#from a politician of the leading party in germany as well who is know to be a rightwing fascist and antisemite but who cares right

[jotarrokujo]

immigrants being compared to i quote "a cancer in germany that must be eradicated"

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Kate Connolly at The Guardian:

A German aristocrat who hosted Samuel Alito at her castle in 2023 has revealed new details about her friendship with the rightwing supreme court justice, including that they share a mutual friend who played a key role in JD Vance’s conversion to Catholicism. Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, a onetime party girl turned traditionalist Catholic activist who has faced criticism for her defense of far-right politicians in Germany, told the Guardian that she first met Alito in Rome – she could not remember what year – and that both were friends of Dominic Legge, a priest and Yale Law graduate in Washington who Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, has often cited in discussions about his adult conversion to Catholicism.

The relationship between the 64-year-old noblewoman and Alito sparked media interest after the supreme court justice revealed last week in a financial disclosure form that he had accepted concert tickets worth $900 from the billionaire, who refers to herself as a princess even though Germany’s aristocracy was officially disbanded after the first world war. She later told the German press that Alito had overestimated the cost of the tickets, but did not elaborate. The supreme court justice has previously faced scrutiny for failing to report free travel on a private jet from a wealthy conservative billionaire who had business before the court, a story first reported by ProPublica that is a part of a broader ethics scandal that has engulfed the high court in recent years. Alito faced a separate controversy earlier this year after it was discovered that his household had flown an upside-down flag, a symbol of Stop the Steal campaigners who falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, as well as a second flag at a beach property that was associated with the Christian nationalist movement. Alito’s disclosure about the free tickets are significant for another reason: they reveal new insights into Alito and his wife Martha-Ann’s apparent personal ties to a European aristocrat who is deeply entrenched in an international rightwing movement that is seeking to advance conservative Catholic policies.

Allies in her fight include the rightwing nationalist Steve Bannon and the ultra conservative German cardinal Gerhard Müller, who she once called the “Donald Trump of the Catholic Church”. Her circle is known to be fiercely critical of Pope Francis – who is seen as too liberal by orthodox and traditionalist sects of the Catholic church. Legge, who leads the Thomistic Institute in Washington, is a prominent member of an elite circle of traditionalist Catholics in the US capital, and sits on the board of an organization – the Napa Legal Institute – alongside Leonard Leo, the powerbroker who is widely seen as having used his influence to install Republicans’ conservative supermajority on the supreme court and reportedly recently called for conservative activists to “crush liberal dominance at the choke points of influence and power in our society”.

[...] Von Thurn und Taxis compared herself to the late British Queen Elizabeth – whose family she noted was of German descent – and said the role of the aristocracy in Germany was to unite people and “keep politics out of the salon”. She also claimed in an email not to know that the decision that overturned abortion rights is called the “Dobbs decision”. But an examination of von Thurn und Taxis’s own activities shows that the woman who was known during a punk phase – before her turn to conservative Catholicism – as Princess TNT, for her explosive personality – has deep political ties that have given her access not only to supreme court justices, but inside the Trump White House.

[...] “This is not just about the arrogance of a powerful man already embroiled in controversial ties to billionaires. It is also about the company he keeps: choosing to accept very expensive concert tickets from a woman who embraces far-right politicians who are aligned with her outspoken hostility toward abortion access and marriage equality,” said Lisa Graves, the managing director of Court Accountability and a former deputy assistant attorney general at the US Department of Justice. Graves added: “Their alliance is unsurprising though very troubling since Alito has been using his position on the supreme court to advance a parallel regressive agenda into law.” In October 2019, at a speech in Washington in which she effusively praised the Trump administration, von Thurn und Taxis personally thanked Leonard Leo for setting up meetings for Cardinal Müller, who she was traveling with, to visit the White House and meet with people who were directly advising Trump on religious liberty and free speech.

She warned that, if Trump was not re-elected, “they will come after us” and that “nothing less” was at stake than the right to worship. Democrat Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, later won the 2020 election, but neither he nor Nancy Pelosi, another prominent Democratic Catholic politician, are seen as authentic Catholics by traditionalists. During that trip, von Thurn und Taxis also met and was photographed with Alito, Cardinal Müller, the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Brian Brown, who was then the head of the anti-LGBTQ+ group National Organization for Marriage (NOM). According to reporting by the New Yorker, NOM was actively lobbying the court on cases involving gay rights at the time of the meeting.

This year, in a speech at the National Conservatism Conference in Brussels in April called Threats to Faith and Family, von Thurn und Taxis served up a series of grievances about the state of the family in Europe, complained that “only homosexuals want to get married”, while unmarried heterosexual couples were opting for pets instead of children. She also criticized – in an apparent reference to the availability of reproductive rights in Europe – how leaders continued to “finance the killing of our offspring”, which she said would exacerbate future labor shortages on the continent. “Does this make any sense? Is there some kind of racism? Are we not supposed to reproduce?” she asked rhetorically, before launching into praise of Hungary, which she said was an outlier in supporting families with children. Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian autocratic leader, has been a guest at the noblewoman’s festival.

The Guardian has a explosive report that SCOTUS Justice Samuel Alito has ties to far-right German aristocrat Gloria von Thurn und Taxis.

[baga24]

‘’The Crossroads’’ Part 16 ANTI-CULTISTS MANIPULATE PUTIN

I continue to introduce you, dear readers, in text format to the speech of esteemed Egon Cholakian in his landmark video address 

“The Crossroads”.

So:

“ANTI-CULTISTS MANIPULATE PUTIN

Mr. Putin, as someone who loves history and knows it well, can you not see the horrific similarities between the current course of your country and the tragic path of Nazi Germany under Hitler's leadership? Or are you consciously ignoring the apparent facts, leading your country and the world to the brink of disaster?

Can you not see the similarities between the slogans and narratives of propaganda in your country and those of Nazi Germany? Have you not noticed that you are already following the same path as Hitler, even speaking his words?

Remember history—Hitler's path began with a party concerned with the welfare of workers and Christians. But once they became entangled with anti-cultists and specific influential religious figures, they transformed into a monstrosity that shook the world.

Today, you, Mr. Putin, and your party are treading the same road, repeating this fateful path step by step.

 The truth is that behind you stand the direct heirs and followers of those who once gave rise to Nazism and manipulated Hitler. The same sinister forces that once plunged the world into war and suffering are pulling the strings today, controlling you.

Look closely at those who stand behind you.

Yes, we know that you have intentionally created competing groups within your inner circle. You aimed to maintain a balance of power, ensuring that you remained the unrivaled player in this complex political game. 

You tried to position the pieces on the chessboard so that no one could defeat you. Your strategy was brilliant. But face the truth: one of these factions has outplayed not only its rivals but you as well.

 Now, while you believe you have everything under control, the reality is that this group has been manipulating you for quite some time.

 You are following the rules they dictate. Can't you see how methodically they are eliminating your faithful supporters and replacing them with puppets who serve their misanthropic agendas?

I am about to tell you something that no one else dares to say. And do you know why? Because, unlike those people you have surrounded yourself with, I want nothing from you: no power, no money, no privileges.

 The only thing I want is for you to regain your common sense. For you to finally analyze the situation on your own, without the influence of your "advisors." I assure you, the picture you will see will vastly differ from the one they are painting for you.

You, like Hitler in his time, have been subjected to covert mind manipulation and have been implanted with false beliefs. You are being deliberately turned into the new Führer of the 21st century. 

And it was done by those you allowed close to you, who are now near you but operate behind your back. 

Many of your convictions result from their deliberate coding of your mind. Reflect on this, remember what you initially aspired to achieve when you took office and where you have ultimately led the country today.

Look at yourself. Don't you see how radically you've changed? Remember who you were and what you aimed for, and compare that to who you have become.

 I remember the ideas you came with and where you started, Mr. Putin. You had ambitious plans—you wanted to join NATO and establish a visa-free regime with the USA. You sought integration with the West and the democratization of the country. What happened to those aspirations?

I'll tell you what happened. Those who secretly manipulate you didn't let it happen. They influenced your politicians, your entourage, and you. They elevated you to the heavens just to later bring you down, just as they did with Hitler and Stalin.

You have been masterfully manipulated by those whom you trust unconditionally. Your so-called "advisors" and "allies" have spent years drilling into your head that the USA is your main enemy. They whispered that it is we who sabotage your plans, plot against you, and wish you harm. They made you believe that it was the USA that crushed your plans. But that's a lie.

It was not the USA that thwarted your initiatives and ambitious plans. It was those who now stand behind your back, whom you consider your trusted confidants. It is they who methodically, step by step, created the conditions that made your original goals impossible.

They gradually changed your course, steering you further and further away from your initial intentions. And they did this not in the interests of your country but for their own purposes.

Moreover, these same people, being representatives of global anti-cultism, through their branches in the USA, actively sabotaged cooperation between our countries. They played a double game, destroying the bridges we tried to build.

                    ***

Open your eyes! These ideologues of modern Nazism are not just playing with you — they have turned you into a pawn in their game, a game whose rules you do not know. Those you trust lead you towards isolation and confrontation, destroying all chances for progress and international cooperation.

Your entourage applauds your every step, but these are applause on the way to the abyss. They are not rejoicing in your successes but in their growing power over you. And while you indulge in the illusion of power, they have almost achieved their goals.

You do not see most of what is really happening. You are being played just like the whole of Russia and the rest of the world by true grandmasters whose existence you are not even aware of. 

But the most frightening thing is that some of these puppet masters are in your closest circle, among those you shake hands with. If they were not close to you, they would not be able to so methodically destroy democracy and instill Nazi ideology in your country.

You are blind to what is happening around you. All over the world—and in your country as well—the "agents of influence" of these hidden grandmasters sow chaos and violence and organize monstrous terrorist attacks, including mass shootings in schools: this is methodical testing of terror and covert mind manipulation technologies, and your country has become a testing ground for these experiments.

                  ***

You publicly claim that you know who organized the tragic terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall. But do you know that you regularly meet and shake hands with those who are actually behind organizing this attack?

These are the ones who ultimately benefit from it. When they meet you personally, they smile to your face and praise you, showering you with flattery. Meanwhile, behind your back, they meticulously planned and executed "Crocus." 

They did this to weaken your position and show you how vulnerable you are. 

Secondly, this attack was meant to pit Christians against Muslims, to incite inter-religious hatred, create internal tension, expel Muslim migrants, and significantly weaken Islam in Russia. 

This is another step in their strategy to change Russia's fate in the near future. 

Only a few representatives of your FSB—more accurately, now the Gestapo—are aware of this scenario for Russia's future, but they will never tell you about it.

What I am saying is not a prediction or prophecy. It is merely the result of quality intelligence. Real intelligence.

What these new-format Nazis have done to your country has already crossed all conceivable boundaries. This is practically open Nazism, and they are just one step away from proclaiming it openly.

## TO BE CONTINUED…

Please support this important information with likes, shares, comments, and applause!

#Allatra #ClimateChange #EgonCholakian #TheCrossroads #GlobalChanges 

[bopinion]

2024 / 02

Aperçu of the Week:

"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn."

(Orson Welles, multi-mastermind)

Bad News of the Week:

The AfD (Alternative für Deutschland / Alternative for Germany) is a far-right party. Surprise! Voting for this association of right-wing populists without any well thought-out political program or even considering it should be out of the question for anyone who thinks about it for even five seconds. Because who would actually vote for Nazis? That's the problem: many people who are dissatisfied with current politics tend to vote for what they see as a protest against those in power. This is acceptable with Die Linke (The Left), for example, which is currently being thrown out of all parliaments. At least they firmly anchored on democratic ground.

The AfD is not. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it is "definitely right-wing extremist" in several state associations, especially in the east of the Federal Republic of Germany, where several state elections are due in 2024. And yet it leads the election forecasts - by a wide margin. What's going on? Do many voters really think no further than cheap election campaign slogans such as "Germany first"? (Does this sound familiar to some US-Americans?). As if we really have no bigger problems than the widespread lack of understanding that transsexuals also deserve civil rights?

A few days ago, investigative journalists found out that there was a far-right meeting in Potsdam near Berlin. On the agenda was the topic of "remigration". The core concern: People who are not "bio-German" through and through should have their lives in Germany made so miserable that they (have to) leave the country voluntarily or, if necessary, by force. You could also call it expulsion. In addition to the usual suspects, it was noticeable that several politicians from the AfD, who also hold leadership positions, took part. Surprise!

This adds fuel to the fire of the party ban issue. This has been under discussion for some time. In theory, the Federal Constitutional Court can ban a party that poses a threat to democracy due to its positions and scope. In my gut, this is a clear-cut case, but not in my head. On the one hand, the hurdles are high and can be overcome with legal subtleties - for example, anyone who wins a seat in a democratic parliament in a democratic election and formally complies with the democratic statutes there must be a democrat. And secondly, failure would reinforce the victim myth of being disadvantaged or even excluded by the establishment.

In addition - as difficult as it is for me to say - there is also a fundamental question here. Namely that of legitimacy. Can we (according to current surveys) deny 22% of the population who want to be politically represented by the AfD the right to be represented by it in parliament? Vox populi vox bovi (the voice of the people is the voice of oxen), as the Latin says. I always say that the basic problem with democracy is that it does not demand any qualifications from the sovereign (i.e. the people who vote). This is precisely why the recipe of convincing voters programmatically is doomed to failure. After all, this would also require potential AfD voters to engage objectively with the topic of politics. Which they obviously don't do. Otherwise they would not vote for the AfD. Except for those who really want to consciously vote for who despise democracy, divide society and marginalize people. In short: Nazis. But that's certainly not 22%.

Good News of the Week:

Taiwan has voted - or the "Republic of China", as the de facto state (Wikipedia can't be wrong) is called. And it's democracy. And its independence. The incumbent Vice President Lai Ching-te - better known as William Lai - of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has won the election as the successor to President Tsai Ing-wen, who is no longer running in accordance with the constitution. With the clearly defined goal of preserving the autonomy of the island republic as irreversibly as possible.

This is remarkable in that the People's Republic of China on the other side of the Taiwan Strait has not been sparing with intimidation recently. Not only with a strict one-China diction, but also militarily. Hardly a day goes by without a Chinese fighter plane or warship entering Taiwanese territory. Similarly, Hou You-yi from the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party literally stood for election as the programmatic opposite. And was unable to prevail.

The democratic world congratulates the winner. And Beijing is fuming with rage that this would send the "wrong signals to the separatist movement" in Taiwan. Movement? No, this is a democratically legitimized executive that is now entering its third term in office. The clearest criticism is of course directed at the USA, although the latter cautiously stated in its statement that it was looking forward to further development of cooperation in line with the "one-China policy". Beijing even speaks of the "first red line", which must not be crossed under any circumstances.

