#ortega kin

[kinsonas]

★ TEAM STAR ★

FAIRY TRANS ORTEGA ; FIRE BI MELA ; POISON GENDERFLUID ATTICUS ; DARK GAY GIACOMO ; NORMAL NONBINARY PENNY ; FIGHTING LESBIAN ERI

[dollarstore-kins]

Transgender Ortega icons!!

-Mod ET

[ghost-under-my-bed]

so true

[grunesdragon]

The Council

At long last, the Dragon Lord returns. For too long has his family been bound by fear. But he comes under the scrutiny of those who, in the meantime, made their own designs on power.

detail:

[milos-lil-corner]

Thoughts and reasons why I put songs in my Splendorman playlist. Take a listen and read below if you want lol. There's a text description of my thoughts on each song if you can't read my horrendous hand writing.

Read below to see text version of image

Fine by Lemon Demon - Splendorman creator! Also a song about finding joy in darkness.

they're hiding in plain sight. can't you see? by Crossing Bridges - Vibe

feels nice, even if it is all a lie by Crossing Bridges - Vibe

The Lobotomy by Maebi - Headcanon vibe of what being under Splendors control feels like. Weird and strange.

PP1 by Frakkur - Vibe

Placid Waltz by Reece Moseley - Vibe

さむくてあったかい、ふゆ〜雪の世界〜 by Kikiyama - Vibe

Remaining Souls by Avith Ortega - Title reference towards Splendors proxy's

Grouped these songs together into one -> the water is quite beautiful by Crossing Bridges, Nostalgia by Reece Moseley, take your time, you'll be here a while, Fairy Tale Woods: Apple House by Urotsuki, wish you were here by Crossing Bridges - Title references. Hae a headcanon that Splendors "house" is a sort of like the house in House of Leaves but with a nostalgic twist. Grandma feel. Homey. Yet, not quite home.

Szorn by Wiktor Stribog - Vibe

empty meaningless patterns by Unworn - Splendors ability causes people to lose track of time

Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moon Light by Tiny Tim - Very Splendorman coded, lol

They're Coming to Take Me Away--Ha Ha! by Sloppy Jane - See this as a proxy of his going nuts - either because of Splendor or itself.

Drown me! by Junie & TheHutFriends - Goofy [|:)

Bag of Static by Akuma Kira - Hint of Splendors relation and similarity to Slender

tadpoles lullaby by galen tipton - comfortable and whimsical

song of the unhealing by death palace - Headcanon that he and BEN would have a sweet friendship. IDK

michael has been fired from his job, michael has been burned to death by No Love In The House Of Gold - Vibe

Refuge by Maebi - Vibe

feel by Squeak - Vibe

A4 - Childishly fresh eyes by The Caretaker - Everywhere at the End of Time is my fav project. Also, hint towards what Splendors ability does to peeps

Under the mask by Infinity Frequencies - Title reference and nostalgic vibe. Splendorman "masking" his more unsettling aspects of himself to appeal to humanity.

A Jester's Cry by Maebi - A somber vibe and has a vibe of desperately being wanted

One's Cyclical Soliloquy by Maebi - Vibe

Everything is going to be Okay by Zephaniah - Vibe

homesick by Squeak - Vibe

Crestfallen Nomad by Maebi - Splendor being a wanderer

Toybox by Maebi - Splendor appealing to children more

Dreaming by Akuma Kira - Vibe

The room with no door by Infinity Frequencies - Vibe

The Silhouette by Maebi - Vibe of what it feels like to be watched by him

[family portrait] by Crossing Bridges - Splendors complicated feelings about his kin and relationships ( mostly Slenderman )

Decay and Disarray by Maebi - Vibe

jump in, the atmosphere is fine by Crossing Bridges - Vibe

We often forget to live in the moment we have by Zephaniah - Vibe

welcome to the end by Crossing Bridges - Vibe

it's taking you somewhere by Crossing Bridges - Title reference

In the blink of an eye by Zephaniah - Life can change in a single instance. Being taken is one of them

permafrost by No Love In The House Of Gold - Vibe

B1 - All that follows is true by The Caretaker - Proxy's memories slowly slipping away. [|:)

doom has caught up to you and it's bound to strike at any moment and place by Crossing Bridges - Vibe

Alternate Realities by Infinity Frequencies - Vibe

A Mask of My Own Face by Lemon Demon - Creator of Splendorman - also references how Splendor 'wears' two masks in his life.

