#in a. patriotic way not a nationalist way

[butchnavi]

anyway i fucking love my country it's the biggest force I'll ever believe in bharat mata ki jai

[personastrologyhub]

Degrees Series: The Hidden Power of Cancer Degrees: (4°, 16°, 28°)

In astrology, we often associate Cancer with emotions, home, family, and nurturing energy. It carries the archetype of the healer and the divine mother. But the degrees within Cancer hold even deeper, meanings, especially when specific planetary placements activate them.

﹙♡﹚ The Influence of 4° Cancer: People, Home, and National Identity =

At 4° Cancer, the theme of people—whether as individuals or in a collective—becomes paramount. This degree speaks to the human race, crowds, and gatherings of individuals. It connects to feelings of patriotism and loyalty to one’s nation or homeland.

Jackie Kennedy has Mars at 4° Cancer. Known for her grace, poise, and connection to the American people. Kennedy was driven by her connection to people, especially during her time as First Lady. The 4° Cancer degree ties deeply to national identity, patriotism, and the well-being of the collective.

If you have placements here, you may find a deep connection to your hometown, feeling rooted in your origins. This degree reflects the home, but not just the physical structure—it taps into where you feel safe and grounded. It’s a degree that nurtures national pride and family ties, creating a strong bond with the place you come from.

 4° Cancer is also connected to water in all its forms—lakes, swimming pools, even the tears we cry. It can indicate the emotional waters we swim through, as well as the literal fluids we consume like milk or beer.

16° Cancer: Patriotism, War, and National Tragedies 🇺🇸⚔️

The 16th degree of Cancer brings a sharp focus on national identity and the deep patriotism we hold for our country or homeland. This degree connects the nation with its people, often indicating leaders or public figures who carry the weight of their country’s identity.

However, it can also reveal the darker side of nationalism—leaders driven by a warped sense of patriotism, often leading to war and tragedy. We see this influence clearly in the charts of dictators and rulers whose actions brought great suffering to their people.

Adolf Hitler had Venus at 16° Taurus—a Cancer degree—conjunct Mars (war) in the 7th house (war and conquest). His nationalism drove him to conquer lands (Taurus/territory) and wage war in the name of his people (Cancer degree). The degree here shows not only his nationalist agenda but also how it manifested in destructive ways, leading to mass atrocities.

28° Cancer: Public Opinion, Family Legacy, and Collective Emotion 

Finally, 28° Cancer represents the power of public opinion, how collective emotions shape the world, and the legacies passed down through family. This degree governs how individuals and families fit into the larger narrative of society and public life.

With planets at 28° Cancer, you’re likely deeply influenced by your family’s emotional legacy and societal views. Your reputation may be closely tied to your family, your heritage, or how you’re perceived within the public eye. There’s a strong connection to collective emotions and how they influence both personal and national events.

This degree also rules stadiums, sports gear, and sportsmen—spaces where the collective gathers, whether it’s a family reunion or a crowded sports event. It’s where personal and public lives intersect, often on a large scale. 🏟️

Let me know if it resonates...

[tonitheloftwing]

A person I follow on instagram is like “if you make 9/11 jokes you’re making fun of terrorism and I WILL block you!!!!!!!!!” And I’m just over here like. First of all you would never survive a 9/11 anniversary on tumblr. Second of all we’re not making fun of the people who died in 9/11, most of the memes are making fun of how the USA has turned a terrorist attack into patriotic circlejerk and used it as an excuse to kill way more people than the amount of Americans that died in 9/11. And thirdly my grandfather was at work in a building directly next to one of the towers when it was struck (idk which one. I assume next to the north tower?) so I’m gonna say that I probably have more of a personal stake in the matter than you LMAO. (My grandfather is alive and well. But he was stuck in NYC for over 24 hours with no contact to the rest of my family which. Was not good)

Anyways fuck the US government, they don’t care about their own citizens they just wanna stroke their nationalistic dicks and jizz red white and blue

[city-of-ladies]

Wu Shuqing and the revolutionary women's troops

Revolutionary women fighting at Nanjing

In 1911, revolutionaries in southern China rose up against the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty. Their successful uprising brought an end to the imperial system and ushered in the early republican era. Moved by both patriotism and feminist ideals, women joined the movement.

Wu Shuqing’s women’s troop

Wu Shuqing, a 19-year-old student from Hanyang, was one of these women. Alongside two others, she wrote to revolutionary leader Li Yuanhong, asking for permission to fight. He initially refused, arguing that integrating women into an all-male army would be too difficult.

But Wu Shuqing didn’t back down. She responded by asserting that there was no difference between men and women when it came to fighting a revolution:

“Were they to hear that the nation was conscripting troops, farmers would lay down their hoes and laborers would abandon their tools. In high spirit they would go off and become soldiers. Even teachers and students in school would all have to become troops. The people are the starting point for society, and society is the point at which the state begins. The people are thus of major importance in terms of victory and defeat of the state. If we do not now come to the aid of the great Han people and wipe out the Manchu bastards, we will assuredly earn the slander of foreigners. In the north sits powerful Russia and majestic Great Britain. Our country faces great dangers on that front. I seek no instant glory. I merely want to join the troops in fighting northward, giving my life in pursuit of the enemy, killing the Manchus. Only then will our Han race be avenged.”

Wu Shuqing’s request was granted, and a women’s troop was formed.

The women’s troop at the front

The exact number of women who joined is unclear, with reports suggesting several hundred. They underwent military training before being sent to the front lines.

Wu Shuqing led them into combat. She participated in a campaign against the Qing at Hankou. During the battle for Nanjing, she and her troops devised a plan to occupy the fort at Shizishan, opening a path for the revolutionary army.

Many women’s forces and organizations were formed in quick succession, though not all of them saw battle.

The sisters Yin Weijun and Yin Ruizhi became famous for their skill in bomb-making and explosives. They earned respect during the battles against the Qing for their daring bombing raids.

Though Yin Ruizhi was wounded, her sister went on to create another unit, the Zhejiang Women’s Nationalist Army, leading them into battle. Over 30 women from this unit fought to liberate Nanjing. They attacked three forts, occupied Yuhatai, scaled ladders over the city walls, and entered Nanjing on December 2. Eyewitnesses praised their bravery and combat effectiveness. However, the troop was later disbanded as the commander-in-chief did not believe women could handle a long-term expedition.

