#Did people forget how systems of oppression work?

[telepathicfeline]

You all do know that there’s a middle ground between “men are inherently evil, society has nothing to do with it” and “men aren’t at fault for their actions, they are hurt just as much (if not more) by patriarchy than women?”

[arachnerd-8-legs]

im getting real sick of 'intelligence'

who decided reading books and writing counted as intelligence? who decided that getting high scores on a strict, unfeeling system meant you were better than everybody? who decided that people should be turned into numbers, tie their worth in society into numbers, to compare people on a scale that ultimately does not matter, so that the people who didn't dump everything to perform for it are berated and the people who did end up with nothing?

who decided not reading or writing was a lack of intelligence? who decided that living differently to them was a sign of lower 'societal worth' than those who conformed?

[creature-wizard]

So, I just read It's Not Impossible: Healing from Ritual Abuse and Mind Control by Svali.

For those who don't know, Svali is a conspiracy theorist who popped up in the early 2000s claiming to be a former Illuminati/New World Order programmer. Her claims are based on the stuff put out by the likes of Mark Phillips/Cathy O'Brien and Fritz Springmeier/Cisco Wheeler, which in turn derives from stuff like The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, blood libel, witch panic, Michelle Remembers, and Alexander Hislop's anti-Catholic conspiracy theories. It's full of your typical Project Monarch psychological pseudoscience that can effectively be used to blame literally any symptom or behavior on programmed DID, whether or not someone actually has DID at all. It's got all the usual stuff about an alleged global cult that practices the most absurdly complicated, messy, and risky forms of mind control instead of just using the regular ol' indoctrination and manipulation tactics that work just fine for your more typical authoritarian assholes.

She is regarded as a ritual abuse/alter programming expert by people such as Ellen Lacter and Alison Miller, and if you search through the citations on many ritual abuse/RAMCOA websites, you'll often find her name. If you didn't have any familiarity with Svali's outlandish claims before, I think after reading this you'll agree that no sensible person should ever be citing her as an authority on anything. Here are some of the weird and ridiculous claims she makes in this book:

Fetuses are tortured and programmed in the womb. They are capable of making choices presented to them in-utero. (Yes, according to Svali, fetuses can fully understand language and process questions.)

Children can be forced to forget things by threatening them with death if they don't. (Literally not how memory works. If anything, death threats would make it harder to forget.)

Toddlers are trained as assassins and sent to kill wealthy targets, because wealthy people tend to have, shall we say, a predilection for children. (Yes, some wealthy people are child molesters. But claiming they're all into this as a group is absurd. It's also two antisemitic conspiracy theory tropes with the serial numbers filed off.)

Alice In Wonderland programming includes games of croquet where the balls are the decapitated heads of children. (Always with the absurdly over-the-top programming methods.)

The conspiracy programs people from birth to have a visceral fear and hatred of Christianity. (The function of this claim is to deny the traumatic impact of Christian religious abuse.)

"Many occultic groups" hate Israel and aim to destroy its national security through infiltration. (Of course we're going to get Christian Zionism in this conspiracy theory.)

"Higher occultic groups" round up Christians "from prisons and camps in third world countries under oppressive regimes" to torture and crucify them. (Typical oppression fantasy of white American Christian conservatives.)

Genetically enhanced individuals were first produced in the 1940s. (Quite unlikely, given that DNA's role in inheritance wasn't even determined until 1943.)

Claims that "The Light of The World" is an occultic painting that depicts the Antichrist. (Actually, it just depicts Christ.)

Theta systems are trained to psychically kill from the time they're in the womb. Theta assassins have sex with the target, then use the resulting soul tie to demonically kill them. (You know you're into some deep far right shit when they're talking about "soul ties" like this.)

Chi is a demonic power. (Always with the racism.)

Kabbalah is used to open portals to install demons. (And of course, the antisemitism.)

Druids can shapeshift into animals and trees. (This is how druids work in modern RPGs.)

Mages can shapeshift into various animals. (So many occultists WISH this was true!)

Cult children are genetically enhanced for intelligence. (Meanwhile in the real world, not a single alleged survivor has ever demonstrated said intelligence.)

Saturn, Prometheus, and Vulcan are demonic deities. (Pure religious bigotry here.)

Mothers of genetically enhanced fetuses are brutally tortured and gradually dismembered throughout the entire pregnancy. Supposedly, miscarriage is prevented with the cult's "state-of-the-art technology" that's "at least 50-75 years ahead of what's publicly known."

Supposedly, "all videos, CDs, computer games and other digital media now have subliminals embedded, that are fed at 0.03 microseconds." She claims that you can't pause the video to see the message because the images will be blurry, as they're only visible when the media moves. How very convenient, Svali. (By the way, conspiracy theorists have been claiming media is full of dangerous subliminal messages for years, programming children to turn into mass murderers and whatnot. So far there is zero evidence that rock music turns you into a killer.)

Direct quote, "It is amazing how desensitized our population has become to sex, violence and the occult due to this mind control technology that sits in everyone's living room." (Literally your old-time Satanic Panic rhetoric.)

Direct quote, "I personally believe that we are very close to the “end times” of Revelations, and that the Occultic messiah (or antichrist) is alive." (Always with the End Times mythology with these people.)

Yeah, so this is one of the people that therapists pushing this idea that alter programming is a real thing regard as an authority. They're citing a far right conspiracy theorist who claims toddler assassins are sent to kill wealthy targets and that druids can actually turn themselves into trees.

I'd like to reiterate here that the type of alter programming people like Svali claim exist is not something there was ever any real evidence for, and the whole idea originated among conspiracy theorists. This was not a case of something that actually existed just being co-opted by bad faith actors. It is very literally a witch hunt, and one way we know this is that the early modern mythology of satanic witches and today's mythology of alter programming use many of the exact same tropes. And we also know that people can be coached into confabulating memories of events that never took place (you can see very obvious examples of this yourself here and here).

None of this is to say that human trafficking, sex abuse, religious abuse, institutional abuse, and so on aren't real; they very much are. But the kind of stuff that people like Svali push is not, and it's so full of pseudoscience and far right bigotry that it will harm survivors of extreme abuse even more. The function of this mythology, and the quack psychiatry that goes along with it, is to push people into hyperconservative Christianity and scapegoat the religious trauma it causes.

[deltadex]

Something I'd like to talk about is how some argue that "Vi is being hypocritical. How can she team up with an Enforcer when her parents were killed by them?" and "her and Caitlyn's relationship progressed too quickly because Vi is supposed to have a lot more resentment for those from Piltover, the people who have oppressed her her whole life". I understand these views. But the way I see it, the whole point of their relationship is about overcoming personal biases.

And let's not forget that, in Episode 8, Vi actually did bring their relationship progression to a halt, DUE TO her personal bias/insecurities that say the Undercity and Piltover will never be able to work together. The writers didn't ignore that aspect.

I think they did a great job of conveying Vi's internal struggle towards accepting Caitlyn as an ally. At one point in her mind, she must have run out of excuses to distrust her, because Caitlyn keeps proving them wrong. It's a hard thing for Vi to wrap her head around, but she's wise enough to see that Cait has good intentions.