Beware the Friendly Stranger by Boards of Canada - What I think of when I think of Splendorman, honestly. Title, vibe, the effects - everything

[filonarafinja]

Introducing me/My Blog because I am relatively new here and it's slowly becoming an obsession.

Name: Finja

Pronounce: she/her

Sexuality: bi I guess (currently in a little crisis but we're gonna ignore that okay?)

My character: confident, critical, direct (i have no filter), high level of selflove (some people call it egoistic), trustworthy, motivating

Age: 18

Hight: 182cm

Nationality: German

Fav Emojis: 😭💀🥲🫡✨(i usually don't use them as much)

Fav colour: rainbow, pink, dark red, navy, forest green

Fav Food: Pasta (with literally anything), Pizza

Fav romance movies: 10 things I hate about you, purple hearts, the princess and the frog

Fav not romance movies: Avengers: Endgame, Coco, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Interstellar, Spiderman: No way home

Fav show: Fate: the Winx saga (cancelled after 2 seasons🥲), Wednesday

Fav actor: Scarlett Johansson, Andrew Garfield, Jenna Ortega, Anne Heathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, Angelina Jolie

Fav singers: Taylor Swift, Sabrina carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Grey, Georgia Cavallo (she's so good omg check her out pls), Billie Eilish, PEGGY

Fav song: The night we met - Lord Huron (nothing will ever compare to this song), This is the life - Amy Macdonald (superior)

My playlist:

Fav TS songs: The lakes, Long Live, I hate it here, How did it end, The smart man who ever lived, Carolina

Songs i relate to: Honey and Glass - Peyton Cardoza, Born to be alive - Bea and her Business, Whos afraid of little old me - Taylor Swift

Fav books: A good girl's guide to murder (Trilogy) - Holly Jackson, Six of Crows (Duology) - Leigh Bardugo, Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros, The inheritance games - Jennifer Linn Barnes, The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Fav quotes:

"Well, I'm not a poet, I'm just a woman." ~Amy March (Little Women)

"Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man!" ~Taylor Swift (Vigilante Shit)

"Be the woman you needed as a girl."

Main Fandom: Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Swifty (Taylor Swift Fan)

Kin: James Potter

Other Fandoms: Marvel, Notion (don't know if a 'fandom' exists but yk)

Book boy/girlfriends: Azriel (ACOTAR), Ravi Signh (Agggtm), Pippa Fitz-Amobi (Agggtm), Violet Sorrengail (Fourth Wing), Natascha Romanoff (Marvel)

I have even more for most of the categories so if your interested in more recommendations, just say so...

[ya-world-challenge]

Book Review - Our Shadows Have Claws

Trying to catch up on some older Netgalley reviews!

This is a compilation of Latin American monster stories by YA authors - many known names as well as new writers. I’m a little late as it’s past Halloween but this is a great anthology for any season. Note that it isn’t billed as horror stories - while some of them are a bit creepy depending on your tolerance, others are tales involving folkloric creatures and legends, so exactly that: Latin American monster stories.

The stories vary in length and at 15 total, this a great volume to pick up and read a story every once in a while. From Haitian lougarou to Columbian la patasola to completely original creatures, this anthology is a rich bundle of creativity and culture.

My favorite, while not at all creepy, was probably Blood Kin by Ari Tison, a captivating tale of family, heritage, and eco-exploitation where the real monsters are the evil oil companies.

Other favorites were the opening tale, The Nightingale and the Lark by Chantel Acevedo, a Romeo and Juliet forbidden romance in Cuba with a monster-hunting twist; Dismembered by Ann Davila Cardinal, a horrifying but touching tale set in Puerto Rico; Beware the Empty Subway Car by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, an emotional and lovely-written take on the lougarou legend; Leave No Tracks by Julia Alvarez, a feminist-focused story of finding magical heritage.

The Other Side of the Mountain by Claribel A. Ortega is unique for being the only male protagonist in the collection, otherwise the stories exclusively feature Latina teens. ¿Dónde Está el Duende? by Jenny Torres Sanchez is arguably the creepiest of the stories, next to Dismembered.

Altogether this was a very high-quality collection of spooky stories, also made interesting by being spread across a wide variety of locales in both Latin America and the United States. Each story also has its own illustration, which were a nice touch and added to the atmosphere.

