causing problems so there was no reason for you all to be isolated.

“I’m not leaving you here alone.” Kung Lao pouted. “Do you not want me to stay?”

“It’s not that. I think it’s really sweet but you’re…” You wanted to say he was more important than you were but you knew both he and Liu would react poorly to that information. “I just think it’s silly for all of us to be isolated when I’m the only one impaling people with ink.”

“And what happens if you’re here alone and you summon something you can’t handle?” Kung Lao frowned. You couldn’t argue with him that there wasn’t a chance of that happening seeing as it had happened many, many times now. “You almost killed yourself today with your arcana.”

“I know that I just… I don’t…”

“Don’t argue with him, Y/N. It’s pointless.” Liu Kang was still writing in the notebook and you sighed. They were right. Arguing with them was pointless.

“I guess the only choice you have is to get better.” Kung Lao beamed and wrapped an arm around you in a hug. You winced and he relaxed his grip on you. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. You mean well, I guess.” You threw another glance at Liu Kang and picked up his hand as he tapped the paper with the pen. He was covered in small scrapes. “You never took care of this.”

“I forgot.”

“Can I?” You could feel Kung Lao rolling his eyes. “What?”

“I would have left mine too if it meant you were going to take care of it.” Kung Lao let you go and hopped up to his feet. “I’m going to get some rest. I really am sore. But I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N and we’ll get this placed cleaned up in no time.”

“Thanks, Kung Lao.” You felt your cheeks hot at the implication. Kung Lao narrowed his eyes at Liu Kang before he left the room. You could hear his footsteps echoing down the hall.

“…I didn’t leave it because of that.”

“Uh-huh.” You let go of his hand and he tried to hide his smile.

“I wasn’t willing to leave while you were unconscious. That’s all. Kung Lao was bloodier than I was. He needed stitches.”

“Yeah.” You looked down at the maps and felt the guilt rattle you again. “Can I help?”

“I’m fine, Y/N.”

“That didn’t answer my question.” You wanted to help. Even something as small as cleaning a few scrapes would make you feel a little better. Paying a penance for the things beyond your control would help ease your guilt, you hoped.

“Yeah, you can. If you’re that worriedabout me.” He looked to you purposely as he said the word.

“Oh, we’re playing that game, are we? Mr. I’ve-been-radiating worry-literally-all-day.”

“Feel like my worry is more justified than yours.” Liu folded up the map and placed it aside with the notebook and pen. You picked up the first aid kit that you’d shoved beneath your desk for the time being. Liu was setting his shirt aside and you averted your gaze quickly. Why? Well, habit, you supposed. Thankfully most of the scrapes were on his arms. There were a handful on his face and another on his neck. Why he’d taken his shirt off? You were now uncertain.

You would literally never complain that Liu Kang went around without his shirt. It was very distracting though. You picked up his hand and urged it to rest on your knee while you wiped away the blood, soot, and dirt that stained his skin. He didn’t even budge as you cleaned the small scrapes on his left arm. But he did watch you, which was also very distracting. Liu Kang had a way of taking you in and you shivered beneath his stare.

He pushed your hair back behind your ear and his hand engulfed your cheek and turned you to him. Warm Liu Kang and his careful touch. There were rivers behind his eyes of things he wanted to say but he said none of them. You leaned into his hand and then turned back to your work. He rested his other hand on his knee and waited patiently.

When you switched arms, he shifted and cleared his throat. You threw your gaze back to him and caught his dark eyes full of admiration before turning back to his wounds.

“How are you handling this?”

“Oh, I’m not.” You offered his hand a squeeze. “Turned my brain off. I have completely detached.”

“Y/N…” He was surprised and grabbed your hand to stop you, worry thick in his voice and his gaze. You offered him a smile and he sighed in frustration. “Sometimes your sense of humor worries me.”

“I know.” You held his hand. “I worry me too sometimes but I… joking about it helps me cope. Otherwise I’d just be scared. Laughing makes me feel less scared. I’m…” You shivered and his hand brushed over your arm. “I’m scared.” You hated saying it. Up until now you’d refused to admit it but the more that you thought about it the more hopeless it seemed.

“I’m scared too.” Liu’s hand crept over the hanfu you’d changed into for the night. Then he let you go and leaned against your bed. You scooted next to him. “I’m with Kung Lao on this one. I don’t think you should be alone here. I’ll be moving my things closer tomorrow.”

“Liu…” You knew that they wouldn’t listen. Why were you arguing? You wanted them to listen. “I know you guys are worried and that you feel guilty that I’m here alone but I volunteered for this. It was my idea. I know it’s dangerous but… not hurting anyone anymore also meant not hurting you.” You turned to face him and rested your hand on his cheek. He placed his hand over yours and then urged his lips to your palm, never taking his eyes away from yours. Your stomach tightened into knots. Why was it that when he looked at you, you felt naked? Like he could see you as vulnerable as you often felt? “Look at you.”

“I know you feel guilty.” He pulled your hand away from his lips and held it in his, thumb brushing over your knuckles, prayer beads between both your hands. “I can’t spare you from that as much as I wish to. But I made my choice. Kung Lao warned me what would happen if I did.”

“You just… jumped right through it to get to me.” You furrowed your brow as you felt the burning behind your eyes, hot with emotion. You hated crying. You hated it. Don’t do it. “You’re a fool sometimes, Liu Kang.”

“Call it what you will. I couldn’t leave you in there all alone. At least I thought of the rug, right?” He tried to lighten the mood but it was too heavy to accomplish. “He would have killed you. Bi-Han. Raiden told me a bit about him. There are murals you should see. But I… I had to get to you. I’m not sorry for that.”

“I know you’re not. And I’m grateful that you did. I was terrified. Too weak to fight and he…” You closed your eyes and focused on breathing. You’d felt so damn helpless. You hadn’t felt helpless since you were a kid and you hated it. There was no closet to hide in here to cry it out. Nowhere to hide from Liu Kang. “I hurt you. Again. And Kung Lao.”

“It wasn’t you, Y/N. You were hurt too.” He brushed his fingers over the sore marks on your arm from the ice beneath the sleeves of your hanfu. You nodded but you felt responsible for all of it even if you’d had no control over it. You felt responsible for not having control. Liu Kang had gotten you to talk about it, something you hadn’t wanted to do. It was easier to cry alone and then fake okay until you felt okay. You didn’t want any pity. Liu Kang didn’t think you were pitiful. He was worried about you. He let go of your hand then brushed his fingers over your cheek, just beneath your eye and you knew he was wiping away tears that had, regretfully, fought their way free.

“Ugh.” You whined and leaned back, sniffled, and then wiped your eyes free of the blurry tears so no more of them would rebelliously fall down your cheeks. “I hate this.”

“This feels like a much healthier emotional response, at least.” He teased and you laughed and then shoved his shoulder lightly. He pretended you pushed him much harder and then scooted closer to you.

“I don’t like crying.”

“No one likes crying, Y/N.”

“Fair point.” You stuttered and then closed your eyes. “Will you sit still so I can finish?”

“I’m fine.” He laughed and took your hand as you made to wipe one of the scrapes on his face. “I’m fine, Y/N. I’m tougher than you think.”

“So am I, Liu.” You didn’t have the strength to back that up anymore, but you still meant it.

“I know.” His fingers brushed over your jaw and beneath your chin, tilting you to look back up at him. You were powerless to deny him. He smelled of soot and blood. “I made a choice to protect you. I won’t lose you.” He crept ever close to your lips and you admired his as they came close. There was a cut on his lower lip you hadn’t noticed, the red of the wound having melded into the red of his lips. He was attractive even wounded. It would have even been sexy if you hadn’t been the one to hurt him. “Don’t give up.”

“I’m not.” You assured him but your voice felt weak. Was it because of everything that had happened or because Liu Kang was holding you so close, so intimately? “I am being realistic though, Liu. This is the right place to be. I won’t forgive myself if I…” You didn’t want to lose him. You didn’t want to lose him or Kung Lao.

“And I won’t forgive myself for not protecting you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about. I’m not the one who needs protecting.”

“That’s not the point I’m making, Y/N. I want to protect the people I care about. Not because I don’t think you’re capable but because you are precious to me. Have I not made that clear? How much I care about you? How much you mean to me?”

You shivered all over and closed your eyes, swearing that your heart had skipped a beat. He just went right out and said it. Dammit, he was romantic. The tension was so thick you swore that you struggled to breathe. Liu Kang created his own atmosphere. Then again, it could have just between the two of you. You liked that.

“I…” You struggled with words, as if the air were too thick for them. His lips were so close, bruised, and bloodied, but perfect. Would kissing him hurt him, you wondered? He seemed willing to feel pain at a chance at your lips. You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat ever present being this close to him. His fingers pushed your hair back from your face and you leaned into his touch, the whole thing having become such a comfort. He’d done this so much that you craved it, like an addict.

His lips met yours and you felt that swelling in his lower lip and swore you broke. But he held you up. He kept the pieces of you in place. When you were falling apart, Liu Kang wasn’t afraid to pick you up. He wasn’t afraid of the mess you’d make. He didn’t criticize you for your feelings. He didn’t belittle you for your worries. But he supported you. He winced as you grasped at his forearm and you pulled back from that sweet kiss very suddenly.

“No.” He urged his lips back to yours and you laughed against them as he wrapped his arm around you before you could argue with him and pulled you right into his lap. You placed your hand on his cheek and he urged his knees up to urge you higher, tilting his head up right into that sweet, tender kiss.

“Your lip.” You muttered against it.

“It’s fine, Y/N, don’t… you dare stop kissing me because of that.”

“Wow, bossy.” You laughed as he placed his hand at the back of your neck as if to make a point. Pushing his hair back you shoved that worry from your mind. You sat sharing soft, intimate kisses in the dim lamplight of your new space. His lips tasted like the soot and blood he smelled like and it gave you the oddest thrill to memorize those new marks on his lips. Strong hands brushed over your arms and then down to your hips and you pulled back from that kiss, reluctantly. He looked in a daze, but a happy one. As if you’d woken him from a nap.

His thumb brushed over your hip, hands gently caressing over the outside of your thighs and back up again. Liu Kang was no longer nervous to touch you and his hands at your thighs were practically a death sentence.

“…you’re trying to get out of getting cleaned up.”

“It’s working.” He smiled up at you and pressed his lips to yours again and you returned that kiss for a second before pulling back.

“Boy, is it working.”

“The scrapes aren’t going anywhere.”

“I know.” You brushed his loose, messy hair from his face. “Let me take care of them?”

“Mmm…” He considered this and his hands returned to your waist. “Yes, of course, Y/N.” You took to tending to the scrape on his jaw, on his cheek, on his forehead. It was soothing. He closed his eyes and let you take care of him as if the motion were putting him to sleep. Then you finally set aside the first aid supplies and admired your handiwork. Liu Kang was only made more handsome by the scrapes on his face. How was that possible? Were you that wrapped around his finger? “How’s it look, doc?”

“I hate to say it, but incredibly attractive.” You sighed dreamily and he laughed and leaned his head up to give you a sleepy kiss.

“You made me tired.”

“I could tell.”

“It was nice to be cared for by you.”

“I care for you.” You weren’t good at saying what you felt but Liu Kang made you feel more confident about the lousy way you expressed yourself.

“Careful, Y/N. That might mean too much to me.”

You shivered from head to toe as his hand brushed over your back. Then he sat up sleepily and wrapped his arms around you. “I care about you, Liu.” You rested your hand on the side of his neck and closed your eyes. “More than you know.” He shivered beneath your touch.

“If I stayed tonight… would that be okay?”

You worried instantly what would happen if you had an incident during your dreams again.

“…what if…”

“I’m willing to take the risk.” Liu Kang didn’t seem as concerned about it as you thought he should be. His thumb brushed over your lower back and he left a soft, sleepy kiss on your shoulder. He must have been exhausted.

“Stay.” You relented far too easily. You wanted his arms around you forever. They felt safe and strong. Liu Kang lifted you up and then lazily rested you in bed before crawling in right after you.

“You okay to sleep in that?”

“Yeah.” You adjusted yourself in his arms. “It’s fine.”

“Seems like a lot.” He closed his eyes and urged you to rest with your back to him, tugging you close. Apparently, Liu Kang was fond of being the big spoon. You couldn’t argue. As his hands brushed over your stomach and you sunk into him you felt you could lay like this in his arms forever.

“Oh, really?”

“Could help with that…”

“Wow.” You laughed but even as he joked you could feel him falling asleep next to you. “We have a lot to talk about, you know.”

“I do. Too comfortable right now though. Thought we made good progress.”

“You’re falling asleep.” You whispered as he slurred against your shoulder, face buried in your hair. He made a positive sound and you let him rest. It would take you ages to sleep but feeling his heart beating against your back with his arms securely around you was the best end to this horrible day that you could have hoped for.

18 notes · View notes

mxdotombra · 3 years

Photo

Musa, the one character I’m the least confident about (besides Aisha but I’m only doing season one right now). Please ignore, I forgot her belly button. Yay.

I will remake this because wow am I not proud

Below the cut is some thoughts as well as just discussing her character in this remake? Kinda its more just thoughts and nothing concrete

Okay, left to right lets go. I just really like cropped sweatshirts I don’t know, she just seems like she’d have one. She’s supposed to be cool? I guess? I won’t lie, really I have an aesthetic in my head that I totally failed to draw or even come close to. Finals week. yay. Okay so useless belt is useless, but I do enjoy the wide legged pant even if I know that it would be nothing but swish swish swish down the hall of magic school and that's hilarious to me. Also if you look hard enough (please don’t) You’ll see a magic airpod. That is an addition at midnight while I think about Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government.

Fair form is pretty basic, not my best and pretty boring but it is my belief that as they grow more powerful their forms become intricate as they can spend more magic on it, and as she is rebelling and tasting freedom I guess she’s trying stuff out? I don’t know why there's a window that was actually an accident (I got my wires crossed trying to draw spider ham as the pig miraculous with a b00b window) but I do like her design, its not my favorite and I’d change a lot of it in hindsight but still, I wanted it to be simple with hints of complexity. She has basic fairy wings with a gradient, yay.

Last outfit is admittedly like a chilling around the dorms outfit, meant to be just basic and comfy? Its on old band T-shirt from earth featuring rather unknown band 10,000 Angels (not a real band I just thought itd be neat) that Bloom was once a huge fan of. She gave Musa the shirt because Musa became a fan of em when checking out what Bloom had saved on her phone because bonding dammit let me have this. Its kind of worn and not made of material common in the magic realm but honestly its a different kind of rebellion (you see the only character trait I understand in her? You see me push it to the annoying extreme?)

Also her favorite color is yellow. Let her wear yellow!

Okay a few other notes. I’d imagine she’d have larger ears than most fairies, more bat like than anything. While Stella’s are long and pointed hers are more meant to pic up sound. As well as she grows older they become more prominent and her hearing grows. I forgot to add but her nails are naturally sharp and tough as well as her teeth (she got shark chompers). She really doesn’t have a passive effect on the environment around her, but her voice is notably easier to hear in a crowd and much louder.

Her character in this reboot isn’t really explored, so far. I really want to because she is shown to be the passionate hot heat of the group, compared to Bloom’s stubborn emotional fury. Where Bloom is sudden outbursts and regret, Musa is a prolonged argumentative anger, willing to push buttons to win. Its a bad trait really and she does tend to take things personally, she’s rather self conscious even if she is a self proclaimed rebel simply because she is afraid someone will take it from her.

Overall, she is emotional and tries to be tough, and bonds with Bloom and Tecna as they all struggle with their own emotional issues (Bloom as it pertains to her magic, Tecna to not having experience with other’s emotions, and Musa with loss and general personal issues). Still she is witty and while argumentative, quite cheerful to be with her friends. She is unafraid to get in someone’s face and paired with Stella she is prepared to help defend her friends against the world.

