#because i think this sounds like arguing against neo pronouns

[fadewalking]

Tbh, I don't think chatgpt was ever going to be helpful on that particular subject. Google searches and asks sent to LGBT information blogs might be a better route if you ever decide to try understanding again later. I don't use them personally, but the way I see it, neopronouns are just like any other word used to describe a person. Nicknames, labels, pronouns: people are just using whatever words they feel match up best. People who like more than one gender could all identify as bi if they wanted, but for some, a different word feels like a better fit. As far as grammar, you can always ask on a case by case basis, and I'm sure anyone would get it if you messed up sometimes. But yeah, even Wikipedia would probably be a better resource than a chat bot.

I feel that the thing i dont understand about it would be taken as too pedantic to be worth explaining. And because of that, no google search would give me an answer specific enough for the questions. And yeah chatgpt is definitely not the best option, but i feel uncomfortable requesting of someone for whom this is a personal topic to have patience while they overexplain something that im not getting on an abstract level. I've been going in circles with chatgpt for almost 3hours now about this 😂 because i still havent given up lol.

But to stop being so vague about it, what I don't understand is how a neo-pronoun can resonate with a person. Like, what is it about a particular neo-pronoun that speaks to someone over a more traditional pronoun? This is difficult for me to understand because there is nothing i can compare it to in my own experience. Like, for me I feel that my reasons for my pronouns are not the same reasons someone with neo-pronouns may have. And as far as it being similar to bisexuality, that comparison confuses me because if i idenfity as (for instance) pansexual over bisexual, it would be because to me, pansexual carries a meaning that isnt captured by "bisexual". It would be because, to me, those words, while similar, are not actually synonymous. So if that is also the case with traditional pronouns vs. Neo pronouns, then my question is: what is it about "zir" (for instance) that means something different than a more traditional pronoun like "them" if both suggest a gender identity that is outside of the binary? What does "zir" mean that "they" isn't capturing? What quality of "zir" resonates more than "they"?

Clearly these questions can be subjective and are likely to have different answers from different people. And im also not asking you to answer these for me, anon, just to be clear. Im just explaining my thoughts, and why wikipedia or a google search wouldnt help me answer this. You're right in that I would probably need to ask real people for their insights into this. But im afraid of coming off as disingenuous or even just annoying by being so.. philosophical about my misunderstanding of what i think is supposed to be not this complicated, & im really not looking to upset or offend anyone.

[fridgeful-o-help]

thank you if you can answer my questions, hopefully all 5 parts went through, and sorry that it ended up being kind of long and rambly. i really appreciate the way you answer people and thought you'd be able to provide some good insight which is why i wanted to hear your opinions if that's okay. thanks so much again, i really do appreciate any advice, and i hope you're doing well and having a good day or night. take care for now!

HI NONNIE! I GOT ALL YOUR ASKS AND ILL DO MY BEST TO AWNSER EVERYTHING I CAN. I DO TRY MY BEST TO BE HELPFUL, AND IM GLAD YOU THINK IM GOOD AT IT.

I HOPE THIS HELPS BUT IM VERY LONG-WINDED TODAY APPERENTLY

NOW, TO BEGIN. TYPICALLY WHEN ARGUING FOR NEOPRONOUNS AGAINST THE ARGUMENT YOU HAVE BEEN PRESENTED YOU HAVE TO GO FOR MORE... WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN ASKING PEOPLE TO CALL YOU A SLUR OR WITH "BLMSELF" IS THAT THOSE THINGS CAUSE ACTUAL HARM TO OTHER PEOPLE. THERES ALSO THAT THERE ISNT ANYTHING WRONG WITH PIZZASELF, IT JUST SORT OF? SOUNDS SILLY? ITS NOT HURTING ANYONE, AND THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING A LITTLE SILLY IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE. A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HATE NOUNSELF ARE GOING OFF THE BASE REACTION THAT ITS SILLY/DUMB SO ID KEEP THAT IN MIND. (FYI IF YOU GO BY PIZZASELF YOURE AWESOME. YOU DONT DESERVE ANY FLACK YOU GET FOR DOING SO AND KEEP BEING YOU BECAUSE YOURE COOL! 8}) BUT YES I AGREE, MOST IF NOT ALL PEOPLE WITH THAT ARGUMENT DO NOT USE NEOPRONOUNS THEMSELVES.

