#all hypothetical since i can't vote in the us

[qaraxuanzenith]

I've been saying this for a while, but finding this post on my dash has, I feel, given me more tools to express this thought about why Jews (especially in the US and American-dominated online spaces) are feeling increasingly alienated by their leftist friends. Why many Jews who otherwise lean left will vote right, much to the dismay and even revulsion of their leftist friends. Why many Jews end up feeling "safer" leaning right. Why it is not fair or reasonable to "blame" these Jews for exercising their democratic right of secret ballot in such a way.

I'm screenshotting the post because (a) it's long, and (b) most of its content is not actually the point here. I'm not trying to argue with the OP or with my acquaintance who reblogged it onto my dash. I just want to explain what I find troubling about it.

The post is, as I said, long. I'll be honest: I only skimmed it. I'm not American. So skimming past - scrolling past to see the rest of my dash - I saw a lot of things where my brain went "Oh, that looks bad," but, you know, in a vague sort of way. Bad, but doesn't impact me directly. Or bad, but not in a way I can do anything about it either way (especially since I can't vote in the US). Or bad-ish, but that's not an issue of deep importance to me personally. And then I saw this:

And suddenly I felt hostile to the OP, because oh look, they just lumped in supporting my homeland, where my family live, which is currently under attack and in dire need of support, as a "bad" thing. Suddenly I feel like OP hates me, or at least, considers my continued existence on their own list of "bad-ish, but that's not an issue of deep importance to me personally."

But you know what? I kept scrolling. It felt like such a mild lip-service anti-Israel line that I thought, "Maybe this person doesn't hate Jews and Israel so much." I reevaluated my initial hostile response and decided to give OP a second chance, to walk it back. It sickens me that I've gotten so used to racism against my people that some expressions of it just don't register anymore. But I kept scrolling, and it got worse.

So what I'm reading here is an excerpt from the document that sounds, to me as a Jewish person, eminently reasonable and reassuring. Couched in language and context from OP that wants to paint it as a bad thing that the writers of this document believe that Israel, the Jewish state and Jewish indigenous homeland, should be able to defend itself against... *checks notes* three terrorist organizations with genocide against Jews explicitly in their mandate, and one dictatorship country which has repeatedly expressed that it has the desire and is working on having the means to "wipe Israel off the map."

Perhaps OP has been living under a rock (or, like me, only really focuses on political updates that hit close to home) for the past 7 and a half months and is unaware of Hamas's horrific attack of October 7, 2023 against Israel, in which civilians were brutally slaughtered, young women raped, mutilated bodies paraded through the streets, and dozens abducted - many of whom are still in captivity to the terrorist organization which has not allowed any humanitarian visits to the hostages or even confirmed proof of life for those it still holds.

But when I read the above excerpted paragraph, I went from "I'm not American but I guess most of this sounds vaguely bad" to "I hope this party wins." "I hope that this specific part of this platform is implemented because it is offering support, protection, and safety for me and my family."

You - OP and people who share their views; you as non-Jews who do not share in our unique suffering - you have no right to blame us for choosing our own survival. I would expect you to prioritize yours, as well.

It is things like this - not this platform, but this post, lumping in support of Israel against three terrorist organizations and a genocidal dictatorship with all the other "bad" things like deforestation and nuclear weapons, that push Jews to the right, or at least away from this part of the left. It is reading things like this, that take it for granted that my family and I should not be protected, should not have a right to live in our home, that radicalize people like me.

You're right: most of the other things here are things I would deem as "bad," but if I embrace this platform with open arms at least I get to survive, to fight against the rest another day. Better than rejecting it in favour of someone who has otherwise wonderful ideals but wants me dead.

I want to be able to care about all the other "bad" things in that post, in that document, but right now, we are bleeding. If I had to vote on it right now, I would choose whoever penned this document or stands behind it, because I need to prioritize my safety and continued survival over any other platform issue, and if I am not for myself, who will be for me?

Not my friends on the left who decry support of Israel against genocidal terrorists as a bad thing, that's for sure.

[arolesbianism]

If I had the freedom of not knowing there is going to be future new lore stuff added to oni I would do unspeakable things to so many of these guys. Or Id just make them normal guys who just sorta exist. Either or.

[littlespoonevan]

You can't say you have a specific call or scene in mind for those music choices and not share!!!

Anonymous asked: https://www.tumblr.com/littlespoonevan/752482136680005632/now-that-i-know-all-your-favourite-music-moments Can you tell us about the song call related that wins ?

okay i feel like i should've clarified i don't have like, Detailed scenes for most of those songs - just a general idea for the type of scene/call i could see it in askjdfhs but here is my take anyway:

I Was Made For Lovin’ You - KISS

ironically, i had an idea forever ago about a call to a movie set where an action stunt goes wrong so given this was the main song in the fall guy it feels very appropriate lmao. basically in my head there exists an episode about best friends where they keep getting calls about best friends and in this particular call, the two best friends are the stunt actors one and one of them confesses their love to the other in the midst of their panicked tangent while the other one is hurt/getting treated (yes this hypothetical episode ends with buddie feelings realisation obviously aksjdfh)

Barracuda - Heart

okay i don't have a specific scene for this but i do think it should match the energy of buck and eddie standing on top of the firetruck as it's moving to catch that sky diver in 3x11, like show me them doing something Cool

Time of the Season - The Zombies

i actually wanted this to be in the blackout arc lol. i think i was even talking to someone about it at the time too??? basically i thought it'd be Great as an opening montage song a la pressure in 2x01. and in line with that, i also think it'd be Great montage song if there was another heatwave (buddie secret relationship making out at the side of the firetruck a la bathena yes/yes?????)

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas & Papas

i wanted this to be in the season 6 opener askdjh i think it was when we were still theorising about the bathena cruise in s6 and the potential of a storm????? again, a very good opening montage song that could be a harbinger of an incoming disaster (i do believe it would work really well for a storm since you have the rain sounds at the beginning of the song and the contradiction of the lyrics)

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme - ABBA

i also wanted this to be in the blackout arc lmfao. look, when i accidentally predicted the blackout arc back in the summer before s5 i had a way more fUN arc planned in my head than what happened and having the lyrics 'Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away? Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Take me through the darkness to the break of the day' as part of an ep about a blackout is just very funny

i don't really have a specific call in mind for it but i do have a viscerally vivid image of buck jumping down from the truck like he did in the first call in treasure hunt while that song is playing overhead. also some people in the tags have suggested it playing on a call to a gay bar and i'd be very in favour of that askdjhf

Rasputin - Boney M.

this was originally the song i wanted playing in the stunt gone wrong scene lol

Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) - Backstreet Boys

i did literally just think of this one as i was making the poll but it would be so FUN!!!! halloween ep obviously, idk what context, but something along the lines of chim and the crow would be very funny. maybe something vampire-y/werewolf-esque to keep in theme with the music video. either way it should play during a call where the 118 is Freaked Out in an amusing way 👻

the poll is still active for another few hours if people feel like voting!! 🥰

[khiphop-discussions]

RAP:PUBLIC Ep.5 Part 3 Thoughts

Final part of ep.5! Spoilers ahead as usual

Here's part 2 & Part 1

So I'm picking back up right as Block 3 changes their leader to Reddy.

