#I truly believe that there is no way to be a country and to have a normal relationship with your sibling at the same time

[shinehalley]

I'm sorry, but I heard "I'd rather die than grow old without the best of you" in The Challenge from Epic: The Musical and my brain automatically thought of Agent Stone so here's a little freak out Stobotnik loosely based on this concept.

The first time the Doctor disappeared, his supposed death was so sudden and mysterious that Stone was able to disappear and put contingency plans into action without much difficulty. Robotnik's work was preserved despite the government's attempts to erase him from history, after all, the world's greatest inventor was a source of inspiration for other inventors in every country and organization on the planet. Stone focused on staying in the background and waiting for the Doctor's return, because of course such a brilliant man would not be defeated so easily, and his legacy was fixed in the shadow of the inventors' society whether the american government liked it or not.

This time, however, Robotnik left a message for the world when he disappeared. I mean, technically the message was meant for Stone, but the entire world had access to it, including the International Society of Brilliant Inventors. This meant that Stone had gone from being a nameless assistant in their eyes to Robotnik's right-hand man. It meant that everything that remained of Robotnik's work, in all its detail and genius, was either in Stone's possession or could be reproduced only thanks to his knowledge.

Soon every inventor, from the most renowned to the youngest, wanted Stone by their side in the same way that Robotnik had. The Doctor's reputation only made the man who had been able to win their affection and trust even more desirable in the eyes of these inventors, and so Stone was no longer able to hide as well as he had the first time. No matter what excuse he came up with or how often he disappeared into the most innocuous places on the planet, he was always found by some scientist with an offer of partnership or courtship or employment. This quickly became a problem when all Stone wanted was to be able to process the Doctor's death in peace and think carefully about what to do with the rest of his life.

Stone refused to reveal any information about Robotnik's work beyond what was already public knowledge among the society of inventors, and he would not give in to any advances or threats from anyone who approached him. His loyalty was palpable, and it made them want him even more just for the challenge. So that was exactly what he decided to give them. Whoever could invent something even remotely similar to Robotnik's technology on their own would not only have Stone as an assistant, but also access to all the knowledge he had accumulated about the Doctor over the years. Only someone as brilliant as Robotnik once was would truly be worthy of continuing what he had built on his own.

He never believed that there could actually be a person in this century who could compare to the Doctor and hoped that this challenge would give him time to think about what to really do with Robotnik's work and his own life. Perhaps the friendly advances would turn into outright threats when they realized he was just winding everyone up, but that was okay, Stone was prepared for that. He would rather die than actually hand over Robotnik's legacy to someone else, no matter how deserving they might prove to be.

Stone didn't know that in an even more innocuous place on the planet, Robotnik was recovering from the explosion with Shadow by his side fully aware of the repercussions of his supposed death. He was fully determined to wait for a full recovery to return to his assistant, but when he learned of the challenge, oh, there were no broken bones that would stop him from proving to Stone that he was still the best of the best among all those sycophants in that idiotic society. If his return ends up protecting his assistant from being tortured by less brilliant scientists, but just as cruel as Robotnik considered himself to be, well, let's just say it was a positive side effect.

[elbiotipo]

"global socialism, which isn't as far away as it seems in my opinion" oh? I'd love to hear what you mean by this, at this point I'll take anything that can give me some hope 💀

It's not any specific thing, just my understanding of history.

Capitalist countries are not producing anything of value right now, just financial speculation and capital accumulation. This cannot be sustained. You cannot have an economy based on capitalist speculation and social media. The only way the First World has been able to continue this is by plundering the third world and moving their industries away to China and other countries. It's very simple; when the third world and China stop supplying the US and the first world and instead begin producing on their own terms, the capitalist order drawn by the US just will not sustain itself.

The only countries that are having any success are those that place the economy at the service of its people, the ones that actually create things instead of speculating on them. I've said before that China, by placing market forces under the control of a socialist state, was undergoing the largest experiment of all human history, and what happened there would define history for the rest of the century. So far this experiment seems to be succeeding beyond any expectations and people in the rest of the world are realizing it. China still has the potential to fail, and I dislike and outright hate many things about their government. It is still, again, the country that will define human history this century, and if it truly commits to socialism, it might open a new chapter on it.