In the end, I think they showed a nice balance of "Vi being cynical towards Caitlyn" and "Vi realising Caitlyn is an inherently good person". You could say the same thing about Caitlyn and her initial doubts of Vi's trustworthiness. This is why I love their dynamic, because it encourages them to grow as individuals and see past their preconceived notions.

GIF by orphanmaker

Another hot topic of debate is that of Vi becoming an enforcer herself, which is slathered with the same critique: "How could she given her backstory?". But the important point people are missing is that Vi isn't going to become the type of enforcer that kills innocent people out of pure ruthlessness. She's not going to be an "asshole criminal" in a "fancy uniform". She's going to become an enforcer in order to HELP those in the undercity and PROTECT her sister. Is she really being hypocritical if what she's doing aligns with her own values? It's simply the external image that seems controversial: Oh look! A Zaunite has betrayed their own people by becoming a Piltover Enforcer. But once you dig deeper, you see that her loyalties lie in the right place.

Another point to mention is that we don't even know how the story is going to go about this. Is she going to join the current system of enforcers out of the urgent need to protect her sister? (I don't really see how that would be possible though, unless Jayce appoints Caitlyn as the new Sheriff and Vi accompanies her as a "collaborater" rather than an "enforcer".)

Or maybe they're going to be playing the long game and have Vi and Caitlyn reform the enforcers first before she officially joins them. Either way, they'll be seeking to bring about justice in their broken world.

By thinking that "all enforcers are inherently bad", you would be projecting the very same bias that people from the Undercity have towards Piltover (which is justified to a large extent because of how they've been treated). But what wouldn't make sense is to continually see an enforcer as corrupt even after they've proven themselves different.

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

I know the history of the word Hindu. I was simply using it to give you clarity.

You've made your perspective clear. Deflection and whataboutism are your weapons.

You are so quick to play your dalit card everywhere, but you forget that dalits were among the persecuted Hindus too. I never denied that the caste system is evil and needs to be gone completely. Why bring it up in a conversation where it wasn't even an issue?

You're so far into your leftie liberal mode that you don't even realise that you're here because of the efforts of fellow Hindus' efforts to abolish the caste system and bring in reservations to compensate for the oppression. It's still a work in progress but there's definitely progress.

Moreover, had this nation been running on the same values as Islamic rulers of the past who broke our temples, you'd be killed just for being a queer or being a Hindu who didn't convert.

Just look at the minorities in other Islamic countries.

But you won't, I know. Because hating fellow Hindus and denying history is more important for you. It's the cool thing to do these days.

One day you'll learn, hopefully soon. I wish you luck. 🙏

How dare you say Babasaheb Ambedkar was a Hindu when he died a Buddhist and swore to not die a Hindu. How dare you insist that the real people who worked towards societal change for women, Dalit and Adivasi people, like Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule, did so at 0 cost of their 'Hindu' society. Savitribai Phule did not have shit flung at her every day by brahmins for you to say 'Hindu' as though they weren't the ones who opposed her attempt to educate girls.

How dare you, lastly, insist that Dalits are ALSO Hindu, as though they haven't been dehumanised and humiliated for centuries on end and prevented from entering temples out of 'Impurity'.

In all our arguments, I find it INCREDIBLY funny that you seem to always focus on Muslim invaders, but never at all focus on the kind of bullshit the British wrecked on us. I'll tell you why: its because the British were the ones to club ALLLLLLL these varied identities together under a wishy washy 'Hindu' label in censuses. Dalit people are also under this label BECAUSE OF CLERICAL LAZINESS.

And this shit worked PERFECTLY for Hindu Nationalists. The more uniform our 'identity' got, the better. But of course, caste was essential to the functioning of 'Hindu' society.

So I give you this chance to inform me: What kind of society acts like this? Why are Dalit children beaten in schools for touching the wrong water pot? And forgive me for assuming, but if you have a household help who comes by, why do you treat her in a way which is 'different' to your family? Why is your circle of friends the same 3 people from the same community? Why do we live in this kind of society? What morality are we functioning on? Tell me, without resorting to justifying henious acts by saying 'Dharma'. I dare you.

-Mod G

--------------------------------------------------

Hello again, Anon-Who-Has-Unfollowed-But-Is-Still-Here-Inexplicably,

Mod G actually replied to you before I did. You didn't say about their reply. That's fascinating. They answered your ask in a far more direct way so I thought adding the same thing would be redundant. Turns out, it wouldn't have been redundant because you didn't even read what they said. Who knew.

You know what? I actually did say what the conquerors did was wrong. I directly talked about it. That's not what-aboutery. Did you not even read that part? I said what they did was wrong and what you're doing is wrong too. (I'm saying it again because you seem to be under the impression that I'm not holding these historical figures responsible for their actions sufficiently enough for your taste.)

I talked about being dalit in terms of reclamation and reparation. It is directly related to the topic you were talking about. Sure, free to tell me that I should be grateful to my "fellow Hindus" and should express that gratefulness by shutting my mouth and not criticizing them when they're doing something wrong. Got it. All that work-in-progress you talk about but I should still know my place and not speak over savarna Hindus. Understood.

Newsflash, the said beloved Hindus will ALSO gladly kill me for being a queer, as you put it. Right now, in fact. We're not exactly a queer-friendly nation, if you haven't noticed.

You also seem to be under the impression that Hindus=Hindutva which is just a wrong assumption on your part. In fact, from all the replies we're getting it seems to me that the other Hindus disagree with your hindutva politics. What do you make of that?

But yes, I'm a filthy leftie liberal blah-blah. I'm hating Hindus because I said something they're doing is wrong. But all you do is keep talking about Muslims and Islamic countries and don't even wonder why.

-Mod S

[katyspersonal]

Top 5 Elden Ring's demigods

Argh... Could you've given me any HARDER top to make? :') No matter who I put below 5th place, I will feel like a huge prick @_@ Because they all deserve some praise, and some love. It is just incredibly good writing. Well, fine then, let's try.

Five - Morgott!

I talked about him already. The absolute tear-jerker character, a member of oppressed minority, that is defending the very corrupt system that deems people like HIM worthless.... He made me cry (/srs ) more than once upon just this sentiment. He is very realistic, and very easy to sympathise with and feel bad for. He certainly radiates a giant soft spot, though (and not JUST because he has dad bod that is completely naked under his robes, hahaha). In a weird way, he reminds me of Asg0re, a character from my other fandom - a big "monster" King who did a lot of bad things on his way, and because of his mental wound, but in the end might melt upon a simple hug or be easily convinced. It is just not what a Soulsborne game would've let us experience, but... honestly, he has not only huge muscles, but also a huge HEART. I love this combination a LOT, it pulls the richest spectrum of emotions.

Four - Malenia!

