#Cry About It Putin

[originalleftist]

AP Reports Syrian Rebels Have Entered Damascus- Assad has fled!

A few thoughts:

It is impossible to know what the long-term repercussions of this will be, yet, and whether what ultimately emerges on the other side will be better or worse than the Assad regime. Time will tell.

That said, in the short-term, this is a GIGANTIC kick in the rubles to Putin. He poured a great deal of effort into propping up his Syrian proxies, seemingly successfully intimidating Obama out of taking a stronger stance against Assad after the chemical weapons "red line" was crossed. Syria also is (was?) the home of Russia's only Mediterranean naval base IIRC. I would go so far as to guess that this may be the worst loss Putin has ever taken, outside of his failure to blitzkrieg Ukraine.

While not necessarily validating every action taken in that war, this outcome would seem to validate Israel's decision to strike Hezbollah. Hezbollah were major allies of Assad, and the damage they took from the IDF in recent months likely helped make the swift fall of the Assad regime possible. The rebels will not be friends of Israel either, but nonetheless, and whether it was anticipated or not, the IDF has arguably, indirectly, done what the entire world failed to for the better part of two decades: toppled a key Russian proxy state and rid the Middle East of Assad.

Watch how quickly the "pro-Palestine" Westerners' sympathies for Islamist rebels vanishes in this case, because, see above. They're Tankies, they get a lot of their narratives from Moscow, and their darling Hezbollah was close to Assad. If they aren't already painting the fall of the Butcher of Damascus as an evil US/Jewish "Zionist" conspiracy, they will.

[kirstythejetblackgoldfish]

Whoever would've predicted that such atrocities would've happened?!

And even Russia and Iran decided this was somehow the 'better' choice

Of course, this is all terrible 💔

'Security forces' you mean terrorists?

[alkeneater]

russians 🤝 americans

choosing an old bastard who doesn't care about people as their president

[cleoselene]

don't doomscroll, DO SOMETHING. Don't complain, TAKE ACTION. here are things you can do:

call your Congresspeople. If you are living in a Democratic district, this is so easy! Tell them how YOU want them to fight! Don't just sit back and complain that "Dems in congress aren't doing what I want." CALL THEM AND TELL THEM WHAT YOU WANT. EMAIL THEM. And be nice about it, lead with the illusion that you trust them to do the right thing. "I know you don't really want this to happen, you're a good person!" methodology.

If your reps are like mine and horrible horrible monsters like Byron Donalds, then you have to make your phone calls differently. You gotta strategize these. There are two ways to do this: 1) be incredibly angry and aggressive, but filibuster about it. Don't give them any ability to get off the phone. Don't curse or insult, just properly outraged. The key here is to WASTE THEIR TIME. I spend about 45 minutes on the phone with one of Rick Scott's people once. The other way, i think is more effective, but this is better than nothing. The other way, 2) is to frame the specific issue you're calling about from the most conservative angle possible. If you're calling to support Ukraine, cry about how your daddy fought in 'Nam to stomp out communism, now you want to let a KGB guy like Putin bring back the Soviet Union? Act super fucking scared of communism. Say the words "KGB" and Putin together over and over. Talk about how America doesn't roll over for Russia, not now, not ever. This is just an example of a particular issue, but it can apply to any. My mom calls it the "sandwich technique." Lead with a compliment, then say what you really mean, and end with a compliment. People get tricked into changing their minds.

I realize this is tumblr so if you are really really that phone-phobic, apply this to email. But really, this is worth making the call for. The call cannot be fully ignored. An email can.

Join the class action lawsuit against the government for Breach of Privacy if you have Social Security or Medicare, and tell people you know who do to join it.

get involved at the local level. Agitate at city council. hell, RUN for city council. I promise you that no matter how unqualified you think you are, less qualified people have run and won. There was a town that had a golden retriever as its mayor for a while. You have to start thinking locally. You have to start doing things ALL THE TIME, not just every 2-4 years. This isn't just voting, but making your voice heard. That tumblr post about ten people showing up at a council meeting being able to change thing significantly? True. "But I live in a red area!" yeah, so do I, and that makes it even more important, since they're doing shit like banning books in schools here.

Run for office!! I just said that, but seriously, run for office!! AOC was a bartender before she got where she is now!! If I were not completely disabled, I'd do it. If you don't feel like it's for you, think of the people in your life who are capable who might be persuaded!

Focus on the real enemy. It's Republicans. It's not Democrats. Like I said, if you're unhappy with the way your Democratic rep is doing things, TELL THEM. Sitting outside the party and criticizing accomplishes nothing, it only weakens our only opposition party in this country. If you want to talk about third parties, MAKE ONE THAT'S VIABLE. But realize that will probably be decades of work. Stop complaining and start doing, start reaching out to the people who at the moment have some ability to do things and influence THEM. You can say a lot of things on the internet and expect to change the world, but you won't. (Yes, I realize the ridiculousness of me posting this on the internet, but I will be doing things, too, not just shouting into this void)

[dontforgetukraine]

"I watched a film today at the Venice Film Festival titled "Russians at War." Since our film is in the same section as this one, I usually wouldn’t speak publicly about it. However, in this case, I cannot remain silent, because it’s not just about films and art, but about the lives of thousands of people who die in this war— a war that has instrumentalized propaganda as its weapon.

This film may mislead you into believing that it is an anti-war film, one that questions the current regime in Russia. However, what I witnessed is a prime example of pure Russian propaganda. Here’s why.

The filmmaker begins by expressing her surprise at the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In her film, she always uses the term “invasion” and never "full-scale invasion." She does not mention that Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014. These two events seem to not exist in the world of this film. The filmmaker also states that her country hasn’t participated in wars for many years and that she has only read about wars in books. Thus, the war in 2022 was a complete shock for her. It’s interesting how the filmmaker could overlook the fact that her country has been inherently involved in various wars and occupations for at least the last 30 years (1992-93 Transnistria, Abkhazian War, 1994-96 and 1999-2009 Chechen Wars, the 2008 war in Georgia, and the 2015-2022 invasion of Syria).

The filmmaker starts her narrative with a Ukrainian who now lives in Russia and fights on the Russian side. This is a very intriguing choice for the beginning of a story about Russians at war. Later, this character will claim that a CIVIL war began in Ukraine in 2014. He will also suggest that Ukrainians bombed the eastern parts of their own country (and this is why he moved to Russia). Another character will declare that Ukrainians are Nazis. We’ve heard these narratives before; they are (and apparently still are) widely and actively propagated by Russian media. One of those horns of propaganda is Russia Today channel, for which the director of "Russians at War" has previously made several documentary films.

