#demand for stricter laws

[townpostin]

Sikh Community Protests Doctor's Rape and Murder in Jamshedpur

Demonstrators demand stricter laws to protect women across India Large-scale protest held outside district headquarters against Kolkata hospital incident. JAMSHEDPUR – The Sikh community in Jamshedpur staged a robust demonstration outside the district headquarters, protesting the recent rape and murder of a female doctor at R.G. Kar Hospital in Kolkata. A significant number of women joined the…

[itwoodbeprefect]

fun fact: after taking 299 days to form the current dutch government, it took less than 18 months for that government to fall, which i guess means that the netherlands has optimized its post-election cycle to fit into a 28-month window, which is only six months more than an elephant pregnancy.

[storm-of-feathers]

u guys think my pharmacy will flag me for drug seeking behavior again if i call them right as they open and explain im pretty much nocturnal and id like them to refill my shit before noon bc thats about when im getting to sleep these days

[yanderedrabbles]

Yandere Soldier x Reader - NonCon

Yandere! Soldier with his foreign accent and foreign guns. With muscles that show even underneath all his body armour.

Yandere! Soldier who's part of a platoon sent to keep an eye on your neighbourhood. Who's looking for insurrectionists hiding in plain site.

Yandere! Soldier who's suspicious of everyone and everything.

Yandere! Solider who notices you all too quickly, with your books and your pamphlets. Who's immediately suspicious about the people that come and go from your apartment at all hours.

Yandere! Soldier who barely even waits for permission from his commander before he's leading a squad to bust down your door.

Yandere! Soldier who somehow ends up in your panty drawer and who lingers far longer than he needs to. Who searches through them - ostensibly for contraband - just so he can feel the silk and lace on his calloused hands. Who keeps picturing these lacy little things under your neat pleated skirt.

Yandere! Soldier who's pissed as hell when he can't find any evidence of rebellion. Hell, even those pamphlets you were carrying around the other day are gone. Who's disturbed by how calm you are - despite a bunch of soldiers ransacking your place.

Yandere! Soldier who grabs onto your wrist right before he leaves, who looks into your eyes and says that he knows something about you is suspicious. That you might have escaped this time but at some point, you're going to slip up.

Yandere! Soldier who can't help but notice how fragile your wrists are, how delicate your neck looks. How helpless you would be if it weren't for your frighteningly sharp tongue.

Yandere! Soldier who grins just a little when you threaten to demand a replacement door from his Sergeant.

Yandere! Soldier who finds himself stopping outside your apartment more and more on his patrols. Who tells his squadmates that he's suspicious of you, when really he just wants a chance to watch you go about your day.

Yandere! Soldier who finds himself gripping his rifle when he sees you walking alone with your male classmates. Who more than once has them stopped and searched.

Yandere! Soldier who takes his frustration out on his sparing partners - to the point that no one wants to train with him for fear of splintered bones.

Yandere! Soldier who keeps running into you. And despite his body armour, his rifle, his rank and power, you never seem impressed or even afraid of him.

Yandere! Soldier who watches as the martial law on your city becomes stricter and stricter. First the curfew, and then the armed checkpoints, and then the armored vehicles parked on seemingly every street corner.

Yandere! Soldier who knows what really happens to suspected rebels when they're held for questioning. Who keeps thinking of your wrists dwarfed by his hands. Who keeps thinking of your pretty hands mangled by the interrogators.

Yandere! Soldier who finds himself alone outside your apartment, so nervous that his hands are trembling. Who knocks and knocks on your new door until you open it, still sluggish with sleep.

Yandere! Soldier who doesn't give you a chance to scream as he shoves his way into your apartment and kicks the door closed behind him.

Yandere! Soldier who manages to hold onto you even as you kick and bite and swear at him.

Yandere! Soldier who hisses at you to just shut up and listen. That for once, he's trying to help you.

Yandere! Soldier who has to literally grab you by your collar and slam you against the wall before you stop trying to bite him.

Yandere! Soldier who tells you that the army intends to arrest you tomorrow morning on suspicion of insurgency. That he knows a place where you'll be safe.

Yandere! Solider who doesn't listen to your complaints or objections. Who zip ties your wrists together and gags you before hoisting you up on his shoulder.

Yandere! Soldier who doesn't even notice you banging your fists against his back.

Yandere! Soldier who drives all the way across the city in an armoured vehicle with you tossed across the backseat. At the checkpoints, his fellow soldiers just smirk and tell him to enjoy himself.

Yandere! Soldier who brings you to an old room in an old building. Who tosses you down on the bed and suddenly realises just how close you are.

Yandere! Soldier who slowly leans down to kiss your cheek. Who smells your perfume and feels himself slowly going feral.

Yandere! Solider who kisses down your jawline and then down your neck, his lips as light as feathers. Who runs his palms up your waist, marvelling at the softness of your skin against the roughness of his hands.

Yandere! Soldier who pins your hands above your head so he can admire your body stretched out underneath him.

Yandere! Soldier who knows this is wrong. Who knows it's going to hurt you and haunt you. Who feels his heart clench when he looks into your crying eyes.

Yandere! Soldier who knows, but fucks you anyway.

Yandere! Soldier who is so gentle, that you almost wish he meant it. Who keeps one arm wrapped around your waist the entire time. Who keeps whispering to you in his native language, his voice rough as in prayer.

Yandere! Soldier who keeps his forehead pressed against yours even as he thrusts deep inside you.

Yandere! Soldier who stays inside of you even after he comes. Who just wants to feel the warmth of your body under his. Who wants to pretend that the little muffled sounds you're making are out of affection.

Yandere! Soldier who cuts your bonds away with his combat knife. The blade catches the moonlight and it breaks his heart when you flinch away from him.

Yandere! Soldier who tries to convince himself he did the right thing. You're safe from the interrogation room, aren't you?

Yandere! Soldier who looks at your tears in the moonlight and realises his love was the worst thing that ever happened to you.

Yandere! Soldier who falls asleep with you in his arms, his dog tags pressed against your shoulder blades. Yandere! Soldier who knows that he's a monster, but holds you all the same.

Yandere! Soldier who whispers to you just before he falls asleep.

Мне жаль

I'm sorry.

Но я люблю тебя

But I love you.