PLEASE REMEMBER THOUGH THAT IF IT WAS UNINETIONAL WHEN YOU INVALIDATE SOMEONE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT AND MISTAKE, AND YOU WILL MOST LIKELY BE FORGIVEN. WE ALL DO AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER AND I PROMISE IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A BAD PERSON.

COMING FROM THAT, THERE IS A VERY SIZABLE CHUNK OF NOUNSELF USERS WHO ARE LEGITAMATE AT LEAST THE LEAST, FROM MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION. A PATTERN I THINK IVE NOTICED IN (A PORTION OF) THE PEOPLE WHO I KNOW 100% ARE SINCERE IS USUALLY PEOPLE WILL SELECT NOUN PRONOUNS BASED ON HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES? FOR THEM ITS DONE AS PART OF GENDER PERFORMANCE TO INVOKE A CERTAIN FEELING, LIKE SOMEONE WHO FEELS VERY CUTESY MIGHT GO FOR BUN/BUNS FOR EXAMPLE. ITS NOT ALWAYS THAT WAY THOUGH.

SORRY I GOT OFF TRACK. ANYWAYS, NOUNSELF TROLLS ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO SPOT DUE TO IT BEING WELL. HARD TO MAKE A "PARODY" OF, REALLY. WITH NON-NOUNSELF ID JUST CHECK PRONOUNCIATIONS AND SUCH BEFORE PROCEEDING. FOR THE MOST PART THOUGH I WOULD TRY TO HANDLE YOUR FEARS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE? INSTANCES OF TROLLING LIKE THAT BLOW UP BECAUSE THEY ARE SCARY AND GENERATE CLICKS, THAT DOESNT MEAN THAT THEYRE COMMON NOR UNIVERSAL. IF IT CONTINUES TO BOTHER YOU ID SUGGEST DOING SOMETHING I LEARNED IN THERAPY CALLED A BELIEF EXPERIMENT (DOING A SMALLER, ACHIVABLE ACTION TO ATTEMPT TO PROVE OR DISPROVE WORRIED/ANXIOUS THOUGHTS. ID USUALLY DO THIS WITH A SUPPORTIVE FRIEND TO HAVE YOUR BACK OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT)

GENERALLY IF YOU THINK YOUR FRIENDS WOULD FIND IT ODD BUT WOULD STILL BE RELITIVELY ACCEPTING ID TREAT IT LIKE A NORMAL COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET WITH A FEW EXTRA STEPS. ID USUALLY SUGGEST TELLING YOUR FRIENDS PERSONALLY BEFORE UPDATING YOUR SOCIALS, BUT THATS UP TO YOU. ID ALSO GO WITH ANY TRANS FRIENDS YOU HAVE FIRST IF THATS AN OPTION, BECAUSE USUALLY ITS EASIER TO EXPLAIN HOW YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH NEOS IN THAT SITUATION. IT MIGHT SUCK BUT ID SUGGEST THAT WHEN/IF THEY ARE MILDLY INSENSITIVE JUST EXPLAIN THAT IT BOTHERED YOU AND WHY, HOPEFULLY THEYLL GET IT.

TYPICALLY MY RESPONSE TO SOMEONE BEING RUDE TO ME IS NOT... IDEAL SO I DONT KNOW HOW TO ADVISE YOU ON THAT, BUT GENERALLY YOU DONT HAVE TO DEFEND THE FACT YOU EXIST IF YOURE NOT UP FOR IT. USE THE BLOCK BUTTON AS LIBERALLY AS YOU LIKE, ITS A DEFENCE IN ITS OWN RIGHT.

THATS ALL, I THINK. YOUR MESSAGES COPY-PASTED WILL BE UNDER THE CUT, FORGIVE ME IF I MISSED SOMETHING, I DO HAVE A DISORDER THAT MAKES IT SLIGHTLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO READ. FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ETC AND DO TELL ME IF I DID MISS SOMETHING YOU STILL NEED HELP WITH .