Throughout the film, all characters express their confusion about their actions in Ukraine, stating they want the war to end and that most of them are fighting for money. In the final part of the film, the battalion is moved to Bakhmut, and most characters die in battle. We then see their comrades and relatives grieving at their graves. All of them repeat that they don’t understand why this war is happening and who needs it. In the end, the filmmaker concludes that these are poor, ordinary Russian people who are being manipulated into war by larger political games. I found this perspective amusing because the filmmaker—like putin and his regime—plays an interesting game with these people. They deny them the simple ability to possess dignity and to think and decide for themselves. To her, these people are merely powerless objects. If those engaged in a war that has lasted over 10 years were not powerless, it would imply that they, in the majority, actually support this war, wouldn’t it?

You will feel pity for the people depicted as dying in the film and for those we see crying for their loved ones. And you should—if you are a normal human being, you should feel pity, sadness, and emotion. However, it is also important to remember that these individuals joined the army that invaded an independent country, many of them willingly, as we learn from the film. You should also recall Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, and the civilians who were murdered there. Remember the thousands of children who were illegally transported from Ukraine to Russia. While I’m writing this and while you’re reading it, missiles are striking Ukrainian cities. The buttons are pushed by ordinary Russians. Are their crimes any less significant simply because they claim to be unaware of why they are involved in this war?

By the way, the director asks one of the characters if he thinks the Russian army commits any war crimes. He answers “no,” claiming he hasn’t witnessed any war crimes. Interestingly, the director echoes this in her interviews, stating she saw no signs of war crimes during her time near the front (https://www.reuters.com/.../russian-soldiers-given-their.../). We can only be happy for her that she was fortunate enough not to witness any war crimes. Unfortunately, thousands of Ukrainians have not been so lucky.

I could continue, but I believe it’s enough to understand that this film presents a very distorted picture of reality, spreading false narratives (calling the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea a civil war; suggesting that the Russian army does not commit any war crimes; presenting those who are part of the aggressors army as victims).

If you decide to watch it, I recommend following it with another documentary about Russian soldiers titled "Intercepted," directed by Oksana Karpovych. "Intercepted" also opens a door into the lives of ordinary Russians fighting in this war. You’ll be curious to explore it, as it will undoubtedly surprise you. You may also want to add "20 Days in Mariupol" to your viewing list, just to be able «to see through the fog of war," as the director of "Russians at War" so aptly put it."

—Darya Bassel, Ukrainian film producer of war documentary “Songs of Slow Burning Earth

[beauty-funny-trippy]

We Americans need to send a loud and clear message in the upcoming election — "We've had enough of your bullshit." And we've had enough of your immoral, corrupt, traitorous, egomaniacal, wannabe dictator, and all you Republican politicians that support him.

We're tired of you Republicans sending "thoughts and prayers" to parents of murdered children, then encouraging more school shootings by blocking commonsense gun legislation. We're tired of you making laws that force women to give birth against their will, and send them to prison if they don't comply. We're tired of your corrupt Supreme Court Justices. We're tired of your attacks on voting rights. We're tired of your treatment toward people of color, military veterans, and the lgbtq community. We're tired of your tax breaks for billionaires. We're tired of your willful negligence about climate change. We're tired of your attacks on affordable healthcare. We're tired of you crying for immigration reform out of one side of your mouth, while out of the other side of your mouth you call out to block it. We're tired of your Big Lie about the election being stolen. We're tired of your blatant hypocrisy, your shameful cowardice, and your obvious lies. We're tired of it all.

Recently, Trump again refused to rule out using political violence as a means of obtaining the presidency. —Let. That. Sink. In.— It should set off alarm bells and red warning flags, but Republicans treat it with a shrug. Apparently, Trump has normalized violence. It's important to note that, questions about using political violence were not even asked of candidates prior to Trump entering politics.

Your unwavering support of a traitor who has encouraged violence, claims to be above the law, and wants to be a dictator like his idol, Vladimir Putin, can only mean one thing — you have all surely gone mad.

The only way America can move forward, away from the threat of a Republican dystopia, is when Donald J. Trump, and all his toadies, are tossed onto the ash heap of history.

For generations, Americans have given their lives to preserve democracy for us. Now it is our turn to preserve democracy for future generations.

We can do it America. WE JUST NEED TO VOTE.

[ameliarating]

people i thought were normal and kind are just straight up engaging in atrocity denial because they don't like the 'side' it happened to. like it's a fucking sports match. some of them are so focused on saying the right thing for internet slacktivism points that they've just lost it. I cannot understand. i am syrian-american and i could never get them to care about the atrocities committed by assad and putin there, but now they share video of syrian children and claim to mourn and cry because they seem to think every arab is interchangeable. i am lost.

I am so, so sorry. The Syrian people and their cause have absolutely been victim to this "sports team" mentality. Assad and Putin are anti-American therefore they must be... champions of freedom?

It is much easier to live in a world where there is a side where everyone is wondrous and good and a side where everyone is evil and complicit and this has never been a world we've lived in. Certainly when politicians, dictators, and other people who amass weapons and power make their alliances based on their own ability to hold onto power rather than out of any sense of public good for their people, let alone "the" people in general.

I truly hope that one day we live in a world where all peoples of the Levant and elsewhere - Syrian Arab and Kurd and Israeli Jewish and Druze and Bedouin and Palestinian and Lebanese of all religious and ethnic communities and everyone else completely - are recognized as human beings who are due the honor of living in peace and security and equality, in a land that is recognized as their homeland (even if it is a homeland shared by many), no matter what government claims to represent them.

Remember - the internet is full of people who love to pick sides. But there are also so many people who may be quieter online and active on the ground who care and care deeply and are trying to make the world better.

And if people are interested - here's a way to help out families and children directly impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

[thelostdreamsthings]

"Putin is isolated."

BRICS, 50% of the World population is telling a big "fuck off" to the arrogant, declining and decadent G7 amounting to 10% of the World's population.

🇺🇳🇷🇺 UN Secretary General Guterres respectfully bows and shakes the hand of Putin in Russia’s Kazan at the BRICS summit.

A lot of people start crying and scream hysterically when they see this picture, for some reason.

[BRICS Currency Looms Large: Could This Be the Beginning of the End for U.S. Dollar Dominance?

For decades, the U.S. dollar has been weaponized as a tool of global dominance, wielded by the American empire to enforce its geopolitical will.

Through sanctions, coercive financial practices, and the threat of exclusion from the dollar-based system, the U.S. has effectively terrorized nations across the world.