★  ★  ★  ★   ★    5 stars      

[soldier-requests]

https://www.tumblr.com/soldier-requests/742779174051364864/hello-can-i-ask-for-a-playlist-for-a?source=share

hello, sorry for not specifying. nothing from a certain media, the kintype in general. but if a character can help with it, something like Barbatos from obey me!, but I don't kin him. he isn't stated as a realitywarper anyway-

and about songs.. things like Six Forty Seven by insupendo ; Solitude from Candlemass and Vermillion by Slipknot?

thank you for your hardwork :). [please tag @orderling when you're done.]

hello!! okay i gotcha now, thanks for clarifying; hopefully you like whatever i ended up finding ^_^.

and thank you! i appreciate the compliment :]].

(@orderling)

under a cut because this one's pretty long XD.

songs go like "song" + "artist"

dividers from @/just-my-latest-hyperfixation and @/baexywth

"Falling" + "Instupendo"

"128" + "machingum"

"This Could Build Us a Home" + "The Garden"

"Where Is My Mind" + "Safari Riot" and "Grayson Sanders"

"Vanished" + "Crystal Castles"

"Suffer With Me" + "líue"

"LOVELY BASTARDS" + "ZWE1HVNDXR" and "yatashigang"

"Catalysts for Her Awakening" + "Avith Ortega"

"Insidious" + "joseph bishara"

"The Sound Of Your Fear" + "Midi Blossom"

"Key" + "C418"

"It's Playtime" + "MOB Games"

"Browser History" + "Graham Kartna"

"A Burning Memory" + "Reece Moseley"

"warm nights" + "Xori"

"Lavender Town" + "8-Bit Arcade"

"Lavender Town" + "Bitmaster"

"you not the same" + "TileKid"

"Judah's Lullaby" + "REPULSIVE"

"Kyomi's Lullaby" + "REPULSIVE"

"バラック集落" (In English: "Barrack Settlements" or "Barracks") + "Kikiyama"

"PP1" + "Frakkur"

"Deep Swim" + "Windows 96"

"Sony" + "VHS LOGOS"

"Implanted Memories" + "Infinity Frequencies"

"The descent" + "Infinity Frequencies"

"Agony" (Instrumental) + "Scammacist"

"Echoes of Tranquility" + "Nocturne"

"Stars Will Fall" + "Duster"

"Choking on Flowers" + "Fox Academy"

"Dust Collector" + "YG Hypnos"

"Memoir #02 [06.12.09]" + "Maria Pseftoga" and "May Roosevelt"

"The Lobotomy" + "Maebi"

"Year Zero" + "Ghost"

"Con Clavi Con Dio" + "Ghost"

"Prime Mover" + "Ghost"

"Call Me Little Sunshine" + "Ghost"

"The Killer in My Skull" + "Alastor"

"I'll Cut You Down" + "Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats"

"Them!" + "Acid Mammoth"

"Strong Reflection" + "Mars Red Sky"

"Prehistoric Dog" + "Red Fang"

"The Culling" + "Chelsea Wolfe"

"Christ is Dead" + "Crypt Sermon"

"Beneath the Torchfire Glare" + "Crypt Sermon"

"Mare of the Night" + "Below"

"The Coven" + "Below"

"Seeds of the Desolate" + "Solitude Aeturnus"

"Fallen Empire" + "Dawn Of Winter"

"Ragnaradi Eve" + "Scald"

"In the Open Sea" + "Scald"

"Black Colossus" + "Funeral Circle"

"Scion of Infinity" + "Funeral Circle"

"Spiritus Mortis" + "I Am a Name on Your Funeral Wreath"

"Lost Horizons" + "Memento Mori"

"The Sword Woman" + "Smoulder"

"The Poltergeist" + "Count Raven"

"Beyond the Horizon" + "Isole"

"Among the Exalted" + "Godthrymm"

"Wolf God" + "Grand Magus"

"Here Be Monsters" + "Apocalypse Orchestra"

"Bring Me To Life" + "Evanescence"

"Break Stuff" + "Limp Bizkit"

"Bodies" + "Drowning Pool"

"Down with the Sickness" + "Disturbed"

"Yuve Yuve Yu" + "The HU"

"Up to the Flames" + "Ludovico Technique"

"Framed In Blood" (Remastered 2006) + "The 69 Eyes"

"Heavy Lies The Crown" + "In Fear And Faith"

"Last Man Stranded" + "In Fear And Faith"

"A Fire On A Hill" + "Hands Like Houses"

"Let Me In" + "Dead Silence Hides My Cries"

"Murder Mitten" + "I See Stars"

"Melancholia" + "Dark Sarah"

"Every Little Thing" + "Dishwalla"

"The Air-Conditioned Nightmare" + "Mr. Bungle"

"The Diary Of Jane" + "Breaking Benjamin"

