#Tax-free withdrawals

[pupkinpumpkin]

Anytime I replay DAI and I get to that first conversation with Vivienne back at Haven, I take a long inhale Everytime she asks what I think about doing with the mages.

Like I know my Inky has not thought about this too much. She just knows her clan, but I think about it constantly and no answer I am offered is good enough to assuage my long rant that I yell at the computer for like 8 straight minutes before I choose the Mages Should Be Free line and get the inevitable Vivienne Greatly Disapproves

I love Vivienne a lot, I do, even with the differing political views, but Jesus Christ girlie pop never ask me that question again because I will go off Every Single Time

[pendragonsclotpole]

succession but bruce wayne is 45 and tired of having to attend pointless board meetings when he’d much rather be plotting how to get rid of all the stupid money he has (he’s tried everything, invested all of his funds into gotham, secretly funded the justice league and hid it from his tax returns in hopes that the irs would bust him. spoiler: they don’t, they consider his anonymous donations to be charity AND WRITE HIM TAX BREAKS. he’s even given everyone at WE a living wage, offered free daycare, amazing healthcare, in hopes of making running WE so expensive it drives down profits, but all it does it ramp of productivity and stock prices. he’s in too deep. let one of his children handle it pls).

candidate #1: dick grayson-wayne, bruce wayne’s eldest boy, former cop, circus acrobat, college dropout and style icon (TM). he immediately takes himself out of the running when a pap keeps calling him “richard” and he shouts back “dick.” that’s his name, but no one cares. also his pics from his mullet era resurface. the world is never the same again and the board summarily agrees he’s too divisive.

candidate #2: jason todd-wayne. initially the main contender when alleged footage of him breaking into a very important wayne warehouse leaks. he’s shouting “reclaim the means of production.” wayne enterprise stock falls but the internet is in favor. he’s unfortunately taken out of the running as all legal records indicate—he’s dead? but there’s cute footage of a 13 year old jason todd ardently defending the historical accuracy and superb writing of jane austen’s pride and prejudice. he loudly proclaims he’ll marry mr. darcy at the end. his candidacy remains very popular and the internet starts publishing memes about converting to satanism and practicing necromancy to revive jason todd-wayne.

candidate #3: tim drake. a popular front runner for the old guard of gotham as tim’s also the heir of the drake fortune. unfortunately, he runs away screaming every time someone comes up to him asking about the possibility of taking over WE full time. a major scandal breaks out when he’s caught buying something in a shady alleyway, and people are convinced he’s another partying rich boy. until the full footage leaks and it’s revealed he was buying coffee beans from a barista in the alleyway behind a newly opened coffee shop. multiple coffee shops then make posts online that yes, bruce wayne has called each of them and offered them copious sums of money to NOT serve tim drake or anyone representing tim drake caffeinated drinks after 5pm and before 5pm. many of the videos feature framed photographs of fake wanted posters featuring a very tired looking tim. tim, on a caffeine withdrawal posts a tiktok ranting about the injustice of tyrannical parents think this energy:

and the hashtag save tim wayne trends.

candidate #4: damian wayne. except as a twelve year old he’s not really in the running, except he’s the only wayne by blood so some members of the board are gunning for him. one of them kidnaps him, huge mistake, and footage leaks of him chasing his kidnappers with a katana? appears. he’s officially out of the running but it also fuels calls for bruce to be liberated so he can actually parent his children. joke’s on them, damian’s damianess is 99% thanks to richard grayson.

candidate #5: cassandra cain-wayne. she takes herself out of the running but she’s a dark horse because everyone loves her youtube channel Cass Cayne and her business decisions for brand deals are top tier. bruce makes background appearances and the internet learns cass is def the favorite.

candidate #6: stephanie brown. she’s not a wayne? people think? are 99% sure? but like she’s always there? she dated tim drake? maybe? she calls bruce dad!

[jtl-fics]

Math nerd please!

12/11/24 WIP Wednesday (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

But now that was a question.

How was Neil going to be spending his Winter break? He doubts that he has the time free considering the fact that he’ll likely be wrapping up end of the year withdrawals from various accounts to make sure that they fall in this tax year.

Still, for a moment he lets himself think about it.

Wandering around Christmas markets, watching the ball drop in time square, and-

Yeah he’d hate most of that but they could do their own thing together.

Check out this week's WIP Wednesday: HERE

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Steve Brodner

* * * * *

A scar on the face of democracy

January 21, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Before turning to the ugly events of the official inauguration, I include links to our alternative Substack livestream event featuring Jessica Craven, Jess Piper, Managing Editor Jill Bickett, and me. The documents referenced in the livestream can be accessed here.

Inauguration Day 2025 was a scar on the face of democracy

Inauguration 2025 will be remembered as the Black Mass of democracy, a ceremony that mocked the Constitution and rule of law, exalted obscene wealth, imperiled the future of our children, celebrated insurrectionists, and was capped by the richest man in the world, giving a salute used by the Nazis to demonstrate loyalty to Hitler. The second inaugural of Donald Trump will forever be a scar on the face of democracy.

There is much to cover, so I will focus on ensuring that everyone is up to date on what happened. Because the Trump administration took hundreds of actions today, it will be impossible to cover everything. I will focus on what is important.

Trump's inaugural speech

Trump's speech was pathetic, even by his pathetic standards. His speechwriters tried to restrain his worst instincts, which resulted in a low-energy pablum of Trump's greatest lies, peppered with announcements of illegal and depraved executive orders.

The full text of the speech is here: WhiteHouse.gov, The Inaugural Address. For those who could not bear to watch the ceremony (and that includes me), the written words reveal the lack of substance and pervasive lies. Perhaps it sounded better in the original German. For a flavor of the speech, see Lucian K. Truscott IV (Substack), Listless, uninspired and robotic: Trump’s vision of a “golden age of America” rings hollow | Also arrogant, uninformed, just plain stupid, and as usual, too much makeup.

Trump's speech was filled with lies. For a recitation and fact check of those lies, see AP News, Fact Focus: A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural events.

However, Trump's speech was bad not merely because it was poorly delivered and filled with lies. No, it was depraved because of its promise to plunge America into chaos.