She is such a beautiful and impressive boss.... ...that I never talk about her. x) I can't quite explain how my focus works, sorry </3 She scares me a little - and it is not even her fault, but the thing that casually claimed her body, because superior deities have nothing better to do I guess :/ She is holding up very well for someone who has to live in a constant struggle with the horror plaguing her very being. And for someone having to hold up as a warrior of her dear brother's interests despite her body rotting as she goes. And having to repeat 'I am Malenia, blade of Miquella' like a mantra, since Rot is infamous to destroy the memories, and she must not forget what and who she is fighting for.

"She deserved better" is an understatement, I'd say. Her personality shines through the 'influence' that has been ruining her quite well, I'd say. She is a strong warrior, very determined, but very full of honor and love at the same time. I say this in every other post about strong Soulsborne characters, yeah. True bravery is not lack of fear but going despite fear, true power is not being callous unbreakable wall but to still hold your weapon firm through struggle and pain, true personality is what you ARE and not what you are 'not', etc etc. It is always about the feelings.

Three - Godwyn!

I could not explain why he made it to this place very well, honestly. First, he stroke my weird spider-sense intuition. I was going into Elden Ring mostly in blind, and still keep whatever I can to be revealed as I go! Thus, I did not know anything about Godwyn besides the fact that he was the golden child (metaphorically and literally) that went down as sacrifice during Night of the Black Knives as one having his soul killed. And that he used to be a lovely person. But one day, as I was playing Elden Ring and progressing casually, from nowhere, for no reason, I started to think of this character. Again, for no reason, I was thinking of the 'Deep Sea' and imagining him becoming a mermaid (?), and healing/truly dying/letting new soul grow/whatever by returning to the sea. I even started crying, and I swear, those emotions felt like they were not even mine.

It felt very random, but you can't even imagine my surprise when that same day, I just coincidentally travelled to THAT location, and found him. And, coincidentally, he was posed like this with a mermaid tail. I take weird 'intuition moments' (dreams or waking) very personally as I have many of them (and funny enough, they always have to do with the 'sea' theme). No matter how I feel about this character in the future, but the weird "foretelling", "intuition" bond fixed my attention, so yeah.

He seems like a very loveable person, though... From narration standpoint, it does make the most sense that he of all people had to suffer this way. It just would not have had the same effect if someone less likeable/innocent had to go down. It is... sad, how much of this character is his tragedy alone. But, he befriended a dragon and bridged the gap between conflicting forces, and from what I gathered losing him specifically was what broke Marika, and Mohg named his new dynasty after himself AND Godwyn. Clearly, the guy was the best thing to ever have been associated with the Golden Order, and manifesting everything good about it within his personality alone. Whenever I bash the Golden Order as inherently corrupt thing, I just always think back on Godwyn as a confirmed exception from the judgement. And, of course, he would have enough "kindness" to spread death as new form of existence... despite the fact that his 'true' self would've probably dreaded to manifest living in death of all things.

Two - Rykard

I talked about this guy since the day ONE I've picked even remote interest in Elden Ring, isn't it so? @_@ Well, I still stand by what I was talking about. Tanith is absolutely justified for being obsessed with this guy. He is like uh... Aldr1ch but executed much better, or rather, in more sympathetic light? I for one honor the narrative of a character who has the GUTS, the S P I N E to sacrifice a lot, their morals included, to just get OUT of the corrupt (!) way their world works. And I have a feeling that so does Miyazaki. x) I think it is a twisted sort of bravery that we are lucky to never experience and only perceive through fiction. But, unlike Aldr1ch, who revels in his corruption and the horrible things he has to do, Rykard, 1) has a loving family and 2) hinted to have or have had sympathetic traits and simply lost his way from.... heheh.... biting more than he could chew... xd heheh... :drum emoji because I am a comedy genius:

But, in either case, ya'll are lucky that the guy is happily married. Ya'll would not survive the intensity of my thirst otherwise. It is just my rule to not touch married characters. I still admire the guy though. Not to mention the fucking UNREAL AWESOME FUCKING DESIGN, one of the best I've seen ANYWHERE, and him having my favorite theme in entire Elden Ring. Like, it was legitimately hard to live down the crisis of him being "taken", because this guy is really loveable, both as a man and as a monster.

One - Ranni!

Honestly, I always liked the mysterious aura, the clairvoyance and the uhhh... I guess, machiavellianism of this character? "Ends justify the means" character who does some unforgivable things but believes there is no other choice, and the grander purpose is more important. But, she has so many layers. She stepped away from her mother's teachings yet still created a badass illusions to protect her and clearly loves her forever, she has trust issues but in the end needs true friends and true kindness (something even an idiot like Seluvis can see!).

You could see it hurt her to do all that, but whatever freedom could be was worth it. She is just a very complicated character, that goes above and beyond. Letting her own body be killed is badass but understandable, since her body was inextricably tied to the Golden Order, as an Empyrean. Letting her somewhat-brother who was a genuinely good and radiant and loveable person be killed? That's a bit... more drastic... And so on. Indeed, she IS like Rykard in how far she had to go, and how much she had to sacrifice, but nonetheless I uh... would not say she lost clarity of her mind like him? It is interesting how by Dante's Divine Comedy though, Herecy is associated with fire but only on 6th level, yet it is treachery that is considered to be THE sin of sins, and it is the lowest level, and associated with ice, like her element. I am thinking about this very often @_@"

-------------------------------------------

Honorable mention - Radahn!

Sorry, but I love the guy, despite lack of deep discussion (and becoming a mascot of the most toxic fans). This is ADORABLE that he learned Gravity Magic just so he could still ride Leonard. He appears to be such a goofy dumbass, wholesome person in the "wrong" way, opposing a character that is actually likeable and loyal to the things and people that arguably never deserved it?

But you know I am a huge fan of Rom Bloodb0rne, right? He gives off the exact same 'person that seizes and conceals the horrors of the cosmos from humanity, although their personality and intellect are gone' vibe. It is just... that same vibe of a "silly" character, the comic relief, that turns out to either face a tragic fate or reveals a much deeper personality. He is simple and complicated at the same time! And, well, him having been such a legendary and impressive warrior that so many people gathered just to give him honorable death. This is somewhat impressive. He was actually a very close tie with Malenia.

[seeinginthedark]

This is what I believe in my heart and in my soul . My heart and soul have synced in and the communication line between is clear . Same goes for my subconscious, after rigorous shadow self work. As for my mind , I’ve synced in my left and right brain hemispheres. I did this in 2022. So they are balanced and healthy . I am of sane mind . I won’t be gaslighted anymore by anyone , any man , any institution and not even gaslighted by myself .

Here we go, strap in .

If you’ve been reading my blogs , you will know that I’m on a mission. I have a psychosis but, as I keep reiterating, a psychosis means different things depending what culture your from. In Indigenous cultures(who are more closer to the Earth and nature) a psychosis is a ‘spiritual situation’ . In the western medicine world , it’s a mental illness. People get scared during a psychosis and don’t know how to handle it. I handle it. I don’t get scared or paranoid. I don’t have hallucinations or hear voices . I know the difference between a delusion and a sign , a message from the ancestors .

The videos I made in 2022, contain information that I didn’t understand at the time , suddenly now have become relevant. They were warning me of what to watch out for .