The Yin sisters in military attire.

A third women’s troop also participated in the battle for Nanjing, providing first-aid and logistical support.

A fourth women’s unit, the Guandong Women’s Northern Expedition Bombing Team, was led by Xu Mulan. A hundred female soldiers fought at Xu Zhou.

Though women made up only a small fraction of the revolutionary forces, they played a vital role in the overall movement. For some, their military involvement became a way to express their political ideals and ensure the possibility of an egalitarian society in the future republic. Some of these women also became outspoken advocates for women’s suffrage.

Aftermath

Most women’s armies were discharged in 1912 after a compromise was reached between the revolutionaries and the northern forces. Many female soldiers were left frustrated, feeling that their contributions were undervalued, especially as all positions in the provisional government were given to men.

Wu Shuqing’s whereabouts after the revolution remain unknown.

Here is the link to my Ko-Fi. Your support would be much appreciated!

Further reading:

Edwards Louise, Gender, Politics, and Democracy: Women's Suffrage in China

Ono Kazuko, Chinese Women in a Century of Revolution, 1850-1950

Li Xiaolin, Women in the Chinese Military 

[octuscle]

The Transformation of Alexander to Sasha

An exchange semester in Moscow was really not a good idea. Everyone told him that. But Alexander was researching Russian constructivism in art history. And he had to go to Moscow to do it. Just one semester. What could happen there? So Alexander, an art student from California, embarked on an uncertain journey. Into an unknown world that was characterized by a new, dark atmosphere. His days were mostly filled with discussions about politics, literature and human rights, far removed from a world of masculinity, muscles and testosterone.

During his stay at Moscow State University, Alexander met Yuri, a burly Russian with a penchant for nationalism and bodybuilding. Yuri's invitation to the gym was met with skepticism by Alexander, but he accepted because he thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know Russian culture outside of the classroom.

When they entered the gym, Alexander felt like a fish out of water. The air was drenched with sweat and the clanging of weights echoed off the walls. Most of the people training there were muscular, tattooed men with serious faces. And most of the people there were not only fitness enthusiasts, but also avid right-wing hooligans. Alexander took a deep breath. There was something else. There was not only the smell of sweat in the air, but also of testosterone, pure aggression and something else. Of pure, hard and honest sex!

"Come on, Alexander, let's pump some iron!" Yuri grinned and patted him on the back. Shit, Alexander was building a tent in his training pants.

Despite his initial discomfort, Alexander enjoyed the training sessions. The adrenaline rush, the feeling of camaraderie, it was all new and exciting. But it wasn't just the physical aspect that attracted him, it was the ideology. The ideology of the superiority of the Russian man. In between training sets, Alexander listened to the conversations around him and soaked up the toxic masculinity, the nationalist rhetoric and the anti-liberal sentiment. It resonated with him in a way he hadn't expected. The more time he spent with Yuri and his friends, the more he agreed with their views.

It started with small changes - a shaved head, a scrotum piercing here, a tattoo there. But soon Alexander was completely immersed in the world of the Patriots. He began to espouse their beliefs, railing against immigrants and extolling the glories of Mother Russia. The further the semester progressed, the more obvious Alexander's change became. His once slender stature grew in muscle mass, and his liberal beliefs began to fade, replaced by a newfound nationalism. He immersed himself in Russian culture, learning the language and embracing the traditions.

By the end of the semester, Alexander was unrecognizable. He had taken the name Sasha and become a Russian citizen. Instead of returning to California, he stayed in Moscow, dealing steroids on the darknet and working as a bouncer in a nightclub frequented by the same right-wing hooligans he had once felt uncomfortable around. Now he fucked them in the back room. And they fucked him.

Sasha didn't give a shit about liberal thoughts and art. Lifting iron, fucking the comrades and honor for Mother Russia. That's all he needed. That's all he wanted.

[centrally-unplanned]

Ever ask yourself, "Man, I love it when creatives get into mudslinging shitfight about their work and try to cancel each other, I wonder if I could read over 3000 words about that happening in a niche subculture in Japan 40 years ago?"

So have I! So I wrote that.

Before Gainax, before even Daicon IV, the "Daicon Films" group, lead by Toshio Okada (with Hideaki Anno working on special effects) made the tokusatsu film "Aikoku Sentai Dai Nippon/Patriotic Squadron Great Japan", where nationalist Japanese Sentai heroes fight off the Red Menace via ridiculous antics. It was aired at sci fi convention TOKON-8 in 1982, and was a huge hit.

And it also sparked a two-year slugfest over whether or not it was fascist propaganda via magazine editorials and con panels that became the talk of the town of the SF community.

Half of this article is history. If you want scenes of Toshio Okada leading con audiences in a dance parody mocking the victims of the Hiroshima & Nagasaki atomic bombings - depending on who you ask of course - you are going to get that! If you have seen your share of Social Media fandom drama you will feel right at home.

But since this is me, its not really about that - instead I am hoping to use the drama as a lens to understand the radical changes happening in Japanese "subculture" at the time. This occurred right in the middle of the rise of "Otaku" as a coherent identity, and the undercurrent of the spat was that Japan's nerds were changing, and not everyone was okay with it. Some of the contours of that shift can be seen in the criticisms being leveled by both sides.

I thought about subtitling it "The Anpo Generation Tries to Cancel the New Anime Century" but I quaked in the face of being that insufferable. I probably shouldn't have.

Anyway for the ~5 people who may eventually read this, as always if you see typos or have comments let me know. Also shout-out to @himitsusentaiblog, the one other person who has ever talked about this film on Tumblr.

[read-marx-and-lenin]

Why did the Nazis call themselves National Socialists when they were vehemently anti-communist and not left in any political sense? This isn't a gotcha, it's a genuine question I've had regarding history that I can't find an answer to for some reason.

Because capitalism was genuinely unpopular in Germany. The German economy was tumultuous after WW1, and while the Social Democrats tried to keep the whole thing running smoothly, their reformist approach tied their hands. The Great Depression was the second economic crisis to hit Germany within 10 years, and people were desperate for any alternatives.