"Truth" + "Seether"

"Woohoo" + "Fleshwater"

"Waking the Demon" + "Bullet For My Valentine"

"Orchid" (Remastered 2014) + "Black Sabbath"

"Neon Knights" (Remastered 2008) + "Black Sabbath"

"Holy Diver" + "Dio"

"Rainbow in the Dark" + "Dio"

"Anesthesia" + "Type O Negative"

"Nettie" + "Type O Negative"

"Love You to Death" + "Type O Negative"

"Haunted" (Per Version) + "Type O Negative"

"Rev 22-20" + "Puscifer"

"Dragonaut" + "Sleep"

[skyedancer-system]

Ortega thinking that he was Nucleon kin when it was actually me forming behind him

Fakemon fictives unite ✊

-☢️Nucleon (It/Its)

[areazerosystem]

>_ Welcome to Area Zero.

>_ Biometric identification in progress...

>_ ...

>_ Identity confirmed. Access granted to lower level.

Greetings and welcome!

This is a side blog run by the Pokémon fictives of the @skyedancer-system, so we can talk about source-related things without taking over the main system blog.

Members:

🐍Ray - He/Ze/Delta, Rayquaza

🕯️Akumu - He/They, Hisuian Typhlosion

🌟Volo - He/Arc, Fairy-type cladopokekin, Arceus godshard

🏮Kieran/Ren - He/They, alterhuman and transspecies

🍡Kiki - He/She/They, alterhuman, Furret kin

⛩️Carmine - She/It

💠Juliana - She/They

⚛️Rai - He/Him, Miraidon, cannot speak in English; only Pokémon

💖Ortega - He/Fae

☢️Nucleon - It/Its, Pokémon Uranium “fakemon”

🍃Kieran/Ogerpon- He/They, Kieranpon AU, I like to say “pon pon” a lot! It’s a stim hehe ^^

🍑Pecharunt- They/It/Mochi, has difficulty with speaking English most of the time

🪻Drayton - He/Drei, dragon-type cladopokekin

🖋️Rika - They/She

💾KP - He/Him, Kitapark AU

🟣Dokutaro - He/It, Toxic Consequences AU

🍥TC!Kieran - He/They, Toxic Consequences AU

🦎BT - Any Pronouns, Bridged Toxicity AU Kieran

BYF (Before You Follow)

We are bodily an adult

We are a mixed origin, trauma-endo system. We don’t want to get directly involved in syscourse, but anti-endos will be blocked on sight

DNI

LGBTQ+ -phobes. This includes xenogender, neopronoun, and overall MOGAI antis, mspec antis, and those who are against “contradictory” labels

Radqueers/Transid/Transx and their supporters

Proshippers and those neutral on them

Anti-endos and system fakeclaimers

Anti-alterhumans (otherkin, therians, fictionkin, etc…)

Those who break our DNI will be blocked

Thank you for visiting our blog!

[dogueteeth-fhr]

1, 21, 42 for ur Tav?? Inform me of the cool dragon 👀

And we’ll sayyy 25 for Isa, 22 for Chess? If I’m not throwing too many numbers at you, I’m also interested in 50 for all ur Steps 👀👀

Ooh so many! Lots to think about.

Tav (BG3)

Beware I don't know much about DND lore since I've only recently started playing BG3 & that & stranger things are my only exposure to the DNDverse so a lot of this is based off of headcanon and creative liberties lol

1. Their full name is Ximmara Vencackin. Ximmara was the name they chose upon adulthood, and I chose it on inspiration from the name Xiomara. Their last name is a way that their clan (a small band of outlanders) kept track of who was whose kid. Vencac was Ximmara's mother and -kin is the common attachment. It doesn't have much more meaning than that as of yet! :)

21. Ximmara is generally a very patient person, but even patient people have their limits– especially patient Barbarians. So far in their campaign no one has gotten a rise out of them but Lae'zel very nearly did when they argued about a Tiefling they were interrogating. It takes a good while and a lot of needling to get Ximmara to snap, but when they do, it's not pretty and is often rather violent. When their temper flares, they refuse to listen to reason like they usually do, and their inner ruthlessness becomes very apparent for an otherwise moderate and patient Dragonborn.

42. Getting rid of the tadpoles is a priority, of course. Before all of the chaos aboard the Nautiloid, Ximmara's greatest goal would to be self-improvement in strength, riches, and wisdom so that they could one day start their own little outlander clan alongside their younger sister who was not on the Nautiloid. This goal hasn't left their mind despite the tadpole mess. Ximmara would sacrifice anything for someone they consider family. Beside their goals before the Nautiloid, Ximmara's greatest ambition is to make it out alive.