Block 4 changes from Boi B to Punchnello.

Block 8 changed it to Hippie Kunda. She or Drain K should have had it from the beginning. Gamma's goal was to save himself as he knew he was in danger. They were nice to give it to him. I hope Gamma shows us some more of himself. He hasn't done too well so far.

Why is Block 5 panicking so bad? They are a solid team even with 4 people? It seems way too early to panic. Wouldn't the "less popular" people on other teams want to join a smaller team later on? Too many people on one team makes it easier for you to be seen as less important.

Wait, isn't block 5 splitting up akin to them just abdicating the block 5 leadership immunity? Couldn't some random ass person just proclaim themselves as Block 5 and thus become leader? Then no matter how bad they do in any mission they can't be eliminated due to having leader immunity?

Nah, I think the protocol has to be that the leader brings them to the team and then all members have to vote to change them into the leader. It doesn't work based on the rules but it was a fun hypothetical lol

Anyway, back to the point, I don't think it's a good idea to just leave the leader immunity on the table. It's a waste of the immunity.

To me, it doesn't make sense for them to split up if they want to be a team so bad. JUST BE A TEAM IF YOU WANT TO BE A TEAM! There's no guarantee that you'll be able to come back together later.

OH THANK GOD! They shut down the recruitment period before any of them could change teams! I think the game actually saved them from themselves! Lol

Kaogaii is annoying but so funny at the same time.

Block Tournament is the next mission

[surpresses comments about shyboiitobii to avoid annoying y'all lol. I'll do a separate post]

I don't fully understand the rules but I'm not rewinding. I'll just go in semi-blind lol

It turns out this is a 4v4 round so block 5 will have members that have to perform twice.

They are the smallest block so they get to decide all the matches. See? They always givebthe disadvantaged teams some type of benefit to shake things up.

Khundi is so petty lol

Anyway round 1: Block 6 vs Block 7

Block 5 vs Block 8

So Block 2 vs Block 3

Block 1 vs Block 4

4v1 goes first. Boi B, Since, Punchnello, and Sky Minhyuk go first vs Damini, Jeffrey White, Jtong, and Zene the Zilla.

Block 4 performance is fun and energetic. Damn, Sky Minhyuk got so good!

Block 1 next. It's like 30 seconds in but I think Block 4 is better. They came with stronger performance and skills out the gate. Damini is better too. Her coice isn't as scratchy as on smtm11.

Cocona coming down to dance with Damini. Since had to make her ass sit down lol she was doing too much.

It was good but Block 4 was better for me.

Oh shit! I TOTALLY forgot Jo Gwangil was here.

Block 1 won with 3 more votes? I disagree but whatever.

Next 2 vs 3 so we'll start ep.6 with that!

But for now, the Titanic episode is over! (Episode 7 is just as long though. We can worry about that later lol)

[coldranger]

I've been thinking about this, while many of the trial two songs reflect the choices we made; the innocent vs guilty verdict and the reasoning for that verdict (be it Es or the "voices"). Haruka's song doesn't really do that. Most of these songs are trying to flip our current expectation of the characters while directly acknowledging us, the audience, see Mu inno -> guilty or Fuuta guilty -> inno There are exceptions like Yuno and Shidou who have back to back innos, they still reference our choice in their songs. Not to mention Milgram's wide definition of murder regarding these situations but I digress. While yes, you can see everyone's opinion of Haruka leaning towards being guilty of his crime. Given what we have been presented that is a fair assessment. However, I often questioned myself that if Haruka had been voted guilty in trial one would this song put Haruka in a sympathetic light? I found my answer to be yes, All-Knowing And All-Agony makes me feel bad for Haruka. It feels oddly flexible, change up some lyrics and visuals and they could crank up that sympathetic factor to do something like I Love You did for Mahiru. In this hypothetical could it have turned Haruka's guilty verdict to a inno one? I don't know. I'm just saying how odd it could work either way.

But it doesn't have anything to say about WHY we chose Haruka to be innocent or any sort of thanks to "us/Es" for making the choice. There is no audience imput, while you could argue it was too early in Milgram's life as a project, Weakness and Umbilical were only released roughly a month apart. I can't find when their voting ended but if there's enough speculation for Yuno to have something surely there were reasonings for Haruka's innocence.

There is this line, but it could be read as: "I can't stop [killing small things] does that still make me a good person?" which would make it seem like Haruka is self reflecting Or "Hey, hey I can't stop. Am I still innocent to you?" In reference to "us/Es" I won't deny it could be a 4th wall break, I don't really see it as one since the other trials have been more overt with their message to the audience The voice drama itself also doesn't mention any reasons as to why we believed Haruka was innocent. He thanks Es for the innocent verdict but Es reminds him that there's still more to uncover, he may yet be guilty, instead of explaining their thought process or what they saw to Haruka. This edgier and rougher song could've been in response to Es basically mocking Haruka, he practically had a tantrum when Es told him he isn't out of the clear for his murder.

Tldr; All-Knowing And All-Agony sounds like a song that was prepared for either outcome of trial one. Noting how for someone who's innocent it sounds like someone who got a guilty verdict instead and a distinct lack of any explanation, from Es or the "voices," on why we voted him innocent.

In the end I just don't know how long ago All-knowing had been drafted up, so this is just speculation on my part.