The two biggest competitors to the status quo at the time were the Communists and the Nazis. While the Communists were riding on the success of the Russian Revolution, the Nazis branded themselves as "respectable" socialists that patriotic middle class Germans could be proud to support. They weren't your old boring conservative nationalists who were in favor of the same old economic policies that brought the country to ruin. They wanted change too just like everyone else. But they weren't in favor of that dastardly foreign Bolshevism either. That was crude working class socialism that only led to class conflict and civil war.

The Nazis proclaimed that the bourgeoisie weren't the enemy, you see. The enemy was foreigners, an international conspiracy to deprive Germany of capital and impoverish its people for the benefit of a small global elite; a secret Jewish cabal that were behind everything bad in the world. It didn't matter that the Jewish community in Germany was actually poorer than the average German and that most Jewish citizens were working class. The Nazis needed a way to convince people they were doing anything to tackle corruption and greed, so they tapped into the already-existing current of antisemitism in Germany and used the Jews as a scapegoat to cover for the fact that their economic policies did not actually break significantly from the Weimar era, apart from heavy investments in remilitarizing the country, which would eventually fuel the German expansionism that sparked WW2.

National "socialism" was ostensibly socialism for the benefit of a nation rather than a class. In practice, this meant that German capitalists got subsidies and the German workers were supposed to be happy about that because they were all German, right? Yes, German workers got more welfare and benefits, but they got those under the Kaiser and during the height of SDP leadership too. The Nazis weren't any special in that regard. The only real difference with the Nazis was the utter contempt they held for international solidarity and cooperation. That was how they distinguished their socialism from the barbarous Eastern Bolshevism: the latter promoted working class organization that transcended national boundaries, whereas the former asserted that national ties come first and that through national pride and cooperation, class divisions can be overcome.

In effect, Nazism was a means of protecting German nationalism and German capitalism from the threats posed by the rising support for revolutionary communism. The appellation of "socialism" was simply a means of co-opting radical sentiment at a time when traditional conservativism and liberalism had very little respect among the average person, and the utter contempt the Nazis held for the actual working class meant that their movement had little genuine working class support before they gained power.

[imustbenuts]

i finished metaphor refantazio which means i can talk about this game's themes with a working braincell now.

under the read more: pre-ww2 japanese history and religion fuckery. word vomit for anyone who might be interested in my perspective

Major spoilers head

i was RIGHT about louis being enamored with the royal family in some way and having a buttfuck ton of the royal family flowers in his room in his airship. i think this plot point is now heavily hinted at but currently discarded due to development/writing hell. i think louis probably followed hythlodaeus v out of the sanctum in extreme admiration. he has a lot of similarities with More in that they both had reality + lonliness crushed into their faces. his current self in the game is driven by despair and fear.

this is interesting bc theres actually also a lot of allusion to japanese pre-ww2 history going on from my admittedly very limited knowledge. so here goes:

There's a lot about Louis that reminds me of the whole shitshow going down during the Meiji era up until ww2. the gist of this past 200 odd years was that the western world came in knocking with christianity as a tool for colonization. which was understandably yikes, so they shut themselves off, only to then get another visitation later with pretty intimidating technology in the form of iron steamships with cannons. gunboat diplomacy. this meant that a previously imperialistic japanese society build on conquering had to react/adapt to this drastic force like fucking whiplash.

so they pretty much went from pro-military samurai shogunate to pro-emperor. the gist is there was a very pro-emperor-god-king rhetoric going on that sought to rid anything inconvenient towards that narrative. to keep people in line yes but to also get japan big and powerful enough to sit with the same western colonial powers.

so in place of the old caste system under the shogun, there eventually were now oligarchies, far right military factions etc under the emperor. only something like the top 5% of the population had a say in this new democracy system they set up too. (it got way more democratic in the 1930s? not sure. but what im saying here is 1860s-1900 ish at least)

so things were going. for a while. messy, full of 'expel the foreigners, revere the emperor' rhetoric but it was going.

then more depression happened and the overall economy went to shit in 1900. that era leading up to ww2 had a lot of young men in Japan being extremely nationalist and pro military, in part due to a whiplash of culture change and in other due to poverty. (ive come across the topic of white rice being offered for those who conscript. white rice was seen as the emperor's luxury food so that was somewhat of a draw to young men back then.) There were a lot of far right political factions and assassinations going on. international relations were also imploding bc the military had this idea that japan was the superior divine race and they were destined to conquer the world/asia. so they did some sabotaging false flag operation shit in manchuria in order to try and start a world war. (Mukden incident. 1931)

Which is then not a surprise that in 1932 a prime minister by the name of Inukai Tsuyoshi got assassinated by a bunch of far right pro military guys in their 20s. They were even then praised by the judge bc of their act being seen as pro-emperor and therefore patriotic. Bc again emperor god king delusion.

(read up on the League of Blood incident where these people also plotted to kill the oligarchs and liberal politicians. they uh actually succeeded in some cases btw. look, too much shit.)

meanwhile, the emperor, Hirohito, wanted peace, wanted better foreign international relations and relayed his desires to the same Inukai Tsuyoshi, but the military was going out of control. (and Inukai got assassinated so the position of prime minister is now Not Safe.) so out control they eventually became beyond any civilian/state control and bam ww2. pearl harbor and all that stuff.

(i havent read up on what kind of person hirohito actually is so ill refrain on commenting on his character. but in terms of actual power over his country hes VERY Hythlodaeus V in metaphor)

so while there isnt an organized religion in the form of a church, there is absolutely an element of religious and military fanaticism in that era.

So Louis has a lot of this vibes going on. He was also a young military boy. Is young probly in his 20s. Has a lot of royal flowers in his skyrunner that points towards this royal family worshiping thing. Seized control of a military faction that went completely out of control from the state. Is of some 'pure blood' race if his elda bloodline is any indication. Murdered the pro-equality but failed figure head bc he did not live up to Louis' expectations and was responsible for a lot of failures in the state policy. started a false flag operation that resulted in people dying and forced to leave an area.

also, did i mention lowkey eugenics? yeah that same imperial military was big on this too. the strong will survive the weak will be culled etc etc.