It is good to see that these foreseeable reactions from the red giant have neither deterred the people of Taiwan from voting according to their wishes nor the democratic nations of the world from recognizing this positively. The Chinese regime would be well advised to see this as more than just a symbolic gesture.

I couldn't care less...

...that at the Ukraine summit in Davos, the Swiss foreign minister defined his goal as getting Russia "to the negotiating table". The traditional neutrality of the Swiss people is honored. But on the one hand, Vladimir Putin has no interest in negotiations - especially when he thinks he is on the road to victory. And on the other hand, there are cases in which you cannot actually remain neutral, but should take a clear position for one side. The war in Ukraine is undoubtedly one of these cases.

It's fine with me...

...that the so-called "Citizens' Council" in Germany has presented its results for the first time. Randomly selected citizens met several times to try out a form of direct political co-determination. The resolutions are not binding and the topics were about something as uncritical as nutrition (e.g. free lunches at schools and better explanatory labeling of ingredients), but I think the basic idea is a good one. Go on please.

As I write this...

...Germany mourns the death of Franz Beckenbauer. Emperor, shining light, the man who gave soccer a new elegance. The first sportsman who was also a pop star - "No one can separate good friends". And a businessman. World champion as a player (1974) and as team manager (1990). President of FC Bayern and FIFA official - including corruption. Along with Pelé and Diego Maradona, one of the big three in 20th century soccer. A Munich native through and through, even if Salzburg and New York City were also his home. The whole country bows down to a legend.

Post Scriptum

"The duel of the old men" is the title of Der Spiegel's analysis of the upcoming election campaign for the US presidency between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. The intro already states that most Americans would like Joe Biden, 81, and Donald Trump, 77, to retire. And the question is asked why the most powerful democracy in the world is not able to produce other candidates? Unfortunately, there is no conclusive answer. The status quo remains: a shaky but capable political professional whose performance is significantly better than his low approval ratings reflect. And a notorious liar who manages to give himself an aura of the little man, fighting as a messiah against an evil system. And makes no secret of the fact that he would demolish democracy. It should actually be clear which of the two old men is the lesser of two evils. In fact.

[girlactionfigure]

Feisty Lawyer Fought Apartheid

He escaped the Nazis as a child.

Harry Schwarz was a Jewish refugee who escaped Germany as a child and moved to South Africa, where he became a leader in the movement to end apartheid.

Heinz Schwarz was born to a poor Jewish family in Cologne, Germany in 1924. At age 10 in 1934 Heinz emigrated with his family to South Africa, escaping from Germany soon after the Nazis took power. They took a ship from Italy to Cape Town and arrived in South Africa destitute. The family lived in a rented room in a shabby boarding house. Heinz considered himself “lucky” to have a rusty bathtub to sleep in. He did not speak English or Afrikaans and was bullied mercilessly in school. Having fled racial persecution in Germany, Heinz had a natural empathy for black South Africans, who were poor and oppressed under an apartheid regime of separation between the races. As a boy and throughout his life, Heinz determined to fight racial nationalism and bring equality to his new country.

The family lived in Cape Town and then moved to Johannesburg, where Heinz attended high school. Heinz was an impressive young man – brilliant, well-spoken and confident – and by the time he graduated in 1943, he had a job and a college scholarship waiting for him. Instead he joined the South African Air Force to fight Nazis. Before shipping off, Heinz’ Colonel urged him to change his name to the less German sounding “Harry” in case he were captured. As Harry, he served as a navigator in southern Europe and North Africa.

After the war, Harry returned to Johannesburg where he attended University of the Witwatersrand. He made several life-long friends there, including Nelson Mandela, the only black law student at the university. Harry became politically active on behalf of the United Party, in opposition to the National Party, which had supported Germany during the war. He ran for treasurer of the Student Council and thought it unethical to vote for himself; he lost by one vote. It was the only election he lost in a 43 year political career.

Harry earned a BA and then a law degree. While still in school he ran for the Johannesburg City Council and stunned everybody by winning the seat, which had always gone for the National Party. He was the youngest person on the City Council, but became its most influential when he began advocating for the rights of black South Africans. He became a member of the South African Bar in 1953 and continued his involvement in politics, serving on the Transvaal provincial council while at the same time practicing law.

In 1963, Harry became one of the defense lawyers in the notorious Rivonia Trial, when ten leading opponents of apartheid went on trial for their lives on charges of sabotage. His client, Jimmy Kantor, was one of only two defendants who was acquitted. Harry refused to accept payment for his work. At the trial, Nelson Mandela and seven other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment. Harry stayed in close touch with Mandela over the subsequent decades of the African National Congress leader’s 27 year incarceration, and Mandela called him “a champion of the poor.”

As a lawyer, and for a time banker, as well as longtime provincial councilman, Schwarz released a document called the “Act of Dedication” in which he laid out a plan to end apartheid in South Africa. The document called for South Africa to become a non-discriminatory society, with opportunities available for all. The Transvaal council unanimously voted for the initiative, but the National Party refused to allow debate on it in parliament. In the United Party, Harry became leader of a faction that advocated a more aggressive anti-apartheid policy. He became well-known to the public as an economic reformer and civil rights leader and was named “most feisty politician.”

A maverick, Harry was elected to Parliament in 1975, but was expelled from the party because of his liberal policy goals. The night he was kicked out of the party, he helped found the Progressive Reform Party and was elected leader. The party platform called for universal enfranchisement and equal rights for all South Africans. Harry continued to serve in Parliament for seventeen years, and was a prominent opposition leader. In 1983 he drafted a Bill of Rights to be incorporated into the constitution to ensure freedom for all. The bill was rejected five times.

Harry was such a popular and well-respected politician that he was secretly offered a cabinet position multiple times by the president and prime minister, but he refused the offers because of his opposition to apartheid. In 1991 he was appointed South African ambassador to the United States, a move widely seen as indicative of change in the South African ruling party. For an outspoken opponent of apartheid to be named to such a high-profile post sent a message to the world. Harry told the New York Times that he didn’t just represent South African whites but all South Africans. As ambassador, Harry played a key role in a dramatic improvement of relations between the two countries.

Throughout his life, Harry was a leader of the Jewish community of South Africa. His opposition to apartheid was firmly rooted in his Jewish faith. He said that Judaism was fundamentally opposed to segregating races, and said “if we rationalize or condone discrimination against one group, we have compromised our principles and we are then not true to our beliefs or our history.”

He fought anti-semitism in the halls of Parliament and made sure that incidents of antisemitism were thoroughly investigated. Harry met privately with Israeli leaders to forge closer connections between South African Jews and Jews in Israel. As a close friend and advisor to Nelson Mandela, Harry was a bulwark against anti-semitism in the ANC. He said in a 1991 interview, “I know what the word discrimination means, not because I’ve read it in a book, but because I’ve been the subject of it. And I know what it means to be hungry.”

Harry retired from politics after he returned to Johannesburg and continued to practice law and remained active in the Jewish community. He gave his last speech at Parliament in November 2009 in which he stated that “freedom is incomplete if it is exercised in poverty.”

Harry died in Johannesburg in February 2010, and was survived by his wife Annette, an artist who ran all of his election campaigns, three children and four grandchildren.

For his longtime efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, we honor Harry Swarz as this week’s Thursday Hero.

Accidental Talmudist

[amphtaminedreams]

COVID-19, Negligent Manslaughter, and a Timeline of Tory Indifference

“I feel sorry for Boris Johnson. He is doing the best he can in the situation and I don’t think anybody else could have done a better job.”

[exhibit A: a gem somebody that I’m Facebook friends with reposted earlier]

It’s a sentiment that I cannot quite wrap my head around. I sit here hopeless and furious and trying to hold back tears because it’s been almost a year since England first went into lockdown and yet here we are, almost 100,000 dead, in an even worse position than we were before whilst other countries begin to slowly return to normality. It is clear to me who is to blame for this, however there are a large proportion of people who don’t want to “politicise” the actions of the PRIME MINISTER with regards to his approach towards handling a virus sweeping the country he GOVERNS. 

Typically, these kind of posts making the rounds on social media will be accompanied by some kind of photo of Boris Johnson looking somber as if to suggest that the way things have played out were beyond his control and that he is some kind of broken man beleaguered by the suffering he has, despite good intentions, inadvertently caused.

This one in particular of Johnson with his head in his hands is a staple. In reality, this is a photo taken back in 2018 whilst he was receiving flack from party members for comparing Theresa May to a suicide bomber (for her handling of Brexit, ironically) as well as from the papers due to his rumoured (now also proven, in a completely non-surprising turn of events, to be true) affair with his former aide, Carrie Symonds. 

So let’s shut this narrative-where we should feel for Boris because he’s doing his best, and apparently a better job than anybody else could’ve done in his situation- down right here. In a supposedly developed country with one of the world’s largest economies, if we’re talking by proportion, our COVID-19 death toll is up there with the worst of them. It seems that every other state figurehead (bar a small handful), and I mean almost every single one of them, is doing a better job. People love to throw figures out there about how densely populated we are to combat damning statistics as if we haven’t got just as many factors playing to our advantage, as if it’s unfair to compare our response to Germany’s or Japan’s or Singapore’s (both of which are far more densely populated) or New Zealand’s or Vietnam’s, but we are an ISLAND with world-leading technology and infrastructure and healthcare equipment and professionals and a relatively high standard of living. In what world is almost 70,000 dead in a country with abundant time and means to prepare a response reflective of said country’s leaders doing a good job?

Apparently we’re supposed to believe that Johnson feels some sense of moral responsibility for this astronomical failure. A man who refuses to acknowledge the multiple children he has fathered outside of his marriages and who has had repeatedly engaged in affairs and one-night stands throughout said marriages. A man who continued to cheat whilst his most recent wife was receiving treatment for cervical cancer, for fuck’s sake. Yep, a real stand-up guy. 

So where does this idea that Johnson must feel remorseful for this catastrophe come from? We haven’t seen a second of remorse or a hint of accountability for the lives lost from him nor any members of his cabinet. That much is really no surprise; I have this hypothesis, and it’s not a stretch, that these people do not have an ounce of empathy in their bodies. These ridiculously privileged, privately-educated individuals who have had everything handed to them their entire lives simply cannot put themselves in the shoes of the average working person and that is the problem. Unable to recognise that what distinguishes them from most others is little more than the luck of being born into wealth and the abundance of recourses and connections that has entailed throughout their lives, they see us as beneath them-as less intelligent, less driven, and thus less deserving of the status and respect they enjoy. They see us as a bunch of whining, unmotivated idiots who do not recognise the chokehold they have over our media nor the fact that everything they do is a desperate grab to keep money and power within the hands of a select group of people, an exclusive members club from which most of us are barred (just take a simple Google search and watch Jacob Rees-Mogg’s opinion of the Grenfell victims or the buried Johnson speech where he talks about how inequality is essential). They know that we will squabble amongst ourselves about who is to blame rather than wising up to the truth which is that every decision they make is fuelled by cronyism and the inability to make and follow through with difficult choices, the pandemic being no exception. The supposedly self-made elite see the life of the average working class person as having far less value than their own, and their parties actions over the last 10 years have made that very clear. 

It was in December 2019 that the first case of COVID-19 was declared to the World Health Organisation and on March the 11th that they announced they considered it as a pandemic. In Wuhan, people were dying of pneumonia in their clusters. And what was Boris Johnson doing in this time? Well for starters, here in the UK we didn’t even have a pandemic committee-Johnson had scrapped it six months before. If years of benefits cuts and defunding of the NHS in favour of funding nuclear weapon programs, keeping British troops on other people’s lands, and tax breaks for the mega corporations that donate to their party didn’t convince you that the Conservatives have little regard for human life, them getting rid of this committee-whilst a pandemic has been declared year after year as the greatest threat to mankind-should have been the first sign of trouble. As if that wasn’t enough, he also skipped five of the COBRA (meetings are made up of a cross-departmental committee put together to respond to national emergencies and PMs routinely attend those pertaining to crises on the scale of COVID-19) meetings addressing the situation. Whilst other countries were closing their borders and stocking up on PPE, Johnson and his ministers were selling PPE abroad and simply telling people to wash their hands to the length of the tune of happy birthday. Their only policy was one of “herd immunity”, which was in fact not a policy but just an abandonment of their party’s public duty disguised as one, intentionally obfuscated with pseudoscientific jargon.

Even thinking the absolute worst of politicians you would hope that when it came to the point where the UK’s non-response to COVID-19 was becoming an international disgrace, Johnson and his ministers would take proper protective measures if only to save face. But when they eventually seemed to do so, it became clear that the priority was not the safety of the ordinary people affected by the virus. Outsourcing their test and traces system to companies such as Serco, Sitel, Deloitte and G4S rather than public health services, Conservative ministers could not resist attempting to line the pockets of their friends and benefactors in the process. According to the Guardian, instead of reaching out to the experts or using publicly funded services to handle COVID containment measures, the Conservative party has awarded a disgusting £1.5 BILLION WORTH of contracts to businesses with explicit connections to its MPs and donors, the majority of which lack any relative experience of the tasks they’ve been trusted to carry out. Unsurprisingly, the National Audit office found that when awarding contracts relating to the production of COVID-19 protection measures and treatment needs, there was a “high-priority lane” for suppliers referred by senior politicians and officials; companies with a political referral were 10 times more likely to end up winning a government contract than those without. On top of this, it is not hard to draw a link between the late initiation of lockdown measures and preemptive openings of pubs and restaurants against scientific advice to the interests of frequent donors such as Wetherspoons owner Tim Martin. Even if one chooses to ignore the blatantly obvious correlation between the owners of the businesses whose profits were prioritised over safety concerns and the number of those owners who donate to the Conservatives, party officials at the very least were reluctant to follow the lead of many other countries in financing furlough schemes themselves and instead avoided this responsibility by using loose lockdown measures to leave it down to the discretion of small business owners, who couldn’t themselves afford to furlough staff, whether or not to stay open. 

Time and time again, as the government flounder and fuck about, favouring personal desires to keep their powerful, high-paying jobs and to satisfy the corporate allies who make this possible, blame has been shifted from the public to care homes to NHS workers and back again whilst we, the public, make the biggest sacrifices of all under the illusion that we were being guided out of this pandemic rather than lied to and thrown under the bus. Whilst the elite continue to pick and choose what rules apply to them, it’s students and the elderly and the vulnerable paying the fines and scrabbling to afford basic living costs and hoping that they don’t lose someone dear to them.