[morbidology]

In 2004, Ameneh Bahrami was a 24-year-old university student in Tehran, pursuing a degree in electronics. Her life took a tragic turn when Majid Movahedi, a fellow student whose romantic advances she had repeatedly rejected, attacked her with sulfuric acid.

The attack, which occurred in broad daylight, caused catastrophic injuries, leaving her face disfigured and her vision severely impaired.

Following the attack, Ameneh endured numerous surgeries in Iran and Europe, facing immense physical and emotional pain. Her struggle for justice began as she sought retribution against her attacker through Iran's legal system. Under Islamic law, Ameneh demanded Qisas, or retributive justice, which would allow her to seek an eye-for-an-eye punishment by having acid dropped into Movahedi's eyes.

After years of legal battles, in 2008, an Iranian court ruled in favor of Ameneh's request for Qisas, sentencing Movahedi to be blinded with acid. However, in a surprising and profound act of mercy, Ameneh chose to forgive her attacker at the last moment.

In 2011, just before the sentence was to be carried out, she publicly announced her decision to pardon Movahedi. Ameneh Bahrami's story did not end with her act of forgiveness. She continued to raise awareness about acid attacks and advocate for the rights of victims.

Her memoir, "Eye for an Eye," provides a detailed account of her harrowing experience and her journey towards recovery and forgiveness. Through her advocacy, she has worked to bring attention to the prevalence of acid violence and the need for stricter laws to protect women.

[robininthelabyrinth]

A Better Lie - ao3

Fandom: The Untamed Pairing: Jin Guangyao/Nie Mingjue Summary:

Wait. This wasn't the Lan sect, with all its strict rules and stricter morality. This was the Nie. (Meng Yao identifies an opportunity.)

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

It was only a better lie, in the end.

A stroke of luck – or perhaps, of genius.

When he first heard Nie Mingjue’s shout, Meng Yao was still holding the sword he'd just used to kill the Nie commander, but he could feel it slipping out of his nerveless fingers. He could feel his mouth opening with instinctive denials - it wasn't me, it was Xue Yang, I didn't do it - all ridiculous, of course. It was him, and he did do it, and Nie Mingjue was staring at him with those horribly hurt eyes, already starting to fill with tears in a way they hadn't despite the strain of having his home attacked and his precious brother demanded as a hostage by the man who’d killed his father.

That hurt.

Not the tears, of course. Tears, Meng Yao knew well, were cheap. But he found himself displeased by what they meant: by the fact that he’d hurt Nie Mingjue, in a way even Wen Ruohan hadn’t, when Nie Mingjue was a man he’d come to…well, to appreciate. Nie Mingjue, who hadn't cared about Meng Yao's past or his mother even after he’d been told about it, who had given him opportunities beyond his wildest expectations, who – it seemed – had left an active battlefield in order to come find him because he was worried about him...

Nie Mingjue was going to have no choice but to find him guilty, Meng Yao knew. No matter what he said or did, that was Nie sect law, and Nie Mingjue believed in his sect’s laws the way he believed in the sun rising every day. He might be able to commute the sentence from execution into exile if Meng Yao did something brave, if for instance he used his body to shield Nie Mingjue from an attack that would no doubt be forthcoming because they were both literally standing there frozen in the middle of battle, but that was it, that was the best Meng Yao would be able to get. And exiling him would hurt Nie Mingjue, too, maybe even more than execution, because Meng Yao knew that Nie Mingjue loved him, even if the other man hadn't figured it out yet, and having to worry about him suffering would hurt Nie Mingjue even more than knowing he was dead.

And all because he'd broken the rules.

Rules. Hah! 

Meng Yao thought, briefly, about the Lan sect, that bastion of rules and inflexibility. Of Lan Xichen, who had been so kind to him during the classes Nie Mingjue had sent him to attend. Lan Xichen, who was a good gentleman, handsome and sympathetic. Who would make a reasonable second prospect to target now that Nie Mingjue was no longer an option...

No. What was he thinking? That was the brothel madam's voice in his head, not his own, not his mother, who had tried so hard to make him a gentleman rather than a whore.

Meng Yao didn't want to think like that. 

Of course, he didn't want to die, either.

So self-sacrifice and exile it would have to be, even if it hurt them both. Maybe he’d even go after Lan Xichen, too, if that was what it took - if Meng Yao couldn't have the love he really wanted, Nie Mingjue's unquestionable and unconditional affection which had been given to him freely when he had been at his lowest moments, then he might as well put his ambitions above all else. Over love, over morality, over all the stupid hypocritical loophole-riddled rules that nevertheless did not leave a loophole aside for him, because no rule allowed for murdering a man by stabbing him in the back, not even self-defense -

Wait.

This wasn't the Lan sect, with all its strict rules and stricter morality.

This was the Nie.

"Sect Leader, dodge!" Meng Yao roared, louder than he'd ever been in his life, mimicking to his best ability the stern grim-faced training master of the Nie sect who everyone listened to without question. 

Nie Mingjue was no exception, obedience to that voice boiled into his bones. He threw himself aside, causing Wen Zhuiliu's sword to miss and come hurtling towards Meng Yao himself. There was a split second where he could decide to just take the blow in some place that wouldn't cause permanent damage, just as there had been a split second for him to pick between throwing his body between Nie Mingjue and the sword instead of shouting him out of the way – a far more dramatic sort of rescue – but just as before, Meng Yao decided against it. 

He was taking a far bigger gamble. 

Meng Yao threw himself down, flat on his face, and Wen Zhuliu's sword went wide over his head. A moment later, as he'd hoped, Nie Mingjue rose up with Baxia in hand and murder in his eyes. Now that he was no longer being distracted by Meng Yao, he was able to see Wen Zhuliu turning towards him with deadly palm extended.

Meng Yao gritted his teeth and threw the Wen sword he'd picked up at Wen Zhuiliu's feet. It wouldn't get either of them much more than split-second of distraction, at best, but when you were fighting against a man like Nie Mingjue, you couldn't afford even that.

A split second later, saber met with palm, and Wen Zhuliu went flying. 

Clutching at his bloodied hand, looking shocked, the other man scuttled away not long thereafter, and with the real leader of the Wen forces humbled - it certainly wasn't Wen Chao they were following, no matter what he might lie to himself and think - the rest of them soon dispersed.

"My brother will not be going to any Wen training camp," Nie Mingjue spat after them, too genteel to follow it up with actual spit the way Meng Yao halfway wanted him to. "Not now, and not ever!"

