#if by 'right of return' people mean a 'one state solution'

[tanadrin]

BDS is a political program with the practical end result of "mass murder of jews," so yes it's pretty definitively antisemitic.

I don't think I've ever specifically mentioned BDS, have I?

In general, I think arguments of the form "X program would have Y result, therefore supporters of X support Y" are very weak unless you can make a very direct argument that X is inextricable from Y. It is not clear to me that the objectives of BDS, which per Wikipedia are

to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations under international law,[7] defined as withdrawal from the occupied territories, removal of the separation barrier in the West Bank, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and "respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties".[8]

is inevitably functionally equivalent to "mass murder of jews." There seems to be a pretty long inferential chain there that I guess I'm missing.

[hauntingblue]

Skypiea time part 2

She is a woman..... this is sanji's influence... in whiskey peak his slashes were non gendered

Ace just letting himself get pushed into the river like aight my bad I will take my punishment.... he really is so well mannered (it sounds like I'm talking about a dog)

Conis showing that nami influence.... gfs....

Nami and luffy twins moment look how relieved she is... this whole fight is so theirs...

Also how funny it is that the milk girl gave ace a shirt.... also new pants??? She must think he lost the shirt in the river.... no girl he is just a slut...

Nami: okay ❤️ yay ❤️

Noland just thinking about where karugara is and if he is alright in his EXECUTION!! SICK AND TWISTED

OMG BOUNDMAN INSPO????

NO ACEEE NOOOOOOOO

THE END OF ACES STORY IS THAT THE COFFE IS NO LONGER BITTER BC THEY SERVE IT WITH MILK AND WHY AM I EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT

[rebeccathenaturalist]

This is a salient argument for returning land stolen from indigenous people, written by a Caddo/Delaware writer who has spent over a decade as a ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. Our current situation with public lands at risk is yet another example where "we the people" have shown that we cannot be responsible for something so precious, and so the status quo cannot continue. The Landback movement--returning land to indigenous ownership--is one viable solution that has multiple potential benefits.

It's not just the land that has been grossly mishandled, but the rights and lives of indigenous people, too. The article states "It’s been argued that the United States violated every Indian treaty it signed. When a treaty is broken, much like when a home is repossessed, the property exchanged should be returned to its original owner for breach of contract." Landback is one way in which indigenous people are trying to get back at least a little of what has been violently stolen from them over the past few centuries.

Does it mean giving up control? Of course. But with current trends, we don't exactly have a lot of control when state or federal governments decide to allow clearcutting or strip mining on public lands. Will some places be closed off to the public if they end up back in indigenous hands? Perhaps, but at least they wouldn't be forcing the rest of us onto reservations, from which we were not allowed to stray. That's a more merciful treatment than they received.

Even if the general public were no longer allowed on a given piece of land, we would still benefit from its restoration and sustainable stewardship, through cleaner air and water, better biodiversity, and ecosystems allowed to return to more complex states over time. Moreover, indigenous communities would stand to benefit financially from the substantial tourism and other recreational activities on current public lands. Responsible management could balance access to popular sites with minimizing wear and tear, while ecologically fragile or culturally sensitive places could be off-limits.

Why not let something old become something new again, and see if we all fare better for it?

[storiesfromgaza]

Hello, everyone.

This may be the finest and most important article I've written since the creation of this blog, so kindly read it carefully and pay attention.

And share it so that everyone can see it.

There are many events happening tonight, and I will try to summarize them for you so that you have a complete understanding of what is happening.

Twelve days ago, a gruesome incident occurred, most of you have probably heard of it: the occupation forces shelled the Al-Ma'madani Hospital in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand people, including patients, their families, doctors, and young children.

Has the occupation been content with this? The answer is no.

Since that day, they have been threatening another hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, with the promise of bombing it, leaving civilians and patients inside in a state of terror, awaiting death at any moment.

The first time this happened, it spread across social media platforms, especially Twitter, and many people protested, causing the occupation to halt its actions.

Today, twelve days after the Al-Ma'madani Hospital massacre, they have once again sent severe threats to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) for the immediate evacuation of Al-Quds Hospital, as it is destined to be bombed.

"🔴 Urgent: We have just received severe threats demanding the immediate evacuation of Al-Quds Hospital as it is set to be bombed.

Since the early hours of the morning, the vicinity of Al-Quds Hospital has been witnessing continuous airstrikes, resulting in the destruction of some buildings within a 50-meter radius.

📢 Please share, save Al-Quds Hospital! 📢

#GazaUnderAttack #GazaUnderSiege #Save_Al-Quds_Hospital

"

The second matter, three days ago, specifically on Friday, the twenty-seventh of this month, the occupation completely isolated Gaza from the world by cutting off the internet, telecommunications, and electricity. They were prepared for a brutal massacre that occurred that night and lasted for two days.

I'm talking about indiscriminate bombardment using all kinds of weapons on all areas of Gaza, whether they were churches, mosques, schools, or homes, regardless of their occupants, be they children, young people, women, or the elderly.

During that period, social media platforms and indeed the entire world were abuzz with the issue.

People from various backgrounds, nationalities, and religions unanimously agreed that it was inhumane to isolate them from the world and deny them the right to have a voice.

They were searching for solutions they could implement.

Some took to the streets, demanding the return of the internet, while others began sharing their plight on social media, primarily on Twitter.

They reached out to activists and officials who had the means to help.

One of the most prominent solutions that everyone turned to was contacting Elon Musk, the former owner of Twitter (X) and the current owner of SpaceX, to enable the people of Gaza to use the internet via Starlink's private satellites.

They hoped that he would hear their plea, as it was their only hope.

He tweeted:

"Starlink will support connectivity to internationally recognized aid organizations in Gaza.

[ComStar]

"

On the same day, five hours after the publication of this tweet, the Israeli Minister of Communications commented on it, saying, in essence, that they would use all available means to prevent the supply of Starlink internet to Gaza because Hamas would utilize it. He also threatened that if this were to occur, he would sever all his office's ties with Starlink.

Now, let's discuss the issue of hostages for a moment because it is of utmost importance to understanding the situation.

On the twenty-fourth of this month, Yasmin Porat, one of the hostages, came forward to talk about her experiences during her captivity.

I will now share some of what she mentioned in the interview:

She stated that Israeli forces eliminated everyone, including hostages, amid heavy crossfire and tank shelling.

She highlighted the contrasting behavior of Palestinian fighters who offered hope for safe passage to Gaza. Israeli forces disrupted this hope with a storm of gunfire.