[ms-hells-bells]

why should humans be morally obligated to radically restructure their lives in order to promote animal welfare when we don't even require that for human welfare? do you ensure that *literally* everything you buy is slavery-free, or do you only care about exploitation if it's not of a human being?

fallacy. 'if you can't perfectly do something, you may as well not try at all and be as morally abhorrent as you want'. by that logic, because i can never live my life completely cruelty free, why not actively buy slave labour? why not engage in products from trafficking? why not go to the saudi fifa cup? why not buy blood diamonds? it would be easiest to do whatever i like and not care about anything else, right? and i'm sure it's much more expensive and troublesome for corporations to adhere to morals, how much have they paid to legally stay with the changed labour and safety and ethics laws implemented since the industrial revolution. child labour was way easier, you barely had to pay them!

not to mention radical feminism, not wearing makeup, not shaving, not dating horrible men, not using the word bitch, engaging in female separatism? WAY too hard, and way too much change, why should we have moral obligation to change our behaviours to benefit others? it's almost like this is a completely shit argument called moral psychopathy, and is so intellectually lazy and dishonest, that the second you apply it to any hypotheticals, it falls apart.

but if it for some reason matters to you, i only buy clothes and most other stuff second hand, i buy new zealand brand, ethically made house and care products (soaps, shampoos, moisturisers, sunscreen, toilet cleaner, room spray, dish soap, etc.), i don't buy unnecessary excess, i use devices until they break and fall apart (i still use a second hand ipad i was given back in 2015 for stuff, my laptop is second hand and falling apart, my phone was bought for me by my mother because i had no phone, and i will use nothing but it until it completely breaks in however many years), i don't drive, so i don't buy petrol and engage in oil issues, and i constantly advocate for others to do the same, and give people advice on how to do it. i vote, and petition for policies that help humans, i am anti climate change, which very much affects humans (and the number one cause is animal agriculture).

how much of that do you do? i'm guessing little to none of it, because you don't actually care about slaves and human rights, you just want to not feel bad about sitting on your ass and not putting your money where your mouth is.

[currymanganese]

What starting The Bear made me realize is that there's a fanfic writer/storyteller in all of us. I've always come up with myriad hypothetical scenarios set in works I adored, with characters I loved, and sometimes with OCs/series ideas that I dreamed up. I've done this since childhood, yet I never actually found the motivation to set pen to paper to articulate the fun shadow puppet show going on in my brain over such imaginings, that is until stumbling across The Bear and Sydcarmy. There were so many times growing up that my folks would ask me what I was smiling about, to which I'd reply, "Nothing!" when I'd really been amusing myself with my blorbos in my daydreams. My eternal vote of thanks to Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo and the cast and crew for turning my 'stony-on-the-outside-can't-be-bothered-to-write-shit-down' fangirl's heart to a heart of flesh inside and out. If I ever work my way around to seriously writing down my original story ideas / OCs it would've never occured without this first casting off of restraint. 🥴

Also, fuck Hollywood - pay your writers and creatives what they deserve you greedy bastards! They literally help to make life feel worthwhile for many, they're the ones really making you your money and they deserve to be generously compensated for it!

[waiting-on-a-dream]

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 (𝐊𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝟑 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚)

Akane: You look like shit.

Haruto: You could say that.

Akane: What? Is being a guard too stressful for you?

Haruto: Its stressful, but nothing I can't handle.

Akane: Sure.

Haruto: Anyway, Ichi-kun says he can hear his victim crying all across the prison, so I was wondering if its the same for you?

Akane: No, I haven't heard anything from him since his first day here. He doesn't bother yelling until he sees me anyway.

Haruto: I see. Speaking of Ichiro, you've been getting along well with him lately. That's good.

Akane: Uh, yeah.

Haruto: What brought this change about? You struck me as the type to look out for yourself.

Akane: Ah, I dunno. He just started following me around one day. I didn't mind, so I let him.

Haruto: How do you feel about him?

Akane: What kind of question is that?

Haruto: Just curious.

Akane: Uh. I guess he's cute in a way. I wouldn't want him to get hurt.

Haruto: Could you say the same about yourself?

Akane: Huh?

Haruto: How do you feel about yourself?

Akane: Well, I'm...me?

Haruto: You would do anything to protect yourself, right?

Akane: I guess...? What are you trying to get at?

Haruto: Your motive for your crime.

Akane: I already told you, my father was a useless drunk.

Haruto: I always thought you killed out of self-defense, but was that really the case?

Akane: Does this mean you're voting me guilty?

Haruto: Were you in danger when you killed him?

Akane: O-Oi!

Haruto: Answer the question.

Akane: I was really angry, okay?

Haruto: Why, what did he do?

Akane: I just received my paycheck for the month and he asked for half of it.

Haruto: Was that the first time he did that?

Akane: No.

Haruto: So shouldn't you be used to it?

Akane: I HAD ENOUGH OF HIS SHIT, OKAY?!!

Haruto: What about that day in particular made you kill him?

Akane: It- It just happened. I was really angry. It spilled over.

Haruto: If you could go back in time and retain all of your knowledge, would you kill him again?

Akane: I... I don't know. He's still the same piece of shit so-

Haruto: But you've changed.

Akane: I- I don't want to go back. I'm trying to be a good person. If I go back to that shitty life, I'll return to being scared and angry all the time and everything will go wrong again-

Haruto: Calm down. I'm just asking a hypothetical question.

Akane: ...Right.

[Bell rings, mechanical sounds in the back.]

Haruto: Let's see if you have any surprises for me.

Akane: I've been telling you the truth the whole time.

Haruto: Hmpf. Prisoner 002, sing your sins!

[MV description - (Don't) look at me]

"Where did it all go wrong? Probably from the start. Children tend to make their way through life blissfully unaware. If only my eyes were opened later."

The MV starts with a younger Akane walking with her back facing the camera, hand in hand with her father and mother. She smiles, looking up at her mom, and then her father. She's wearing a backpack as she walks. A school comes into view with other kids making their way in. Turns out its her first day of kindergarten.

"With a tick tock drone, time drags me along with it. Adults and children live different lives. My body isn't catching up fast enough."

The camera cuts to a teenage Akane sitting by her dining table. A closeup of the table reveals several overdue rent notices and empty beer cans. Her father lies asleep on the couch in the living room. She counts through a stack of bills in her hand. A shot of a calendar on the wall reveals that its the start of the month.

"Filial piety is a virtue. They made you, its only fair that you repay them. Screw that! At this rate, I'm starting to wish I was never born."

Akane takes out a container of leftover fried rice from the fridge and heats it up in a microwave. The calendar shows that its the seventh day of the month. There's a new bandage on her cheek. She takes half of the food onto her plate and leaves the rest on the dining table. She then retreats into her room.

"A world that keeps spinning without me. I'll curse it. Open your eyes and look at me. (Don't look at me.) Look at me. Open your eyes and see."

A montage ensues as the chorus starts. Akane attending school. Working at the café. Receiving her paycheck. Being pulled by the hair by her classmates. Walking home in the rain. Sorting through the bills. Eating ice cream in the convenience store. Getting hit across the face. The calendar is present throughout the montage at a lower opacity, pages flying off to show that three years have passed.

"You disgust me. Don't even make me look at you. What I remember about mom, I really loved her."

The song stops playing. Crickets chirp in the background. Akane and her father sit opposite each other by the dining table. He tears up slowly and says: "I loved her too."