Don’t get me wrong, a large proportion of the public have contributed to the spread too with their selfishness and entitlement and the arrogance it takes to develop a sudden refusal to acknowledge basic science from experts who have studied in the field their whole lives so that they can justify their need to go to the pub (speaking of, it’s absolutely HILARIOUS how many “mental health advocates” are suddenly coming out of the woodworks on football avi Twitter after they’ve spent years calling people on mental health Twitter attention seekers). And don't get me wrong, there were inevitably going to be casualties of this pandemic. But it didn't have to spread to this many people, and there didn’t have to be so many deaths due to a lack of preparation, and this wouldn’t have been the case if it weren’t for the inherent apathy of the Conservative party towards the lives of people of lesser status than them, the reluctance to put those lives before party interests. I wish I felt like there was an end in sight, I wish there was some positive takeaway from all of this, but even now, we continue to see corners being cut with the vaccine lauded as our saving grace and anti-maskers gathering outside hospitals to chant about how “oppressive” it is to be urged to wear a bit of cloth over their faces for the short periods of time in which they leave their houses and all I can think of is the selfishness that runs like poison through our country. It makes me sick and leaves me to question desperately where we go from here. I don’t like unanswered questions, I don’t like feeling politically directionless, and I don’t like the growing fear I have about the state of the world which seems to intensify every single day. In the UK at least, it’s starting to feel like nothing will ever change-we’re told we live in a democracy and yet mainstream media is owned by the people whose interest is to keep their Conservative friends in power. The stronghold they have over print media in particular allows them to continually get away with smearing and defaming every person who comes along and seems to want to actually help ordinary people, without being challenged, to the point where the only kind of “opposition” we’re left with promises nothing but a big boss approved tactical reshuffling of the status quo (which they call “electability”); it doesn’t feel like democracy when the majority of the country are being fed misleading information and convinced against voting in their best interests. 

This is the result of that. The state we find ourselves in is the inevitable result of being manipulated into helping the elite build their protective wall whilst the rest of us scrabble to get in and step on each others heads along the way, the people inside shouting over that it’s those even more vulnerable than ourselves that are taking our places. Outside the wall, the earth is falling from beneath our feet, and instead of throwing over the ropes to help us out, the people inside are stockpiling them so they can secure their firm place above ground and then later flog the rest. How many more people have to die before we reach some kind of widespread realisation of that? Where do we go from here and what do we do? Well for one, we can stop spreading those god-fucking-awful textposts on Facebook and get our heads out of our arses. Wear our masks over and wear them over our fucking noses. Have some fucking consideration for others. Don’t wait til an issue affects you personally to give a fuck about it. AND START HOLDING THE FUCKING PRIME MINISTER AND HIS MINISTERS AND HIS ENTIRE PARTY AS WELL AS THE OPPOSITION MPS THAT HAVE SAT BY THE SIDELINES AND ALLOWED THIS TO GO ON WITHOUT PROTEST ACCOUNTABLE. That would be a good start. 

I’m so tired. Things didn’t need to be this way, and yet because of the selfishness of the few, thousands upon thousands are dead. It’s not about “throwing around blame”, it’s not about “throwing around” anything, it’s about expecting a leader to do his best to protect lives. If that is “throwing blame”, let’s get things clear, I have no issue with hurtling it torpedo style at those who handed out a death sentence to so many in this country rather than do anything that might compromise their own privilege. Honestly, pass me the shovel after and I’ll happily bury the wreckage in the ground. Who wants to join?:-)

[antinonymous]

The Punk Rock in Marxist-Leninism

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always hated punk rock; the reasons why having changed significantly. I heavily identified as Right-wing throughout my childhood through early adolescence, so punk rock was a piece of culture that I quickly realized was not for me, with its far-left anarchist aesthetic. If you’d shown and explained to me something like Holiday in Cambodia I wouldn’t have cared in the slightest. Anti-fascists often forget about how the far-right rarely considers the vast and vapid categorizations of different leftists and other anti-fascist types. Anarchists are just as anti-American as Stalinists; anarchists just don’t have a plan (besides the occasional riot) so they’re more docile and easier to ignore. They’re just extra annoying and snobby. The sonic elements of punk mixed in with the political atmosphere sealed it for me. I thought this entire genre of music sounded like some twerp in class who says shit about America just to ‘piss off the system’. Childish, really.

In high school, the first punk band I didn’t immediately hate was neo-Nazi band Skrewdriver. I was introduced to them on a bus for school, with only one black kid on the whole bus, having the song White Power being shown explicitly to them. I remember referencing it to him later in conversation and he said he hated that experience. To me though? Finally, I thought, some punk rock where I can very easily say ‘well I like the music, but I don’t like their politics’ and it isn’t SJW crap. If I were to say stuff like that about other punk rock bands that’d be blasphemy, so I avoided the leftists and found more Nazi punk, where the bad politics were more obvious.

As someone who’s always been into music, my childhood had a specific opinion that I now understand to be just a simple analysis- namely, that politically left-wing music doesn’t do anything to change the system whatsoever. On an open-mic day in my high school the buses had already arrived and then my band got to play Killing in The Name. The school, the ‘system’, allotted us more time because they wanted to hear a cool song. Nobody was inspired by that song that day to think critically about the condition of militarized police in America or how the Klan’s ideology controls the majority of America’s police. I know I didn’t. Frankly, I thought putting politics in music was a waste of time Right or Left. And I found more Rightist music later on, namely in black metal.

Black metal is a mirror image of punk, if that mirror were on two ends of a horseshoe. Both started out as what we today label ‘edgy’, yet generally non-political, and then got somewhat overtaken by the far right and far left. Black metal was firmly cemented in Nazi ideology by the mid-90s with Burzum and the history of the Norwegian second wave, as well as later bands like Germany’s Absurd to solidify National Socialist Black Metal as its own genre. Then there’re wackos like Peste Noire, who, with the help of figures like Anthony Fantano, are somewhat normalized and mainstream while also having deep French nationalist roots. But what makes black metal also similar to punk is the later insurgency movements from either political side into the other genre. Nazi punk distinguishes itself not by its members being skinheads, for skinheads began as a far-left movement, but rather with aesthetics like white and red shoelaces (wrapped straight) and, of course, swastikas. In the mid/late 2010s an anti-fascist black metal scene emerged in response to the atrocities of the Obama administration and Trump’s election victory. This was spearheaded by bands like Gaylord and Neckbeard Death Camp as well as others from Bandcamp and Soundcloud. It didn’t try to distinguish itself at all, in a crypto-anti-fascism directly proselytizing. Nazi punk and anti-fascist black metal are similar in that they, like all music as we’ll be seeing, also don’t achieve anything, but are specifically trying to change the strata of their own genre’s political associations. As my own father put it, there’s only two kinds of Oi – racist and non-racist.

Left-wing black metal was obvious folly that I participated in anyway. But even when I eventually started putting personal politics into my music from 2016 through 2019, I still avoided major bands like Rage and punk rock (besides Bad Religion, which I only liked because I saw a live cover). It was actually Peste Noire who showed me the wonder of sampling in music; yet another far-right appropriation of musical technique, sadly. It was only in late 2019 and 2020 that I listened to bands like Rage and Dead Kennedys, and seeing the amount of effort they put in their messaging left me cynically giggling. Paraphrasing other commentators, music has no effect on political change no matter how radical. Far-left Marxist, Bolshevik, anarchist and Social-Democratic musical compositions have existed since the nineteenth century and were plentiful in the entirety of the 20th century, albeit with significant change after the World Wars. But music is too individualistic to be politically effective as every individual person’s preferences are different. This is how Rage and anarchist punk rock sold so well in America and how I continued to enjoy Peste Noire long after I left the Right.

My music was also inspired by industrial metal band Rammstein, and I’ve since learned that, generally speaking, politically provocative art is an integral part of industrial music generally, which easily puts off someone not paying careful attention to the music. To paraphrase Žižek, artists like Rammstein and Laibach use fascistic language and imagery in a controlled way that lifts various signs from their associations of authoritarianism, leaving them inoffensive enough to gain mainstream credibility. Case in point, Slovenia’s Laibach has caused numerous controversies over their 41-year-career with their overtly militaristic theme, prolific German lyrics, and for having been branded as dissidents by the Yugoslav government, yet they are the only foreign band that has ever performed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. They were invited to play in 2015 to celebrate the 70-year-anniversary of the fall of imperial Japanese rule on National Liberation Day. The government would clearly know better than to invite a legitimate fascist band; in their minds that would most certainly create an immediate attempt to try to cause some type of western imperialist unrest. One would wonder why they’d invite anyone at all. But nothing malevolent came about from it; the show went fine, and clips of it are on YouTube. I won’t try to make any comment on any individual in the DPRK or anywhere else, but it’s fascinating to think of what happens when Laibach is played through North Korean speakers, interpreted by those who have few else in common with the band other than they both have experience living under a régime inspired by Marx.

It must be a different experience from, say, the experience of Anarchy in the UK by Sex Pistols as sung on North Korean karaoke by VICE journalist Sam Smith. This leads me to my current gripes with punk rock, specifically in the year 2021.

Sex Pistols are the origin of punk rock’s association with anarchism due to the song mentioned above, but they are also the origin of punk rock’s association with Nazism due to Sid Vicious’ use of a swastika t-shirt. This is no paradox. Both are a result of Liberal nihilism, of having no true political leaning other than blind offensiveness and ideological motivation without one ever needing sincerity in belief. Either that or punk rock bands are explicitly Liberal/conservative, which is a discourse I remember from my childhood. Post-90s punk was too commercial, liberal, gay, et cetera, with bands such as Green Day having been seen as a perversion of the solidarity of the mostly cisgender heteronormative anarchist community of people who actually listen to punk rock. John Lydon is an open Trump-supporter. After the far-right January 6th attack on the Capitol, Dead Kennedys retweeted many Liberal commentators and politicians, including Republicans Mitt Romney and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I see not a problem with individual people and artists but a problem with punk rock as artistic expression; it has terminal hollow conformity. Overall, its association with petit bourgeois ideology leaves punk rock with little to give it credibility. Punk rock has always had an insincere, two-faced nature. ‘Punk’s not dead’ is the anti-fascist equivalent of ‘return to tradition’…or is it anti-fascist? Depends on who’s saying it, where’s being said, and who hears it.

Where to turn? Marxist-Leninists (and sometimes even anarchists) will argue that social bureaucracies such as Cuba, the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam and the DPRK provide an alternative to American global homogeny. Considering the American military spent over $700,000,000,000 on its military last year, and that many bases are specifically placed around those listed countries, their arguments aren’t entirely unconvincing. They also argue that because Marxist-Leninist politicians provided industrialization and progress for their nations without what Marxist-Leninists would personally term “imperialist war”, they should be praised, as well as the fact that many of the problems commonly associated with those countries are explicitly from American intervention to stop ‘the spread of Marxism’ and to keep them subordinated to western authority. However, as Bordiga writes in Characteristic Theses of the Party, the integral realization of socialism within the limits of one country is inconceivable and the socialist transformation cannot be carried out without insuccess and momentary set-backs. The defence of the proletarian regime against the ever-present dangers of degeneration is possible only if the proletarian State is always solidary with the international struggle of the working class of each country against its own bourgeoisie, its State and its army; this struggle permits of no respite even in wartime. This co-ordination can only be secured if the world communist Party controls the politics and programme of the States where the working class has vanquished.

Am I arguing for left unity, left solidarity, the whole “anarchists and Marxist-Leninists are going for the same communist goal” argument? No, I’m not talking about that. This has been said before but, historically speaking, there’s usually only one correct way to pilot a vehicle and thousands of wrong ways. But I’m talking about music. And I bring up Marxist-Leninism for what could be seen as a superficial reason; that the potency of Musikbolschewismus is greater than the potency of traditional anarchist punk rock. If we’re just talking about music to ‘piss people off’, which is what punk rock culturally amounts to, punk rock could be Marxist-Leninist in that that ideology has more of the nihilistic punk rock mentality than any band you could name. Because Marxist-Leninism can indeed be quite nihilistic, with Russian Bolshevik minority rule in foreign countries paralleling the worst aspects of American imperialism and its related apologia. As for industrialization, the USSR demobilized its military to a lesser extent than other European countries, organized more strictly than NATO. Their industrialization in question was related to impersonal and heavily regulated bureaucratic trade, the aforementioned occupation of eastern Europe and elsewhere, and warcraft: firearms, lightweight tanks, and thousands of nuclear weapons. In 2021, the history of Marxist-Leninist music is both far more potent and plentiful than anarchist punk rock; if a bit old-school, boringly classical, and used in the justification of unjust countries.

What I’m trying to say is this: what is the difference between an English band that wears swastika and MAGA t-shirts singing about how anarchy is good and another band that wears sickle and hammer shirts singing about how the USSR and the PRC are good? Both are nonsense but the latter is sincere with what they say… or are they? Considering punk rock’s edgy, yet ultimately cowardly and insincere anti-authority outlook, I can’t help but wonder what would be if Marxist-Leninism were to ever embrace the potentiality of its status and flaws and make annoying, loud guitar music. It wouldn’t be hard since, comparatively, the bad politics are more obvious. And once it gets started, it’d create a new cycle of the entirety of political thought in music; easily being able to be superior to Right-Libertarian punk rock and all the washed-up bands of the 70s-00s.

What’s the actual transgressive music we have today? Rap music has been mostly dominated by black Americans since the 80s, with a lot of rappers now being women. It is held to a different esteem than even the antisemitic ‘satanic panic’ of the 80s against heavy metal, since legal cases referring to rap lyrics are not unheard of and can even lead to conviction in modern times. It is much closer to the struggles of the global afro-diasporic community than with European writers from 80+ years ago. Punk rock never had, never could, and never will, have a scene of that calibre.

In conclusion, I hope I have provided a cynical pseudo-rehabilitation of punk rock through the example of Marxist-Leninism in a specific manner related to the overall creation of and interpretation of music, which is an important piece of international culture. I know Marxist-Leninist States to be corrupt and are not socialist, but to the eyes of an American, and to the ears of the average punk rock normie, Marxist-Leninism is just as anti-US government as the anarchists, only scarier, because they actually have a plan! So why can’t it be punk? The PRC’s State-sanctioned abductions are certainly not what Bordiga had in mind in regards to a proletarian government being against its own bourgeoisie. Internationality is the way forward. But it almost sounds like it’s against the system if one has that kind of understanding of ‘the system’. Who’s to say there isn’t an obscure 80s punk demo labelled Kidnapping Billionaires somewhere? Punk rock is nothing more than vapid noise to piss of conservatives. That’s it. It has no heart, spirit nor philosophy. The PRC even saying they would like socialism is too far for American conservative wormpeople, and legitimate reasons to criticize the PRC and other social bureaucracies get overshadowed by imperialist greed and racism. Music is not nearly the kind of tool of radicalism Zack de la Rocha thought it was, but with the internationality of Laibach we see it can do more than one can normally expect. It all depends on whether people can distinguish/separate the instrumentation from the proselytization.