Behind him, the rest of the Nie burst into spontaneous cheers, bellowing as loud as bulls. Even their guests, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, looked relieved and impressed - Nie Mingjue's fame was going to increase again, it seemed, as soon as they got back to Yunmeng and boasted of how the Nie, at least, certainly did not fear the power of the Wen sect.

"Meng Yao, with me," Nie Mingjue said when he was done with that, which was only as Meng Yao had expected. "Now."

Meng Yao bowed his head and scuttled after him into the receiving hall. Nie Mingjue threw Baxia over to her stand and sat heavily on the Nie sect throne, though not as heavily as he might have if he'd been injured and his sect the loser in the fight just now, burdened by his duty as sect leader and his worries as an older brother. 

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked grimly. Or, well, he thought he was being grim, but Meng Yao could see the fear in his eyes - come up with something clever, Nie Mingjue was quietly begging, even though he would never know that that was what he was doing or admit it to himself if he did, please, please come up with something that means I don't need to kill you for your crimes. Don't taint this day with making me lose you. Don't make me have to lose you...

Meng Yao saluted deeply. 

"This humble Meng Yao admits his error," he said, hoping against hope that this gamble of his would work. "I should not have allowed my enthusiasm for a private duel to overcome my understanding of the bigger picture, putting myself over sect interests."

Nie Mingjue was stunned silent for a long moment. 

Meng Yao waited, hoping so hard that it hurt.

Please, he thought, now the one to beg silently. Please let him focus on the part that I need him to focus on, not the parts I need him to overlook. Please!

"...private duel?" Nie Mingjue finally said, and Meng Yao’s heart surged with elation. "You were – dueling?"

"Yes, Sect Leader," Meng Yao lied, using every ounce of guile he had to hide his joy behind a mask of contrition. "I formally challenged the commander yesterday in the late evening. He had tried to keep me from seeing to the prisoner Xue Yang at your order, contrary to protocol, and in doing so said something very rude about my mother."

That latter part was true, and of course there had been no one else around at the time. The Nie commander had always been good at making sure there weren't when he delivered his nastiest jibes, although he'd made enough milder ones in front of others that people would testify on Meng Yao's behalf if it came to that. 

He didn't think it would come to that. Nie Mingjue wanted to believe him.

"He accepted, but he was drunk at the time, so we agreed to postpone," Meng Yao added, adopting an apologetic tone. "Nevertheless, I admit that I let myself get carried away. A battlefield is no place to carry out private grudges -"

"He turned his back on you despite having accepted a duel with you?!" Nie Mingjue burst out, utterly incredulous, just as Meng Yao had hoped. "What was he thinking?!"

Probably that I was no threat, Meng Yao thought cynically, letting himself whole-heartedly lean into and believe the alternative universe where his lie had been the truth. That was the mark of a truly accomplished liar: the ability to genuinely believe, for however long necessary, that what he said was what it had really been. 

"What an idiot! Disrespectful, arrogant -" Nie Mingjue was raging, but he restrained himself after a moment, forcing himself to calm down. "Meng Yao, you're right, you should have known better than to proceed with a private duel while the sect was under attack. That is irresponsible, even if you got carried away by your feelings, and you will need to be punished appropriately. However, in light of your contributions in today's battle, I think we can reduce the number of strikes to - hm -"

"Two-thirds?" Meng Yao suggested, knowing that Nie Mingjue wanted to say half but couldn't quite bring himself to admit to that level of favoritism. That was the first thing Meng Yao had figured out about Nie Mingjue, in fact: he was dreadfully soft in the face of all he loved, but he desperately wanted to be a good man. And a good man, by the ancestral precepts of the Nie, was a harsh one, a just one, one who saw granting unnecessary mercy as weakness. "I can handle it, Sect Leader. It's only what I should do. As you said, Sect Leader, I should have known better. It was only that I got so angry..."

Meng Yao trailed off purposefully. 

As expected, Nie Mingjue picked up where he left off. "That's completely understandable," the man from a family and clan known for their uncontrollable rage said, nodding in absolute empathy. "But you must learn to channel your anger into the appropriate time and place. A considerable portion of Nie sect discipline and cultivation relates to that – ah, but you're still at the early stages there, having started as late as you did. Do not worry. Understanding will come in time."

Meng Yao bowed his head to hide his victory. 

He had remembered at the very last second that Nie sect principles did allow for manslaughter under certain circumstances, the way the rigid Lan sect rules did not. A proper duel, the challenge formally issued and agreed on by both parties, could be resumed at any time, and death was always a possibility; acting dishonorably wasn't permitted, so sneak attacks virtually never happened, but you were supposed to act as though you were at odds with a true enemy, never letting your guard down. Turning your back on someone you'd accept a duel with was an insult of the highest caliber. It mocked not only your opponent’s competence and ability, but their bravery - it looked down even upon their honor. 

A provocation that no one could resist.

Least of all someone starting to train in the Nie sect style, and thereby to have trouble controlling their temper!

If Nie Mingjue believed them to have been dueling, then the scene he'd happened upon looked very different. Temporary enemies united in the fight against the Wen, Meng Yao helping in the fight only to be disarmed, but then once the Wen were dead, matters breaking into strife once more: the Nie commander starting the fight back up, perhaps, saying some sneering words instead of helping Meng Yao up, insulting him, turning his back on him in even more blatant insult, and Meng Yao reaching in his unthinking rage to find the Wen sword at hand -

The Nie sect were notoriously emotional. Meng Yao wasn't, being far more inclined to put ruthless logic above all else, but men always judged others by their own measure. Nie Mingjue would evaluate the situation by putting himself in Meng Yao’s shoes, and under such circumstances, even Nie Mingjue might have been hard pressed to stay his hand (though obviously no one would be foolish enough to do such a thing to him, and he was likely to shout a warning anyway just because of who he was). True, it would never have happened, mostly because he would have also have had enough discipline to keep from killing his enemy in the middle of a battlefield. But he could understand it when someone else didn't manage to hold back to that degree. He could understand.

He could forgive.

And that was what mattered.

Maybe I should cultivate myself a reputation as a hair-trigger duelist, Meng Yao mused. Nie Mingjue would probably find that charming. I’d be like some yappy dog that tries to bite enemies three times the size – embarrassing, perhaps, but it would leave me a lot more leeway to eliminate my enemies.