"A world that keeps spinning without me. I'll curse it. Open your eyes and look at me. (Don't look at me.) Look at me. Open your eyes and see."

Akane stands by the sink, scrubbing the dishes. She stares blankly ahead of her. Her fist clenches harder around the sponge, squeezing out more bubbles. Back and forth. She scrubs faster and harder. Back and forth. Back and forth. Its the thirty first day of the month.

"Children lie to get out of trouble. Adults aren't so different. You disgust me. Don't even make me look at you."

Its the first day of the month. A reply of the last scene of Testimony where Akane's father takes half of her salary. She grabs the beer bottle and stalks after him. The camera switches to her point of view as she steps closer to him in the hallway. The camera cuts off before the bottle makes contact with his head.

"An unchanging testimony, I always tell the truth. All you have to do is open your eyes and look at me. (Don't look at me.)"

A teenage Akane walks with her back to the camera, carrying a backpack. She's alone this time. A school comes into view with other teenagers walking in. Turns out its her first day of high school.

┊ ⇄ ◁◁ II ▷▷ ↻ ┊

[georgewashington-official]

The question is being alone in a forest.. an ice bear wouldn't be in a forest. If it was an ice bear or man question, I would pick the man then, yes, because ice bears are more dangerous. Since the hypothetical is in a forest, it's more likely to be a black bear, or very rarely a grizzly bear.

It doesn't work like that. When you're physically weak and alone with a man, you can't causally stand up for yourself. It's truly so easy for you to say that it's upsetting. First women rights activity was made over a 100 years ago and women still face discrimination and attacks.

You're proving my point. She attacked you yet you didn't even feel threatened enough to hit her back. Even though she was in a frenzy, she was hitting you with all her might. The pain didn't even last a day, did it? Imagine the roles reversed. Imagine you attacked her. The same way she attacked, in a frenzy, mind clouded with anger. You would have her blood in your hands. This is how it is with most men and woman. Men's bones are stronger and men are taller, giving them the strength advantage. A girl can hit ten times and barely hurt the man, but a man can hit once and make the woman stumble back. This is why women are more afraid of men. They can't fend them off by not appearing as a threat.

But a of course a man in the woods is 90% a murderer?

That's right. Women stood up and fought for their rights. And that's great. Right now women have many rights they didn't have. And not even the same responsibilities. Isn't that grand? All the nice things but no downside. Being a woman must be nice from time to time. I could get pregnant and abort the baby if I don't want it. If a man doesn't want the child, he has a problem and 18 years of child support. I can work less hours and still get more praise for being an independent woman. I could be less qualified and get a job, solely because I am a woman and there are quotas to be filled. I can vote but I will never have to join the army to defend my country. I can disguise my appearance by using make-up. I can be obese and be called "thicc" or still beautiful even if I am living an unhealthy lifestyle. I can open my legs to anyone and am celebrated for being "sexually independent". I win most of cases for taking care of a child after a divorce and often get a good deal out of a divorce. Even if I was the one unloyal. Oh, and being unloyal: Women are "discovering their sexuality" or "finding themselves" with a new partner. Men are unloyal swines. I can slap whoever I want. I can sexually abuse men without being condemned as hard as men. I can say someone raped me even if it's not true and get away with it or only a small time of jail. While the man's life is ruined forever. I can show my emotions freely and people care about my mental health. Should I go on? She attacked me and I didn't feel threatened because I saw she was sick in the head. I pitied her. And what would it had helped if I had slapped her? Nothing. I would have reacted the same way if a man would have attacked me in the same situation. Those people are not clear in their heads. Violence doesn't help, but a calm voice, gentle gestures and involving someone who can help them.

[ohthehypocrisy]

Unovans United for Pokémon Unite!

Pokemon Black and White have been seeing a bit of a resurgence lately with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet referencing them in the latest DLC, the Indigo Disk. Not only is the story set in a facility floating in the waters of the Unova Region, there's also a slew of Gen 5 Pokémon returning as well. You'll even hear familiar battle music when you engage wild pokemon or trainers. There's also rumors abound about a Pokemon Legends Arceus type of game that would be set in a distant past version of Unova, but that's just lucid hopefulness gaslighting us, for the most part.

But all of this love is seldom seen in Pokémon Unite. Why, if you remember back when the game first released, there was only 1 pokemon from Gen 5 repping all of Unova, and it was Crustle. And not because anyone really liked Crustle for the most part. Out of the original 20 available pokemon, Crustle represented the Rock Types, the Bug Types, and Generation 5's Pokemon Black and White all in 1 slot.

Since then, we've gotten some more love for Unova with the addition of Zoroark and Chandelure, though that still leaves Unova with some of the least representation in the game at the moment. I mean, technically that would be Gen 9's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with the recent release of Meowscarada, but there are rumors that we're about to get a lot more love from Paldea in a few months.

Disregarding Gen 9 for a second, Unova is the least represented Generation in Pokemon Unite at the moment. I know what you're thinking, 'Aren't there others with a lot less? I could've sworn some of the regions were worse off than Unova.' And yeah, Gen 3 only had Absol at the beginning, but since then it has grown to have 4 pokemon added in, with Gardevoir, Sableye, and Blaziken coming to Unite to rep Hoenn. I mean, even Gen 2, who had 0 reps in the game at launch, can now see an entire team rep Johto with Azumarill, Blissey, Tyranitar, Espeon, Umbreon, or Scizor. Compared to Unova, you can't help but feel a little cheated...

So! Let's fix that with a poll! If we want more Unova love to come to Pokemon Unite, let's show our favor with a popularity contest!

There are more pokemon I wanted to put on the poll, like Mandibuzz and Eelektross, but Gen 5 has way too many good pokemon designs and I can only put 12 options on a poll. If I do a part 2 to this poll, you can see the winners pitted against the rest of the Unovan PokeDex, so vote and stay tuned for the results next week!

If you voted for Hydreigon, you should check out my moveset I made for its hypothetical debut in Pokemon Unite. And they're not on the poll, but I also made movesets for Keldeo and Scrafty as well, so give them a read when you've got time.

Until next time, see ya!

[fussyspace]

Word count: ~164,200

Cover: Another great cover here, and it's such a fun manipulation of the Martian surface to turn a crater into a pizza (don't worry, no such irresponsible acts of geoengineering take place in the book). If you look closer at the ingredients, you can see bits of DNA and molecules going in as well, which is a nod to some of the genetic modification that goes on. All in all, a fun and colourful cover.

Blurb: 'Mars is a strange place these days. Corporate overlords, capitalism, and even aging are things of the past on a planet increasingly brimming with biodiversity - yet pizzerias are in short supply!