The pretense of a “free market” economy has long been shattered by Washington's aggressive use of the dollar as a weapon to cripple economies, isolate adversaries, and exert control over global trade.

But the world is growing tired—sick and tired—of this financial tyranny. And now, with the rise of BRICS, we may be witnessing the beginning of the end for U.S. dollar supremacy.

BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—represent a bloc of nations that together account for nearly half of the global population and a significant chunk of the world’s GDP.

For years, these nations have been quietly collaborating to counterbalance the West's stranglehold over international finance, and now, they are inching closer to launching their own currency.

The creation of a BRICS currency signals an outright challenge to the dollar-dominated global economy, and it is nothing short of a revolt against American financial imperialism.

Why is this happening? The answer is simple: countries are fed up with being bullied. The U.S. has used its currency like a sledgehammer, smashing nations that dare to defy its hegemony.

Whether through sanctions on Iran, Venezuela, or Russia, or by financially suffocating smaller nations into submission, the dollar has become a tool of coercion rather than commerce.

Nations who once played by the rules of the so-called “global order” have found themselves punished, their economies crippled, and their people starved—merely for refusing to kowtow to Washington's dictates.

But BRICS is offering an alternative. The creation of a BRICS currency, backed by the economic strength of its member nations, offers the world a way out of the suffocating grip of the dollar.

This is not just about financial autonomy—it’s about reclaiming sovereignty, independence, and the right to conduct trade without the constant threat of U.S. interference.

Russia and China have been leading the charge in this effort, driven in part by the U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow following the Ukraine conflict and the ongoing trade war with Beijing.

Both countries have moved aggressively to reduce their reliance on the U.S. dollar, increasing trade with each other and with other BRICS members in their local currencies.

They are laying the groundwork for a currency that could be based on a basket of commodities, potentially gold-backed, further weakening the grip of the U.S. dollar on the global market.

The U.S. has long prided itself on its role as the issuer of the world’s reserve currency, but this dominance was never guaranteed to last forever.

The BRICS currency threatens to dismantle the global financial architecture that has allowed the U.S. to live far beyond its means.

For decades, the U.S. has run massive deficits, printing money at will, secure in the knowledge that the world would continue to rely on the dollar.

But as BRICS nations move to establish their own currency, that privilege could evaporate overnight.

The implications for the U.S. are dire. If the dollar loses its status as the world’s reserve currency, the U.S. economy could face a severe reckoning.

The artificial demand for dollars that has kept interest rates low and allowed the U.S. to run massive debt could vanish, leading to inflation, higher borrowing costs, and potentially a fiscal crisis.

The American empire, propped up for so long by its control of global finance, could find itself in rapid decline.

For the rest of the world, however, the rise of a BRICS currency represents hope—a chance to escape the iron grip of U.S. financial imperialism. No longer will countries have to fear the punitive measures of the U.S. Treasury.

No longer will they have to worry about being cut off from the global financial system for standing up to American bullying.

The creation of a new currency could usher in a multipolar world, where nations are free to trade without being subject to the whims of a single superpower.

Of course, the U.S. will not go quietly. Washington will likely pull out all the stops to crush the BRICS currency before it can gain traction. The playbook will be the same: propaganda, financial sabotage, and even the threat of military intervention.

But this time, the world may not be so easily intimidated. The BRICS nations, backed by their vast resources and burgeoning economies, are prepared to stand their ground.

In the end, the creation of a BRICS currency is not just an economic development—it’s a revolutionary act. It’s a declaration that the age of American financial dominance is coming to an end, and that a new world is on the horizon.

The U.S. dollar, once seen as the bedrock of global stability, has become a symbol of oppression, and the world is ready to move on.

The question now is not whether the U.S. dollar will fall, but when. And as BRICS moves closer to launching its own currency, that day may be sooner than anyone expects.

The empire, long propped up by its financial manipulation, is facing a reckoning—one that could change the course of history.]

IMF Growth Forecast: 2024

🇮🇳India: 7.0% (BRICS)

🇨🇳China: 4.8% (BRICS)

🇷🇺Russia: 3.6% (BRICS)

🇧🇷Brazil: 3.0% (BRICS)

🇺🇸US: 2.8% (G7)

🇸🇦KSA: 1.5% (invited to BRICS)

🇨🇦Canada: 1.3% (G7)

🇿🇦RSA: 1.1% (BRICS)

🇬🇧UK: 1.1% (G7)

🇫🇷France: 1.1% (G7)

🇮🇹Italy: 0.7% (G7)

🇯🇵Japan: 0.3% (G7)

🇩🇪Germany: 0.0% (G7)

‼️ 159 out of 193 countries have signed up to use the new BRICS settlement system.

US and European Union will no longer be able to use economic sanctions as a weapon.

This system allows countries to settle trades and payments in their own currencies, reducing reliance on the U.S. dollar, which has long been the dominant global currency.

[sonyaheaneyauthor]

Trump’s team are behaving like reckless rednecks

Past Republican presidents understood America’s true interests. The incumbent woefully fails to grasp them

This week’s revelation in The Atlantic magazine that President Trump’s National Security team shared and discussed secrets about Yemen air strikes over the Signal messaging app reveals that the United States yet again fails to grasp that one of the first rules of intelligence is “need to know”. It also demonstrates an attitude befitting a bunch of rednecks swapping stories around a bar.

Supposedly these “guys” think military operations are trivial enough to put at risk in the cause of gossip and bravado. Never forget that the real casualties of vice-president JD Vance and defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s banter are brave men and women of the US armed forces who risk their actual lives to protect US interests. It demonstrates quite how ignorant the National Security team are of such operations. Firstly it is highly probable that the strikes were a team effort.

Intelligence from Gulf partners is likely to have been used. Such strikes involve a range of nations, not just the United States.

And secondly, what Team Trump clearly doesn’t understand is that upholding the freedom of navigation principle matters. If the West doesn’t, then China will assert itself completely in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait; Russia will seek full control over the Northwest Passage.

In that scenario the US economy really will suffer. The isolationist Maga crowd just seem unable to comprehend that in today’s world everything is connected. Every shift by the White House creates a ripple felt across the farthest oceans. Every weakening of resolve encourages every adversary.

Having observed Trump 2.0 these last 50 days, it is becoming abundantly clear that those in leadership roles really have not travelled very much. I would be surprised if many of them have a passport. They seem blindly ignorant that we live in an era of a globalised world. It is a world governed by the very rules the US and the West crafted after the Second World War; a world that embraced free trade. Those rules weren’t just about trade but about morality and democracy. The United States embraced its leadership role and prospered from it. But Trump 2.0 seems to want to reject all that and feed the electorate’s grievances.