Below are a few of the major announcements Trump made during his speech:

Declaration of a national emergency at the Southern Border

Send US military troops to the southern border to assist with immigration enforcement (likely illegal)

Designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (a possible prelude to the US military attacking drug cartels in Mexico and South America)

Invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to eliminate foreign gangs (on US soil?)

All cabinet members must work to reduce inflation (Good luck with that!)

Produce the most oil and gas of any nation in the world

End the Green New Deal

Revoke electric vehicle mandate (which does not exist)

Impose tariffs and taxes on foreign nations (not clear how anyone can “tax” a foreign nation)

Establish the “External Revenue Service” to collect taxes from foreign nations.

Establish the Department of Government Efficiency (an illegal committee that violates federal law)

Stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America

Establish a federal policy recognizing only “male” and “female” genders

Change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America

“Take back” the Panama Canal

Shortly after concluding the speech, Trump began issuing executive orders that must be considered as supplements to his speech. Those orders include the following:

Declare an end to birthright citizenship (a violation of the US Constitution)

Close the border to asylum-seeking migrants (a violation of federal law)

Withdraw from the Paris Climate accords

Withdraw from the World Health Organization

Pardoning and commuting the sentences of all 1,500 January 6 insurrectionists

Define sexual identity for federal workers and programs

Remove protections for transgender people in federal prisons

Remove protections for transgender migrants in US custody

Signed precursor orders to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada

Eliminate restrictions on domestic energy production

Loosen standards for vehicle tailpipe emissions and fuel efficiency

Loosen standards for efficiency for major appliances

Eliminate environmental justice programs

Delaying the ban of TikTok in the US (a violation of federal law)

I discuss the implications of the executive orders in Concluding Thoughts.

Musk gives salute used by Nazis in a speech at a post-inaugural event featuring Trump

Trump ran on a wink-and-a-nod to white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Although he could not make his sympathies explicit, he allowed his surrogates to do so.

Trump's number-one billionaire supporter, Elon Musk, has been more explicit in his sympathies for white nationalism, including his support for the German right-wing party with ties to neo-Nazi groups (AfD). On Monday, Musk appeared to drop whatever pretense of deniability he maintained about his affinity for Nazi symbolism and ideology.

During a speech at an arena in Washington D.C. Musk twice saluted the audience with the same hand gesture used by the Nazis to honor Hitler. See The Guardian, Elon Musk appears to make back-to-back fascist salutes at inauguration rally.

Per The Guardian (which includes an embedded video of the salute),

Social media users expressed shock at Musk’s gesture. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, said: “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.” Musk did not immediately comment, though he did repost footage of his remarks that included the second salute and endorsed memes seeking to turn footage of his salutes into jokes. One X user wrote: “Can we please retire the calling people a Nazi thing?” Musk wrote “Yeah exactly” and added a “yawning” emoji.

To reiterate, Twitter users are mocking people who are upset about the apparent Nazi salute, and Musk is endorsing those comments with a sign of his boredom.

Some people are defending Musk, saying that the gesture was “awkward” and not intended to mimic the Nazi salute. The one person who has not raised that defense is Elon Musk. Having raised an implication of support for the Nazi ideology, Musk has chosen to remain silent on the subject.

We must condemn the emerging tolerance for white supremacy and antisemitism. The growing normalization of neo-Nazism understandably threatens millions of Americans. Speak out. Do not leave room for ambiguity. Do not allow silence to fill the room. Whether intentional or not, what Elon Musk did deserves to be condemned and rejected—including by Musk himself.

And the American press has largely been missing in action on this issue. Oh, sure, they have reported the events surrounding the salute and its alleged ambiguous meaning. But none have condemned Musk for allowing the menacing meaning of the salute to hang in the air. Come on, legacy media! If you are going down, you should go down swinging. End with a bang, not a whimper.

CREW and other organizations sue the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for violating federal law

Part of Trump's blitzkrieg of executive orders is designed to make us feel helpless. But advocacy organizations are already fighting back. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed a lawsuit along with several other organizations to force the so-called DOGE committee to comply federal law regarding advisory boards. See DOGE sued to follow the law or cease operations - CREW.

Per the CREW press release,

The so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is operating in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, according to a lawsuit . . . . The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the establishment of DOGE is unlawful, and for the court to force DOGE to comply with the transparency, ethics, records retention and equal representation required under FACA. Currently, DOGE is operating unchecked, without authorization or funding from Congress and is led by unelected billionaires who are not representative of ordinary Americans. DOGE representatives have reportedly already been speaking with agency officials throughout the federal government, and communication is allegedly taking place on Signal, a messaging app known for its auto-delete features. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that advisory committees follow a specific authorization process, include a balanced membership, have a clear charter including the scope of the committee’s activities, have meetings open to the public and disclose records to the public.

The plaintiffs in the suit are being represented by CREW and Democracy Forward. Check out their websites and sign up for their newsletters. Both organizations are at the forefront of protecting us from government over-reach and unethical behavior.

The first step to supporting the two organizations seeking to limit Trump's lawlessness is to educate ourselves about their work—and I pledge to do that in the near future! If someone from CREW or Democracy Forward is reading this, I would love to interview a representative of your organization to spread the news about your good work to the readers of this newsletter. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Concluding Thoughts

It is difficult to communicate the extent to which Trump assaulted the Constitution on January 20, 2025. For most presidents, a single instance of a clash with the outer limits of the Constitution or federal law is a defining moment in their presidency. On Monday, Trump

Purported to remove birthright citizenship from the Constitution, which provides that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

Purported to create a “pause” in enforcement of a federal law banning TikTok when no such “pause” is authorized by the statute.

Purported to tax foreign countries in violation of existing treaties and international law.

Purported to define gender in a way that will discriminate against more than 1 million transgender people.

Threatened to invade Panama to reclaim the canal in violation of a US treaty with Panama.

But his worst action was to pardon the January 6 insurrectionists. They betrayed their nation and should have been held accountable to prevent future attacks. By pardoning them, Trump has sent the unmistakable message that violence intended to promote his political interests is acceptable and will be pardoned.