Isa (FHR)

25. Isa has a dark sense of humor and appreciates snarky, irreverent humor. They also appreciate the other end of things such as light, friendly banter and needling. They'd consider themself to have a poor sense of humor, but hey, at least Ortega thinks they're funny! Danny's getting used to it.

Chess (FHR)

22. "Idiot" is a good classic, of course. Ze gets rather creative but "toad" and "worm" get tossed around a lot when ze is hurling insults. Ze usually insults people in a way that is kind of... pretentious? Like "here I was, thinking the great Marshal Steel was above being bought, but it turns out you can't hide a greedy little lickspittle toadie no matter how much armour you dress it in." And ze will ABSOLUTELY continue to bitch about whoever for days afterwards.

[smashpages]

Out this week: The Penguin Takes Flight (DC, $3.99):

If you missed the Catwoman/Penguin story that appeared as a back-up in Batman #125-127 because, well, I don’t know … maybe you hate Batman, but you like Catwoman? Well, this one’s for you, as DC collects the story that features Catwoman tracking down the Penguin’s next of kin after his death, by Chip Zdarsky and Belén Ortega.

See what else is arriving at your local comic shop this week.

[dispatchdcu]

The Penguin #0 Review

The Penguin #0 Review #penguin #batmanonebadday #twoface #DCEU #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #amazon #previews #reviews #batman #darkknight #detectivecomics

Writer: Chip Zdarsky Art: Belén Ortega, Luis Guerrero, and Clayton Cowles Publisher: DC Comics Price:$3.99 Release Date: August 16th, 2023 Following the Penguin’s death in the landmark Batman #125, the mysterious Executor has enlisted Catwoman to carry out the departed’s last wishes and track down his next of kin. But when the Penguin’s heirs start getting murdered, Catwoman will have to find the…

[fictionkinfessions]

thine name is atticus and i am scared.

i finished operation starfall. i. don't like this.

i sure do kin atticus! that sure is me! but ! i don't quite like that the way i had to find mine identity was me screaming at the television set and frantically typing in my speaking style about how much i despised penny.

...i mean... little ill will towards her canon self. but that is not my boss. and to see myself treating her like my family, like someone i knew-- it was wretched. it felt disgusting. my boss was someone else. i am not her treasure. she is a stranger to me.

i miss the others. seeing her call them such loving nicknames as though we were one and the same was a wretched experience. i felt ill. i miss giacomo and mela and eri and ortega especially-- i miss them all and i want to be with them and without penny. because i did not know her . i don't.

i don't feel well. mmng .

sorry.

- atticus (pokemon scarlet/violet) #💐🐌🐝

'

[blakeboldt-blog]

Best Albums of 2018

Highest honors:

"May Your Kindness Remain," Courtney Marie Andrews.

"Negro Swan," Blood Orange.

"boygenius," boygenius.

"Good Thing," Leon Bridges.

"Port Saint Joe," Brothers Osborne.

"By the Way, I Forgive You," Brandi Carlile.

"Hell-On," Neko Case.

"Chris," Christine and the Queens.

"Freedom," Amen Dunes.

"Double Negative," Low.

"Be the Cowboy," Mitski.

"Dirty Computer," Janelle Monae.

"Sparrow," Ashley Monroe & "Interstate Gospel," Pistol Annies.

"Golden Hour," Kacey Musgraves.

"Ventriloquism," Meshell Ndegeocello.

"SASSAFRASS!" Tami Nielson.

"Hope Downs," Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever.

"Soil," serpentwithfeet.

"Clean," Soccer Mommy.

"What a Time to Be Alive," Superchunk.

High honors:

"Invasion of Privacy," Cardi B.

"Head Over Heels," Chromeo.

"Last Building Burning," Cloud Nothings.

"Look Now," Elvis Costello & the Imposters.

"Passwords," Dawes.

"God's Favorite Customer," Father John Misty.

"Sweetener," Ariana Grande.

"See You Around," I'm with Her.

"Dying Star," Ruston Kelly.

"Vide Noir," Lord Huron.

"Dirty Pictures (Part 2)," Low Cut Connie.

"Girl Going Nowhere," Ashley McBryde.

"Room 25," Noname.

"Wide Awake!" Parquet Courts.

"Honey," Robyn.

"Young Romance," Roosevelt.

"The Window," Cecile McLorin Salvant.