Palestinian fighters treated the hostages humanely, offering them hope of a safe passage to Gaza, despite the chaos.

This compassionate act stands in stark contrast to the chaos that unfolded.

After the interview was broadcast, it was completely deleted and blocked from all social media platforms and even from Kan's website. Moreover, Yasmin's account mysteriously disappeared from the "Haboker Hazeh" program, raising concerns of censorship.

Below, you will find the interview recording.

During that period, the Al-Qassam Brigades continued their communication with the Israeli government in order to release some prisoners for humanitarian reasons, including their age and health, among them two elderly women, one of whom is named Yohav Levisheitz.

But the Israeli government showed no interest in the matter whatsoever.

As a result, they decided to release the two elderly women.

Before leaving, one of them, Yohav Levisheitz, insisted on shaking hands with one of the resistance fighters who she was their captor, as you can see in the following video.

-Tumblr doesn't allow me to post two videos in a single post, so I will provide the video link on the blog-:

https://www.tumblr.com/storiesfromgaza/732027117370572800/al-qassam-brigades-released-two-of-the-hostages?source=share

After this, she insisted on participating in a press conference to share her experience, saying:

"When we arrived in Gaza, they initially told us that they believed in the Quran and that they wouldn't harm us.

They said they would treat us as they do with those around them.

We were under tight security, and medical professionals arrived to ensure we had the medications we always took.

They showed great concern for our health.

Our place of rest was the mattresses.

We had an accompanying doctor who would visit us every two or three days to check on our well-being.

In addition to a paramedic who looked after us and provided us with our medications.

They took on the responsibility and made sure to provide the necessary medications.

They looked after our hygiene meticulously to safeguard our health so that we wouldn't fall ill.

It was they who took care of cleaning the restrooms, not us.

They provided us with everything we needed, and I acknowledge their help in that.

If equivalent medications weren't available, they offered suitable alternatives.

They were remarkably courteous (kind) and ensured we ate well, sharing the same food they ate (bread, cheese, and cucumbers)

We were treated with kindness, and they paid meticulous attention to every detail.

Women among them understood the importance of feminine hygiene and ensured we had everything we needed.

Hamas had meticulously planned everything for a long time, providing us with everything we required, even down to shampoo and conditioner.

The inefficiencies of the army and Shabak (Israel Security Agency - ISA) greatly impacted us; we were pawns in the government's game."

After this, Western media outlets, with CNN at the forefront, distorted Yohav's words and published that she said, "I went through hell."

BBC, on the other hand, released two versions of the statement.

They published the original statement by Yohav on their account dedicated to the Arab audience, while on their accounts for Western and Indian audiences, they published a manipulated version of her statement that included the same content as previously published by CNN.

These are the testimonies of two different women captives, both of whom unanimously agree that they were treated with excellent humane treatment, and no one tortured them or attempted to harass or disturb them.

On the other hand, both of them agree that Israel did not care about their safety in any way and, in fact, they would open fire in the presence of the hostages, leaving behind lifeless bodies hit by their deadly bullets.

Now, let's focus for a moment on the point of Israel and the prisoners.

Two days ago, Abu Ubaida, the official spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, made a lengthy recorded speech in which he spoke about the prisoners.

He said:

"There have been numerous contacts in the prisoner file, and there was an opportunity to reach an agreement, but they delayed and did not show real seriousness in releasing the prisoners.

Instead, its barbaric shelling and continuous crimes have led to the killing of nearly fifty of them so far."

Do you understand now that Israel does not care about the prisoners at all, as it claims, and that their use of the prisoner issue is merely to prevent Elon Musk from providing internet access via Starlink in Gaza for its residents?

Remember to follow our Instagram account.

We regularly post a lot of content with fresh designs to reach a larger audience which you can easily share by posting it in your Instagram story, Facebook story, WhatsApp story or sending it to your friends through Direct Messages, we need all the support we can get.

[greenfiend]

Deducing what may have actually happened to Will Byers on Nov 6, 1983 using evidence from the show.

Trigger warning: M*rder, s*icide.

part 2. part 3.

Before I begin, I just want to remind everyone that this show has many layers to it. What I mean is, if you watch carefully, a piece of dialogue can actually mean two (or more) things. The dialogue can be meaningful for the specific scene (surface level) and it can be a sneaky way to foreshadow something else entirely (subtext).

From this specific moment, we can assume that moving forward: any and all mentions of JFK’s assassination will actually be about Will’s disappearance (subtext).

So when the writers gifted us with these mentions, they are actually referring to the conspiracy surrounding Will’s disappearance. So let’s investigate, shall we?

Here’s the briefest overview of the JFK assassination: Oswald was convicted of assassinating JFK. Oswald denied his involvement stating that he was “a patsy”. Many conspiracy theories believe that Johnson was actually the one responsible.

Both Mrs. Driscoll and Dustin do not believe that Oswald assassinated JFK. Mrs. Driscoll is an outcast; she’s an older woman with schizophrenia. The guys who work at the newspaper are quick to dismiss her for these reasons. Now remember, this is Stranger Things, the show about outcasts being right and those fitting the norm being wrong. Then there’s our beloved Dustin, who states that “Oswald was a patsy”. Thus we can conclude: Johnson assassinated JFK, and Oswald was a patsy.

So… who if Will is JFK in this equation, who are our “Johnson” and “Oswald” counterparts?

Well right now, I assume most people believe Vecna is responsible for Will’s disappearance. He is our “bad guy”. So my guess is that he is our “Oswald”.

Who is our “Johnson”? Now remember, Johnson was someone close to JFK, he was the vice-president. He had something to gain in this. I believe Lonnie fits the bill the most for our Johnson.

So many clues surround Lonnie that tell us he was actually responsible. Plus, remember, he has something to gain from Will’s death: life insurance.

Though to be far, I am definitely not ruling out Brenner and Hawkins lab being involved in this too.

So… what happened exactly then? I’m not certain but this is my theory:

Lonnie was prepared to kill Will that night, but his plans were thwarted by our “Oswald”. Vecna swooped in and saved Will from his fate. His “come with me if you want to live” moment.

Moving further into the theory territory… here is a prediction:

- Our characters believe that the only way to defeat Vecna is to travel back in time and “stop him”.

- They travel back, stop him, then return finding out that the alternate present is much worse. By this I mean: Will was murdered, Mike ended his life by suicide, Joyce got admitted to Pennhurst Asylum, Jonathan was struggling with addiction, Lonnie got his payout, etc.