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

After her marriage with Frank Randall has failed and Claire Beauchamp flees from her violent husband, she finds refuge in the house of the Fraser/Murray family in Berlin-Wilhelmshorst. But then tensions arise between Britain (which has since left the EU) and some EU member states. All holders of an English passport are required to leave EU territory within six weeks … and suddenly Claire’s fate looks more uncertain than ever.

This story was written for the #14DaysofOutlander event, hosted by @scotsmanandsassenach​

“Glencoe” by dowchrisr 

Chapter 2: 14 Men (1)

        James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser was born and raised in the Scottish Highlands. But the development of world history made it impossible for him to spend the rest of his life in his beloved homeland.         Well-read in European history and as a keen observer of global political developments, he had guessed early on that the hard "Brexit" of Great Britain would lead the (until then) United Kingdom into an unprecedented chaos.

“Brexit” by  Foto-Rabe

         When the Corona Pandemic ebbed in Europe and the British Isles and travel restrictions were largely lifted, James Fraser, as head of his clan, decided it was high time to leave the country he and his family loved so much. Many people around him, especially the other 13 members of the "New Jacobites", felt the same way. Some of his friends emigrated to the Republic of Ireland, others to France or the Netherlands. For Jamie and his family another door had opened many years before.          Jared Fraser, one of Jamie's uncles, had gone to Paris in his youth and (starting from the French capital) had built up a flourishing, Europe-wide wine trade. He had also opened a branch in Berlin. From there the entire business for Germany and South-East Europe was coordinated. In order to save taxes and to invest the proceeds of his business profitably despite the European Central Bank's zero-interest policy at that time, Jared Fraser had bought real estate. Among the houses he had purchased in the state of Brandenburg was a well-preserved manor house just some kilometers outside of the German capital. After his death, this part of Jared's estate had fallen to Jamie and his sister Jenny. 

         So it came about that on the day it was decided at Westminster that the emergency laws passed because of the Corona Pandemic should remain in force, a container ship left the port of Edinburgh for the port of Rostock. The containers it was carrying contained most of the Fraser/Murray family's movable property. The family itself, Jamie, Ian, Jenny and the children, had boarded a Norwegian Airlines plane the night before, which took them to Berlin-Schönefeld Airport within four and a half hours with a stopover at Oslo-Gardermoen.          When they arrived at the airport, Felix Kloppstock, the vice manager of the Berlin headquarters, who had become a trusted employee of Jared Fraser, had picked them up in a minibus owned and used by one of the wine shops. When they arrived in Wilhelmshorst near Potsdam, the house was already prepared for them. The beds were made and the smell of roast venison came from the kitchen, letting them know that dinner was ready. They were then greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Ballin. The 55-year-old housekeeper Helene and her husband Frieder had also been hired by Jared Fraser and entrusted with the management of the house years ago.          When all the Frasers/Murrays fell into their beds late in that night, they did so with one laughing and one crying eye. Laughing because they knew they were safe now. Crying because they missed their home. And James Fraser was thinking about  something else entirely. He was grateful that his parents didn’t had to witness the political developments of the present day. At the same time, he was overcome with a feeling of great sadness when he thought that he would probably not be able to visit their graves in the cemetery near Lallybroch for a very long time.

“Brandenburg” by reinhardweisener

         Just a few days after their arrival at their new home at Wilhelmshorst, they were to learn from the media how right and decisive their step had been. They had put the children to bed after dinner and were now sitting together in the kitchen for a while. Jenny became as white as a sheet when the radio reported that the London government had announced that it would now explicitly use the emergency laws to take action against the Scottish independence movement, which was growing bigger and louder with every single day. Anyone suspected of being part of the "New Jacobites" or their followers should be arrested and charged with high treason. Ian, who was sitting next to Jenny at the kitchen table, looked up in horror. Jamie, who had just taken two bottles of beer from the fridge for himself and Ian, turned, looked at them and just sighed.

         "This is what I've always been afraid of. But don't worry, our naturalization papers. identity cards and passports are on their way. I spoke to Ernst last night."

         Ernst, more precisely Ernst Neuenburger, was Under State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economics. Jamie had met the official in 2018, when his uncle Jared took him to the ministry's summer party, introducing his nephew to the network he had been building across Europe for many years. (More than anybody else outside Scotland, Jared Fraser had dedicated his life with great zeal to the service of the "New Jacobites". Wherever on the continent he could, he had used his influence and financial resources to promote an independent Scotland with good relations to the EU).          James Fraser and Ernst Neuenburger were immediately sympathetic to each other. And in the course of the day, Jamie discovered that Ernst Neuenburger was not only a competent interlocutor in economic matters, but that he had also a great affection for Scotland.

BMWi Goerckehof mit Brunnen by Fridolin freudenfett - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62265692

         "If we take the right of self-determination of peoples seriously, as laid down in Article 1(2) of the UN Charter, through the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of December 19, 1966, then Scotland must be given the right to be a State in its own right," the Under Secretary of State had said.    

         Jamie had nodded in agreement and then, more jokingly, asked:

         "Are you secretly a Jacobite, Mr. Neuenburger?"

         "No, Mr. Fraser," the politician had replied with a smile, but with a very serious undertone in his voice, "I don't think you have to belong to any special group to stand up for freedom and self-governemenrt. To be a democrat is, in my opinion, quite enough."

         Neuenburger, who obviously enjoyed talking to Jared Fraser's nephew, took a quick look around.

         "Why don't we take a few steps," he then said, pointing with one hand towards a path that would lead them away from the center of the festival.

         "Gladly," Jamie replied, and together they moved away from the crowd. Jamie well remembered seeing his uncle Jared as he walked away, talking to a man and a woman in the shade of a high hedge, also a little away from everyone else. Jared had smiled, nodded briefly to his nephew and then immediately returned to his conversation partners.  

         When they had moved about two hundred yards away, it was Jamie who resumed the conversation:

         "It's interesting that you say that as a German, we're only used to revolutionary sounds from French people. The French supported us in earlier centuries, but the Germans..."

         "If I may say so, Mr. Fraser," Neuenburger interjected, "the Germans didn't exist then. When the French supported the Scots, thanks to the political intrigues of the French, the Austrians and the Russians, there was only a patchwork of small and tiny German countries. It was Bismarck..."

         "I know, I know. But they were Germans, the King of Hanover..."

         "Oh, yes, of course. And no need you remind me that the Kingdom of Prussia was allied with the Kingdom of Hanover... But you know the saying: 'You can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends'. As you may know, George August II was a cousin of Frederick William I, the father of Frederick the Great. Both George II and Frederick I were brought up by their common grandmother, the Electoress Sophie at the palace of Herrenhausen near Hanover. It has been historically recorded that the men already had an aversion to each other as children. This aversion continued later, when they became men or kings, respectively."

         Neuenburger paused with his remarks when a waitress appeared with a tray of glasses filled with champagne and offered them to the two men. Both men exchanged their empty glasses for full ones and continued their walk.

         "Twice it almost came to war between Hanover and Prussia. Did you know that?" asked Neuenburger.

         Jamie looked at him questioningly and shook his head slightly.   

         "In 1731 there was a dispute between the kingdoms and the royal families because Prussia was recruiting settlers wherever possible. George II issued an edict and assembled an army on the banks of the river Elbe. Friedrich Wilhelm I, on the other hand, had 40,000 soldiers stationed at Magdeburg to defend his territory if necessary. The dukes of Brunswick and Gotha mediated and were able to settle the dispute to a certain extent. A war was prevented.          But it was a cold peace. At the same time as the Scottish resistance was crushed at Culloden, another dispute between Hanover and Prussia was smouldering. After the death of the last prince from the house of Cirksena in 1744, it was disputed who would inherit the county of East Frisia. On the part of the Frisian princes there had been a contract of inheritance with Hanover since 1691, but Frederick I had received a “Letter of Expektanz”, meaning an actual entitlement, from Emperor Leopold on 10 December 1694, which said, that after the extinction of the princely house of East Frisia the county should fall to the kingdom of Prussia. The decisive factor in this conflict, however, was the city of Emden. At that time the town was politically isolated and economically weakened. The reason for this was the “War of Appelle” fought in 1726/27.          This war was actually a civil war and resulted from a conflict between Prince Georg Albrecht of East Frisia and the East Frisian Estates. It was, how could it be otherwise, about the tax sovereignty. But even after their defeat, the city leaders did not give up their goal of making Emden an important economic metropolis again.          Since the 'Emden Revolution' in 1595 the city had the status of a quasi-autonomous urban republic. In this - successful - revolution the city had already freed itself once from the rule of the Cirksena and, as a ‘satellite’ of the Netherlands, achieved de facto the status of a free imperial city. From then on, the representatives of the city signed all contracts and public publications according to the Roman model with ‘S.P.Q.E.’ (Senate and People of Emden). The title ‘Respublica Emdana’ and the abbreviation ‘S. P. Q. E.’ were from then on officially used by the city.          Understandable that the aldermen of the town wanted to return to this freedom and independence, which they had already once enjoyed. When the last Cirksena Prince took over his reign in 1734, the city had already refused to pay homage to him. But at least from 1740 on, the Emden councillors planned to achieve their goal with the help of the Prussian King. Secretly they negotiated the ‘Emden Convention’ with the Prussians. In this treaty, Prussia recognized the rights and privileges of the city of Emden and the East Frisian estates, and in return the East Frisian estates recognized the rule of Prussia after the death of the last prince from the house of Cirksena. It was a win-win situation. Prussia left the East Frisians and their estates the liberties they had enjoyed before and in return received a land with access to the North Sea. On 25 May 1744, two weeks after the Emden Convention had been ratified by both parties, the last prince of East Frisia died. Prussia immediately asserted its right of succession. The widowed Princess of East Frisia, a relative of Friedrich II, recognised the succession of Prussia on May 26th and recommended herself ‘to the protection and generosity of the King’. Frederick II had immediately instructed his representatives to make it known everywhere that the privileges and rights of the East Frisians would remain undiminished and that no enticement of East Frisian citizens was to be feared. With this reassuring message, the Prussian soldiers in Aurich and Leer were even positively received. The seizure of possession was already completed on June 2, just one week after the death of the Prince. Three weeks later, on June 23, 1744, the entire county paid homage to the Prussian Crown.

“Rathaus Emden” by fokkengerhard

         What do you think, Fraser? Did they rejoice at it in Hanover, or better, in  London? I don't think so. On June 3, the Hanoverian official Voigt arrived in East Frisia with papers demanding the rights of the Hanoverians. But there the whole thing was already finished. The speed with which the takeover of East Frisia took place, made possible by the careful and secret preparation, once again put the Hanoverian competitor in the shade. One cannot avoid the impression of dilettantism on the part of Hanover. It is true that they had also reacted immediately there by sending Voigt to East Frisia on June 3, with a corresponding power of attorney, but nobody wanted to accept him or his claims officially. On June 10, the Estates very aptly informed him that the contract which had been concluded between the House of Cirksena and the House of Hanover was neither known to them nor did it concern them, since neither they nor the Emperor had approved the document. East Frisia was also supposed to have a potential for conflict for some time to come. In 1748 the disputes over maritime trade became more intense, especially with the Netherlands, but also with England and Sweden. During the Seven Years' War, however, England then needed the support of Prussian soldiers and only in the course of this did it give up all claims in relation to East Frisia."

         The two men had stopped and emptied their glasses. 

         "Why are you telling me all of this?"

“Brunnen im Kanonenhof des Invalidenhauses, heute Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Berlin” by Dirk Sattler - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62311136

         "Well, you said it was unusual to hear 'revolutionary' sounds from a German. Surely, as Frederick Engels once said, ‘revolutions in Prussia are made from above’. We may not be as revolutionary as the French, but please remember that we are a very, very freedom-loving people. The history of the First and Second World Wars is well known. However, the history of the our war of libration, 1813 to 1815, against Napoleon is often overlooked. The support from the people was so great that some historians even speak of the Prussian People's War. Men and women exchanged their golden wedding rings for iron rings to support their country. The phrase ‘gold I gave for iron’ became something like a proverb. A well-known picture, which spread after the wars of liberation, shows a returning soldier. He does not call out to his wife, who welcomes him with open arms, ‘I am back’ but ‘The fatherland is free! Victoria!' And it wasn't just then. Remember that this country has been struggling for 40 years to be reunited and thus to be free. Not aggressively, but with endurance. And when the Germans in the East brought down the SED regime, it was a peaceful revolution that brought the dictatorship to its knees. What do you think, Fraser, the people here would feel for a people that is oppressed by its, shall we say, bigger neighbour?"

         Neuenburger slowly began to walk again. Jamie latched on.

         "Why exactly are you telling me all of this?" he asked.

         "Well, perhaps I wanted to remind you that revolutionary, i.e. cataclysmic, thoughts don't always have to unload themselves in a storm of the Bastille. Sometimes it is wiser to keep them to yourself and ... say, wait for the ratification of an Emden Convention. As far as I know, a freedom-loving people will always welcome and ... support the freedom, or rather the liberation, of another people.”

         Neuenburger smiled. Jamie shook his head slightly and smiled too.

         "Come Fraser," the newfound friend then said, "let's go. The buffet is open." 

         The conversation between the two men was not without consequences. Twice, once in autumn 2018 and once in summer 2019, Ernst Neuenburger had visited the Frasers' home estate in the Scottish Highlands as a holiday guest, before political events made these trips impossible for him. But the two men's confidence in each other had grown during these weeks of walking, horseback riding and hunting together, to the point that by the end of 2020 Jamie was able to make contact with his friend in Berlin unnoticed (through previously agreed 'private' channels). Everything that happened then, that had to happen to bring the Fraser/Murray family into safe exile, happened very quickly. It had to happen very quickly because the window of opportunity to do so was, as in any historical moment, only open for a very short time.

“Schottland” by Emphyrio 

         On the first Saturday evening that the Frasers/Murrays spent in their new home, Ernst Neuenburger came by to deliver the passports, identity cards and naturalisation papers for all family members. Jenny invited him for dinner and afterwards Jamie and the guest went to the library to talk in private.          After the two men had discussed the political situation in Europe for a while over a glass of whisky in front of the fireplace, Ernst Neubauer leaned over to his host..       

         "We have a question for you..."

         It had been clear to James Fraser that sooner or later Neuburger would approach him with a request. He didn't see it as extortion or payment. On the contrary, he was grateful if he could do something in return for the privileges granted. He would have been reluctant to remain a debtor to his friend.

         "You must believe me when I tell you I didn't plan this. I have and will continue to do everything I can to help you and your family with great joy ..."

         "Speak Ernst, straight forward."