Yes, I think I will do that. Plenty of the Nie already treat me as halfway to being Nie Mingjue's wife; this incident of forgiving a murder will only increase their respect for me, and a few more of the same, under permitted circumstances, will solidify it. The Nie sect has always respected aggression and violence. Showing more of that will make it easier for me to get my way when I really am half-master of the sect, with Nie Mingjue at my side.

And then, when the war with the Wen begins in earnest, it will be the Nie that will come out ascendant - the Nie which have never bowed, the Nie which have kept the rest of the cultivation world free through their own blood and valor, the Nie who everyone will owe for their lives and for the futures. Lan Xichen is an old friend of Nie Mingjue’s, and that Jiang sect puppy just now, Jiang Cheng, looked halfway in love with him after today's performance. They will happily support Nie Mingjue to be Chief Cultivator when Wen Ruohan is gone.

And Nie Mingjue, who hates paperwork so much, will give it all to me.

Jin Guangshan - 

Father -

In the end, you will be the one at the bottom of the stairs, and me at the top. You'll be the one to come begging me, wanting me to take your name, pretending it to be a privilege for me when in truth it will be one for you. You'll be the one groveling and sniffing around for the chance to rub off a little of my honor and status, to add my shine to yours, and the only thing you'll have to trade with is the surname I have always deserved, the one you owed it to my mother to give me. I'll accept it, oh yes, I’ll accept it, because it is mine and always should have been mine. But I’ll accept it at the time that I choose, the place that I choose, the manner that I choose, acting from strength rather than weakness.

You will come to me. Not the other way around.

Yes, that is how it will be.

You and that bitch wife of yours, you who both looked down upon me, who looked down upon my mother who had more value in her little finger than both of you put together: you'll both have to see me bow to her on my wedding day, to see her honored in front of the whole world by a man better than all of you put together. 

Meng Yao smiled. 

"Thank you, Sect Leader," he said. "I will learn. I promise you."

Nie Mingjue had that transfixed expression that always came on him when Meng Yao used that particular smile, the one he usually kept buried deep inside his heart - the cruel, vicious, hungry one, the one that revealed his longing to dominate and devour everything in his path, cherishing only the selected few. The smile Meng Yao had once thought he would never be able to show anyone at all, least of all someone above him, because it revealed too much about what he was really like, not obedient nor submissive in the slightest.

The smile he had thought would only ever be met with repulsion and disgust, and certainly not looked upon with desire, the way Nie Mingjue did whenever he saw it.

"...you can call me by name in private," Nie Mingjue finally said. He looked half-hypnotized by his own fascination, and only grew more so when Meng Yao dropped the humble act and prowled towards him like the snarling vicious beast that he sometimes felt he was under his skin. "If - if you want."

"I do want," Meng Yao purred. "Thank you for the honor, Sect Leader...no. Nie Mingjue."

Nie Mingjue swallowed hard.

"We should celebrate tonight," Meng Yao said.

"...celebrate?"

"Yes, of course. It’s only fair, isn’t it? The whole Nie sect should have a chance to savor our victory. Your victory."

And mine.

[whitehotharlots]

Okay, fine, let’s define “wokeness” so you people will shut up about it

Wokeness is amorphous but not nebulous. Like all social phenomena, it exists only to the extent to which it is subject to formal description, and its purveyors are wont to resist any attempts at being pinned down by outsiders (I cannot, for example, think of a single philosopher associated with Postmodernism who did not reject the label--at least not at first). The difficulties with defining human phenomena are compounded greatly while the phenomenon in question is still unfolding, but that does not mean that earnest efforts toward definition cannot be undertaken. Wokeness most certainly exists. It deserves to be delineated, even if its vastness and dominance make it difficult to do so in a manner that everyone (or anyone) finds fully definitive. 

Wokeness should be understood as an immense and rapidly adopted change in the manner through which left-liberals adjudicate morality, righteousness, and even factuality. It applies not just to individual people but to nearly everything: broad social happenings, historical events, places, industries, and matters of scientific fact. It engenders contradictions at an hysterical pace, which actually strengthens the movement, due to the radicalism of its approaches.

Wokeness is best described as a form of Associationist Manicheanism. Whatever falls under its analytical purview is declared either good or bad (never both) not according to the beliefs and ideologies in question, nor to the material consequences thereof, but according to the conceptually recognized identity markers associated with whatever is being analyzed. There are good things and good people. There are bad things and bad people. Good things are good because they are good. Bad things are bad because they are bad. All other forms of adjudication--from direct empiricism, deductive and inductive logic, or even simple cause-and-effect--are subordinated within wokeness, if they are even acknowledged. 

The lack of ideological consistency and dismissal of material analysis naturally leads to a slew of obvious contradictions, which makes wokeness very difficult to pin down even as its presence becomes more and more undeniable. This provides an added bonus to the movement’s purveyors, as their wanton duplicity allows them to claim the lack of existence of something that’s happening right in front of them, an absence of belief in very the causes they champion. (”Why are you freaking out about this? It’s not even happening! And also it is happening and it’s good.”)

The wokes believe that police and prisons should be abolished, but also that we need much stricter gun control and hate speech laws. They believe it a form of severe violence--perhaps even genocide--to not understand the identities of others as they understand themselves, but also that you face a moral obligation to understand yourself as they tell you to. They believe that outsiders should be subjected to brutal criticism regarding their very existence, but also that any disagreement is a form of violence. They think that violent street crime--up to and including rape--should be dealt with via the light hand of “restorative justice,” but also that vague accusations of causing discomfort should be enough to ruin a man’s life and career. They revel in victimhood but deplore fragility, embrace vague “ways of knowing” while demanding absolute clarity and unpassable evidentiary bars of from their ideological enemies, and regard truth as a white supremacist fiction while possessing unshakable certainty in their own worldview. 

There are many, many more examples. These are just ones from the top of my head. 