'Siblings Hett and San set out to change that. But a roboticist and a bureaucrat can't run a restaurant alone, so they bring on some help - a bioengineer, a communications scientist, and an unlikely grad student from Earth. Together, this gang of geeks will brave the fires of small business.

'But work is just a small part of life. People are complicated. Different brains, different wounds, different values, and one questionably tame wildcat will all collide as they try to grow and succeed together. What comes out of the oven, in the end, is anyone's guess.'

It's certainly an interesting premise, and I was intrigued by the thought of something smaller-scale than the usual conflict, if a little worried I would find it dull (I've not read much cosy fiction, if any that I remember).

Vote: I voted yes to continue at the 30% mark and carried on to finish the whole book.

Content: A Slice of Mars felt like a breath of fresh air between books with heavier topics or shakier editing. Incredibly well written and with a great diversity of fleshed-out characters, I have been recommending it to pretty much everyone I know ever since, and possibly plugged it more than my own books at a recent convention. Whoops.

Anyway, it built much of the Martian setting through interviewing each of the characters that would eventually become employees for the brand-new pizzeria, which I thought was a pretty neat way of introducing us to the world. Throughout, there was an interesting commentary on the current state of the internet/social media, what the internet is shaping up to be, and what the internet could be if handled differently. That's not to say it was perfect, though – the characters had their own opinions of which parts worked and which didn't, and it was nice to see Dhapree's perspective of this from the autistic side of things.

Of course, it wasn't my usual pace, and by 30% they still hadn't opened the pizza parlour yet, but I was enjoying the characters and setting so much that I didn't really care.

It did slow down a bit around the 70% mark during an action scene, which was described via a monologue on biology that left me unsure which bits were hypothetical and which bits had happened. Perhaps it was a deliberate ploy to reduce urgency and keep things cosy, either on the character's part or the author's, but it was only a little annoying.

I haven't even mentioned the whole fact that aging isn't really a thing here, but that's I surprise I'll leave to you to find out. Suffice to say, it's an interesting solution.

Overall, this was a lovely book (with a lovely ending), making me salivate over fictional pizza and desperately wish to live in this near-utopic Martian society.

[p6tgel]

This was going to be a comment but I started spiraling and thinking about everything so I'm reblogging it ok. I hope it helps you, Janus.

My friends hate asking these types of hypothetical questions because they know my answer to everything is "it depends" and I need to consider all possible options.

So first we would have to think about the scenario: what kind of apocalypse is it? I assume a zombie apocalypse. What level of the apocalypse have we reached? Is there any kind of shelter left? What are zombies like? Are they infected by a bite, by viruses or by simply dying?

I don't know much about zombie apocalypses – I only know about the games The Last of Us and The Walking Dead, I haven't consumed any more media about zombies – so I won't to use knowledge about them in favor because I don't have any.

In any case, it helps to plan the situation. Does the fact that the other guy is in the group hinder our chances of survival? Can he provide us with anything? Whether it's a cure, or he knows somewhere to take shelter, or he's just good: either helping us or being good at getting rid of zombies (if we can do such a thing).

If it's already horrible that two people are fighting in a group every so often, I can't imagine how desperate it must be in a situation where you are constantly crossing the fine line between life and death (i.e.: Lee and Larry in the first TWD game). So I wouldn't cause trouble just for the sake of it (besides because I personally find it nonsense to create trouble in any case).

I wouldn't instantly make me his friend either. I consider myself a pacifist and rational guy, but if we have been enemies since we were kids, I highly doubt that I would change my opinion of him of years in the blink of an eye. Usually, cases like this happen the other way around; my perspective on someone can change quickly if it's negatively.

Do the others in the group know us from before? Does anyone know about our hatred? Is it a completely irrational hatred or did one of the us do something outrageous?

The motive of hate is key.

If he's just annoying and that makes me irritated, that's my problem and I have to deal with it. If he is a despicable person who has committed inhumane actions, that is his problem, not mine, and I would hope to have some evidence for the rest of the group to agree to eject him.

And if I was the one who did something wrong, then I'd be being a complete jerk. I'm not the best person who has never treated anyone badly, but I'm not an idiot either (I hope) so I don't have enemies like the one in this hypothetical case. If I was the one who did something wrong, I should've apologized years ago.

I also wouldn't try to gain his trust to double-cross him later (Ace Attorney reference ☝🤓). I don't see myself capable of taking a role that far, as much as I like acting, I am always direct with my intentions.

If it was just for show, I don't see why I wouldn't have tried that in the past (although as I say, I wouldn't do such a thing). But if the goal is to get revenge? Nuh uh. Goes against my principles.

As Don Ramón once said: "Revenge is never good, it kills the soul and poisons it."

(WHAT... apparently El Chavo del Ocho was dubbed into English, where Don Ramón is called "Mr. Raymond", but I refuse to call him that)

So I guess I'd try to ignore him ??? although that option isn't in your survey. That's why I voted the first one. (Assuming my hatred for him doesn't involve acting on it.)

I would try to ignore him as much as possible (quite difficult, I suppose) and hope that something would be revealed that would make the group kick him out. (Again, assuming the reason for our feud is something he did wrong, and he doesn't contribute to our survival group.)

guys hear me out okay this is gonna influence something I'm working on

Alright, so let's say, hypothetically, it's the apocalypse. Your friends and family and environment are slowly withering and going mad, and you have escaped with a small group of survivors with nothing but the clothes on your back and a bit of money for food (if anyone still cares enough to demand that you pay). You're hiding out somewhere, partially hoping that you'll find a way to fix it and partially waiting for the inevitable.

One of the guys in your group is your worst fucking enemy. You've hated each other since you were kids. You don't even like looking at this dude, let alone trying to survive with him.

Do you keep that feud going until one of you dies/goes nuts or do you try to make up with him?

I wanna see how you guys would justify/rationalize your responses. Feedback is appreciated >:}

[justgayrevolutionnaries]

You got living to do

Or : Enjolras does too much and his friend tries to knock some sense into him.

My gift for @cherrypigeon as part of the @drinkwithme-exchange ! You requested Enjolras and Eponine friendship and I really wanted to see what I could do with them, so here you go <3

Also a big thank you to @aceofspades-smt for being an amazing beta, it was my first fic and you really helped me through it !

Enjolras doesn't really know at what point he lost track of time. Sure, after the meeting was over, he told Courfeyrac and Combeferre that he wouldn't stay here for too long, but there is just too much stuff he needs to get done. He tried to keep writing his speech for the next protest, and when he ran out of inspiration went back to reading that article about the changes in the Congress, made a note to himself that he needs to get Grantaire a birthday present for next week, then went to see if the online petition Les Amis started got more votes since the last time he checked (ten minutes ago). Then replied hotly that guy on their website who apparently had nothing better to do than to insult the group and their actions. Then-

"Earth to Enjolras, is anyone there ?"