- Thus realizing that “killing” Vecna is and never was the solution here.

Now you may be thinking: but Vecna is 100% evil, why are you trying to redeem him? Well, the thing is, he’s not. Vecna is a villain but he’s not 100% evil. The show isn’t that simple friends. Plus, remember, nothing is exactly as it seems in this show.

[rhiannonsknife]

── .✦ DATING RHIANNON LEWIS

— summary: dating rhiannon lewis hcs.

— warnings: fem!reader. established relationship. canon-typical violence. some fluff. and when i say ‘some’, i mean the first point. after that, things went downhill. nsfw content. mdni. knife play. spanking. i didn’t beta read.

only finding out that you‘ve pulled a literal serial killer when your girlfriend comes home covered in blood.

sure, you‘ve had your suspicions that rhiannon was hiding something before: you would occasionally hear her leaving the house late at night whereas she would later claim she went on a walk with tink (who walks their dog at the crack of dawn??) and you sometimes catch a glimpse of bruises when rhiannon comes out of the shower wrapped in nothing but a towel. but she would always come up with excuses for these as well. so realization only really dawns upon you when you get off work early one day, ready to curl up on the couch with some of rhiannon’s ice cream while you wait for your girlfriend to come home. when she does come home shorty after, she’s covered in blood (or dragging a body down the hall, thinking she’s got the house to herself). the prolonged eye contact when she notices you sitting on her couch, the spoon sliding from your grip and clattering down onto the hardwood floor��awkward.

being the only exception on her kill lists!!

rhiannon’s kill lists would make anyone uneasy. except that, for you, it’s oddly endearing because she considers you her only exception once you get to know each other and start dating. she shields you from her darkest thoughts, and despite her usual disdain for people, she’d genuinely want to keep you close. if anyone ever crossed you, though…not only would they immediately make it onto her long list of people to murder, rhiannon would instantly start plotting her next kill. it’s how she shows her love <33 she would definitely have unique love languages guys!! instead of overly affectionate stuff, she probably tends to keep an eye on the people around you to make sure no one ever wrongs you. if someone does, she would obviously try to offer comfort, but her solution would probably be a) unconventional, and b) rather blunt: “want me to kill them for you?“, “i could make their life miserable, y’know?”

taking care of her after a particularly rough night.

do you endorse murder? not exactly, no. but rhiannon has convinced you that all of her victims genuinely deserved it and you know better than to question your girlfriend. what she does out there, you’ve decided, is none of your business. that only changes when she returns back home from her killing sprees: that’s when you’ll help her change her clothes, or run her a hot bath to wash off the dried blood from her bare skin! taking a bath with rhiannon and kissing her bruised knuckles one by one to soothe the ache <33 washing her hair for her, massaging her scalp and her burning muscles in the hot water of the bathtub <33 having her lean against you until it gets too cold to stay in there <333

taking care of her after a particularly rough night.

while she appreciates these loving gestures, it isn’t always what rhiannon needs. sometimes, to be taken care of isn’t what she craves. sometimes, when the adrenaline has not yet ebbed and she comes home in blood that’s still wet and warm to the touch, what rhiannon needs is to take you. in this disheveled state, she will come bursting through the door, stripping out of her clothes the second it falls shut behind her. seeing that you’ve waited for her to come home on the couch, she will snap at you to get on all fours for her, her fingers already unbuckling her belt as she speaks. also: rhiannon who wears the strap when she’s out killing people so she can get down to business right away once she’s back home <33

rhiannon, who doesn’t necessarily needs your touch or for you to make her feel good. the sight of you getting fucked is enough to get her off too.

she’s not opposed to the idea of using you for her own pleasure occasionally. it’s quite the opposite, actually: she loves how eager you are for this, often asking her to use you. but the point is that she doesn’t need that to feel satisfied: watching you work for it, bouncing on her strap whilst she’s still covered in blood or begging for her touch whilst you kneel before her, sucking on her fingers, is more than enough for rhiannon.

rhiannon who fucks you from behind in front of a mirror so she can see your eyes roll back whilst also looking at the reminders of her previous kill.

the blood is smeared all over her as she pounds into you from behind: it’s dribbling down her chest, trailing down the valley between her exposed breasts -she has taken just enough time to unbutton her shirt for you. so you have something to look at, she’d claimed with a grin. you’re not complaining now that you can watch them move with every deep thrust of her hips. there’s blood on your body too. a crimson handprint on each of your ass cheeks. a trail up your spine. rhiannon is making sure you’re marked up in the evidence of her actions. “look at me” she orders sharply as your head falls into the pillows to stifle your cries. when you don’t immediately obey, her fingers tighten in your hair at the back of your head, forcing you to look up by tugging on it. “look at me” rhiannon repeats, moaning as if she could actually feel your pussy clench around the silicone cock. her eyes roll back in the reflection as she looks at the mess she’s made of you, a reminder of the thrill of her murders and the fact that you’re so willingly hers in spite of that. she cums untouched at the realization.

she loves to worship your body.

rhiannon loves to do this when she’s not caught up in the adrenaline rush and actually has time to fuck you good. that’s when she’ll make you strip for her or use her beloved knife to tear the clothes off of you.

okay pause because i need to get into that for a second: rhiannon, who tears your clothes apart with her knife.

she lies you down beneath her, on a night where you’ve got all the time in the world, and reaches for the knife she always carries around with her. it’s slightly unsettling, but you trust her. “tell me to stop and i will” rhiannon murmurs against the back of your neck, the warmth of her breath sending shivers down your spine. she snickers softly when she notices, her fingers running up and down your sides first. then, suddenly, there’s the sharp, cold sensation of the blade against your bare back. you inhale sharply and rhiannon soothes you. “shh” she whispers and you can feel her lips curl into a smile against your skin. “let me have this” and then she’s cutting through the fabric of your shirt smoothly, tearing it off of your bare body once she’s done, before tracing the shape of your outline with the blunt side of her blade. she’s committing every detail of you to memory, following every curve and dip of the body she loves most with the same weapon she normally uses to take lives.

anyway, back to what i was saying. rhiannon worshipping your body.

she adores your body and she will use every chance she can get to remind you of it. once she has you naked beneath herself, there’s no stopping her. she will cover you in kisses, tasting every inch of skin her mouth can reach, licking up the side of your neck before whispering: “gonna fuck you so good” into your ear. and, god, she does: rhiannon who fucks you deep when she’s got the time to!! holding one of your thighs up while her mouth is sucking marks to your pulse point and her hips are grinding in a slow but steady rhythm, stretching you out around her and reaching in so deep.