I do subscribe to some ideas of Latin American and Argentine thinkers that see imperialism as the main issue to be solved to truly build socialism, because we live in an interconnected world after WWII, a world that was drawn by the US and the European empires as the global bourgeoisie with the third world as the global proletariat, so to speak, and this is a world that will not last forever. The world will eventually smash this system and socialism will rise from it.

I also believe that with the interconnection of the world, the next revolution will be global in scope. Global trade networks were built to sustain capitalism and imperialism, but the connections they have created between countries mean that for a truly successful socialist project, it will need to be global in scope. There are many nations, there are many places, but there is only one country at the end, Earth. My grandchildren will live to see the Socialist World Republic.

[xetlynn]

zaun high school- a viktor fic.

season one, episode one- pilot

[episodes][audio&subtitles][next episode]

“So. Who are you? Let’s start with that.” An unknown voice speaks behind the scenes. A prestigious and kind looking woman sits in front of the camera. “My name is Mel Medarda, Principal M. Ms. Mel. Whatever you’d like to call me is fine.” She smiles, her eyes crinkling softly. Her hands folded and sat in her crossed legs. 

“And why are we here, today?” The cameraman asks and Mel clears her throat. Lifting her torso. “Well, I got an email from a… friend who told me you guys were looking for a school to make a documentary on and I think my school is extraordinary and deserves this.” She exclaims proudly. 

The camera pans out to show parts of her office walls slightly falling apart. She redirects them to look back to her. “I know it may seem like not much but trust me when I say Zaun High School will become one of the best schools this district– no, this country has ever seen.” Mel sounded sincere, like she truly believed what she was saying. 

“And you guys already signed the contract for this to become something and you can’t take that back.” She beams, standing from her spot and heading to the closed door. “Follow me and I’ll introduce you to my excellent staff.” She motions and the cameraman lets out a small huff but follows the principal nonetheless. 

“I have recently been hired as a principal but over the summer I spent my time getting to know my staff. Getting to know the school and last year I was even able to get to know some of the students.” Mel clasps her hands, her heels clicking on the tile floor of the school’s hall. 

“Uh, who are you?” A blue-haired girl speaks as she carries in safety goggles in a clear box. “I’m Mel Medarda, your new school principal. You are?” Mel sticks her hand out politely and the girl glances down then back up. “Powder, Ms. J. You’re in for a hell of a ride here.” She snickers, taking the woman’s hand with a firm grip. “Thank you?” 

“Not a good thing, you’ll be clawing your own hair out the first week.” She laughs loudly, strutting down the hall to her class. Mel swallows sharply, muttering out an “okay” to herself. 

“Don’t listen to her, you’ll do great, love.” A man snakes his arm around her waist and she smiles weakly up to him. “You think so?” Her eyebrows knit together, her face filled with worry. “Of course, but you do need to know the students here are quite… something.” He pouts out his lips. She sighs, leaning into his touch. “I remember from when I came as a district worker, Jayce.”

She cringes at the memory as she knocks on her fiance’s door first. “Come in!” He shouts from the other end. Mel peers back to the cameraman with a smile, opening the door. Jayce is up on a desk putting up decorations. Mel rushes over to him, her hand grabbing onto his thigh. “What are you doing? That's not safe!” She exclaims. 

“I’m almost done, just give me three more seconds.” He waves it off, continuing his unsafe action, quickly taping a string onto the stone wool ceiling. She awkwardly laughs it off in front of the unnamed man beside her that is currently recording this entire thing. “And done!” He jumps off the desk, almost tripping but catching himself on the counter beside it. Mel flinches at the sound but carries on. 

“This is Jayce Talis. The social studies teacher, and my fiance!” She introduces him to the “audience,” he wraps an arm around her. “Isn’t that against some sort of… HR regulation?” The cameraman questions quietly, both Mel and Jayce’s faces drop but then quickly pick back up. “It was but I have a vice president who you’ll meet later on. He gives all the orders to Jayce instead of me so we’re safe to work together. I can’t make any decisions on Jayce’s work life.” Mel sweetly explains, patting her partner's side before letting go. 

“Let’s go meet the others.” She swiftly says, wanting to get out of this situation. She leads the way to the neighbor class. The door was open so she didn't knock this time. Only doing a small “hii.” This time the teacher was sitting at his desk writing something down on his desk. “Hello, Miss Medarda. What can I help you with?” He speaks with an accent, sounding incredibly formal. He looks up to the woman, also noticing the cameraman but decides to ignore it since he already knew about the whole documentary thing. 