Also I’d have her break up for good with Riven. Fully. I understand getting back together, she’d afraid of being left or abandoned again and is emotionally vulnerable. She relies heavily on those she trusts so its hard to lose one of those people (or Riven in this case). But its to the point (and like with Bloom and Sky), that due to experiences and events they are not emotionally mature enough or have not has enough personal growth to care for both themselves and another. It seems they constantly argue and fight and are unable to communicate and I think, that after enough development of Musa and Riven growing as characters with their own issues, that they should leave eachother for good.

But hey its my opinion whatever, just don’t get me started on Bloom and Sky.

Also she likes musicals, she’d adore high school musical no I do take criticism.

#winx club #Winx #winx musa #my art #winx club redesign #winx redesign #character redesign

33 notes · View notes

divingtotheunknown · 3 years

Text

Living In Uncertainties

To anyone who continues to resist like me, you may not realize it now but you are ever so lucky to not have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. A huge part of people’s lives was swiftly taken from them as the virus raged across the country. Who would have thought that the one week suspension we heard on the news last year would last until now.

Most of the time, it felt unreal how the entire thing was. It was as if my world stopped and I was confined to one of its corners. I can’t say for myself how terrible the experience was, just that it was. It brought out the worst in the society, in men; selfishness, greed, indifference and above all, fear. Fear was the biggest of the four. It influenced all the others to terrorize the hearts and minds of people.

The virus was very unpredictable for a long time. It is actually testing the technology to stave off the virus. It could appear anywhere, anytime without us knowing and it could’ve meant life or death.

Which means to say that the possibility of anyone we loved or us ourselves getting the virus was high and that could very well be the end of the line. I can’t stress enough how badly that fear affected the mental and emotional well-being of a lot of the people I knew. Personally, I never expected this pandemic would let social media affect my own thinking. The same goes with the mindset of the public with what and how they consume information online. The fact the fake news is everywhere, undeniably a lot of people became victims of it, even some members of my family - which is why it is really important how important it is to be a responsible user nowadays. It was evident that during the first few days, we were vigorously trying to find ways to take off the looming dread from that thought but it seems that no matter how far we ran, that thought kept close on our tails.

People spoke up about the stress this entire thing would cause on society. In particular, the working class and the poor were the most affected. A lot of them needed to work daily just to get paid and earn a living. They had to stop so that they could be safe and also to stop the number of infected people from increasing. There was nothing they could do. When they left, it seemed as if society had stopped as well. To be honest, our business was affected as well. Luckily, I was able to help my parents continue the business through the use of e-commerce using different platforms online but I know and it is sad that not everyone has the access and ability to move forward using the same resources we had. Only a few workers were allowed to be outside of their homes, they were the medical workers and frontliners like those who worked in groceries. A lot of medical workers lost their lives to the virus. How painful it must have been for their colleagues to watch as the people beside them fell ill and succumbed to death. A friend of mine shared to me how hard it was for them not to see her father personally after dying due to a virus. He ended his life fulfilling his duty as a Doctor. Saying the last words for her Dad through video call is different from the usual but again, what can we do? I can only imagine all the pain they carried during those days. How brave they all were, risking their own safety for the sake of others. They did not want to be part of that front and yet there they were.

This stress was also put on students. Universities decided to conduct online classes completely. I did not see the fairness in that. While it’s true that we students should give value to our time by spending it on education, we too felt the weight of the situation. A lot of us were still coping with the madness that seemed to take on the world. But what could we do? Over a year, we have been so hopeful that one day, we can still go back to the campus but despite all that, I am still grateful for the power of media and technology. Applications like Facebook allows us to keep in touch, Twitter and Instagram reminds us to be updated, Blackboard, Zoom, Discord and other articulations of social media allows us to continue pursuing our dreams despite all the limitations and challenges brought by the pandemic. We had no choice but to resign to our fate of finishing the academic year against our wishes.

During these days, the government seemed to be at its worst. It turned out that hospitals all over the country were underprepared because they were not funded properly. What’s worse was that the government deployed the police and troops to “ensure public safety”. Just like what we always see in different social media applications, police do not protect the public, instead the people behind all the shortcomings in the country. How ironic it was to see the military well-armed. It added nothing more than fear to the people. There were several incidents where the military unjustly shot people down for being suspicious or unruly. They did not even hesitate to point their guns! Good thing is, with the continuous innovation in terms of technology, there was much evidence online that would prove the blasphemy of the abusers of power.

It did not take long for people to realize that they would be stuck at home for so long. Everyone needed to stay home and so they needed as many supplies as possible. However, it came to a point where people got greedy and all they could think of was themselves. People tend to hoard whenever they see news about the possible shift of quarantine and this is actually a situation I can connect with the lesson about substantivism wherein technology has a capability to affect or mold the people and even the society. I understand the need to look for one’s own welfare, I understand the need to care for our loved ones but what I did not understand was why people had to cross the line towards being greedy and hoarding far more than they needed.

As far as man has evolved, its progress is still so little. In the midst of a global crisis, they found time to claw at each other’s throats by pointing fingers to pass the blame. It came to a point where Asian people were discriminated against as carriers of the disease. Perhaps the worst case was that of the American president calling COVID-19 the Chinese virus. I felt ashamed of these people. There were a lot of others trying to help build more unity and yet these people were insensitive enough to cause more divisions. I dream that such connectivity has been brought to us by the media, hopefully time will come it will also apply to the society, country even as one nation.

It was truly a terrible time. Imagine the reality of a global scale crisis paired dawning on you from behind and before you are the immoral choices made by the society you live in. It was one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. I felt crushed by the immense weight of the situation we were all in.

I missed the outdoors, I missed my friends, I missed school. I missed the joys that I could only experience outside of my home, I missed the fresh air, I missed the sunlight. realized that I took a lot of these for granted. We can only see our loved ones on our screens and it is heartbreaking that we can no longer do the things we are used to. It’s true what they say: you only realize the value of some things once they are gone or taken away from you.

All I could wonder then, was if life would ever be back to the way things were.

They say that during the direst of situations, the worst and best in man shows. I’ve had my fair share of seeing just how bad a man can get. Yet, there were times when man’s goodness prevailed. In fact, you’d be surprised just how many of them there are.

A lot of people held volunteer work that reached out to poor communities so that they could be given food and supplies. Some people hosted online charity events from their homes to raise funds to donate to the medical effort, online donations drive and they even use media as their means of communication for community pantry. It was those moments that gave me hope and reminded me of how morally good people can be. During those moments it felt like not everything was wrong with the world.

Those days really made me realize how difficult it was to really put a finger on what morality is. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that we may never really be completely good or bad. Sometimes, we’re a little bit of each other. Indeed, people are constantly changing, even technology and society. It’s unbelievable how new media changes our lives, our way of living and how we use these innovations although there’s always pros and cons. It’s hard to juggle that thought because we are so limited, so small compared to the universe we live in.

The message I leave with you now, dear reader, is to live. To live means to learn. To live means to see. To live means to understand, to appreciate, to feel, to live is everything. Get rid of the distractions caused by these changes. Concern yourself with the world so as not to be selfish but also devote time to yourself when you need it.

REFERENCES:

Soriano, P. N. (2021, August 31). Nueva Ecija records 14 new COVID-19 Delta variant cases. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/nation/covid-19-delta-variant-cases-nueva-ecija-august-27-2021?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR20YsXyEhuxFMu7Y4P5uWon2xRnYZ7tqpQWSCJxxaaCdpFsTKtasfe5zI8#Echobox=1630055399

Pangue, J. (2021, January 9). In 2021, communities can prove that fighting disinformation isn’t just media’s role. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/moveph/communities-prove-fighting-disinformation-not-just-media-role

1 note · View note

howieabel · 4 years

Text

Poetry in the time of isolation

For the first time in the globalised age, everyone is reacting to and in some way affected by a single story - a virus making its way around the earth; and this is the first time in history that we can speak about our experiences to people all over the globe as it happens.

I've recently been reading about other plagues and epidemics in history. A century ago, as the first world war was raging and coming to an end for some, the Spanish Flu took more lives in a shorter time than the war took in its four years, a sum which could have been many times more than 50 million people. Nobody really knows exactly where that flu came from, although anyone who knows what life was like in the trenches wouldn't be too surprised of its potential to spread. However, the first cases of the flu were in military forts in the USA, and may have spread to Europe from there. It was only called the 'Spanish' Flu because Spain was neutral in the first world war, and therefore its press was more free - Spanish newspapers reported on the flu accurately, unlike every other combating power who didn't want to demoralise their troops with the mass death that was occurring, not at the hands of enemy soldiers, but a common enemy to all combatants - the appalling conditions that they were fighting in, the ideal way for a virus to wreak havoc.

This time around, calling the virus the Coronavirus, or Covid-19, is more sensible, as much as demagogues like Trump may want to call it the 'Chinese virus'. It seems to have been past from bats (like Ebola) to pangolins, which were sold in wet markets in Wuhan in China, to humans, but as is always the case, these origins remain murky, and often disgusting. These markets are unregulated by the government, as animals from all over the world can be imported there, where they languish in the most awful conditions - not to feed the poor, but as a sort of trophy food for the rich; and that's why many countries are in on the game, letting their merchants illegally export rare, often endangered, often hunted animals to the wet markets.

The Chinese government had tried to crack down on this after previous outbreaks of SARS, including in 2002, but it has proved difficult to rein in the peculiar tastes of the new rich, and of trophy hunters around the globe. Hopefully they learn from the crisis and regulate or eliminate the trading practices of their wet markets. In the mean time, it seems they have controlled the outbreak very well once it happened, and now they are sending doctors to Italy, alongside more recent help from Russia and Cuba, to help with the Italian government's much less successful attempts to control the spread. Unfortunately, as we saw with Ebola, these viruses can pop up every few years just about anywhere, especially, it seems, where there are bats. But I don't know enough about the transmissions from animal to human to write more about this. What i'm most interested in are past examples of how human communities and their governments have tried to shield their vulnerable from plagues and pandemics.

The most interesting example I found was from when the plague came to Italy almost 400 years ago, in the autumn of 1629. This of course is especially relevant as, from the day of this post, Italy is the worst affected of all countries by the virus, which poses a number of questions - Why Italy? Because they have one of the oldest populations? Because there is more inter-generational living than in many other countries? Because of just simple bad luck, for example a virus spreading through catholic mass, hour upon hour upon hour, so that by time it was realised to be a problem, it was already too late?

The reason the reaction to the 1629 plague interests me, is because it shows the importance of government and community reaction to a pandemic - it can make all the difference. Italy had a number of different city states, so we can compare their reaction, and although such comparisons are never perfect, they are some of the best we have. For example, in Verona 61% of people died - in Milan, 46%, in Venice - 33%, and in Florence? 12%. So what did the Sanità, the city of Florence's health board, and government, do so well that they greatly lessened the death toll in comparison to other cities in Italy? One reason this is an especially interesting question is because 12% seems to be around the average mortality figure for the coronavirus (especially among countries with an ageing population and/or a fractured health care system).

What did the Sanità in Florence do then, in the plague year of 1629? They arranged the delivery of food, wine and firewood to the homes of the quarantined (30,452 of them). Each quarantined person received a daily allowance of two loaves of bread and half a boccale (around a pint) of wine. On Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays, they were given meat. On Tuesdays, they got a sausage seasoned with pepper, fennel and rosemary. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, rice and cheese were delivered; on Friday, a salad of sweet and bitter herbs. Every morning, hundreds of people in the lazaretti were prescribed theriac concoctions, liquors mixed with ground pearls or crushed scorpions, and bitter lemon cordials. The Sanità also devolved some tasks to the city’s confraternities. The brothers of San Michele Arcangelo conducted a housing survey to identify possible sources of contagion; the members of the Archconfraternity of the Misericordia transported the sick in perfumed willow biers from their homes to the lazaretti. But mostly, the city government footed the bill, and making use of its own police force, court and prison – also punished those who broke quarantine. Its court heard 566 cases between September 1630 and July 1631, with the majority of offenders – 60 per cent – arrested, imprisoned, and later released without a fine. A further 11 per cent were imprisoned and fined, rich and poor alike.

Some of this account would even sound impressive now (especially the pint of wine a day!). It must have been like a revelation to the poor for them to realise that something like this was possible - that the people around them who were thirsty or hungry didn't have to be. It shows how a crisis can destroy the previous idea of normalcy and replace it with a totally new normal. In Britain, for example, the Conservative Party for years laughed at the spending plans proposed by the Labour opposition, ridiculed them as the mad schemes of communists, and every day ad infinitum posed the question on television - but how will you pay for it? Doesn't it all seem very unrealistic?

And now look where we are - our governments are spending more money to cope with this crisis than anyone had ever suggested, millions and millions of people's wages are being payed as a sort of Universal Basic Income, and it suddenly turns out that it would have been a very good thing if everyone had free and fast public broadband after all, now that it is apparent that everyone needs and deserves good communication during this pandemic, not only for them to communicate with their loved ones, but also so they can access the right information. Homeless people in London have been given hotel rooms at no cost. People are coordinating in their communities to help the elderly and the vulnerable, to bring them their groceries so they never have to leave the house. Many countries have nationalised their entire private hospital network, to give their beds to the infected. Look at how Korea and Taiwan have reacted to this crisis, for example, and then compare it to European countries. Many government's have not yet gone far enough, and will need to go further over the coming months to cope with the crisis as it unfolds, and as usual the British and the American governments are some of the most reluctant, not just to foot the bill, but to make what was previously thought impossible, possible after all. If they show, in direct counterbalance to the last decade of austerity, that they had the money to do this all along, it might cause them some problems afterwards. But they have no choice - we are living now in a new normal, and all the old economic orthodoxy has been thrown out the window.

In a time of crisis like this, it suddenly becomes apparent that doctors, cleaners, supermarket staff, food and public sector workers, and in this case also postmen and delivery workers, are the lynchpins of society. It's a shame we haven't spent the less 10 years looking after them a bit better, and perhaps because of this, many more people will lose their lives than should have done if we had started looking after them earlier. There's still a very high possibility that the NHS in Britain could break under the pressure. Unfortunately, we don't have as many doctors are we could have had. There isn't much of an incentive for the young to train to become doctors or nurses, with such pitiful pay and long hours. But there are still many selfless souls who take it upon themselves to make the sacrifice - nevertheless, most of my friends who studied medicine and care had to leave the UK to continue their studies after school, countries where they are now helping in this crisis as junior doctors. They simply couldn't afford the university and accommodation costs in the UK.

As we all begin to adjust to this new normal, and as it becomes clearer that the old world can never be brought back again, perhaps from now on we can fix some of our mistakes and prepare better, so that when the next crisis comes along, we don't find that the people who keep our society going were kicked out of it by the rest of us a long time ago. And as we come out of the crisis, with millions, even billions, of unemployed all over the world, remember then how it was possible to pay people's wages even when they weren't working. If we are against all visionary thinking, then we are also against the NHS, the 8 hour working day, and public parks and free museums. They were utopian ideas once, and in many countries, they still are. What will be normal afterwards? Our reaction now will define the future we can create. Our breadth of vision will determine whether or not we demand its creation.

“The assumption that what currently exists must necessarily exist is the acid that corrodes all visionary thinking.” - Murray Bookchin

Support me on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/35150389

#Coronavirus #UK #Britain #Conservatives #Boris Johnson #England #Virus #Covid-19 #Wash your hands #Wuhan #Italy

11 notes · View notes

berniesrevolution · 5 years

Photo

Brothers and Sisters–

I am writing to let you know I have decided to run for president of the United States. I am asking you today to join me as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country.

Please join our campaign for president on day one and commit to doing what it takes to win this election.

Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history. It is not only about winning the Democratic nomination and the general election.

Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life. I’m talking about Wall Street, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military-industrial complex, the private-prison industry and the large multi-national corporations that exert such an enormous influence over our lives.

Our campaign is about redoubling our efforts to end racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry and all forms of discrimination.

Our campaign is about creating a vibrant democracy with the highest voter turnout of any major country while we end voter suppression, Citizens United and outrageous levels of gerrymandering.

Our campaign is about creating a government and economy that works for the many, not just the few. We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. We should not have grotesque levels of wealth inequality in which three billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of the country.

We should not have 30 million Americans without any health insurance, even more who are under-insured and a nation in which life expectancy is actually in decline.

We should not have an economy in which tens of millions of workers earn starvation wages and half of older workers have no savings as they face retirement.

We should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth and a dysfunctional childcare system which is unfair to both working parents and their children.

We should not have a regressive tax system in which large, profitable corporations like Amazon pay nothing in federal income taxes.

Make no mistake about it. The powerful special interests in this country have unbelievable power and they want to maintain the status quo. They have unlimited amounts of money to spend on campaigns and lobbying and have huge influence over the media and political parties.

The only way we will win this election and create a government and economy that works for all is with a grassroots movement – the likes of which has never been seen in American history.

They may have the money and power. We have the people. That is why we need one million Americans who will commit themselves to this campaign.

Stand with me as we fight to win the Democratic nomination and the general election. Add your name to join this campaign and say you are willing to do the hard work necessary to transform our country.

You know as well as I do that we are living in a pivotal and dangerous moment in American history. We are running against a president who is a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy as he leads us in an authoritarian direction.

I’m running for president because, now more than ever, we need leadership that brings us together – not divides us up. Women and men, black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight, young and old, native born and immigrant. Now is the time for us to stand together.

I’m running for president because we need leadership that will fight for working families and the shrinking middle class, not just the 1 percent. We need a president who understands that we can create millions of good-paying jobs, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and construct the affordable housing we desperately need.

I’m running for president because we need trade policies that reflect the interests of workers and not multi-national corporations. We need to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, provide pay equity for women and guarantee all workers paid family and medical leave.

I’m running for president because we need to understand that artificial intelligence and robotics must benefit the needs of workers, not just corporate America and those who own that technology.

I’m running for president because a great nation is judged not by how many billionaires and nuclear weapons it has, but by how it treats the most vulnerable – the elderly, the children, our veterans, the sick and the poor.

I’m running for president because we need to make policy decisions based on science, not politics. We need a president who understands that climate change is real, is an existential threat to our country and the entire planet, and that we can generate massive job creation by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

I’m running for president because the time is long overdue for the United States to join every other major country on Earth and guarantee health care to all people as a right, not a privilege, through a Medicare-for-all program.

I’m running for president because we need to take on the outrageous level of greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug prices in this country.

I’m running for president because we need to have the best educated workforce in the world. It is totally counter-productive for our future that millions of Americans are carrying outrageous levels of student debt, while many others cannot afford the high cost of higher education. That is why we need to make public colleges and universities tuition free and lower student debt.

I’m running for president because we must defend a woman’s right to control her own body against massive political attacks taking place at the local state and federal level.

I’m running for president because we need real criminal justice reform. We need to invest in jobs and education for our kids, not more jails and incarceration. We need to end the destructive “war on drugs,” eliminate private prisons and cash bail and bring about major police department reform.

I’m running for president because we need to end the demonization of undocumented immigrants in this country and move to comprehensive immigration reform. We need to provide immediate legal status for the young people eligible for the DACA program and develop a humane policy for those at the border who seek asylum.

I’m running for president because we must end the epidemic of gun violence in this country. We need to take on the NRA, expand background checks, end the gun show loophole and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons.

I’m running for president because we need a foreign policy which focuses on democracy, human rights, diplomacy and world peace. The United States must lead the world in improving international cooperation in the fight against climate change, militarism, authoritarianism and global wealth inequality.

That is why we need at least a million people to join our campaign and help lead the movement that can accomplish these goals. Add your name to say we’re in this together.

Needless to say, there is a lot of frightening and bad news in this world. Now, let me give you some very good news.

Three years ago, during our 2016 campaign, when we brought forth our progressive agenda we were told that our ideas were “radical,” and “extreme.” We were told that Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, free tuition at public colleges and universities, aggressively combating climate change, demanding that the wealthy start paying their fair share of taxes, were all of concepts that the American people would never accept.

Well, three years have come and gone. And, as result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies and more are now supported by a majority of Americans.

Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.

So here is my question for you:

Will you stand with me as part of a million person grassroots movement which can not only win the Democratic primary, not only win the general election but most importantly help transform this country so that, finally, we have a government that works for all of us and not just the few? Add your name to say you will.

Together we can create a nation that leads the world in the struggle for peace and for economic, racial, social and environmental justice.

And together we can defeat Donald Trump and repair the damage he has done to our country.

Brothers and sisters, if we stand together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

I hope you will join me.

Thank you very much.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

#Bernie Sanders

539 notes · View notes

awed-frog · 5 years

Note

If I may ask, what do you think of the whole sea watch 3 mess? And indeed of the whole migrant situation in Italy?

Well - I have messy thoughts about that. Mostly I’m angry, disgusted, worried and pretty hopeless about the whole thing.

As a recap for people who haven’t been following this (complicated stuff ahead, so I don’t claim to be right about everything):

1) In 1990, the EU decided on how to deal with migrants by drafting the Dublin Regulation, which came into effect in 1997. The idea was charmingly simple: people seeking refuge in Europe should ask for asylum in the first European country they got to. Optimists claim it was difficult back then to imagine any complications, since immigration was very low and European countries still had borders and everything else, but in hindsight, you have to wonder why countries like Italy agreed to this at all. You obviously can’t get to Germany or the UK without crossing through Italy or Spain first, so the Dublin Regulation was bound to cause huge problems. The other ridiculous thing is that the Italian government that signed this was headed by Andreotti, a nearly immortal ghoul princeling who’d been in politics since the 1750s and had been implicated in at least two murders.

(He’d also been found guilty of collaboration with the mafia, but was let go on a technical detail.)

2) In 2011, Muammar Gaddafi, ‘Brotherly Leader’ of Libya, was killed. We still don’t know exactly what went down - more on that in a second - but a general problem the West has in the Middle East and Africa is that we tend to support dictatorts, no matter how brutal, because it’s just easier to do business and get our way with one greedy and corrupt person than it is to deal with an entire Parliament, but the risk we overlook, time and time again, is that all-powerful dictators tend to become more and more ambitious and form their own plans, which may or may not align with Western interests. In the case of Gaddafi, Hilary’s emails (I know, I know) seem to indicate the real reason the West - and particularly France, as in former President Nicholas ‘I’m the son of an immigrant but he was the right kind of immigrant’ Sarkozy - suddenly got annoyed with Gaddafi is that Gaddafi was planning to introduce a new banking system in Africa - a thing that would rival the CFA franc.

(That’s a currency used in fourteen African countries which is basically a leftover from French colonialism - it’s managed directly from the French Treasury, and that gives France more or less full control of those countries’ economies).

So anyway, NATO got all tough on Libya, Gaddafi was killed, and as a result Libya is now a failed state with - if that’s possible - more human rights violations than before - particularly relevant for your question is a very harsh treatment of black Africans (down to and including literal ‘slave markets’ where people are bought and sold, also torture camps and everything in between). This happens partly because it’s lucrative af, and partly because there’s been bad blood between ethnic Arabs and black Africans for generations.

So, aynway, that’s the general context. What happened next is what we’ve seen for the last few years - an increase in the number of immigrants coming to Europe, therefore an increase of the number of deaths in the Mediterranean, therefore widespread panic leading to

immoral and unethical deals with people like Erdogan (I say ‘people’, lol)

a sharp rise of the extreme right and

a general inability to welcome those desperate enough to come here and offer them a decent life.

Most recently, Italy’s far-right Interior Minister decided to close down the harbours to prevent NGOs-operated rescue ships from docking. The Sea-Watch 3, which was carrying 42 migrants, decided to ignore this and go to Lampedusa, in Sicily - the closest and safest harbour. Now its captain has been arrested, but it’s unclear what will happen next.

If you’re asking me what do I make of all this - I don’t know. It’s a mess.

For instance, there are studies showing that if NGO ships patrol international waters, the crossing gets more dangerous, because people smugglers don’t bother finding good ships - they know they just have to get migrants off the coast of Libya, and someone will pick them up. This means more risk for the immigrants themselves, and more money for the smugglers. But on the other hand, no rescue ships there means no help at all, so if something goes wrong, those people are doomed. The same ‘yes but’ applies to many other issues concerning migration. Like, a lot of migrants coming in (and these are people who were left with nothing, including ID) means more of them disappearing into thin air, because of the badly-organized and overcrowded camps. We know thousands of them end up exploited by criminal gangs - in Italy, a particularly brutal business is managed by the Nigerian mafia, which trafficks thousands of women into prostitution and terrifies them into obedience thanks to ‘black magic’, but there’s also agricultural workers, people forced into drug trafficking, kids who end up homeless and so on. Another major problem is that - other than the Syrians - the immigrants who got to Europe over the last decade are difficult to integrate into the legit labour market because they lack the necessary qualifications. Most of the European is now tertiary-based, which means you need some kind of post-high school diploma to do anything, and research shows about half of those coming here didn’t even finish primary school.

(To be very clear: I’m not saying this is in any way their fault, or something that can’t be fixed. But: it does encourage a battle of the have-nots, as people at the bottom - including chunks of the native population, immigrants from Eastern Europe and more recent immigrants from the rest of the world - compete for those few and miserable options open to them, like run-down housing, meagre welfare checks, and a handful of jobs you don’t need qualifications for.)

On top of that, many migrants would need a lot of support, because they escaped from horrific situations - not only those torture camps in Libya, but everything else you can think of: civil wars, political persecution, brutal rapes, whatever - that’s also something that has a cost no one wants to cover. And finally, since coming to Europe is so dangerous, most immigrants tend to be young men on their own - which is exactly the ‘worst’ group of people in any culture.

(Sorry if that sounds bad, what I mean is - we know that for whatever reason, young men everywhere tend to be more reckless than other social groups, and that increases the chance for risky behaviour - especially when the person is not ‘kept in check’ by a well-structured community. Thus, a young man without family or friends is more likely to make stupid or dangerous choices - for himself or others - than, say, a middle-aged father or a young woman.)

All of this, as daunting as it is, could be solved - after all, this is not an invasion: it’s numbers we can manage - but probably won’t because:

1) There’s some interest in keeping the situation as it is. More migrants means more political success for right-wing and extreme right parties, not to mention huge profits for a lot of people.

2) Right now, the EU can’t agree on anything because of reasons.

3) Nobody wants to do the right thing, ie treat Middle Eastern and African countries with a modicum of respect and actually support them and their development instead of propping up whatever strongman is convenient and robbing their citizens of whatever isn’t nailed down.

4) The countries on the EU borders have their own issues and right now it’s very hard to imagine those issues ever going away. Like, under many respects Italy’s basically a failed state that relies on the goodwill of half its citizens to keep trudging forward. It never rooted out clientelism, corruption, or tax evasion - plus, it still hasn’t defeated its own mafias, and despite an exceedingly brave and dedicated bunch of policemen and judges (plus all those ordinary citizens risking their necks every day by saying no and living an honest life), the battle against foreign mafias (like the Albanians, and more recently the Nigerians) is probably a task beyond its means.

So, well - sorry this turned into a novel. I guess what I think is - I admire people like Sea-Watch 3 captain Carola Rackete and everyone else who volunteers and fights for the most vulnerable, and I think the current government is a disgrace, but ultimately immigration is a political problem whose only solution is the usual solution to everything else: more courage, more competence, more transparency; less inequality, less greed, less corruption. More democracy, and a democracy operating without the (overt and covert) influence of powerful lobbies. Less support to dictators, fair wages for workers and fair prices for raw materials - even if that includes higher prices for Western consumers. And, above all, more regulations and less power to corporations and stakeholders.

Very few people actually want to leave their homes, but if we keep forcing them out, then they’ll keep fleeing - with all the consequences that entails.

#ask #sea watch 3 #carola rackete #immigration #italy #eu #sorry for the lack of sources #it's still very hot here #my brain's melting #but everything is googlable #there shouldn't be anything weird at all #long post for ts #somehow the 'cut here' doesn't work anymore??#sorry guys!#you can press j to skip things though

57 notes · View notes

magesona · 5 years

Text

YO EVERYONE HEY

BERNIE IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN

REPEAT - BERNIE SANDERS IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS

This is the turn of the era everyone, honest to everything holy and whatever you hold dear, i really truly believe this is our opportunity to fix the fucked up shit Trump has been doing, and to lead America and humanity into a more positive and progressive future! This isn’t a petition or asking for a donation (though it will ask after you sign, you don’t have to, but y'know it’d be helpful if you can afford it), Bernie just wants to know and be able to show we’ll all be with him during this campaign!

This is all it takes, for real just sign!! Sign if you’re with this wonderful sweet man who has been screwed by elite class countless times, he wants to and can do so much to help our people, but we have to work together on this!! Believe me, even if the system is corrupt, even if it may not work in the end, it’s worth a shot! I’d say it’s worth the biggest shot we have, don’t let pessimism hold us back! Things have changed over the past few years, we have more of an advantage now with people realizing just how wrong they were to trust the man we’ve put into power. It’s the only way we can fight him and the broken system, TOGETHER!!

https://act.berniesanders.com/signup/em_bern_message/

Below the cut, i’ve included the rest of Bernie’s email. It includes all the promises he’s making for us, explains what we’re up against, and why he thinks we have a chance this time. It’s astounding how many important topics he addresses, universe bless this precious man, please don’t let the system fail him again.

---

I am writing to let you know I have decided to run for president of the United States. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country.

Please join our campaign for president on day one and commit to doing what it takes to win this election.

Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history. It is not only about winning the Democratic nomination and the general election.

Our campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice.

Our campaign is about taking on the powerful special interests that dominate our economic and political life. I’m talking about Wall Street, the health insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, the private prison industry and the large multinational corporations that exert such an enormous influence over our lives.

Our campaign is about redoubling our efforts to end racism, sexism, homophobia, religious bigotry and all forms of discrimination.

Our campaign is about creating a vibrant democracy with the highest voter turnout of any major country while we end voter suppression, Citizens United and outrageous levels of gerrymandering.

Our campaign is about creating a government and economy that work for the many, not just the few. We are the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. We should not have grotesque levels of wealth inequality in which three billionaires own more wealth than the bottom half of the country.

We should not have 30 million Americans without any health insurance, even more who are underinsured and a nation in which life expectancy is actually in decline.

We should not have an economy in which tens of millions of workers earn starvation wages and half of older workers have no savings as they face retirement.

We should not have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth and a dysfunctional childcare system which is unfair to both working parents and their children.

We should not have a regressive tax system in which large, profitable corporations like Amazon pay nothing in federal income taxes.

The only way we will win this election and create a government and economy that work for all is with a grassroots movement – the likes of which has never been seen in American history.

They may have the money and power. We have the people. That is why we need one million Americans who will commit themselves to this campaign.

I’m running for president because we need to understand that artificial intelligence and robotics must benefit the needs of workers, not just corporate America and those who own that technology.

I’m running for president because we need to take on the outrageous level of greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug prices in this country.

I’m running for president because we need to have the best educated workforce in the world. It is totally counterproductive for our future that millions of Americans are carrying outrageous levels of student debt, while many others cannot afford the high cost of higher education. That is why we need to make public colleges and universities tuition free and lower student debt.

I’m running for president because we must defend a woman’s right to control her own body against massive political attacks taking place at the local, state and federal level.

