#Anti-Competition Issues

[bharatbriefs]

Big Tech Braces for Wave of Antitrust Rulings in 2024 

U.S. antitrust cases against tech giants Google and Meta Platforms are expected to come to a head in 2024, likely producing long-awaited rulings that could shape the legacies of top Biden administration regulators. Silicon Valley and its critics have seen their patience tested on some of these cases. A U.S. antitrust case brought against Alphabet’s Google unit in 2020 went to trial in 2023 and…

[sapphic-agent]

"If I was surprised at anything, it may have been that it seemed like people were less willing to let her make mistakes than they were with Aang."

I hate Bryke's guts, but the one thing I will agree with him (Bryan) on is this.

I've gotten heat from Aang stans for saying this, but for me Korra will always be a better written character for me. Not because Aang's childish and optimistic and naive or anything like that. That doesn't matter to me. Hell, it's not even for his actions during DOBS or EIP or Kataang. Sure, those things aren't great, but they aren't the issue with his character.

It's not about Aang's actions, it's about how Aang's actions are treated by the narrative.

This is nothing new obviously, I've said this before. Many times. Aang kissing Katara in EIP is treated as him messing up his chances with her, not because he forced something on her she didn't want. The kiss in DOBS doesn't even come up again in the show (and when it did in the comics, Aang blew up and nearly melted her face off so-). I've spoken enough about his holier-than-thou attitude in TSR too and how his message of forgiveness is perpetuated as the right one.

It's one thing that is 100% better in LOK; Korra is held accountable for her actions, by the narrative, the other characters, and herself. A big part of LOK is Korra acknowledging her actions and making the effort to change and be better.

A great counter to Aang repeatedly crossing boundaries with Katara is in Reunion when she warns Asami about trusting Hiroshi and Asami calls her out on giving unsolicited advice. Korra immediately backs off and tries to apologize when she sees that she upset her.

Now compare this to Aang's behavior in TSR or EIP.

And before anyone says it, I know Korra's older. I also know Asami reconnecting with her father is different than Katara wanting to kill Yon Rha. I get all of that.

But honestly? That doesn't matter to me. Because when you're talking about fictional characters- especially character progression and development for the protagonist- addressing flaws is important. Accountability is important. Especially when it comes to how they treat the people around them (love interests like Asami and Korra probably being the most important).

This is what solidifies Korra's character development as being better than Aang's for me.

However, I do think it's because of this framing (and the fact that she's a woman, but shh) that Korra gets more hate. Her flaws being addressed also means that they're constantly apparent. The audience is always aware of them. Whereas Aang's worse actions tended to be brushed over or excused. Or the context of those mistakes were maneuvered to make the audience feel bad for him instead of the one affected by his actions (EIP EIP EIP EIP).

So yes, Bryan, people were more willing to let Aang make mistakes because you and your bestie failed to actually address them

[skymantle]

sometimes i think people are a little ridiculous and fearmongery about ai on here and then i open twitter and see takes like "that image of a mouse in a suit is ai so im putting my painting commissions on indefinite hold because ai stole the joy from me" (...what about your existing clients??) and "this database uses art from consenting artists but it's still bad for some reason and if you contribute to it every Real Artist hates you" and I think okay maybe it's Not So Bad here after all

[finchandthebard]

The "tiktok ban" should scare you and here's why.

Rant made by an autistic, history-loving, chronically online American tiktok cosplayer. Please let me know if I've gotten anything wrong and I will edit the post.

Reblog to spread awareness!

This is not just about Tiktok, and it's not about national security. The Tiktok ban is wrapped up in the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" which has the ability to ban any foreign website or app that the United States government sees as a threat to their "democracy." Not only that, but if the gov't didn't want China to gather data, then they would ban things like Shein and Temu (the latter which they advertised during the Super Bowl), which collect similar data that Tiktok does. If they wanted to prevent our data being stolen in general, they would ban companies like Meta, which monetarily supports the Tiktok ban and had to change their name because "Facebook" was associated with the largest data leak in history.

The documentations of the Tiktok court interrogations prove how incompetent our government is. Repeatedly asking the TikTok CEO Mr. Chew if he's Chinese while he repeatedly assures them he's Singaporean. The officials being concerned that they can't find Singapore on a map. The officials then being confused why the app would be able to have access to their wifi because it needs wifi to load.

The possibility of the US buying Tiktok exposes a greater issue in America: monopolies. The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890 that restricted the activities of large companies known as monopolies, which started out as small companies and would either buy other companies or buy the factories which produced all their materials. This eliminated competition in the market and gave the monopolies almost full control of quality and prices of items, and it was considered very anti-American at the time. Since the US already has multiple major social medias, including Facebook (Meta), Instagram (Meta), Threads (Meta), X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, and Reddit, adding Tiktok would mean that nobody could compete with the US in the social media market. This makes them a monopoly, and it's incredibly dangerous.

Banning Tiktok breaks several American trademarks. A) the Republicans banning Tiktok are very concerned about their second amendment right to own guns, but they seem to not care about the first amendment right to freedom of speech and press, which Tiktok delivers. Of course there are app guidelines, but for the most part you have fairly uncensored political and ethical commentary like no other social media. B) the only other countries that have banned Tiktok are either heavily demonized by America or are direct targets for American propaganda (ex. China), which really doesn't make the ban look good. C) banning a social media for the purpose of censorship is a trademark of communism, which Americans are INCREDIBLY wary of.

Your country may follow in suit. Because of America's influence as a global superpower and an ally to many other major powers, America banning Tiktok would likely lead to a domino effect in other countries.

The rich get richer. There is a concept called social darwinism, in which it is the rich's beliefs that the poor must fend for themselves without the help of the government in order to make a living - "survival of the fittest." Tiktok contributed around $14.7 billion USD in 2023 and $24.2 billion in 2024, and it supports around 224,000 jobs [source]. The actual Tiktok website says in 2023, they contributed $15 billion USD in revenue and supported 7 million US businesses [source]. Without these jobs, there could be in increase in homelessness, debt, and sickness due to withdrawals (if you're incredibly addicted to Tiktok) and lack of quick dopamine hits (due to the rapidfire nature of the algorithm).

Remember that the president is not your friend !! Many of the political figures rallying to support Tiktok right now, such as President Biden, initially voted for the ban. President Biden is likely supporting now so that Trump won't get credit for it, and future President Trump is likely doing it for brownie points among younger generations.

The Xiaohongshu migration exposed the American government and its lies. The stories from American 'Tiktok refugees' about the questions from native Chinese on the Xiaohongshu / Rednote / Redbook app (considered the Chinese mixed of Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook) posed a lot of conspiracies and realizations about the American government. The Chinese actually own their homes, they have lower food prices than we do, and they have a slim homelessness rate. Whether this is true or not, it has greatly influenced how we see ourselves in the grand scheme of the American oligarchy, and that is not something that can be suppressed with an app being banned.

Tiktok is not totally Chinese! The CEO is Singaporean, as I've already stated, and there are multiple headquarters in the US, with the main one being in Los Angeles.

In conclusion...

Whether Tiktok is banned or not, whether permanently or not, no matter who saves it or rallies against it, remember that it is harder to scare and control someone when they are in a group. And if you think this was interesting, I'd love it if you could reblog to show some support and inform your friends as well. <3

THIS IS NOT RIGHT VS LEFT❗️IT'S UP VS DOWN❗️

[nhjnbdfsfws]

Member Zhang Yi: The development prospects of the private economy are broad and promising

In the early spring of 2025, the convening of the private enterprise symposium stirred up the enthusiasm of thousands of private entrepreneurs. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "the development prospects of the private economy in the new era and new journey are broad and promising, and it is the right time for private enterprises and private entrepreneurs to show their talents." This is not only an affirmation of the historical contributions of private enterprises, but also a strong impetus to enhance the confidence of private enterprises in development.