“A patriot loves his country. A nationalist hates his neighbours.” That best sums up the Trump Administration. But that great Republican president Ronald Reagan called it right: “We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends – weakening our economy, our national security, and the entire free world – all while cynically waving the American flag”.

The 1991 book Trumped! by John O’Donnell, one of Trump’s Atlantic City Casino bosses, tells us a lot about the President and his early days in business. His obsession with wearing suits, his conviction that the world was “ripping off” the US. A business agenda driven by personality politics, not commercial sense, goes back decades.

Every foreign diplomat should read it. The author’s experience is a good guide to who is now leading the free world – or not as it turns out. Donald Trump’s Atlantic City casino ventures eventually ended as rubble. This might explain why the Israelis are sceptical about his plans for another seaside resort. When assessing the current US administration, we should not let ourselves be distracted by our sympathies for the war on woke. Those policies might be good red meat to many of us but they are not the core functions of any government.

The war on woke is the easy bit. Building an economy, future proofing social policy and securing a nation’s defences are the hard yards. Anyone can demolish a building but few can build one.

When I heard Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy on Ukraine and the Middle East, speak earlier in the week about Putin, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was yet another step away from the US’s moral leadership.

Standing at Pointe du Hoc 40 years after D-Day President Reagan stated “There is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest.”

The ex-real estate chum of Trump said Putin was not a “bad guy ”, who “could be taken at his word”. He then went on to parrot Kremlin lines on Russia’s legitimate claim to parts of Ukraine. The leaked texts of Trump’s security team reveal who they really are. They think bullying is leadership, allies are customers and trade is warfare.

That may play well in roadhouses of the Midwest but in the minds of our enemies it is an opportunity.

Rt Hon Sir Ben Wallace served as Secretary of State for Defence

[warsofasoiaf]

You're massively overthinking things. It simply boils down to Americans being sick of forever wars as the world's police, picking Trump in 16 over the Bush-party and the establishment SecState, taking-credit-for-Libya Clinton, and in 24, because they have zero interest in tax dollars (or worse) being spent on a corruptocrat bullshit country fighting one with nukes & oil. Trump is simply not smart or prudent enough to refrain from getting hyperbolic in rejecting the anti-Putin mania.

Your hard-on for Putin also has you looking at concessions as "things you don't want Putin to have" instead of "things that might cost AMERICA less than funding the Keystone Kops civil war". How many times do Trump & his supporters have to say "America first" before you get that's what they mean, not "sure, America, but also we have to solve this international issue I did my thesis on/have a consulting job lined up concerning/etc..." that every foreign policy "expert" says is a priority? Final point: "The 80s called, they want their foreign policy back" - the last 100% mentally there POTUS, campaigning for re-election, which he won despite being black, and telling Medvedev on a hot mike that he'd be able to help more in his second term. Making 3 of the last 4 elections where Americans picked the not-fighting-Russia guy. Sorry Ukraine, but maybe don't go bullying ethnic Russian citizens next time. "It does not do to leave a dragon out of your calculations if you live near him."

LOL, this is amazing. Ukraine's corruption is a relic of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation - they actually want to be our ally.

Public polling said that inflation was a primary concern and that among Americans, they largely were supportive of Ukraine, rather than Russia. People wanted Trump in 16 because they were tired of being condescended to. And let's not forget, in a climate with >5% inflation, Trump squeaked by with 1.4%. He was given the 2024 election on a silver platter and he still managed to almost fuck it up. You're out of touch, deep in your Twitter echo chamber. Touch grass, boyo.

Forever war? Trump is openly fetishizing invading Greenland, Canada, and Panama. He's the forever war candidate butthurt that his current legacy is "the second guy that was a non-consecutive President but also got impeached because he was a little snowflake scared about losing an election that he tried to get oppo dirt."

I'll believe that Trump is "America First" when he actually starts doing policies that benefit Americans. Because right now, he's driving up inflation and driving down the stock market with tariff threats. Cost America less? Idiot wants to ram through 4.5 trillion worth of tax cuts and explode the deficit so don't tell me he cares about fiscal responsibility. Ukraine aid is spent here, in the US, spent at the Lima Plant modernizing our military. That's stuff that actually makes the US stronger. Meanwhile Trump is talking about trying to open up trade with Russia - and torpedoing trade with Europe (a larger partner) to do it. He wants the US to finance Russian reconstruction, the same Russians that tried to kill us in Khasham and that regularly arrest US citizens on flimsy charges so that they can extract concessions via hostage diplomacy. That's not caring about Americans - that's a "Russia First, America after" policy.

Ukraine bullying ethnic Russians. That's fucking rich. Boo-hoo, the ethnic Russians in Ukraine are big sad that everyone doesn't tell them that Russia is the biggest and best boy ever. Cry more, loser.

Try again, buddy! Maybe do some research instead of swallowing Russian propaganda wholesale and believing it makes you a free thinker.

-SLAL

[onlyancunin]

I just wanted to say thanks for posting the Astarion Slava Ukraini poster. My sister in law is Ukrainian and her family still lives there (we’re in the US). My heart just breaks for her everyday, and we are so scared for her parents and little brother… it means a lot to know people haven’t forgotten about Ukraine, and that there are people that don’t believe in what idiotic things Putin spews about Ukraine. 💙💛

Of course, all my love goes to you 💙💛

I'm so sorry about your family staying there. I live in Poland, the very apartment block I live in has many (if not most) Ukrainian tenants. I work with Ukrainian women. It is so devastating to think that people I meet everyday are just... Disregarded by higher ups. Reduced to being "weak cards" in "doing business". How terrifying. It's just beyond me.

And I can't imagine still living there and hearing about the shit that's going on, the bullshit privileged, removed assholes spew there, as if it's just... Tabloid gossip. As if it's up for interpretation. As if we don't talk about real people here.

I remember talking to an Ukrainian Uber driver, who told me his mother still lives in Ukraine. She's lived there her whole life and doesn't want to leave. He talks to her frequently over the phone and sometimes can hear war in the background, despite her living in an area that's not directly affected by Russian aggression. But he recalled how she was out on the market and buying tomatoes while talking to her. He could hear distant bomb explosions somewhere in the background. She barely even notices them nowadays after years of living there.

And then go watch Zelenksys eyes as he realized Trump and JD has already made their mind about the Ukraine and him. There was never any dialogue to have. There was never any chance. There was never any help to be offered from Trump administration.

They've already decided and that's it.

How fucking devastating. I have no words.