On Tuesday, the legacy media in the US should be howling in protest against “Dictator Trump” for assaulting the Constitution as no other president has or ever will. Tuesday will be a litmus test for the future of the legacy media. Sadly, the odds are that they will fail—spectacularly.

So, my friends, it is up to us. No one is coming to save us. We must save ourselves. The first step in that process is to proclaim the imminent threat to democracy posed by Donald Trump. We must not relent, and we must ignore the voices telling us to “calm down” and “chill out.” The twin evils of accommodation and normalization are responsible for our current peril. We cannot repeat those mistakes.

It was a tough day. If you want some perspective and affirmation, check out the discussion in livestream video linked above.

Stay strong, everyone! We are in the thick of the fight already, and we must remain steadfast.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[womanfredvonkarma]

what's happening in argentina?

I don't fault you for the broad question because I'd ask too, but I need you to know that as a non-smoker I've never felt so strongly the need for a cigarette as I did just now thinking about answering this question. But I'll do my best.

In November of last year, the country elected Javier Milei as president. He would swear into office the next month. Javier Milei is a self-identified anarcho-capitalist and libertarian, although he states he is a minarchist in the short term (meaning he thinks the only functions the State should serve are those of law enforcement: no public education, social development, market regulations, etc etc). Some of his most controversial campaign statements included projects to legalise the free and unregulated sale of organs, and, along with his vice-president Victoria Villarruel (who in her youth organised visits to Jorge Rafael Videla in prison), apologia for the 1976 military dictatorship by revindicating the theory of the two demons (fair warning that from what I skimmed that article is biased in favour of the theory) and casting into doubt the estimated 30.000 victims of state terrorism (torture, disappearance followed by death) (also warning that that article uses the name the military junta gave this process) during its duration.

Since he took over six months ago, the population's purchasing power has dropped by 38%, plunging millions of people below the line of poverty. In stark contrast to this, Milei has been travelling around the world using public funds to visit his ultraright idols; most notably, Trump, who is not the political leader of any country at the moment (making his trip to see him a personal visit and not a diplomatic one, thus invalidating his arguments for using our money to go there).

On the subject of diplomacy, his government has been swinging quite a lot of bats at hornets' nests, accusing China and Brazil of communism and insulting the wife of the president of Spain. All of this is an international relations nightmare that will take endless apologies to undo.

Another interesting resolution deregulates the operations of foreign companies, SPVs, and offshore companies (article in Spanish), with the stated goal of attracting investments. Those types of companies have historically been used to conceal illicit activity, so resolutions in that vein pave the way to effectively turn Argentina into a fiscal paradise. This isn't the only problem they pose (offshore companies don't pay taxes, so there'd be a loss in the public sector, for example), but it is the most worrying to me because they also eliminated restrictions for Sociedades de Acciones Simplificadas (simplified stock companies), most of which have historically been used to commit crimes among which is the drug trade. Once you have narcos in your country, there's no taking it back--Argentina would be at real risk of ceasing to exist as we know it.

This administration is also slashing public spending, resulting in some universities suspending their activities temporarily. They also failed to deliver oncological medicine, depriving cancer patients of assistance the state is obligated to provide. As a result of this, several people have died already. In this climate of extreme poverty, soup kitchens have been shutting down en masse due to the withdrawal of state funding, and laws that protected tenants' rights and regulated rent prices have been severely modified to the detriment of the tenants.

The violent decrease in public spending also resulted in thousands of state workers being fired overnight. The attack is especially centred on state organisations that promote the arts or whose purpose is to fight discrimination. On this subject, 10% of the transgender and travesti workers who had their positions guaranteed by the law were fired illegally, and government members are outspoken about their opposition to this law--which isn't surprising. Diana Mondino, the current chancellor, has compared same-sex marriage to "the right to having lice" while she held a position in Congress. Ricardo Bussi, a current legislator, compared homosexuality to disability in October 2023. Coming to this year, Francisco Sánchez, the Secretary of Religion, said that the laws protecting the right to abortions, divorce, and same-sex marriage "seek to pervert our children and damage society". Milei is also on record describing abortion as "homicide aggravated by the bond".

Also recently, Milei's biographer, Nicolás Márquez, gave a one-hour interview in which he characterised homosexuality as a disease, claiming that when the State "promotes homosexuality" (as it allegedly did before Milei came to power), it is aiding a "self-destructive" conduct, supporting these claims with unfounded statistics about the correlation between STIs and homosexuality; he also denied the existence of homophobia and described lesbians and gays as being "against nature". For the sake of full disclosure, I will say he explicitly freed Milei and his government of responsibility for his declarations--but I think it's really important to point out the kind of people and rhetorics this government is giving a platform to; after all, nobody knew Nicolás Márquez before he started writing for Milei. In approximately the same time frame, and in response to a horrific hate crime that resulted in the death of three lesbians, Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesman, said that he "doesn't like" to talk about a hate crime because men suffer violence too--and he said this in a press conference.

I'm probably forgetting something important--so much has happened in the past months--but I hope this is enough to give you an impression of the changes our society is undergoing. Please let me know if you have follow-up questions. <3

[handsomeamoeba]

I am once again begging for everyone's assistance at this time.

I currently have $57 in the bank. Will probably have around $200 coming in from unemployment in a couple days HOWEVER:

This is my last week of unemployment eligibility, following this week I will have NO income

Rent is coming due ($675)

I still owe a portion of last month's rent ($125)

I've fallen behind on health insurance payments and need to reinstate ($85) in order to see my therapist and get my meds (I am out of them, if I don't get more by tomorrow I'll start having Effexor withdrawals)

I still need to pay off my unpaid excise tax ($114) to renew my license ($50)

I owe my therapist something like $350 as well because my insurer dragged their feet about cutting me off so we had several sessions that appeared to be insured but weren't, but she says she'll discuss a payment plan AFTER I am employed

I am currently housebound because my car is broken. Also, y'know, the license. My dad is a mechanic and will fix it for free but it's going to take him a bit to get to me, so if I have an emergency in the meantime I may need to pay for rideshare.

This isn't really relevant to any of the above but I am currently recovering from a nasty bout of norovirus so that just. That just really. Yeah.