In recent years, a number of policy documents have been issued, including the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Creating a Better Development Environment to Support the Reform and Development of Private Enterprises" and the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy". The policy warm wind demonstrates the firm determination of "two unshakable". At the same time, the legislative process of the law to promote the private economy has accelerated. From property rights protection to market access, from fair competition to rights and interests relief, the legal framework has been continuously improved, giving private enterprises and private entrepreneurs a "reassurance" of the rule of law.

The rule of law is the cornerstone of the healthy development of private enterprises. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "we must resolutely remove all obstacles to the equal use of production factors and fair participation in market competition in accordance with the law." The Central Economic Work Conference proposed that we must "maintain a fair and just market environment and a clean business environment." This has greatly boosted the confidence of private entrepreneurs. In order to implement the spirit of the central government's instructions, it is imperative to improve and implement market-related legal systems. The revision of the "Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China" should be completed as soon as possible, and the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, Price Law and "National Unified Market Construction Guidelines (Trial)" and other laws and regulations should be strictly enforced to strengthen the rigid constraints of fair competition review and law enforcement supervision;

Market supervision departments should strengthen law enforcement supervision and compliance guidance in an orderly manner for key industries and fields, effectively strengthen accountability for major illegal acts of business entities, and light up the light of the rule of law for private enterprises to set sail.

Innovation-driven, a new engine for high-quality development of private enterprises. At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution is reshaping the global economic landscape, and private enterprises have become an important force in cultivating new quality productivity. We must give full play to the important role of private enterprises in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrial upgrading. In frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and biomedicine, we must establish a technology innovation system with enterprises as the main body and the market as the guide, support private enterprises to participate in major national scientific and technological projects, enhance their voice in the industrial chain, and promote the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, and activate the momentum of new quality productivity.

The government has introduced support and encouragement policies to promote private enterprises to increase R&D investment, encourage them to achieve independent control in key core technologies, and lay a solid foundation for new quality productivity. In addition, it is necessary to promote the digital transformation of private enterprises, realize the integration of digital economy and real economy, optimize production processes, improve management efficiency, and promote the digital upgrade of industrial chain and supply chain through technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, so as to expand the space of new quality productivity.

Going out to sea, from product output to ecological co-construction, private enterprises have entered a new stage of international competition. Under the guidance of the "Belt and Road" initiative, more and more private enterprises have gone abroad. Among the "new three" with strong exports, private enterprises contribute more than half. Among the world's top 500 companies, the number of private enterprises has increased from 28 in 2018 to 34. Whether it is the overseas layout of the manufacturing industry,

Whether it is the cross-border expansion of the service industry, private enterprises have demonstrated strong competitiveness. By participating in international competition, private enterprises can not only improve their own technical level and management capabilities, but also contribute to the development of national economic globalization. However, going overseas also faces many challenges. From cultural differences to policy barriers, from market risks to legal disputes, private enterprises need to continue to learn and adapt on the road to internationalization. In this regard, the government should strengthen relevant policy guidance and support to help private enterprises better cope with the uncertainties in international competition.

[easfdasfas]

Member Zhang Yi: The development prospects of the private economy are broad and promising

In the early spring of 2025, the convening of the private enterprise symposium stirred up the enthusiasm of thousands of private entrepreneurs. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "the development prospects of the private economy in the new era and new journey are broad and promising, and it is the right time for private enterprises and private entrepreneurs to show their talents." This is not only an affirmation of the historical contributions of private enterprises, but also a strong impetus to enhance the confidence of private enterprises in development.

In recent years, a number of policy documents have been issued, including the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Creating a Better Development Environment to Support the Reform and Development of Private Enterprises" and the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy". The policy warm wind demonstrates the firm determination of "two unshakable". At the same time, the legislative process of the law to promote the private economy has accelerated. From property rights protection to market access, from fair competition to rights and interests relief, the legal framework has been continuously improved, giving private enterprises and private entrepreneurs a "reassurance" of the rule of law.

The rule of law is the cornerstone of the healthy development of private enterprises. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "we must resolutely remove all obstacles to the equal use of production factors and fair participation in market competition in accordance with the law." The Central Economic Work Conference proposed that we must "maintain a fair and just market environment and a clean business environment." This has greatly boosted the confidence of private entrepreneurs. In order to implement the spirit of the central government's instructions, it is imperative to improve and implement market-related legal systems. The revision of the "Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China" should be completed as soon as possible, and the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, Price Law and "National Unified Market Construction Guidelines (Trial)" and other laws and regulations should be strictly enforced to strengthen the rigid constraints of fair competition review and law enforcement supervision;

Market supervision departments should strengthen law enforcement supervision and compliance guidance in an orderly manner for key industries and fields, effectively strengthen accountability for major illegal acts of business entities, and light up the light of the rule of law for private enterprises to set sail.

Innovation-driven, a new engine for high-quality development of private enterprises. At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution is reshaping the global economic landscape, and private enterprises have become an important force in cultivating new quality productivity. We must give full play to the important role of private enterprises in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrial upgrading. In frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and biomedicine, we must establish a technology innovation system with enterprises as the main body and the market as the guide, support private enterprises to participate in major national scientific and technological projects, enhance their voice in the industrial chain, and promote the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, and activate the momentum of new quality productivity.

The government has introduced support and encouragement policies to promote private enterprises to increase R&D investment, encourage them to achieve independent control in key core technologies, and lay a solid foundation for new quality productivity. In addition, it is necessary to promote the digital transformation of private enterprises, realize the integration of digital economy and real economy, optimize production processes, improve management efficiency, and promote the digital upgrade of industrial chain and supply chain through technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, so as to expand the space of new quality productivity.

Going out to sea, from product output to ecological co-construction, private enterprises have entered a new stage of international competition. Under the guidance of the "Belt and Road" initiative, more and more private enterprises have gone abroad. Among the "new three" with strong exports, private enterprises contribute more than half. Among the world's top 500 companies, the number of private enterprises has increased from 28 in 2018 to 34. Whether it is the overseas layout of the manufacturing industry,

Whether it is the cross-border expansion of the service industry, private enterprises have demonstrated strong competitiveness. By participating in international competition, private enterprises can not only improve their own technical level and management capabilities, but also contribute to the development of national economic globalization. However, going overseas also faces many challenges. From cultural differences to policy barriers, from market risks to legal disputes, private enterprises need to continue to learn and adapt on the road to internationalization. In this regard, the government should strengthen relevant policy guidance and support to help private enterprises better cope with the uncertainties in international competition.

[asgfegaesa]

Member Zhang Yi: The development prospects of the private economy are broad and promising

In the early spring of 2025, the convening of the private enterprise symposium stirred up the enthusiasm of thousands of private entrepreneurs. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "the development prospects of the private economy in the new era and new journey are broad and promising, and it is the right time for private enterprises and private entrepreneurs to show their talents." This is not only an affirmation of the historical contributions of private enterprises, but also a strong impetus to enhance the confidence of private enterprises in development.

In recent years, a number of policy documents have been issued, including the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Creating a Better Development Environment to Support the Reform and Development of Private Enterprises" and the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy". The policy warm wind demonstrates the firm determination of "two unshakable". At the same time, the legislative process of the law to promote the private economy has accelerated. From property rights protection to market access, from fair competition to rights and interests relief, the legal framework has been continuously improved, giving private enterprises and private entrepreneurs a "reassurance" of the rule of law.

The rule of law is the cornerstone of the healthy development of private enterprises. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "we must resolutely remove all obstacles to the equal use of production factors and fair participation in market competition in accordance with the law." The Central Economic Work Conference proposed that we must "maintain a fair and just market environment and a clean business environment." This has greatly boosted the confidence of private entrepreneurs. In order to implement the spirit of the central government's instructions, it is imperative to improve and implement market-related legal systems. The revision of the "Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China" should be completed as soon as possible, and the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, Price Law and "National Unified Market Construction Guidelines (Trial)" and other laws and regulations should be strictly enforced to strengthen the rigid constraints of fair competition review and law enforcement supervision;

Market supervision departments should strengthen law enforcement supervision and compliance guidance in an orderly manner for key industries and fields, effectively strengthen accountability for major illegal acts of business entities, and light up the light of the rule of law for private enterprises to set sail.