We are in a spiritual situation. A war. An attack on our souls . An ongoing oppression. Being drained of our humanity.

To be turned into something un-natural and mechanic. And we won’t allow this happen.

The ancestors that made it to the afterlife (instead of a reincarnation soul trap ) are building alliances with spirits of this Earth, of nature and of the inner Earth. I’m dead serious about this .

A lot of us today are souls of our ancestors who chose to leave the astral afterlife realm to come here in this modern world . They are Mother Earths army. We are at the front line now . The children of today have been absolutely bombarded with screens, technology and toxic social media . In an effort to neutralise us , make us forget who we are and forget what’s important in life . This wave of children , are born already spiritually activated and awake . They have immense spiritual potency and magic-like abilities. They are our salvation now .

A lot of people however , are getting confused thinking they a star seeds or thinking they were meant to be a different gender . These are trends and narratives that have been articulately planted on purpose for the reason to distract and confuse and cause social division . And self identity issues .

Please, if you have one of these special children , who are from magic bloodlines , please take care of them . Nurture them and their abilities. Do not crush their imagination- as it is one of their magical traits . Please limit the amount of screen time they are having. I know it’s hard and we are all busy trying to get by and have to work and have so many things on our plate but please don’t pacify them with iPads and tablets and phones . It inhibits their development. It inhibits their social skills . It socially programs them.

Get them outside in nature as much as possible . Listen to them. Let them have a voice . Let them express themselves creatively. Treasure them . Love them unconditionally. They are here to change the world. I don’t want to see any of these children grow up and be plugged into a permanent virtual reality . With microchips in their brains . With non -organic robotic add ons . Stuck in the simulation. Their souls recycled back into this system when they die . Their souls need to be free, as all of our souls should be .

We can beat this A.I take -over . Together . United . Strong . Keep your vibes high . Self care. Heal from your trauma. Be the powerful spiritual warrior you were born to be . For Earth. For our souls . This is it.

[andean-deer]

tawantinsuyu is so over, girlies. it’s runa time for real. what i mean is that by idolizing the incas, you create this like false reality wherein they didn’t oppress other nations and forcibly relocate people through the mitma system.

mitmakuna…. look it up.

like.. they didn’t just get toppled for jesus, queens. (nice myth you got there, be a shame if it came crashing down under the weight of objective truth)

they were strategically dismantled by like a few hundred spanish people and a thousand of opposing forces. you had the Wankas, the Chankas (not allied with the Spanish but still intent on doing the same thing), and a SLEW of various Aymara, Amazonian and other peoples.

oh and don’t forget the reeducation thing where the inca magistrate selected women and children of conquered peoples to learn skills to benefit their economy (fiber arts i’m looking at you) and sometimes sacrifice to appease their conqueror’s gods. (aklla wasi/ aklla runa)

that’s colonization. how did they get four domains? they had a meticulous network of alliances and tributary towns. that’s the truth. you had twelve whole folks representing a myriad of peoples. at council.

they were emperors, dames. they literally went up and down the coast raking in as many colonies as they could. yeah maybe they had an alright working economy but don’t forget that not all of the credit should be given to the incas.

[ru-xia]

-gang shenanigans

starring: big deal

genre: incorrect quotes

preview: pretty ooc, lighthearted bits to forget about the pain (and samuel's soon-to-be bald head)

Jake: I trust Sinu.

Samuel: You think he knows what he's doing?

Jake: I wouldn't go that far.

Samuel: Now, the recipe calls for 2 shots of vodka.

Samuel: *upends the bottle*

Jake: I think we're missing something.

Jerry: Teamwork?

Brad: Cohesion?

Jason: A general sense of what we’re doing?

Sinu, going over Samuel's resume: Okay, so right here, it states that you’re creative.

Samuel: Yes

Sinu: Okay... may I know what you create?

Samuel: Problems.

'Can I copy the homework?'

Jerry: I can help you with it!

Jake: Yeah, sure.

Brad: Bold of you to assume I did the homework.

Jason: lol nope.

Lineman: Wait, we had homework?!?!?!

Samuel: *Read 5:55pm*

*Squad reactions to being told ‘I love you’*

Lua: Thanks fam!

Jake: oh no

Sinu: who doesn't?

Samuel: Sounds fake but okay

Jerry: *A flustered mess*

Jason: can i get a refund

Samuel: Who the fuck added me to a fucking group chat?

Jake: Language

Jerry: Yeah watch your fucking language

Sinu: OKAY WHO TAUGHT JERRY THE FUCK WORD?

Brad: 'The fuck word'.

Jake: Are you stupid? You guys use the f word all the time

Samuel: Oh my god he censored it

Lua: Say fuck, Jake.

Jason: Do it, Jake. Say fuck.

Sinu: You can de-escalate any situation by simply saying, 'Are we about to kiss?'

Sinu: Doesn't work for getting out of speeding tickets, by the way.

Jason: It’s dark in here

Brad: Don’t worry dude I got this

Brad: *Stomps their feet*

Brad: *Skechers light up*

Jake: I can’t believe you live nearby, and you won’t let anyone crash at your place.

Samuel: You people already know too much about me.

Jason: I know exactly three facts about you, and one of them is that you won’t let any of us crash at your place.

Yeonhui: I know you snuck out last night, Sinu.

Jake: Play dumb!

Sinu: Who's Sinu?

Jake: NOT THAT DUMB!!!

*any big deal member really*: Hey, Sinu? Can I get some dating advice?

Sinu: Just because I’m with Yeonhui doesn’t mean I know how I did it.

Yeonhui: I've only known Jerry for a day and a half but if anything were to happen to him I would kill everyone in this room and then myself.

Samuel: If you can’t beat them, dress better than them

*Everyone is standing around the broken coffee maker*

Sinu: So. Who broke it? I'm not mad, I just wanna know.

Everyone:

Jake: ...I did. I broke it.

Sinu: No. No you didn't. Brad?

Brad: Don't look at me. Look at Samuel.

Samuel: What?! I didn't break it.

Brad: Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?

Samuel: Because it's sitting right in front of us and it's broken.

Brad: Suspicious.

Samuel: No, it's not!

Jason: If it matters, probably not, but Lua was the last one to use it.

Lua: Liar! I don't even drink that crap!

Jason: Oh really? Then what were you doing by the coffee cart earlier?

Lua: I use the wooden stirrers to push back my cuticles. Everyone knows that, Jason!

Jake: Okay let's not fight. I broke it. Let me pay for it, Sinu.

Sinu: No! Who broke it!?

Everyone:

Jason: Sinu... Brad's been awfully quiet.

Brad: rEALLY?!

*Everyone starts arguing*

Sinu, being interviewed: I broke it. I burned my hand so I punched it.

Sinu: I predict 10 minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with warpaint on their faces and a pig head on a stick.

Sinu:

Sinu: Good. It was getting a little chummy around here.

*The squad right before Yeonhui's wedding*

Samuel: Well I have to go, I have a wedding to attend.

Jake: Wait... Oh! I have a wedding to attend too!