Anyway. Help? https://ko-fi.com/doilyspider

[pampanope]

hey got any tips for mental health? i’m not feeling good again and i don’t want to attempt for a 3rd time

~ the hidden blog 🫶

Hey anon!

I’m sorry you’ve been feeling down 🫂

Hope things get better for you soon!

I don’t claim to be an expert on mental health and I don’t know your story.

But here’s some stuff that’s helped me in the past:

1. Have an easy to follow routine in your day to day.

It’s hard doing anything or even to think of doing anything when you’re in a slump, but having a consistent set of actions to do would lessen the burden of daily life.

2. Chatter as white noise

I tend to withdraw from people whenever i get into a depressive slump. But I do find the noise of chatter without the expectation of me responding to be soothing. Social interaction without the interaction lol

For me, having a youtube video playing in the background helped, preferably videos narrating a story or a sketchbook tour vid. Even sitting in a place like a library, park or McDonalds has helped. The whole point is to not be lonely while you’re alone.

3. Sleep

Yeah this ones the most obvious one lol and I’m sure you already know that sleep is directly connected to overall mood.

But it’s helped a lot to sleep earlier whenever a day ends up turning to shit. It doesn’t always work, sometimes you still feel down the next day, but at least your body will be well rested.

4. Avoid or limit social media

The thing is, when you’re in a more emotionally fragile state, the constant influx of stimuli from social media sites will be emotionally taxing.

If you haven’t already, block or unfollow anyone or anything that makes you feel worse.

And try to avoid doom scrolling when you’re down; the negativity you feel on a regular day will be magnified when you’re doom scrolling in a slump.

So yeah, just stuff that’s helped me before.

Again, I don’t know your situation or what happened to make you feel this way.

But I know that it will pass.

The best any one of us can do is to weather the storm, either alone or with other people, whichever works best for you.

The smallest accomplishment, whether it be making your bed or washing some dishes, is to be celebrated.

Take each day, each task, one at a time.

Nothing lasts forever. Especially depressive slumps.

Godspeed anon, and please feel free to stop by again should you ever want or need to~

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Andrew Perez at Rolling Stone:

EARLIER THIS WEEK, two Democratic senators announced they have requested a criminal investigation into Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — regarding, in part, a loan for a luxury RV provided by a longtime executive at UnitedHealth Group, one of America’s largest health insurers. Thomas apparently recused himself in at least two cases involving UnitedHealth when the loan was active, according to a Rolling Stone review. Yet, he separately chose to participate in another health insurance case and authored the court’s unanimous opinion in 2004. The ruling broadly benefited the industry — shielding employer-sponsored health insurers from damages if they refuse to cover certain services and patients are harmed. Thomas’ advice to patients facing such denials? Pull out your checkbook.

While UnitedHealth was not a party to the case, the company belonged to two trade associations��that filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to side with the insurers.  “As we saw so starkly this term, Supreme Court decisions can have sweeping collateral implications: If the court rules in favor of one insurance giant, for instance, it tends to be a boon for all the other insurance giants, too,” says Alex Aronson, executive director at the judicial reform group Court Accountability. “That was the case here, and it’s a perfect example of why justices shouldn’t accept gifts — especially secret ones — from industry titans whose interests are implicated, whether directly or indirectly, by their rulings.” The public had no way of knowing about Thomas’ RV loan at the time of the decision: The loan was only exposed by The New York Times last year. Senate Democrats investigating Thomas believe that much or all of the loan, for a $267,230 motor coach, was ultimately forgiven. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) recently requested the Justice Department investigate whether Thomas reported the forgiven portion of the loan on his tax filings, after he failed to disclose it in ethics forms.

Meanwhile, Thomas’ health insurance opinion has had wide-ranging, long-lasting ramifications, according to Mark DeBofsky, an employee benefits lawyer and former law professor.  “It hasn’t been rectified. The repercussions continue,” DeBofsky tells Rolling Stone. “People who are in dire need of specific medical care, and [their] insurance company turns around and says, ‘That care is not medically necessary,’ and there’s an adverse outcome as a result of the denial of the treatment, or hospitalization, or service — there’s no recompense for what could have been an unnecessary death or serious injury.” Since last year, the Supreme Court has faced an unprecedented ethics crisis, with much of the focus aimed squarely at Thomas. ProPublica reported that Thomas received and failed to disclose two decades worth of luxury gifts from a conservative billionaire, Harlan Crow, who allegedly provided free private jet and superyacht trips to Thomas and his wife; bought a house from Thomas and allowed the justice’s elderly mother to live there for free; and paid for at least two years of boarding school tuition for Thomas’ grandnephew.

[...] Federal law requires Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves in any case where their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” The justices decide for themselves when such a move is necessary — and when they do withdraw from a case, they rarely say why. Thomas does not appear to have explained his decision to withdraw from the two matters that directly involved UnitedHealth. Thomas did not take similar steps in Aetna Health Inc. v. Davila, a case that broadly affected the health insurance industry. He instead authored the court’s opinion, which expanded insurers’ favorite tool for limiting liability: ERISA. Congress passed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, commonly known as ERISA, in 1974 to protect employee benefits. The law is relatively vague when it comes to “welfare benefits,” and contains a broad preemption clause. The courts have filled in the blanks — including in the Aetna Health case — with distressing results for patients. Half of Americans have employer-sponsored health insurance coverage; nearly all of these plans are governed by ERISA.

Rolling Stone exposes how SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas received a $267K RV from a health insurance executive.

[mesetacadre]

Latest news from Ukraine

❗️Air Pollution

A dust storm has once again swept across Ukraine, with the highest levels of air pollution recorded in the Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Kherson, and Donetsk regions.

❗️Ugledar

Military criticizes the situation on the front: "Ugledar was doomed, but the order to retreat never came," said Voroshnov, an aerial scout from the 72nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to him, it was impossible to save the city, and everyone knew that "the countdown was in days and hours," but no order for withdrawal was issued. "Where will we retreat to? No one knows. As long as the enemy has the strength to push us back, we will keep moving backward."

