#end of world war 2

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"The great force that now embarked on reconquering British Asia saw itself as the new ‘forgotten army’. British India provided the bulk of its manpower. The subcontinent was seething with discontent, directed and channelled by the Indian National Congress whose leaders the British had reluctantly released from jail as the war drew to its close. Official monitors reported that local people were relieved that the fighting had ended but were too exhausted and apprehensive about the future to indulge in anything more than perfunctory celebration. Indians, Burmese and Malayans were also horrified by the barbarity they had witnessed during the war’s ending and the future dangers it portended. The Bengal press adviser reported to the governor that people believed ‘the situation did not call for such indiscriminate havoc; and that the readiness to use such means has lowered the moral prestige of the United Nations’. The fiery nationalist apparatchik Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, general secretary of the Indian National Congress, commented that: ‘Entire cities, children, the old, animals and all have been wiped out. What a demonstration of the limitless cruelty of Western civilisation.’ Ominously, he went on to link Western barbarism with what he saw as the British attempt to perpetuate differences between Hindus and Muslims in India. Lord Wavell, viceroy of India and Patel’s main sparring partner, agreed about the atomic bomb: ‘It is not a weapon that any thinking man would willingly have put into the hands of the present-day world.'

Indians asked themselves what was the point in condemning German and Japanese atrocities if the Allies themselves were prepared to massacre civilians on such a massive scale. Others were as concerned with the political as with the moral implications of the atom bomb. Would its existence so hugely increase the imbalance of power between the West and Asian peoples that the mirage of independence would once again vanish? A Bengali newspaper wondered if ‘the Asiatic people would not pass from the hands of one group of pirates to another’. Aung San, leader of Burmese resistance against first the British and then the Japanese, vowed that ‘no atom bomb can stop our march toward freedom’."

- Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper, Forgotten Wars: The End of Britain's Asian Empire. London: Penguin, 2008. p. 15-16.

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

so in an attempt to actually use positive thinking, anytime i fuck up and my brain reacts as if ive cause a minor apocalyptic event, i compare my fuck up to the 4 minute fuck up committed by the crew of the uss william d porter.

and only today, as i was having to explain what happened to my mom when i was explaining the whole comparison thing, did i realise that most people dont know about it and ive decided that needs to change because its objectively hilarious.

...which is a weird thing to say about an event that occured on a warship in 1943, specifically november 14th.

see the uss william d porter was a fletcher-class destroyer but you dont need to know what that means, just that she had guns that went bang bang and that she was escorting another ship, the uss iowa, to cairo.

while they were on their way there, they performed some gun trials like testing the anti-aircraft guns or the torpedos. and while they were running a torpedo drill, the crew of the porter managed to fire a live torpedo straight at the iowa which you know, in terms of a list of things to do while escorting a ship, shooting a torpedo at them is not on that list.

especially if the president of the united states is on board.

yeah so fdr was on board and the gun trials were actually his idea, and part of the trials was that they were conducted under radio silence.

and that means the crew of the porter couldnt just call the iowa to be like "move out the way, we accidentally shot a torpedo at you."

but they did have signal lamps and you know, the signalman on board was trained to signal this exact kind of message.

...and uh never mind, the signalman did manage to successfully tell the iowa that a torpedo was coming toward them but wasnt as successful when it came to the direction the torpedo was coming from.

not all hope is lost though because the signalman could still use the signal lamp to correct his previous mistake and-, never mind, he announced that the porter was reversing, which she wasnt.

yeah so at catastrophic mistake number 3, they broke radio silence to warn the iowa and she managed to turn out of the way just in time which meant no one got hurt. and even though the inquiry into the incident led to chief torpedoman (fantastic job title btw) lawton dawson being sentences to hard labour, fdr intervened and waved away his sentence, saying it was all an accident.