MESSAGES AS FOLLOWS, WITH SEPERATIONS REMOVED:

so i've been using neopronouns for less than a week and every day since i started, i've been getting negative reactions. the negativity comes from strangers, so it doesn't hurt me as personally as if friends were doing this (i actually haven't said anything to my friends about my neopronouns yet). anyhow, when people try to argue with me, i tell them that i don't see why they can't be respectful and call someone whatever makes them feel happy and comfortable. one reaction i got was "just because something makes someone happy doesn't make it valid" and compared it to letting someone drink poison if drinking poison is what makes them happy. then i get a lot of people who bring up stuff like "but what if the pronouns that make me feel valid contain a slur? / what if i use pizzaself? / what if i only go by BLMself pronouns? you'd be invalidating me!!!" and they try to use my own words against me since i've previously said "even if you don't understand it you should call people by what makes them feel valid." i know these people don't even use neopronouns to begin with but tbh it still does start to make me feel guilty? i'm nd and i can't always pick up social cues or sarcasm so i would feel horrible if i did unwillingly invalidate someone. but i'm also kind of paranoid because so much trolling has been going around recently like one video where someone tricked another person into using neopronouns that sounded like a slur when said out loud, recorded it, and put it online. i don't always know who is being sincere and who wants to trick people, particularly with nounself pronouns, like the pizzaself thing. finally, i wanted to go back to the topic of not telling my friends about my neopronouns yet. i feel like if i just start to put my neopronouns on profiles that my friends can view, it'll seem odd to them that i never said anything before, but i also don't know how to bring up in a personal conversation "i found out about some neopronouns i like and i've started using them" without it being awkward. i don't think my friends would make fun of me but i do think they'd find neopronouns 'weird' in general and maybe act kind of insensitive without meaning to, like not getting it. how would you react to the rude ppl? i know i could ignore them but i feel like they take that as them 'winning' or me running out of ways to defend my point of view. and how would you have your friends find out about about you wanting to use neopronouns?

[all-things-lgbtqia]

JK Rowling continues to spout TERF ideology, continues to say she’s not a TERF.

JK Rowling, best known as author of the world-renowned Harry Potter series and the decider of who is and isn’t gay, took to Twitter within the past 24 hours to make what I can only assume was supposed to be a joke in response to a Tweet about efforts to help create a more equal world “those who menstruate” in a post Covid-19 world, saying that “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people.”

When called out for her erasure of trans men, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people - all people who can be assigned female at birth but do not identify as women - Rowling went on the defensive, criticizing the idea that “sex isn’t real”.

Here’s the thing, Rowling: sex is real. Trans people know this. That’s kind of what makes most of us trans. Their biological sex, which is a real and tangible thing, does not match the identity they see for themselves, which is also real although it can be a lot harder for us outsiders to see. This is why many trans people opt for modified clothing (such as binders and gaffs), hormones and surgeries to make the exterior body match the internal sense of gender. Granted, many trans people will not do this, and they are not obligated to do so, but the vast majority of us will opt for such measures, not just to make ourselves more comfortable in our skins, but also so people like you don’t keep misgendering us and then pretend to be the victim when we call you out on it (which you’re doing right now). Absolutely no one is arguing that biological sex isn’t real.

She then goes on to say that saying women like her, “who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades”, hate trans people “because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense”.

Like I said Rowling, sex is real and absolutely no one is saying otherwise. You’re the one who keeps saying it. You said it during the Maya Forstater debacle and you’re saying it now. “Woman” is not a term that refers to someone who is biologically female. An overwhelming amount of the time it does, but not always. “Female” and “female-bodied” are somewhat controversial terms when it comes to afab transgender people, but they always refer to someone who is biologically female. “Afab” is an acronym for “assigned female at birth”, which can even refer to cis women. So as you can see, there are better terms to refer to someone with female reproductive organs than “women”. And believe it or not, a lot of those “lived consequences” are often the same for a lot of afab people. Not everyone has the privilege to transition at 6-years-old, before the horrors of the real world affect most of us. Many afab trans men (I would like to quickly acknowledge that some trans men may be biologically intersex), non-binary and gender-nonconforming people will have lived as females or a somewhat “female experience” up until they come out of the closet and begin their transition, if they do so at all. Pre-transition afab people are still subjected to the same amount of sexism, misogyny, sexual harassment and general dangers that come with being a woman because even though they are not women, society sees them as women. And yes, these people will even menstruate, because they have a female reproductive system (although it is worth noting that some people born with these parts may not menstruate at all, because biology is weird and sometimes things don’t function the way they’re supposed to). And on top of all that, trans women will also face the same hazards during and after the main stages of their transitions. In fact, statistically speaking, transgender women are even more likely to experience male violence than cis women, so let’s not pretend they aren’t involved in this whole conversation at all.