Moreover, "Out of 50 recruits sent to reinforce the 72nd Brigade in Ugledar, only four made it to the front lines, and they deserted after the first rotation," said soldier Boyko. He noted that mobilized men aged 52-56 were sent to the brigade, with 30 of them being reassigned to rear units and hospitals due to health issues. Of the remaining 20, 16 deserted on the second day, leaving only four soldiers who also deserted after the first rotation. Boyko describes the loss of Ugledar as a "localized collapse of the front" and claims that similar situations are occurring along the entire front line. He also criticizes and calls for the dismissal of the military leadership of the country.

❗️Salary Reductions and Tax Increases

In October, Ukrainians will receive lower wages due to an increase in the military tax. The law will come into effect after October 15. Until then, advances will still be paid with the military tax at 1.5% (since the law hasn't taken effect yet). However, for the remainder of October, the tax will be 5%, including the advance. Employers won't be able to reclaim the paid advance, so the Ministry of Finance suggests deducting these funds from the final salary payment. As a result, wages will decrease not only by 3.5% due to the tax hike but also by the amount already deducted from the advance.

❗️Freedom of Speech

The restriction on language use in schools will only apply to Russian, while teaching in EU languages or the languages of indigenous peoples alongside the state language will not be considered a violation, according to a new bill. The document also notes that private schools will be able to choose their language of instruction, except for the language of the "aggressor country." The bill will be sent to the relevant committee for review today.

It is also worth noting that Article 10 of the Ukrainian Constitution guarantees the free development, use, and protection of Russian and other minority languages in Ukraine.

❗️Money Laundering

"Energoatom" has ordered protective measures for the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant worth nearly 600 million UAH ($16.4 million). According to reports, the construction of engineering protection for critical elements of the station will take over a year. A contract with PJSC "Yuzhenerhrostroi" was signed without an open tender, with the work to be completed by December 25, 2025, according to the media. The contract terms are hidden, given the wartime conditions.

via Union of Communists of Ukraine

[darkmaga-returns]

In the video below, Matt Cullen, an organiser for Fairness for Farmers, announced the protest on 11 December.  “Farmers are going back to London on the 11th of December. But this time with tractors.  That’s right, with tractors,” he said.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oo0K4rth9wU?feature=oembedGareth Wyn Jones: Please share far and wide. Farmers on route to London 11th Dec, 28 November 2024 (2 mins)

Last month a convoy of tractors rolled through Dover and thousands of farmers gathered in London to protest against changes to inheritance tax rules as announced in the Labour government’s recent Budget.

Related:

UK government’s tax plans will destroy family farming; farmers to gather in London to protest

Police are blocking the massive farmers’ protest planned for 19 November in London

London Farmers Protest 19 November 2024 Live

Law firm reveals the truth behind the UK’s inheritance tax on farmers: It will free up land for “renewable energy”

The protests were sparked by the proposed 20% inheritance tax on farm assets worth £1 million or more, set to take effect from April 2026.

British farmers argue that the policy, combined with the fast-track withdrawal of the Basic Payment Scheme, increasing farm employer costs and a carbon tax on fertiliser, among other policies, could force families to sell land to cover tax bills, breaking up livelihoods and generations of UK farming businesses, Farmers Weekly reported.

There are also worries within the industry over the impact of future trade deals, substandard food imports and the recent removal of farming grants.

[stephensmithuk]

The Boer War (1899-1902)

If the 1897 Diamond Jubilee is seen as the zenith of the British Empire, the Boer War is arguably the start of its collapse.

There are two conflicts with the name "Boer War", of which the second is by far the better known.

"Boer" is Afrikaans for farmer. The two wars are known as "the Freedom Wars" in the Afrikaans language and "the South African War" in the country itself.

More specifically, the Boers were Dutch farmers who emigrated from the Dutch and then British-controlled Cape Colony north and east into the Transvaal region that is now north-east South Africa, to get away from what they saw as an oppressive government. As well as the fact that the British abolished slavery, which they wanted to keep. So yeah. They were more specifically known as "Trekboers" or travelling farmers. Trek is of course where we get the term Star Trek from.

The first conflict from 1880-1881 started after a farmer refused to pay an illegally inflated tax, had his wagon seized - and his friends then assaulted the auction.

The Boers, better equipped, better trained and far more experienced at shooting than their British opponents, managed to defeat the latter in three major engagements. Unwilling to become engaged in a major conflict, London negotiated a peace deal that gave the South African Republic effectively full control over internal affairs, although the British retained control of external relations. This was the first time the British had lost a war to rebels since the American War of Independence.

Then gold was found in the region and an influx of immigrants, mostly British, turned up, seeking their fortune. Johannesburg emerged as a major community overnight. This caused a lot of tensions, even more so when the government in Praetoria (the SAR capital) denied the 'uitlanders' civil rights.

In 1896, Cape Colony Prime Minister Cecil Rhodes authorised Leander Starr Jameson to conduct a raid into the territory with the aim of triggering a revolution. The raid was badly botched, failed and caused massive embarrassment to the British government, especially when Kaiser Wilhelm II sent a congratulatory telegram to the SAR government... and telegrams showing Rhodes' involvement were found. Jameson, while lionised in the press, spent 15 months in Holloway for the raid.

Shortly after this, the Second Matabele War saw the British have to deal with an uprising by the Ndebele and Shona peoples in what is now Zimbabwe. They defeated it, but with many losses on both sides.

Tensions between the British and the Boers continued to grow after the Jameson Raid; the uitlanders did not see their rights improve, the Boers mistreated the African population, and a lot of the British establishment thought it would be an easy victory. The generals, for their part, did not.

The SAR had acquired high quality weaponry from Germany and France, including bolt-action Mauser rifles. The British Army for its part was in dire need of reform.

The war broke out in 1899 after an ultimatum from SAR leader Paul Kruger for the British to withdraw their forces from the border. The SAR had allied with the Orange Free State by this point.

The Boers had formed civilian militias called "commandos". They launched an invasion of the Natal and Cape Colony, soon putting British garrisons under siege. One notable such siege was at Mafeking, where the British commander was one Robert Baden-Powell, whose use of scouting, along the deception to make his defences look better than they were allowed his force to hold out for 217 days until relieved. He would later use his experience in scouting to form, well, the Scouting Movement.