         "Well, you have some skills that would be very useful to us. You speak English, perfect French, very good German. You are intelligent and a man who can keep quiet. You also have a thriving wine trade and as a businessman..."

         "... I can travel anywhere without raising suspicion?”

         "Right. But the most important thing is that I trust you."

         The men were silent for a moment. 

         "Would you be willing," Neuenburger then asked, "to act as an negotiator on our behalf and travel when necessary?"

         "Shall I conclude ‘Emden conventions’ for the country?" 

         "Maybe."

         Neuenburger had to smile. What a good memory Fraser owned!

         "And where would that lead me to?"

         "Well, first of all, to the African continent. 116 million Africans in 31 countries speak French. And counting. Your language skills predestine you for tasks in this field. However, we would ask you to learn Spanish and possibly Portuguese as well. Then we could also send you to  South America. Of course, we will provide you with a language teacher paid by us."

         Again the men were silent for a moment.

         "How dangerous could these 'missions' be for me?" Jamie then asked.

         "Not particularly," replied Neuenburger. "You are travelling as a businessman and that causes far less sensation than the travels of a politician or a political official. There are quite a number of, shall we say, colleagues of yours who do that for us. So far, every one of them has returned. We will, of course, prepare you thoroughly for your task."

         Jamie pondered for a moment, then nodded and answered:

         "Travailler pour le roi de Prusse? Jes suis prest! This country has provided me and my family with freedom and a new start here. If we were not here, I would probably be in an English prison by now. It's only fair that I give something back.”

         "Thanks," said Neuenburger and went on “It’s not the King of Prussia, but a democratic republic you serve. Just saying.”          Then he reached into the right inside pocket of his jacket and took out a fresh passport, which he handed to Jamie.

         Jamie reached for it and opened the little red book.

         "Well, well, well, you've thought up a nice alias for me."

         Neuenburger smiled.

“Reisepass” by  Edeltravel_

         Four weeks later, Etienne Marcel de Provac Alexandre, alias James Fraser, began his first trip as a well-camouflaged diplomatic negotiator.

         This and other journeys were to take him first to numerous states on the African continent. He negotiated political and economic contracts with other negotiators, lobbied for the release and repatriation of citizens in difficulty and delivered oral messages whose content was too secret to be transmitted by paper or electronic means. From 2023 on, when he became fluent in Spanish, he was also send to South America. One of his last trips took him to Buenos Aires, where he signed a trade agreement. Officially, however, he attended the "Conference of Argentine and Chilean Wine Merchants". In order to make his trip as unobtrusive as possible, he did not fly back to Berlin directly, but made a stopover in Boston. There, officially, he would meet a businessman, a friend, who was planning to include the wines which  Etienne Marcel de Provac Alexandre sold, in his range. But in reality, this stopover was to change his life fundamentally. But James Fraser knew nothing of this when his plane landed at Logan International Airport.

[qionow]

Status Quo

They had one rule: don’t offend anyone. 

Political get-togethers could easily ruin a nation’s reputation if they expressed an opinion too controversial in the eyes of those attending. Especially if said eyes held a more conservative view of the world. 

So naturally, Italy and Romana decide to bring their girlfriends along with them. 

(also happy pride y’all, enjoy some wlw content in the form of “don’t talk to me or my bottom ever again”: the fic)

There were certainly worse ways to spend a Friday night, but being forced to attend a formal party filled with old politicians and exhausted diplomats wasn’t exactly the best thing in the world for Italy either. 

If it were up to her, then she would have slept right through the evening and let the political disaster that started at seven play out on its own without her. But unfortunately, this was something she didn’t have a choice in, so Italy relegated herself to looking around for any signs of free food and smiling at whoever’s eye she happened to catch as she made her way through the crowd.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” 

Italy paused when she caught Germany’s muttered question, glancing up to see a pair of pale blue eyes scanning the room with no hidden amount of apprehension. 

“Mhm!” Italy replied breezily, squeezing their interlocked hands lightly. “Don’t worry about it!” 

However, Germany did have a fair reason to look so concerned. 

Italy really didn’t draw much attention to herself compared to the rest of the people at the party. Someone like her bouncing around in a dress and heels wasn’t exactly the most threatening thing in the world, after all. 

But a tall German woman in a full suit was about as far on the opposite side of the spectrum you could get from that image. 

“I thought your boss specifically said to be more conservative this time around,” Germany muttered, briefly ducking her head when they passed a small group whose conversation notably silenced as soon as she was within hearing distance.

Still, Italy waved her off with her free hand for that, her relentlessly sunny attitude in full swing. “That’s what he told me to do! You can do whatever you want!” 

She made to start her brisk pace again, but her smile slowly dropped when she caught the persistent hesitation on Germany’s face. Easing Germany’s anxiety was a much more strenuous task compared to tackling her own worries, but there was no way Italy was going to let this loom over her lover’s shoulders for the rest of the night.

That thought was all she needed to change their course in order to usher them both into one of the less populated corners of the room, pulling Germany along with her until they were tucked away from the bulk of the crowd. 

“What’s wrong, cara?” 

Even when Italy tried to catch her gaze, Germany’s eyes still wandered over to the rest of the room every so often with clear caution.

“I’m just worried about you,” she finally answered, voice hushed and nearly drowned out in the chatter of the room.

Italy paused. 

That wasn’t what she had thought would be the problem.

“Me?” She pointed back to herself and received a small nod in confirmation, which did absolutely nothing to explain the situation to her. “Germany, why on earth would you be worried about me?” 

She could tell it was getting harder for Germany to fully verbalize her thoughts as she pursed her lips, visibly tensing up the longer the silence dragged on.

“Well,” she started slowly, pressing her lips together once before she managed to continue. “You’re here with me. And this isn’t a very welcoming crowd.” 

When Italy only stared back at her though, Germany let out a frustrated sigh and crossed her arms. 

“I don’t want someone to try and go after you because of me.” 

The exasperation in her voice was evident, but Italy still caught the undertone of worry that laced that simple sentence together. 

“Monika.” Italy reached out to pull at Germany’s arm, forcing them to uncross enough for her to take her hand and intertwine their fingers together. “That’s not going to happen.” 

“But-” 

“I mean it.” 

Italy made sure to cut off that train of thought as soon as Germany opened her mouth, squeezing her hand in a silent request to let her continue.

“You’re scary enough already. Nobody’s going to bother you or me,” she went on. “And if they do, then you can just beat them up!” 

Germany sighed, but Italy could have sworn she saw a flicker of amusement in her eyes and she knew she was going in the right direction as soon as she did.

“Marzia, I can’t do that here.” 

“That’s ok!” Italy channeled all of the enthusiastic determination she was known for so she could beam up at Germany with the confidence she hoped to instill in her. “I’ll just beat them up for you!” 

Germany only stared at her at first, total shock written all over her face before she dropped her head. It was hard to pick up, but Italy still managed to catch the faint chuckle she let out.

When Germany finally looked up at her, a small smile tugged the corner of her lips up and that sight alone was enough to make Italy melt on the spot. 

“That’s what you’re going to do?” she mused, a teasing curl to her words that Italy rarely heard from her. 

Italy’s cheeks hurt with the force of her grin as she nodded her head fast enough to nearly whip herself in the face with her ponytail.

“Yup! That’s why you don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing!” Italy was sure that her relief was clear as day, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to care at the moment. “Besides, you look good!”

She took a moment to eye the way the sharp lines of Germany’s dark black suit jacket framed her broad shoulders ever so nicely, tight sleeves clinging to a set of very strong arms.

“Really good.” 

Germany shook her head, but she was still much more relaxed than when the night first started and Italy was nothing short of thrilled for that accomplishment.

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to see you two here!” 

And that relaxed state was gone in a flash as a man Italy had never seen before clapped a hand on both of their shoulders. “I’m sure it was hard to make it, with all your work nowadays!” 

Italy was quick to smile back in an attempt to draw his attention to her when Germany visibly tensed up under his grip. It would be safe to assume that he was some politician looking to widen his social network and Germany’s less-than-warm response would undoubtedly send the wrong message if that was the case. 

“It’s no problem!” she replied cheerfully. “We’re just glad we get to come!” 

That was certainly the right move when the man let out a loud laugh, briefly shaking them both before he finally let go. “That’s what I like to hear!” 

He reached over to nudge Germany, a friendly curve to his grin as he beamed her with obvious delight despite her stiff posture.

“It’s good to see you out and about too, Ludwig! I’m sure our little Italy here had a hand in that though!” 

Italy's smile dropped. 

When she looked over to Germany, she caught the silent question she was asking her when her eyes flickered over to the politician before they met hers again. Italy didn’t even have to think before she gave her a nod in return.

She had never been so happy to let Germany take the lead before when she saw the way Germany drew herself back into a familiar stoic expression that was much more composed and much more intimidating. 

“My name is Monika.” 

Italy vaguely registered the fact that the man’s smile dropped in record time, especially when there were more pressing issues to concern herself with.

Germany on her own already had a commanding enough presence with her sharp blue eyes and broad stature, about as close to the embodiment of military power that one could get in a person. But now, that power was on full display as she clasped her hands behind her back and glared down at the man in front of her, practically radiating strength from every inch of her body. 

And Italy was absolutely smitten with her. 

The politician who was currently facing Germany’s silent wrath didn’t seem to share the same opinion though. 

“Ah, of course.” He cleared his throat, glancing off to the side when Germany had yet to break eye contact with him. “Right. I mean-I heard that you would be coming, but I thought you would just look a little more, you know-” 

He waved a hand towards Germany, although that hand quickly retracted itself when Germany’s expression didn’t change.

“I don’t.” Germany said slowly, voice lowering dangerously into a tone that was more suitable for addressing a soldier than a guest at a party. “Would you like to elaborate?” 

That was as clear of a challenge as Italy had ever heard from her, which the politician certainly caught onto as well if the way his face paled had anything to say about it.

“Oh no, no, I’ve taken up enough of your time already,” he fumbled out, shaking his head with a faltering attempt at a polite smile. “I’ll just, um, be on my way.” 

He was quick to excuse himself with an awkward attempt at a wave before he retreated back into the safety of the crowd, vanishing from sight in an impressively short amount of time. 

But even after he left, it took a while for the cold look on Germany’s face to completely melt away as she let out a tense sigh, closing her eyes in order to bring a hand up to her temples.

“Do I really look like Ludwig?”  

Italy couldn’t stop the bubbling laughter from escaping her chest at that point, clutching onto Germany’s arm for dear life so she could keep herself steady. 

“What?” 

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing!” 

Germany raised an eyebrow at her giggling fit, which only served to send Italy right back into a barely comprehensible mess.

“Italy.”

“I’m sorry!” Italy wheezed out. “It’s just-you were so worried about us getting hurt! Us!” 

Germany let out a quiet exhale as Italy slowly managed to pull herself back together, the last of her hiccuping laughter forced away to leave behind a broad grin. “I suppose you were right then.” 

“See?” The smile on Italy’s face was probably the most genuine one she had done all night. “There’s nothing to worry about!”

Germany let out a hum, although it wasn’t quite in full agreement. 

Luckily for her, Italy knew exactly how to change that. 

“Hey.” 

Once she had Germany’s attention, Italy pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet in order to press a kiss to her cheek, rocking back down with the hope that all of the fondness in her chest was properly translated. “You’re still my Monika, ok?” 

And oh, she knew that message was sent loud and clear when Germany’s face burst into a fiery red, quickly ducking her head in a hopeless attempt to hide her blush. 

Italy’s smile widened as she reached down to interlace their hands together once more, tugging Germany back through the crowd with pure delight.

After all, the night would only last so long and she still had a very lovely German sweetheart to show off to the rest of the guests. 

~~

Romana didn’t even know why she was here. 

Italy was more than capable of handling social events on her own, so the reason why her boss decided to loop her into this was a complete mystery to her. 

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had cursed him out in his own office a few days ago. Maybe it didn’t. 

Like she said, a complete mystery.

“I think that’s another one for ‘close friends.’”

Romana promptly found herself snapped out of her thoughts, glancing over at Spain, who was currently typing away at her phone. “Why the hell are you keeping track?” 

“I just thought it would be funny!” Spain replied easily, shooting a broad grin down at Romana. “Do you want to see what we got so far?” 

“No.” 

Spain’s smile never faltered despite Romana’s curt answer, leaning down to hold her phone out. “Are you sure?” 

Romana's gaze flickered down once, then twice before she snatched Spain’s phone out of her hands with a few muttered insults. She chose to ignore Spain’s light laughter in favor of studying the messy notes on the screen in front of her instead. 

According to the data, three people had mistaken them for waitresses, four people had asked where their husbands were, one poor bastard thought they were sisters, and a whole twelve guests had somehow gotten the impression that they were “close friends.” 

Although, given the fact that Spain was currently decked in a dark crimson dress and a full face of makeup compared to the walking manifestation of butch fashion that was Germany, Romana really couldn’t blame them. 

That didn’t mean that Spain was completely modest with her choice of fashion though. 

“Excuse me, but would you two happen to be Spain and Romana, by any chance?” 

Romana glanced up from Spain’s phone to meet the service-ready smile of some woman in front of them, likely an underpaid and overworked secretary if she had to place her bets. 

“That’s us!” Spain chirped back, plucking her phone from Romana in one fluid motion. “Is there something you needed?”

“Oh no, I just wanted to drop by and say hi.” The woman’s smile softened into something more genuine. “You two look wonderful tonight.” 

Spain’s bubbly enthusiasm riled itself back up in full force at that.

“Thank you!” she replied easily. “You look great too! I love your dress!”

When the secretary looked over to her, Romana jerked her head in a quick nod of agreement, which thankfully seemed to be enough to avoid coming off as a complete brat. 

“It’s not anything special, just something I picked up a while ago,” the woman laughed, waving her off with polite modesty. However, once her eyes trailed down to Spain’s right hand, her smile quickly morphed into a concerned frown. “Oh! Um, I think you broke your nails there.” 

“Hmm?” Spain peered down at her hand with faux curiosity and Romana had to physically resist the urge to groan when she held her fingers up. “Do you mean these?” 

Romana didn’t know when Spain had gotten her nails done or who had even agreed to do them for her with the stunt she pulled off because really, having your index and middle fingers painted and clipped strikingly short compared to the length of the rest of your nails was a bold move for a formal party.

It was stupid and it was embarassing and it was exactly the kind of thing that Spain would try to get away with.

“Don’t worry, these were on purpose! They do come in pretty handy after all!” 

The woman tilted her head to the side with obvious confusion and Romana was tempted to beg for her to leave before the full force of Spain’s dramatics could be unveiled. 

“On purpose?” she repeated, the connection obviously miles away from being formed in her head at that point. “What would you need them that short for?” 