And just a quick sidebar, like I said, some people with female reproductive parts don’t menstruate because their body just never kicks that system into gear. If a cis woman never menstruates because she’s one of those people, is she no longer a woman, J?

I would also like to take the time to comment on how she pretends trans people don’t exist when she wants the spotlight and only references them when she gets called out for it. This is a lot like the, “I can’t be racist, I have black friends” “argument”. We’re not tools that you can use and then put back in the closet when you’re done (only we can decide if it’s time to go back in the closet, and I would rather not do that again, thank you very much). We’re not accessories you can flaunt to show how accepting you are. We exist even when you’re not making exclusionary remarks and pretending that the issue at hand is exclusive to cis females only.

She goes on to claim she would support trans people if we are discriminated against. I don’t have a Twitter account so I can see only very limited Tweets online, but so far I haven’t seen her comment on the proposed UK bathroom bill that would force trans people to use the bathrooms that correspond with the sex marker on their birth certificates. If she has commented, let me know and I will update this section of this post appropriately.

She tries to justify herself by saying she is well-read in scientific journals and transgender experiences, so she knows the distinction between sex and gender. But if this was the case, she wouldn’t still be using “woman” to refer strictly to cis women, and she certainly wouldn’t be using it to describe all  people who menstruate.

She says, “Never assume that because someone thinks differently, they have no knowledge.” And she would make a good point, if saying that only women menstruate and implying that if you menstruate you are a woman, plain and simple, wasn’t TERF rhetoric. Listen, you can know all about a subject as complicated and relatively new as gender identity, but knowledge and acceptance are two different things. Just because you major in Africana Studies and can name just about every major figure in black history doesn’t make you less racist when you clutch your purse tighter when you see a black man jogging down the street. Having a degree in Women’s Studies doesn’t make you any less sexist when you tell a woman to make you a sandwich because you disagree with her opinion. And reading scientific papers about transgender people and what it all means doesn’t make you less transphobic when you make sweeping claims that only women menstruate, and that transgender people don’t understand the struggles of being a woman.

In what is her most damning move so far, Rowling then Tweets out, “‘Feminazi’, ‘TERF’, ‘bitch’, ‘witch’. Times change. Woman-hate is eternal.” One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong...

I get it, there are plenty of terms and phrases used with the intent of shutting up women you don’t agree with. TERF is not one of those terms. TERF is in the same category as racist, misogynist, neo-nazi, etc. NOT the same category as women-silencing words like ‘bitch’ or ‘feminazi’. A TERF is a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, someone who discredits the existence and experiences of transgender people (primarily trans women) because they feel like it (the transgender experience) doesn’t belong in discussions of women’s rights, or even that it threatens their identity as women. Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it? Calling someone a TERF is not a silencing behavior, and you’d figure a feminist would understand this. Calling someone a TERF is calling them out for behavior, while also letting the transgender community know that this is not a safe person to be around. If anything it’s a warning label. 

And look, don’t take this all to mean I hate women. I don’t. I only hate it when we pretend that an issue such as menstruation is exclusive to cis women. It isn’t. Women’s issues typically aren’t restricted to cis women. Trans women will experience violence and hate, usually at a disproportionately high rate when compared to their cisgender sisters. Trans men will often experience discrimination pre-transition, and maybe even post-transition from people who still see them as women. Not only that, but trans men typically experience the issues that come along with being biologically female (again, those that are afab). Most transgender men will menstruate and experience all the absolutely wonderful symptoms that come along with it. Some transgender men even get pregnant and have babies. No one is arguing that women have it easy. Transgender people - regardless of if they’re trans women, trans men, non-binary, agender, gender fluid, or gender-nonconforming - don’t want to erase women’s experiences throughout the years. We just want to live our lives in peace like everybody else. I just wish Rowling would stop pretending otherwise.