I hope your family stays safe. Poland has been supporting Ukraine and offering help for refugees, and I'm sure even more efforts & support will come their way now that US representatives shit themselves on tv for the whole world to see.

Even typing this out makes me cry. Slava Ukraini.

What fucking monsters.

[the-most-humble-blog]

🚨 WHEN THE WORLD GOES DARK, PANTSUITS DON'T LEAD—THEY HIDE

💥 “You don’t vote your way out of gravity. And you don’t cry your way out of war.” 💥

“This is satire. If the shoe fits, it’s probably your Etsy bio.”

🪖 REALITY CHECK: THIS AIN’T A DRILL, IT’S A BLOOD-SOAKED INDICTMENT

There is a sickness in the modern West, and it wears empowerment slogans like armor while demanding not to be hit back.

It wants the power of men without the burden of being men.

It wants authority without the risk.

It wants the privilege of command, but the insulation of victimhood.

This sickness peaked when Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump—again—and the aftermath wasn’t policy critique, it was a nationwide estrogenic scream into the void.

Liberal women didn’t just react. They unraveled.

Collapsed.

Posted stories of trembling fingers.

Filmed TikToks of soul-crushing grief.

Scribbled essays about how the patriarchy had once again “stolen” history from the uterus-wielding savior we never asked for.

This wasn’t politics.

This was a spiritual breakdown.

Because deep down, they know.

💣 THE BOOTH WAS THE ONLY SAFE SPACE LEFT—AND EVEN THERE, WOMEN WHISPERED “NO”

You want to hear something that’ll put the fear of God into feminism?

Women turned on Kamala too. Quietly. In the booth.

They didn’t want Putin staring her down.

They didn’t want Xi hearing her nervous giggle in a trade war summit.

They didn’t want the most powerful country on Earth flailing under the weak hand of someone selected for optics.

For symbolism.

For gender.

They wanted to live.

Even if they’d never say it publicly.

So they marked the box for the devil they hated because they feared a weak angel even more.

🧠 WHY THE WORLD LAUGHED: THE GLOBAL CHECKMATE OF AMERICAN FEMINISM

Imagine you're Vladimir Putin.

A man with a black belt in psychological warfare, a sniper’s eye for leverage, and the soul of a predator.

You don’t lose sleep over feelings.

You don’t hold press conferences to apologize for microaggressions.

You don’t legislate pronouns.

And then across the ocean comes Kamala, hailed by the Western media as the “future of leadership.”

Her CV padded with ceremonial ribbons, token promotions, and PR victories.

Her campaign surrounded by hysterical praise from people who’ve never once stared down death, starvation, or geopolitical collapse.

You know what a man like Putin does with that?

He waits.

Because weakness always folds.

Kamala wasn’t a threat.

She was an opportunity.

So when she lost, and America’s feminist vanguard imploded emotionally, he didn’t even flinch.

He probably raised a glass.

Because he understood what our own people have forgotten:

This world is still run by men with cold eyes, steel guts, and trigger fingers.

💥 “HISTORIC FIRST” MEANS NOTHING WHEN THE ROOM SMELLS LIKE BLOOD

Feminists chanted:

“It’s time for a woman in charge.”

But let me explain something to you:

The battlefield doesn’t care what time it is.

It doesn’t give a sh*t about your grandmother’s suffrage struggle.

It doesn’t owe you an apology for the 1950s.

It doesn’t soften because your resume looks good on LinkedIn.

The battlefield measures:

Who can absorb pressure without flinching.

Who can make decisions that cost lives and still sleep at night.

Who commands respect without demanding sympathy.

Kamala brought none of that.

She brought smiles, buzzwords, and the emotional bandwidth of a middle school guidance counselor.

And when it came time to choose, America said:

“We’d rather take our chances with a bastard who knows what pain feels like than a symbol with press-approved talking points.”

🩸 THE LIE OF RIGHTS: WHY THEY’RE A FICTION YOU’RE ALLOWED TO BELIEVE—FOR NOW

Let’s rip the last Band-Aid off:

Rights aren’t real.

They are imagined contracts, held in place by nothing more than the threat of violence.

Every “right” you think you have?

Exists because somewhere, a man with a rifle has agreed to shoot someone who tries to take it from you.

You live inside a dome of male restraint.

That’s not misogyny.

That’s reality.

And it’s ugly.

And if every man tomorrow decided—not angrily, not violently, just decisively—to revoke those rights?

You’d scream.

You’d protest.

You’d demand justice.

And no one would come.

You know how I know?

Look at Iran.

Look at Afghanistan.

Look at Saudi Arabia.

Do you think their women were less brave than you? Do you think they didn’t march? Didn’t chant? Didn’t believe in equality?

They did.

And they lost.

Because the monopoly of force is not gender-neutral.

Because human civilization has never been an HR meeting.

Because "equality" is a game you get to play only when the lions aren’t hungry.

🎭 THE CLOWN SHOW COLLAPSE: WHEN LIBERAL WOMEN REALIZED THEY WEREN’T QUEENS, JUST COURT JESTERS

They weren’t supposed to lose.

The narrative had been rehearsed.

The magazine covers printed.

The glass ceiling ready to shatter.

But the people—men and women—walked into the booth and said, “No.”

Not because they were mean.

Not because they were sexist.

But because they remembered what the world used to feel like before delusion took over.

Before every late-night comedy show turned into a feminist sermon.

Before every debate had to be softened for feelings.

Before every strength was deconstructed because it made someone cry.

They remembered a time when a leader didn’t need applause to be effective.

When leaders didn’t flinch.

Didn’t sob.

Didn’t beg to be seen.

They remembered the smell of war, of fear, of consequence.

And in that booth, surrounded by silence, they voted for strength.

Not perfection.

Not likability.

Just strength.

Because the world is a battlefield, not a Pinterest board.

And Kamala showed up with a ring light and a slogan.

🔪 AOC, HILLARY, KAMALA: DIFFERENT OUTFITS, SAME LACK OF TEETH

You can throw all the names you want at me.

Hillary?

AOC?

Kamala?

Same template.

Same cowardice, polished into civility.

None of them would survive a week negotiating against predators.

Because predators don’t care what magazine you were on.

They care if your pulse drops when you speak.

If your eyes lock on theirs without fear.

If you carry the weight of your people like a hammer, not a hashtag.

And none of them do.

They are mannequins in power suits, positioned to fulfill the liberal fantasy of progress.

But you don’t progress if the enemy is still willing to kill for his vision.

You submit.

And right now, the West is crawling.