but yeah, so thats my new measure for "how much did i really fuck up?" and when i compared accidentally picking up a pencil case without a tag on it in wilko, turns out it was a very minor fuck-up. yes, the cashier had to ask another worker to grab a duplicate so they could scan the barcode, but i didnt nearly kill the president during wartime via accidental friendly fire

[theworldatwar]

The rear gunner of an RAF Lancaster bomber watches the sky for enemy fighters as they head out on another mission - date and location unknown

[astralarias]

Songshaper Rel - an Olmakhan musician and druid, they left Sandswept Isles after the Inquest were defeated. Although a victory for the Olmakhan, Rel had lost their mate in the battle, and suddenly home didn't feel like home anymore. They set out for the continent of Tyria, hoping that exploring the world would ease their soul. Whilst there, they meet someone who they end up loving very, very much.

[kelin-is-writing]

… I hate all this with the strength of a thousand suns. You deserved better, you really deserved way better than whatever this is…

[intersectionalpraxis]

IMEU poster states: Israel has killed more journalists in Gaza than all journalists killed in World War 2.

[jascurka]

Re-reading a beloved fic and noticing things you didn't see before and it's even more beloved now.

[simple-sheep]

Anyone telling you not to vote or to vote 3rd party because of Palestine do not have your best interest at heart or theirs.

I keep seeing these psyop talking points being spread around and the threat to our democracy is too great to ignore them.

Throwing away your vote won't help Palestine. Throwing away your vote will hurt them and also every single vulnerable person in America if Trump wins.

By not voting or voting 3rd party you are saying you don't care about your rights OR the rights of LGBTQA+ people, POC, disabled people, homeless people, poor people, etc.

Anyone telling you NOT to vote or to throw your vote away for a conflict a President cannot solve is a liar and only wants you to suffer. Biden can't tell another country what to do and funding is up to Congress--which still has too many reds in it anyway.

If your mortality extends to not voting because of Palestine because it makes you upset, but it DOESN'T make you upset that Trump wants to be a Christofascist dictator and strip rights from you and your neighbors then you are about as useful to Palestine as a piece if dirt is to a starving man.

Your morals are weak and you stand for nothing. Trump will wipe Palestine off the map. Biden has been arguing for a ceasefire but the far right government in Israel DENIED it because it would "hurt Trump" if they accepted it. Netanyahu WANTS Trump to win, you do get that right?

You are being played for a fool. If you actually care about people you'll vote for who ever the dem candidate is (probably Harris) and every blue senator and house rep you see running and then keep the pressure on them to keep fighting for a ceasefire deal.

Cause otherwise you're just giving into psyop talking points and throwing EVERYONE, including Palestinians, under the bus with you.

[doe-prince]

no rest, commander

[nozomijoestar]

Asuka is a tragic figure, a figure of mystery, a wild card, all because the only thing she wants in life is peace and quiet for herself and to feel in control- yet her secret heritage that may be hidden from her for her own protection and the reality that life is unpredictable and will go on with or without you keep ruining that delusion, that vision of how the world is meant to work to her, and she suffers regardless of what she wants, what she does, and how little she understands anything

She was born into a family preaching peace and balance and order while being a creature of violence, and puts a dozen mental locks and excuses over this truth to justify giving into her impulse for fighting by pretending she's justice when she does it

She keeps trying to build a place of safety but she's using sand and life is a wave that destroys, yet she stubbornly persists rather than give up, not drowned to the point of self centered suicidal loathing like Jin- there's contrast, where Jin is cloaked in death Asuka stubbornly clings to life and humanity as a normal person in a terrifying world

She's not a fucking narrative clone for Jun's own purpose, Asuka's purpose must be determined by Asuka herself

[ardentpoop]

anyway s2 will always have a place in my heart

[icebrooding]

They are literally the softest couple I have ever seen in my life 🥺💕

[choose-your-own-dentistry]

observing them.

[omgkalyppso]

Of these, I guess. Tell me if a different line stood out for you!

[theworldatwar]

A German Heinkel bomber over the East End of London during the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe’s air offensive on Great Britain - Aug 1940