After a series of major reverses, it was clear the British were going to need to send major reinforcements, recruiting a lot of volunteers - the biggest overseas force Britain had sent to date. They also removed their local commanders and put new ones in.

The sieges were lifted and Praetoria was captured on 5 June 1900 - at which point the Boers (along with foreign volunteers) moved to guerilla warfare, something that they were very adept at, in stark contrast to the British. However, harassment is not the same as taking and holding ground.

Both forces tried to minimise the involvement of people of colour due to fear of what would happen if they armed Africans, but personnel shortages meant they ended up being involved anyway, usually in supporting roles. Mahatma Gandhi, who was a civil rights activist there, formed a corps of volunteer stretcher bearers from the Indian population.

Realising that they were only controlling the territory that they were physically in, the British changed their tactics.

Firstly, they built fortified blockhouses and armoured trains to control their supply routes.

Secondly, the British adopted a "scorched earth" policy; they rounded up Boer and African civilians, placing them in concentration camps, while also systematically destroying farms, crops etc. that the Boer forces could use to supply themselves.

The Spanish had used concentration camps in Cuba earlier in the 19th century, but this was a much wider use. With little or no soap, along with dirty water, disease swept through the overcrowded camps, with over 46,000 dying in them, including a quarter of the Boers in them - African numbers interned were not properly counted. Emily Hobhouse exposed the horrific conditions, and the matter was taken up by domestic politicians. A government commission led by Millicent Fawcett then recommended major improvements, which were largely implemented and brought down the death rate, but the damage had been done by this point.

The brutal tactics were sadly effective; the Boers were beginning to give up. However, the British themselves were running out of time and money, so gave them a generous settlement in the 1902 Treaty of Vereeniging; while the SAR and Orange Free State would be absorbed into the British Empire, Dutch could be used in schools and courts, there would be a general amnesty and reconstruction aid would be given.

Self-government was also promised and granted; it was decided that the issue of black enfranchisement would not be discussed until then - and full enfranchisement would not come until 1993.

The war was controversial in the UK; it was opposed by the opposition Liberal Party. Lord Salisbury called a snap election in 1900 and won with a slightly reduced majority. The next election in 1906 was a massive defeat for them though.

The conflict also exposed the dire state of British public health - with up to 40% of volunteers for the war being rejected on health grounds. This spurred the creation of the National Insurance system.

Arthur Conan Doyle volunteered for military service in the conflict; but was turned down due to his age. Instead, he served for three months in a field hospital and then wrote two books about the conflict. The second one, defending Britain's involvement in the war, was felt by Doyle to be the work that got him his knighthood in 1902.

The war was also notable for one journalist who after being captured by the South Africans, managed to escape from behind enemy lines, using the publicity to get into Parliament on his second attempt. His name was Winston Churchill.

At 2022 values, the war cost Britain over £19.9 billion.

They had also had 26,092 soldiers killed to the Boers 6,189. As with all wars at this time, disease was the biggest killer.

[simply-ivanka]

Why the Left Is Throwing Biden a Lifeline

AOC and Bernie Sanders are betting the President will reward their loyalty in a second term.

Wall Street Journal Editorial July 11, 2024

President Biden is phoning friends across his party to rally support, so pay close attention to who is answering the call. His staunchest defenders are on the left, while moderates in swing districts are asking the President to withdraw from the race. There’s more than 2024 electoral calculation behind this highly revealing political turn.

No one outside the Biden family has been more fiercely pro-Biden since the President’s debate flop than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Queens firebrand promised reporters that Mr. Biden won’t leave the race and pledged to campaign for him through Election Day. This show of faith came after she said she “spoke with the President extensively” over the weekend. A Commander in Chief pleading for support from an often critical House backbencher is something to behold.

Another stalwart for the President is Sen. Bernie Sanders, who says he believes Mr. Biden can still win—if he campaigns on the Bernie agenda. Even Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has been denouncing Mr. Biden’s Israel policy for months, is now in the Save Biden camp. This week she said “he’s been the best president of my lifetime, and we have his back.”

There’s an ideological method to this loyalty. Ms. Omar has a point about Mr. Biden’s first term. While the President campaigned as a moderate uniter, in office he has tried to be the second coming of FDR.

Despite losing the 2020 primary to Mr. Biden, Sen. Sanders gave his endorsement in return for Mr. Biden signing up to the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force. The agenda included drug price controls, an expanded child tax credit, massive green energy commitments, and Build Back Better entitlement expansions. Only Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema stopped him from delivering on more or less the entire Bernie Sanders policy wish list.

If progressives save Mr. Biden now and he goes on to win re-election, the left will be well positioned to cash in again. Mr. Sanders is clear about what he expects in return for sticking with Mr. Biden. In his statement defending the President, he urged Mr. Biden to support a national “living wage,” a payroll tax hike, medical debt cancellation and much more. “Biden and Democrats can win this election if they address the needs of the working class,” he said.

The desperate President is turning to the left because he knows these Democrats don’t face electoral challenges. Progressives are running in safe seats or in Democratic states where Donald Trump has no chance to win. But in his desperation, Mr. Biden is also making a possible second term even more hostage to the left. Bernie and AOC have plenty of unfinished policy business they hope to get done if Democrats control the White House and Congress.

Things will work out for progressives even if Mr. Biden wins but doesn’t make it through the entire four years. Their dream scenario would be for President Biden to win, then retire and pass the Oval Office on to Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran as a whole-hearted progressive in the primaries in 2020.

Mr. Biden’s political vulnerability, and his turn to progressives for a lifeline, raises the policy stakes even higher for the November election. Bernie Sanders may believe social spending is free, but his political fee is steep.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Under pressure, Brazil government revokes Pix oversight rule

After wave of fake news, Lula administration withdraws regulation targeting transactions above R$5,000

Facing a surge of misinformation about taxes on the popular Central Bank's instant-payment system, known as Pix, the Lula administration revoked on Wednesday (15) a regulation from the Federal Revenue that had caused political embarrassment. The rule sought to increase oversight of monthly transfers exceeding R$5,000 made by individuals. In a damage-control effort, the government also issued a provisional presidential decree (MP) to reaffirm the free nature of Pix and equate the instant payment system to cash transactions.