These contradictions are allowed to stand. They are never acknowledged, let alone addressed. This is because the woke believe there is only one, universal mechanism for (in)validating any belief, action, or assertion: determining its conceptual association with the pre-established Good or the pre-established Bad. They don’t start by asking “is this statement true” or “is this belief harmful.” They can tell everything they need to know by running a quick identity index of the person who made the statement or professed the belief. Sometimes, in the absence of obvious markers of race, gender, or sexuality (or in the case of those markers contradicting the desired (in)validation outcome), they will revert to aesthetic symbols or nominally ideological group affiliations. So, yes, a white Democrat man outweighs a black Republicanman , who outweighs a white Republican man, who is outweighed himself by a black Republican woman, etc, etc, but most issues play out according to partisan lines.

And that’s it. Seriously, that’s it. You can regard it as a bold new era of social progress or as a civilization-destroying scourge. Your opinion does not matter. The point is, this is all a very blunt and very radical sleight of hand in regards to how beliefs, actions, and statements are adjudicated. Its purveyors readily admit to this. Nothing written in this essay is in the least bit deniable. 

Of course, my analysis won’t matter for the reasons outlined above. I am a white (bad) man (bad) who has previously expressed reservations toward left-identitarian activism (very super double bad). Three Bad designations is too much to overcome, no matter how much I profess myself to be on the left or assure my readers I support that broad social goals that wokeness disingenuously claims to be striving toward. But even if I were a black trans woman who was born without legs, this essay would still be dismissed because it would be conceptually associated with the people who criticize wokeness, who are bad. I am bad and this piece is bad. That’s all there is to it. And that means I’m wrong, wokeness isn’t a real thing, but also it is a real thing and it’s so good and perfect that criticizing it makes you bad.  

[noneedtofearorhope]

i understand the appeal of wishing there were and had been stricter rules about masking and vaccination. i mean, we already live under the thumb of so many rules it's hard to add them all up (no really, several attempts to add up US federal laws have been made. it's estimated to be more than 30k tho). and it doesn't seem like we'll shake free of them anytime soon. so we might as well have some which protect us, right?

but i think it's important that we as anarchists and communists to not lose sight of the bigger picture. it's not so much that a lack of rules is what resulted in hundreds of thousands of extra deaths due to covid, and much more that the working class is forced to sell its labor power to make a living. in a world where you dont have to make sure to pay rent to live under a roof, where you dont have to bake 20 loaves of bread just to afford one for yourself, in a world without the state, capital, property, money, markets and all the other trappings, we all could have hunkered down for a couple months and the whole idea of mask mandates would almost be absurd. and in the meantime, instead of giving more power to these same forces so they may turn it back upon some sections of ourselves, we would be better off demanding they give us more free shit.

[friendlydungeonmanager]

The Hierarchies of Calorum’s Kingdoms

Each kingdom in Calorum has a distinct political structure, shaped by its cultural traditions and the resources that define its power. Below are the ruling systems, key figures, and major political factions of each nation.

The Kingdom of Candia (Monarchical Theocracy of Sweets & Honor)

A kingdom built on chivalry, noble bloodlines, and divine right, where knights and rulers swear fealty to the sacred traditions of Castle Candy.

Hierarchy & Leadership:

1. The Sovereign of Sweets – The absolute monarch, ruling by divine right.

Current Ruler: King Bertrand Biscotti III – A pious and aging king known for his unwavering devotion to The Great Oven.

He rules from Castle Candy, where he upholds strict knightly traditions but is losing political control due to factional infighting.

2. The Sugar Council – A body of high-ranking noble families, each representing a different confectionery industry (Chocolate, Caramel, Nougat, etc.).

The Council often undermines the king, using its economic power to control trade and taxation.

Notable Councilors:

Duchess Praline Truffle (Chocolate Trade)

Lord Toffee Macaron (Caramel & Taffy Exports)

Countess Peppermint Snaps (Candy Cane Military Supply)

3. The Grand Confectioner (High Priest of The Great Oven)

The spiritual leader of Candia, oversees both the faith and the coronation of kings.

Current Grand Confectioner: Archbishop Doughan the Pious

4. The Knights of the Lollipop Lance – The elite military order, sworn to defend Candia’s traditions and monarchy.

Led by Sir Custard Velour, a fiercely loyal but aging knight, torn between his oath to the king and loyalty to the Sugar Council.

Political Conflicts:

The Sugar Council seeks to replace the King with a puppet ruler under their control.

Religious tensions grow between traditionalists and reformists within The Great Oven’s faith.

A secret rebellion brews among the lower classes, demanding an end to feudal control of food production.

---

The Dairy Islands (Merchant Republic of Cheese & Naval Power)

A seafaring confederation of merchant-princes, ruled by trade guilds and religious zealots.

Hierarchy & Leadership:

1. The High Creamlord (Elected Trade Monarch)

Current Ruler: High Creamlord Ricotta Fontina – A cunning, manipulative leader who balances diplomacy and naval dominance.

Elected by the Guild Council, ruling from the capital Fondueford.

2. The Guild Council (Oligarchy of Dairy Trade Lords)

A council of twelve merchant-princes, each controlling a major export of dairy products.

Notable Guild Leaders:

Count Brie Vacherin (Soft Cheese & Spices)

Dame Gouda Manchego (Aged Cheese & Military Provisions)

Commodore Blue Stilton (Naval Warfare & Dairy Protection)

3. The Holy Cream Order (Religious Enforcers of Mother Milk)

A militant clergy enforcing religious law and trade purity.

Grand Priestess Butterbelle Lactessa leads this faction, demanding stricter religious control over exports.

4. The Corsair Admiralty (Dairy Privateer Fleet)

Dairy Islands rely on privateers and pirates to defend their waters and disrupt rivals.

Captain Havarti Blackflag leads the Cheese Raider Armada, secretly working with smugglers.

Political Conflicts:

The Guild Council clashes with religious zealots, who seek to enforce divine control over dairy trade.

Pirates and smugglers grow bolder, challenging the High Creamlord’s authority.

A cheese embargo threatens war with Candia and the Grain Kingdom.

---

The Meat Lands (Warlord Kingdom of Strength & Feasting)

A brutal land where only the strongest rule, and disputes are settled in blood-soaked arenas.

Hierarchy & Leadership:

1. The Carnal King (Warlord of the Throne)

Current Ruler: King Gorgo Beefhammer – A ruthless but charismatic warrior-king, crowned after killing his predecessor in single combat.

Rules from Meatchunk Keep, maintaining control through fear, feasts, and public executions.

2. The Bloodgrill Council (Warrior Chieftains & Clansmen)

A council of five warlords, each controlling a different clan of the Meat Lands.