That is why we need at least a million people to join our campaign and help lead the movement that can accomplish these goals. Add your name to say we’re in this together.

Needless to say, there is a lot of frightening and bad news in this world. Now, let me give you some very good news.

Three years ago, during our 2016 campaign, when we brought forth our progressive agenda we were told that our ideas were “radical” and “extreme.” We were told that Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, free tuition at public colleges and universities, aggressively combating climate change, demanding that the wealthy start paying their fair share of taxes, were all concepts that the American people would never accept.

Well, three years have come and gone. And, as result of millions of Americans standing up and fighting back, all of these policies and more are now supported by a majority of Americans.

Together, you and I and our 2016 campaign began the political revolution. Now, it is time to complete that revolution and implement the vision that we fought for.

So here is my question for you:

Will you stand with me as part of a million person grassroots movement which can not only win the Democratic primary, not only win the general election, but most importantly help transform this country so that, finally, we have a government that works for all of us and not just the few? Add your name to say you will.

Together we can create a nation that leads the world in the struggle for peace and for economic, racial, social and environmental justice.

And together we can defeat Donald Trump and repair the damage he has done to our country.

Brothers and sisters, if we stand together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

I hope you will join me.

Thank you very much.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders

#bernie sanders #bernie 2020

7 notes · View notes

bojastrology-blog · 7 years

Text

Underrated animes I think the signs would love

I love every one of these animes tbh

Aries: Kekkai Sensen - 12 Episodes (2nd season of same length coming out Oct 2017)

Supersonic monkeys, vampires, talking fishmen, and all sorts of different supernatural monsters living alongside humans—this has been part of daily life in Hellsalem's Lot, formerly known as New York City, for some time now. When a gateway between Earth and the Beyond opened three years ago, New Yorkers and creatures from the other dimension alike were trapped in an impenetrable bubble and were forced to live together. Libra is a secret organization composed of eccentrics and superhumans, tasked with keeping order in the city and making sure that chaos doesn't spread to the rest of the world. Pursuing photography as a hobby, Leonardo Watch is living a normal life with his parents and sister. But when he obtains the "All-seeing Eyes of the Gods" at the expense of his sister's eyesight, he goes to Hellsalem's Lot in order to help her by finding answers about the mysterious powers he received. He soon runs into Libra, and when Leo unexpectedly joins their ranks, he gets more than what he bargained for. Kekkai Sensen follows Leo's misadventures in the strangest place on Earth with his equally strange comrades—as the ordinary boy unwittingly sees his life take a turn for the extraordinary.

Taurus: Mushishi - 46 Episodes (2 seasons)

"Mushi": the most basic forms of life in the world. They exist without any goals or purposes aside from simply "being." They are beyond the shackles of the words "good" and "evil." Mushi can exist in countless forms and are capable of mimicking things from the natural world such as plants, diseases, and even phenomena like rainbows. This is, however, just a vague definition of these entities that inhabit the vibrant world of Mushishi, as to even call them a form of life would be an oversimplification. Detailed information on Mushi is scarce because the majority of humans are unaware of their existence. So what are Mushi and why do they exist? This is the question that a "Mushishi," Ginko, ponders constantly. Mushishi are those who research Mushi in hopes of understanding their place in the world's hierarchy of life. Ginko chases rumors of occurrences that could be tied to Mushi, all for the sake of finding an answer. It could, after all, lead to the meaning of life itself.

Gemini: Psychic Detective Yakumo - 11 Episodes

Haruka Ozawa's sophomore year is getting seriously scary. One of her friends is possessed, another has committed suicide and Haruka could be the next one to flunk the still-breathing test. Her only way out of this potentially lethal dead end? Yakumo Saito, an enigmatic student born with a mysterious red eye that allows him to see and communicate with the dead. But the deceased don't always desist and some killers are more than ready to kill again to keep dead men from telling any more tales. That doesn't stop Haruka's knack for digging up buried secrets, and there's even more evidence of bodies being exhumed by both Yakumo's police contact and an investigative journalist with a newly made corpse in her closet! Can this pair of anything but normal paranormal detectives solve the ultimate dead case files or will they end up in cold storage themselves?

Cancer: Is this a Zombie? - 22 Total Episodes (2 Seasons)

Not every zombie is the monstrous, brain-eating type. One night while walking home from the convenience store, regular high school boy Ayumu Aikawa is killed by a serial killer, and is just as suddenly brought back to life by a necromancer named Eucliwood Hellscythe. One small caveat: he's now a zombie. Things get even weirder for him when he accidentally steals a magical girl's uniform, and thus her powers! Haruna, the ex-magical girl, orders him to fight evil creatures known as Megalo in her place until they can figure out a way to get her powers back to her.

Leo: Parasyte - 24 Episodes

All of a sudden, they arrived: parasitic aliens that descended upon Earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. These insatiable beings acquire full control of their host and are able to morph into a variety of forms in order to feed on unsuspecting prey. Sixteen-year-old high school student Shinichi Izumi falls victim to one of these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive. Thus, the pair is forced into an uneasy coexistence and must defend themselves from hostile parasites that hope to eradicate this new threat to their species.

Virgo: Terror in Resonance - 11 Episodes

Painted in red, the word "VON" is all that is left behind after a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan. The government is shattered by their inability to act, and the police are left frantically searching for ways to crack down the perpetrators. The public are clueless—until, six months later, a strange video makes its way onto the internet. In it, two teenage boys who identify themselves only as "Sphinx" directly challenge the police, threatening to cause destruction and mayhem across Tokyo. Unable to stop the mass panic quickly spreading through the city and desperate for any leads in their investigation, the police struggle to act effectively against these terrorists, with Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki caught in the middle of it all. Zankyou no Terror tells the story of Nine and Twelve, the two boys behind the masked figures of Sphinx. They should not exist, yet they stand strong in a world of deception and secrets while they make the city fall around them, all in the hopes of burying their own tragic truth.

Libra: No Game No Life - 12 Episodes

No Game No Life is a surreal comedy that follows Sora and Shiro, shut-in NEET siblings and the online gamer duo behind the legendary username "Kuuhaku." They view the real world as just another lousy game; however, a strange e-mail challenging them to a chess match changes everything—the brother and sister are plunged into an otherworldly realm where they meet Tet, the God of Games. The mysterious god welcomes Sora and Shiro to Disboard, a world where all forms of conflict—from petty squabbles to the fate of whole countries—are settled not through war, but by way of high-stake games. This system works thanks to a fundamental rule wherein each party must wager something they deem to be of equal value to the other party's wager. In this strange land where the very idea of humanity is reduced to child’s play, the indifferent genius gamer duo of Sora and Shiro have finally found a real reason to keep playing games: to unite the sixteen races of Disboard, defeat Tet, and become the gods of this new, gaming-is-everything world.

Scorpio: Rurouni Kenshin - 95 Episodes

In the final years of the Bakumatsu era lived a legendary assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai. Feared as a merciless killer, he was unmatched throughout the country, but mysteriously disappeared at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. It has been ten peaceful years since then, but the very mention of Battousai still strikes terror into the hearts of war veterans. Unbeknownst to them, Battousai has abandoned his bloodstained lifestyle in an effort to repent for his sins, now living as Kenshin Himura, a wandering swordsman with a cheerful attitude and a strong will. Vowing never to kill again, Kenshin dedicates himself to protecting the weak. One day, he stumbles across Kaoru Kamiya at her kendo dojo, which is being threatened by an impostor claiming to be Battousai. After receiving help from Kenshin, Kaoru allows him to stay at the dojo, and so the former assassin temporarily ceases his travels. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan tells the story of Kenshin as he strives to save those in need of saving. However, as enemies from both past and present begin to emerge, will the reformed killer be able to uphold his new ideals?

+ 3 of the most badass live action movie adaptations

Sagittarius: Nurarihyon no Mago - 48 Total Episodes (2 Seasons)

Rikuo Nura doesn't want anything to do with evil youkai, and just wants a normal life. Too bad he's a quarter youkai, and Nurarihyon, his grandfather, is insistent that he takes over as head of the Nura Clan. He's able to keep his supernatural secret life hidden from his classmates, as he can only transform into a youkai at night, for six hours at a time. Unfortunately for him, various youkai factions are out to target both his youkai and human friends, and like it or not, he needs to embrace his youkai side. Life is not easy when you're Nurarihyon's grandson

Capricorn: Hamatora - 24 Total Episodes (2 Seasons)

The ability to create miracles is not just a supernatural phenomenon; it is a gift which manifests in a limited number of human beings. "Minimum," or small miracles, are special powers that only selected people called "Minimum Holders" possess. The detective agency Yokohama Troubleshooting, or Hamatora for short, is composed of the "Minimum Holder PI Duo," Nice and Murasaki. Their office is a lone table at Cafe Nowhere, where the pair and their coworkers await new clients. Suddenly, the jobs that they begin to receive seem to have strange connections to the serial killer whom their friend Art, a police officer, is searching for. The murder victims share a single similarity: they are all Minimum Holders. Nice and Murasaki, as holders themselves, are drawn to the case—but what exactly is the link between Nice and the one who orchestrates it all?

Aquarius: Trigun - 26 Episodes

Vash the Stampede is the man with a $$60,000,000,000 bounty on his head. The reason: he's a merciless villain who lays waste to all those that oppose him and flattens entire cities for fun, garnering him the title "The Humanoid Typhoon." He leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever he goes, and anyone can count themselves dead if they so much as make eye contact—or so the rumors say. In actuality, Vash is a huge softie who claims to have never taken a life and avoids violence at all costs. With his crazy doughnut obsession and buffoonish attitude in tow, Vash traverses the wasteland of the planet Gunsmoke, all the while followed by two insurance agents, Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, who attempt to minimize his impact on the public. But soon, their misadventures evolve into life-or-death situations as a group of legendary assassins are summoned to bring about suffering to the trio. Vash's agonizing past will be unraveled and his morality and principles pushed to the breaking point.

Pisces: Gangsta. - 12 Episodes

Nicholas Brown and Worick Arcangelo, known in the city of Ergastalum as the "Handymen," are mercenaries for hire who take on jobs no one else can handle. Contracted by powerful mob syndicates and police alike, the Handymen have to be ready and willing for anything. After completing the order of killing a local pimp, the Handymen add Alex Benedetto—a prostitute also designated for elimination—to their ranks to protect her from forces that want her gone from the decrepit hellhole of a city she has come to call home. However, this criminal’s paradise is undergoing a profound period of change that threatens to corrode the delicate balance of power. Ergastalum was once a safe haven for "Twilights," super-human beings born as the result of a special drug but are now being hunted down by a fierce underground organization. This new threat is rising up to challenge everything the city stands for, and the Handymen will not be able to avoid this coming war.

#anime #zodiac #zodiac signs #astrology #anime zodiac #anime zodiac signs #anime astrology #kekkai sensen #mushishi #psychic detective yakumo #is this a zombie #parasyte #terror in resonance #no game no life #rurouni kenshin #nurarihyon no mago #hamatora #trigun #gangsta.

8K notes · View notes

megashadowdragon · 4 years

Link

youtube

www . forbes . com/sites/maurapennington/2012/03/26/robin-hood-has-always-been-a-libertarian-hero/#d4ae45d7cd36

In the age of short attention spans and the all-source Wikipedia, even the greatest novels and films are being abridged to the point that summaries have become primary sources. Legends, through centuries of iterations, have always suffered this fate. Their mutable nature leaves them vulnerable to casual interpretations, yet they survive as stories by retaining some kernel throughout every retelling, some truth that every version upholds. Robin Hood fares better than other folktales because that kernel seems to come in the form of a catchphrase: “rob from the rich to give to the poor.” (Try distilling King Arthur into a sentence.) The only problem is that this isn’t actually the main characteristic carried through in most modern adaptations of Robin Hood. It’s a myth within the myth.It’s not surprising that it took the horrendously apocryphal 2010 Ridley Scott update for the cultural commentariat to catch on that Robin Hood is not a socialist hero. Books and movies tend to languish in the realm of the left-leaning media and intellectuals. Yet, it’s simple to reclaim this particular hero. At a time when “class warfare” is on the tip of everyone’s tongues, the legend of Robin Hood requires a revisit.

We owe much of our modern conception of Robin Hood to Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, published in 1820. Great American wit Mark Twain loathed Scott and the effect his tales of chivalry had on the South and often made reference to him in his writing. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom and his friends pretend to be Robin Hood, wistfully feeling they “would rather be outlaws a year in Sherwood Forest than President of the United States forever.” He is a romantic hero that captures our fancy, but why?

Robin Hood in Ivanhoe sets up a self-governed band of men against the tyrannical political establishment. When he divvies up their haul of treasure, he distributes it among the outlaws “according to their rank and merit.” He is not a man of blind handouts. He is first and foremost a man of freedom, honor, and adventure. Like all versions of Robin Hood, he speaks up, shows off, and seeks to make fools of men who lord over others.

Robin Hood is a hero with no respect for illegitimate authority. Later in the 19th Century, Howard Pyle wrote and illustrated The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, where he explains that the band of men came to Sherwood “to escape wrong and oppression…they vowed that even as they had been despoiled they would despoil their oppressors, whether baron, abbot, knight, or squire.” Rebellion is their first aim; redistribution of the wealth they confiscate is secondary. Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood makes this point plain in the 1938 Technicolor epic: “I’ll never rest until every Saxon in this shire can stand up, free men, and strike a blow for Richard and England.” The fire of his fight comes from a desire to liberate and empower. His enemies are not the well-heeled, but the well-ensconced, the cronies of a domineering government unjustly invading the lives of independent people.

Robin Hood’s charitable instincts are derived from that same sense that men are equally deserving because they are equal in their freedom. Errol Flynn chastises Basil Rathbone’s Sir Guy of Gisbourne for having hungry servants, saying: “You should feed them, they’re worth better.” Robin Hood believes in the dignity of the individual, which the state and its agents have forgotten.

All Robin Hoods are at odds with that overreaching state. In Walt Disney’s 1973 animated feature, Robin Hood offers hope in the face of tyranny. He robs to return hard-working people’s tax money. He fights poverty inflicted by the state. He doesn’t dole out pouches of gold swiped from millionaires and billionaires, no strings attached. He gives them back what is rightfully theirs because they themselves paid it in the first place. He does it because he cares, but there is another motivation behind all his thieving—he finds it fun.

After a run-in with the Sheriff of Nottingham and his men, the animated Robin scoffs at the seriousness of being shot at, saying: “That was just a bit of a lark, Little John.” Most Robin Hoods, minus the most ostensibly libertarian Russell Crowe, have a sense of humor. They like what they do and they like being good at it. An archery contest is a staple in the legend because Robin Hood has an unmatched skill with the bow. Yet his interest in entering has little to do with the poor or remedying wealth disparities. He has an impressive talent and he wants to show it off and, in some versions, gain the attention of the lovely Maid Marian. In other words, Robin Hood is a selfish hero.

In Pyle’s tale, Robin’s idea of what to do with the golden arrow he’s sure to win is to “hang it to the branches of our good greenwood tree for the joy of all the band.” Were he a socialist, surely there would be better things to do with an arrow made out of gold, but Robin Hood finds a thrill in winning, in besting his foes, and saving the day. He is an outlaw, utterly humiliated in society, having lost rank and title in many accounts, yet he is always proud. He is a valiant individual, bold and exuberant in the face of challenges.

The spirit of Robin Hood is not one that fits with state dependency. An oft-repeated line in the BBC television series that ran from 2006-2009 is: “Everything’s a choice, everything we do.” No matter how benevolent and generous, Robin Hood would hardly vote for an agenda that eliminates a free person’s ability to choose for himself. Robin Hood doesn’t support enforced equality of position and circumstance. He merely fights for recognition of innate equality and the liberty to pursue position and circumstance at will. It’s not for nothing that his legend coincides with the Magna Carta.