“I’m introducing some of the staff!” She does jazz hands, then faces the camera. “This is Viktor. Or Mr. V. He is our lovely chemistry teacher.” The camera pans out to show the room. It was the opposite of the last one. Very bland, only having two posters that were “memes” about science. Everything was neat except for his desk that was pretty cluttered which is surprising because he still has a week before school even starts. 

“Hello, I guess.” He waves to the device boredly with a straight face. “Oh, also. There’s a new staff member coming and when she comes in can you please come grab me.” Mel whispers to him and he nods his head. “Sure.” 

“Thank you!” She then leads back to the hallway. Continuing on with the tour and introductions to the staff. 

Viktor goes back to writing in his notebook that held his planning information for the school year. He was behind on creating the binder due to… his procrastination. Filling his summer with projects he had been wanting to do during the school year but never had the time for them. 

A little stupid on his part but he enjoyed his break so that’s all he can truly think about. His writing is cut short… once again as he sees a girl wander in the hall, looking around with an extremely nervous expression. He lets out a small huff of annoyance before standing up, using his cane to do so. Pushing himself toward the door. 

“Ahem,” He coughs, startling her. Her eyes widen as she looks over to him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m Viktor.” He extends out a hand and she takes it automatically. She seemed extremely flimsy? Very all over the place. He observed the girl before him. Taking in her appearance. 

She wears a pink satin button up and a long skirt with a piano design with pink boots and silver jewelry, all representing something to do with instruments. School hadn’t started and she already was wearing teacher-like outfits. He mentally judged it. She seemed to be quite a character already. 

“I’m [Name], I- Are you- Sorry.” She takes her hand back, wiping it at her side since she started to feel sweat building up in her palm. “Sweaty, a bit nervous.” She lifts her hand to explain something he hadn’t even asked about. It was a sweet gesture though. “Are you giving me a tour or… is Mel?” She asked, averting eye contact with the man before her. His eyes slightly squinted which made him even more intimidating to her. 

“Mel, I'm pretty sure. She’s giving a tour to the… another cameraman.” He comments, glancing at the man that is recording their current interaction. “Right.” She presses her lips in a line tightly, puffing out her cheeks with air. Not knowing what else to respond with. “I’m sure we can find her, let’s go.” He motions with his head for her to come with. 

She fixes the bag on her shoulder, stepping after the accented man. 

“So, what do you teach?” [Name] tries to strike up a conversation with him. He wanted to sigh, give out a rude response only because he’s upset that he’s away from his work but instead answers in a monotone way. “Chemistry.” She hums, fidgeting with her hands. “That’s cool, I was so bad at science.” She chuckles. 

“Mm, it’s not for everyone.” He shrugs, turning the corner. It grows silent between the two of them. Her, figuring that it was better off to keep her mouth shut since he didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk. He, feeling that exact way that she’s thinking. Appreciating that she figured it out too. For some reason though it felt wrong, a tug in his chest that causes him to bow his head for a moment before he speaks up. “What do you teach?”

Her eyes brighten, gazing over at him as she answers. “I’m a music teacher. Band and Orchestra.” She then gesticulates to her clothes and now it makes sense. Viktor doesn’t pay attention to most of the staff in the school so he had no idea that they needed a replacement for the music area. “That’s interesting, your clothes make sense now.” He dryly jokes and she snickers. “Mhm. 

“There she is. Ms. Medarda!” He suddenly shouts down the hall, both the cameraman and the principal look in your direction. Mel’s face lights up and she excuses herself. Heading toward the both of them. “Ah, [Name] [Last Name]! You’re here.” She announces the obvious and [Name] grins. Feeling a much more comfortable aura from her than with Viktor’s greeting. “You’re even more beautiful in person!” She compliments and she lets out a shy laugh. 

“Oh, you’re one to talk!” She tells her earnestly. “I was doing a small tour for our documentary but we can restart!” She informs the girl. “Okay!” [Name] sticks a thumb up, Mel looks over to Viktor who is leaning against his cane with a patient look. “Thank you, Viktor. You’re excused.” Mel nods and he does the same. Saying a minuscule goodbye. 

“Sorry about him, he was in the middle of something.” Mel apologizes for the boy but [Name] just shakes her head. “He was extremely kind, no worries!” She says, partly lying but no one needed to know that. 

“Am I nervous for the new girl… Yes. Extremely. The last one left for a good reason.” Mel talks face to face with the camera, standing in front of one of the many brick walls in the school. 