Meanwhile the mc gels well with the benevolent emperor narrative that is popular in JP media even today. I think it could be some indicator of how the general japanese feels towards the royal family, since supposedly an emperor is sworn to an oath of leading with valor, wisdom and benevolence. These are also represented by 3 regalia, a sword, a mirror and a jewel, presented during the official coronation ceremony.

The regalias might be treasures from different tribes originally, at least that's what some scholars think.

So I won't be surprised if the Drakodilos lance ends up being a part of the imperial treasure thing after the mutsari tribe gets protected under law. the mustaris here are the aforementioned 'different tribes' thing.

in fact, more on this topic with the mustaris. these people arent just random tribal people, to me they are more south/south east asian people. their biome is jungle island like, which means polynesian, and places like philippines, vietnam, thailand, indonesia etc.

the brown/tan skin is found in a lot of SEAsians, and the third eye is too a popular asian mysticism thing. it is especially prevalent in hinduism and buddhism. the idea is that a 3rd eye means enlightenment, or at least the ability to perceive the unperceivable.

if we subsitute sanctism with shinto, then theres some parallels here to be had with whats going on at the time too. bc the funny thing im seeing here is, shinto is sanctism, and mustari's religion has big buddhsim vibes without the name.

(that mustari arc boss looks like a twisted banged up buddha/boddhisattva what with the prayer position and multi arms thing going on)

in that pre-ww2 time period, shinto buddhism was going through a split and defining in order to prop up the emperor god king narrative. this process meant suppressing elements of buddhism. wont get into the reeds of this, but know that buddhism originated in india in a response against the hindu caste system. so in a way, a 'foreign' religon.

now, there is absolutely a thing going on here where Me:Re can come off as inherently pro-emperor and even a little pro-japanese nationalist, what with the whole 1 nation of vaguely SEAsians under a (japanese written) king thing. frankly, as a SEAsian this is gross but nothing surprising considering how hard Me:Re feels like an echo of pre ww2 jp politics. and also how jp media tends to be with topics surrounding this. im iffy on the japanese nationalist part, bc the needle is definitely moving in terms of racism/colorism today, and in the game lacks certain elements for me to see it as a big red flag.

that said, i wont immediately napalm the intentions behind this game to the ground. this game has got excellent commentary on racism and some stuff about policies. its got nuance. it is even a criticism against how the old japanese empire tried to go about doing things. it is open to the idea of democracy and even seems to say that politics arent perfect and can fail but its better to try than not at all.

this is far more valuable than blatant doomerism imo.

all this is why in the final segment, we fight More in the middle of shibuya scramble. this isnt just meta for the sake of meta, its allusion to their history specifically. this game is NOT so much a criticism about organized religion as it is about governance in relation to its people. this game is talking about politics without specific policies.

i can respect that despite all the major ick i might have.

this is why despite saying oppression is bad, it doesn't have any queer representation because it's leaning towards a conservative pro emperor ideology on the overall spectrum. Queerness is not part of that century old conversation at all in this context so take this as you will.

(personally the fact that queerness is not even remotely touched on means the overall thoughts on opression hasnt radically changed. Personally, this, specifically, sucks. Bc this means this narrative feels like it could've been easily released even 20 years ago and brought the exact same challenge to the table but ymmv. I suppose this is why people have been saying the game reminds them of old jrpgs.)

sooo yeah Me:Re is very much a big middle finger to fanaticism, but is also very japanese history at its roots. i had fun, and it def made me think

[mariacallous]

For two weeks now, soldiers of what Russian President Vladimir Putin considers a “Nazi regime” have been pouring over the border in the first foreign occupation of Russia since World War II. Putin and his propaganda apparatus, from the media to schools to the scholars rewriting history books, have been drumming up this moment: the great threat to Russia’s very survival on par with the real Nazi invasion in 1941. No matter where they live or what they do, Russians cannot escape the constant barrage of World War II allegories beckoning them to mobilize against any invader.

Yet the response of most Russians to Ukraine’s offensive into Kursk, now entering its third week, has been a passive, fatalistic shrug.

Indeed, Ukraine’s occupation of around 1,000 square kilometers of sacred Russian soil—which Putin’s forces are still struggling to contain—has popped numerous bubbles in Russia and, by extension, in the West’s perception of the regime’s strength and motivations for waging the war.

The first bubble to pop was the Kremlin’s decadeslong propaganda about the supposed existential threat to Russia emanating from Ukraine. As Johns Hopkins international relations professor Eugene Finkel rhetorically asked on X: “By the way, have you noticed the wave of nationalist fervor and mobilization washing over Russia in response to a military invasion?” On the contrary, there has been no massive public outcry, no spontaneous formation of militias, and no long lines of volunteers at the recruitment offices. The Russian military now offers absurdly enormous sign-up bonuses amounting to more than the average Russian’s annual salary, or there would be no takers at all. No impassioned speeches have rallied Russians to the motherland’s defense, and no banners with patriotic slogans adorn Moscow’s streets. The Kremlin has not even ordered a general mobilization to fend off the invasion. Meanwhile, the Russian government’s chief spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, couldn’t even be bothered to interrupt his vacation.

Most Russian anger is directed against Moscow, not the supposed Nazis from Kyiv. Kremlin-controlled pollsters have been registering a sharp uptick in dissatisfaction with the government. Much of that anger is coming from the Kursk region’s residents, including more than 100,000 people who fled the fighting. Many of them complained about being abandoned and neglected by their local authorities and Moscow. To the great disappointment of patriotic bloggers, no one in Kursk has resisted, joined partisan groups, or even protested against the occupiers, as happened in innumerable places in Ukraine. All over Russia, mothers of conscripts are protesting against their untrained sons being deployed in an active war zone. For those who care to look, social media and messaging channels are full of videos showing mass surrenders of Russian soldiers, many of them inexperienced teenage conscripts.

But the rest of the Russian public, whether due to self-preservation, “learned helplessness,” or some other reason, doesn’t seem to care either way whether a part of Russia is now foreign-occupied or not. Russians seem to grasp that, contrary to their own propaganda, Ukrainians aren’t trying to destroy Russia but only get their country back. Even pro-war television pundits point out that Kyiv could use occupied areas of Russia in a land-for-land trade—in other words, they correctly see the incursion as part of a strategy to evict Russia from Ukraine, not to threaten Russia itself.