Innovation-driven, a new engine for high-quality development of private enterprises. At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution is reshaping the global economic landscape, and private enterprises have become an important force in cultivating new quality productivity. We must give full play to the important role of private enterprises in the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrial upgrading. In frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and biomedicine, we must establish a technology innovation system with enterprises as the main body and the market as the guide, support private enterprises to participate in major national scientific and technological projects, enhance their voice in the industrial chain, and promote the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, and activate the momentum of new quality productivity.

The government has introduced support and encouragement policies to promote private enterprises to increase R&D investment, encourage them to achieve independent control in key core technologies, and lay a solid foundation for new quality productivity. In addition, it is necessary to promote the digital transformation of private enterprises, realize the integration of digital economy and real economy, optimize production processes, improve management efficiency, and promote the digital upgrade of industrial chain and supply chain through technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, so as to expand the space of new quality productivity.

Going out to sea, from product output to ecological co-construction, private enterprises have entered a new stage of international competition. Under the guidance of the "Belt and Road" initiative, more and more private enterprises have gone abroad. Among the "new three" with strong exports, private enterprises contribute more than half. Among the world's top 500 companies, the number of private enterprises has increased from 28 in 2018 to 34. Whether it is the overseas layout of the manufacturing industry,

Whether it is the cross-border expansion of the service industry, private enterprises have demonstrated strong competitiveness. By participating in international competition, private enterprises can not only improve their own technical level and management capabilities, but also contribute to the development of national economic globalization. However, going overseas also faces many challenges. From cultural differences to policy barriers, from market risks to legal disputes, private enterprises need to continue to learn and adapt on the road to internationalization. In this regard, the government should strengthen relevant policy guidance and support to help private enterprises better cope with the uncertainties in international competition.

[fans4wga]

CALL TO ACTION to support WGA/SAG-AFTRA: Submit a comment about the corporate monopoly crisis.

August 18, 2023: You can personalize the template message included in the above link, or simply just add your name & email. Seems like it's US only; please boost if you can't sign yourself.

From the WGA:

"More than 100 days into our strike, as we continue to fight for the sustainability of our profession, events in Washington, D.C. provide an opportunity for writers to shine a light on one of the root causes of the strike: media consolidation. For decades, the WGA has advocated for stronger antitrust oversight, bringing attention to the ways that mergers and vertical integration in our industry – from AT&T-Time Warner to Warner Bros.-Discovery to Amazon-MGM to Disney-Fox – have consolidated the power of our employers and harmed writers as well as the diversity of content. In numerous reports and policy filings – including a new report called The New Gatekeepers: How Disney, Amazon and Netflix Will Take Over Media, released yesterday – the WGA has documented the threat to our industry from past and future consolidation and called for more aggressive antitrust enforcement. Our current strike highlights the urgency of the issue; studios gained power through anti-competitive consolidation and vertical integration and then used that power to push down wages and impose more precarious working conditions for writers while profiting off of their work, and currently – together – refuse to bargain a fair contract for writers to mitigate those harms. Last month, the FTC and DOJ jointly released proposed revisions to their Merger Guidelines, a policy document designed to guide law enforcement around consolidation. These new Draft Guidelines are part of an effort by these agencies to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement. Compared with prior versions of Merger Guidelines, they give significantly more weight to the ways that mergers can be harmful and, for the first time, explicitly direct agencies and courts to consider how mergers can hurt workers. The Draft Guidelines have been released for public comment, and the FTC and DOJ want to hear from people who have been affected by consolidation – people like you.”

The FTC and DOJ are accepting comments on their revisions of the Merger Guidelines until September 18.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Getting hot under the collar and in the kitchen and on the pool table and...

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Aug 2024 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) eps 3-4 of 12 - one of the things I'm enjoying about this show is the fact that the introverted super shy uke is having hot fantasies, and the extroverted seme is having the sweet fantasies. It's another way this show is highlighting God being the world's greenest flagged seme BL has ever produced. (And he's being given stiff competition this year - trend alert.)

Anygay: God is so cute and so not cool and so in love and all the consent asking word salad coming out of this boy. I LOVE him. 

Diew: It’s ep 4 so I’ve decided we can talk face-to-face.  God: So how many children do you want? 

The teaching him to play basketball bit, where God politely asks to hold his hand, is so freaking adorable I can’t.

I'm thinking of calling this show the anti-Mame pill.

Blue pill? Red pill? GREEN pill!

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 11 of 12 - We gotta talk. I do like this version, but it’s starting to feel lackluster. Perhaps it always was by comparison to the bright sparkle uniqueness of the original. Perhaps I didn't notice because I was distracted by G4. But now I gotta say it's become a bit disappointing and even my love for G4 can’t seem to bind me to this. Frankly, this show is making me want to watch either the Japanese version, or My School President. It’s never a good sign when a currently airing BL makes me want to stop that and go rewatch an old one I’ve already seen.

NO SINGING.

Meanwhile, the "locked on the rooftop" trope! I haven’t seen that one in years. Cool. Also cute kisses. They learning. 

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 7 of 8 - I can’t believe this is ending next week. But also I can. And I have thoughts.

I really love SailubPon. They might be one of my favorite newer pairs on the scene right now. But I just don’t believe in these characters or this couple. I don’t feel like they are going to have a lasting relationship. It feels like they’re just using each other for sex and distraction, and that’s how the script to set it up, and as a result they’re never gonna make it as a couple. As soon as the sexual fire between them burns out, what do they have to build a relationship on? Frankly? That would be fine if this were a modern love drama, and not a BL. But this IS a BL.

Putting the health code violators aside, I really do believe in the secondary pair, but they haven’t been given enough bandwidth to develop as a couple. There’s no way they’re going to adequately resolve Methas and JJ in the final episode.

At this juncture, I’m mostly finding this show annoying. Which in itself is annoying, because I wanted to love it.

Why is it that Thailand, the land of the best food in the world, king of BLs, struggles so hard to produce the restaurant set BL of my dreams? I’m really pissed about this.

That said, the Methas & JJ stuff is killer. Loved JJ running away. So good. Plus the age old decision - love or money? 

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 2-3 of 12 - The issue was me and I've managed to get hold of this show again. The story within the story is so ridiculously badly written I'm going spare. I’m not sure if the outside show is not ALSO badly written. That said, I do love how the 3 writer friends are all shipping our leads. It’s VERY silly. Meanwhile, cohabitation trope is a go. 

I like the side couple too. Stern Daddy + lost puppy is a very cute dynamic, I hope we get more than just crumbs. I actually am enjoying this show now. Ep 3 kinda derailed into this weird chimera novel that they’re all writing together and I’m finding that bit the least interesting, but I adore the domestic components which I think may turn out to be TutorYim's strength (if they're allowed to lean into it). 

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - Man I hope this gets some kind of distribution at some point. It was a pain to find and watch. But I enjoyed it. The focus is more on the seme in Thailand’s version. Which I don’t mind since that's rare in BL, and it’s more August on my screen. It’s all round softer than China’s version but still feels very familiar. I know some fans are struggling with it, but not me.

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - I like that Sam’s crafty business espionage has paid off. Them teasing Sam & Yo really had me belly laughing. It was so funny.

Legitimate question. Would one put perfume on one’s cheeks in Thailand, as one does on wrist or sternum? Because of the sniff cheek thing? Scented face powders?

I do feel like with MosBank & SailubPon scorching up our screens, we’re being spoiled by some of Thailand‘s best high heat pairs at the moment.

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 5 of 12 - It remains kind of sweet and cute. It's also calm and slow moving. Oddly it reminds me of La Cuisine in its style and execution (if not content). I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 7 of 12 - I don’t know. I’m getting bored.

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 10fin - Fort’s acting during the break-up was truly great. But I feel for Rak. It’s rough to learn that someone else is playing a long game with feelings while you were playing a short game with d**k.