Jerry: Oh, I have a wedding to attend as well

Lineman: I THINK WE ALL HAVE WEDDINGS TO ATTEND

Sinu, panicked: I THINK IT'S MY WEDDING

Jerry, in a high voice, holding barbie: hey ken! I was thinking about going back to school and starting a career!

Lua, in a deep voice, holding ken: nonsense, barbie. you’re staying home and having my kids

Jason: what the fuck are you guys doing?

Lua: playing systemic oppression

Brad: You lying, cheating, piece of shit!

Jason: Oh yeah? You’re the idiot who thinks you can get away with everything you do. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

Brad: I’m leaving you, and I’M TAKING JERRY WITH ME

Jake, picking up the monopoly board: I think we’re gonna stop playing now.

Jason: Jerry isn’t answering his phone

Jake: I’ll call

Jason: Brad and I have both tried six times each, what makes you thi-

Jerry: Hello?

*Lineman, Jason, and Brad are sitting on a bench*

Jerry: Why do you guys look so sad?

Jason: Sit down with us so we can tell you.

*Jerry sits down*

Brad: The bench is freshly painted.

Jake: How did none of you hear what I just said?

Lua: I’ve been zoned out for the past two and a half hours.

Jason: I got distracted about halfway through.

Samuel: Ignoring you was a conscious decision.

Samuel: Can I be frank with you guys?

Jerry: Sure, but I don’t see how changing your name is gonna help.

Lineman: Can I still be Lineman?

Jake: Shh, let Frank speak.

[mossycircuits3]

you had a bad day at work today? you are not alone. so did so many other people today, hundreds of thousands if not more. Our suffering is not rare, is not isolated. Please do not give in to the alienation, to the feelings of powerlessness. We are capable of incredible change. Talk with others, coworkers, other workers near and far. We all share the oppression of capitalism in our lives every fucking day. Form systems of autonomy and liberatory practices. Learn how to steal, make sure to work the bare minimum and have daily restroom breaks. perhaps twice a day at least, and always push it to 10 minutes at minimum. do more if you can. Buying food together, especially in bulk saves funds. Eating together splits the labor of making food. Coordinate systems as a community. Provide aid to eachother. ridesharing saves gas. having work groups to make useful things saves funds (eg cabinets or tables or chairs or sheds etc). work with any space you can get to grow food to share. guerilla garden, forage, fish, hunt if you so desire. and do not forget to give back to nature. we are a part of this ecosystem and should recognize such and participate in nature. Your community doesnt just mean those housed, it means the homeless person walking the streets. the unhoused guy under the bridge. the vagrant girl passing through town. those sleeping in the encampments. Create public shower systems, work together to create public restrooms (because holy fuck it is HELL to go to the bathroom anywhere nowadays). Have communal cookouts. make sure your unhoused neighbors are warm, provide spare blankets and clothes, spare shoes and socks. We can make this world such a better place. We keep eachother safe.

[hello-nichya-here]

Why did Zuko feel compassion towards victims of war (Song, that couple's unborn baby) but Azula hasn't? Because she didn't have her own "Iroh" or because she wasn't as much exposed to the other environment?

Before we even discuss Azula, let's remember that despite Zuko's compassion towards others being very real, we cannot forget a few important aspects of these moments of pre-redemption kindness.

After bonding with Song, who had just helped him and his uncle, he stole her ostrige-horse (which Iroh went along with, though showing much more remorse than Zuko - aka any remorse at all).

Even though he didn't steal from that couple because he saw that the woman was pregnant, he still said "the people should be giving stuff to us" because that's what he was used to as a prince adn robbed plenty of people in the Earth Kingdom, taking both food and money, but also stuff he absolutely did not need to survive - to the point that Iroh tried to make him see that this was wrong, to which Zuko said that they would no longer gain anything by travelling together, as a very clear "I'll do whatever I think I should/am entitled to do."

And, of course, even though Zuko DID eventually feel compassion for all of Earth Kingdom in general (we see proof of it when turns his back on his father and joins the Gaang) we cannot forget that, even after that, he did go back to the very nation that was oppressing and killing them, even when Iroh had made it very clear "It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good" clearly meaning "It's time to leave your old life behind and help stop your father", and only left when he was forced to think of the consequences of his actions as Ozai planned to burn everything to the ground, and Zuko was disgusted at himself for not speaking out against it.

These are important things to keep in mind because they show us that:

1 - Even when one is removed from the environment they grew up in, it still affects their world-view in the long term (Zuko had been banished for three years after all).

2 - Selective compassion is a thing, and it can be a result of "desperate times, desperate measures" (see Iroh stealing the ostrige-horse even he clearly didn't want to do that), of literal indoctrination and pleasant lies to excuse your bad actions (see Sozin starting the war to "share the Fire Nation's great way of life with others", regardless of them wanting it or not), of the classic "This thing I'm doing WOULD be bad in normal circumstances, but it's totally okay right now because it's a war and they are not on my side" justification, and of just thinking your life is way more important than anyone else's so screwing them over without necessity is fine.

3 - Changing one's whole mentality is a long, difficult process, in which is very common for the person to constantly take one step forwards then two steps back for quite some time before fully moving on.

4 - Having a mentor/support system is nice, but at the end of the day people make their own choices, and it doesn't matter if you tell them (gently or sternly) "You're making a huge mistake" because if they don't see it that way, there's nothing you can do to force them to understand where you're coming from.

Now, let's finally discuss Azula. Much like Zuko, she was raised in a deeply dysfunctional family that gave her all the wrong lessons about how relationships are supposed to work, AND said family was also royalty of an imperialist nation that had normalized war and genocide nearly a whole century before she was born. And unlike Zuko, she did not have someone to even try to guide her towards the right path.

To make matters worse, she's also "Ozai's right hand" and his favorite child for most of the show - which in this context means she's the child soldier that has been brainwashed the most AND the kid that is the least likely to recognize she's being taken advantage of because every unfair thing Ozai demans of her (and that often has very serious consequences for others) is framed as her duty both as his daughter and heir, and as a potential way to gain some of the love and validation the bastard is well aware his children crave.

EVEN WORSE, all the stress Azula was put under psychologically destroyed her - and has made her paranoid. Meaning that even if someone were to try and step up to help her now, she would be convinced that they are either secretly ploting to harm her, or at the very least that they are trying to fool her because they need something from her.

For Azula to ever be able to see the error of her ways, she'd need:

1 - To recover from her breakdown and have a support system of people she trusts.

2 - These people would need to push her to see that the war hurt her, the people she loves, the people of the Fire Nation, and the people of the other nations (yes, in that order). They'd also need to be ready to deal with her taking one step forward, two steps back, just like Zuko did, because as I've already explained this is a long, complicated process.

3 - Recovered and willing to admit that the war was a terrible thing that never should have happened, she'd spend sometime with amongst some of the people it affected the most (that can mean anything from "lots of conversations with Aang and the rest of the group when they visit Zuko" all the way to "life-changing field trip with Zuzu to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom/Air Temples/Water Tribe(s), it really just depends on what you'd like to see in a story)

[uncle-fruity]

There are probably a lot of people who think they've won an argument or "got me" because I don't tend to respond when people try to argue with me online.