The class was filled with students messing around with one another. Playing wrong notes and crumpling up the music sheets to throw them at one another. The teacher at the front of the class who just sat at the piano on their phone. Defeated, and ready for the end of the school year. Done with teaching these bad ass kids. 

Mel sighs. “But she comes from the top of her university and even taught elementary kids. I’m pretty confident in her abilities to handle the students this year.” She attempts to smile but it just comes out as if she was gritting her teeth together. 

“And this is your room, you have full power over everything in here. We got new instruments and equipment so check it out! If you have any worries I’ll be in my office. Any questions for now?” Mel inquires, standing in the doorway of [Name]’s new classroom that was ten times bigger than the one she used to teach in. “No, I don’t think so.” The new girl steps into the room, scanning it over. Shocked by what she’s seeing. “Awesome! Come see me before you leave, alright? I’d love to hear what you think about everything.” She places a hand on the girl’s shoulder before taking her leave. Whispering to the cameraman to stay with [Name] as she heads to her office. 

“Uh, how do I think about Zaun High School? It… is definitely a school.” [Name]’s eyes drop to the ground. “The people are nice. For the most part.” She scratches the back of her neck. 

“This is Sevika, she’s the lunch lady. The lady to go to for the food and sometimes even advice surprisingly.” Mel murmurs the last part and Sevika snaps her head towards the both of the girls. “I don’t need to hear your problems. Don’t tell people that.” She snaps. “I get enough of that with the sisters.” She grumbles in irritation. Mel chuckles. [Name] furrows her brows. “The sisters are Powder and Violet. Miss J and Mrs. Kiramman.” Mel tells her and her mouth goes into the shape of an ‘o’ but then she’s confused again. 

“I thought Kiramman goes by Dr?” [Name] questions. “I haven’t introduced you to her Mrs.” Mel says and Sevika begins to glare at the both of them. “Are you going to stay here and be useless or do I have to kick you out?” She grunts and Mel takes that as her cue. Leading [Name] out before she has to witness Sevika’s tantrum on her first day here. 

“I think it’ll grow on me though.” She smiles. “At least I hope so.” She deadpans. 

Sorry for this being so much later than I wanted it to be. I've been so busy and unmotivated :(

taglist: if you want to be added lmk!

@night-fall-moon @donnie-is-here @pxszels @ashuwhat @theuntoldlullaby @urfavlarry

[dosesofcommonsense]

Federal Reserve

IRS

Congress

The average American taxpayer has way too many slave masters; the problem is most Americans believe they’re still amazingly free and don’t realize the freedom exists inside an aquarium.

I don’t know if the Unity Ticket will break the glass, but they’ve promised to at least expand the size. If they truly delete 90% of the government as well as the IRS, then they will have successfully broken the aquarium and restored freedom.

That’s where we are. The country wasn’t ready to face the reality of the much oppression and weak ass men in 2016 and 2020. Heck, Ron Paul pointed it out in the 90’s. Look how far the average person had to be pushed and you’ll see just how much propaganda the Corporate Media successfully slipped down people’s throats. It took almost 30-40 years to wake up the country to the enslavement of the population and there’s still people blindly ignorant and asleep at the wheel.

Sometimes you must show people. You can tell them all you want, yet for whatever reason they must see and experience to believe.

The majority of America (and the world) is finally there.

[imnosuvu]

bounded by business (1)

peaky blinders x fem!reader, thomas shelby x fem!reader

type: fluff/angst(?)

summary: a second class powerful gang in the south of london reaches out too a strong working class gang for a union.

warnings❗️: mentions of assassin work(?), swearing, gang talk, arranged marriage,

note: this is my first series, so please lmk how i did😭

requests are open❗️

“Y/N.” a strong, stern voice bellowed through the corridors of the L/N Foundation establishment and to your office. You instantly recognised it - it’s your uncle. This man was not to be messed with, kept waited or even looked/thought lowly at. Though he’s your uncle, he still has high expectations for you, regardless of being a woman, and expects you to meet them. Standards he only upholds for you, higher than others. Without wasting any time, not having the set mind to anger him for your tardiness and causing another one of your stubborn arguments, you walk out your office and make your way to one of the meeting rooms that he’s located in.