Notable Warlords:

Lady Marrow Bonebreaker (Tactician & Siege Warfare)

Lord Rind Ironspit (Raider & Pirate Lord)

Baron Chorizo Sausagefist (Feastmaster & Gladiatorial Leader)

3. The Flesh Priests of The Butcher Saint

A religious sect that sanctifies battle and war through ritual bloodletting.

High Bloodpriest Flankus the Merciless promotes holy war against the weak.

Political Conflicts:

The warlords secretly plot against King Beefhammer, seeking to claim his throne.

A religious schism emerges between the Flesh Priests and military generals.

The Meat Lands prepare for war against Vegetania, claiming "greens corrupt the warrior’s soul."

---

Vegetania (Theocracy of Druids & Agricultural Scholars)

A druidic nation dedicated to balance, growth, and the cycle of life.

Hierarchy & Leadership:

1. The Verdant Sovereign (Divine Arbiter of Nature)

Current Ruler: High Druid Celeryn Rootbinder – A wise but reclusive ruler, more focused on preserving balance than wielding power.

Mediates disputes from the sacred city of Greenhold.

2. The Council of Roots (Druidic Circles & Agricultural Masters)

A democratic council of elders, farmers, and druids, who vote on major policy decisions.

Notable Members:

Elder Kumato Brightvine (Fruit Farmers & Diplomacy)

Sage Rutabaga Thornroot (Druidic Guardians of the Wild)

Professor Chicory Greenseed (Botanical Scholars & Medicine)

3. The Avocado Order (Sacred Guardians of the Orchard)

A sect of mystic monks and druids who believe the first fruit holds divine secrets.

Grand Monk Persimmon the Wise leads them, searching for the "Seed of Creation."

Political Conflicts:

Radical druids seek to wage war on the Meat Lands, viewing carnivores as enemies of nature.

Scholars and mystics clash over the truth of the first fruit and divine wisdom.

Internal corruption spreads, as a rogue druid faction experiments with forbidden plant alchemy.

---

The Grain & Starch Dominions (Merchant Kingdom of Bread, Rice & Pasta)

A land ruled by wealth, trade routes, and powerful merchant houses rather than kings.

Hierarchy & Leadership:

1. The Bread Baron (Elected Leader of the Merchants)

Current Ruler: Baron Ciabatta Crustworth III – A corrupt, cunning ruler, who plays factions against each other to maintain power.

2. The Five Flour Guilds (Economic Powerhouses of Trade & Infrastructure)

Each guild controls a different staple food export, competing for dominance.

Political Conflicts:

Merchant guilds conspire to overthrow the Baron.

Breadforged rebellion threatens to collapse the industry.

The Grain Dominions may be forced to choose between war and trade with Candia.

---

[athetos]

stupid question, but I hate my job that I've only started 3 months ago, is being in a mail room an okay job if I am just trying to have a position to hold down for a few years that won't make me wanna die?

thanks for any advice xoxo

It depends what company you work for. Im a contractor for a very popular company’s mailroom and it’s fairly decent. Theres quite a lot of down time, and my bosses are chill. Unfortunately, the specific people I work for are really aggravating; they’re all upper middle class ppl who have never had a service job in their life and can be very entitled and demanding. It can also be physically demanding, as I deliver not just envelopes but large packages and occasionally even furniture, as well as heavy pallets.

If you don’t mind that, I’d recommend looking into it. There are also some mailroom jobs that focus just on delivering envelopes/handling money or scanning documents, but they can be a bit stricter from what I’ve heard, for example law firm and bank mailrooms can be pretty hard and frantic, not much down time and they tend to push you harder. Before this job I was in the mailroom for a local used car parts store, and that was pretty intense, although I did well, it was just exhausting, as I had to not just ship but also box the parts myself.

Pro tip: if you get a mailroom job, put it on your resume as “administrative assistant” or something similar other than mail clerk. It’s more respected and can open more doors for getting into office jobs, they eat that shit up.

[mckitterick]

Exhibit A: Cops are worthless

More than 800 police were on duty Wednesday - 600 KCPD cops and an additional 250 from outside cop shops - for the Chiefs Super Bowl win parade and rally at Union Station. Despite their heavy presence, they failed to stop a mass shooting.

One person, local KKFI radio DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, was killed. An additional 22 people were injured, with three still in critical condition. About half the victims are children.

It's believed that the shooting occurred because of a dispute between teenagers who missed each other at least 23 times, not because of terrorism or extremism.

In the wake of this mass shooting - during a run of ever-increasing gun violence (though other crimes are dropping) - Kansas City residents are demanding stricter gun laws. But Missouri state law doesn't allow cities to pass gun-related laws (to stop KC from doing so, specifically), and Missouri has famously lax gun laws.

Cops do almost nothing to protect citizens, and nothing to prevent crime.

They exist merely to punish perpetrators, which has very little effect on violence, especially when state law essentially allows anyone to possess whatever weapons they wish, at any age, regardless of gun safety education, stability, or maturity.

Lots more info on the local NPR news site: X

[polotical-problems]

🌟 Let’s Talk Gun Control: A Balanced Approach to Concealed Carry 🌟

This blog is meant to inform people of what should happen in the world and urge you to research this issue as it is a persistent one and should be taken action about.

Conceal carrying is also more of an issue with people's values and what they believe, there is no real single solution to solve this issue but a balanced approach might be the solution to the issue of carrying. There are many factors at risk. It is important to look at all factors before settling on an opinion.

In the United States, the debate around concealed carry isn't just about laws - it's about balancing public safety and constitutional rights. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, but carrying concealed firearms adds a layer of responsibility that demands careful consideration. Here's how we can create a safer, more balanced approach:

🔑 Stricter Permitting Standards:

Not everyone should have easy access to a concealed carry permit. States with lenient laws often see spikes in violent crime. By requiring applicants to show responsible behavior and meet strict criteria, we ensure permits go to those who are truly fit to carry.

🔎 Comprehensive Background Checks:

Loopholes in some state laws let individuals with concerning histories slip through. Mandatory background checks would help keep firearms out of the hands of those with criminal records or a history of violence.

📚 Mandatory Firearm Safety Training:

Carrying a gun isn't just a right- it's a responsibility. Training on safe handling, storage, and usage can prevent accidental discharges and theft, reducing risks to the public.