rhiannon, who moans when she’s literally just finger fucking you.

her jaw goes slack when she first sinks two of her fingers into your wetness, her lips parting against your own so she’s panting right into your mouth. rhiannon’s lashes flutter when she pulls her fingers back, her eyes watching you closely as she pumps them back into you again and again. her face is mirroring your own: mouth agape, brows drawn together in pleasure, eyes hazy with lust. the little ‘uh, uh, uh’ sounds she makes with every single thrust….

she gets rougher in bed after longer periods of time without killing anyone.

she’s claiming to be fine when you go on longer vacations with her but clearly she isn’t. she can’t even enjoy the scenery or all the activities you suggest without feeling the tension of not having the weight of her knife in her pocket. all this pent-up tension leads to her becoming increasingly frustrated and rougher when she’s fucking you. it’s not like you mind it, much, but it’s still a noticeable change: she’ll push you more frequently, fucking you into a state of overstimulation where you literally can’t walk properly for days. her hands are much more aggressive as they tear off your clothes or land hard smacks on your ass that make you cry out in the delicious mix of pain and pleasure. she fucks herself into exhaustion, either by having you on her cock in various positions or by using you for so long she’s a babbling, breathless mess near the end of the night.

rhiannon, who tells you to shut up.

as much as you both enjoy hearing the other during sex, sometimes it’s just not what rhiannon needs (specifically when she’s using you for her pleasure). when she’s sitting on your face or grinding against your thigh, she doesn’t need you to tell her how hot she is, she doesn’t need your words of encouragement or praise. she needs you to shut up and take it. “fucking shut up, will you?” she hisses, pinning your wrists down above your head, her lips lingering above yours as she humps your thigh. “shut up and take it”

— i might add more to this or write a part 2 if anyone wants to hear more of my horny rhiannon thoughts <3

[queer-scots-geordie-dyke]

I support Palestine, but that in no way means I support Hamas. I’m also critical of Israel because holy shit, I know they live right by a terrorist cell but is a “shoot first ask questions later” approach really the right way? And don’t get me started on the poor guy sent down the river to the murder capital of the world.

I support Israel and her right to exist as a Jewish nation state on Jewish indigenous land. I support the Israeli people and their right to live safely and freely and the hostages right to return home. I think much of the current government in power are shameless war hawks, continuing the war past the point of reason and way past the wishes of a huge amount of the Israeli population. On the flip side, I also support the right of Palestinians to live peacefully and freely, which is impossible as long as Hamas is in power, as they torture and execute their own people when they dare to protest against the oppression and suffering they’ve brought them by starting this war in the first place. I believe in a two state solution - I hope someday to see Israel and Palestine coexist peacefully side by side. I don’t pretend to have all of the answers, this is one of the most long running and complex geopolitical issues in the world, and I can’t imagine bloggers on tumblr will be able to solve something that experts for almost a century haven’t been able to.

[revvethasmythh]

Oh man, you're right, if the gods are mortal on Exandria that means they are on the wrong side of the Divine Gate which actually makes it worse? That . . . Is a terrible solution but would be a fun campaign 4 world state?

"this is a terrible solution but would be a fun campaign 4 world state" is pretty much my mood LMAO. like, I don't know that we're actually solving anything??? I think ashton will be satisfied with the idea of "humbling the gods" or whatever by making them mortal, but making them mortal introduces and whole new suite of issues i don't think ANYONE is ready to unpack. from just fan discussions, it feels like there's some ambiguity to whether this solution intends that gods will be permanently mortal, but consecuted and continually reborn, or if they will live one lifetime and then return to divinity like they did in Downfall, but BOTH of those present their own problems. the whole pantheon, on earth, reincarnated like Kryn do, amassing power over lifetimes is insane. even just ONE lifetime is going to have incredible consequences on the world once they reach adulthood and realize who they are. what's stopping them from waging actual warfare on each other with armies?? they'll still hate each other and now have the ability to launch physical attacks that will drag other people into their fights AGAIN. Calamity 2: Electric Boogaloo, Mortal Warfare Edition. it presents A LOT of questions about how the betrayers will turn out wrt nature vs nurture, who gets the responsibility of raising them, etc., etc. it's a MESS, and if they DO become gods again upon their deaths, would they be on the other side of the divine gate afterward?? like, it feels like one way or another, the gods might be coming out from behind the divine gate, as either mortals or re-ascended divinity, which solves ????????????

Fun world state, though! can't deny that, lmfao

[brainscrems]

Making a little pinned post for goyim who stumble across this blog. Nothing in your background, none of your experiences with marginalization, nothing at all makes you exempt from having unconsciously incorporated antisemitism into your world view and mindset. The best thing you can do is seek out a wide range of all jewish voices with no preconceived notions, hear how different things affect their lives and oppression, and take that into account about what you say and do. Next thing to address. Antisemitism from the left DOES exist and it IS in your movements for palestinian liberation, as ugly a truth as that is. I support a free palestine and an end to genocide. So, when I showed up to my first protest and saw a displayed swastika with hundreds of people around, I was extremely dismayed that not a single one was willing to stand up and say a goddamned thing. This is the state of antisemitism on the left. Most people won’t *openly* spout hateful rhetoric, tho those who will are quite loud. The real problem is that there is no collective willingness to go after the open antisemites in these movements. It’s deemed acceptable because it’s for a good cause. And let me tell you, this shit is quite typical and we jews see it constantly. Just because you aren’t seeing antisemitism doesn’t mean it’s not there. Of course you aren’t seeing it. You’re not jewish. You don’t have the background to notice shit that you’ve been taught is normal and fine. Yet, your silence in the face of these things or even your engagement in them still hurts us. And. You know what they say. If nazi joins 4 people at a table and they do nothing about it you have 5 nazis. So. What can you do? Seek out jewish voices and LEARN!! Don’t tokenize us. Don’t choose ones you already agree with. The first resource I recommend for dealing w antisemitism in leftist spaces is called “The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere” by April Rosenblum. This is a jew with a long history of palestinian advocacy and she has done a great job at breaking down where antisemitism happens. Link at the bottom. It was written in 2007 and remains depressingly relevant today. This pamphlet is 24 pages, a bit long, but very thorough. This pamphlet is the barebones details of what’s antisemitic btw. The things listed in there are basic “nearly every jew in the world” would agree things. There is more than just what is contained in there that’s antisemitic and your best resource is gonna be listening to jewish voices. No tokenizing. No dismissing. Just listening and seeing what makes sense. That said, this shit is essential reading because it gives you the tools to start making spaces safe for jews. If you don’t care about that then, well, you probably don’t belong on this blog.