⚰️ FINAL WORD: FEMINISM’S FUNERAL WASN’T A BANG. IT WAS A WHIMPER

You want the truth?

Kamala’s loss wasn’t a political event.

It was a verdict.

On feminism.

On symbolism.

On the great lie that you can out-feel, out-cry, or out-hashtag real power.

When she lost, the people spoke.

And their voice said:

“We don’t need a mother. We need a motherf*cker.”

And that’s what liberal feminism will never understand.

💀 YOUR RIGHTS EXIST AT THE PLEASURE OF THE STRONG. REMEMBER THAT. OR BE REMINDED.

🧠 REBLOG IF YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH SYMBOLISM.

💬 COMMENT IF YOU’RE DONE PRETENDING.

🔁 FOLLOW FOR THE STORM THAT NEVER ENDS.

⚖️ LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This post is written for the purpose of artistic expression, cultural commentary, and psychological exploration of social and gender dynamics. It does not condone or encourage violence, harassment, or discrimination of any kind. Any references to power, strength, restraint, or critique are metaphorical, symbolic, and rooted in historical and cultural analysis. This is not a call to action — it’s a cultural mirror. If you feel offended, ask yourself if it’s from actual harm — or from seeing something you hoped no one would say out loud.

✨ TL;DR: If you're mad, it’s probably not because it’s wrong — it’s because you know it’s true.

[casper-ry]

I am scared.

Oh what a time to be alive, I think, as I look at the results of the EU election in my home coutry, Germany.

The second-strongest group in my home country (AfD) is far-right, supports Putin (even had Russian spies in their midst), wants to literally DESTROY the EU, wants to revoke women's and LGBTQ+ people's rights, -

and that's just the beginning. And I can tell you where it'll end. And we had that same situation about a hundred years ago. Back then, Germany lost its constitution and started a genocide. And yes I'm talking about the Nazis.

I am scared. Not just of this political climate. I am scared because a lot of the people I know and am lucky to call my friends and acquaintances don't have a German passport, and because this party will want to get rid of them, or do anything they can, at least.

I am scared, because I am a trans man undergoing hormone therapy. It is, regrettably, a very vulnerable situation to be in in this political climate, because all they need to do is ban one type of medicine and claim it to be harmful-

or perhaps they will just revoke my rights to exist peacefully completely.

I am scared, because all this literal danger to the German constitution needed to do was speak a few pretty words for the camera, post it on Tiktok, and the people believed them blindly. So many haven't read the election program, so many don't know what these people want to do-

but they hate the other parties. So why not elect the one party that actively threatens the freedom and equal rights of our country?

I am scared. Maybe I won't be first in line to be shot, but I am standing in the queue.

And what scares me even more is that I can't understand HOW this situation could even happen. Were our voices not loud enough? Didn't we cry out and warned them often enough? Why did so many people choose to ignore the riots, the pleas, the thousands and thousands of voices?

Just "to make a statement"? Is voting against peace and against freedom and against equality a protest now? Is humanity so easily influenceable that they tune out all the voices on the streets? Or was I just optimistic, am I really just living in a country where we want war and supression and censors and dictators-

because that's what this is going to boil down to. And I am scared.

Scared of this country. Scared of the people in it. Scared of the future. Scared of what this predicts for the next election in 2025. Scared of the visibly easy manipulation of the masses.

Scared, because I KNOW that history repeats again and again and again and again and we claim to learn from it;

and yet, we don't.

[mariacallous]

In Ukraine’s prolonged struggle against Russia, the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president was a black swan event.

Among other positions, Trump ran on the promise of extricating the United States from the conflict in Ukraine. His closest allies have openly disparaged Kyiv and made overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Thus, with this transition of power begins a new chapter of the war in which Western support for Ukraine could fall by the wayside.

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden’s belated decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. missiles to strike targets deep within Russian territory, a critical condition of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan,” is hardly a godsend. These missiles cannot singlehandedly change the course of the war, and they put Zelensky in an awkward position. Striking Russian targets will trigger not only the wrath of Putin, but also that of Trump, who will undoubtedly view any escalation as a shot against his own prospects for dealmaking.

With Trump making threats to pull out of NATO and cut a deal with Putin, Europe is also having second thoughts on backing Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Putin on Nov. 15 about bringing an end to the war, while Czech President Petr Pavel announced plans in October to send a new ambassador to the Czech Embassy in Moscow in early 2025.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently attended the annual summit of the BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and several recently added members—hosted in Kazan, Russia. The U.N.’s involvement in an event hosted by a country engaged in a war of aggression, whose president is wanted under an International Criminal Court warrant, sends a disheartening message.

Almost three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the West is tired. It no longer has the political will to help Ukraine win by military means and is seeking a settlement with the aggressor instead.

The U.S. shift toward isolationism may hasten the inevitable: Ukraine and the West will soon find themselves negotiating with Russia to define the terms of a settlement—and, by extension, shaping a new world order. This emerging order will not be the rules-based system established after World War II, but one driven by idiosyncratic dealmaking among strongmen.

The problem is that any deal will amount to Ukraine’s—and the West’s—capitulation to Russia.

A bad peace is better than a good quarrel, according to a Russian proverb. If the West is set on securing this “bad peace,” then it must have a negotiating strategy along four critical parameters: territories, security guarantees for Ukraine, reparations, and sanctions.

Even before Trump’s election, some of Ukraine’s staunchest allies began expressing the view that Ukraine would have to accept some loss of land. The most obvious settlement strategy, then, would likely involve buying Ukrainian and European security with territory—possibly including Donetsk; large chunks of the Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions; and the peninsula of Crimea, which Russia first seized in 2014.

This outcome is a far cry from the Western leaders’ earlier commitments to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and hopes for regime change in Russia, but realpolitik leaves little room for moral considerations.

Should Zelensky agree to this loss of territory, the only realistic security guarantee for Ukraine would be membership in NATO. Yet this runs counter to what U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance has lobbied for: a demilitarized zone along the current front lines and an enduring commitment to Ukraine’s neutrality.

The next White House does not seem to have a plan for what happens to Europe in a few years, when it would face a revanchist Russia with a subdued Ukraine at its Western borders. Such an outcome is not in Trump’s best interest. Another option, therefore, may have Trump concede to Ukraine’s membership in a new NATO—one without the United States, perhaps—leaving Europeans to be the masters of their own security.

Battered and curtailed but still sovereign, Ukraine would gain a nuclear umbrella against future Russian aggression, and Europe would fund the postwar reconstruction. There would be no international tribunal and no reparations. (Putin won’t be negotiating his own sentence.) Sanctions against Russia would remain for the time being. Europe would accept the occupation de facto, but it wouldn’t de jure recognize the territory as Russian land.