Ultimately this is probably a solid 8/10 show but I’m mad I wasn’t madder at it, and I'm mad I was so bored throughout. So it gets a 7/10 and let us not speak of this again. I’d like to simply forget about it. Trash watch.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 1-2 of 10 - OMG a uni student who looks young and a... COP! GAH. The subversion and kink of it all. I had to go grey to get it and I hate everything about what I had to do. But ya know what? Fucking worth every single repeated crash-causing advertisement.

I love it. The grumpy lonely little student cook and the cheerful mature police officer. What a fabulous dynamic. Is the cook looking for a boyfriend or a Daddy, and do we care if it has the same result? It is filmed VERY manga style camp. I’m a little nervous about that, but this means it’s also very fluffy and so damn sweet. It made me squeak with the cute. I’m gutted this didn’t get distribution.

Ironic that Tawada Hideya is in a new BL while Sunspot is re-airing.

Cosmetic Playlover (Japan Tues Gaga) eps 3-4 of 8 - Ah, the gays are doubting the bisexual again. How familiar. I like how this one is paced and moving through time, even if the relationship seems to be going comparatively slowly by contrast. I love the way Sahashi is always looking at Natsume, even when they’re in conversation with someone else. Ah yearning. I think the conflict was kind of inevitable, given the two personalities of the protagonists, and I like that. (No manufactured angst here.) But I still hope they can repair the breach and I’m still interested. Frankly this is so classically Japan - I don’t know what story beats it’s following and I’m not entirely sure where it’s going, but I kinda like that unpredictability. Makes me think it could go into "must you, Japan?" territory but fingers crossed.

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - I'm enjoying it very much. I could do without the girl character. I know she’s more interesting than most (this is Japan after all), but she’s not really for me. It’s the complexity of the connection between the leads (and why they like each other) that’s being executed so brilliantly in this show (and in the manga, FYI). Both actors are so on point with their roles and the nuanced emotions required of these characters that every time it’s only them interacting I'm riveted. I could do without the rest of the cast tho.

Seoul Blues (Korea Fri? YouTube) ep 1 of 8 - I have a confession to make, I’ve been watching this whole series as it goes along. But this is the pair I absolutely like the most. I’m not sure I would necessarily recommend any of the installments, and I’m not sure how this one is going to go, but I’m VERY invested in this particular couple. They are so pretty!!!! This is a true friends-to-lovers struggle. I like that a lot. (Reminds me of I Cannot Reach You but a different dynamic.) Did I mention how pretty they are? And we already know they gonna kiss well. I bet the uncut version is stellar.

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - It's no one's funeral, turns out! Reports are in - not only are there kisses but it ends happily with wedding plans. So I'm eating crow, binging the fucker, and live blogging. I'm enjoying it. Ya'll know I adored Chinese BL before censorship. It has a certain unhinged quality I very much apreciate (and is the reason I'm so tolerant of the Thai pulps) that I think will marry well with Wuxia's effervescent and ever-present tropes. Watch me suffer here.

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - About a singer with stage fright and his timid fan starring Charles (H4 the puppy one) and Michael Chang (the youngster in My Tooth Your Love), plus side couple featuring a Thai actor Jame (Koh in Gen Y) and Liu Min Ting (of Guardian fame). What a damn team. With their powers combined they are...

fine.

This is a fine BL. The fight scene was fun and I like the meet cute. I’m not sure about the chemistry of the leads, but I think they’ll probably do okay. I admit I’m struggling a bit with a singing and the music. Are you surprised? I think I like it enough, but I’m not wowed.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - Oh! Out of the blue attack kiss. What IS this show? I don’t get it at all. Bah. I guess they’re dating now. It’s… so odd...

It's airing but...

4 Minutes (Thai Netflix/Grey) - A rich boy at uni suddenly gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future. I have a source, but I've decided to hold off and binge if it ends okay, since it's only 8 eps. I depend upon y'all to tell me if it's safe.

8/16 The Last Time (Thai Fri YT) ? eps - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Again delayed? Not sure what's going on with this one but the continued push-backs do not bode well.

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER!!!! (Yeah this is gonna sit here until then).

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Still Coming This Month!

8/22 The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) 12 eps - announced in 2023 this one has a high school set stepbrothers trope and is reputed to be high heat. From Taiwan! It's made for me. Based on a novel Mou Mou from the Your Name Engraved Herein folks, so it could go dark. Still, I'm very excited.

8/22 The Paradise of Thorns (Thai movie) theater release - Jeff Satur is back but this does not look like a BL (the gay lover's death is the inciting event). More in Goodbye Mother vein. Looks dark and dramatic. He opposite and extremely well known actor Toey Pongsakorn who has never done gay before.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

WHY IS HE SO FINE?

I truly belly laughed. Sam & Yo did not go in the direction I expected, but this scene alone made me not mind that they curtailed the suffering Sam was rightfully due. (SunsetXVibes)

Tall boyfriend armpit, anyone? (Monster Next Door)

The two extremes of BL in one show (Long Beans indeed).

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

[dostoyevsky-official]

Trump administration disbands taskforce targeting Russian oligarchs

A memo from the attorney general, Pam Bondi, issued during a wave of orders on her first day in office but not previously reported, said the effort, known as Task Force KleptoCapture, will end as part of a shift in focus and funding to combating drug cartels and international gangs. The taskforce brought indictments against the aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions busting, and seized yachts belonging to the sanctioned oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg. It also secured a guilty plea against a US lawyer who made $3.8m in payments to maintain properties owned by Vekselberg.

Trump Green-Lights Bribery and Corruption With New Executive Order

President Donald Trump has instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pause prosecutions of companies that bribe foreign government officials to win business. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been “stretched beyond proper bounds and abused in a manner that harms the interests of the United States,” hurting American competitiveness, Trump wrote in an executive order signed Monday. [...] The order’s legality was not immediately clear. Generally, the Constitution requires the president to “take care that the laws” passed by Congress “be faithfully executed.” Presidents do have some enforcement discretion, but they cannot override laws, according to the ACLU. Major companies such as Goldman Sachs, Glencore and Walmart have all come under FCPA scrutiny, according to Reuters.

///

"It's going to mean a lot more business for America," Trump told reporters while signing the order in the Oval Office on Monday. Trump wanted to strike down FCPA during his first term in office. He has called it a "horrible law" and said "the world is laughing at us" for enforcing it. Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said FCPA made the United States a leader in addressing global corruption. (x)

///

“It sounds good on paper, but in practicality, it's a disaster,” Trump said. “It means that if an American goes over to a foreign country and starts doing business over there, legally, legitimately or otherwise, it's almost a guaranteed investigation indictment, and nobody wants to do business with the Americans because of it.” [...] Gary Kalman, executive director of Transparency International U.S., said Trump’s order “diminishes—and could pave the way for completely eliminating—the crown jewel in the U.S.’s fight against global corruption.” [...] In one of its most significant victories, the Justice Department announced Oct. 16, three weeks before Trump’s election victory, that mega-defense contractor Raytheon Company of Virginia would pay over $950 million to settle foreign bribery and related charges in a scheme to help foreign governments purchase PATRIOT missile systems and operate and maintain a radar system. In one of the schemes, Raytheon engaged in a campaign from 2012 and 2016 “to bribe a high-level official” within the Qatar government’s military “in order to assist Raytheon in obtaining and retaining business” from it, the DOJ said, citing admissions and court documents filed in the Eastern District of New York. [...] Raytheon’s “criminal schemes to defraud the U.S. government in connection with” the contracts “erodes public trust and harms the DOD, businesses that play by the rules, and American taxpayers,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kevin Driscoll of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division also said at the time. (x)

this is the most relentlessly pro-corruption administration in american history. the guiding animus seems to be how much corruption can we do, how can we help others get away with corruption, how can we halt justice, etc

[pinkpigtailsprincess]

🏩🍋‍🟩* ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝒟iAl 1-800 𝓐LiE𝓝 𝒫r1nc𝑒s𝑠 ❀.ིི۪۪۫۫ 🛸📟

𝓟𝗋͟𝗂͟𝗇͟𝖼͟𝖾͟𝗌͟𝗌 on! C͟am🏩୧⋆｡˚ + 𝒞irca . [2002] ୭₊˚ 🍋‍🟩🛸

🏩 𝒜i’ya + 5teen ۫ 𝜗᧙ blk ๋࣭⭑ ace,omni nd’ genderfluid!!⭐️📟 shifter (5 yrs) n loa babe obvis!! + 𝓖alact𝑖c 𝓖LAM𝑜u𝓡 *࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ☆〜（ゝ。∂）👖💿

L𝑖ke𝑠: Snsd,NJZ,fashion,gaming,bratz monster high,gyaru,manga,sukuna ryomen n toji fushiguro ໒꒰ྀི ๑ ˃̶ ᴗ ᵒ̴̶̷๑∩꒱ྀི১ + fashion dolls,britney spears,kara,doavxx,bubblegum chainsaw,supa sonico,death note,manifesting nd being perfect! [^_<]

DNI: racist,transphobic,homophobic,anti Semitic,sexism,pro isreal,islamophobic,fat-phobic,basically all the dni criteria,€d blogs,kink or nsfw blog,old men,creeps,ddlg (ur really gross),18+,ped0s,body shaming of any kind and basically anything thats mean,gross and weird dni!!