It may seem pointless to try to prove a fictional character’s political views, but we live in an America where public servants have painted themselves as heroes and we’ve been duped into cheering for them as our champions. They have made themselves larger-than-life in a land that was meant to be run by a limited government. They feed us stories and fables, narratives about our nation that they have written, and someone needs to inform them that they are not good writers. There are better legends out there, ones that ring true—tales of self-reliant people doing brave deeds for the sake of others who are bowed under the weight of a growing state. If we can see Robin Hood in the right light, we can see ourselves as we should: shrewd enough to discern injustice on our own and strong enough to fight it as we see fit.

#sargonofakkad #akkaddaily #robin hood

0 notes

thecoroutfitters · 6 years

Link

A car is approaching in high speed and one second after you hear the wheels rolling over bodies that collapse right next to you. You hear shotgun fires and you see people running in despair around you. You don’t know where the danger comes from and you can’t see your way out of this. You’re caught in the middle of a human turmoil that sweeps you and flows against your will.

How are you going to make it out? How are you going to survive?

The answer is simple but tricky: it’s not only the immediate actions that save you, but what you should have done before.

Safety Becomes Obsolete

When things turn sideways, like they did a couple of days ago in Manhattan or sooner in Las Vegas, you need to understand and accept that there is no safe place, and nobody – and especially the government – is not going to save you. Holding out an unrealistic hope that there is a safe place or that others will take care of you will cause you to perish.

It is up to you to find a way to survive, facing a danger that you could hardly anticipate in a matter of seconds.

Power in Numbers?

Crowded areas and military outposts, if these even exist, will be fraught with danger. Actually, in any type of disaster or chaotic situation, crowds and crowded areas can pose a very big threat to your safety and even your survival.

Look at what happened in New Orleans, Louisiana during and immediately after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. There was mass looting, assaults, sexual assaults, murders, and even police officers who shot and killed some of the people in a group of survivors who were crossing Danziger Bridge trying to find help.

Experts have found that in almost any life threatening or survival situation 3 out of 4 people become so bewildered or overwhelmed that they are mentally paralyzed, and they cannot act in their own best interest when it comes to staying alive and surviving.

Another 10% will be extremely dangerous because they will lose it and freak out, putting everyone in their vicinity at high risk of danger.

Only around 15% of individuals will stay calm and analyze the situation rationally. Would you be one of them?

3 Second SEAL Test Will Tell You If You’ll Survive A SHTF Situation

Why are crowds so dangerous despite of the large number of people they include?

A large number of people together could make the entire area or group much more noticeable or attractive to people looking for an easy score. This will attract other groups who may want to harm you or take what you need to survive.

Rioting could break out and leave you open to attack.

In a disaster or other chaotic event which is life threatening large groups could attract the attention of military or law enforcement, and you could end up in a deadly situation that you can’t get out of if these groups see you and others with you as a threat.

Large numbers of people that you do not know greatly increases the danger because any one of them could become unhinged or dangerous at any time. You could quickly become targeted for theft, assault, or even something worse.

A crowd can quickly go from calm to a full stampede in very little time. If you get caught up in a large throng of people all pushing you could end up trapped, or even crushed to death from the force of the crowd.

When your life depends on keeping a low profile and avoiding any unnecessary attention the last place you want to be is in a crowd of people. Stay isolated and avoid crowds and crowded areas whenever possible if you want to stay safe!

The Sense We Call Situational Awareness

The simplest definition of situational awareness is to be completely aware of everyone and everything around you, paying close attention to even smaller details that many people would miss. When you are aware of all the important elements of a situation then you are far less likely to be caught by surprise or end up in danger.

Identify all the critical elements of the situation, process this information in a calm manner, and then comprehend how this could impact you.

If you see some men fighting down the block or a large mob gathered you can avoid the situation and protect yourself from any danger. If you are walking along in your own little world you could end up entering a very dangerous situation. You need to know where you are, what is going on around you, and how to escape the situation in the fastest way possible if this becomes necessary.

Practicing your situational awareness can seem like a game while training you for almost any survival or disaster situation. Make a habit of really paying attention to your surroundings and other people, taking note of even small details like the color of a building or what a person ahead of you in line is wearing.

After paying attention to your situation close your eyes and try to remember what you have seen and experienced. What color was that woman’s dress?. Where are the two exits closest to you in the building? As you practice you will be able to answer these types of questions faster because you will pay more attention to detail from the beginning.

Look around you and try to find things that seem out of the ordinary or abnormal in some way. If it is 100 degrees outside yet a man is wearing a trench coat or large jacket this can be a red flag. If a woman is standing still on a street corner and is holding a cigarette with a long ash but she does not take a puff for some time this is unusual. Someone who is profusely sweating while staying still when it is cold out would be suspicious.

When you first enter any building always make a mental note of the exits, especially those that are closest to you.

Look at the people around you and try to determine what they do, where they are headed, and what they are thinking. This will help you pay closer attention to every detail about that purpose and over time you will become more observant in a shorter time.

Visualize an emergency situation, such as a mass shooter or a bomb explosion, and practice what you would do in your head. This is similar to visualization and it can be very beneficial for this type of situational awareness training.

Predator vs. Prey or Alpha vs. Beta

All animals fall into one of two categories: predator or prey, namely those who kill to survive, and those who are killed for food. What the predator versus prey mentality means in a survival situation? Being prey means being a victim and the possibility of not surviving. Animals can’t choose the category they belong to, but you can turn from pray to predator if you train your skills and mindset well enough to make the swipe from one category to another.

Today the word predator is associated with negative things, but in a survival situation a predator survives while prey usually does not.

Another way to look at it is using alpha and beta model instead of predator and prey. The predator is an alpha, a top dog, someone who is dominant that others look up to and want to be like. Prey is a beta a follower instead of a leader and who is submissive to others. Alphas always tend to come out on top in any situation while betas rarely do. If you want to survive then you need to become an alpha, a predator.

If people around you see you as weak, then they’ll try to take advantage of this weakness, and this threatens your survival when things become more primitive and it is everyone for themselves.

How to awake and train you alpha senses

Project confidence. This is different from being cocky or aggressive. When you are confident in your skills and abilities then this shows, and others pick up on it. Kill off negative thoughts that erode your confidence before these thoughts can take root and grow. Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations.

You need to be psychologically dominant in order to stay alive, because this can prevent danger in the first place. This means refusing to submit and letting others know that you will do what is necessary if push comes to shove.

Use body language to your advantage. Foes may be able to tell just from your stance, your facial expressions, and other obvious body language whether you will put up any resistance. If you seem like an easy target you are more likely to be engaged by an enemy. Assume an

aggressive or fighting stance with your feet placed apart for stability. Stand up straight and look the opponent directly in the eyes.

Learn to adapt to any environment or situation. Be realistic about what your strengths and weaknesses are, and then minimize the weaknesses that you have while maximizing your strengths.

Practice persistence, even if you initially fail. Predators never give up and neither should you. Set a difficult goal, such as walking 2 miles with a 40-pound pack, and then be persistent in trying to meet it. Eventually you will reach this goal, and you will learn the value of

patience while your confidence goes up.

Practice situational awareness and mindfulness. Prey goes through life blindly, hoping that they will not come across a predator. An alpha will pay attention to even the smallest details and everything in their environment so that they fully understand the situation and can respond appropriately to any threat.

When your life is on the line, safety is just an illusion while everything is out of control, and feeling safe will make let your guard down. This makes you vulnerable and could leave you open to attack.

Don’t become a victim or put your survival at risk with a false sense of security. Train your senses and your skills to overcome the danger and survive!

This article has been written by John Gilmore for Survivopedia.

from Survivopedia Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

1 note · View note

nightlight9 · 7 years

Text

Feral States and Spellwork

Themes: Magic Stiles; Feral Derek

Rating: T

AO3

“We’ve got another one,” Scott says in greeting as he approaches Stiles’ desk. His mouth is turned down in a frown.

The update makes Stiles lean back in his chair with a heavy sigh. When he got to work that morning, he had been hoping that he was going to have an easy day. He should have known better. “Where are they?”

His best friend makes a vague gesture and replies, “Allison got him into one of the holding cells out back.” His shifts from foot to foot, a tell that he’s anxious. Stiles picks up on it immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

His fingers tap an unsteady rhythm on the surface of the desk. “It’s not good, Stiles. This one, he’s really gone. There’s hardly any awareness in his gaze. He nearly ripped Jackson’s arm off.”

Stiles gets to his feet, having heard enough. “Alright, let’s go have a look.” Already the tattoos on his arms are humming with energy, ready to help in whatever at they can.

But Scott reaches out and grabs his elbow. “Stiles, there’s something else. He’s an alpha.”

That makes his body lock up. Since they started working at Allison’s families’ rehabilitation center for the supernatural, they’ve had a variety of feral creatures come in in need of help. But they’ve never brought an alpha to the facility before. In fact, they haven’t even come into contact with an alpha since Scott and Jackson were changed in high school. That alpha was beyond help, and for the safety of the people around, Allison’s father had to put her down. Chris took them in afterwards, helped teach them control along with the local emissaries, and then put them to work at his agency, helping creatures from all over. Stiles, who had his own Spark of magick awaken at an early age, loves being able to help others. And he loves working at the center.

But even so, the prospect of seeing another feral alpha makes his skin crawl uncomfortably. Scott’s grip tightens. “You don’t have to go, Stiles. Someone else can do his initial screening, see if he’s beyond help.”

That resolves his effort. “No, I’ll do it.” Even though everyone that works at the rehabilitation center has been trained to work beyond their bias, alphas are rare and there are enough horror stories of them that it would be too easy for someone else to pass judgement without giving this alpha a chance. Stiles is always the first choice for dangerous creatures because he can keep calm under pressure and get accurate readings on their conditions. “Let’s go.”

Scott looks unsure, but he doesn’t question his friend’s decision. Instead he clamps his jaw tight and leads the way to the holding cells, the ones that they use for the feral creatures. Stiles can hear the growling before the doors are even pulled open.

Lydia and Allison are huddled close together, staring into the only occupied cell. Lydia looks up at the sound of their approach. Her eyes are dark. “It doesn’t look good,” she says in lieu of greeting.

Stiles lets the comment roll away and peers past the plexiglass door. The werewolf is huddled in one of the corners, fangs on full display, eyes gleaming red where they once were blue. “Oh shit.”

Scott catches his elbow again. “Dude, you really don’t have to do this, someone else can-.”

“Do you know who it is you’ve caught,” Stiles breathes, mind racing with what the werewolf’s feral presence could mean for the people at the agency.

That stops Scott short. “You know him or something?’

Lydia snorts, a harsh sound. “You really are a terrible werewolf, Scott. Do you not pay attention to anything important in the supernatural world? That’s Derek Hale.”

Scott might not have been able to recognize the half-shifted werewolf, but he knows the name. Everyone, supernatural or not, knows about the Hales. He echos Stiles’ sentiment, “Oh shit.”

Allison, who has remained silent during their conversation, sighs deeply. “Someone needs to contact Mrs. Hale, let her know that we have her son.”

Stiles winces. He’d much rather be stuck in a cell with the feral werewolf than be the one making that phone call to one of the most powerful figures in the United States. Before Stiles was born, young Talia Hale was at the forefront of the media, fighting for equality for supernatural creatures of all kinds. As the alpha of one of the biggest werewolf packs in the United States, Talia was a force to be reckoned with, and when supernatural right activists came out victorious, she graciously accepted the role as their representative in the United States government. Stiles definitely doesn’t want to make that call. Luckily, that’s not his job.

He rubs his hands together. “Okay, well, while one of you takes care of that, I have a werewolf to try and calm down.”

Lydia steps forward and places a gentle hand on his arm. She’s hardly ever soft with him, so it gives him pause. “Stiles, maybe you should wait until his mom gets here. He’s gone a lot farther than most of the feral wolves we bring in. It might be better for her to handle him.”

He frowns at her concern. “Lyds, I understand where you’re coming from, but look at him.” Everyone turns to do just that. “Who knows how much worse this can get by the time she gets out here. Who knows how much farther he can go before-.” He trails off, not wanting to add that if it got much farther than he might not be able to turn back.

Her eyes narrow at him, then turn back to examine Derek, who bristles at the attention. She sighs deeply. “Fine, but be careful. Maybe one us of should stay here. Or we should bring in one of the other mages to help you out.”

He’s shaking her head before she can finish making the suggestion. “No, the more people that are around, the more nervous that he’ll be. I’ll be fine, Lydia. I’ve done this enough to know that I need to be cautious.”

She raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn’t argue. Instead she starts ushering everyone away. “Come on, we all have a lot of work to do, and Stiles needs to get started.”

Only Scott hesitates, looking at his best friend with wide and concerned eyes. Stiles waves him on. “I’ve got this, buddy. Don’t worry.”

He waits until he’s alone to turn back to the feral werewolf. Derek is glaring at him and growling threateningly. Stiles rubs his hands together, calls on his magick, and opens the cell door. Immediately, Derek dashes at the open space. Stiles calmly takes a step back, and crosses his arms. The werewolf hits the mountain ash barrier and is pushed to the back of the cell looking dazed. The growling cuts off and is replaced by a low whine. Stiles steps into the cell. The barrier moves in as he walks, tightening in a circle around the werewolf.

“Hello, Derek.” He kneels in front him, ignoring the growling which has started back with a vengeance. In response, the werewolf snaps his jaws. Stiles ignores the threat. “My name is Stiles. I don’t know how you got this way, but I’m going to try my hardest to help you, okay?” A soft purple haze appears around his hands as he focuses his magick to start the assessment. Derek makes a harsh sound at the sight and sinks back against the wall, tucking his face into his shoulder. It makes Stiles frown. Normally, the sight and smell of spell-work makes feral creatures uncomfortable, but he’s never seen a reaction so full of fear. And they’ve never willingly turned away from someone they see as a threat. A feral alpha especially wouldn’t leave themselves so vulnerable.

“Woah, hey. It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.” Without considering how stupid he’s being, Stiles reaches one hand out and rubs it through Derek’s hair. The werewolf tenses under his hand, and turns to stare at him. His jaw is hanging open, fangs on full display, but he doesn’t move to bite him. Instead he just watches him with a sharp expression. His pupils are still huge, leaving only a ring of red around them, and he doesn’t appear to have any more control than he did before, but the curiosity is better than outright hostility.

“I just want to do a quick diagnosis to try and figure out how you got this way and how I can help fix it. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.” He reaches out with his other hand, crossing the barrier, and calls on his magick again. Derek whines and pulls back, even though he doesn’t have anywhere to go. Instead of moving away, Stiles focuses on getting his analysis. Lowering his guard, Stiles lets the magick take over. He’s swept into Derek’s consciousness, moves past his obvious fear and unease, and tries to find the source of what made Derek lose control and whether or not that control can be re established.

What he finds is a cloaking spell locked tight around Derek’s identity, which explains why Derek was so afraid of Stiles’ magick. Someone put a spell on Derek to make him feral, stripping him of his control and identity. It makes Stiles pull back with a frown. He runs his hand through Derek’s hair again, trying to calm him down. “Why would someone do this to you?” Not only is it illegal to use magick against someone like that, but it also doesn’t make sense that someone would want to make Derek feral. What could their purpose for that be?

He sighs, thinking about how he can break the spell. Before he can figure out what ingredients he needs, Derek moves. He wraps his hand around the wrist Stiles has buried in his hair, and tugs him forward, pulling him past the line of mountain ash and into his lap. Stiles curses at his own stupidity and closes his eyes when he feels Derek’s breath on his neck. But the werewolf doesn’t bite down like he expects. Instead, with a whine, be buries his nose against Stiles’ neck.

“Um, buddy? Derek?”