I used to be online arguing with people all the time. I still like to post about things that get me fired up, though I'm less likely to go all-in on a conversation unless it really seems like the person I'm talking to is capable of reasonable conversation. (And even then I sometimes forget or don't have time to respond.) I prefer to say my piece on my own terms and if another person chimes in to clown, I'm usually just not having it. I have a couple reasons for this.

It's miserable arguing with people all day. It's a traumatic thing for me, because my family was always arguing and fighting and bullying people around them all the time. I was trying not to be like them, trying not to catch their ire, trying to just be a little guy who liked nature and who read books and who generally stayed out of sight as much as I could when they were in a bad mood. And, of course, sometimes I was forced to fight back or speak up or argue with them even though I did my best not to. I have completely cut that part of my family out of my life. So to then go online and pick fights or trade insults and get myself so angry my heart is racing just feels counterproductive and negating all the hard work I went through to get away from those people. I was a worse person for it, and I have no desire to be that negative force unless it is truly important. Targeted anger is better than constant raging. And I'm sorry, but online interactions are just not where I should be spending my spoons.

I remember where I was emotionally when my worldview radically shifted, and a lot of the people looking to argue are repeating the same unhealthy habits that I once had. Arguing as self harm. Arguing as a way to establish yourself amongst the chaos and horror that is the State of Things These Days, What With All the Oppression and Suffering and Profit Hungry Power Grabs. Arguing to prove to yourself that you're doing something -- even something small -- to rail against the system & the culture of hatred. Arguing because people push your buttons and you feel the need to defend the things and the people that you love. Arguing yourself ragged until you have no energy or joy for anything that actually matters. ... I am not going to be the person who enables that kind of thing for someone else, if I can help it. I know it won't stop them from arguing until they realize it for themselves, but they'll have each other to insult and dehumanize. I don't have to stick around to see how it plays out.

Relatedly, I have more stuff to focus on offline that matter more than arguing my right to exist and define myself. If I use all my spoons getting into the material reality of transgender people existing & being worthy of existing, then I won't have enough energy to organize a queer community art group. I won't have energy to write and work on my comics. I won't have time to make kissy faces at my partner and my cats. I won't have time to try out new recipes to share with my friends. I would be foolish to spend my time countering bullshit in my notifications, because the people who matter most already agree with me on the important things, or at least have good discussions with me when we disagree. I already lost a handful of years to internet/social media based depression & anxiety. I don't want to go back.

It feels dehumanizing. People hurl insults that are barely even related to you based on their own weird stereotypes cooked up on whatever corner of the internet they live on. It can't even get a rise out of me because it's just... not relevant to anything about me. Like "insulting my intelligence for being blonde, except I have black hair" kind of obviously not about me (& not even based in fact to begin with even if I did qualify). What is the point of talking to someone like that? Why validate their thirst to argue when all they have to offer is Fox News levels of misinformation and a vitriolic attitude? Or when people insist you don't understand your experiences as well as they do when you *know* that they only know you as the small square image of a man with a raspberry head against a pink background who represents a stereotype they want to reinforce to prove a half-baked theory they've come up with about how you exist in society. They'll use academic (and pseudo academic) terms and categories to refer to you without ever even learning your name. And then they say they're the ones fighting for justice and who are the morally superior ones. They are fooling themselves, and I think many of them never see other users as anything more than a collection of pixels & a cog in the machine. But we are all complex humans with intricate lives and most of us are just trying to get by in a harsh world. The extent of human experience is vast and probably beyond the scope of understanding & learning for most people. If we are to get along and build a better world, then we have to approach each other with grace and be committed to community and lifting each other up and hearing each other out with a baseline respect. If we want justice for everyone, then we cannot afford to tear each other down. If that's not the goal, then our goals aren't aligned & it's not worth my time to convince randos from the internet. It is much easier to connect with someone and see them as a full person offline. It is better to have important conversations where there are stakes and meaningful connections that have already been established. It is harder to insist on a stereotype when the person you are face to face with clearly defies it. When humanity is established, it's a lot harder to write off the person you're arguing with.

And, finally, the one that maybe is a little paranoid/least grounded in hard evidence or fact or reason, but I think a fair precaution considering The Real Challenges and Horrors of Historical Civil Rights Movements. I learned about COINTELPRO at some point in my 20s. I also grew up at a time when you weren't supposed to tell people who you really were online & so much of your data wasn't connected to every website you joined, so you could pretend to be anyone if you wanted to. I pretended to be a 15-year-old boy named James when I was 12 and role-playing with people. I like that Tumblr doesn't demand as much identifying information because I'm more comfortable that way, though the information I *do* share is true these days. But I guess what I'm saying is that you *can* pretend to be just anyone on Tumblr if you want to. I *know* that there is historical precedence for infiltration of a group of marginalized folks fighting for their rights and sowing discourse and distrust to weaken the movement. So if the only thing a person is bringing to the table is bad faith logicfucked bullshit designed to push our buttons, I'm just going to assume that's a fed. That's someone I do not need to entertain or embrace as a peer. And usually I reason with myself that it's just a real person with a much different and oppositional worldview to mine. But as far as I'm concerned, that's just carelessly helping the feds and I'm not about that life. That's why I tend to block anyone who's really toxic or dismissive & stubbornly misinformed. We don't need that.

And then there are good faith discussions I have from time to time that are actually decent. There are times when I wish I had more energy to properly educate people and gather sources of all the things I've read and learned about. Most of the time, I "abandon" those conversations because I get overwhelmed with tasks & completely forget to respond or follow up. Those are the ones I regret not answering properly, but the point about needing the spoons for things offline still holds. I'm just not a very active user outside of casual reblogs and a comment or two here and there.

Anyway, I guess this isn't about anything or anyone in particular. I was just thinking about it & figured I'd share my mindset with the Tumblr void. And to encourage folks to really consider who you're arguing with and why you're arguing and if the arguing serves the goals you're working towards more than something else you could put that energy into. I'm not saying to never get into it & I assume people's tolerance for it is higher than mine, but I am saying that you should think about when and why you argue. I am definitely saying that it's good to have clear boundaries that you will hold yourself to. This stuff can get toxic and destroy your health something fierce. Be careful out here.

[merge-conflict]

give me violence pls and ty; 6, 7, 19 & 20

questions here ty for the ask I love people immediately came into my inbox to ask me to complain about canon y'all know me so well

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

I'm not really annoyed by any particular ship, more so people who complain about other shippers not doing it right- and specifically if they put it in the character tags.

also anyone who has gone through silverv tags and forced me to add a nonbinary tag to my stuff because they a) assume that she/her pronouns mean a woman and b) are apparently obliged by their tagging system to distinguish between female and male v. c'mon man. it's only happened twice but that was enough.