The announcement came after President Lula summoned Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, Federal Revenue Secretary Robinson Barreirinhas, and Attorney General Jorge Messias to the Planalto Palace to address growing public dissatisfaction. Newly appointed Communications Minister Sidônio Palmeira also influenced the decision to revoke the rule.

“People distorted an act of the Federal Revenue,” Mr. Barreirinhas said. “We decided to revoke this measure. The rule turned into a weapon for criminals. The ‘Revenue’ will not tolerate its name being used for scams,” he added.

Mr. Haddad said the decision to issue an MP, emphasizing that the measure reinforces existing legislation ensuring Pix remains free. “Pix is protected by confidentiality, like any other payment method,” he said.

Continue reading.

[learnwithmearticles]

Third Party Vote

A third party is any political party other than the dominant two in the nation - in the U.S.A., these are the Republican and the Democratic parties.

The third parties of the U.S.A. include the Libertarian party and the Green party.

Libertarian beliefs emphasize personal rights to property and participating in a free market. Generally, they do not align with progressive goals due to three key beliefs; everyone’s right to own guns; segregation of education standards; and voluntary taxes1. Overall, they want less government control.

Taxes are extremely annoying and inconvenient, and the allocation of them has not been optimal in many years, but the lack of them would cause extreme losses to programs that help people survive, including social security and certain healthcare plans2. Likewise, while decentralized education can have many benefits for students, the education disparities between states is drastic, and further decentralization will likely exacerbate education inequalities3.

But the purpose of this article is not to debunk the goals of specific parties. Instead, I aim to explain the unfortunate effects of third-party voting in general elections. Specifically, I will explain why some people prefer the Democratic party or the Green party, and why we must be careful when voting this year.

The U.S.A. Green party has goals of strong, definitive measures to address environmental degradation and climate change, institutions that perpetuate inequities, and unsustainable military practices4. Progressively, they are possibly the strongest pushers for change, and they criticize and claim to avoid the corruption and hypocrisy of the Democratic party.

The most likely Democratic candidate for presidency in 2024 is Joseph Biden. During his 2021-2024 presidency, Biden has made Medicare able to negotiate drug prices, including insulin which became capped at 35 dollars per month for seniors5. He also funded vaccination campaigns to address the COVID-19 pandemic, helped protect marriage equality for LGBT+ and interracial people, worked on achieving debt relief, and many more positive goals5. Most recently, he pardoned individuals federally charged with simple possession of marijuana, a major proclamation to correct some failures in the justice system15.

He has also been complicit in the genocide against Palestinian people, with his administration cutting off aid to Gaza while providing Israel munitions6. He has used the military to attack protests in the Middle East7. Additionally, the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan coincided with many service members’ deaths, and he has not achieved the cancellation of student debt that he aimed for8.

Problems with enacting change is that the Senate and the House of Representatives have a majority of Republican appointees, and six of the nine Supreme Court Justices were appointed by a Republican president. These demographics account for some of the issues regarding student loan debts and rights to autonomy and privacy, though Biden has worked to help constituents following the Supreme Court decision against Roe v. Wade5.

A Green party president would face similar setbacks, as checks and balances keep them from being able to completely dictate government decisions.

However, a Green party president such as Jill Stein would likely make good progress towards a more sustainable economy, equal rights, and alleviating climate change, based on her platform9. She would likely be a fantastic president. It is completely understandable why many people decide to vote for a third party, and why many young people, particularly on TikTok, say that they want to vote third-party.

I wish it was not this way, but current politics are not where they need to be for a third party candidate to win. A third-party candidate has never won the U.S.A. presidency before, even in their strongest years10.

When Jill Stein ran in 2016, the Democratic party won the popular vote but the Republican party won, and that responsibility is partially on third-party voters. If Stein’s voters had voted for the Democratic party, they would have won the electoral college11. Likewise, if every Democratic voter had voted for Jill Stein, the same would be true for the Green party.

Why is it fair to ask Green party voters to vote for the Democratic nominee instead of expecting Democratic voters to vote for the Green party, or for any ideal third party?

It isn’t. It is completely valid for people to want voting to be different. I am angry that I have to compromise on humanitarian values, as well. Politics should not be a two-party system. But not voting for Biden or whoever is the Democratic nominee creates an extreme risk of the Republican nominee winning, which would quickly send the U.S.A. further towards a loss of democracy and people’s rights.

Historic trends do not reflect positively on third party chances this year11. The Democratic party is giant and well-established with over 45 million loyal members unlikely to even consider a third party12. Voting for a third party is most likely to be considered a vote ‘stolen’ from one of the dominant parties13.

Keep in mind, these warnings are only pertaining to the presidency. Third parties have much higher likelihoods of success in smaller elections, such as city councils and mayoralties14. Hopefully, these trends will continue and the presidency will eventually not have to be as much of a compromise.

You are not wrong for wanting change. You are not wrong for being unsatisfied with inept government demographics. Continue to advocate for the nominees you most believe in, and please keep in mind the risks involved.

Additional Resources

1. https://www.lp.org/issues/

2. https://www.cbpp.org/research/policy-basics-where-do-our-federal-tax-dollars-go

3.https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/en/blog/learning-from-a-decentralized-education-system

4. https://www.gp.org/

5. https://www.whitehouse.gov/therecord/

6.https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/30/biden-gaza-food-aid-hamas-civilians-strategy/

7.https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/01/11/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-coalition-strikes-in-houthi-controlled-areas-in-yemen/

8. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/22/joe-biden-presidency/

9. https://www.jillstein2024.com/principles

10.https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-younger-voters-will-impact-elections-responding-to-the-challenges-of-third-parties/

11.https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/11/13576798/jill-stein-third-party-donald-trump-win

12.https://news.gallup.com/poll/512135/support-third-political-party.aspx

13. https://theintercept.com/2024/01/22/biden-trump-president-election-third-party/

14. https://www.gpelections.org/greens-in-office/2023-july-01/15. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/presidential-proclamation-marijuana-possession

[gwydionmisha]

Personal: I may be losing Internet Access soon

If it isn't one thing, it's another.