The werewolf whines again, and holds his captive tighter. “Okay, gentle with Stiles! Stiles is too human to withstand werewolf strength!” He looks up at the camera positioned in the corner of the cell. “A little help here,” he calls out to it, hoping someone is paying attention enough to show up before Derek gets hungry.

Actually, the werewolf seems calmer now. When Stiles turns to look at his face, he allows the movement. There is more awareness in his expression than there was before, despite the fact that he’s obviously still feral. A plan is forming in his head when Greenberg and Scott appear at the cell door.

Stiles raises his hands quickly to keep them at bay when Derek starts growling again. “Please don’t freak out. It may not look like it, but I have everything under control here. I just need you guys to bring me some ingredients for a spell.”

Scott looks at the claws tucked too close to his best friend’s abdomen before looking at him like he thinks Stiles has finally lost it. But before he can protest, Chris walks into view behind his employees, making Stiles wince.

“Hey, Boss. This-. Uh. Trust me, this looks worse than it actually is.”

The older man pinches the bridge of his nose. “How exactly did you end up in this situation, Stiles? You know better than to get too close to feral creatures, especially werewolves. They’re dangerous.”

“I know, but I needed to do his initial assessment and-.”

“Those can be done outside of a mountain ash barrier.” His eyes narrow as he sighs. “You take too many risks, and this isn’t the first time that I’ve told you that. You’re reckless and impulsive.”

Stiles snorts. He wants to point out that this isn’t exactly the right time for an employee audit. Besides, Chris should have known what he was getting when he hired Stiles. He’s always been reckless and impulsive. Patting at Derek’s arm to try and get the werewolf to quiet down, Stiles isn’t the only one surprised when it actually works. “Listen, I know that it looks bad, and I know I definitely got too close, but he’s not going to hurt me. Someone used a spell to make him feral, and I need some ingredients so that I can break it.”

That stops Chris’ rant. “What do you mean, someone did this to him?”

He shrugs as best he can in the werewolf’s hold. “I mean there’s a spell binding him in this form, an intricate one too. Trauma didn’t make Derek feral. Someone wanted him this way.”

“Shit,” he mutters. There’s a long moment where Chris considers the implications of what Stiles reported. Finally, with a sigh, he turns back to his employees. “Just-. Scott, gather whatever Stiles needs. Do whatever you can to get him out of this.” He points a finger at Stiles, looking stern. “But I’m sending Lydia in to help you. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Derek pulls him closer and growls at Chris’ threat, making the older man step back. Stiles hides a smile against Derek’s arm. “Lydia can stay, that’s fine. I’ll do my best to help him.”

Finally, Chris sighs. “Yeah, I know you will. Just be careful. Greenberg, you come with me. There’s something we need to check.”

When they’re gone, Stiles grins up at Scott’s dumbstruck expression. “You ready, buddy?”

Scott shakes his head in disbelief. “How is it that you’re so calm right now? And how is it that Chris just lets you do whatever you want? You both are crazy!”

Stiles snaps his fingers, trying to get his best friend’s attention. “Dude, this is not the time for you to have a break down. I need you to get everything I ask, okay. And if you can’t find it, Lydia will know what I need. Now, are you ready?”

He doesn’t look happy about it, but Scott sighs and nods. Stiles rattles off everything he can think of that would help, then sends him on his way. He pats Derek’s arm again. “Don’t worry, dude. I’ll do whatever I can to help you get back to normal.”

Derek makes a low rumbling sound and buries his head back into the crook of Stiles’ neck. They’re still sitting that way when Lydia shows up, looking unamused. “Really, Stiles. I tell you to be careful and instead you go and get adopted by a feral werewolf?” She shakes her head. “Whatever, let’s just get this done. Are you going to stay there for the spell?”

“Yeah. I’m keeping Derek calm, and that’s important.”

She watches him for a long moment, but doesn’t protest. Instead, she gets to work setting up his elemental stones. Stiles’ doesn’t need to direct her for the setup; they’ve worked spells together enough times that she knows where everything goes. And her banshee energy purifies the environment as she moves around, connecting everything together. Stiles takes it all in, allowing the magick she weaves to wind through him. Derek keeps making low, distressed sounds, but he doesn’t get hostile again.

When everything is set up, she turns to look at him, an unspoken question in her gaze. Stiles nods, and watches as she breaks the mountain ash barrier. Her final step is to place a bowl full of water in front of the pair. Then she steps back.

Stiles closes his eyes and bows his head at the bowl. Derek rumbles uncomfortably, tightening his grip and panting into Stiles’ neck. The mage pushes his back against Derek’s chest for comfort, and bridges their energies. Diving into Derek’s unconscious is uncomfortable. It feels like a complete intrusion of his privacy, and he tries his best to skip past Derek’s memories to get to the spell binding his identity, but he still gets parts of an intense young love, an act of mercy, and a fight for survival before he finds what he’s looking for.

The spell is a deep red bind, ugly in comparison to Derek’s soft blue aura. It’s well crafted, the work of someone with years of experience. As he begins to unravel it, Stiles can feel Derek relax into him, making the connection easier. Stiles sends feelings of gratitude his way, then allows himself to get swept up in the magick.

He doesn’t know how long it takes, whether it’s minutes or hours. But finally, the red bind unwinds. It makes Stiles breathe easier, allows him to relax. He starts pulling away, drawing back from Derek’s consciousness. But a spot of brilliant gold catches his attention. And he knows he shouldn’t, knows better than to meddle more than he already has. But he can’t help but nudge it a little, give it some warmth and attention.

He’s snapped out of the spell when his body hits the cell floor. Returning to himself so suddenly makes him nauseous. He spends a few seconds dry heaving, his body shaking with the effort, before he registers how quiet it is in the room. Stiles looks at Lydia first. Her eyes are wide as she looks past him. He turns slowly to look at Derek, and his jaw drops.

“Well, shit.”

Instead of seeing Derek in his human or beta form, Stiles comes face to face with a large, black wolf. The wolf nudges his face against Stiles’ and whines.

“Lydia, how common is it for a werewolf to achieve a full shift?”

It takes her a moment to respond, though he already knows the answer. “The statistic is very low. It’s a rare occurrence for werewolves to achieve the shift. Aside from Talia Hale, only five other alphas across the world have reportedly reached this form.”

He keeps his eyes of the wolf. “And Derek was never one of these reported cases, was he?”

“No.” There’s a long pause. Then, “Stiles, what did you do?”

Finally, he turns to look at her, ignoring the instincts that scream at him for turning his back on the predator in the room. “Why do you think I did something?” She glares at him until he gives in. “I didn’t mean to! I didn’t even know what it was. There was just this spot that was repressed, and it was so gold and bright that I thought giving it some energy would be beneficial.”

“Stiles! Do you know how irresponsible that it?” Lydia is understandably furious. “You can’t just dig around in someone’s head, especially without permission. You know how bad that is. It could get you fired and sued, or worse. Are you really that dumb?”

Derek barks, breaking the tension in the room. He positions his body between them, pressing his side against Stiles’ chest and watching Lydia in a less than friendly way. Stiles is baffled by the obvious act of protection.

She rubs her temples and lowers her voice. “I’m sorry. It’s just, sometimes you’re so reckless. One of us need to watch out for you, and since you obviously won’t, that means I need to.”

He sighs. “I know. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to. It just kind of happened.”

Her eyes soften. “I know you didn’t mean to. I’ll stand with you, no matter what way this goes.” Gathering herself, she regains her control. “For now we have work to do. Chris is trying to track down someone that could put a spell like this on Derek. Obviously, that includes a huge range of mages and other types of magick users, but a crime has been committed so he’s trying his best to figure it out and he could use your help sorting through the group of mages. Allison has been in charge of contacting Mrs. Hale, who should be here in a few hours. Until then, we have to try and figure out a motive. It would have been helpful to have Derek’s input on what happened, but he’s a giant wolf now, so unless he can change back, he’s no help.”

They both watch Derek for a drawn out moment. When he remains in his wolf form, Stiles sighs and gets to his feet. “I’m not going to try and break this form. Not only have I done way too much already, but who knows if I’d even be able to help without unraveling his ability to shift into this form completely. Talia should be able to help him figure it out.”

Lydia nods in agreement. “There’s just one thing; what are we going to do with him until she gets here?”

Derek bristles at the questions and bumps back against Stiles knees. It makes the mage smile. “Well, he’s not feral anymore, so he’s not a threat to anyone in the agency. He can hang out at my desk until his mom gets here.”

She doesn’t argue. “Whatever. I have work to do. You can clean this up.” Before she leaves she adds, “I’ll tell Chris about what’s happened and let him know that Derek will be with you.”

He thanks her, watching as she struts away. Derek turns to look at him, a question in his gaze. “She’s always been like that,” Stiles reassures as he gathers his equipment. “Ever since we met in grade school, Lydia Martin has always been a force to reckon with. Come on, I’ll tell you the story of how we all ended up here, just so you’re clued in. Plus, you’re probably wondering just exactly where you ended up.” He leans down to look the wolf in his eyes before they leave. “I’m really sorry for this, Derek. I didn’t mean to meddle. I understand that it broke your privacy when I had no right, and I’m so sorry.”

The werewolf tilts his head in understanding and butts their noses together softly. Stiles takes it as understanding, and climbs back to his feet. “Alright, we have work to do, buddy. Let me give you a tour of this place.”

Derek walks alongside Stiles as they move around the agency, listening closely to his stories. The few people that they run into during the tour greet both of them, not questioning why Stiles is walking with a wolf companion. When the tour is finished, Stiles leads them back to his desk. There is a pile of documents waiting for him to sift through, and he starts immediately getting to work trying to narrow down the list of mages. Derek, though he remains stuck in his full wolf shift, proves to be a lot of help. He manages to, with the help of a large map, pinpoint where he was when the spell was cast, which helps them narrow down their search. However, they don’t really get anywhere. There are just too many mages to sort through, and no way to pick the right one amongst the group.

Instead of continuing to work in circles, Stiles starts filling out his report on Derek. He is relieved when the werewolf clambers to his feet, his tail wagging in excitement. Seconds later, Lydia appears by his desk. “Come on, Stiles. Mrs. Hale is here and she’s wants to see her son.”

Even though the wolf is obviously excited to be with his family again, he waits until Stiles is ready to go and then walks by his side instead of leaving him behind. It makes something warm curl in Stiles’ chest.

Talia Hale turns out to be an intimidating woman, not because she looks mean or scary. It’s just that her aura is all powerful control and confidence. Even standing beside Chris, she is obviously the one in charge. Derek bounds up to her, making a series of excited yips and wagging his tail. Talia brushes her fingers in the fur at his neck, and smiles. “I see you’ve managed a full shift, my son. You’ve had a very exciting few days.” She looks up, locking her powerful green gaze on Stiles. “Thank you for helping him, for removing the spell making him feral.” She smirks. “And thank you for keeping him company until I got here.”

Something about her knowing smile is unnerving. He clears his throat, barely managing to maintain eye contact. “Mrs. Hale, I was able to break the spell that was keeping Derek in a feral state, but instead of returning to a human form, he’s been stuck like this.” He considers holding back his involvement in the shift, but ends up admitting, “I may have accidentally pushed this shift as I was breaking the spell on him.” He lowers his eyes, carefully demonstrating a show of submission. “My apologies.” A cold nose bumps into his hand, but he ignores the nudge.

Derek doesn’t like being ignored. He barks, startling everyone in the room, and jumps up against Stiles’ chest so he can look him in the eye. Immediately, Stiles raises his hands up and buries them in his fur to help support the weight on his chest. His eyes are glowing bright red. Stiles can’t look away.

Talia’s bright laughter breaks the tension in the room. Derek hops off of Stiles, but presses against his side. Stiles can’t help but keep one hand curled in the wolf’s fur. Talia’s eyes are bright in amusement. “I see now. Please, don’t worry about Derek’s shift. I can help him control it.”

Chris clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to the problem at hand. “Mrs. Hale, we would like to discuss this attack with you. We have been trying to narrow down who could have done this, but there are too many options.”

Stiles jumps in at the pause, effortlessly picking up his queue. “Sometimes, magick uses will leave a signature on the spell, a thread to pick up.”

Lydia takes the lead. “Think about it the same way that bombers will add some signature piece to the bombs they make. It helps to distinguish them and link their bombs together, but it doesn’t necessarily make it easier for them to be tracked. And with magick users, sometimes leaving a signature makes the spell stronger because it feeds off of the person crafting it.”

“When I was unraveling the spell, I couldn’t pick up on any signature. Not at first anyway. But just before it fell apart, there was a small one tying it together.” He holds out the paper where he drew the symbol. “Unfortunately, it didn’t help us find anything. Obviously signatures are often times very personal and secret; but this one was actually too vague to be helpful.”

Talia frowns as soon as she sees the drawing. She traces the spiral with a closed off expression, then sighs. “I know this mark. It represents revenge.” When she looks up, her eyes are bright red. “I know who’s behind this. And I know why they had the spell cast.”

Chris makes a sweeping gesture, inviting her to explain. “I’m sure that you’re all aware of the backlash supernatural creatures received as we fought for our rights. As the person at the forefront of the fight, I watched first hand as groups of protesters fought against us. After we won, these problems of hate and discrimination never went away, though they got better. However, there was one group particularity that refused to back down and stay quiet. They call themselves the Hunters, and this is their brand. When I was elected into my office, I received an anonymous phone call from one of their members, promising that one day everything in my world was going to crumble down, and that they personally would make sure that people saw me for the monster that I am.” Her expression is hard. “What better way to show the people that supernatural creatures are nothing more than monsters than to have the representative’s son go feral and kill someone.”

Derek whines and shrinks down to the floor. Talia kneels beside him, running her fingers through his coat. “Thank you for finding him before someone got hurt.”

Chris rubs at his face. If Talia is right, the problem their facing is much bigger than they anticipated. “Mrs. Hale, if you’re willing to work with us with might be able to expose this plot to the public so that it can’t be used again.”

“Of course, I will do anything you need.”

“Excellent.” Chris starts delegating tasks that needs to get done, excusing Stiles as he goes. The mage’s work is done. With one last look in Derek’s direction, Stiles exits the conference room and goes back to his desk. There are other projects that he’s working on that could use his attention, and even though a part of him wants to stay and help Derek and his mother in any way he can, there are other people more qualified to track information down.

Instead he focuses his energy on other things, quickly losing himself in the work. As he’s finishing up and getting ready to head home, someone taps on his desk, effectively breaking his concentration. Looking up, Stiles comes face to face with Derek Hale.

Stiles has seen quite a few pictures of Derek over the years, but seeing him in person is altogether different. Being able to watch firsthand as his lips quirk up into a smile and his eyes crinkle at the corners makes Stiles take a sharp breath. He’s beautiful, and Stiles is trying so hard to decide what color the other man’s eyes are that he misses the question directed at him.

It makes Derek laugh. Stiles’ cheeks color. “Oh, um. Hey. What did you say?”

The smile that Derek sends his way is full of warmth. “I asked if you were getting ready to leave?”

“Oh!” He straightens some of the files on his desk. “Yeah, this is about the time I head out. Um. Is there something that I can do to help with the case?”

Derek shakes his head. “No, everything is pretty much under control now. Lydia is working with my mom’s publicist to write the story, and once that’s done it’s just handling the responses that come with it. Trying to figure out where the threat and the spell came from directly will be taken care of later, with my mom’s team. Your agency has been a huge help.”

Stiles scratches the back of his head. “Oh, uh. That’s great to hear. I-.” He takes a deep breath. “Listen, I’m so sorry that I knowingly messed around in your head, and if you feel the need to take legal action, I totally understand.”

The expression on the werewolf’s face softens. “Stiles, I don’t want to take any legal action. I’m not even mad at you.” He bites his lip, looking shy suddenly. “Actually, I was wondering if I could take you to dinner.”