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

idk about *hate* exactly but Rogue, I guess? she so often seems to be either a mommy character to people's v's or people talk about how tragic she is for liking johnny, which I don't understand. she doesn't seem to be very nurturing and it's pretty clear she's got a soft spot for johnny but given she's lived to be 90 doing merc work I think she can take care of and make decisions for herself that are "bad" without being pitied for it? it's not like johnny is manipulating her. he asks and she says yes even though she's dumped him to the curb and could easily walk away or refuse. anyway I don't hate rogue, I just don't see a lot of her, and the characterization I do see I'm lukewarm on.

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

I had the usual cyberpunk experience of wanting to stick Johnny's head in the toilet and then he grew on me, so now every time I see him I still want to physically fight him but like in an affectionate way. So embarrassing.

Also: Smasher?? Like he still terrifies me, but what a character! He's a brain in a tin can and all he wants to do is perform violence, and unlike most of the other lore in game (cyberware will make you crazy!!) he's been Like That since he was 100% organic. There's just something wrong with him that makes him immune to bodily concerns and Arasaka keeps him like a literal attack dog they can use to scare people. He has such a clarity of purpose. He has a body that looks like Elvis. He used to talk in a southern accent. I think he should live forever.

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

there are lots of AIs that are all FERAL and EVIL in the cage and they're going to come get you. now hold on while we act out the TCP handshake in 3D with visuals that make your eyes hurt that apparently people are working in all day because abstractions make tech COOL and ENGAGING. we have the tech to mess with people's memories and upload their souls but these AIs are ALL POWERFUL and in fifty years we haven't found the servers they're squatting on. the only one you can make contact with used to be HUMAN but all the rest are definitely BAD and MAD and INSANE. also they can insta-kill people or possess killer robots. this fits perfectly in the cyberpunk theme of um uh. technology has gone too far? people are at their fucking limit?

I forget exactly what scifi writer talked about it and it's impossible to google "AI anxiety" in tyool 2024 and get anything but people concerned ChatGPT is sentient, but there's this idea that the scifi story anxiety about AI rebellions or robots killing all humans is basically repackaged anxiety that people who have been stepped on or used or enslaved are going to suddenly fight back and kill everyone is not a new one. It's just "ah the oppressed are dangerous because some day they will want revenge". These AIs are super smart and powerful but they're not going to have the sentience to recognize allies? They just kill indiscriminately? They're no better than monsters? Alright. Maybe the sequel will surprise me and get into some nuance but I'm distrustful by nature.

[juni-ravenhall]

i dont know why ppl need to keep hearing this but having a trigger panic/stress/overwhelm reaction sucks ass but it doesnt 1) give you an excuse to treat other ppl unfairly or badly 2) justify not working on your ability to handle ur triggers healthier 3) help you live a good life when you choose to run and avoid and reject instead of learning to handle things and see reality as it is

i feel like the whole world is just running on avoiding facing reality bc youre scared to handle deep sincere feelings and pain and work on yourself and im going insane. i feel so alone and alien like are none of you ever going to be here with me down on earth? are you seriously going to keep enabling and feeding into oppression and the patriarchy and bullying and classism and toxicity and hurting others because of your trauma? i was severely traumatised by both my family, society, and personal relationships with friends and lovers. im going through hell still today and my life sucks. but i know that avoiding pain or projecting things on others or suppressing sincerity and deep empathy and love and care is never ever going to be worth wasting your life living as a dissociated shell ready to panic at any moment bc you havent learnt how to feel safe and healthy, and have the tools to solve complex situations and the knowledge on how to get the right help and support for your problems. to have the trust in yourself and trust in good people who arent enabling you or perpetuating violence and to take it seriously and sincerely instead of rejecting everything you perceive as "unpleasant" or "difficult" like the upset 9yo that your hurt child is. im really sorry we were traumatised but i dont accept you hurting others. you are not right. but you can be right and you can do better if you face reality and learn to handle life and to surround yourself with people who don't enable you.

there is a safe place for you and there is peace. there is love and kindness and consistency, stability. there is trust that is warranted and nuanced, understanding that a person making a mistake and learning and apologising is not the same as one who justifies and excuses themselves with their trauma and continues the cycle of violence. there is a deep feeling of safety and love and peace that you need to want more than you want to run away and deflect and reject and project and perpetuate the violence and recreate your trauma.

you stop the cycle of violence and you stop recreating trauma when you choose to. you choose to value equally empathy to others and self compassion for your struggles (while working on improving). you choose to see yourself and others equally with nuance. you choose to acknowledge and recognise the perpetuating of trauma and refuse to take part in it, while knowing mistakes happen and not performing extreme, polarised thinking and feeling - when the extremes hit due to your trauma, learn the grounding methods and learn the perspectives and the nuance, learn the priorities and focus. you will still be triggered but you won't be controlled by your triggers. you will be free from your trauma not because you'll forget all about it forever, but because you can handle it and stay kind and real.

i hate polarisation and i hate extremes and i hate lack of nuance, i hate abuse and i hate violence. but i love the human that was traumatised. you are not your trauma. but your actions are unacceptable and your attitude is unacceptable. you have to choose to feel empathy and to see things with a wide and nuanced perspective, to acknowledge your behaviours and patterns are based on trauma, whether it's what your parents or peers or lovers did, or what the patriarchy did, what racism did, what classism did, you are a human, you were traumatised, but you are more than your trauma. there are outside forces that will keep trying to hurt you (both individual people stuck in the cycle of trauma and the systems of violence, the patriarchy, racism, classism, ableism and so on) but playing into them and trying to please the patriarchy or please classism or accept and tolerate abuse and oppression and toxicity when you feel you can avoid pain by enabling your impulses and dissociating and tolerating the perpetuation of trauma and violence is unacceptable and you are responsible to do your best to stop and to say No to the cycle of trauma and cycle of violence

[kob131]

that's an uncharitable interpretation and you know it.

No it really isn't. Because they didn't give you the result you wanted, you call them 'not communist' even though they openly espoused and followed Marx's critera.

Collectives are how societies work. humans are innately social beings that survive well in collectives. Government is a tool to manage and support larger collectives of people. In these Authoritarian nations, the government is used as a tool to support an individual, rather than the vast population it's said to protect and support, because systems that were designed to help people were gutted and redirected by heartless, self-serving, conservative idiots that don't know what empathy is, or consider it an inconvenience.

You can call it 'conservative' all you want- If the left's defining ideals are of progress, community and materalism vs. the right's tradition, family and spiritualism then Maoist China, Soviet Russia, Communist Venezuela and Cuba are all left wing because they did believed in progress, community and materalism. You don't even TRY to refute this.

You also seem to forget that humans are naturally individualistic, that collectivist ideology will almost always be inferior to individualist ideology because it's farther from what a human's view actually is.

And finally- Exactly what I said. That it's a totalitarian (i.e. Extreme Authoritarian) government that will always end up with a dictator. You just admitted that the four big countries that tried communism and failed are exactly as I described them.

Don't fucking compare a philosophy based upon mutual support and aid of the working members of society to a system based on oppression and ethnic superiority. Fascism is an ideology that is on the OPPOSITE end of the spectrum of political philosophies to Communism. You'd know that if you knew what the fuck you were talking about.