You peer through the doorway, your hair framing your face. “Yes uncle, is everything alright?” you ask in your usual london accent, acknowledging the three men, recognising them as the Peaky Blinders, men you’ve heard about - working class gangsters showing society just what working class people can achieve.

“Come in, my darling,” your uncle says softly, a bit too softly. You walk in, warily due to his unusually gentle behaviour. Sitting into the seat he indicates you to sit in, you look at the three men sat infront of you. They stare at you as if interrogating you, eyeing your long navy dress, noticing how it defines your curves. The man on your left seemed the eldest, his upper lip holding a firm moustache and has short slicked-back hair. On the right seemed the youngest, his face is neat, no facial hair identifiable and has short back and sides haircut. But the one in the middle caught your eye, he seemed like the leader of the working class gang in Small Heath, his ocean blue eyes are captivating and his defined jaw and cheekbones look as if they can cut.

“Y/N, these fine, young lads are the Peaky Blinders, the gang i’ve been telling you about this morning,” Your uncle looks at you and gestures to the three men. “The Shelby brothers.” You nod your head, slightly confused on why he seems so eager for you to know them.

“Right..” you reply, in a more unbothered tone, clearly unbothered by them. This doesn’t go unnoticed by him, but lets it slide, not wanting to cause a scene.

He then turns to the Blinders, to introduce his niece. “Mr. Shelby’s, this is my niece, y/n l/n, she upholds a high rank within the L/N Foundation. She’s practically my right hand - carried out many successful plans within the business. She’s quite a fierce young woman and has a strong reputation within London. Our assassin.” The Shelby’s stay quiet, slightly fazed at how a woman can be able to uphold such a reputation.

“Thomas Shelby,” the middle brother reached out to you for a hand shake, “These are my brothers, John and Arthur.” he gestures at the two men. You can’t fail to hear his strong brummie accent that strikes many women. His name confirms your suspicions about him leading the Shelby Company Limited. Your uncle nudged your leg under the table, motioning you to shake the hand he’s offering. You then glance at your uncle, then shaking Thomas’ hand, you feel how his rough, thick hands come into contact with your slender soft ones, significantly smaller than his. “I’ve heard a lot about your work, Mr. Shelby.” you address, taking your hand back, as you eye their expensive suits that working class men can’t afford, except the Peaky Blinders.

“Care to elaborate, Miss. l/n.” Thomas states, in his rough tone, noticing how the gold you wear highlights your wealth.

“Your business expansion, to not only spread across the country, but also expanding to overseas, it’s truly impressive.” you comment, “And your reputation… not many can believe how easily you took down Mr. Billy Kimber.”

“And I believe we could become even stronger together. By having my niece marry you, Mr Thomas Shelby.” your uncle interrupts you, and in return, you snap your head towards him, eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief. Thomas doesn’t even flinch, seeming as he’s already been informed of this, his two brothers snap their heads towards him, asking if he’s serious.

“Tommy you surely not agreeing to this?” his brothers mutter to him.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” you yell out in downright distress, protesting against this, the Peaky Boys get taken aback, thinking you were just some eye candy. “Why can’t (female cousin) do it? She’d marry him!”

“Your cousin’s already got a lad.” your uncle calmly replies.

“Oh so Andrew disappears?” you sarcastically snap back, not caring less that the Peaky Blinders are sat infront of you, witnessing such a scene. Andrew’s your boyfriend of 2 years. Instead of your uncle replying, he walks over towards the meeting room’s telephone and connects to your boyfriend’s telephone line. Handing out the receiver for you to take, you hesitate but then get up from your seat, snatching the receiver from you, placing it onto your ear, your heart breaks. The man that you’ve been with for two years, is fucking another woman. You hear moans from the other end, hearing the dirty words Andrew would say to you, now saying it to the whore in his bed, who’s begging for a release. Taking the receiver away from your ear, you look at your uncle with eyes hinting with guilt and regret, yet you’re too stubborn to show him fully.

“So I take that as a yes?”

You don’t respond to him, still in shock from what you’ve just heard.

“Right Mr Thomas Shelby, as long as you are alright with this proposal, I believe we should wrap this meeting up.” Your uncle responds respectfully and calmly, as if you’re not going mental over this beside him.

“Yes, Mr. L/N, as I’ve previously told you, i’m more than happy to marry your niece.” tommy replies, his deadly eyes not leaving you.

“Wait- he knows? And I’ve just found this out?” your brows are furrowed, glaring at not just Tommy, but John and Arthur as well, in betrayal how he’s told Thomas before you.