The unexpected voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, you were saying something ?" The blond asks, removing his headphones and looking at the person standing next to him.

Eponine sights heavily (and, he thinks, quite dramatically).

"I was asking if you were planning to stay here all night or if, very hypothetically, part of you would be sensible enough to think about getting some sleep ?"

He shoots her a confused glance "What are you talking about ? I've been here for-"

"Three hours straight. It's almost midnight, dumbass, and I hate kicking you out but we have to close at some point."

With a look of horror, Enjolras realizes he got lost working on this for way longer than he thought.

"Shit, shit, shit", he mutters, very eloquently, while glancing at his watch. Maybe there is still a way he can make it to the metro station before it closes- he really doesn't want to walk an hour to his and Ferre's apartment in the middle of the night.

"Man, you look really bad. Like, worse than usual. Need a ride ?"

Ignoring the exhausted part of his brain that wants to accept, he shakes his head and sends her a smile that tries to look thankful, but is really just too tired to be convincing.

"I will be fine, don't bother. You need to go home, too."

"I mean, I told Gav I'd come back early, but y'know, I think the kid won't die if I leave him alone twenty more minutes. At least I'm gonna pretend I trust him not to set anything on fire while I'm not there."

Enjolras can't help but snort at this - Eponine isn't really one to talk, being on Courf's list of "people most likely to set something on fire in a kitchen" (along, for the record, with Enjolras himself).

"C'mon, Enjolras, you look ready to fall asleep on the spot. You really feel like being an idiot and refusing my help ? Because that's, like, a very stupid move."

Again, he vaguely tries to protest, or at least to sound offended, but she doesn't really sound like giving him a choice. God, I'm definitely too tired for this.

After packing all his stuff carefully (Ferre is gonna kill him if he forgets his coat again), he follows his friend outside. Part of him briefly wonders when and how Eponine got a car, but his brain is so clouded he decides it's not worth asking. Still, it feels weird to rely on Eponine for something. He is more used to arguing with her than to seeing her being helpful.

As a matter of fact, the first time Eponine showed up at a Les Amis meeting, the two of them didn't exactly get along well - Enjolras seeing her only as a lovestruck girl who came along because of Pontmercy, while Eponine already had her own not-so-positive opinion on him based on Grantaire's endless rants.

It took them exactly two weeks and a protest gone wrong to realize that maybe they needed to change their opinion on each other. Since then, they didn't exactly become friends, as they never really had a conversation that wasn't either about their actions with Les Amis or Enjolras's relationship with Grantaire, but at least they managed to get along. Kind of. Given how headstrong and outspoken they both were, their relationship was still a rather tumultuous one. The kind that involved a fair amount of annoying the hell out of each other from time to time, through almost-constant bickering and bullying (affectionate bickering, you might say, although both of them would rather die than call it that way).

But apparently, they were comfortable enough around each other to just sit in silence together without it becoming too awkward. It was one of the things Enjolras unconsciously noticed about her : since she started dating Cosette, Eponine became a lot more relaxed and easy to hang out with. They may not be close, but Enjolras is glad to see his previously morose friend looking so happy.

"Y'know, I wasn't joking earlier" Eponine suddenly says, snapping him out of his thoughts for the second time in the evening, which makes him realize he had been on the verge of falling asleep on his seat. Again. Which is a little concerning, since he has never ever been able to even come close to sleeping in a driving car.

Okay, so much for avoiding awkward conversations.

"What ?"

"Are you actually planning to get some sleep anytime soon ?"

"I am getting sleep !" snaps Enjolras, slightly annoyed by the question. How is that any of her business ? "It's just… there is some stuff I need to finish, but it's nothing more than usual."

Again, his friend lets out a sigh while shooting him a concerned and slightly exasperated look. Enjolras staying up all night to plan a rally or some other action, or even just study something, was nothing unusual. All of les Amis knew that when their friend was getting passionate about something he could stay up for days to think about it, and they usually tried not to worry too much when that happened. But this time something felt different. The blond had been acting like this for weeks, drowning into work and not really taking time for himself or to hang out with his friends.

"Listen, Enjolras, I am your friend, okay ? I just want to help you here. I know what this means to you, but you need to understand you can not keep going like this. You can't just get caught up in the idea of saving people to the point where you forget to live your own life."

"Wha- I don't-" he feels so frustrated by what she is saying that he doesn't even know what he wants to say. "Are you serious, 'Ponine ? Who cares about my life ? When I look at the world around me, you think I want to keep living my life like nothing is happening ? People need help ! We need to do protests, tell more people to- to just do something !"

He seems to be on the verge of tears now - which is how Eponine understands that this may be worse than she thought. It's not that she thought Enjolras wasn't capable of being emotional, obviously, but he never actually showed it to people who weren't his closest friends. And even then, it took the combined forces of Courf, Combeferre and Grantaire to get him to admit what was wrong.

"Okay, listen. Just for once, don't be an idiot and listen, okay ?"

She waits until he gives her a reluctant nod to keep talking.

"You are enough, Enjolras. You are doing more than any other person I know, and - god, I can't believe I am saying this - I really, really respect you for it. I respect the way you just always try to make other people's lives better, no matter what. Trust me, what you are doing is good enough. But you need to understand that at some point you can't just always keep doing more. And most importantly, you can't take everything upon yourself, not when we are all here to help you. You aren't gonna save the world by working yourself to death, Enjolras."

He vaguely tries to say something, but Eponine shoots him a look that makes him very effectively shut his mouth. Maybe the girl seems harmless to people who didn't know her, but she could be terrifying sometimes - like when Enjolras started dating Grantaire and she showed up at his door to give him the basic "you hurt him, I kill you" talk, which the blond has absolutely no reason not to believe given the way she looked at him. Which is why, for once, Enjolras thinks it might be wise not to argue back - this, and the fact that a part of him, even if he really doesn't want to accept it, knows that she is right. But still, that doesn't make it easier to accept.

"I know how much you don't want to listen to my advice, but at least take time to think about it, okay ? And whether you like it or not, your friends care about you. So you need to understand we won't stop giving you those talks until you actually start listening, got it ?"

Enjolras still doesn't answer - but this time, it's because he has a knot in his throat that makes him feel like he is going to start crying if he says anything. Eponine is, has always been, a brutally honest person, and the way she told him that his friends care about him went right through his heart. Even if, sometimes, he still struggles with the idea of people loving him for who he is, he knows his friends care. And he knows that if he doesn't listen to them, they would very well be able to lock him up until he starts taking care of himself. And as much as that frustrates him, he really, really loves his friends for it. So yeah, maybe this one time, he can consider listening to Eponine. Maybe.