* ੈ✩‧₊˚🌺🍋‍🟩 𝓜aster List 🏩୧⋆｡˚

* ੈ✩‧₊˚ we just assume that it happens

𝓐rchive … 📟

◜ 𓈒 ݁ ₊ it’s your own journey ! | 𓈒 ݁ ₊ never let 3rd parties shake you| 𓈒 ݁ ₊ dissatisfied with the old?? stop repeating it!!| 𓈒 ݁ ₊ have fun with manifesting!! | 𓈒 ݁ ₊ what does it mean 2 actually ignore the 3D?| 𓈒 ݁ ₊ break the cycle | 𓈒 ݁ ₊ everything is in your favor!! | 𓈒 ݁ ₊ rationalizing loa (boo) | 𓈒 ݁₊ Dolly nd Honey’s Collab !! 🎀🍯| 𓈒 ݁₊ live in imagination ! | 𓈒 ݁₊ do it for yourself!! | 𓈒 ݁₊ you’re the only power ! | 𓈒 ݁₊ Limitless star !!⭐️ | 𓈒 ݁₊ feel your feelings ! | 𓈒 ݁₊ it’s already yours ! | 𓈒 ݁₊ yes or..? YES!! | 𓈒 ݁₊ ignoring the 3d | 𓈒 ݁₊ you are god | 𓈒 ݁₊ you have ur sp| 𓈒 ݁₊ Build-A-Boyfriend! | 𓈒 ݁₊ its really so easy! | 𓈒 ݁₊ you can leave whenever you want| 𓈒 ݁₊ why pretend to be anything less?| 𓈒 ݁₊ you can leave whenever you want! | 𓈒 ݁₊ wdym theres no movement?!| 𓈒 ݁₊ it feels good to just give it to yourself| 𓈒 ݁₊ you’re always in control | 𓈒 ݁₊ you’re not bound to one life | never settle for less than what you want 𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ “why not me” why not you? | don’t take that sitting down | its all about the state | the 3D is so 15 minutes ago | don’t fight it change it 🎀; success story 🎀; break the cycle today or the loop with repeat tomorrow |||| | 𓈒 ݁₊ what competition?| 𓈒 ݁₊ its my scene | 𓈒 ݁₊ princess syndrome | 𓈒 ݁₊ shifting vaunt| 𓈒 ݁₊ I,Candy| 𓈒 ݁₊ I am the god of my reality| 𓈒 ݁₊ pink glitter fantasy | 𓈒 ݁₊ you’re everything he’s just ken| 𓈒 ݁₊ i am a god| 𓈒 ݁₊ you’re my chemical hype boy | 𓈒 ݁₊ specific person affs| 𓈒 ݁₊ if you wanna pretty | 𓈒 ݁₊ imagination life is your creation!!| 𓈒 ݁₊ its a dolls world | 𓈒 ݁₊ pink sugar | 𓈒 ݁₊ the world is my playground!! | 𓈒 ݁₊ sharpay evans !! 𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ Don’t look 4 movement be it ⭐️| 𓈒 ݁₊ stop leaving room for failure | 𓈒 ݁₊ unique drs you can shift to | 𓈒 ݁₊ shifting made easy | 𓈒 ݁₊ my dr’s pt1 | 𓈒 ݁₊ angel express 999 pt1 | 𓈒 ݁₊ my dr’s pt2| scripting help 🍋‍🟩| 𓈒 ݁₊ some fun things 2 manifest bc ur limitless| 𓈒 ݁₊ fun way 2 live in the end | 𓈒 ݁₊ some things you can manifest | 𓈒 ݁₊ some super cute things 2 manifest | 𓈒 ݁₊ “illogical” things im gonna manifest pt1⭐️| 𓈒 ݁₊ manifesting rant 🎀; running a blog - doll tips 🍋‍🟩| 𓈒 ݁₊ Advice coloum Issue No.1 🎀⭐️| 𓈒 ݁₊ Doll Tips ; Being the New Kid!! 🎀⭐️ | Hey U go girl !! 🎀 🍋‍🟩𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ SUMMER GLOW UP PREP!!! ⭐️SUMMER GLOW UP ; Reseting!! 👙𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ Jammin in Jamacia 𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ fun things 2 manifest 4 summer 🎀: summer style guide ! 🍋‍🟩𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ Dollies pink mp3. 𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ GLITTERATION! 💫𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ songs from my playlist! 𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ SLUMBER PARTY 𝜗𝜚 ݁ ˖ Song RECS!!

[blackstarlineage]

Why Non-Black People Fear Black Self-Help—and Why Black People Shouldn’t Care (A Garveyite Perspective)

From a Garveyite lens, rooted in the teachings of Marcus Garvey and Pan-Africanism, Black self-determination is not just a goal—it’s a necessity. Yet, throughout history, efforts by Black people to uplift and empower themselves have often been met with resistance, fear, and concern from non-Black groups. Why is this the case? And why, according to Garveyite philosophy, should Black people not concern themselves with these reactions?

Let’s break it down by demographic and dive into the root of these issues.

White People: Fear of Losing Power

Why They Fear Black Self-Help

1. Economic Dependency

The transatlantic slave trade, Jim Crow laws, and even modern capitalism have relied on Black labour and consumption to sustain white wealth. Black self-reliance disrupts these economic structures.

2. Challenge to White Supremacy

White supremacy thrives on the narrative of Black inferiority. When Black people organize and thrive independently, it threatens the foundation of this ideology.

3. Fear of Retaliation

Centuries of systemic oppression create a lingering fear that an empowered Black population may seek revenge or disrupt white-dominated institutions.

4. Guilt and Accountability

Black self-help forces white people to confront their role in historic and systemic oppression, creating discomfort and resistance.

Garveyite Response

Marcus Garvey famously said, “The Negro must be self-reliant.” White feelings are irrelevant when the goal is freedom. Black people cannot wait for white approval to act in their own best interests.

Asian Communities: Fear of Economic Disruption

Why They Fear Black Self-Help

1. Economic Competition

Many Asian immigrant businesses (e.g, Inidan/ Korean-owned beauty supply stores) profit from Black neighborhoods without reinvesting in them. Black-owned businesses threaten this status quo.

2. The "Model Minority" Myth

Anti-Blackness is baked into the "model minority" narrative, which positions Asians as "successful" by proximity to whiteness. Black empowerment disrupts this racial hierarchy.

3. Cultural Distance

Due to historical anti-Black stereotypes and a lack of solidarity, some Asian communities may view Black independence with scepticism or fear.

Garveyite Response

Garvey taught that “no one knows when the hour of Africa’s redemption cometh.” Black people must focus on rebuilding their communities without worrying about disrupting anyone else’s economic or cultural comfort.

Hispanic/Latino Communities: Fear of Marginalization

Why They Fear Black Self-Help

1. Resource Competition

Hispanic/Latino and Black communities often occupy the same socio-economic space. Black self-help is seen as competing for limited resources like housing, jobs, or political influence.