I am getting an error on reboot that wants me to scan the laptop. The computer complete freezes at the hardrive immanent failure message. I've no clue how to get it fixed or even checked as all the places I know that used to do it died long ago. I can reboot and go the skip scan route, but it doesn't make immanent failure of my hard drive disappear just because I'm not looking at it.

Klaus laptop's been a bit buggy the last couple of weeks, so I've been quietly backing up a few things just in case.

I was given an ancient chromebook when Aidan laptop died, but I haven't been able to boot it up in a couple of months. I can try tinkering a little in case it's sometthing obvious, but it was super limitted and can't handle even a fraction of what I do in a night.

Most of the money I was gifted at the turning of the year is spent on glasses. (Medicare buys frames, but not things like bifocals, scratch resistance and ultra lights, which I need. They literally do not make my perscription without ultra-lights and bifocals are essential at this point.) I will not rehash the December emergancy eye saga, but I needed the glasses and they are already ordered and half paid for. The rest is earmarked for things like the car tax, insurance auto-withdraw, bills. i have a little wiggle room but not much.

I have been promised housing tax money for next month. It will take most of what is coming. I would have to spend all of that and then some for a replacement lap top that could do the job. I really need something in Aidan laptop's class or better. Poor Klaus from the same company, but is smaller with less memory and older than aidan was. He's been limping along since Tavy broke Aiden.

I don't see a solution other than continueing on until complete failure unless someone can suggest a solution to hard drive failure. I likely won't even be able to borrow Squirrel's computer as I did more than half a decade ago when… Was it Charles lap top or Rupert laptop that failed? Squirrel used to work nights, so I could use their computer in a limitted way in their absense. They now work a lot less, days only. I'd only have little bits and pieces of time when they were out.

If I disapear nearly completely, this will be why.

News aggregation will likely come to a hault or near hault depending on available time as it did during the last outage. Tumblr has a bunch of preprogrammed things, and likely I can do some of that in a more limitted fashion as happened last time. It may literally take a few days after I get knocked off for me to have enough access to tell you I'm mostly gone.

I'm sorry in advance.

You've all been superheroes supporting and literally rescuing me through all the emergancies of the last few years as more and more appliances die and i keep getting suprise body blows like the housing threat that happened this Autumn.

You all mean so much to me and it really does matter a lot how many of you play with my silly polls and find my news stuff useful.

If I do lose most of my internet access, I will miss you.

I'll see if I can msnage some sort of bill juggling to make it work somehow.

If you have a line on a free or cheap decent second hand lap top, let me know.

Update about two hours after I wrote this (I was going to post later, but oh well): Functionality is markedly declining very rapidly. I'm going to have to try to bill juggle. Again. Fuck. The last time this happened things went downhill fast once the box hit this point.

[beardedmrbean]

Five young Kenyan men - including a popular cartoonist - who went missing just before the Christmas holidays have been found alive, family members and rights groups say.

Kenya has been gripped by a wave of disappearances, with the state-funded rights group saying that over 80 people have been abducted in the last six months.

The abductions generally target government critics and are widely believed to be the work of security agents, although the authorities have not admitted responsibility.

They began in June last year during nationwide anti-tax protests, but increased in December, when AI-generated photos of the president in a coffin were widely shared.

The youth-led protests forced President William Ruto to withdraw a series of planned tax rises and shook his government, leaving his authority badly undermined.

Kibet Bull, known for his silhouette cartoon memes critical of the president, announced his release on Monday afternoon on X to much fanfare.

He told his 105,000 followers that he had been dropped off in the town of Luanda, nearly 370 km (229 miles) from the capital, Nairobi, where he was last seen in December.

Kibet Bull said straight after he was released he went to a disco.

His mother told the BBC she "rejoiced" after she heard the news that her son had returned.

"I gave him a call and we talked, we didn't talk much, the moment he told me 'I am Kibet' and I heard his voice, I screamed, I celebrated until he hung up," she said.

The others released on Monday include 24-year-old student Billy Mwangi in Embu, in the central Mount Kenya region.

Local MP Gitonga Mukunji told journalists that Mr Mwangi "was whipped and beaten while in a dark room. He is traumatised."

Mr Mwangi's father said his son was not able to discuss what he had gone through adding that he had been taken to hospital.

"He came home around eight in the morning. He walked by himself - his mother and I saw him. We thank everyone who has prayed and supported him," he told the Daily Nation news site.

Last week, Mr Mwangi's father broke down in court as he pleaded for his son to be released.

A relative of 22-year-old Peter Muteti, who was seized in Nairobi, on 21 December, told the BBC on Monday that he had been reunited with the family but was disoriented and unable to speak about the ordeal.

Amnesty International Kenya welcomed the releases and urged "the State to free all abductees and hold those responsible accountable".

Two weeks ago the police denied responsibility for the abductions carried out by men in plain clothes across the country, some of which were captured on CCTV.

Rights groups and other Kenyans have linked the abductions to a shadowy intelligence and counter-terrorism unit of the security forces.

Amid the public uproar, President Ruto said last month: "We are going to stop the abductions so that our youth can live peacefully and have discipline", while urging parents to take care of their children.

Until now, no-one had been freed since he spoke on 27 December, with activists planning protests on Monday to push the government to act.

On Monday the police released an update acknowledging the freeing of the men, saying they were already in contact with one of the abductees, Bernard Kavuli, who had presented himself at a police station.

The police said investigations into all cases of missing people were under way.

One other man - Ronny Kiplangat – has also been released, his family told local media.

Mr Kavuli, a content creator, was seized on the outskirts of Nairobi in December, while Mr Kiplangat is the brother ofKibet Bull.

Two others were seized after posting AI-generated images of the president.

At least 24 people are still missing.

The Law Society of Kenya has filed a legal case against the state, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of seven individuals abducted last month, including those who have now been released.

The situation continues to stoke fear across the country, with parents worried about the safety of their children and activists vowing to maintain pressure until all missing persons are accounted for.