Spain only flipped her hand over so her palm was to the ceiling, curling her index and middle fingers towards her in a come hither motion with a completely innocent and wildly inappropriate smile. 

Romana had seen a wide variety of reactions that night ranging from complete obliviousness to awkward discomfort and some kind of emotion within that range was what she was expecting, especially with how nice the secretary had been thus far.

But seeing her face twist with pure disgust was the one reaction that Romana had yet to see and that was where she was going to draw the line.

“You got a fucking problem with that?” Romana snapped, crossing her arms with a scowl. 

“Do I-” The woman quickly met Romana’s glare with a disapproving frown that made Romana’s blood boil. “Of course not! There’s just no reason for you two to be putting this in everyone’s face is all.”

Romana would swear to this day that her temper had never jumped up so quickly before in her life.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“I mean that this is a formal event and there are certain rules to abide by,” she replied firmly, passive hostility dripping from every word that came out of her mouth. “I assumed you would have a little more modesty. It does bring up questions about your integrity as a nation.”

The secretary’s critical gaze drifted down to where the hem of Romana’s dress rested against her thighs.

“And as a woman.”

Oh, did Romana have some thoughts about that little comment.

“You fucking-”

The only thing that stopped Romana from reaching over and strangling the woman herself was the fact that Spain had shot her arm out to stop her from stepping forward, the friendly look on her face looking decidedly more strained than before.

“Roma, why don’t you go look around for a minute?” Spain’s tone seemed to offer less of an offer and more of a command at that point. “I’ll come find you later.” 

She really just wanted to argue and have at the secretary herself, but her mouth snapped itself shut once she caught the hard glint in Spain’s eyes. 

“Fine,” she spat out, glaring at the woman who seemed to be under the impression that she had somehow won here.

Romana didn’t say a word to correct her as she marched right back off into the crowd, glancing back just in time to see Spain’s smile drop into a cold glare. 

Sure, she wanted to chew that excuse of a guest out herself, but she knew that Spain would have that handled without her and that was enough of a victory in her opinion.

~~

Romana turned when she heard the faint clicking of heels against the floor, looking up just in time to see Spain heading right towards her with a bright smile. 

“I’m back!” Spain called out cheerfully, leaning down to press a messy kiss to the top of her head. “Sorry that took a while!” 

“Whatever.” Romana rolled her eyes when Spain wrapped an arm around her waist. “I can handle that shit on my own, you know.”

“I know, I know,” Spain cooed back. “I just got a little carried away. She shouldn’t have said that about you.”

“Right.” Romana’s attention was already fixed on the hand that was currently pressing her body right next to Spain’s. “Are you going to do this for the rest of the night?” 

“Yup!” 

Romana glanced up, ready to find the familiar sight of a teasing grin on Spain’s face only to find complete determination. 

She let out a groan, slapping her hands up to cover her face. Of course, she had forgotten exactly how hard it was to shake Spain’s protective mood off once she really got into it. “No.” 

Spain frowned, mouth already open to protest. “But-” 

“No.” 

“How about ten minutes?” she finally bartered, already quirking her lip out in a rather impressive attempt at looking like a kicked puppy. “Please?” 

Romana’s first instinct was to give her a hard no, but now that she thought about it, it really wasn’t so bad, being this close to Spain. With her mood, she would definitely be more than safe from anyone else who decided to make a scene. And while she would never admit it out loud, it did feel nice to have Spain dote on her so much. 

But Spain didn’t need to know that.

“Fine.” 

The speed with which Spain brightened up as soon as Romana muttered that word was honestly astonishing to see in person. 

“Yes! Thank you!” Spain chirped, leaning down again to press a messy kiss to her cheek, even if she was grinning too widely in order to do it properly. 

Despite the less than ideal attempt, Romana still didn’t move to push Spain’s head away. “Shut up.”

But now that the hectic moment had died down, Romana found that she still had a question that had remained unanswered.

“What the hell did you even say?”

Spain paused, glancing at Romana quizzically. “To her?” 

When Romana nodded, Spain laughed, but she still caught a glimpse of that lingering irritation behind her smile as her grip tightened ever so slightly.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Roma.” 

[gravitascivics]

WHO TO TRUST?

The very first sentence of a book by the Nobel Prize winners Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo over economic challenges is “We live in an age of growing polarization.”[1]  Early in their book they cite the following: 

·       81% of Americans who identify with one of the major parties has a negative opinion of the other party;

·       61% of Democrats classify Republicans as being racists, sexists, or bigots; 55% of Republicans dismiss Democrats as spiteful; and

·       Roughly one of every three Americans express their disappointment if a close family member married someone of the opposing political party.[2]

Other works cited in this blog support this overall descriptive conclusion by providing further relevant statistics.

          These feelings of disdain have become so much a part of the political environment that one tends to define politics as including this sort of emotional response to having political disagreements.  But this is not new.  Thomas E. Ricks, in telling the story of four founding fathers, describes how reluctant their acceptance of political parties and their entailed level of factionalism was.  But then he goes to describe that once accepted, with the exception of George Washington, they were not shy in practicing a fairly virulent form of the practice.[3]

          But to get back to the two Nobel laureates, their point is, and is supported by a good deal of related responsible theorizing, that to sustain a healthy democratic polity, such dissent needs to be reasonably respectful and that demands for a level of understanding.  Understanding of what?  Well, at minimum one should attain an understanding of the contentious issues under debate, of the affected interests of the other party, and of the motivations – both recognized and hidden – that encourage people to act as they do.

          And since the current stage is polarized, the highlighted issues under contention do not stand alone.  As this blog has also explained, there are political forces at play that have become operative because of the system’s polarization itself.[4]  Banerjee and Duflo describe these issues as coming “together as a bunches of grapes.”  But they go on to say that at play are certain core beliefs that determine these various opinions over the array of concerns.

          These beliefs refer to such aspects of life as gender roles or the role of hard work.  With these more fundamental biases, they lead one to believe, for example, if one supports liberal or restrictive immigration policies, supports liberal or restrictive trade policies, or active or limited government role in the economy. 

But while such mental posturing has always functioned in this way, more seems to be at play presently and this blog, as just alluded to, has addressed earlier this more encompassing political environment.  The concern here is a more specific consequence, that being that the current state has become so prevalent within the current arena that a qualitative augmentation has taken place.  “We seem to be back in the Dickensian world of Hard Times, with the haves facing off against the increasingly alienated have-nots, with no resolution in sight.”[5]

So, does this situation just reveal or reflect the Marxian dictum, that all social maladies boil down to class warfare?  Banerjee and Duflo claim that nations are doing little to solve the basic conditions feeding the polarization.  One does not read or listen to reports in the news or other sources describing a turnaround in how wealth or income is becoming less inequitable, only that they are becoming more so.

And one finds that the general attitude among people is not to look to economists for explanations or proscriptions as to what to do.  Generally, they are not seen as reliable sources of good information or so claims Banerjee and Duflo.  This was supported with a survey study they conducted.  They found that only 25% of Americans trusted economists know what they are talking about when it comes to economics.  Is that the worst judged professional group?  No, politicians do worse.

Further they report other research that points out how much economists disagree with the basic opinions of average people.  They can’t seem to agree on tariff policy over steel and aluminum, much less what one would consider prudent in terms of controversial issues such as the economic effect immigrants will have on an economy as a study asked in the case of Germany. 

And the gap between economists – who, by the way, don’t always agree among themselves – and common folk can be quite significant.  In administering an opinion questionnaire of twenty questions, the gap of disagreement was as high as 35 percentage points between how the economists answered a question and how others did so.  It’s no wonder that one can observe people ignoring economists.

Hence, a goal for this blog is to investigate this gap.  Why?  Because this writer does have faith in what economists have to say as long as they back it up with evidence.  That is, he at least believes they, the economists, are not out to lie to their fellow citizens.  Having experienced the “academic” way of finding the truth, he generally holds as truthful academic efforts to report what’s happening and why.

[1] Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Good Economics for Hard Times (New York, NY:  Public Affairs, 2019), 1.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Thomas E. Ricks, First Principles:  What America’s Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country (New York, NY:  HarperCollins Publishers, 2020).  He analyzed George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison with telling information regarding Alexander Hamilton.

[4] See, for example, Robert Gutierrez, “Twiddle Dee and Something Else,” Gravitas:  A Voice for Civics” (August 14, 2020), accessed February 18, 2021, https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2020_08_09_archive.html .

[5] Banerjee and Duflo, Good Economics for Hard Times, 2.

[arcadianambivalence]

Babylon Berlin, S3E6

There are times when I get so invested in these characters or weary of their futures, I can spend half an episode with my heart in my throat.  

This was one of those episodes, packed with some rather seamless character introductions, chilling historical references, and a few moments of unexpected and touching bravery.

Spoilers under the cut

Katelbach’s article on the secret rearmament is about to be published on the first page of Tempo Editorial so everyone can see that the Treaty of Versailles is being broken. But amidst this victory, the ring of a telephone cuts in.  A team of SA members is on their way to destroy the article—and Katelbach.

Richard “Fritz” and Horst “Otto” are included.  Their boss, Stennes, leads the abuse of staff members, destruction of property, and other intimidation tactics.

The editor, Heymann, gives Katelbach the original documents, then stalls the oncoming SA members long enough for Samuel to escape. Heymann is then violently beaten in front of his staff as a threat against releasing any more information.

It is the day after General Seegers (remember him?) has taken control of the military.  His daughter, Marie-Luise “Malu,” ruffles at the sudden increase in the army’s status and regulations.  She also does not agree with her dad’s principles.  She’s a law student, a few years shy of being recognized as an adult capable of making her own decisions, and she (secretly?) works for Red Aid.  

SEEGERS: “German law dictates my responsibility to care for you and your duty to obey.”

MALU: “What do you know about German law?  As a lawyer, I can tell you—“

SEEGERS: “You’re a third-year student.”  (English dub says it’s her third semester.  That’s a big difference in translation.)

MALU: “That’s long enough to know that a separation of the official and private spheres must be maintained in all areas of civil life.  Except in your parallel universe of order and submission.”

Helga mistrusts the Nazi party, but Moritz only sees it for its youth programs.  In fact, he wants to go on a trip with some new friends.  His mom argues against it: “It’s important to give back to your community, not just take.”  When Moritz lets slip that this is like practice for the military, Helga immediately puts her foot down.  She didn’t live through a war just to have her son want another one.

Meanwhile, Gereon is fine with Moritz’s boy’s group, although I imagine there are some things Moritz conveniently forgot to tell him. Moritz also wants to move in with Fun Uncle Gereon who treats him like an adult but without the responsibility.  (I’m starting to see how this may be a reaction to how Gereon was raised…)  I could write a meta on what this episode says about the generations.

Gereon tries to contact everyone in the list of lawyers, reporters, and engineers (all the great thinkers and researchers) Graf uncovered, but as he goes down the list, he discovers with rising horror just how many people have been arrested and brutalized or even killed already.  One man not yet crossed off the list?  Hans Litten.

After his name was mentioned in almost every episode, we finally, finally, meet Litten, lawyer for Red Aid and another fascinating historical figure.  Lotte asks him to get an appeal for Greta, and Litten (despite a massive backlog of other cases of injustice) takes her on.  He’s not concerned about money, few of his clients can pay anyway, which is a relief to Lotte.

In a brief scene, we’re reminded once again that Zorgibel is not doing well.  (One interesting thing about many Weimar politicians and officials is how many of them died relatively young.  Would history have been different if more of them lived longer?)

Meanwhile, Gereon and Graf discover Fritz and Otto’s real names and link them to Benda’s murder.  Gereon goes to Horst’s apartment to question him (and guess who recruited Moritz’s youth group?), but Horst is busy trying to break into Elisabeth’s house and seize Katelbach.

True to her promise last episode, Elisabeth hides Samuel.  She uses a wardrobe with a false back to cover the door to his room, obscuring the door from view and keeping anyone from seeing any of Katelbach’s papers.  And if that isn’t impressive enough, she agrees to take the evidence back to Heymann for publishing that very day.  

Needless to say, Katelbach is supremely grateful to her.  

(Perhaps their Old Married Couple banter can become Actual Married Couple banter…I can dream, can’t I?)

Remember the doctor’s visit back in episode one?  Helga finally gets the results.  She’s pregnant.  So that’s yet another thing for her to worry about in the future that, more and more, does not have Gereon in it.  

And one more thing to drive her closer to accepting Nyssen, not that he’s even remotely a good choice.  

Ms. Nyssen is embarrassed by her son.  He’s literally kept out of view in some parties.  (The speed at which he latched onto feeling like he represented a “betrayed” Germany is becoming clearer with each appearance he makes).  

Marie-Luise and her sister swap seating arrangements so she can subtly get information from Wendt.  (Speaking of which...what kind of age gap is this?  It’s clearly set up that she’s flirting for information, but if she’s not technically at the age of majority, this seems wildly inappropriate).

He quotes the conservative Ernest Junger.  She shoots back with philosopher Walter Benjamin.  I’d call this two readers flirting, but refer to the previous paragraph.  

And both want to win the conversation more than win each other.  Wendt’s speech to the party seems to be directed down at her in particular.

In a private meeting with other conspirators, Wendt suggests the NSDAP use Nazis to intimidate their enemies and demoralize the people.  The military men are not interested in this plan.  

After a very long absence from this show, Gustav Stresemann arrives to interrupt their meeting and propose a union, which is a puzzling turn of events.  Wasn’t the real Stresemann supposed to be championing the Young Plan at this point, you know, the kind of foreign “interference” these guys would hate?  Or does this represent how he didn’t come down hard enough on the rearmament?  Or does this have to do with Poland? 

But let’s return to the season’s mystery thread.

While reviewing notes from the film case, Lotte realizes Vera lied in an official statement (no surprise to us).  When she confronts Vera (who is still staying at her apartment), Vera reveals Walter pressured her to lie and that she is in grave danger for speaking to Charlotte.  

All clues seem to point to Walter, but even he does not live without fear.  Esther makes her play to star in the movie, which Walter rejects.  “You’re the wife of Edgar Kasabian, the Armenian,” he protests, to which she throws a vase at him and completely shatters his nonchalance about his boss’s wife. 

The threat is silent: Yes, I am the wife of the Armenian, and don’t you forget it.

Suddenly, the Phantom of Wittenburg seems to have been acting with a particular goal, no?

Notes:

The famous journalist Kurt Tucholsky (aka Theobald Tieger, among many other aliases) is mentioned at the beginning of the episode.

Marie-Luise quotes Walter Benjamin, a philosopher and essayist known for “On the Concept of History.”  Benjamin lived in Berlin until the Nazis’ rise to power, after which he settled in Paris, but he could not escape persecution for being Jewish there, either. He committed suicide in 1940 when turned back from the France-Spain border while trying to cross Spain to neutral Portugal.