EDIT: In an ideal world I would like a binational one-state solution with a right of return for jews and palestinians as well as massive reparations for palestinians. I don’t identify as a zionist. And. I know jews who identify as zionists who want the exact same things I do. If your rhetoric is calling for violence against those people you can fuck right off. Zionist is a jewish word that has been appropriated by goyim, both by christian “zionists” as well as those who wish to discredit jews wanting to live peacefully with palestinians in our shared homeland. It means whatever the jew using it says it does in the context of their speech. The people who support the ethnic cleansing and genocide of palestinians or the treatment of palestinians as second class citizens are called kahanists and racist assholes, not zionists. Stop misusing our fucking word. Learn what the word means from actual members of our community instead of shouting about it as a fucking outsider and appropriating a term with deep community roots. Yea, Israel has committed so many war crimes and is currently committing genocide. This is not what zionism represents to most zionists so if you’re pushing that narrative just fucking do better and stop putting jewish lives at risk with your irresponsible rhetoric. I once again redirect you to the linked pamphlet. This is not a heavily focused on topic in it, but it gives clear instructions on what not to do, even if it doesn’t give you all the details on the why.

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Bowser Castle 2 Debut: Super Mario Kart

Oh no! We didn't have a post ready for today! Well let me improvise one for you really quick. Because I love you. Don't take it too personally, though, we're not here to start parasocial relationships with our followers! Sorry. I hope you understand.

This is Bowser Castle 2, from Super Mario Kart, but if I named it I'd call it Bowser Castle POO! Because it isn't very good.

Many people consider this one of the worst courses in Mario Kart history, and many people would be right! You see, iconic Bad Guy King Morton "Bowser" Koopa Sr. wanted to prove his Bad Guy status by creating a Bad Course, and boy howdy did he! He probably feels so smug about it. Jerk.

Look at that map. This course has a dead end on it. This might be the only course in Mario Kart history to do such a thing! It's possible you can use a Feather to turn that into a shortcut, but I've never pulled it off. But also I'm not very good at this game, nor am I interested in becoming good at this game, so it might just be a skill issue on my part.

But getting past the dead end offers you no reprieve, as afterwards you have to deal with this mess! It feels like they're trying to make some sort of double-loop formation, but all the 90 degree turns combined with the bridge connecting the loops being at the top ends up making it play very awkwardly. Or something like that. Listen I'm just writing this post in a stream of conscience, I dunno how to describe what's so bad about this beyond "it's bad."

luigi enters the torment labyrinth

As you can probably expect, having "being the worst Mario Kart course ever made" on its resume hasn't done good things for SNES Bowser Castle 2. The only game it's returned in is Super Circuit, which included literally every SNES course, which is to say it was not getting any sort of special treatment. Even Mario Kart Tour, a game which literally invented new SNES courses for the sake of getting more content out of existing assets, refused to bring Bowser Castle 2 into its arms.

Is there any hope in this world for an absolute dogwater course like this one? I dunno but that's not gonna stop me from coming up with hypothetical solutions. Yes this is the kind of thing I think about in my spare time! Don't judge me!

Really, for all I've been dunking on this course in this post, I don't think it'd actually take all that much to get this into a playable state. As you can see, I've re-envisioned the dead end as a shortcut (likely blocked off with a wooden cutout so you need to use a mushroom), and I've reimagined the Torment Labyrinth as a double roundabout configuration à la Wii Rainbow Road. After that I just smoothed out some turns, added a glider ramp at the end so you have something to do during the last straightaway, and envisioned some totally awesome elevation changes that can not be displayed from a bird's-eye view like this, and bam! I created a version of this course that could potentially maybe be enjoyable.

I mean I dunno. I don't have the means to play it.

I drew this earlier this morning and it's the entire reason I've decided to make this our spur-of-the-moment post. I hope you're proud of me. For what it's worth, at least SNES Bowser Castle 2 can theoretically be made into a somewhat enjoyable course. It's not like it's stuck with a name like "Figure-8 Circuit" or something.

[mllemaenad]

Okay, no, actually I am angry about the Tranquil, or rather their absence, in Veilguard.

We start here, in Origins, with the simple fact that these people are left behind in every crisis. Yes, all the mages have also been locked in the Circle by the templars (because seriously: fuck the templars), but as you climb the tower you find that many of the mages are proactively dealing with this situation. But even they have simply left the Tranquil where they found them.

Roll forward to Dragon Age 2, and you find that, while the proposed "Tranquil Solution" has been officially rejected by Divine Justinia, it also becomes apparent that Meredith is doling out Tranquility as a punishment for things like "passing notes". It's played out through a lot of environmental storytelling: you watch the mages in the Gallows Courtyard be replaced by more and more Tranquil as the Acts go on, and you hear those Tranquil report being beaten and abused, just as much as the other mages. This is really happening, and the fact that it's not an officially sanctioned atrocity is hardly comforting.

Then to Inquisition, where we find that the Tranquil have once again been forgotten and left behind – neither the mage rebellion nor the Inquisition collect all that many. Rather, we find that quite a lot of them have been kidnapped by the Venatori and ritually murdered to make magic seeing skulls. We also have a companion character, Cassandra, grappling with the discovery that she herself is a former Tranquil, and that her order has used this rite for millennia – and always known how to fix it. And on top of that, we have Tranquil characters grappling with the possibility of a cure, and whether or not they would take it.

If you include the supplementary material, you get the plot of Asunder, which spends a lot of time on Circle culture: the fact that it is normal for mages to simply disappear, and you may never know if they were killed, made Tranquil or just transferred. They view the Tranquil with horror because they symbolise the constant peril in which every mage lives. The templars can do anything to you, and no one will even ask about it. We have a whole story about the brutal lengths to which the Seekers are willing to go to stop the cure for Tranquility from getting out.

There's also Pharamond, a former Tranquil who provides the most detailed – and horrifying – description of the experience we have, and who would prefer to die than be returned to that state. And another Tranquil woman, who is unnamed and unknown, but who at multiple points in the narrative provides as much information as she can to the protagonist and his allies as they attempt to fight back.