And you'd remember that the most rundimentary understanding of politics, let alone the more complicated in depth aspects of it, know that there is a Left-Right Axis AND an Authoritarian/Libertarian Axis. And really, what matters more of all is that second one. The first is basically just what flavor of the second you prefer. Whether you are for big or small government is the true deciding factor in ideology. So even if we ignore that the extreme left AND right share tendencies (like antisemitism), they would still be bound close together as authoritarians.

In fact, I can demonstrate the connection between them right now. You know how communists in America today like to point to the wealthy elite and how so many are white men? Well, replace 'white man' with 'Jews' and 'working class' with 'Germans'.

See how few steps it takes from Marx's 'mutual support and aid for the working class' to Hitler's 'dominate and exterminate the Jewish elite for the German workers'?

Then again, the truth is painful to see.

[rebellum]

Just saw a post saying tma/tme isn't a binary and while the post did have some stuff I'd want to discuss about it (which is why no reblog, I just woke up) I do find it an interesting perspective

Op was arguing that tma/tme is about broad relationships to transmisogyny, and that people don't have to be tma OR tme

Which isn't how anyone else uses it so I'm not sure of its uh.. word hard. Silly to use words to mean one thing if everyone means another and you act like you're having the same conversation. Like I suspect if most ppl who are rly into tme/tma being used heard someone say "tme people regularly experience transmisogyny while remaining tme" they might act like it's a statement that doesn't make sense.

But it IS interesting to me the concept of to use those words to mean other things. Like to respond "no" to the question "are you tma/tme". Or like how I could respond "sometimes" or "depends".

This got super long, rest under cut. Discussions of racism, transmisogyny, misogynoir, transmisogynoir, intersex-phobia.

I think it WOULD be useful if they were talked about as broad relationships and not black and white applicable or as binaries. But that's not how ppl are using it.

Like to use it that way would be to make a category called tme that is "individuals who don't regularly and frequently experience targetted transmisogyny" and to make "tma" mean people who are. Which could be useful if everyone used it that way, sure. Like tma wouldn't mean "trans fem" or "trans fem and certain gnc people who were amab and are perceived as feminine" like it does now, it would actually include all trans fems, gnc cis men, cis men/boys who eg are bullied or assaulted for being "sissies" etc, people regardless of agab/asab who are perceived as gnc and violating gender norms, most if not all intersex ppl, and more who I'm forgetting. Which could be useful in talking about insivisual experiences of transmisogyny as well as society-wide.

If used in that way, could also inspire more discussion about how transphobia is baked into misogynoir bc of how transphobia is baked into misogyny. Like to discuss the relationship and how cis intersex women of colour esp darker skinned woc often black women, experience transmisogyny daily but also prominently in sports. Like how ppl are like "this person is actually a man and is bad and tricking people" when it's an intersex woman who is a poc who is then forced to be hormone-tested and then banned from sports unless they modify their natural body. To discuss how transmisogynoir isn't some ultra-specific form of oppression only experienced by trans black women, but is PART of daily misogyny and white supremacy and transphobia and patriarchy.

Could bring forward discussions and acknowledgement that when eg a feminine-presenting cishet perisex black woman is seen as unsafe bc she's "manly" and she is shunned for maybe being trans, and assaulted in the bathroom so people can see her genitals, how that IS transmisogynoir and isn't, like, a random incident, or a misfire of transmisogyny, or collateral damage, that that is how all these systems under patriarchy and white supremacy are SUPPOSED to work to hurt many different kinds of people, including cis het perisex woc. Like the systems all overlap to become transmisogynoir, like a bunch of vines on a monster coming together into one vegetational spear to lunge at people and hurt them and keep them in place and punish those who aren't white gender conforming cis het perisex men. The relationship between racism and transphobia and misogyny is tangled and cannot be separated.

But while an alternative view of tma/tme could be useful in those ways, it isn't really, because that's not how the terms are used. They're usually used to mean a binary of [people who were assigned male at birth and assumed to be perisex and who are feminine presenting or perceived as such] vs [everyone else who somehow never experiences intersectional of misogyny + transphobia]

I think part of where that idea comes from is from ppl not understanding that transphobia, misogyny, homophobia, intersex-hate, white supremacy, aren't separate systems, but are all part of the same system. The way this was usually discusses during my degree is as everything is misogyny, but I feel like that isn't the best overarching phrase. They're all part of the main patriarchal system of control. Which is intertwined with white supremacy and colonial systems of control.

Like, it's easier to talk about love than hate, so I'll use that metaphor. I love ice-cream. I love the sugar, the cream, the coldness, the added in bits like chunks of caramel or whatever. It's all ice cream. But to talk about specific parts of ice cream, we invented words. We say "flavour" and we say "texture" and we say "salinity" and "sweetness", but it's ALL ice cream.

Societal systems of control and oppression are icecream. Transphobia isn't some extra part, it's not the cone, it's the icecream itself (eg salinity.). Homophobia isn't some separate part, it's not sprinkles, it IS icecream (eg cream). We use these words to talk about specific aspects, but they're the same thing.

When an intersex child is forced thru unnecessary surgery, they aren't just experiencing intersex-phobia. They're experiencing homophobia and amatonormativity, because it's assumed they need ""correct"" genitals to have heterosexual sex which is necessary for happy adult life. They're experiencing misogyny and the inheritance of misogyny in western medicine tradition (by late medieval era, confirmed that science then thought as men/penis as The Correct One, and women/vagina as deformed penis. Flash forward to nowadays, if baby genitals don't fit perfectly into sex binary, it's usually chosen [well ok I don't know about post 2020 intersex procedures. So 1900 - 2016ish] that they will be female. Snip snip the penis/clitoris. Widen that little canal and make it into a vagina now. Unless only difference is micropenis, it's not usually left.). They're experiencing transphobia - transphobia and intersex phobia inseparable! Need both words tho bc otherwise intersex ppl get forgotten about, and need that specific word to describe eg forced child medicine. But both part of sex binary and gender binary. You can't separate.

If lil black boy bullied for being a "sissy" by non-black kids, he is experiencing misogyny (told he is a failed boy, so must be a girl, and being a girl is bad.), homophobia (failed boy - must like boys like a girl does, boy + femininity = faggot), racism (black men degendered, black women also degendered), transmisogynoir (bc of how those things are all inseparable).

Earlier example of cis het perisex feminine presenting black women. Misogyny (women can only be certain way, if you are a failed woman you are basically also a failed man); homophobia (failed woman - you must like other women because a failed woman is like a man); transphobia and intersexphobia (violate the sex binary and gender binary, your face is masculine and your body is masculine); racism (black women degendered, part of degendering for women is to be masculinized. Black women = failed women (not white little prim thing. Not proper dainty feminine nose, not proper long luscious feminine smooth hair, not pretty light skin) = more masculine); transmisogynoir (you are masculine and black failed-women, failed-man, woman-man thing bc not dainty white woman).

In order to have discussions of systems of oppression that actually reflect lived reality, in order to theorise why/how things happen, it's imperative to understand that they're all the same thing. Homophobia and transphobia are misogyny. Misogyny is part of white supremacy.