Wendt quotes Ernst Junger, known for the WWI memoir Storm of Steel (the anti-All Quiet on the Western Front, if you will). 

Gustav Stresemann was a statesman remembered for his part in the Kellogg-Briand Pact that made peaceful resolutions seem possible.  He was very good at making friends in unlikely places, although the desire to reduce reparations was generally at the root of his choices, which I assume is the end goal of this fictional version, too.

[tebarambles]

12

12. do you agree with the way your government is handling the pandemic? 

Oh dear, I’m afraid you opened quite the can of worms there, my friend :D Politics are my favourite topic to rant about, but I’ll try to not go overboard with the ramblings (I’m not making promises though).

The short answer in German would be: jein (yes and no).

From a global perspective, I think the German government isn’t doing the worst job in comparison. I’m really not a fan of Angela Merkel (she’s the leader of the Conservatives after all, and also a massive bigot), but being a scientist, at least she has an idea what she is talking about. I dread to think what would be going on if any of her fellow CDU politicians were in charge.

Speaking of which, Jens Spahn (the Federal Minister of Health) keeps demonstrating quite how unsuited he is for his job - he seems to be unable to maintain sufficient personal distance on public outings/press interviews, has absolutely no clue how to wear face masks correctly and don’t get me started on his actual approach to politics. His latest brain fart: an “Immunitätsausweis” (immunity pass) for people who have already been infected with corona. sounds like a good idea in theory but as long as nobody knows exactly how long one stays immune after having had the disease and as long as there aren’t reliable antibody tests available? Useless, just like the man himself (and believe me, the complete list of issues I have with him is much, much longer).

Even worse: our current Federal Minister of Education and Research, Anja Karliczek (also CDU). I’ll spare you the rant about how badly she (and her predecessors; most of them Conservatives, of course) fucked us students over even before the pandemic. But right now? ‘Oh, you lost your part-time job because of the pandemic and aren’t eligible for Bafög (fun fact: most students in Germany (~80%) aren’t, and even if they were, in most cases it’s hardly enough to survive on it) - here, apply for this student loan of 650€ per month that won’t even be enough to pay for your rent in cities like Berlin, Hamburg or Munich.' Well, thanks a lot, Anja. She used to be a banker and a business administrator btw. I'm not saying that a lack of experience in the educational sector makes her less qualified for her current role but - wait, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Also: deciding to re-open schools for all children this soon during a pandemic, when many public schools in Germany are chronically underfunded and can’t even provide the pupils with warm water to wash their hands? Insane! Great idea, Kultusministerkonferenz.

Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz (also CDU) keeps telling the press that “we can’t hold the protection of human life above everything else” in regards to the potential economic consequences of the lockdown. This is the same man who is against abortion because abortion is murder, by the way. Oh, and he’s currently competing to become the CDU’s next chairman, which then might lead to him trying to become chancellor. And that would be a catastrophe of BoJo-like proportions. 

One main problem is federalism, because all the German states just keep going how they see fit and there are only very vague instructions from the federal government. Which is kind of understandable, because the situation keeps changing and what is right today might turn out to be a mistake tomorrow and vice versa. Still, the lack of nationwide consistent regulations leads to chaos at the moment. 

There are other things that I haven’t even addressed yet (apparently it is okay to let refugees die because we can’t afford to take any more - but we can afford to fly in thousands of cheap seasonal workers from eastern Europe despite closed borders. Die Würde des Spargels ist unantastbar.), but this post is already waaaaaaaay too long. Whoops.

tl;dr: the CDU is - like any conservative party - a group of inhumane bigots that can’t be trusted and while there certainly are countries that are doing worse, I’m not happy about how things are going at the moment.

[militant-holy-knight]

Tom Kratman’s Caliphate Review: Disturbingly Prophetic

Its easy to forget that outright right-winged/conservative literature actually exists though admittedly it’s hard to find those with actual merit nor enjoy the same popularity as other types of works. I’ve came across one example written by retired US Army soldier Tom Kratman whom you may or may have not heard about if you are familiar with the Sad Puppies incident from 2015, where the Hugo Awards were biased against writers with conservative leanings. Kratman is someone who delights in offending left-wing sensibilities by his own admission and it’s reflected in his works that often deal with themes like fighting Muslim terrorists in sci-fi settings. One such of these works is Caliphate, written in 2008 and it struck me how... prescient this book was about the contemporary times and may well still be for the future.

The premise is as follows: Islamic terrorists seize nuclear weapons and use it to nuke three American cities during September 11 (as well as London and Israel). The American outrage against Muslims spirals into the election of a third-party populist candidate who promises vengeance against this attack, which he does by simultaneously nuking all Islamic countries in the world (and North Korea for good measure). This disaster leads to an massive exodus of Muslims into Europe who migrate there and thanks to their massive birthrates, they are able to hijack countries by voting for hardcore Islamist parties (as democracy must abide by the majority). They transform Europe - or at least Western Europe or the countries associated with the EU - into a Islamic empire, the titular Caliphate which functions like a hybrid of the modern day Islamist regime like the Taliban, ISIS and Boko Haram (public executions, lashings, women can’t be seen outside without being covered), and the Ottoman Empire (conscription and brainwashing of dhimmis into military service).

The story follows two parallel narratives: one in the distant future over a century after the terrorist attack where America has transformed into a totalitarian empire know as ISA (Imperial States of America) which is in cold war against the Caliphate in Europe and a second one set in “present days” when things are relatively normal but then we witness the events quickly fall apart. The first one follows John Hamilton, an disillusioned American soldier who is recruited by the CIA to infiltrate the Caliphate and investigate a trio of Canadian scientists who are working in a virus to destroy America. The second one follows Gabrielle, a liberal German woman that sees the collapse of Europe up close and tying them together is that she is the ancestor of one of the main characters. These narratives are told simultaneously and are always accompanied by critical quotes of Islam in their opening.

You’d think a work like this would be simply “AMERICA FUCK YEAH” and “FUCK ISLAM” over and over, but Kratman actually does a surprising amount of nuance. For one, it’s made clear that this America is really a dystopia and not an ideal place to live, reflected by its actions and Hamilton’s thoughts about it - at one point, US soldiers carry out ethnic cleansing against Moros in the Philippines and Hamilton is disturbed even after someone close to him died because of them. And while the book doesn’t hold back in bashing Islam, not all of them are portrayed as intolerant religious fanatics - there are genuinely good characters and even some grey ones with complexity added to them. For that matter, even non-Muslims can be villains too so it isn’t a black and white kind of work.

A surprising amount of world-building was put in place to make this world interesting: it’s established that the USA has occupied Canada and the Philippines, England has turned into an absolute monarchy, China has become some kind of transhuman empire, only a portion of Europe is actually under the Caliphate control with most of Eastern Europe under Russia control (because of course) and it’s heavily implied Israel has carried out a final solution against Palestinians. This can however can be a detriment because all these interesting paths are presented but never truly explored. We never see how the UK is under the absolute monarchy, nor this Russian tsardom and we only hear whispers about how bad China is in the distant future (which is implied to be worse than the Caliphate). The one that truly does get any exposure is the Neo-Boer State which was established in the southern half of the African continent by European refugees fleeing from Muslims in their own country and has a section of the story taking place there.

Besides Hamilton, there are other viewpoints in the story with the ones after his following German brothers Hans and Petra, two Christian siblings that live in the Caliphate and are taken apart by the devishrme-like system. He becomes a janissary soldier, while she becomes a servant in a Muslim household. Their stories are actually far more compelling than Hamilton since their struggles are more personal while Hamilton wouldn’t be out of place in a video game where he starred as it’s generic Space Marine protagonist. Hans remains a Christian despite his outward conversion to Islam and actively rebels against Caliphate culture which leads to him adopting a crusader identity, while Petra’s storyline explores the woes faced by women under a fundamentalist Islamic regime i.e. not unlike what those who endured Taliban or ISIS regime.

And make no mistake: the story never holds back on the graphic content. There is plenty of violence including impalement, crucifixions, sexual attacks and etc, which may be a turn off for many readers, and it doesn’t help they have to drive home how dystopian this setting is. It may come across as over-the-top as it made me wonder how plausible this Caliphate could even function (it’s established that the Caliphate can only function in a slave-based economy or taxing the dhimmis, which they can’t afford to abuse or exile since they’d collapse). The Arab Peninsula was once unified under Muhammad and his four successors who drove out all Christians, Jews and polytheists from their lands, but then fell into tribalism and stayed that way for centuries with only Mecca and Medina (the only relevant sites of Islam) being controlled by outsider Muslims.

I know I make the story sound unrealistic and fantastical, but the main takeway from this book I had was how prophetic the story was in regards to the current and political atmosphere. Keep in mind that what I am about to write was published in April 2008, in a completely different scenario than the one we live:

The insane American president who nukes the Islamic world is very Trumpesque and shares similar slogans (”WE WILL MAKE THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS PAY”). He is basically what leftists believed Trump would actually do if he was elected like put Muslims in internment camps like the Japanese-Americans in WW2.

Great Britain actually breaks out from the European Union, except under much different circumstances: rather than voting themselves out like Brexit, they turn into an absolute monarchy once again and become completely isolationist.

The rise of an brutal, terrorist regime mirrors the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria that rose to prominence during the Arab Spring in 2011.

A large-scale migration of Middle-Easterns into the West triggered by some kind of disaster, only it was an genocidal attack in the book rather than the consequences of a regional movement that led to the collapse of MENA states with the Arab Spring.

The “present day” narrative also presents scenarios no different than the current reality of Europe with no-go zones where migrants of Muslim background are involved in criminal activity and target the native population as seen in France, Germany and Sweden.

Islamists infiltrating democratic institutions in order to impose their values as seen with many neighbors in Belgium and the Netherlands where Muslims are the majority to the native population.

Russia expanding their control over Eastern Europe mirroring their foreign policy to consolidate their regional superpower status.

China being up to no good with technology.

And of course a deadly virus engineered to destroy political rivals, though this time by rogue scientists working for Muslim terrorists rather than China.

It’s possible that some of Kratman wrote was already true of his time which served as basis for the present day narrative. But reality was much different back then: Obama was yet to become President and Bush was still in office (and nobody had an idea how the former would turn out), China was less despotic then than it’s now under Xi Jinping, the Russo-Georgian War was still to take place and migration to the West was relatively low compared to after the 2015′s refugee crisis, the UKIP was considered a fringe party and the UK leaving the European Union was a distant dream. Nobody was talking about no-go zones, but then again the Internet wasn’t as big back then as it’s now. Rather than writing about the modern political atmosphere of his time, Kratman envisioned a possible future which he predicted fairly closely and at the same time, it spoke about issues that are relevant to anyone who isn’t afraid to speak about the problems regarding Islamic ideology or integration of migrants into their host countries.

What depressed me the most about the book is that it’s dystopian reality may be our own future. It’s an common concern for conservatives and right-wingers that Muslims become a majority in the West - a boast that they never cease making - soon which might lead to an eventual clash of civilizations. A quarter of Belgium might be Islamic and this is possible because of enabling from leftist politicians that flirt with radicals for convenience and consider the values they promote like women and LGBT rights to be an acceptable sacrifice to overthrow conservative capitalism. This kind of behavior is actually acknowledged and mocked by Kratman, as Gabrielle is an radical SJW that hates Western conservatives more than Islamists to the point this leads to the breakdown with her relationship with an Egyptian migrant that converts to Christianity and ends up moving to the USA before becoming a authoritarian regime.

The book presents Islam’s conquest of Europe as a complete surrender without a fight - the migrants just breed like rats and vote for Islamist parties to hijack the government through legitimate means and one American ambassador chides Gabrielle and her people for abandoning their own values and allowing this to happen. This probably speaks a lot to the more cynical among us who see our governments bending over to outsiders over their own people and see where it might be headed. Personally I don’t believe a caliphate is where the future is headed, as it provides no real attractive alternative that the West has presented, but it certainly won’t stop some people from trying and there will be certainly a fight.

Are we really going have to look forward for an revived Ottoman Empire in the heartland of Europe where Christian boys are whipped into slave-soldiers, girls are sold to harems like cheap prostitutes and non-Muslims live like second class citizens being forced to pay outrageous, humiliating taxes like the jizya? Hopefully not, but the possibility of terrorists acquiring nukes is an always constant one, and with the Iranian nuclear program will push it’s neighbors to do the same as form of deterrence if they feel threatened. Knowing how fragile Muslims states are and that if those nukes fell into the wrong hands, the events of the book could be precipitated but luckily for us, nuclear armament is expensive and takes a lot of work which not even the wealthiest countries like Saudi Arabia can afford to develop it themselves, let alone the poorest ones like Syria and Iraq so that might not be a reality just now.

Do I recommend this book? The world is very interesting, it’s actually a bit more complex and nuanced as both sides don’t come off as “bright” (albeit the Caliphate is presented as worse). If you want to see a book that talks about issues you find relevant like immigration and terrorism from a conservative perspective, this is a must-read. The main protagonist can be very dull whereas the secondary protagonists are more compelling - it depends on how much you like military heroes written by an American veteran I guess. While the ending to the main story was satisfying on itself (the present day ends on a sad foregone conclusion), it sets up a sequel with many plot threads going unresolved. It’s disappointing to me since this is a standalone book and Kratman hasn’t indicated any plans on writing a follow-up, though if he did it now I am sure he would have done so without a completely different perspective than the one he has in 2008 and he would have certainly got more material to work with. 

P.S. This book has a Skanderbeg reference, so it’s an instant win for me.

[justforbooks]

Mikhail Gorbachev: 'In 1989 the World Chose Peace; We Need That Vision Today'

The Berlin Wall, which for decades had divided not just a city but a country, and all of Europe, fell in November 1989, and history accelerated its march. Such moments test the responsibility and wisdom of statesmen.

The long overdue changes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe had received a powerful impetus from the democratic process already under way in the Soviet Union. The demands of the people were getting increasingly urgent and radical.

In the fall of 1989 the situation in East Germany–the G.D.R.–became explosive. Large groups of people were leaving the country; people were fleeing en masse through Hungary and Czechoslovakia, which had opened their western borders. In major cities, people took to the streets, protesting peacefully, but violence with consequences beyond anyone’s control could not be ruled out.

In October 1989, I attended the festivities in East Berlin marking the 40th anniversary of the G.D.R. As I stood on the rostrum, greeting the columns of participants in the parade, I felt almost physically the people’s discontent. We knew that they had been carefully pre-selected, which made their behavior even more striking. They were chanting: Perestroika! Gorbachev, help!

Subsequent events confirmed that the G.D.R. regime was rapidly losing ground. The protests and the political demands–from freedom of emigration to freedom of speech and the dissolution of government bodies to the reunification of Germany–were gaining momentum.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was therefore not a surprise for us. The fact that it happened on Nov. 9, 1989, was the result of specific circumstances and the evolution of popular mood.