The second bubble Ukraine’s incursion has popped is Putin’s image as an authoritarian leader, which is built on strength, order, and the promise to make Russia great again. His evident inability to defend the country’s borders makes Putin, who has tied his reign to the restoration of Russia’s lost empire, look weak.

Putin has almost disappeared from public view as the Kremlin attempts to downplay the invasion. On the Kremlin’s official website, announcements in stilted bureaucratese seem designed to normalize a code-red event. In a speech to the Russian Security Council, Putin euphemistically referred to the invasion as a “counterterrorist situation.” In calling on local authorities in Kursk to deal with the “situation” and otherwise remaining mostly absent, Putin appears eager to distance himself from the chaos at the border.

Russian state television took several days before making Kursk its top news story—but never interrupted its regular entertainment programming. The news reports added another dash of absurdity, as the Russian army’s supposed victories kept happening closer and closer to Moscow before finally slowing down last week.

In the TV talk shows, prominent pundits have been tearing at the propaganda edifice. One proposed “sacrificing” Russia’s border regions to Ukraine—hardly a vision of strength. Another called on the leadership to stop the lies and be more honest about military setbacks, while a third wanted strict censorship to shield the populace from embarrassments. For a Kremlin-controlled media apparatus, the cacophony was a refreshing absence of the usual coordinated messaging. On Telegram channels, where Kremlin control doesn’t reach as far, there has been even more candor.

Third, by taking the war to Russian territory, Ukraine has popped the bubble of the Kremlin threats to escalate the war, based on the idea that Russia’s existence—rather than Ukraine’s—was somehow at stake. The supposed threat from NATO is no longer a talking point. Russia has not called on its own defense alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, as one would expect if its existence were at stake. And there has been surprisingly little screaming about German-built tanks advancing in Kursk, where the largest tank battle of World War II took place.

In 2016, Putin infamously claimed that Russia’s borders don’t end anywhere. Today, it turns out that they don’t begin at any particular point, either. This is perhaps the most significant result of Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory. So far, each of Putin’s threats, including nuclear ones, have turned out to be hollow—not even Russia’s actual border seems to be a “red line.” Thus, another bubble Kursk has popped is the Western theory of escalation and red lines that make Russia look much stronger and more resolute than it really is.

Finally, the invasion punctures the notion that Russians collectively support the war, just because government-sponsored polls say so. It appears that most just take their cue from Putin: In case of trouble, just ignore it and hope it goes away.

[ngdrb]

The Growing Dangers of the MAGA Movement

The "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, spearheaded by former President Donald Trump, has become a prominent political force in the United States. While its supporters claim it champions patriotism and traditional American values, the movement has increasingly been associated with extremist ideologies, posing significant threats to American democracy, social cohesion, and national stability.

Core Beliefs and Goals

At its core, the MAGA movement promotes a narrow, exclusionary vision of American identity rooted in nativism, white Christian nationalism, and anti-immigrant sentiment. It espouses a nostalgic longing for an idealized past when America was supposedly "great," often interpreted as a time of unchallenged white, Christian dominance. The movement's rhetoric frequently portrays immigrants, racial and religious minorities, and progressive values as existential threats to this perceived traditional American way of life.

One of the movement's central goals is to reshape the American political landscape by dismantling established norms, institutions, and checks and balances. This includes undermining the independence of the judiciary, weakening the separation of powers, and eroding the integrity of democratic processes, such as free and fair elections. The movement has consistently sought to consolidate power and marginalize dissenting voices, often through the perpetuation of conspiracy theories and the demonization of perceived enemies.

Ties to Extremist Ideologies

While the MAGA movement claims to reject extremism, its rhetoric and actions have increasingly aligned with far-right, white nationalist, and anti-democratic ideologies. The movement has provided a mainstream platform for individuals and groups that espouse hateful, discriminatory, and often violent beliefs.

The overlap between the MAGA movement and extremist groups has become increasingly apparent, with many prominent figures within the movement embracing or failing to condemn racist, xenophobic, and anti-Semitic ideologies. This normalization of extremist ideologies has contributed to the mainstreaming of hate speech, conspiracy theories, and the vilification of marginalized communities.

Moreover, the movement's unwavering support for former President Trump, even in the face of his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, has further solidified its ties to anti-democratic forces. The events of January 6th, 2021, when MAGA supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, highlighted the movement's potential for inciting violence and undermining the foundations of American democracy.

Impact on American Democracy

The MAGA movement's assault on democratic norms and institutions poses grave threats to the integrity of American democracy. Its efforts to undermine the credibility of elections, the independence of the judiciary, and the freedom of the press have eroded public trust in the very pillars that uphold the nation's democratic system.

The movement's embrace of conspiracy theories and disinformation has fueled a profound erosion of shared reality, making it increasingly difficult to engage in constructive political discourse and find common ground. This polarization has paralyzed meaningful policymaking and exacerbated societal divisions, hindering the nation's ability to address pressing challenges effectively.

Furthermore, the movement's rhetoric and actions have contributed to a toxic political climate, where dissent is often met with hostility, intimidation, and threats of violence. This chilling effect on free speech and open debate undermines the principles of a vibrant democracy and risks silencing legitimate voices and perspectives.

Threats to Social Cohesion and National Stability

The MAGA movement's divisive and exclusionary rhetoric has profound implications for social cohesion and national stability. Its vilification of marginalized communities and promotion of tribalism has fueled a resurgence of hate crimes, discrimination, and societal tensions, eroding the nation's diversity and unity.

The movement's embrace of conspiracy theories and disinformation has also contributed to the erosion of trust in public institutions, mainstream media, and established sources of information. This has created an environment where misinformation and disinformation can thrive, making it increasingly difficult to address complex societal challenges based on facts and evidence.

Moreover, the movement's glorification of violence and its resistance to peaceful transfers of power pose direct threats to national stability. The events of January 6th, 2021, demonstrated the potential for the MAGA movement's rhetoric and actions to incite civil unrest and undermine the foundations of the nation's democratic system.