2. Internalized Anti-Blackness

Colonial histories of colourism and caste systems perpetuate anti-Black sentiment within Latino cultures, leading to mistrust of Black movements.

3. Political Power Dynamics

As Latino populations grow, there’s a fear that Black empowerment movements might outpace their own political or social progress.

Garveyite Response

Black people’s struggles and liberation are unique and cannot be conflated with others’. The focus must remain on the upliftment of the Black race without being derailed by concerns over perceived competition.

Arab and Middle Eastern Communities: Fear of Losing Economic Footing

Why They Fear Black Self-Help

1. Economic Dependence on Black Communities

Arab-owned corner stores and gas stations often dominate Black neighbourhoods. Black-owned businesses threaten this dynamic.

2. Anti-Black Cultural Attitudes

Some Arab cultures perpetuate anti-Blackness, often rooted in histories of the trans-Saharan slave trade and colonial racism. Black empowerment challenges these biases.

Garveyite Response

Garvey’s teachings remind us that no group has the right to profit off Black labour and communities without reciprocation. Black people must reclaim ownership of their economies, regardless of the discomfort it causes others.

Other oppressed Communities: Tensions Over Shared Struggles

Why They Fear Black Self-Help

1. Competing Oppression Narratives

Black and other oppressed people have faced colonial oppression, but there’s a fear that Black self-help movements might overshadow these oppressed people's struggles.

Garveyite Response

While solidarity with other oppressed groups is important, Garveyite philosophy emphasizes that Black liberation must come first. Black people can not carry the weight of others’ struggles while fighting their own.

The Bigger Picture: Why These Fears Exist

Across all demographics, the resistance to Black self-help stems from:

Economic Dependency: Many groups rely on Black labour and consumption.

White Supremacy: Anti-Blackness is a unifying force in global racial hierarchies.

Fear of Change: An empowered Black population threatens existing systems of privilege and oppression.

Why Black People Shouldn’t Care

1. Liberation Is Non-Negotiable

Garvey said it best: “Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.” Black liberation can not be compromised to appease the fears or discomfort of others.

2. Others Have Always Prioritized Themselves

No other group pauses their progress to accommodate Black people. It’s time for Black communities to unapologetically focus on themselves.

3. Historical Proof of Success

Movements like the UNIA, Black Wall Street, and Pan-Africanism have shown that Black self-reliance works—despite resistance from others.

4. White Supremacy Is the Root Cause

Many of these fears are rooted in white supremacy, which pits marginalized groups against one another. Black people must dismantle this system by prioritizing their own empowerment.

5. Self-Determination Is a Human Right

Every group has the right to organize for its own survival and success. Black people are no exception.

Conclusion

Black self-help and self-determination will always provoke fear and resistance from those who benefit from the current power dynamics. From a Garveyite perspective, these concerns are irrelevant. Black people must prioritize their own liberation, unity, and empowerment without apology.

As Garvey proclaimed, “Africa for the Africans, at home and abroad.” Let the discomfort of others be a testament to the power of Black progress. Stay focused, stay unified, and keep moving forward.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Worker misclassification is a competition issue

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/02/upward-redistribution/#bedoya

The brains behind Trump's stolen Supreme Court have detailed plans: they didn't just scheme to pack the court with judges who weren't qualified for – or entitled to – a SCOTUS life-tenure, they also set up a series of cases for that radical court to hear.

Obviously, Dobbs was the big one, but it's only part of a whole procession of trumped-up cases designed to give the court a chance to overturn decades of settled law and create zones of impunity for America's oligarchs and the monopolies that provide them with wealth and power.

One of these cases is Jarkesy, a case designed to allow SCOTUS to euthanize every agency in the US government, stripping them of their powers to fight corporate crime:

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/sec-v-jarkesy-the-threat-to-congressional-and-agency-authority/

The argument goes, "Congress had the power to spell out every possible problem an agency might deal with and to create a list of everything they were allowed to do about these problems. If they didn't, then the agency isn't allowed to act."

This is an Objectively Very Stupid argument, and it takes a heroic act of motivated reasoning to buy it. The whole point of expert agencies is that they're experts and that they might discover new problems in American life, and come up with productive ways of fixing them. If the only way for an agency to address a problem is to wait for Congress to notice it and pass a law about it, then we don't even need agencies – Congress can just be the regulator, as well as the lawmaker.

If there was any doubt that Congress created the agencies as flexible and adaptive hedges against new threats and problems, then the legislative history of the FTC Act should dispel it.

Congress created the FTC through the FTCA because the courts kept misinterpreting its existing antitrust laws, like the Sherman Act. Companies would engage in the most obvious acts of naked, catastrophic fuckery, and judges would say, "Welp, because Congress didn't specifically ban this conduct, I guess it's OK."

So Congress created the FTC with an Act that included a broad authority to investigate and punish "unfair methods of competition." They didn't spell these out – instead, they explicitly said (in Section 5) that it was the FTC's job to determine whether something was unfair, and to act on it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

The job of the FTC is to investigate unfair conduct before it becomes such a problem that Congress takes action, and to head that conduct off so that it never rises to the level of needing Congressional intervention.

Now, it's true that since the Reagan years, the FTC has grown progressively less interested in using this power, but that's broadly true of all of America's corporate watchdogs. But as the public all over the world has grown ever more furious about corporate abuses and oligarchic wealth, governments everywhere have rediscovered their role as a public protector.

In America, the Biden administration altered the course of history with the appointment of new enforcers in the key anti-monopoly agencies: the FTC and the DOJ's antitrust division. But more importantly, the Biden admin created a detailed, technical plan to use every agency's powers to fight monopoly, in a "whole of government" approach:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/party-its-1979-og-antitrust-back-baby

Now, this can give rise to seeming redundancies. Take labor issues. The NLRB is a (potentially) powerful regulator that had been in a coma for decades, but has awoken and taken up labor rights with a fervor and cunning that is a delight to behold:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/06/goons-ginks-and-company-finks/#if-blood-be-the-price-of-your-cursed-wealth

At the same time, the FTC has also taken up labor rights, using its much broader powers to do things like ban noncompetes nationwide, unshackling workers from bosses who claim the right to veto who else they can work for:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/02/its-the-economy-stupid/#neofeudal

But the NLRB doesn't make the FTC redundant, or vice-versa. The NLRB's role is principally reactive, punishing wrongdoing after it occurs. But the FTC has the power to intervene in incipient harms, labor abuses that have not yet risen to the level of NLRB enforcement or new acts of Congress.

This case is made beautifully in Alvaro Bedoya's speech "'Overawed': Worker Misclassification as a Potential Unfair Method of Competition," delivered to the Law Leaders Global Summit in Miami today:

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Overawed-Speech-02-02-2024.pdf

Bedoya describes why the FTC has turned its attention to the problem of "worker misclassification," in which employees are falsely claimed to be contractors, and thus deprived of the rights that workers are entitled to. Worker misclassification is rampant, and it transfers billions from workers to employers every year. As Bedoya says, 10-30% of employers engage in worker misclassification, allowing them to dodge payment for overtime, Social Security, workers' comp, unemployment insurance, healthcare, retirement and even a minimum wage. Each misclassified worker is between $6k-18k poorer thanks to this scam – a typical misclassified worker sees a one third decline in their earning power. And, of course, each misclassified worker's boss is $6k-$18k richer because of this scam.

It's not just wages, it's workplace safety. One of the most dangerous jobs in the country is construction worker, and worker misclassification is rampant in the sector. That means that construction workers are three times more likely than other workers to lack health insurance.

What's more, misclassified workers can't form unions, because their bosses' fiction treats them as independent contractors, not employees, which means that misclassified construction workers can't join trade unions and demand health-care, or safer workplaces.

Contrast this with, say, cops, who have powerful "unions" that afford them gold-plated health care and lavish compensation, even for imaginary ailments like "contact overdoses" from touching fentanyl – a medical impossibility that still entitles our nation's armed bureaucrats to handsome public compensation:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/01/27/extraordinary-popular-delusions/#onshore-havana-syndrome

Cops have far safer jobs than construction workers, but cops don't get misclassified, so they are able to collect benefits that no other worker – public or private – can hope for.