🚦 Why It Works:

These measures don't infringe on the Second Amendment rights; they strengthen them. Just as a driver's license proves competence behind the wheel, these safeguards ensure responsible gun ownership.

🛡️By implementing these common-sense reforms, we can protect individual rights and public safety. It's not about taking away guns - it's about ensuring they're in responsible hands.

The Critics Might Say: "It infringes on the Second Amendment rights"

Truthfully, stricter permitting, background checks, and mandatory training do not take away anyone's rights - they ensure responsible gun ownership. Just like requiring a license to drive, these safeguards promote competence without undermining freedoms.

"Criminals will carry guns no matter what."

While we can't stop illegal possession entirely, these reforms target legal pathways to concealed carry. By tightening standards, we reduce the likelihood of guns being misused by those who obtain them through legal means.

"It creates barriers for law-abiding citizens."

Requiring training and background checks is not a barrier - it's an investment in safety. Law-abiding gun owners should support measures that ensure firearms are carried by people who understand the responsibility that comes with them.

"The problem isn't the guns - it's the people."

That's why a balanced approach focuses on who gets to carry. Responsible behavior, clean histories, and proper training are the foundation of safe gun ownership.

Gun control is a major issue within the United States of America, many factors should be considered when deciding on whether one can conceal carry or not but there is no accurate way to tell this as depending on the situation gun can be helpful and harmful alike and hence we are presented with many situations where the lack of something to defend yourself can be harmful and helpful. Hence, a balanced approach would reach all of these factors and address them.

[darkmaga-returns]

On the very day that European lawmakers intensified their calls for stricter oversight of platforms like Meta and X, the European Commission (EC) denied accusations of censorship made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Despite this denial, critics point out that the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and past demands to remove content reveal a pattern of censorship embedded in its approach to regulating digital platforms.

Zuckerberg’s remarks, which accused Europe of institutionalizing censorship through its regulatory framework, prompted a firm rebuttal from the EC. “We absolutely refute any claims of censorship,” stated a Commission spokesperson. The DSA, they argued, does not compel platforms to remove lawful content but focuses on illegal material or content deemed harmful, such as that impacting children or democratic processes.

[roakkaliha]

finnish politicians love to demand stricter immigration laws as a response to the white supremacist finnish youths growing increasingly violent

[beardedmrbean]

The law under consideration on Friday would have been legally binding, unlike the motions on stricter migration policy passed on Wednesday

with the controversial support of the far-right AfD

Migration has become a top campaign issue ahead of February elections in the wake of a series of attacks carried out by migrant suspects

German lawmakers reject immigration law by 12 votes

The German Bundestag has narrowly rejected the "Influx Limitation Law."

The legislation was designed to tighten rules in existing laws on migration in Germany.

But the legislation was rejected by 350 lawmakers, with 338 in favor while five abstained.

SPD's Mützenich implores CDU/CSU not to close ranks with AfD

A senior member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has implored the conservative CDU/CSU opposition bloc not to rely on the votes of the far right to pass a divisive anti-migration bill.

"Ladies and gentleman, it's not too late," the Chairman of the SPD parliamentary group Rolf Heinrich Mützenich told lawmakers.

But should the CDU/CSU bloc rely on the far-right AfD, "the fall from grace will be with you forever," he warned before concluding Germany must "return to the center of democracy."

An 'emotional' debate comes to an end

An exceptionally emotional debate is over. It is rare to hear such serious accusations — ranging from breach of trust to disgrace to lies — in the Bundestag.

After two hours of debate, nerves were frayed. Perhaps because the parliamentarians are in the middle of an election campaign? Or was it because of the deeply divisive issue of migration policy? Or was it because, for the first time, a law could be passed only with the help of the far-right AfD?

A last-ditch attempt by the Social Democrats and the Greens to refer the law to the home affairs committee failed. The roll call voting will go ahead today.

Leftist Wagenknecht says debate 'hysterical'

Sahra Wagenknecht, head of the eponymously-named populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, refused to end her speech on time.

The vice president of the Bundestag tried to interrupt Wagenknecht several times and, in the end, shut down her microphone.

Wagenknecht called the whole debate hysterical, adding that it was the best campaign aid the far-right AfD party could have dreamed of. Nevertheless, she said, she would vote for the law and with the AfD.

Merz repeats he is not going to work with AfD

Green party leader Felix Banaszak asked Friedrich Merz to answer his question with a "yes" or "no" after Merz delivered his speech.

He asked if Merz was willing to accept AfD's vote to be chancellor.

In response, Merz asks Banaszak if he's read the newspaper in the last few weeks because he's repeatedly ruled out working with the AfD.

AfD vice chairman criticizes conservatives, but says will vote to pass bill

The vice chairman of the far-right AfD party attacked the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, but said his party will vote in favor of the so-called "influx limitation law" anyway.

"There can only be a fundamental change in migration policy with the AfD. The CDU/CSU has copied our demands in its draft law and that is why we are agreeing to it," said Bernd Baumann.

He complained that the Conservatives are "dithering" again, because they reached out to the Social Democrats and the Greens this morning.

The far-right lawmaker said the CDU/CSU were only now turning to tackle migration four weeks before the election. "That is not credible."

Foreign Minister Baerbock appeals for conservative U-turn

Germany's foreign minister appealed to the conservative CDU-CSU bloc candidate to be chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to reverse course on collaboration with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

"We all make mistakes, but responsibility means being able to correct ourselves," said Annalena Baerbock from junior coalition partner the Greens.

"It's not about yourself, it's about Germany. There are times when you have to correct your policy by 180 degrees. That is precisely the question now. Do the right thing."

Baerbock said that, in her view, voting with the AfD was wrong and that Wednesday — when the conservatives, business-focused Free Democrats, and AfD voted together — had been a "day of shame."

Merz calls for unity amidst controversy over 'Influx Limitation Law'

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), reiterated that he would never shake hands with the far-right AfD party.

He was speaking after the Bundestag debate on the so-called "Influx Limitation Law" resumed.

Merz acknowledges the AfD will support his bill.

He emphasized the importance of the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens agreeing to the bill to form a larger majority.

Merz claimed that the law contains only a few controversial provisions.

Addressing Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD personally, Merz demanded that the parliamentary groups in the middle of the political spectrum act together.