Still, when he gets out of the car, it feels like a weight has been taken off his chest.

"Thank you. Really." He doesn't add anything else, because he knows he will always be too stubborn to admit he really needed the help from Eponine Thénardier. It doesn't matter, though, because he knows his friend understands what he meant - she can't help but smirks, and he sees very well how hard she is trying not to say anything sarcastic as an answer.

"Anytime, blondie."

"Don't call- yeah, okay," he sighs. Could be worse.

[posterboy4duality]

A message to Trump supporters from someone who teaches AP US History:

“If you are confused as to why so many Americans are defending the confederate flag, monuments, and statues right now, I put together a quick Q&A, with questions from a hypothetical person with misconceptions and answers from my perspective as an AP U.S. History Teacher:

Q: What did the Confederacy stand for?

A: Rather than interpreting, let's go directly to the words of the Confederacy's Vice President, Alexander Stephens. In his "Cornerstone Speech" on March 21, 1861, he stated "The Constitution... rested upon the equality of races. This was an error. Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth."

Q: But people keep saying heritage, not hate! They think the purpose of the flags and monuments are to honor confederate soldiers, right?

A: The vast majority of confederate flags flying over government buildings in the south were first put up in the 1960's during the Civil Rights Movement. So for the first hundred years after the Civil War ended, while relatives of those who fought in it were still alive, the confederate flag wasn't much of a symbol at all. But when Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis were marching on Washington to get the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) passed, leaders in the south felt compelled to fly confederate flags and put up monuments to honor people who had no living family members and had fought in a war that ended a century ago. Their purpose in doing this was to exhibit their displeasure with black people fighting for basic human rights that were guaranteed to them in the 14th and 15th Amendments but being withheld by racist policies and practices.

Q: But if we take down confederate statues and monuments, how will we teach about and remember the past?

A: Monuments and statues pose little educational relevance, whereas museums, the rightful place for Confederate paraphernalia, can provide more educational opportunities for citizens to learn about our country's history. The Civil War is important to learn about, and will always loom large in social studies curriculum. Removing monuments from public places and putting them in museums also allows us to avoid celebrating and honoring people who believed that tens of millions of black Americans should be legal property.

Q: But what if the Confederate flag symbol means something different to me?

A: Individuals aren't able to change the meaning of symbols that have been defined by history. When I hang a Bucs flag outside my house, to me, the Bucs might represent the best team in the NFL, but to the outside world, they represent an awful NFL team, since they haven't won a playoff game in 18 years. I can't change that meaning for everyone who drives by my house because it has been established for the whole world to see. If a Confederate flag stands for generic rebellion or southern pride to you, your personal interpretation forfeits any meaning once you display it publicly, as its meaning takes on the meaning it earned when a failed regime killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in an attempt to destroy America and keep black people enslaved forever.

Q: But my uncle posted a meme that said the Civil War/Confederacy was about state's rights and not slavery?

A: "A state's right to what?" - John Green

Q: Everyone is offended about everything these days. Should we take everything down that offends anyone?

A: The Confederacy literally existed to go against the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the idea that black people are human beings that deserve to live freely. If that doesn't upset or offend you, you are un-American.

Q: Taking these down goes against the First Amendment and freedom of speech, right?

A: No. Anyone can do whatever they want on their private property, on their social media, etc. Taking these down in public, or having private corporations like NASCAR ban them on their properties, has literally nothing to do with the Bill of Rights.

Q: How can people claim to be patriotic while supporting a flag that stood for a group of insurgent failures who tried to permanently destroy America and killed 300,000 Americans in the process?

A: No clue.

Q: So if I made a confederate flag my profile picture, or put a confederate bumper sticker on my car, what am I declaring to my friends, family, and the world?

A: That you support the Confederacy. To recap, the Confederacy stands for: slavery, white supremacy, treason, failure, and a desire to permanently destroy Selective history as it supports white supremacy.

It’s no accident that:

You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B, DuBois

You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.

You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth from slaves.

You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.

You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”

You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.

You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.

You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.

Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.

Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.

You have a choice.”

- Jim Golden”

[midorree]

How (I Think) Quirk-based Discrimination Works In BNHA

I've seen a lot of claims about how people interpret the quirk-based discrimination from an ableism allegory (not quite) to actually comparing it to Jim Crow laws, which is completely out of pocket. Quirk based discrimination in BNHA is very unique, especially with quirks not existing for very long in the grand scheme of things. Trying to compare it to existing forms of discrimination (that, mind you, exist in the fucking show) is simply put, not accurate in the slightest. Racism has existed for long enough for it to be embedded into our everyday lives and systems. Ableism has existed long enough that it affects how we view disabled people as people and how doctors view their disabled patients. Quirk-based discrimination has not.

PART 1: Comparing and Contrasting: Ableism

I've had this conversation a couple times with my friends, and typically we find that ableism doesn't match up with qbd. First and foremost, let's define a disability.

[Image ID: disability: a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities. A disadvantage or a handicap, especially one imposed or recognized by the law. End Image ID]

Quirkless people do not meet this standard definition unless they are already disabled. Being quirkless does not limit movements, senses, or activities in any way shape or form. Being quirkless is not a hindrance in every day life when it comes to these specific criteria.

But why would people thing that being quirkless is the same as being disabled? Let's take a look at accommodations and accessibility.

In the BNHA universe, quirks have existed for long enough that people with mutation quirks that alter their body significantly can comfortably buy clothes as seen with Shoji in some occasions.

[Image ID: Shoji is wearing baggy, patterned pants tucked into laced boots and is wearing a tank top. End ID]

He is able to buy shirts with bigger sleeve holes rather than having to fix his clothing so that he may be able to wear it himself. This is also seen with UA making a uniform so that he can fit without him having to work excessively for it.

[Image ID: Shoji wearing UA uniform. The uniform has no sleeves. End ID]

Why does this matter? Because Shoji is a perfect example of how small accommodations for people mutation quirks exists idly in the BNHA universe. Everyone has a different quirk and require different accommodations, and with Quirkless people, when it comes to buying clothes, or walking up steps, or going comfortably to a restaurant it's never a problem! Assuming they are able-bodied/neurotypical, they truly won't have a problem with getting by in day to day life.

However, there is one thing I will say is similar to ableism in this aspect: how doctors would treat quirkless people. With the opening episodes/chapters of BNHA we see firsthand how a doctor treats a child who is quirkless. Uncaring, cold, and straight to the point as to let them down as hard as they can saying "you might as well get used to it." The doctor had little to no belief that Izuku would become a hero, saying that he should pursue other careers instead. It's not a perfect match up, but I'd say in my personal experience it's pretty similar.