Not every employer wants to cheat and maim their employees, of course. In Bedoya's speech, he references Sandie Domando, an executive VP at a construction company in Palm Beach Gardens. Domando's company keeps its employees on its books, giving them health-care and other benefits. But when she started bidding against rival firms for jobs funded by the covid stimulus, she couldn't compete – two thirds of those jobs went to other firms that were able to put in cheaper bids. Those bids were cheaper because they were defrauding their workers by misclassifying them. Thus, publicly funded projects were overwhelmingly handed over to fraudulent companies. Fraud becomes a fitness-factor for winning jobs. It's a market for lemons – among employers.

Employee misclassification is a pure transfer from workers to bosses. Bedoya recounts the story of Samuel Talavera, Jr, a short-haul trucker who worked for decades in the Port of Los Angeles. For decades, his job paid well: enough to support his family and even take his kids to Disneyland now and again.

But in 2010, his employer reclassified him as a contractor. They ordered him to buy a new truck – which they financed on a lease-purchase basis – and put him to work for 16 hours stretches in shifts lasting as much as 20 hours per day. Talavera couldn't pick his own hours or pick his routes, but he was still treated as an independent contractor for payroll and labor protection purposes.

This lead to an terrible decline in Talavera's working conditions. He gave up going home between shifts, sleeping in his cab instead. His pay dropped through the floor, thanks to junk-fees that relied on the fiction that he was a contractor. For example, his boss started to charge him rent on the space his truck took up while he was standing by for a job at the port. Other truckers at the port saw paycheck deductions for the toilet-paper in the bathrooms!

Talavera's take-home pay dropped so low that he was bringing home a weekly wage of $112 or $33 (one week, his pay amounted to $0.67). His wife had to work three jobs, and they still had to declare bankruptcy to avoid losing their home. When Talavera's truck needed repairs he couldn't afford, his boss fired him and took back the truck, and Talavera was out the $78,000 he'd paid into it on the lease-purchase plan.

This story – and the many, many others like it from the Port of LA – paint a clear picture of the transfer of wealth from workers to their bosses that comes with worker misclassification. The work that Talavera did in the Port of LA didn't get less valuable when he was misclassified – but the share of that value that Talavera received dropped to as little as $0.67/week.

Worker misclassification is rampant across many sectors, but its handmaiden is technology. The fiction of independence is much easier to maintain when the fine-grained employer-employee control is mediated by an app (think of Uber):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

That's why those scare-stories that AI trucks were going to make truckers obsolete and create an employment crisis were such toxic nonsense. Not only are we unlikely to see self-driving trucks, but the same investors that back AI technology are making bank on companies that practice worker misclassification through the "it's not a crime if we do it with an app" gambit:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

By focusing our attention on a hypothetical employment crisis that will supposedly be caused by future AI developments, tech investors can distract us from the real employment crisis that's created by app-enabled worker misclassification, which is also the source of much of the capital they're plowing into AI.

That's why the FTC's work on misclassification is so urgent. Misclassification is a scam that hurts workers and creates oligarchic power – and it's also a mass-extinction event for good companies that don't cheat their workers, because those honest companies can't compete.

Worker misclassification is having a long-overdue and much needed moment. The revolutionary overthrow of the rotten old leadership at the Teamsters was caused, in part, by a radical wing that promised to focus the Teamsters' firepower on fighting worker misclassification:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/19/hoffa-jr-defeated/#teamsters-for-a-democratic-union

This has become a focus of labor organizers all around the world, as worker misclassification-via-smartphone has infected labor markets everywhere:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/22/kropotkin-graeber/#an-injury-to-one

Bedoya's speech is a banger, and it reminds us that labor rights and anti-monopoly have always been part of the same project: to rein in corporate power and protect workers from the insatiable greed of the capital class:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/14/aiming-at-dollars/#not-men

[dancermk]

I’m a little disappointed to see so much discourse, fandom competitiveness, and plain arguing going around at the moment in regards to queer film/TV. People complaining about too much sex, not enough sex, too cheesy, made for the hets, too happy, too sad, too realistic, too unrealistic, and a million other petty issues. I, for one, am a queer person in my 50s and I grew up with practically zero representation! Yes, we want to continue onwards and upwards with quality and varied shows BUT let’s be HAPPY we now have representation! Like, actual shows where the central characters are queer, not just a side character who gets f*cking murdered! There is room for all different types of representation - so enjoy the types you like, and let others enjoy what they like.

And on a side note: progress is progress and film/tv is a business that has to turn a profit! If some queer content is made to appeal to the straight community, and will also act as a means of reducing homophobia and increasing understanding, then that’s a good thing. That means in the future more and more content will include queer stories and representation. If only 10% (ish) of the population is the maximum target audience then shows won’t keep getting made!

There is a huge backlash all over the world right now - a “push back” by conservatives and religious groups that want to wind back the clock, and specifically the last decade of advances.

So stick together queers and LGBTQIA+ allies.

I’m super happy knowing I don’t have to wait years between content anymore. And I’ve loved all different types of shows over the last 5 years, for lots of different reasons!

Interview with the Vampire - is giving me the toxic, passionate gothic love affair I’ve always wanted. And addressing interracial relationships.

Heartstopper - is filling me up with pure joy and hopefulness for the future.

Shameless - gave me Ian and Mickey - unique, anti stereotypical gays with a tragic yet ultimately beautiful love story spanning 11 years

Lone Star 911 - is giving me TK and Carlos whose sexuality barely factors into the storyline! Yay!

Looking - gave me an authentic queer experience and an intoxicating love triangle.

Red, white and Royal Blue - gave me a sweet, cute romcom that allowed reality to be sidelined. Fun escapism!

Young Royals - had me captivated by first love and intense angst.

Fire Island - an underrated romcom that made me laugh so hard I cried.

Sex education - shoved the realities of sex in our faces and provided me with laughter and drama and a range of queer identities.

Gentlemen Jack -gave me historical lesbians with spectacular wit, and feminine power.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg- because there’s SO SO SO many more shows I could mention! Don’t at me because I didn’t mention YOUR favourite. This is my point! There is SO much great content it would take all day for me to include everything. This is just a sample - and that’s f*cking brilliant!!

So maybe we could all start posting/tweeting etc about what WE DO LIKE / LOVE / MAKES US FEEL LOVED AND SEEN and put down the device if we’ve got nothing nice to say.

Sending everyone a love filled week! 💜

[mariacallous]

When Germany’s election results were announced on Feb. 23 at the packed headquarters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Berlin, the hall erupted into wild rejoicing. The party’s leadership, among it frontperson Alice Weidel, and hundreds of supporters waving German flags immediately recognized the party’s 21 percent tally as a conspicuous victory—exactly twice its 2021 result—even though the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) won more votes by 8 percentage points, and with this the mandate to form a government.

Despite the fact that Germany’s other parties refuse to govern with it, the AfD—an extremist xenophobic party with ties to neo-Nazis—has definitively broken out of the margins and is positioned squarely at the center of German politics. It is now Germany’s second-strongest party; the largest opposition party in the Bundestag; the favored party of the working class; the no. 1 party in Germany’s eastern states; a darling of the new U.S. administration; and it also boasts representation in the regional legislatures of all but one German state and in the EU parliament, too, where it is buttressed by like-minded allies.

Perhaps, though, most critically: The election campaign illustrated just how fundamentally the AfD—as a party operating exclusively from opposition rows—can leverage a crude racist populism to swing the country’s political discourse and move rivals in its direction. The AfD’s cudgel was migration, which it wielded ruthlessly to force every other party (save the democratic socialist party, The Left) to harden their positions on the treatment of asylum-seekers, political asylum as such, policing practices, labor migration, and border policies. Every one of those parties paid a price at the urns for their acquiescence. The Left, on the other hand, was the only democratic party to significantly better its 2021 result and outperform the polls.