It will be difficult to come up with a deal that satisfies all parties. But in any negotiation, reaching a mutually satisfactory outcome depends on the motivation and constraints of those involved. The West is motivated to settle in Ukraine because it is tired of war, and because Trump is uninterested in leading the existential fight for democracy. Ukraine, understanding that it cannot win on its own, can be motivated to settle in order to stop the now-pointless bloodshed.

Putin’s motivations are murkier. In fact, a closer look would reveal that Putin has no need for lasting peace.

Putin’s megalomaniacal intransigence is now reinforced by his perception that he is winning, even if it is taking longer than he hoped. Piecemeal shipments of Western military aid have made Russian advances slow and painful—but they have been advances nevertheless. While Ukraine’s ability to affect Russian military logistics was until recently severely hampered by Western restrictions, the Russian army has faced no such limitations, regularly bombing civilian infrastructure and military targets alike.

In wars of attrition, the side with more resources is poised to win, and Russia still mobilizes resources with frightening force. Russia has activated the economic and cultural mechanisms necessary for around-the-clock military production—bread-making factories churning out drones, schoolchildren making camouflage nets, and old Soviet tanks hauled out of Siberian forests and shipped to Ukrainian front lines.

Now that the economy has been switched on to military footing, there is no shortage of munitions. Meanwhile, government payouts ensure an ample supply of volunteers to enlist in the military, meaning Russia does not have a manpower crisis like Ukraine does.

No human toll is too high for Russia. During World War II, Russia lost more than 27 million people—the largest number of fatalities of all involved. Peter the Great’s 18th-century Great Northern War, which established Russia’s power in the Baltics, lasted 21 years and incurred enormous casualties, as did the 25-year-long Livonian War fought by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century.

Russia has already suffered upward of 700,000 people dead or wounded during the Ukraine war, according to estimates from the National Interest. But with families of dead soldiers mollified by the “coffin money” they receive, society writ large has not budged in its support for the war. It will likely stay that way short of another mobilization.

It certainly helps that the brunt of the war is borne by recruited volunteers, who sign up to fight to improve their and their family’s economic standings, and by convicts—both groups making up a significant number of those killed and wounded in Ukraine. Another large constituency fighting Russia’s war is national minorities, often from depressed economic areas and the lowest strata of society. And now, those minorities are joined by North Korean soldiers and potentially by citizens of the other dictatorships that Putin courts.

Contrast this low visibility of Russia’s war toll, further obscured by Kremlin propaganda, to its loudly celebrated nativist successes. In the last two years, not only did Russia fail to fold under the weight of Western sanctions, but it also managed to build parallel economic, financial, and cultural structures that are independent of the West.

Economically, Russia has reoriented itself toward the East, increasing trade with China, India, and other countries in Asia and the Middle East. It has shifted its energy exports away from Europe and developed domestic production capabilities. Despite sanctions, oil money—the main source of Russia’s war financing—keeps flowing, albeit from a different direction than before. Cross-border payments are now handled through SPFS, a homegrown alternative to the SWIFT global financial system, and the Mir payment system that replaced Visa and MasterCard. Russia touts these systems to its BRICS partners as alternatives to “Western financial hegemony.”

If anything, the war in Ukraine has given Putin more money to play with than before. Assets belonging to Western companies exiting Russia have been nationalized or bought for cheap and redistributed to businesses with ties to the Kremlin—one of the largest property transfers in Russia’s history. Cut off from Western banks, Russian oligarchs must invest their money domestically. Sanctions evasion schemes protect Russians’ access to Western consumer goods, creating enormous enrichment opportunities for Russian and Western business agents alike. Tankers shuttle Russian oil with payments cleared through offshore shell companies. Putin’s personal wealth, estimated at somewhere between $70 billion and $200 billion, remains safe. Though he is a product of a socialist state, the Russian leader is a master of capitalism.

Cultural shifts in Russia increase Putin’s confidence in victory. What little dissent remained before the war has largely been rooted out, with Russians closing ranks around their leader. According to a recent poll conducted by the Levada Center in September and October, more than two-thirds of Russians who said they want the war to end are against returning Russian-occupied territories to Ukraine.

On the global stage, Russia has managed to upgrade its status from a regional power to a leader of the anti-Western coalition. These coalition members have their own stakes in Ukraine. A Russian victory would embarrass the United States, weakening its influence in Asia and helping China. North Korea has found exports—bad shells and soldiers—that it can exchange for food, money, and energy. And Iran is happy to keep the United States distracted from the Middle East.

Even if Putin wanted to end the war, it would entail serious risk for his regime. Drones, shells, and missile production would have to be scaled down, ending the economic boom. The sudden drop in government spending would create real prospects of an economic collapse. Around 1.5 million veterans would have to be pulled out of Ukraine to find new roles in a corrupt Russian society. The manufactured sense of national unity would give way to envy that beyond the border, on Russia’s “ancestral lands,” Ukrainians are thriving under European Union and NATO banners.

Taken together, in a country reacclimatized to grand-scale violence, the prospect of revolt becomes clear and present. To find an outlet for that aggression, Putin would have to start a new war not long after agreeing to settle for peace.

Ultimately, the status quo—an ongoing border squabble with conventional weapons—suits all but Ukraine and Europe, for which security deteriorates in direct proportion to Putin’s success.

The Putin that the West would face at the negotiating table is a former underdog—a man on a mission to free the world from what he has characterized as Western “hegemony,” his economy thriving, his new and old friends paying court, and his people unified behind him.

He is not, however, as invincible as he seems. The BRICS countries are not rushing to replace SWIFT with the Russian alternative. By putting all his economic eggs into the military basket, Putin has siphoned off resources from everywhere else, an unsustainable move. Inflation is real, and the ruble is weakening. Even the overheated military sector can’t keep up with demands. Moreover, as a student of Russian history, Putin knows that the support and adoration of the Russian masses can turn on its head overnight.

But Putin also knows how to keep a poker face. Having staked his survival on this war, Putin would be negotiating from the position of strength and with obligations to his domestic and international stakeholders in mind.

He has already shot an opening volley at the U.S. president-elect: After a call during which Trump told the Russian leader not to escalate in Ukraine, Russian state television released a special on Melania Trump’s modeling career, including nude photos of the once and future first lady.

The West, meanwhile, will be negotiating from a position of inherent weakness. After tiptoeing around the Kremlin’s red lines throughout the war, Western leaders have signaled their readiness to consider cessation of a large chunk of Ukrainian territory, wishing away what little leverage they had.