In those conditions, the Soviet leadership’s first step was to rule out military force by the Soviet troops stationed in the G.D.R. At the same time, we did our utmost to make sure that the process moved along peaceful lines, without infringing on the vital interests of our country or undermining peace in Europe.

That was extremely important, because after the fall of the Wall the developments in the G.D.R. became increasingly turbulent. Reunification of Germany was now on the agenda, and this was bound to cause concern among Soviet citizens, many of whom were alarmed.

Their concern was understandable, both historically and psychologically. We had to reckon with the people’s memory of the war, of its horrors and victims. Of course the Germans had changed; they had learned the lessons of Hitler’s reign and World War II. But there are things that cannot be erased from history. I told Chancellor Kohl, it is important for the Germans, in managing unification, to respect the feelings of other peoples as well as their own interests.

We were not alone in our concerns. The Federal Republic of Germany’s (F.R.G.) NATO allies–France, Great Britain, Italy–did not want a quick reunification. I understood that from my talks with their leaders. In each of the countries that had suffered from aggression, there were fears–as though in their very genes–that the unification of F.R.G. and G.D.R. would increase Germany’s power. They had serious, though unspoken, historic and political reasons for such fears.

I think that NATO’s European members would not have been averse to using Gorbachev to put a brake on unification. But I understood that resisting a process that was objectively inevitable and, even more so, to use force in any form could lead to unpredictable consequences: an explosion in the center of Europe, a resumption of the Cold War, and who knows what else! It was the duty of all of us to avoid that.

Today, reading some comments and reminiscences of that time, one might get the impression that the process of reunification was a cakewalk, that everything came like manna from heaven, or that it all happened as a result of happy chance or even naiveté of some parties. But that was not the case.

The two plus four negotiations involving the two German states, the Soviet Union, the U.S., France and Britain could not be an easy ride. There were contentious discussions and clashes of opinion, and it sometimes seemed that misunderstanding would doom the negotiations.

But they ended in success, because the parties to this complex diplomatic process showed foresight as well courage and a sense of high responsibility.

Yet, when I am asked who I regard as the main hero of that time of drama and turmoil, I always reply: the people. I am not denying the role of the politicians. They were very important. But it was the people–two peoples–who mattered the most. The Germans, who declared their will for national unity decisively and, most importantly, in a peaceful way. And of course the Russians, who understood the Germans’ aspirations, who believed that Germany had indeed changed and supported the will of the German people.

Russians and Germans can be proud that after the war’s tragic bloodshed they understood each other. Had they not, the Soviet government would not have been able to act the way it did.

We drew a final line under the Cold War. Our goal was a new Europe: a Europe without dividing lines. The leaders who succeeded us have failed to achieve that goal. A modern security architecture, a strong mechanism for preventing and resolving conflicts have not been created in Europe. Hence the painful problems and conflicts that beset our continent today. I urge world leaders to face up to those problems and resume dialogue for the sake of the future.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[workersolidarity]

One thing that should unite the left more than ever is that we're all being fucked over capitalism in general. Especially if you live in a culture that is built on commodification and capitalism, and to break through the lies that we have told and try to do good by leftism is noble and it betters humanity the more leftism rises.

I would hope. But just like the early 1930's, were at a junction of history. Neoliberal Capitalism could easily degrade into more Nationalism and the continued rise of Fascism.

Or trend could go towards the Socialist Left.

The part that worries me is how the Ruling Class has such a brutally tight grip on Western culture. They've been so effective in their propaganda over the years that it's now acceptable to read Mein Kampf and try to "understand Hitler".

You walk into many public libraries and book stores and easily find a copy of Mein Kampf or an awfully generous biography of Goebbels.

But good luck trying to find a copy of Foundations of Leninism or Dialectical and Historical Materialism anywhere besides the internet.

Somehow the Bourgeoisie have convinced the public that, yeah, Fascism is bad, but it's okay to be a little Fascist-curious.

But Stalin, oh my Lord! Now that guy is completely and utterly unacceptable to read or try understanding! He's "worse than Hitler" and "killed more people in the Soviet Union than Hitler did in the Holocaust" are refrains I hear all the time.

Nevermind that the entire Anti-Stalin/Anti-Communism paradigm is based on out-and-out lies. Nevermind that a little Independent research debunks any and all claims of Stalin's supposed crimes. Doesn't matter!

Even among other Socialists you'll hear the same tired lies, most of which can be traced to Trotsky (somehow he's an acceptable Socialist but not Stalin), or from Krushchev's "Secret Speech", and some of the lies come directly out of fictional literature from the Cold War Era! Yet, even so-called "Leftists", "Socialists", and "Anarchists" who question anything their Government says about any other topic, disbelieve the Corporate Media on topics of War, but swallow without question these baseless lies about Stalin and the Soviet Union.

This is such a remarkable stranglehold on a narrative of Revisionist History, I'm stunned whenever someone actually questions it.

Consider some other well worn lies that people swallow hook-line-and-sinker.

A. America won the war against Fascism

Nevermind the fact that the US didn't even enter the European Front until the tide had turned. Ask any Westerner and they'll tell you it was the US that defeated the Nazis and Fascism, and liberated the Concentration camps.

B. America entered World War II to defend "Freedom" (whatever that means), to Liberate the Jews, to defeat Fascism and Nazism, and to defend "Western Values" (another meaningless refrain repeated without thought everywhere in the Western world).

Again, completely ignoring the fact that the US didn't even enter the War until the Red Army was marching on Berlin. Nevermind, that the US was only interested in preventing a Europe united under Socialism. Nevermind that any Holocaust survivor remembers like it was yesterday exactly who Liberated them from the Concentration camps; and Earth to America! It wasn't us!

These are just the most obvious examples of how the Bourgeois of the Western Imperialist Powers have a complete stranglehold on the Narratives that even most Leftists still believe.

You're allowed to question anything in America. As long as that anything isn't the Historical Revisionism of the Second World War or the Anti-Stalin Paradigm.

So for me, the question becomes, how exactly do we educate the Proletariat in Western Nations if we can't even get them to believe that Stalin didn't kill 60 million Soviet Citizens (out of 100 million total) and the Soviet Union wasn't an Totalitarian dictatorship that was essentially the same as Nazi Germany?

I mean, how do you build Socialism when the Bourgeoisie have convinced the world that the only example of Socialism to have ever existed wasn't actually Socialist but was instead akin to Fascism?

And now even the word "Socialism" is being debased by Liberals and Social Democrats to mean something completely different from what it is? If prominent Politicians and Political figures are allowed to go around claiming Sweden is a Socialist country, then how do you ever convince people that this not only isn't true, but real Socialism looks like the Boogieman of Nation States the Soviet Union?

How do we reclaim Socialism from the Capitalists and Liberals? Better yet, how can we reclaim Socialism with scaring off Working Class when they have disinformation coming, not only from their enemies, but also from the Petty-Bourgois Political figures who've convinced them they're on their side?

We're essentially battling multiple disinformation campaigns coming from all sides. How can we blame the Working Class for being confused by all this?

And this is how the Bourgeois Class of today operates. They allow Liberals to reclaim Socialism without challenging it all that much because they see how this will only add to the confusion and divisions of the Working Class; essentially assuring enough confusion to keep a genuine Revolutionary Proletariat from forming.

Which leads me back to the beginning. Things can go either way right now. But with Liberals being so distrusted and no adding to the difficulties facing Communists in building a genuinely Revolutionary Working Class, I see Workers facing a much easier path towards Fascism than I do Socialism.

I don't know what to do other than educate people as best I can, involve myself in local Socialist Organizations as I already do, and just hope that something profound changes in the radicalization process for Workers.

We need to build a broad infrastructure on the Socialist Left that can bring diverse viewpoints that share a unified vision for Revolution together. This has to include a network of Revolutionary Socialist media productions such as podcasts, radio shows, websites and news sources, as well as a network of Socialist Organizations and Parties; basically some type of connecting Infrastructure that as it grows and matures, could eventually lead to a unified Vanguard Party that will hopefully be able by then to be dominated by Marxist-Leninists while slowly shedding it's more Right Wing and Opportunist wings of the Party.

That's the only way I can visualize an actual path towards Revolution. Any goal less than that is doomed to fail. That should be clear to everyone after Venezuela and Bolivia this year.

So yeah, again I've gone way way over the top in response to a comment, but this is the most important issue facing the Socialist Movement. I have some hope, I do. Just not a whole hell of a lot.

[bountyofbeads]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/ukrainian-leaders-feel-trapped-between-warring-washington-factions/2019/09/21/f0ff90ac-dbf1-11e9-a1a5-162b8a9c9ca2_story.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

“The ultimate beneficiary of all this story is Russia,” said Daria Kaleniuk, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, a clean-governance organization in Kiev.

Already, some Ukrainians worry that Zelensky may have offered too much to Trump’s team.

Ukrainian leaders feel trapped between warring Washington factions 

By Michael Birnbaum and David L. Stern | Published September 21, 2019 9:32 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted September 22, 2019 10:40 AM ET |

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian leaders are trapped in the middle of a very Washington firefight, facing mounting pressure from President Trump and his allies to investigate the son of political rival Joe Biden, and are searching for a way to escape.

They could give in to Trump’s demand to open an inquiry into the Ukrainian business dealings of Hunter Biden and risk the anger of Democrats and others for engaging in what those interests would see as interference in the 2020 elections. Or the Ukrainians could defy Trump and face the wrath of a president who had frozen $250 million of crucial military assistance for mysterious reasons before releasing it earlier this month.

Either way, they risk cracking the bipartisan consensus that has firmly supported Ukraine against Russia since 2014, when the Kremlin annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region and stoked war in Ukraine’s east. If Ukraine becomes associated with one U.S. political party or the other, it could jeopardize ties with its most important security backer.

“It’s a diplomatic disaster for our relations with the United States,” said Alyona Getmanchuk, the director of the New Europe Center, a Kiev-based foreign policy think tank. “I don’t know what could be the way out of this story.”

The predicament could come to a head Wednesday, when Trump is to sit down, for the first time, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Zelensky has sought the meeting for months, seeing it as a way to demonstrate U.S. support for a country that is still fighting a war in its east and enduring Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Trump has been reluctant, and he pressed Zelensky about Biden in a July phone conversation that is the subject of an extraordinary intelligence community whistleblower complaint.

In an interview with Ukrainian television station Hromadske that aired on Saturday, Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko denied that Trump had pressured Zelensky during the phone call.

“I know what the conversation was about, and I think there was no pressure,” he said. “There was talk, conversations are different, leaders have the right to discuss any problems that exist. This conversation was long, friendly, and it touched on a lot of questions, including those requiring serious answers.”

Diplomats, politicians and analysts inside and outside Ukraine said Saturday that Ukraine was in a precarious position.

“Really couldn’t get worse” for Kiev, said a senior European diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid aggravating the situation.

Zelensky — who until recently was a comedian with no political experience — will have to tread carefully. A misstep could further inflame the situation in Washington, costing Ukraine its ties either to Republican or Democratic lawmakers.

Since Trump has embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned both NATO and the reasons to support Ukraine, the bipartisan backing for the country in Congress has come to represent the main U.S. security guarantee for Kiev. If that were eroded, Ukraine could be in an especially dangerous position.

“Our vital interest is to ensure and to protect and to strengthen the bipartisan support for Ukraine,” said Danylo Lubkivsky, a former Ukrainian deputy foreign minister. “This is not all about Ukraine. Don’t impose some domestic issues, problems on Ukraine, while Ukraine fights against Russia’s aggression and struggles for its independence and freedom.”

Trump’s freeze on Ukraine aid draws new scrutiny amid push for Biden investigation

Zelensky is also talking about meeting with Putin as well as with the leaders of France and Germany in the coming weeks to try to hammer out a settlement to the conflict that is in its fifth year. That makes the uproar in Washington especially unsettling, because it weakens Ukraine’s negotiating position.

Zelensky has been more open to Russia than his predecessor, negotiating a major prisoner swap with the Kremlin in addition to suggesting discussions with Putin.

“The ultimate beneficiary of all this story is Russia,” said Daria Kaleniuk, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, a clean-governance organization in Kiev.

Already, some Ukrainians worry that Zelensky may have offered too much to Trump’s team.

“Just stay away from it. It is not our story. There is nothing to gain, there is lots to lose,” said Victoria Voytsitska, a former Ukrainian lawmaker who was swept into office in 2014 in a wave of Western-oriented activists who entered politics after the political upheavals that year.

Using an investigation “as a tool to say we’re reopening this to provide a benefit, leverage to a particular candidate, would be a mistake,” she said.

Days after the July phone conversation between Trump and Zelensky, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani followed up with an in-person meeting with Andriy Yermak, a top Zelensky aide, in Madrid, Giuliani said. Giuliani said that he met with Yermak to suggest two matters for investigation and that Yermak indicated the Ukrainians were open to pursuing the investigations. Yermak did not respond to a request for comment.

How Trump and Giuliani pressured Ukraine to investigate the president’s rivals

The first matter concerned allegations that Ukraine’s government colluded with Democrats in 2016 to try to derail Trump’s presidential bid.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, the release of a ledger documenting millions of dollars of off-books payments from the former Ukrainian government to Paul Manafort helped lead to Manafort’s ouster as Trump’s campaign chairman. Manafort had been a consultant to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the Russia-friendly leader who was forced to resign in 2014.

Giuliani said that the release of that information was part of a coordinated campaign by the Ukrainian government to help Democrats. He offered no evidence.

Serhiy Leshchenko, the Ukrainian lawmaker who revealed the ledger, says he released the information to try to fight corruption in Ukraine, not intervene in U.S. politics.

The second matter raised by Giuliani involved a probe of the Ukrainian gas tycoon who put Hunter Biden on the board of his company Burisma.

In 2016, then-Vice President Biden demanded the ouster of Ukraine’s top law enforcement official, Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.

Trump and Giuliani have accused the elder Biden of pushing for Shokin’s dismissal to protect Hunter Biden from an investigation into Burisma.

But it is unclear how seriously Shokin was pursuing Burisma at the time he was forced out. Diplomats said at the time that Shokin’s ouster was tied to Western worries about corruption in Ukraine’s justice system. Washington’s concerns were widely shared by Ukraine’s European partners, and they embraced Shokin’s departure.

“The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, want to stay as far away as possible from the Joe Biden demand that the Ukrainian Government fire a prosecutor who was investigating his son,” Trump wrote Saturday on Twitter.

Biden said Saturday that he had never spoken with his son about his business in Ukraine and accused Trump of “doing this because he knows I will beat him like a drum.”