This applies to the CDU and Germany’s likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, too—and will follow them into the chancellery. In response to the AfD’s drumbeat and a series of tragic, violent incidents involving asylum-seekers in Germany, Merz threw caution to the wind in late January, just weeks before the vote, to switch the campaign’s focus from the economy, Merz’s specialty, to migration, the AfD’s bugbear. Merz went so far as to propose a raft of measures restricting migration from the Bundestag floor with the help of AfD votes—a step he and other mainstream politicos pledged they would never take—thus further eroding the anti-AfD “firewall” that the centrist parties vowed to respect.

With eyes wide shut, the CDU walked into a trap that has spelled the marginalization or even disappearance of center-right parties across Europe: By taking up the call of the far right, Europe’s conservatives feed the extremists that voters ultimately deem more authentic or convincing on their own bread-and-butter issues—at the conservatives’ expense. While the CDU captured more votes than the AfD, its 28.5 percent showing counts as its second-lowest ever and several points below its polling before Merz’s controversial maneuver. Like in France, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as across Central Europe, the center right’s adoption of far-right positions played right into the court of radicals. Election data shows that the CDU and the Social Democrats (SPD) lost voters to the AfD.

The CDU can’t claim a “resounding victory,” concluded ARD, Germany’s public broadcaster. “Instead, it is well above the worst-ever 2021 tally of 24 percent, but far below the 42 percent that Angela Merkel’s CDU captured in 2013. Why is that?” the broadcaster asked. “It’s a combination of the generally difficult situation, the aftereffects of the Merkel era, mistakes made by the CDU leadership, but certainly also competition from the right. … Merz’s goal was not to leave the topic of migration to the AfD. … Did this tactic work? The numbers suggest: probably not.”

“Parties such as the AfD thrive on the longing for authority and security, and the current government [led by SPD] conveyed the opposite,” opined the daily Tageszeitung. “This is where the incessant crisis rhetoric of the right, whose slogans of ‘foreigners out’ offer a simple solution using authoritarian means, catches on,” social psychologist Oliver Decker told the media outlet. The fact that the centrist parties have jumped on the migration issue has not weakened the AfD, but rather legitimized it, he concluded.

The AfD was born in 2013, not as an extremist party but as an EU-critical collection of nationally minded neoliberal economists who questioned Germany’s role in Europe’s 2009-10 financial crisis and the replacement of the Deutsche mark, Germany’s postwar currency, with the euro. But soon after its founding, the party started creeping to the right—its earliest successes happening in Germany’s eastern states, which have proved its bastion ever since. “Initially, the AfD appealed to older voters who considered themselves conservative but were disenchanted with Merkel,” Rüdiger Maas, the author of bestselling books on Germany, told FP.

The east was fertile soil for the increasingly hard-right party: Easterners expressed broad disappointment with unification, which they felt had treated them unfairly and turned them into second-class citizens. The east’s economic transition—a bill footed by the state to the tune of $2 trillion—resulted in rampant unemployment and, to this day, lower wages and living standards for those in the east. (That is, for those who didn’t flee it: Around 3.6 million people left.)

Moreover, the easterners had very little experience with migration, foreign cultures such as Islam, and coexistence with non-Germans. The first nonwhite migrants in the 1990s were often confronted with naked violence; a hard-right neo-Nazi scene flourished and even dominated rural locations. When over a million migrants streamed into Germany from 2015 to 2016, those who settled in the east faced hostility and deep-seated resentment. The AfD radicalized, as did the eastern Germans: above all, the non-college-educated, male, rural-situated, and over-40 voters, who constituted the party’s mainstay.

“From the very beginning, the AfD was a male party that appealed above all to men,” Daniela Rüther, an historian at Bochum University, told FP. “Like every völkische Bewegung (ethnically defined national movement) in German history, it puts the traditional family with its male-led hierarchy at the center of the community. Some of its gender policies are taken directly, one-to-one, from the Nazis.” The fact that the AfD is today led by a (gay) woman in Weidel only appears to be a contradiction, Rüther said. Were the AfD to come to power, she said, Weidel would be sidelined just as the female antagonist of Serena Joy is in the conservative revolution in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale.

As the AfD entered eastern German legislatures, it simultaneously shed its liberal sensibilities for an ever more hard-right archconservatism. The AfD swung sharply to the far right, adopting ever more radical positions on migration, Islam, the climate crisis, and foreign nationals in Germany, as well as an affinity for President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, latent antisemitism, and a rebuttal of Germany’s self-critical approach to its World War II past.

Its stunning electoral successes, however, first came in response to the refugee crisis. In 2016 and 2017, it stormed into regional legislatures in western Germany and then with tallies above 20 percent in several of the eastern states. In the east, a West German-born fortysomething and former schoolteacher named Björn Höcke gained prominence as the leader of the AfD’s most radical branch, called Der Flügel. Höcke made no bones about his sympathies for the Third Reich and disdain for Western-style democracy. Höcke, for example, referred to the Holocaust memorial in central Berlin as a “monument of shame,” the kind of breach of German taboo that many observers, including relative moderates in the party, thought would disqualify him from German politics. These views attracted the attention of Germany’s intelligence services, which put several of the eastern party branches, including Höcke’s, under surveillance.

On the contrary, Höcke and his allies helped the party chalk up ever larger tallies. In 2019, he led the Thuringia AfD to a 23 percent showing and then five years later to capture 33 percent of the vote—making it Thuringia’s strongest party, another milestone.

Yesterday, in Thuringia, Höcke took the party to a new record high: a full 38 percent of the vote. So tenuous are the democratic parties’ hold on Thuringia that they agreed last year to govern in a desperate, ungainly coalition of CDU, SPD, and the left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance. But at least the firewall held. Another grim statistic: In the east, it’s no longer old voters who back the party but rather the youngest: One in three male voters under 24 cast their ballot for the AfD. “These young people grew up with the AfD,” Maas explained. “In many cases their parents were the first AfD voters. For them, the AfD was always part of the Bundestag, talk shows, regional politics.” Moreover, Maas said, this generation gets its politics from social media, mostly TikTok, which the far right (and the far left) swamped with their messages.

In yesterday’s poll—as in the June 2024 EU parliament vote—the AfD swept the five eastern states: its bright blue party color standing in stark contrast to the jet black of the western states, the CDU’s color. This is Germany: a country divided between democratic and undemocratic archconservatives. From the AfD’s point of view, a coalition between conservatives and the right makes all the sense in the world. It looks natural in light of the striking overlap, not least on migration. Their voters share similar concerns. But the Christian conservatives remain adamant that it will never happen. “Never again” was the promise of the postwar generation that Germany would never be home to a fascist politics again. As one of the placards at the anti-right demonstrations across Germany earlier this month proclaimed: “Never again is now.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Trump Halts Enforcement of Foreign Bribery Law

Troy Matthews at MeidasTouch News:

Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday suspending enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977. The anti-bribery law, a scion of anti-corruption protection worldwide, has been responsible for some of the biggest corporate criminal cases investigated by the Justice Department for 50 years. The law, signed by President Carter, prevented corporations from bribing foreign officials in order to advance their own financial interests in other countries. Trump claims the law harms American businesses and makes them less competitive, stating that bribing foreign governments is a routine part of doing business.  "Overexpansive and unpredictable FCPA enforcement against American citizens and businesses — by our own Government — for routine business practices in other nations not only wastes limited prosecutorial resources that could be dedicated to preserving American freedoms, but actively harms American economic competitiveness and, therefore, national security," Trump's executive order reads. "It is therefore the policy of my Administration to preserve the Presidential authority to conduct foreign affairs and advance American economic and national security by eliminating excessive barriers to American commerce abroad."  Trump's order "diminishes – and could pave the way for completely eliminating – the crown jewel in the US’s fight against global corruption," Gary Kalman, executive director of Transparency International US, said in a statement.

Donald Trump, America’s most corrupt felon, suspends enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

See Also:

Daily Kos: Trump crime wave: Feds told to stop prosecuting bribery crimes