“y/n, darling I don’t have time for this,” he mutters under his breath, audible to only you, then watches you as you storm out. “Like I said, Mr Thomas Shelby, she does need a man like you to put her in her place.”

part two coming soon!

[neunhofferart]

Not sure if there's anything official- based only on a vaguely similar shape and location and seemingly supported by the map pictures released by Dreamworks TV recently, would Yaz's island be Frank Island in Yellowstone National Park? Only for JWE2 building reference purposes 😁

It's possible it was used for some visual inspiration, but I think the EXACT location in Wyoming was probably meant to be a little vague, as a fictional location.

[royaltea000]

we know that alfred is insane over gil, but is gil insane over anyone? it doesnt have to be the degree of insane alfred is

Gil is insane overall so it’s very hard to spot a difference when he’s being more so but I like to think, as all unhealthy sibling relationships go in this series - that he’s obsessed with Ludwig. Not to the extent that Ludwig is fixated on him but he’s very much an overbearing helicopter parent in his own trying to make it seem like I don’t give a shit way. He’s calmed down sooo much in modern times but I Know that boy was going through like no less than 20 lessons a day when he was born

[priafey]

things the US needs to address:

the collective psychosis that leads people to make posts like these

[leapdayowo]

I feel like it's important to point out that in the last few days alone, in the middle of the ongoing flap about How Old He Is, Biden has announced two MAJOR pieces of progressive legislation/priorities for his second term: a) major SCOTUS reform, term limits for SCOTUS justices, a constitutional amendment nullifying the "president god-king" ruling, and b) legislation to cap/stabilize rent costs nationwide and financially punish landlords who raise their tenant's rent by more than a certain percentage (the news I saw had it as no more than 5%) in a year.

It is important to note that aside from these both being necessary and needed (the SCOTUS reform alone, holy shit) Biden's response to challenges to his candidacy is to go MORE left, not LESS. The conventional wisdom for 800 years has always been that Democrats Need To Go More Centrist, a mainstream and longterm Democrat like Biden has absolutely heard it over and over, and we have heard so much about how we need to court Republicans who are tired of Trump by being more conservative. Biden is not doing that. He is making the electoral gamble that the way to win is by going even more left, which would also have implications for his policy agenda in a second term, especially when he was freed of re-election concerns and could just go "fuck it."

Now we, and I cannot emphasize this enough, need to reward him for the move leftward and incentivize him to do it more. When you shout endlessly at politicians to be more left and then just bitch at them for not being even more left even when they move in that direction, you discourage them from doing so and make the hoary old Move To The Center narrative come back yet again. So:

[aliosne]

My mother tells a lot of stories and admittedly my memory is undependable but every now and then she’ll start an anecdote like “as I’m sure you’re tired of me saying” as tho it’s going to be the most boring fact ever conceived and then drop “i met Tommy Douglas multiple times as a child”

[heritageposts]

Harris has been a staunch supporter of Israel for years. In 2017 she addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual conference and reminded attendees that the first resolution she co-sponsored as a senator was aimed at combating “anti-Israel bias” at the United Nations. “Let me be clear about what I believe. I stand with Israel because of our shared values, which are so fundamental to the founding of both our nations,” she told the crowd. In 2018 she gave an off-the-record speech to the organization, but eventually released her comments. In that speech she claimed that she raised money for the Jewish National Fund as a Girl Scout. “Having grown up in the Bay area, I fondly remember those Jewish National Fund boxes that we would use to collect donations to plant trees for Israel,” she told the audience. “Years later, when I visited Israel for the first time, I saw the fruits of that effort and the Israeli ingenuity that has truly made a desert bloom.”

For those unfamiliar with the Jewish National Fund (JNF), they're a Zionist organization that has been instrumental in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

See Stop the JNF for more information on their history, the way they operate, and their decades-long campaign of greenwashing (i.e. destroying native plants, crops, and agriculture under the banner of 'making the desert bloom').