Over and over this is depicted as a means for the powerful to control the powerless, as torture dressed up as mercy, as a deeply damaging and peculiar thing which is not well understood, but which has nevertheless been used liberally throughout history.

And then we get to Veilguard. And the big fucking reveal is that the ancient elven kings, the evanuris, used this on the titans, the shapers of the world ... and that this is one of the big reasons Thedas is kind of messed up. Which ... sounds important! But honestly, you barely need to even think about it. The consequences of this are confined largely to Harding's personal quest, and even that really only addresses ... whether she, personally, should be mad about it?

They don't even bother to use the word when they talk about it.

The artbook uses it: it specifically says that Solas rendered the titans tranquil, but the artbook apparently cares about a bunch of things Veilguard itself does not.

The takeaway from this discussion, unbelievably, is "the darkspawn aren't people" (yes they fucking are), and then we can hop right back to talking about "the gods" as like ... the ultimate Batman villain, or something.

We go all the way through this exploration of power and abuse, and the end result is "Actually, they aren't people. If they were, killing them might be bad! So they're not! Let's keep killing them!" And yes, they apply this logic to the blight, but the blight is part of a Tranquil titan. We literally just uncovered this.

Not one Tranquil, current or former, is present to object to any of this. Not one little bit do we care about what happened to any surviving Tranquil from the previous games. We do not care at all about the outcome of the mage rebellion in the south. We do not care if the Venatori still think Tranquil make great magic skulls. We do not care about them at all.

The more I look at the older material, the more upsetting I find Veilguard. It feels like ... oh, you know when someone has attempted to "restore" an ancient mosaic or a Renaissance painting, but they don't know what they're doing, so they've messed it all up? It feels like that.

Because we went through all that, and in the end Veilguard forcibly puts you on team "the Tranquil aren't people".

[seditionsaurus-rex]

Since gay marriage is probably going to be up for debate again in the US, we need to have an effective strategy to discuss this with non-queer people. The first time around, the big argument against it, even from people who otherwise seem like allies, was:

"You have civil unions, that's the big deal?"

This also looks like:

"Marriage is a religious rite, why do you want to step on that?"

"Can't you just get a will/power of attorney/other legal solutions?"

"Marriage is just a piece of paper!"

We gotta shut up about love. These people don't care.

The answer should always be:

Our government has decided that being married is a secular legal status.

Civil marriage brings with it at least 1,049 legal protections and responsibilities from the federal government alone. (https://now.org/resource/civil-marriage-v-civil-unions/). There are more depending on your state.

Many of these rights, protections, and privileges are not extended to civil unions.

Many of these are not able to be reproduced through other legal means. (For example, "spousal privilege" when it comes to legal proceedings essentially means you can't be compelled to incriminate your spouse any more than you can be compelled to incriminate yourself - and you can refrain from incriminating yourself.)

Even when they are, many of them are able to be contested in court in a way they would not be or more easily than when extended through marriage. (For example, the family of one partner challenging a will after their passing.)

Logically speaking, marriage as it's constructed right now should legally be extended to all couples who want to enter into that contract

OR the government should stay out of marriage and we can return that to churches, remove the legal rights and privileges and we all, straight or gay, can make our legal arrangements separately (spoilers, nobody wants to do this).

I have talked to way, way too many non-queer people who don't know this and who have never had this logic presented to them, even though we literally had this fight a decade ago. Most of them, when learning this, go, "Well, huh. I guess that makes sense." Because it does!

This is not going to sway people who truly believe America is a "Christian Country" and our government should reflect "Christian Values" Don't bother debating these people. Find out early in a conversation if that's their mindset because if so, you're never going to win them over (on this topic and many others). They've chosen blind obedience.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Guy Milleire

[A]ll Hamas needs to do to prevent this destruction is return all the hostages it should not have kidnapped in the first place. Amnesty International has served up a remarkable inversion of facts.

"What's shocking is that people in the Cease-Fire Now crowd don't appear to have much interest in making any demands of Hamas equivalent to those they make of Israel. They want Israel to stop firing. But do you often hear them insisting that Hamas return the favor? They want Israel to provide Gaza with humanitarian relief in the form of electricity, fuel and other goods. But I haven't seen those protesters in the street demanding that Hamas provide Israel with humanitarian relief in the form of immediately freeing all hostages.... For Israelis, what 'Cease-Fire Now' means is 'Surrender Now.' No wonder they decline to heed the call.... Whatever else one thinks of Israel, no country can be expected to sign its own death warrant by indulging those who, if given the chance, would annihilate it." — Bret Stephens, New York Times, November 21, 2023.

Clearly a massive dark-money problem obscenely exists within far too many universities and cities both in the US and Europe.

It is also important to highlight the unabashedly toxic role of the United Nations.... [T]he United Nations quickly became the world's leading organization for, among other unsavory practices, propagating hatred of Israel and a general hatred of Jews.

The Palestinian Authority to this day pays its citizens to murder Jews -- the more Jews, the larger the payments.

In Europe, organizations that fight anti-Semitism.... Often left-wing, they primarily denounce far-right anti-Semitism, but never far-left anti-Semitism, and never ever Islamic anti-Semitism -- currently the only form of anti-Semitism in Europe that attacks and kills Jews. Most Jewish organizations in Europe support Israel, but more often than not advocate for dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians and still support the mirage of a "two-state solution."

The vast majority of Israelis seem finally to have understood that the goal of Palestinian organizations is not to create a state living in peace alongside Israel, but to destroy Israel.

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

This is an analysis of Kaveh and Alhaitham’s argument posted on the Port Ormos bulletin board!! Because it is crazy actually!!

I think this exchange of theirs out of the three posted throughout Sumeru is particularly interesting, and this is due Alhaitham openly expressing that Kaveh does not understand what Alhaitham is really trying to say to him: “I have never denied what you meant, but you don’t understand what I am saying to you at all.”

This exchange is relevant in various ways in exploring the motif of communication. As according to their usual rapport, the two disagree over their differing philosophies, as in sensibility versus rationality, however, Alhaitham’s particular concerns in Kaveh spending his money on “nonsense” highlights the underlying reason for this exchange. From this comment, the argument is recontextualised through Alhaitham’s intention for getting involved, as Kaveh prompts the workmen to take his money in order to help them out.

When Alhaitham states that this is a meaningless action due to the inevitability of people rising or falling on their own accord, rather than solely critiquing Kaveh’s “impulsiv[e]” altruism, as Kaveh interprets, Alhaitham is directly contradicting his own comment – as he is interfering on Kaveh’s decisions.