Conclusion

The MAGA movement, while purporting to champion patriotism and traditional American values, has become increasingly associated with extremist ideologies, anti-democratic tendencies, and threats to social cohesion and national stability. Its narrow, exclusionary vision of American identity, promotion of conspiracy theories, and embrace of divisive rhetoric have eroded democratic norms, fueled societal tensions, and undermined the nation's ability to address pressing challenges effectively.

As the movement continues to gain momentum and influence, it is imperative for all Americans to recognize the grave dangers it poses and to actively defend the principles of democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law. Failure to address the underlying issues that have given rise to the MAGA movement's appeal, and to counter its extremist tendencies, risks further polarization, civil unrest, and the erosion of the democratic foundations that have sustained the United States for over two centuries.

[felineverdure]

I know people love pokkojean as a concept, but they’re really nothing alike especially post-Trost Jean who grew past his 12-year-old self. I would argue as far as crackships go Porco and Floch are more alike in a himbo impulsive kinda way. Plus the idea of Porco who is basically anti nationalist vs a patriotic Floch is so funny. Hello?? It's a crime that people are not seeing this vision more. That said, back to Jean and a Galliard brother: I want people to see the vision that is serujean (Marcel x Jean).

Here’s my argument: 1. Feiner (fake Reiner) is basically a Marcel larper. If you headcanon Jean being impressed by Feiner, imagine how awestruck Jean would be if he met the real Marcel. 2. Jean hates that Eren puts Mikasa and Armin in danger just by being reckless, knowing they’ll follow him no matter what. Now picture Jean finding what Marcel did to protect Porco from being a titan shifter.

3. Jean and many others admired Feiner for his reliability and leadership during training but Marcel, being the real inspiration behind Feiner’s whole vibe, would hit Jean even harder.

Conclusion: Marcel would inspire Jean to be his best self, and Jean would admire the hell out of him for it. Embrace crackships. Go wild or go home. If you read until the end, I’m sorry for wasting your time, it’s been a hard day. This is nonsense. 💖

[froody]

youre very anti american until someone from another country says something bad about america. you do realise how hypocritical you are? (coming from an american)

First of all, I’m anti-America not anti-American. This country is wicked from its foundation, on an institutional level. Which I do lot deny and speak about honestly.

I like Americans, I know, crazy. We’re a resilient people, fundamental good resides in most of us. I believe that about all of humanity but Americans are who I know. I love my neighbors. I love my community. The people I love live here, mainly. I wish the best for all of us. I think we deserve to live lives without constant fear of violence and political unrest, with access to resources without discrimination. We are all done a disservice by this country, not in equal measures, mind you. I want to make this country a better place. I do not consider myself a patriot, not a nationalist, I swear fealty to the people and landscape around me.

You’re right, it is hypocrisy to lash out at people who speak negatively about the establishment I despise. It isn’t productive. It’s a knee-jerk reaction. It is extremely frustrating to see people from other countries, mainly Europeans, some Canadians, mock American society for problems that permeate their own government and culture that they refuse to address. Because it is easier to condemn stupid Americans than it is to begin to acknowledge that their country is built on the same white supremacist ideals, that the picturesque stately homes that dot their countryside largely would not exist if not for colonization and slavery. It is easier to imply that Americans deserve to live in constant fear of gun violence and homelessness for their own stupidity than it is to have a deeper compassion for the American people, than to admit that what is happening to us could possibly happen to them. They are not in any meaningful way helping us, they are not helping themselves, not their countrymen.

Europeans, if you think that the people of your country are smarter than Americans, are more enlightened, less bigoted, less violent, more rational, I beg you to look around. I beg you to witness Italy and it’s current slide back into fascism, I beg you to look at the antisemitism rising in Germany once more. I beg you to address the xenophobia in your own country, to look at the transphobia, the malefactors sneaking into your government to roll back your rights and resources.

Also if this is in response to me commenting on British food looking yucky, I want you to know I’m not walking that back. I think I’m in my right to have a little fun poking cheeky fun at British food since British people post about how shocking American food is so much of the time. That was in good faith. Not that deep.

[chicago-geniza]

Muriel Spark captured in Jean Brodie and her Mussolini obsession the locally and historically particular phenomenon of Polish spinster schoolmistresses obsessed with Piłsudski in a distinctly Catholic-nationalist, military-fetishistic, and fascist-sympathetic way during the interwar period, and who were also, like, queer about it, and I need to write about this so bad. I have wanted to write about the spinster schoolteachers with their Piłsudski shrines and fanatic patriotism for a million years but they're Polish Jeans Brodie. They inspired the same sort of acolyte devotion among their pupils too

[dykebelova]

White Widow #1 by Sarah Gailey review.

We can all agree that we all fell in love with Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in Black Widow (2021) and for many people, including me, she was our first introduction to the character. And as an absolute, completely sane and normal person, I said to myself “Why not read all of her appearances in the comics ?”, and I did.

Surprisingly, both characters are incredibly different. Nonetheless, both interesting and amazing on their own. While I agree that MCU Yelena has more depth and perhaps, more personality, comics Yelena is still a good character. The way she has been written has been very disturbing, even sick and twisted sometimes, like Pale Little Spider (2002) or Black Widow (2001). Sometimes messy, and I suggest everybody forget her Adaptoid phase or anything that ever happened in Secret Avengers (2013) for her sake. But still, you don't erase almost 25 years of a character's development, even if it has been inconsistent, just because you felt like it.

In the comics, Yelena has always been in Natasha’s shadow and has never had her own original story. In Widowmakers: Red Guardians and Yelena Belova (2020) and Winter Guard (2021), we had a glimpse of hope to finally see her character evolve despite Red Guardian’s appearance, a character linked to Natasha. When a limited-serie on White Widow, a character that hasn’t been properly developed and deserved to, was announced, I fucking cheered man. But then I remembered the curse of a character’s MCUfication, because Marvel never does anything right. And oh boy was I not prepared for what was coming…

I don’t even know where to begin. It all felt like a giant fanfiction written by someone who has only ever seen the movie and didn’t even bother to check on other writers’ previous work on Yelena’s character.