PART 2: Racism in BNHA

I'm not going to dwell long on this one because it's frankly very tone deaf and not very thought out to be comparing qbd to actual racism.

[Image ID: White text on a black background that states: What was worse, he would now be forces to keep his family from visiting or even living in America. It was never talked about openly, but the way quirkless were treated in the States came very close to how they handled different races with the Jim Crow laws of the past. He would never subject his Izuku to that kind of hatred. End Image ID]

There's a lot to unpack here, but let me preface this by saying this: qbd and centuries upon centuries of racial discrimination are not the same thing, especially considering racism exists in the show/manga itself. Big Yikes.

Let's start by defining what Jim Crow laws were.

[Image ID: Jim Crow laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. Named after a Black minstrel show character, the laws—which existed for about 100 years from the post-Civil War era until 1968—were meant to marginalize African Americans by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education or other opportunities. Those who attempted to defy Jim Crow laws often faces arrest, fines, jail sentences, violence and death. End Image ID]

So lets make a hypothetical and say quirkless people were treated like this. Okay, what would be an identifying factor in discrimination? Would quirkless people have to tell employers their quirk status? Possibly. Would the right to vote be revoked? Due to what? Would they be held back in educational places? Why would they be?

There are too many unanswered questions as to why these things would happen. The Jim Crow laws happened due to white entitlement after the enslavement of an entire race. Qbd happens because of inherent power dynamics (which I will get into later), and while racial discrimination has that factor, it has existed way longer and is more prevalent in society. What if a quirkless person was a quirkless person of color? Think on that.

There are also heroes of color that exist in the show, and racist caricatures of people of color.

[Image ID: Pro Hero: Native with a shocked expression and some sweat dripping down his face. End Image ID]

This fucker right here.

The BNHA universe has existing racism in and out of canon, seeing as the black/brown characters are underrated outside of the show, and microaggressed within the show.

PART 3: Kacchan vs Deku 3: How Did Deku Being Quirkless Affect Their Relationship And Why?

The line "not all men are created equal" really stuck with me while writing and thinking about this meta. Deku has understood and worked through social dynamics and understandings since he was four years old. He's understood that since he's quirkless, people with quirks hold power over him that he can't defend himself against. He understands this, and chooses to roll with the punches.

Bakugou also very much understands how social dynamics work, and chooses to use it to his advantage. He bullies Deku as a boast of power rather than a boast of privileged. It's been drilled into young Katsuki's head that quirkless people are weak, and that he is strong, His teachers are seen encouraging this behavior and the adults around him tend to not view him as a person, but as an existing beam of potential. Propaganda probably exists even in his Sunday cartoons. The strongest people he looks up to all have quirks, and he makes that correlation of quirk = strong at a very young age. He learns that quirkless ≠ strong. A part of me feels like this is intentional.

Izuku being quirkless would put him at the bottom of the food chain, in a sense, and anyone who had a quirk would be listened to more than he ever would. Izuku learned that not all men are equal because of the inherent power dynamics that come with having the ability to fly, or create explosions, or use fucking fire and ice on command, because he realizes he will never be stronger than Kacchan (at least for now). Even Izuku's idols who he considered to be strong and amazing and admirable were people with quirks. People with power over him.

When Izuku got OFA, the playing field shifted, and Katsuki was afraid and confused. Just because Izuku got a quirk, that doesn't mean Katsuki's view on quirkless people changed. We don't know if it did because its never addressed. He has made significant character development and is working to atone with Deku, but would that still happen if Deku had stayed quirkless? We don't know.

PART 4: Conclusion

The BNHA fandom has a lot of views on how qbd might work, but these are just my thoughts. These are all my opinions and if you'd like to add something feel free to! I just hate the fact that qbd is being compared to actual racism when that just doesn't apply and wanted to weigh in my two cents. Qbd, in my opinion, is all about power dynamics and how easily that can be abused.

[septemberadical]

Again, all of these things about what is a human and what it is not are debatable. You keep moving the goalposts here, first it was any cell that was 100% human DNA and now its any cell that has the potential to grow into a human AND has human DNA that is important. It doesn't really matter since I'm agreeing for the sake of argument that even something analogous to a skin cell has the right to full personhood (but not, unfortunately for them, the right to vote or hold public office, which seems like a waste). And even if we agree that humans are genetically distinct from other organisms (which they are, but not by much), you still have a ways to go to prove that because we can't have sex with another species they deserve less rights than we do. What is so special about humans that confers on us all kinds of special things like a right to live and thrive, etc.?

You keep saying that pregnancy is 'natural' and therefore is distinct from any other hypothetical situation, I'm confused by this. I agree that pregnancy is a natural process, meaning it can, under certain circumstances, occur after an egg has been fertilized by sperm. But this says nothing about why it should change the conditions of bodily autonomy agreed upon outside this condition. How are you getting from A to B? Pregnancy is a natural condition and therefore bodily autonomy rights are temporarily suspended? What is it about 'natural' pregnancy that creates this exception to the rule? I'm also confused about where the violinist came from because MY analogy is about a Nobel prize winner, but if you want to argue that violinists deserve less rights than a Nobel prize winner, I'm all ears.

Something we can agree on: women do die from bad healthcare. But they are also dying from your policies and opinions, and as I have mentioned, they are dying more often when abortion is banned than when it is not. Wouldn't a policy that increases mortality as much as that also not be an ethically acceptable healthcare option? You keep referring back to your argument 4 but how can you claim the moral high ground when your opinion is quite clearly leading to massive amounts of death and suffering? Since there is going to be 'suffering' either way, shouldn't we weigh the effectiveness of abortion versus anti-abortion to ensure we are giving the best care possible? Ethics is a matter of balancing interests and ensuring the best possible outcome - how is this the best possible outcome? Or this.

Abortion supporters are wild, because the only options for arguing their position are:

Denying that a fetus is human, which is an utter rejection of the most basic scientific fact that an organism with a unique human genetic code is human.

Denying that the fetus is fully human, even though historically all the people who classify some humans as less human than other humans are not the good guys.

Denying that the human fetus is a person, even though historically all the people who classify some humans as non-persons are not the good guys.

Agreeing that the human fetus is a person, but saying there are circumstances where it is morally acceptable to kill a helpless and innocent person, which is not a stance that allows one to maintain the moral high ground over people who believe innocent people should not be murdered.

Arguing that the human fetus is not innocent, because it has invaded the body of another person, even though the fetus had no choice in the matter and has been given no other options.