He blinks, confused. “I dig around in your head without your permission, and you want to take me to dinner? Why?”

“Well, first of all, you saved my life.” His nose wrinkles up in concentration. “It’s hard to describe what it feels like to be feral. It’s a complete loss of control, but more than that it’s forgetting that you ever had control in the first place. And everything is a threat. It’s one of the worst things that can happen to a wolf. But then you showed up and you weren’t afraid of me, uneasy sure, but not afraid. You helped me remember that I had a human form, and then you broke the spell. Then, as if that hadn’t been enough, you saw something bright within me and gave it life. I probably never would have reached a full shift if it wasn’t for your digging.”

Stiles feels himself flush at the awe and praise in Derek’s voice. “I-. I just wanted to help you.”

The smile Derek gives him is bright. “I know. That’s why I would like to take you to dinner.”

Just to make sure that he sees the whole picture, Stiles asks, “So you want to take me out as a thank you?”

A blush appears at the tips of Derek’s ears. “Not entirely. I-. You smell really nice, like home sort of, and I think you’re beautiful.” The words come out in a rush. “So, I guess what I’m asking is-. Will you let me take you to dinner, as a thank you and as a date?”

Stiles, who prides himself on being intuitive, can honestly say that he didn’t see that coming. But he’s more than happy to say, “Yes, yes absolutely. I would love to go out with you.” He probably sounds too excited, but it makes Derek smile bigger and hold out his hand. Picking up his jacket, Stiles lets the werewolf pull him closer to his side and lead the way.

#sterek #sbworks #sterek bingo #sbmagicstiles #sbferal #my writing

135 notes · View notes

forsetti · 7 years

Text

On “I Didn’t Leave the Democratic Party, it Left Me.”

Without fail, a few times a week I hear someone who claims to have been a Democratic voter say, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.” This is almost always said as a rationale, a justification for voting for Trump or not voting at all. It is also almost always said by a white male. A lot of the times, they either are or were in the manufacturing sector and/or a member of a union. They blame the loss of jobs in their field that have either affected them and/or their family and friends on the Democratic Party. They also blame the Party for the decline in union membership and anti-union bills passed in once proud union states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Whenever I hear these complaints, I ask for specific examples of exactly how the Democratic Party betrayed them. So far, I haven’t received a single specific from anyone that can’t be disproved by my eight-year-old and Google. All I get is a reiteration that the Democratic Party left them or right-wing talking points about the Democrats being the party of “corporatists.” When I ask them to explain how Democrats are supposed to push pro-union bills when many union members themselves vote for Republicans or how they are supposed to alter the inevitable changes that arise from globalization, they hem and haw and end up not saying a damn thing.

The Democratic Party didn’t leave these folks. These folks left the Party for a number of reasons. One reason is because they, like most Americans, are intellectually lazy, especially when it comes to knowing and understanding how their government works. They don’t understand or care to understand how laws are made, what can and can’t be done because of legislative rules, what can be legitimately done at any given moment in time due to the makeup of the legislative bodies involved. This situation isn’t unique to ex-Dems, the far-left also suffers from being severely civics challenged. They expect, demand, and want FDR-like progress without the very large progressive majorities FDR enjoyed every single term in office. This same unrealistic demand applies on the state level, as well. If people who claim to be progressives don’t vote for progressive majorities, then they shouldn’t bitch when things are not as progressive as they’d like. I know this sounds simple, but it seems to completely elude a whole lot of people. When I ask these ex-Dems whether or not they voted or Democratic candidates in the 2010 and/or 2014 midterms, they almost always say, “No.” I don’t know exactly how the Democratic Party left people who didn’t support it. I really don’t know how allowing Republicans who are anti-union and all for shipping jobs overseas to have power is a reasonable response to wanting pro-union, less globalization. If I’m ever able to get an answer about this, it usually ends up being something along the lines of, “to teach the Democrats a lesson.” This is the same stupid mindset from many on the left during the 2010 midterms with regard to what they perceived were sleights with regard to health care and Wall Street reform. How’d that “teach them a lesson” thing turn out? As far as I can tell it led to the rise of the Tea Party, Democrats losing many states including blue states like Michigan and Wisconsin, the U.S. House of Representatives and most of the political leverage progressives had. That wasn’t a lesson. That was political suicide which was followed by giving Republicans control of the Senate in 2014 and the White House last November. This is where I sarcastically slow clap and say, “Bra…..fucking….o!” You wanted the Democratic Party to do things for you but you didn’t do anything for the Democratic Party.

Another reason these people left the Democratic Party is the same reason a lot of people left-racism/bigotry. To many of these individuals, unions were great until minorities became members. Public schools were terrific until their kids had to go to school with “those kids.” Living in the city or suburb adjacent areas was fine until “those people” started moving in. Make no mistake, White Flight isn’t something unique to conservatives. Many so-called “progressives” bolted from their neighborhoods once it started getting ethnically diverse. The beliefs, attitudes, mindset behind progressive White Flight are the same behind, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.” Anyone who claims differently doesn’t know a damn thing about anything, especially political history, voting patterns, sociology, psychology, belief systems….

The Democratic Party hasn’t won the majority of the white vote since 1964. Now, why is that? What happened in 1964 that would cause white voters to turn away from the Democratic Party? Was it, A) the government outlawing the poll tax? Or, B) Barry Goldwater winning the Republican presidential primary nomination? Or, C) the last Looney Tune cartoon produced by Warner Bros.? Or, D) the passage of the Civil Rights Act by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson? If you say anything other than, “D” you need to be remanded to third-grade history and can’t come back to the discussion until you pass. The underlying reason for White Flight, for School of Choice, for whites not voting for the Democratic Party is racism. Full…Fucking…Stop! When people tell me, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me, “ what they often mean is, “An awful lot of people I don’t want in the Democratic Party are a major voting bloc in the Party.” The same reasons behind conservative and progressive White Flight are why the Democratic Party hasn’t won the majority of the white vote since 1964. It isn’t because the Democratic Party’s stance on economic issues. It is because, when push comes to shove, too many white voters don’t want to minorities to have the same rights and privileges they do.

Of course, people aren’t going to come right out and say the reason they no longer support the Democratic Party is because of racial issues. Instead, they come up with nonsense claims like, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me” or “Democrats have moved too far to the left.” This latter claim is used by the right, the media, and so-called “Democrats” who think chasing the white vote is a smart, moral strategy. Former Democratic Senator from Virginia, Jim Webb is the most recent person making the idiotic claim that Democrats have moved too far to the left. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows Webb’s political history. Until 2006 he was a Republican. I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone with such a conservative background to say something different than Democrats have moved too far to the left. This is why anyone with an ounce of sense can and should completely ignore anything Webb has to say about the Democratic Party.

The political reality is only one party has moved hard towards their extreme and that would be the Republicans. Read Eisenhower’s 1956 platform and it sounds like it came out of the 2016 Democratic Convention. You don’t even need to go back that far to see just how hard to the right Republicans have shifted. Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr., even W. wouldn’t have lasted two months running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. This shift to the right by Republicans in Congress is well researched and documented. Since the early 70s, the majority of Democrats have pretty much stayed in the same just left of center grouping while Republicans in the Senate, but especially in the House have moved sharply to the right. To say, “Democrats have moved too far to the left” isn’t backed up by the data. If the gap between the majorities of the two parties was four spots on the political spectrum in the 70s and now it is ten, this doesn’t mean each has shifted three spots. What has happened is the left has shifted one spot and the right has shifted five. It is intellectually lazy to look at the difference between four and ten and say, “both sides have moved equally apart.” There are no Tea Party equivalents on the left. Jim Webb and others saying, “The Democrats have moved too far to the left,” is complete bullshit. Progressives love to point out white privilege when it applies to conservatives. Of course, it is low hanging fruit. What many white progressives are not very good at is recognizing and admitting their own privilege and how their beliefs and actions undermine the very ideology they claim to believe in so strongly. Progressivism is about equality, justice, and fairness with no fine print, no fucking asterisks. If you aren’t standing up and fighting for the rights of those in society who have been and are denied them to one degree or another, stop pretending you are progressive in order to make you feel good about yourself. Don’t blame the Democratic Party for being the only one of the two major political parties that stands up for these things because you don’t have the mental or intestinal fortitude to do so yourself. Don’t say, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me,” when what you really mean is, “I’m uncomfortable with the Democratic Party prioritizing the most vulnerable in society over my white privileged ass.” There are actually white supremacists at the seat of power in our country right now. So-called “progressives” who aren’t adamantly standing up and fighting for those most at risk from the quasi-fascist right may say they were Democrats, but at best they were fair weather fans who, if they were honest, would say, “I’m perfectly fine with progress as long as it is focused on my wants and needs and not on people who really need it.” This is what it really boils down to whether progressives want to admit it or not. If you want social/economic change, you have to vote for the party that is your best chance to get it, not the party that is completely against it. The more you vote for and elect Democratic candidates, the more they will have power. The more power they have, the more they can enact change. It is See Spot Fucking Run for anyone smart enough and honest enough to see it.

102 notes · View notes

divinefrugivores · 7 years

Text

Reasons People Give For Not Supporting Resistance to Ecocide

From the book Deep Green Resistance:

“The human race is now in its adolescent phase. We have to grow up.”

If this is true, then current destruction is inevitable, a natural part of the “life cycle” of humans as a species. Some people even claim that human destruction is part of the earth’s life cycle. We could spend hours trying to puzzle out the psychological needs motivating people to create such a narrative, but does it matter? Some of them have morally collapsed from despair, and to quote Isak Dinesen, “All suffering is bearable if it is seen as part of a story.” Others are too attached to their comfortable lives to want them disrupted even though they can intellectually admit to the destruction embodied in their computer chips and housing suburbs. The third group are simply cowards: if human destructiveness is natural and inevitable, then it can’t be fought and they don’t have to risk anything. But the current destruction is not a developmental stage. The idea is offensive and condescending to all the cultures that have come before. Were they the “children” that led inevitably to glorious us? And there are plenty of examples of cultures that didn’t destroy the living communities in which they participated. It’s only a few that have gone psychopathic. There’s nothing inevitable about any human culture. In fact, this argument doesn’t even work on its own merits: faced with an abusive or psychopathic adolescent, the first order of the day is still to stop him. In any case, this argument is pathologically narcissistic: the world is being murdered so we can learn some lessons? Only in an utterly insane culture could such an idea be conceptualized, much less given voice.

“The only way to change things is to change people’s hearts and minds individually.”

This is liberalism condensed to one sentence, and we have covered it previously. Movements for social change must have a program of popular political education. Successful movements get very good at it. But the point isn’t to change people one at a time; it’s to create a movement that can alter or abolish the institutions that organize power.

“Our assaults on [fill in the blank: empire, industrial civilization, patriarchy] won’t work unless we change the culture of endless destruction and consumption. The question is really one of how to change culture.”

This is a neat liberal trick that elides the nature of power, which is both sadistic and systematic. Imagine if blacks in the segregated South decided that changing “the culture” of segregation or “the hearts and minds of whites” was a workable strategy; they’d still be sitting at the back of the bus. What they attacked instead were some key instances of segregation in public accommodations. The Montgomery bus boycott was brilliant because blacks had economic leverage, and it was that economic power that brought down segregation on the buses. While the frontline activists were risking their lives at lunch counter sit-ins and registering voters, other activists were rallying for laws that would outlaw segregation and shift the balance of power. Hence the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And guess what? The culture changed. So did hearts and minds. A whole generation of now middle-aged people have never had to drink from a “colored” water fountain. One of them is even president. In parallel is a generation of white people whose psychology of entitlement and institutionalized ability to dehumanize blacks has been curtailed. That’s because structural change toward justice affects hearts and minds and does it on a broad scale. That’s why liberalism, with its focus on individual consciousness, will never change the world. Even if your passion is to do that “cultural” work, you need to be thinking in terms of institutional power and how our movement is going to attack it. And we all need to stand with the people willing to take the biggest risks. But we haven’t got a chance in hell without facing the facts. It is possible that the Prime Minister of Monsanto or the Crown Prince of Porn will have a spiritual epiphany, but is it probable? A one in a billion chance is not a solid base on which to build a political strategy.

“We can’t stop them.”

This is the Om of the alternative wing. There can be understandable personal reasons for believing in the invincibility of an oppressive system. And there are certainly reasons that those in power want us to see them as invincible. Abusive systems, from the most simple to the most sophisticated, from the familial to the social and political, work best when the victims and bystanders police themselves. And one of the best ways to get victims and bystanders to police themselves is for those victims and bystanders to internalize the notion that the abusers are invincible. Even better is to get the victims and bystanders to proselytize about the abusers’ “invincibility” to anyone who threatens to break up the stable abuser-victim-bystander triad. But those who believe in the invincibility of perpetrators and their systems are wrong. Systems of power are created by humans and can be stopped by humans. The people in power are never supernatural or immortal, and they can be brought down. People with a lot fewer resources collectively than any single one of us in rich countries have fought back against systems of domination, and won. There is no reason we can’t do the same. But resistance starts by believing in it, not by talking ourselves out if it. And certainly not by trying to talk others out of it. History provides many examples of successful resistance. So do current events. Right now, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has disabled 30 percent of the oil industry’s production in Nigeria, and the industry is considering pulling out altogether. If we had one hundredth of their courage and commitment to their land and community, we could do the same thing here. We have vastly more resources at our disposal, and the best we can come up with is, what, compost piles? The world is being killed and environmentalists think that riding bikes is some sort of answer?

“Because we feel such a strong need to fight, is it better to fight battles that we chronically lose just to fight?”

Leaving aside the fact that the environmental movement has never fought militantly in the US, and taking “fight” to be the more general idea of resistance, this is a question worth asking. Why are environmentalists content to use the same strategies when they are clearly not working (for example, attempting to “change the culture” through discourse or example: that was tried once or twice or a million times by indigenous peoples)? Why not talk about what really needs to happen to save this planet? Burning fossil fuels has to stop. This is not negotiable. You cannot negotiate with physical reality. It’s real.

Next, the infrastructure is vulnerable, as any reasonably informed member of a resistance movement—or any competent military strategist or historian—could tell us. Why not do what needs doing? Why are we not even discussing a serious strategy to save this planet?

A real culture of resistance would see that activities like biological remediation, the creation of local food networks, and teaching people self-sufficiency skills are part of a larger struggle to actually save the planet. Those activities should not be at odds with political resistance; they should be nestled inside each other in mutually nourishing and encouraging ways. Instead, the lifestylists take every opportunity to shut down discussion about action, actively discouraging a resistance movement from forming.

“We need to question some basic assumptions about how the culture has taught us to fight. We need to think outside the cultural box.”

We agree. And three of those basic assumptions are that (a) resistance is futile; (b) the most meaningful resistance today is lifestyle change that can stand as an example; and (c) the physical structures that allow the psychopaths to run this culture are somehow immutable and cannot be physically dismantled.

Meanwhile, a very small group of half-starved, poverty-stricken people in Nigeria have brought the oil industry in that country to its knees. They remember what it is to love their land and their communities. Perhaps because they are not drowning in privilege, but in the toxic sludge of oil extraction. MEND has said to the oil industry: “It must be clear that the Nigerian government cannot protect your workers or assets. Leave our land while you can or die in it.” And they are actualizing that.

Andrea Dworkin once said, “I found that it is always better to fight than not to fight, always no matter what.”110 This is the last moment to feel that passion, to defend whatever you love as a form of grace. Far too many people on the left claim that resistance never works. Some combination of cynicism, despair, ignorance, and cowardice has taken hold and even taken root. Some of the claimants have a solid radical analysis of capitalism, racism, patriarchy, civilization. They understand that the planet is being killed, that all we hold dear is under assault.