"There are many who are concerned about democracy, but there are many who are concerned about security and order in this country and expect decisions to be made," he said.

Bundestag 'Influx Limitation Law' debate resumes

The debate in the Bundestag resumed after four hours of crisis meetings between the parliamentary groups.

The leader of the Social Democrats in parliament, Rolf Mützenich, accused the leader of the conservative CDU, Friedrich Merz, of refusing to compromise and pushing forward aggressively.

The so called "Influx Limitation Law" is now set to be voted on, even if it requires the support of the right-wing AfD to pass.

Mützenich expressed grave concerns, stating, "Today's process is more dramatic than Wednesday's breach of taboo. For the first time, there is a danger that AfD votes will create law, not just a motion."

Mützenich urged Merz to "close the gateway to hell" and restore the firewall against the AfD.

What is meant by the 'firewall' in Germany against the far right?

Germany's main political parties have long had a consensus that cooperation with far-right parties is taboo — a consensus that drew lessons from the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II.

But that consensus, often described as a "firewall" by German politicians, seemed to have been undermined on Wednesday when a motion on migration policy put forward by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc was approved by the Bundestag with the support of the far-right AfD.

DW looks at the past and present history of the "firewall" — and where it has already been breached.

Read more here: Germany: What is the "AfD firewall"?

CDU's Merz insists vote must take place

Friedrich Merz, the parliamentary leader of the opposition CDU/CSU bloc and also its top candidate for February snap elections, has said the vote on a controversial draft bill that would tighten Germany's migration rules must go to the vote on Friday as planned.

He told members of his parliamentary group that he had spoken with the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens but that they wanted no changes, sources said.

For this reason, the Free Democrats (FDP) had retracted their call for the bill to be first sent to the parliamentary committee on domestic affairs, he reportedly said.

"We have to decide today," Merz was quoted as saying, adding that it was now clear that there would be no more talks with SPD or the Greens — the members of Germany's minority government — about migration measures during this legislative period.

Bundestag vice president explains delay in action

The vice president of the Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckhardt of the environmentalist Green Party, has briefly taken to the floor to explain to visitors in the gallery what is going on.

She said they should not be disappointed that they only see empty chairs instead of a lively debate.

A 30-minute recess called for by the CDU/CSU bloc has been extended as parliamentary group leaders from various parties hold discussions with CDU leader Friedrich Merz.

Closed-door talks on 'Influx Limitation Law' continue

Still waiting for the continuation of the plenary sitting in the Bundestag, two parliamentary groups are negotiating on how to proceed with the "Influx Limitation Law" tabled by the conservative CDU.

If lawmakers decide to refer the issue to the internal committees, there might not be enough time to vote on the draft law before the German elections on February 23.

Even if the Bundestag passes the law, the German Bundesrat, or upper house of parliament, must agree.

Some state leaders belonging to the CDU have already declared that they would vote down anything that the far-right AfD party supported. The Bundesrat allows Germany's 16 states to be represented at the federal level.

Crowds gather at Bundestag ahead of controversial vote

DW political correspondent Matthew Moore has noted how many normal citizens are interested in Friday's vote, calling it a "seismic" day on X, formerly Twitter.

"If you want to know how seismic today is in the German Bundestag, you only have to look at the crowd waiting for parliamentary group leaders to arrive for crisis talks, aimed at avoiding the AfD votes being decisive," he wrote.

"That would be a watershed moment."

Conservative bloc requests 30-minute recess

Surprise as the debate on the "influx limitation law" was supposed to start: The CDU/CSU group asked for a 30-minute recess because it said the conservatives had to talk about their next moves.

Will they withdraw the draft law, postpone the vote or try to convince other democratic parties to join them?

The FDP wants to send the draft law to internal committees for review, where it would certainly not be tackled before the snap election in Germany on February 23.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Joan E. Greve at The Guardian:

The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is pushing ahead with his plan to hold votes on four separate foreign aid bills this week, despite threats from two fellow Republicans to oust him if he advances a Ukraine funding proposal. Shortly after noon on Wednesday, the rules committee posted text for three bills that would provide funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The text of a fourth bill, which is expected to include measures to redirect seized Russian assets toward Ukraine and force the sale of TikTok, will be released later on Wednesday, Johnson said in a note to members.

The legislation would provide $26bn in aid for Israel, $61bn for Ukraine and $8bn for US allies in the Indo-Pacific. The Israel bill also appeared to include more than $9bn in humanitarian assistance, which Democrats had demanded to assist civilians in war zones like Gaza. Johnson indicated final votes on the bills were expected on Saturday evening, interfering with the House’s scheduled recess that was supposed to begin on Friday. If the House passes the bills, they will then be combined and sent to the Senate to simplify the upper chamber’s voting process. In February, the Senate approved a $95bn foreign aid package that included many of the same provisions outlined in the four House bills, and the upper chamber will need to reapprove the House package before it can go to Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.

In a statement, Biden called on the House to quickly approve Johnson’s proposal, saying, “The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: we stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed.” Johnson will almost certainly have to rely on Democratic votes to get the bills approved, as House Republicans’ majority has narrowed to just two members after a series of resignations. Mike Gallagher, a Republican representative of Wisconsin, had planned to resign on Friday, but his spokesperson told Politico that he “has the flexibility to stay and support the aid package on Saturday”. Some prominent Democrats were already signaling their support for the package on Wednesday, increasing the likelihood of its passage.

“After House Republicans dragged their feet for months, we finally have a path forward to provide support for our allies and desperately needed humanitarian aid,” said Rose DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House appropriations committee. “We cannot retreat from the world stage under the guise of putting ‘America First’.” In a concession to hard-right Republicans, Johnson said in his note to members that the House would also vote on Saturday on a border security bill. The text of the legislation will be posted late Wednesday, Johnson said, and it will include many of the policies outlined in HR 2, a Republican bill with many hardline immigration measures. The House already passed HR 2 last year, but it was never taken up by the Senate. The Democrats who control the Senate remain adamantly opposed to the bill, so a similar proposal faces little hope of passage in the upper chamber. Despite that concession, hard-right Republicans were already expressing displeasure with Johnson’s plan on Wednesday, arguing that any Ukraine aid must be directly linked with stricter border policies.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is advancing foreign aid proposals onto the House floor for a vote despite threats from his hard-right flank (especially on Ukraine aid funding).