Continuing, the Mondoweiss article goes:

“The vast majority of people understand the importance of the State of Israel,” she added later. “Both in terms of its history and its present in terms of being a source of inspiration on so many issues, which I hope we will talk about, and also what it means in terms of the values of the United States and those values that are shared values with Israel, and the importance of fighting to make sure that we protect and respect a friend, one of the best friends we could possibly have.” While running for President in 2019, Harris was praised by the lobbying group Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) for running to the right of Obama on the Iran deal. On the campaign trail Harris told Kat Wellman, a voter affiliated with DMFI, that she would reenter the agreement but “strengthen it” by “extending the sunset provisions, including ballistic missile testing, and also increasing oversight.” “I was very impressed with her. I thought she gave an excellent speech, she gave a very detailed, responsive answer to my question,” Wellman told a local paper after the exchange. “I’m pro-Israel, so I was I was very concerned and all about making sure we limit nuclear missiles in any country that could possibly destroy us all. I thought her answer was very good.” Harris has condemned the BDS movement and claimed that is “based on the mistaken assumption that Israel is solely to blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” However, she voted against an anti-BDS bill in 2019 citing First Amendment concerns.

For the full article, which includes Kamala's response to Israel post Al-Aqsa Flood, see Mondoweiss (July 22, 2024)

[sonicthedestiel]

I RAN OUT OF ROOM IN THE TAGS FCKN HELL

[20somethingnobody]

Question / vent

[carcinized]

also i know people say this but i swear to god it never gets into anyones heads, but you cant just block out all people with other opinions from you. thats called an echo chamber and even if the ideas are the "right" ones it makes the group extremely easy to poison with harmful ideas. you have to think critically about each issue and not just shut out anything thats different from the "norm." cancel culture is literally dystopian and inhuman. things are nuanced and messy, especially politics and economics

[kyofsonder]

I understand the immediate emotional recoil, and the need to defend humanity and/or the self. You read "we each have a nazi in us" and it's perfectly reasonable for the emotional part of your brain to think "that word means evil and I don't want to live in a world where I have evil inside me -- I might not be a good person, but I'm not evil." It makes sense that this fear would naturally override calmer analysis of what's actually being said.

"We all have evil within us" doesn't mean we all act on that evil. It doesn't mean we all have an evil phase where we're cruel and bigoted until we see the light. It doesn't mean we all have a curse that transforms us into were-nazis on a full moon.

It means that "hatred, rage, fear, narcissistic self-regard and contempt for others" as actions and beliefs that harm others are the building blocks of what we call evil by another name. It means that everybody gets mad, finds things or people to hate, gets scared, gets too much in their own head, and forgets that others deserve patience and respect. Everybody has the capacity for these things in normal, manageable, human degrees.

Everybody also has the capacity to have these things turned up full volume in their own heads until nothing else gets through. There are people whose internal slider goes up the less they're exposed to the humanity of others, and in their isolation they become so bitter and hateful that they look down on others in a way that becomes outright cruel. There are people whose internal slider goes up the more they're exposed to other people's cruelty, and in their fear they decide to fight fire with fire. Become cruel or die. This is the impact of trauma that the author is talking about.

We are not all evil by default. We are not all good by default. We are all human by default, and that means all of us have emotions that can be turned into actions and all of our actions can be cruel or kind or otherwise if we let them.

It's our responsibility, individually, to check on our emotional state and our emotional history (with whatever guidance we need to make it safe, some people need workbooks and others need groupchats and others need to try a few times to find a good therapist) and make sure our sliders are set at safe and reasonable levels. It's up to us to avoid having the evil that's within us become evil that acts on the world around us.

If this helps, it's a little like saying all cats are dangerous because they have claws. It's true that claws are dangerous, even a small cut can become easily infected. It's true that having claws is the normal state for a cat. It's not true that all cats will scratch no matter how you treat them. It's not true that all cats need to he declawed to be safe around humans, and the declawing process is actually actively harmful to cats. It's not true that all cats are dangerous to humans any more than it's true that all humans are evil. What is true is that it's important to treat our cats with patience and understanding, and teach them proper claw control so they don't scratch us by accident. We find compromises that are the least harmful to both cat and human in those cases where claw control can't be taught.

To say "we each have a nazi in us" is to say "cats each have claws within them." We don't need to defend ourselves against the statement. We don't need to apologize pre-emptively for being evil. We need to treat ourselves with patience and understanding, and learn proper emotional and mental control so we don't fall into hateful doctrine or lash out emotionally.