Is JK Rowling a terrible person? I don’t think I can go that far. She has made some serious contributions towards the acceptance of LGB (although notably not T) themes in children’s media, supports the Black Lives Matter movements, and even showcases fan art from very young fans on her Twitter. Although, she did share an article talking about the lesbian experience with discrimination and erasure, which is very important (hell, I admittedly don’t come across a lot of lesbian content on my Tumblr feed so I don’t get a chance to reblog a whole lot of it), but it also says that “ask my pronouns” is decidedly anti-lesbian, and paints the entire LGBTQIA+ community (referred to as “LGBTQ” with the quotes) as greedy, money-hungry, well-supported, and even predatory against children. Is this just a subject I’m not all that knowledgeable in? Perhaps, but I have a really hard time taking your arguments seriously LGBTQIA+ community is decidedly predatory against children, but I digress. I will say, however, that I am just disappointed. I’m disappointed someone who has been all about standing up to bullies and fighting against oppression has been using her platform to side with bullies and take part in said oppression. I’m disappointed she lumps “TERF” in with “Feminazi” and other terms designed to discredit women with opinions. And above all, I’m disappointed that she claims to offer us support when her actions support just the opposite. But, after all we’ve seen over the years, I can’t say I’m surprised.

[enchantedbyhiddles]

I have my ballot for absentee vote for the general election here in Germany since Friday and I’ve been thinking about it all weekend and I don’t know what to vote for.

I really want to vote. I strongly believe in democracy and I’m really interested in politics. Yet I also understand a certain lethargy when it comes to it. Especially since the TV-debates of the party leaders yesterday and on Friday. I don’t mean to sound so negative and I’m far from the AfD crowd, but I do agree that there is too much consent and too little dissent among the parties. As said last week there are some parties that I wouldn’t ever vote for. I look at the other parties and there are things I like and things I dislike. With all of them.

The CDU  (Conservatives) for me is the party that wants to keep everything as is. Everything is kind of okay for the majority of people, BUT for me there are so many little and the little bigger things that need improvement. With the changing world we also need to change and need to find new and progressive ways how to handle digitalisation of every aspect of life, globalisation and migration issues, international commitments, etc. If Germany is a house there are leaks in the pipes, the wallpapers are falling off and so on and I don’t think a few cosmetic repairs will cut it, because it will only get worse and worse and I think we should invest now to get proper improvements, before it starts to fall apart. So no vote for them by me.

The SPD (social democrats). Of the two bigger parties they are the ones that I like better. I really think we need to balance the money better, invest in social issues, education, families, work on gender equality, higher taxes for richer people, etc. They talk about problems and they want to improve. They see that not everything is great in this country and that while many people do benefit and overall Germany is strong and healthy, there are people that are excluded from this. And we really need to stop exploiting others for the benefit of Germany. We can’t close our eyes that the problems we have to deal with are global and that we have to work together in the EU and with other international leaders and that means that we might also have to pay a price take deals that are not that favourable for us, but necessary for other countries. Be a bit less selfish. I think though that they are a bit ponderous. I get that they want to appeal to many people and most people dislike too much change. It’s like they at least noticed that the house isn’t just a bit worn down and that we should get some handymen to take a look at this wall or the other wall. Maybe add that window that we always wanted. Yet after everything it should be again as it is now, just better.