White Widow (2023) #1.

There are lots of things wrong in this picture. First and second panel, where does the needle come from ? After I checked and double checked just in case, there were NO records of Yelena being abducted or forced to do anything she has done in her life. She chose to join the Red Room. She chose to be a Black Widow and she was determined to outperform Natasha’s results during tests. She even had a whole mental breakdown about it.

Pale Little Spider (2002) #1

Now, let’s try to find excuses for the use of the needle… The first one would be the Red Room using the Black Widow’s serum they used on the 28th original Widows, during Natasha’s era. But our good ol' Grigor Ivanovich just ruined this theory.

Black Widow (2004) #4

Excuse number two, the Red Room used some sort of a mind-control serum which wouldn’t make any sense too for all of the reasons I said above.

Now the third panel… I’m at a loss for words. Where the fuck does it comes from. Where the FUCK was it during Secret Empire (2017) ? Yelena wasn’t even there anymore, bitch was dead. We didn’t see her until Tales of Suspense: Hawkeye and The Winter Soldier (2018), until she was brought back to life WITH Natasha. Also, she has a real family and they’re even mentioned in Black Widow (2001), Yelena calls her mother and her aunt Olga is mentioned.

White Widow (2023) #1

Now, the board... It looks like it has been made for a MCU tie-in more than anything.

Although I'd like to adress one thing that has been said on Twitter, about the "Hate nationalism → Imperialist invasion". There is a difference between nationalism and patriotism. Being a nationalist is being way too extreme about your country when being a patriot is to love your country, its people and its culture while also being critical about the way its being led.

Now, we know when she was young, Yelena was kind of extreme. In Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (2005) #1, she admitted she was willing to sacrifice herself for the Motherland more than once. During her Black Widow era, she was naive and had a blind love for Russia which was her biggest weakness.

Black Widow (2001) #3

But as her character continued to evolve and grow through her appearences, Yelena is far more reasonable now. She considers herself like a true patriot and she has always been proud of being Russian. In conclusion, this board's section is not as bad as people make it out to be since Yelena went from being an extreme nationalist to a patriot.

Widowmakers: Red Guardian and Yelena Belova (2020)

I know many of you like Kate Bishop and Yelena’s friendship due to their duo in Hawkeye, I too, am a big fan of them… But unfortunately, they only interacted once in the comics. And they didn’t even talk to each other. That’s why mentioning Kate Bishop in her like section is purely fan service and although it is a nice nod to the series, it doesn’t make any sense here. Yelena has interacted with Clint Barton way more than the better Hawkeye, which is sad.

Black Widow (2020) #10

I'd like to come back in the hate section just a second to say I don't know why she hates the Infinity Gauntlet so much that's it's written in caps. It's 100% a nod to the MCU again but here it also doesn't make sense. But again, a lot of things doesn't in this issue.

I wont bother talking about her attitude and how she looks like a teenager swallowing vodka directly from a bottle when she used to be classy and extra with manners. I wont bother talking about her new suit's design which sucks more than her previous one. This is not the Yelena Belova we used to know, it's a complete new character made to match her MCU self and please a small public who mostly watch the movies/series.

I saw a lot of people celebrating Yelena's changes to match Yelena's Florence Pugh more. I know the character has become more famous because of Flo', but this is actually terrible and wasn't handled correctly.

We hoped for a more mature story, maybe a little darker than usual. A new start for her character, to follow her path in making the world a better place and get out of Natasha’s shadow for good. With a little backstory too, nothing much. The bare minimum. Instead, we had a copycat of her MCU counterpart and it is just heartbreaking to see a character I loved so much being destroyed like that.

I could go on and on about why this piece of junk is just a bunch of nonsense and laziness and how Sarah Gailey’s just went for the easiest writing ever… But I will stop there. I just hope she knows that us, fan of comics Yelena, are fucking disappointed. Everything that made her character so special and dear to us, disappeared in one issue. The damage is surreal.

It’s only four issues long so I will continue to read it until the end, but I expect nothing from it anymore. I hope the writer won’t destroy Yelena’s character any further, because things can only go downhill from here.

[ohsalome]

As a Ukrainian, what do you think will happen on the territories of Eastern Ukraine that were occupied since 2014 after they are liberated? There seems a hostility between people who lived on those occupied lands and Ukrainians, how do you think this demographic problem will be solved?

Thankyou for replying in advance!

That is a very tough question and the discussions around it are intense. I will retell some of the ideas I see thrown around, but full disclosure it is something most people would struggle answering, I think. So, apologies if this will be one of those posts that are tough to read - I struggled a lot puting my thoughts into words with this. Also, I don't have faith that the solutions that are offered today would be fullfilled without any fuck-ups on the way.

Allthough it is true that the majority of the people who chose to keep living in DNR/LNR are pro-russian, there still are those who remained loyal to Ukraine and are waiting for liberation. The dichotomy between "patriotic/nationalistic spiritual West" and "russophile bydlo East" is a false one. + I expect there will be people who fled Donbas in 2014 and will want to return home after its liberation. What I'm trying to say is, there are many people we will be able to rely on with solving the question of "what to do with Donbas after the reoccupation".

[image description: a flyer found in Donetsk in 2023 stating "Donetsk is Ukraine"]

[image description: a tweet with the following text: "When people say «listen to Donbas», for some reason everyone perceives this as «listen to those who support russia». But what about us, people from Donetsk, Luhansk, who remained loyal to Ukraine? What about us, who fled from occupation back in 2014? Who joined the army? We also need to be heard! We can name the streets after ukrainian heroes, we can lead the region! Ironically, the ukrainians who have lead to this scenario have already fled to russia long time ago or are dead. Indeed, the nature is cleaning itself."]

2. That being said, there is still an issue of the civillian population that has been loyal to russia. Best case scenario, which will probably not come to life, we will need some kind of deideologization zone; something akin to the post-ww2 denazification in Germany. Ideally it would involve a lot of educational projects aimed at opening the people's eyes to the fact that they've been lied to for 10 years (and, realistically speaking, their entire life - the propaganda started decades before the war).