There is nothing stopping Putin from believing that he can’t get more. Unless Russia is decisively defeated on the battlefield or Putin is given precisely what he wants, he will not stop.

Of the options put forward for a negotiated solution, the only one that Putin would agree to is the one that gives him Ukraine’s capitulation on a platter. He will never agree to a thriving, independent, armed, and Western-aligned Ukraine on his border, because he would lose too much face. Putin will therefore demand an unviable Ukraine—without an army and without NATO membership—and, in effect, a Western surrender.

The issue of European security cannot be solved by a settlement with Moscow because appeasement only increases the aggressor’s appetite. Only the containment of Putin’s expansionism by military means will remove the existential threat to his neighbors. So long as there is an aggressive, revanchist Russia in the picture, lasting peace is an illusion.

[fiveeven]

America, the New Russia.

There’s been a lot of discussion about authoritarianism creeping into American politics, and it’s hard not to see some unsettling parallels between Putin’s rise to power in Russia and what Trump could be shaping up to do in a second term. While the U.S. and Russia are obviously different in terms of government structure and institutions, there are patterns that feel a little too familiar for comfort. Let’s break it down.

Centralization of Power and Authoritarian Tendencies Putin didn’t start as an outright dictator—he consolidated power over time, pushing out opposition, reshaping government institutions to serve his interests, and taking control of key sectors of society, like the media. Trump’s rhetoric and actions have long suggested an affinity for strongman tactics. His repeated challenges to democratic norms, attacks on the judiciary, and efforts to undermine election integrity all point to a leader who doesn’t exactly have a healthy respect for checks and balances. If given another four years, there’s a legitimate concern that he’d escalate his efforts to tilt institutions in his favor.

Nationalism and Populism as a Political Strategy Both Putin and Trump have mastered the art of appealing to nationalism and populist anger. Putin leans on Russian exceptionalism, Soviet nostalgia, and traditionalist values to maintain power. Trump’s ‘America First’ brand of politics taps into a similar energy—framing global cooperation as weakness and positioning himself as the only one who can “fix” a corrupt system. Populism isn’t inherently bad, but when it’s mixed with authoritarian tendencies, it can quickly become a vehicle for eroding democracy.

The Oligarch Connection: Who Really Runs Things? Putin’s grip on Russia has been solidified in part by his close ties with oligarchs—business elites who thrive under his regime as long as they stay loyal. While Trump isn’t operating in a system with state-controlled oligarchs, his second-term agenda is packed with policy moves that benefit the ultra-wealthy and corporate elite. His administration has shown favoritism toward donors, big business, and industries that align with his interests, reinforcing the idea that money equals influence in his version of governance.

Media Control and Disinformation Putin doesn’t just control the Russian government—he controls the narrative. State-run media ensures the public hears what he wants them to hear, silencing opposition voices. While Trump doesn’t have that same level of control, he’s spent years delegitimizing mainstream media, aggressively promoting his own echo chambers (Truth Social, Fox News, etc.), and peddling conspiracy theories to sow distrust in independent journalism. The goal is similar: create an environment where only his version of events is believed.

Undermining International Norms and Alliances Putin has made it clear that international laws and agreements don’t apply to him. Whether it’s annexing Crimea or interfering in foreign elections, his strategy revolves around destabilizing global order in ways that benefit him. Trump has also shown an outright hostility toward international institutions like NATO and the UN, viewing alliances as liabilities rather than strengths. A second Trump term could further isolate the U.S. from global leadership, mirroring Putin’s approach of prioritizing personal power over diplomatic stability.

What’s the Takeaway? Look, America isn’t Russia, and Trump isn’t Putin. But ignoring the warning signs would be naive. The patterns are there—consolidation of power, nationalism as a rallying cry, catering to elites while presenting himself as a populist, discrediting the media, and disregarding international norms. Whether or not Trump can successfully push the U.S. further down that path depends on how much resistance he faces from institutions, the public, and political opposition.

The biggest difference? The U.S. still has functioning democratic mechanisms that could prevent full-scale authoritarianism—if people actually use them.

[selkies-world]

Hey US-AMERICA

If you needed more motivation to vote this year: how about hearing it from Hamilton?

YOU GUYS KNOW HOW FUCKED YOUR SOCIETY AND POLITICS HAS TO BE FOR IT TO GET REWRITTEN AS A GODDAMN HAMILTON SONG, RIGHT!?!??!

RIGHT!?!?!??!

USA, PLEASE VOTE FOR HARRIS. VOTE KAMALA. VOTE BLUE.

Because you do not exist in a bubble. You live in one of (if not The) most powerful countries ON THIS PLANET. Your politics influences the rest of the world. Whoever you put in power influences the rest of the world.

So please. Look at the rest of the world, and think of the consequences of your vote. Look at the refugees running from Jesus' homeland because they're being hunted for sport. Look at the children starving in Syria. Look at the people in the Congo. Look at the people in Madagascar. Look at the people in Egypt. Look at the people in France. Look at the people dying as they try to escape to another country. Look at the people who have no choice but to risk their child's life because it's a slightly better odd than doing nothing at all. Look at the people fleeing their homelands and their family roots and their family members' graves because of dictatorships and wars. Look at the people dying in the streets. Look at the people walking across deserts because they have nowhere else to go, but only know they have to get away from the one land they have ever known. Look at the lives being torn apart by bombs. Look at the children crying in the streets as they have no choice but to make a cardboard box into a home for the night.

Look at your own country - not just your own community, but those outside it. Look at the people you pass in the street. Look at the children. Look at the homeless. Look at the refugees and the immigrants. Look at the students. Look at the elderly. Look at the people you deem invisible in your everyday life - the staff at the store, the taxi drivers, the delivery people, the receptionists.

Look at all of these people - all of these people who you may never know, or relate to, or share life experiences with - all of these people, no matter their skin colour or language or religion or accent or body type or generation - look at all of these people, and think: how will your vote impact them?

Because I promise you, it will.

Please don't subject us to another 4 years of Trump. The planet can't take it, and neither can humanity. Take his threats seriously. He's dangerous, and if he is elected, the world will run red with blood. Blood which will be on your hands.

Please. Vote blue. Vote blue for the planet. Vote blue for humanity, all across the world, no matter what language we speak or what we look like or where we come from.

Please, America. Yous call yourselves the land of the free. Please don't elect the next Putin, or Thatcher, or Hitler. Because that is what Trump will become if you give him the chance.

You have the fate of the entire world in your hands when you vote this year. Please don't sentence us all to death.