We all have the capacity for cruelty. Every person in the world. No matter what. It's up to us how to manage that, and whether we want to break the cycle of cruelty that already exists.

im gonna be real with you guys a little but you are all deeply fucking stupid

[shotmrmiller]

need simon to be retired and living in the middle of nowhere with a car-fixing hobby, and you're pulling into his 'shop' because you were road-tripping across the country and now some funky noises are happening underneath the hood.

you tentatively walk towards the open garage, only to spot him under some run-down vehicle that has more rust than sun-faded paint, deflated tires, and a license plate that's also got rust gnawing at the edges, the numbers on it barely discernable.

you rap your knuckles gently on the weathered car, and the wheels of the creeper he's on squeak in protest under him as he rolls out to look at you, filthy gloves smearing the dust on his brow instead of wiping it away.

"err, hi. uh, i was pointed this way by some lovely folk that work in that diner down the way, and they said that you could take a look at my car."

he rises smoothly, even though his joints pop as he does, dark eyes squinting against the sun. he towers over you with broad shoulders and thick arms. a tough-as-teak country man.

you start when he speaks, deep voice echoing off of dusty walls. "they said tha', did they?" he lifts the hem of his grease-stained wife beater to wipe at the beads of sweat on his forehead, and your gaze involuntarily wanders to the thick trail of coarse, dark hair under his navel.

"what's wrong with it?"

if you knew that, you wouldn't be here, blatantly ogling him in some decrepit workshop located in a sleepy corner of the countryside. "i don't know. it's making some scary popping noises and figured that it needed to be looked at, asap."

your grimace is involuntary when he extends an oil-streaked gloved hand. you really hope he's not expecting you to-

"keys."

right. you wordlessly hand them over and walk a few steps behind him as he heads toward the front of your car. "did ya get it looked at before your trip?"

you want to snap at him, that obviously you did. you may not be some car wizard, however, you can do the bare minimum for it but he's your only hope for getting the hell out of here, so you press your tongue against the back of your teeth for a moment before answering.

"yes. i did prepare for it. got new tires, an oil change, and anything else it may have needed."

he hums at your answer, a low sound in the back of his throat, and curls his fingers under the hood and begins to feel for the release. your mind is in the gutter as your eyes linger on his sun-kissed skin, watching the tendons on his inked forearm ripple with each movement.

your mind is snapped back to reality when he mutters, "i hope ya don't think i'm doin' this for free."

"wouldn't dream of it. you don't seem the charitable type."

the latch yields under his fingertips, and the hood springs open. "i'd say i'm pretty charitable, considerin' i'm even helpin' ya with this."

your eyebrows furrow, corners of your lips pulling downward. "what, were you closed or something?"

he gives you a small smirk while his hand searches for the prop rod inside the engine bay. "do i look like a business, sweetheart?"

embarrassment burns your cheeks, and your mouth gapes unprettily as you turn around to truly take in the place. past the grease-smeared floors, there's rust blooming on the only workbench in the garage, a single red toolbox resting on the ground. there's a car jack tossed in a corner, a vibrant blue cooler by the door, and a few firearms on pegboard shelves. it looks like a simple garage. a personal one.

"oh my god," you stammer, "i'm so sorry, i just- the townsfolk, they led me to believe that you're a mechanic." how bloody mortifying.

he ducks his head under the hood, bending at the waist to lean over the engine, eyes swiftly scanning the machinery. "it's a hobby. i fix my own vehicles... and now yours, i reckon."

eventually, he turns the car on and listens to the engine roar to life before it begins to pop, standing over the open hood with thinned lips and furrowed brows.

he tells you that he can fix it, it'll just take a bit for the part to get here, obviously, so he recommends staying at a rented cabin in town for a few days— maybe even a week— and he'll give you a ride over.

he gets you there in no time, unsurprising because he drove the motorcycle far too fast— illegal, really. he helps you off the bike, your clammy hand in his much bigger, roughened one.

you rip off his helmet, pushing it into his barrel chest. "please never drive me around that fast again." he gives you a couple of pats to the shoulder, chuckling under his breath.

"unless you're plannin' on walkin' to get your car back, i can't promise tha'."

grrrreat.

(the issue was the serpentine belt, it was slightly frayed but the man kept you around for 2.5 weeks under the excuse of something taking too long, or the car being under worse condition. maybe he charges you a kidney for fixing it, and since you can't obviously pay that ridiculous amt of money, he tells you to go on a date with him. gross. or maybe he's a sane man and he just sends you on your way in 2 days time. idk. installs a gps in your car? keepin' tabs on ya cuz he plans on passing by wherever you live by complete coincidence.)