As concern is evidently the intention behind his interference, Kaveh cannot perceive this, and instead attempts to critique Alhaitham’s perspective in return, although Alhaitham states: “Make no mistake. I have never denied what you meant…” This response asserts that Alhaitham does not deny, but rather agrees with, Kaveh’s statement of “mutual assistance, fairness, and righteous anger” driving the world.

In lieu of this, rather than continuing the argument, Alhaitham claims that there is no point to it, as Kaveh does not understand what he is saying, as in, Kaveh does not understand that his intentions in interfering are out of concern. He follows this up, regardless, by criticising Kaveh’s handling of his budget, as, evidently, Kaveh has offered to give his own money to these workmen, and refuses to pay for Kaveh’s drinks for that month.

For Alhaitham, Kaveh’s lack of self-prioritisation leads him to impulsive altruistic acts which serve to jeopardise his own position, particularly regarding money. If Kaveh can afford to give away money, he can afford to pay his own tabs, is the takeaway from this exchange. Although, similarly to the exchange between them posted in Puspa’s Café, this applies to one particular month, insinuating that Alhaitham will continue to pay for next month’s tabs of his own accord.

The main argument, as well as the disagreement over the speaker of Kaveh’s quote, serves as a humorous exchange, but as a motif for communication it acquires a new meaning. The two hold perspectives which contrast the other which puts them on unequal footing, demonstrated within the argument over the speaker of Kaveh’s quote. Although it is not disclosed who is actually in the right, both are convinced of their respective viewpoint. There is an element missing here, a potential solution to this problem, and it lies within the idea of “correctness” established within A Parade of Providence.

The omission of there being an objective, correct answer to this particular debate serves as a parallel to their conflicting viewpoints, with the basis of their exchange being to “prove” to the other their “correctness” – here, it is in regard to Kaveh.

However, “correctness” being the basis of their exchange, and thus, relationship, is challenged with Alhaitham shutting down the initial debate due to Kaveh’s misunderstanding of his meaning. Correctness, then, and its importance, is called into question within this exchange, with Kaveh being the one to chase it; his last message being that he would “prove” himself to be right.

At the core of this bulletin board exchange is the idea that Alhaitham harbours an alternative ‘meaning’ than the one that Kaveh assigns to him: “… you don’t understand what I’m saying to you at all.” This is a meaning which Kaveh cannot perceive due to his current understanding of Alhaitham. This represents the standing of their current relationship, where Kaveh believes Alhaitham holds him in disdain, although this belief is incongruous with Alhaitham’s actions which show his care for Kaveh.

In these instances of communication through the Bulletin Boards, it is interesting to note that Kaveh is revealed to have been drunk and “scribbling” on these notice boards, and hopes that Alhaitham does not know.

Although this is a humorous detail, it adds another layer to the unreliability of their method of communication, as Kaveh has no recollection of these exchanges with Alhaitham, and therefore could not have properly interpreted Alhaitham due to an altered state of mind. It is uncertain whether Alhaitham is aware of Kaveh’s being drunk whilst responding to him, or whether he is believed to have been lucid, which creates another element of unreliability in their exchanges.

Alhaitham understands Kaveh’s thinking and the reasons for why he acts as he does, but he cannot articulate his concern in a way that Kaveh will understand, both out of Kaveh’s incapability of receiving goodwill, but also due to his logical manner of expression. Kaveh perceives Alhaitham’s concealed expressions of concern as personal gripes and criticisms of his beliefs, and therefore believes that their relationship is based on the scholarly principle of proving the validity of one’s philosophies.

The Port Ormos Bulletin Board reinforces the core essence of their relationship: Alhaitham is invested in a personal regard, whereas Kaveh cannot see this due to his perception of Alhaitham and Alhaitham’s inability to communicate in a way Kaveh would understand.

(Update: For more analyses like this, the essay this is taken from is now uploaded! It can be accessed here and here as as a pdf <3)

[azula-hates-men]

Benign Colonialism in the ATLA Comics

In this post, I will discuss how the ATLA comics, the Promise comics specifically, fail to tackle settler colonialism.

Before I begin my analysis of the Promise, I need to define a few terms:

benign colonialism: the belief that indigenous people gain more advantages than disadvantages from colonialism

indigenous people: inhabitants who lived in an area prior to it being colonized

settler colonialism: a system of power that perpetuates the genocide and repression of indigenous people

terra nullius: a Latin expression meaning "nobody's land"

The comics starts with a recap of how the 100-year ended and the Gaang meeting with the Earth King to discuss getting rid of the FN colonies in the Earth Kingdom. The Gaang decides to create a movement called the Harmony Restoration Movement, with one of its aim being to have every FN settler return to the Fire Nation. Zuko is initially on board with the idea, but he later withdraws his support after he faces an assassination attempt by the daughter of the Yu Dao (one of the FN colonies) mayor, Kori.

Zuko's meeting with the Yu Dao mayor is where I stumble upon my first problem with the comics. Mayor Morishita says that Zuko has an obligation to protect FN settlers because they were loyal to his family for generations, but he doesn't interrogate how his family were able to settle in the Earth Kingdom with the support from the Fire Nation and what that meant for the indigenous EK citizens that were living there. What also frustrates me is that he acts as if Ozai didn't want burn the entire EK to the ground a year ago. My problems with Morishita also extend to Kori as well because even though she's half-EK and an Earthbender, she is also unable to interrogate how the colony she lives in was able to created. Like father, like daughter I guess.

And it get worse from here. Zuko's explanation of the history of Yu Dao is an example of terra nullius. Throughout history, the phrase has been used to justify the dispossession of Indigenous people because they were considered "too primitive" by colonists to be rightful owners of the land. While Zuko doesn't explicitly say that EK citizens are primitive, the way he talks about Yu Dao makes it seem like before the FN settlers came, the EK citizens weren't using the land properly.

Zuko's argument is a textbook example of benign colonialism. He claims that the indigenous population has gained more advantages from colonized since Yu Dao is now one of the richest cities of the world and any disadvantages they received from FN rule can be addressed later. Arguments like these aren't new. When France colonized Senegal, where my mom is from, a major goal was mission civilisatrice (civilizing mission). The French believed that non-Europeans were uncivilized and were in desperate need of European re-education. What's the most disappointing about Zuko's argument is that he experiences character regression. He already rejected the concept of civilizing mission back in the TV show, so it makes no sense that he would espouse those ideas after his redemption.