Following the Germany's example, this will involve the decisions that will definitely make some anti-ukrainian polticians decry us as nazi - like withholding the voting rights for some period of time, withholding the rights to take up administrative positions, etc. etc. And I am sorry, but this is a necessary step we need to make if we want to secure our existance as a country in the future. We still 100% be required to ensure the human dignity of every person living on the territory of Ukraine and act in accordance to the UN declarations. But sometimes we need to put the collective interest above the individual one, especially when it comes to our literal survival as a group. But even if this project will happen as I have described, which I doubt, we still need to accept that there will be people who'll remain loyal to putin to the end of their days but will want to live where they are. If we manage to build a strong government and if russia falls apart by then, then they won't cause much of a problem. Otherwise, they will be a source of danger to the existance of Ukraine as a nation, and we'll need to think about using the revocation of citizenship, which will also sound horrible to our critics, even though it has a rich legitemate precedence.

3. People who have held administrative positions or were related to any type of propagandistic activity (e.g. teaching russian version of history in schools) are, according to law, collaborators, and will need to be put to trial as such. But everybody else - say, pensioneers, shop assistants, doctors etc. - are not considered collaborators under the international laws we all agreed on, even if they had to accept russian passports (which people are often forced to in order to receive food/medical help), and therefore do not need to fear that they will be presecuted as "collaborators" by law (this part I am actually pretty confident we'll do fine, we have had very lenient track record so far).

Overall it is a very complex topic where any mistake has a high price, and we for sure will need to create trustworthy legal organs to answer the societal request for justice. I have found one article which goes into more detail, and frankly is more well-versed in this topic than I am. What are the chances that this will go smoothly without any bumps on the way? Uuuuugh

4. There also is a problem of rebuilding the region which has been ravaged by war for a decade. Even before the invasion, Donbas has been the poorest region in Ukraine. Poverty breeds crime, crime breeds corruption, and corruption is a wide open door for russian KGBists. If we want to protect ourselves from anyone using our internal issues against us in the future, we will need to tackle them at their root. In my wildest dreams, I see rebuilding Donbas with the engagement of foreign investors into the biggest Ukrainian centre of scientific development - STEM research, engeineering, space science etc. (And, of course, a huge demilitarization zone on the border with a row of automatic turrets along the wall). But I know that this dream is very unrealistic and a slow depopulation and degradation of the region, alas, is a much more realistic scenario.

5. If you mean the personal animosity between people who have been living under occupied territories vs from free Ukraine... I don't know. Since 2014, there for sure has been discrimination towards the refugees to the east, and I do not expect the situation to be much difficult now - even if we somehow manage to take russian informational intervention out of the picture. In the end, it will depend on the governmental decisions and if they manage to build a good reintegration programme, which falls down to finding the correct people to do the job. I sincerely believe that there are people like that. I do not know if they will be able to overcome the corruption on their way.

There are also ecological issues which is a whole another can of worms I will not even touch today.

I do not remember if I've recommended this movie yet, but Atlantis by Valentyn Vasyanovych tries to respond the very same question of "what to do with Donbas after reoccupation". I think it is a great movie that tackles a lot of societal fears and frustrations, and the picture it paints is much less optimistic than what I've written here. It is a bit of arthousey, but still worth the watch. Give it a change, if you have time and opportunity.

In short, I unironically believe that the hardest work for Ukraine will start after we win the war.

[sudensk-the-stallionist]

hello comrade idk if i can say that but it would feel too strange to say friend. so i’ve been trying to get into theory and learning abt communism and what r ur thoughts on hò chí minh? i’ve been reading a published chronicle of his life from thê’ giói’, one which is communist and a proponent of his thought, which i love.

i agree a lot of his teachings and synthesis of lenin’s work into leading the communist movement in vietnam: as of now i dont feel particularly strongly, but i do have a Lot of thoughts about him. so far, i cannot tell where he made any new strides or really revolutionary departures or realizations from the groundworks set by marx and lenin, though he of course makes really on point assessments about decolonization and the movement of the proletariat globally. i don’t mean this as in he brought nothing new, but i’m thinking that based on what i know of lenin’s works (imperialism and the sort) those sort of ideas were already present (i feel bad im not wording this correctly).

i’m just curious as to if you have any thoughts of him: i feel, seeing his movement to decolonize and its intersection of ML theory and patriotic thought, vietnam is really enviable, but i can’t make a good assessment of him as a leader as of yet. i wonder what your perception of him is, again, i think i can’t really see him as a drastic innovator who gave revelations unthought of prior to his coming (but i have not yet read lenin’s imperialism which is my bad TT i hope to get to it soon) and idk… im thinking guy…

hi, no problem in calling me comrade (i quite like it)

being very honest to you i haven't read all that much from ho chi minh, but i do really appreciate his work as being very important for the adaptation of marxism-leninism to a context of national liberation in the global south; it certainly is not, to me, a departure from the guidelines and thoughts repercuted by marx-engels-lenin, but simply an adaptation to the specific context of vietnam.

i personally think that ho was very important considering how his time period was when the first liberation, marxist-guided struggles in the global south were happening (other than vietnam, as well in korea, in china, and, to a smaller extent, in cuba; also being defended by groups in countries like myanmar, multiple african and arab nations, in other latin american countries, etc). in this time, most anti-imperialist struggles were still guided by vague nationalistic sentiments, like how the Tenentistas acted in the 1920s in Brazil; their move towards active, Marxist-Leninist struggle would only ocurr later (like how in Brazil the Tenentistas would mostly be replaced by actual communists by the 1930s).

i think i need to study more of him, but nevertheless the vietnamese struggle against french, japanese and american imperialism is very inspiring and ho chi minh is certainly a figure to be respected for providing some of the first mainline decolonial adaptations of ML thought in the global south - something we are in desperate need of; we can't keep seeking to be "neosoviets" in a way, but adapt the correct science of marxism-leninism to correctly overthrow our neocolonial capitalist system and correctly establish decolonial socialism that will be able to holistically fight against the unfortunate fruits of our previous ultraexploitative system.

it's pretty cool to see how ho was able to do this and lead vietnam to liberation. i'd say he and kim il-sung are the most respected leaders in this specific regard of early socialist revolutionaries in exploited global south nations for me.