The Green Party. Where to begin. I REALLY LIKE YOU BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? They are basically like the social justice warriors. I like their idealism and I like that they have a vision of this happy and great country and world where everyone is respecting everyone, there is peace, people have enough healthy food, there’s equality, no one gets discriminated, the environment is protected and we can inhabit this planet for another 20.000 years. I really, really like this idea. I will gladly fight for this idea. You have to have hope and you have to have high aims and you need the will to change the world to make it a better place. I really like that a big part of the party is nowadays able to compromise if it is a step in the right direction. They aren’t that radical that they say no to everything, but are very capable when they are part of the government. Right now though there’s Trump, there’s Erdogan, the Paris treaty about climate gets ignored even by those who signed it, there’s the big scandal with the car industry, etc. etc. etc. There are so many issues that are exactly the topics the Green Party wants to fight for and? Nothing. They say that they are really not okay with it and the others are mean. Where’s the spirit? Where’s the fight? Where’s the passion? No, they argue about who of them should speak. They are a party that is overregulating a lot. They want to be sure to have every eventuality covered and that there is a written rule for everything. It’s just too many technicalities, too little substance. In times like these this is deadly. Don’t get me wrong. I think it is important and I admire that they are committed to them. That they are strictly about gender equality and therefore 50% males/females everywhere and so on. You have to know when to focus though. To go back to the house, I imagine the green party sitting with the whole family at the table and they discuss if everyone is using the right pronouns for everyone, all while they actually wanted to talk about renovation plans, but they never made it that far.

The FDP (Liberals - at least by name). I really want to like them. I want to give them another chance. Maybe they have changed. I want to believe them, when they say they are liberal, care about civil rights, they want to protect them. I like the idea of a truly liberal party that gives some strict guidelines that you shouldn’t overstep and otherwise doesn’t regulate too much. I’m highly against cutting social security though. I like the idea of keeping the state somewhat streamlined or at least more streamlined than now. If they complain that all the different police and security institution don’t need more information, but simply need to be streamlined and work together in a more practical way than is the case right now with our federalism, then they speak from my heart. In many cases Germany is already good or has good ideas, but they aren’t really implemented. I also think that we need to be more optimistic and that especially innovation needs the freedom to fail. That the state should to a certain degree finance progress even if it is somewhat experimental. That maybe, as bad as it sounds, big companies will be the ones to change and shape our future and that we need to be prepared and be open to it, instead of blocking every change as bad. We won’t be able to keep everything as is, just by closing our eyes from the truth. Yet the FDP always turns more liberalism into “companies can do whatever the fuck they want. You can do everything as long as you make profit.” The FDP is also fishing in highly populistic groups. The reason why I can’t ever vote for them and highly discourage everyone from doing so is “Hey, let’s stop investing in renewable energies. Stop that shitty stuff. We can live from coal for another 50 years. That’s an investment into a home-grown industry. We need more of that. Carbon dioxide who cares. Fuck the planet. The car companies might have lied about the fumes, but who says that it is really unhealthy?” That tells you everything. If the house is falling apart, they already hired the most expensive company that by chance belongs to them and they make sure that they get an extra tax cut, even though the work is dubious at best.

The Linke (socialists). They are like a more radical SPD or the Green Party of social issues. I like that they are having radical Robin Hood ideals of taking all the money from the rich and giving it to the not so well-off. I like that they aim high. I like that they are pushing the other parties and I think a reminder to the SPD that they can do better is good. I dislike or more exactly am disgusted that some members of the party are populistic idiots that dream of the GDR, want communism, love Russia and everything Putin does, are right-wing extremists in their views of muslims and refugees. There are some very high-profile members in that party that mean I can’t vote for them. I do appreciate the voice of the others and I like that big parts of the party challenge the others to step up their game about social issues. That they are nagging and by that mean the others have to improve. If the house is falling apart, they are the ones to point out even the tiniest problems and won’t stop complaining.

So maybe I want a government, where all parties can bring in their good ideas and they can improve them together? See my problem and why I like coalitions? I want to cherry pick. With 4-5 parties I know that my world wouldn’t fall apart if they become the government.

I dislike a big coalition, because while they really did achieve a lot for Germany in the last years, they only speak for the majority of people. More radical ideas don’t happen and sometimes it really needs the voice of the smaller parties, that focus on special topics and issues. I’m totally against the very likely coalition of CDU and FDP, because they bring out the worst in each other. Then it is really only about big money companies. Neither party cares particularly about social injustice or the environment or minorities. They are the neo-liberals wet dream. In any other combination with other parties though they can usually add something good to each other.

So yeah, written two pages, no idea who I should vote. Maybe I should do what a journalist proposed: write down the parties I somewhat agree with and then draw lots. Not because I don’t care, not because I think it is unimportant, not because I think they are all the same, simply because with every party there’ll be something good and something bad and I don’t think any of them will lead to Germany being hell.