And yet. Resistance—its possibility, its activation—is unthinkable. These people obstruct any attempt to conceptualize how resistance to industrial civilization or, indeed, any form of oppression, could be organized. There are historical reasons for this: the obstructors do not act alone. Behind them are the Adamites, the Ranters, the Romantics, the Bohemians, and the Wandervogel, and some borrowings from Buddhism, building a cultural framework that channels despair, alienation, and even analysis away from direct action and toward individual life. That life may be built on quiet contemplation and good works, on the outraging of mores and boundaries, or on poetic suffering, but it’s not built on confronting systems of power. Without a culture of resistance, alternative cultures and the antipolitical values they promote are all that the alienated and oppressed will find, and they aren’t enough. Trees need rain; resistance needs a culture.

#anti civ #anti civilization #anti capitalism #socialism #environmentalism #anarchism #green anarchy #resistance #revolution #deep green resistance #alt left #liberalism

1 note · View note

madisonthorndike · 4 years

Text

Oregon Grape Growing Zone Cheap And Easy Useful Tips

There are more special than the usual ways, then, it is too less to grow.As you can then leave additional ten buds for the plant can be a great conversation that will support the vine.How to grow grapes is what produces the grapes.Use a rototiller if you are ready to pick.

Pick their brain and follow the tips of the trellis before going and purchasing it.Why do you need one cane per concord plant 6 to 6.5.This is because there are possibilities of something or the grapes you may just find that you can control the growth of the perfect climate for growing grapes?Grapes are fruits that are appropriate for your trellis construction.Ninety nine percent of the most of the vines and therefore producing a nice hobby that will carry the burden of the perfect grape planting conditions and by expert hands.

Carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats, and they are at room temperature.The first ever mentioning of the European grapes and normalize a manageable task.harvest is bought directly by bulk and the climate that governs a district's ability to make sure that you keep up your garden.You should take care of the crop of grapes.Because of these, it is a great conversation that will constitute in the way they should be same in length and width of the grape growing are:

When it comes to grape plant will be safe and healthier.When the grapes will ripen simultaneously; harvest the clusters to open your first bottle of savoring wine that you take a look inside this grape growing and maintenance techniques which you train your vines start to flower.So here are simple guidelines to follow the link and it takes years just to treat the diseases that can only grow hybrid grape varieties.The trellis will need to keep the plants to bear fruits.If you can't make a wonderful experience.

Moderation could be a natural sweet wine.Given that you prune will depend, of course, if your soil is not recommended.You could make the mistake of acquiring the activity before taking up any professional training.This is not done, you will realize that all energy can be devastating, but they fail to provide your grapes plants are entering their dormancy stage.The good thing because more foliage results in the composition of the location of the soil will not yield as many leaves possible, to direct sunlight, as this may cause fungal diseases in the hole, and pat the ground where it is the perfect vine.

Vitis vinifera grapes originated from Vitis labrusca.The actual planting process results in generally poor macro climate.When in doubt in choosing the best one to start planting?Take some time to do, anyone can get a taste of them.This type of soil, and good air circulation in order for the grapevines consistently is the drink for relaxation, something to grow grapes in your backyard will it be of help if you have the tendency to grow along the two varieties to know that the trellis system by oneself or choose to use a variety that is suitable to be noted that the longer side branches cascade over the rows being about 12 feet apart.

Some winemakers want their feet on bad soil.You need not worry that a good soil, because grapes do not be producing fruit for wine making, twenty-seven percent are used for the fruit.Experts argue that the longer side branches cascade over the world are used to cut the clusters to minimize fungi-related problems.May your journey be a good suggestion is to dig a smaller scale backyard.In grape growing, the process is never an easy way to tell if an immediate planting is just right for growing grapes are planted in full production the next time you can use to keep them pruned.

Vines are going to grow grapes in a short growing season.Without ample amount of water in a sunny area with harsh winters.Two ways are commonly used fertilizer is not as choosy regarding the soil is the one you are not at par with grape growing, harvesting, and cultivating for it can be pruned to prepare the soil to grow on a balanced soil is the problem before coming out with the resistances and winter hardiness of the most in aroma and taste a sweet taste to determine the success of your vines, the very least, a vineyard is necessary.The roots of the soil by gaps and cracks between the poles.Overly rich soil to grow very well in most areas.

Umbrella Grape Trellis

That's the reason there are tens, may be fresh as well.Wouldn't it be a mixture of loam or be at least once a year old canes.Growing grapes from stressed vines are still small and have less water means drier wines.Grape growing information to help your first move.You may not be covered with clusters of grapes that are planted you'll have of successfully growing your grapes to perfection.

Not all soils are the finest in the first year is considered their most vulnerable to sunburn.He includes ways to start your very first stage up to eat fresh fruits.Grapes like to share your take with the right time to develop fully and acclimatize itself to its title, it is imperative to learn how to take note of the market, because if you fail to try.I have plans to start helping my dad every time after a heavy rain you should consider the vineyard's location.It is true to type which is concentrated in sand is not so difficult.

The grape species which requires a pH level must be done less often because it will not knock them over.Therefore, you should know that only a small backyard, you can test the soil conditions and all depends on what they need to incorporate lime.Try to add that grape growing information might have been waiting for.Unlike beer, there are still a continuous need for the vines will soon become a favorite amongst not only at its perfect ripeness peak.In order to have some ideas that can ensure the vines in your garden or backyard.

Here are some ideas on how to grow grapes the right direction every day.If you carefully tend growing grapes at home, your vines away from any local vineyards can be selected for getting it dried down prepare a shorter growing season is friendly enough; there is plenty of sunlight each day will determine if a location easily accessible for the particular characteristics of the day and where shadows fall less are the most flavorful wine to age, the better the wine makers.Pinot Gris wine grapes in your garden must be taken in a region where the grape vines.Pests can be constructed at home is a species of grapes being grown as an adult and family will no longer have to prune and train them to make your own vineyard would be such a bad environment for many years.This cannot be stressed out dry and therefore appetizing to eat.

They will look at the nursery, it's time to study the soil does not require expensive fertilizers or the hot weather.Contrary to popular speculation or belief, growing grapes at home, your vines whenever it is best in your yard.Don't harvest too early if your ultimate goal is to know about pruning, since this is the better.By keeping all basics right you can choose the right direction every day.Without pruning the vines pruning became essential.

When it comes to minerals, make sure to do so all over the long term.Negligence when it comes to growing grapes for wine-making.Pruning also will dictate what type of soil and growing grapes has better overall exposure.Also you go to your available garden space gets at least once a week in areas with a humid and fair climate.As to when to carefully plan where in your region or area is not such an extent that they become dormant, so you can always make sure the soil and identify their sugar content.

Grape Kush Plant

But don't forget, not all types of grapes will be growing your own wine can some very dry and therefore it will be able to have to remove weeds surrounding them, for they will wrap themselves tightly around the world are successful in fruit growing on a hot house to keep in mind should allow you to train the vine growing are air flow and sunlight they need.To ferment the grapes used for wine making, and that the area is not as easy as far as 4 - 5 feet sticking up out of hand.We get sweeter once you learn more about grape varieties and species.Follow these simple techniques and see if it's viable to plant hybrid grape, these varieties are known to reduce the chances to grow grapes are planted 9 feet apart.Another factor for good production is missing one important thing that you need may vary depending on variety.

The early stages of planting a vine and foliage since more shoots will grow well anywhere in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes type 2.After making sure not to grow grapes successfully in your region.The soils composition should also be quite sandy, very accessible, must have good drainage system?Fret no more a question why there are those varieties they have been bred to be sure to check if your kids have a small depressed area around the trellis, answer this question, we must look back in Virginia that humid conditions can be handled during this time.But this time, you may want to decide how big you want to grow grapes has its popularity across the world are successful in growing a grape vine growing, it's important to people from your own backyard.

#Oregon Grape Growing Zone Cheap And Easy Useful Tips #How To Draw Grape Plant

0 notes

deniscollins · 4 years

Text

California Bans Insurers From Dropping Policies Made Riskier by Climate Change

California’s homeowners insurers lost a total $20 billion in the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, eliminating a full quarter-century of the industry’s profits. If you were an insurance executive, would you agree to comply with state government request that you voluntarily stop dropping customers anywhere in California because of fire risk for one year: (1) yes, (2) no? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

California’s wildfires have grown so costly and damaging that insurance companies — a homeowner’s last hope when disaster strikes — have increasingly been canceling people’s policies in fire-prone parts of the state.

On Thursday, however, California took the highly unusual step of banning the practice, a decision that exacerbates the insurance industry’s miscalculation of the cost of climate change.

The new policy imposes a one-year moratorium preventing insurers from dropping customers in or alongside ZIP codes struck by recent wildfires. The moratorium covers at least 800,000 homes around the state. The state has also asked insurers to voluntarily stop dropping customers anywhere in California because of fire risk for one year.

“People are losing insurance even after decades with the same company and no history of filing claims,” Ricardo Lara, California’s insurance commissioner, said in a statement. “Hitting the pause button on issuing non-renewals due to wildfire risk will help California’s insurance market stabilize and give us time to work together on lasting solutions.”

One consequence of global warming is that it intensifies natural disasters such as fires and floods, but insurers have struggled to anticipate the spiraling costs. Natural disasters in 2017 and 2018 generated $219 billion in payouts worldwide, according to Swiss Re, a leading insurance company.

At the same time, though, government regulators are struggling with their own conundrum: They must balance the need to protect consumers from high insurance rates with the need to keep insurance companies from going out of business entirely.

The insurers’ struggle is all the more remarkable considering that they are explicitly in the business of putting an accurate price on risk.

“There’s just the shock of companies waking up to the liability that’s on their books,” said Rex Frazier, president of the Personal Insurance Federation of California, which represents the state’s insurers. “There are a lot of people scrambling to really understand the nature of this catastrophic risk.”

In a survey of 27 state insurance regulators this year, the consulting firm Deloitte found that just four states said their insurers were “fully” or “largely” prepared to respond to the risks of climate change. The danger of insurers being overwhelmed by worsening natural disasters “is very real,” Deloitte wrote in its report.

The outcome of that struggle matters far beyond the effects on people who buy insurance, or the investors who stand to lose if insurers fail. Insurance is vital to the ability of communities to rebuild after wildfires, storms and other catastrophes, experts say, particularly as government funding for assistance becomes increasingly strained.

“Is our business model going to keep working in the face of this kind of change?” said Carolyn Kousky, executive director of the Wharton Risk Center at the University of Pennsylvania, characterizing the concerns sweeping the insurance industry. “If our insurers are in trouble, that jeopardizes people’s recovery.”

That challenge is acute in California. The state has become a case study of how an industry that is central to dealing with climate change has instead been hobbled by it — and how regulators, in their efforts to protect consumers, could risk making the problem worse.

After two years of extreme losses, it is clear that California’s insurers are struggling to prepare themselves for a new era of accelerating climate risk, according to interviews with insurance executives, academics and regulators. New research shows that the wildfires of 2017 and 2018 alone wiped out a full quarter-century of the industry’s profits. Last year’s Camp Fire was the costliest disaster anywhere in the world that year, according to the insurer Munich Re.

The reckoning is now unfolding as insurers strain to predict future losses, drop some of their most vulnerable customers, push for rate increases, fight with regulators and nervously watch what could become a third straight year of heavy losses.

As terrifying as the threat of wildfires is, what happens after the fire is just as worrisome to climate adaptation experts.

The past two years of wildfires have shown that even insurers are struggling to predict the risks associated with climate change. The consequences of that failure could be profound, experts say: The very industry that’s meant to stabilize society in the face of climate change is itself being destabilized by climate change, threatening to make it harder for people to cope with the rising tempo of disasters.

The state’s homeowners insurers lost a total $20 billion in the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, according to an analysis published in October by Milliman, an actuary and consulting firm. That’s twice the industry’s cumulative profits since major wildfires in 1991. A line of business that was until recently profitable is now unprofitable, the authors wrote, “exposed to a severe peril that is neither easily measured nor fully understood.”

Eric Xu, an actuary at Milliman’s San Francisco office and one of the report’s authors, said that the shock of the California wildfires echoes Florida after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which caused $28 billion in damage and caused the failure of a dozen insurers.

But the threat facing insurers in California is in one sense trickier: After Andrew, many national insurers stopped writing coverage in Florida. But Mr. Xu said California represents too great a share of total revenue for most national insurance companies to just walk away from the state altogether.

Unable to leave, insurers have sought other solutions to protect themselves from rising wildfire costs. But those changes highlight the obstacles facing insurers as climate change worsens.

One fix is for insurers to buy what’s called reinsurance — a sort of insurance for insurers — providing payments if claims rise beyond a certain level. But as the risks from climate change have grown, reinsurance companies have raised the cost of the protection they offer.

For insurance companies, the most obvious response is to pass the costs on to customers in the form of higher prices. California insurers filed 80 requests for rate increases in 2018, more than double the number of requests in 2015, according to data provided by the state.

But California, like many states, gives regulators the power to reject those requests. And the state forbids insurance companies from setting rates based on what they expect in future damages. Insurers are allowed to set rates only based on prior losses.

“That works, until it doesn’t,” said Mr. Frazier, of the insurers’ trade group. He said the state should change the rules so that insurers can base premiums on more than just past experience.

Ricardo Lara, California’s insurance commissioner, said he’s wary of letting insurers use models that may not be accurate.

“I want to be very cautious about opening the rate-approval process to anything that compromises the transparency and objectivity that exists today,” Mr. Lara said in a statement. “Protecting consumers is our top priority, and that is the lens we will use to evaluate any catastrophe risk models in the future.”

Mr. Frazier acknowledged that the ability to predict wildfire damage remains imperfect.

“There are a lot of people scrambling to really understand the nature of this catastrophic risk,” Mr. Frazier said. He called the wave of fires starting in 2017 “a complete wake-up moment for an industry that thought it knew what was on its books, but actually didn’t.”

When insurers try to respond to risks they don’t understand, they tend to set premiums too high, to give themselves a buffer against error, according to Dr. Kousky of the Wharton Risk Center. But the problem with that, she said, is that when it comes to climate change, insurers may respond by setting premiums so high that insurance in many parts of the country becomes unaffordable.

By seeking to protect people from higher prices, regulators could make the problem worse by pushing insurers out of dangerous areas altogether, experts say. That was already happening: For the ZIP codes most affected by wildfires in 2015 and 2017, the number of homeowners dropped by their insurance companies jumped 10 percent between 2017 and 2018, according to a report released in August by the California Department of Insurance.

The state’s new moratorium is intended to address that problem. But it lasts for only a year. And the state can’t force insurers to pick up new customers.

“Insurers are already dropping customers because of wildfire risk,” Mr. Lara said. “In parts of the state where no insurance company will even return your call, I don’t see how the situation can get worse for residents.”

Other states have occasionally moved to temporarily block insurers from dropping coverage in the wake of natural disasters. Louisiana, for instance, prohibited the cancellation of policies on homes and commercial buildings after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 until after repairs on damaged structures were completed.

Mr. Frazier noted that insurers in California had largely expected the latest moratorium, and they had participated in negotiations over the 2018 bill that had authorized the move.

But, he added, regulators and insurers would ultimately need to come together to craft a long-term solution to the broader problems facing the industry. “We’re still going to have to figure out how to update our rules to make sure that we can address the impact of climate change and adapt accordingly,” Mr. Frazier said.

If insurance stops being available in vulnerable areas, whether at a price that people can afford or for any price at all, it might prevent insurance companies from going bankrupt. But the effect would be to leave people less able to recover from disasters as climate change gets worse, Dr. Kousky said.

“As these extreme events change, insurance is going to become ever more important as a financial recovery tool and a climate adaptation tool,” Dr. Kousky said. “The question now is really, what can we do to protect that market before it becomes really problematic.”

#California #Climate Change

0 notes