Having the FN and EK essentially share the colonies is not a good solution because it treats the indigenous people's and settlers' claim to the land as equally legitimate when the FN settlers' claim is based on the fact that their country colonized the territories and displaced the indigenous people who were living there. In real-life, settlers and indigenous people sharing the land has always led to more problems.

A good example of settlers and indigenous people sharing the land leading to more problems:

One major problem I have with the comics is that there is a heavy implication that interracial relationships solve everything wrong with settler colonialism. While it is true that in many settler colonies (e.g. United States, Canada, Israel), interracial marriage was/is illegal, in many others, interracial marriage was tolerated but that didn't stop the oppression of indigenous people in the slightest and miscegenation was even used as a tool to further genocide the indigenous people.

An example of miscegenation being used as a tool for genocide is the Stolen Generations and wider genocide of Aboriginal Australians. One of the main perpetrator of the genocide of Aboriginal Australians, A.O. Neville, believed that through mixed marriages, the characteristics of Aboriginals would be "bred out". Even in settler colonies where miscegenation wasn't a tool of genocide, indigenous people still faced discrimination. In New Zealand, marriages between the Maori and English settlers were very common and accepted, but Maori people still ended up being victims of forced assimilation in the late 19th century - mid 20th century.

How would I fix the Promise? I would first establish what the average lives of FN settlers, mixed FN-EK citizens, and indigenous EK citizens are like. During the 100 years of the existence of the FN colonies, are racial hierarchy was established: FN settlers at the top, mixed FN-EK citizens in the middle, and indigenous EK citizens at the bottom. The indigenous EK citizens didn't just passively accept their subjugation and resisted FN rule in various ways, both non-violently and violently. After the end of the 100-year war and the creation of the Harmony Restoration movement, there is an organization in the FN colonies by indigenous EK citizens to reunite with the Earth Kingdom. Besides reuniting with the the Earth Kingdom, indigenous EK citizens also want the removal of all FN settlers from the Earth Kingdom. This gets a lot of pushback from mixed FN-EK citizens because they have FN family members and they don't want to be separated from them. Eventually, the indigenous EK citizens realize that removing every FN settler is unrealistic and instead suggest that after reuniting with the Earth Kingdom, they abolish the racial hierarchy and give everyone who lived in the colonies equal rights and representation; FN settlers are given the choice to stay and earn Earth Kingdom citizenship, but if they refuse, they can just return to the Fire Nation.

To summarize, The Promise fails at tackling settler colonialism because it legitimizes common pro-colonialism arguments and is more focused on accommodating settlers than asking how the oppression of indigenous people can be solved realistically. Reading the comics, I am reminded that Bryke are white men with a neoliberal worldview who probably can't reckon with the fact that they live in a settler colony that continues to oppress indigenous people, hence the portrayal of settler colonialism in The Promise. The comics could've been a good analysis of how decolonization could happen in a settler colony but it's clear that Bryke doesn't have a good enough understanding of settler colonialism and why it's bad.

[stromuprisahat]

Tsar Cotton and Tsaritsa Plums

or How a political union of progressive second Prince and a Living Saint could've turned into an agricultural disaster

While I don't ship it on personal level, I have to admit certain appeal of Nikolina. The idea of a well-meaning, patriotic Prince persuading a rising religious icon to help him save the country isn't half bad.

Today I won't focus on deficiencies of their general personalities or lacking relationship, but a specific hole in both their range of knowledge and its catastrophic impact on Ravka as a country and the land itself from ecological viewpoint.

Nikolai is presented as a genius engineer and a brilliant philanthropist. As soon as the civil war's over, he puts great effort into feeding Ravkan people instead of starving them.

“Faced with steel saw blades,” he whispered, brushing his hand over the new plow as he passed, as if it were a lucky talisman. He wasn’t sure why the blades were better, but when the plow had arrived, those were the words his father had proudly repeated to their neighbors, and Dima liked the strong sound of them. There had been long arguments at the kitchen table about the plow, along with all the king’s agricultural reforms and what trouble or hope they might bring.

King of Scars- Chapter 1

The thing is... his plans don't get overly specific. Even the quote above doesn't tell us more than that the miraculous plough consists of steel parts, and excuse me when I remember my history lessons, but upgrading horse-driven ploughs were a thing around the first half of 19th century. Fjerdans build working tanks. That's about a century of development further.

Ravka is a backwards starving hellhole feeding peasants rye bread with salted herring, when they lack workers for fields of the first, and access to sea for the later. The obvious solution? Potatoes, beetroot and turnips ("The night is dark and full of turnips."), ponds of freshwater fish for protein. Cabbages are good for vitamin C and as sauerkraut easy to store, legumes are also easy to grow, rich in iron and dried can be stored pretty easily for a long time etc. etc.. Just look up European peasant food!

That's how you feed them first.

Nikolai also intends to free the serfs.

By persuading their owners to grow cotton (link to that and some of those preferable crops).

In Ravka, a country of humid continental climate without larger water bodies, famous for snow-heavy winters and somehow also white nights as far as Os Alta...

His focus lies where it isn't merely of no use, but would drain already scarce water sources, devalue soil and produce nothing considerable in return. In addition it wouldn't help feeding the populace, and it sure as hell wouldn't improve their socio-economic situation.

How could his union with Alina make any of this worse you ask?

We're supposed to believe Alina is a peasant, raised in an orphanage, where she was expected to help with its everyday workings. Quite a win for a country such as Ravka you'd think, right?

Nope! She's more likely to pick a correct fork for snails, than a hoe.

Alina is a person, who believes plums in autumn had to come from a hothouse, but figs won't surprise her. I couldn't find a source stating plums truly require frost, but it's one of a few fruit trees normally capable to withstand -26°C (-40°C for some varieties). European plum also doesn't like temperatures above 35°C and too high humidity means fungal issues.

Alina never asks how come inland-bound country has salt-water fish, she just doesn't like to eat it. When she's confronted with possible need to take care of a larger amount of people, she simply orders others to feed them, not once stopping to ask herself how are they supposed to achieve it. She's the Saint. She tells others what to do, and stuff happens...

Now put these two together. One has some vague ideas about how nature works for him, the other is so used to full plate she doesn't even know foodstuff has to come from some place, least of all it might have various requirements.

By the time the mortal one's dead, Ravka is wrung dry in more than one sense. Cold desert wasteland, no Fold needed.