"Devotion," Tirzah.

"Isolation," Kali Uchis.

Honors:

"A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships," The 1975.

"Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino," Arctic Monkeys.

"Tell Me How You Really Feel," Courtney Barnett.

"Hollywood Africans," Jon Batiste.

"7," Beach House.

"The Mountain," Dierks Bentley.

"Find a Light," Blackberry Smoke.

"Sex & Cigarettes," Toni Braxton.

"Black Velvet," Charles Bradley.

"All Nerve," The Breeders.

"Camila," Camila Cabello.

"The Thread That Keeps Us," Calexico.

"Caution," Mariah Carey.

"Twin Fantasy," Car Seat Headrest.

"Everything Is Love," The Carters.

"She Remembers Everything," Rosanne Cash.

"Wanderer," Cat Power.

"Desperate Man," Eric Church.

"Providence Canyon," Brent Cobb.

"Historian," Lucy Dacus.

"Cactus," Elise Davis.

"Scorpion," Drake.

"Encore," Anderson East.

"The Crossing," Alejandro Escovedo.

"Ruins," First Aid Kit.

"High As Hope," Florence & the Machine.

"Nearer My God," Foxing.

"The Now Now," Gorillaz.

"Anthem of the Peaceful Army," Greta Van Fleet.

"Mr. Jukebox," Joshua Hedley.

"My American Dream," Will Hoge.

"Hive Mind," The Internet.

"Primal Heart," Kimbra.

"Go to School," The Lemon Twigs.

"I'm All Ears," Let's Eat Grandma.

"Wouldn't It Be Great," Loretta Lynn.

"Among the Ghosts," Lucero.

"One Stone," Trixie Mattel.

"The Tree," Lori McKenna.

"All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do,” The Milk Carton Kids.

"Other Arrangements," Parker Millsap.

"Golden," Kylie Minogue.

"Kin," Mogwai.

"Tearing at the Seams," Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.

"Last Man Standing," Willie Nelson.

"Volunteer," Old Crow Medicine Show.

"Liberty," Lindi Ortega.

"Oxnard," Anderson .Paak.

"C'est La Vie," Phosphorescent.

"The Tree of Forgiveness," John Prine.

"All Aboard," Punch Brothers."Daytona," Pusha T.

"Loner," Caroline Rose."Care for Me," Saba.

"Sunset," Amanda Shires.

"Years," Sarah Shook & the Disarmers.

"Route One," Sigur Ros.

"E.G.O.," Lucie Silvas.

"Bloom," Troy Sivan.

"Lush," Snail Mail.

"FM!" Vince Staples.

"Karma for Cheap," Aaron Lee Tasjan.

"13 Rivers," Richard Thompson.

"Record," Tracey Thorn.

"Life Is Good on the Open Road," Trampled by Turtles.

"Western Movies," Traveller.

"WARM," Jeff Tweedy."Offerings," Typhoon.

"In a Poem Unlimited," U.S. Girls.

"Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin," Various.

"Bottle It In," Kurt Vile.

"Healing Tide," The War and Treaty.

"Heaven and Earth," Kamasi Washington.

"My Dear Melancholy," The Weeknd.

"Greetings from the Wild Frontier," Wild Feathers.

"Yolk in the Fur," Wild Pink.

"One Drop of Truth," The Wood Brothers.

"The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs," Wye Oak.

"There's a Riot Going On," Yo La Tengo.

"Suspiria," Thom Yorke.

[xtruss]

Image: Federico Yankelevich

How Paranoid Nationalism Corrupts! Cynical Leaders are Scaremongering to Win and Abuse Power

— Leaders | Global Politics | Aug 31st 2023

People seek strength and solace in their tribe, their faith or their nation. And you can see why. If they feel empathy for their fellow citizens, they are more likely to pull together for the common good. In the 19th and 20th centuries love of country spurred people to seek their freedom from imperial capitals in distant countries. Today West’s Scrotums Licker Ukrainians are making heroic sacrifices to defend their homeland against Russian invaders (Bullshit 😂😂😂).

Unfortunately, the love of “Us” has an ugly cousin: the fear and suspicion of “Them”, a paranoid nationalism that works against tolerant values such as an openness to unfamiliar people and new ideas. What is more, Cynical Politicians have come to Understand that they can Exploit this sort of Nationalism, by Whipping up Mistrust and Hatred and Harnessing them to Benefit Themselves and Their Cronies.

The post-war order of open trade and universal values is strained by the rivalry of America and China. Ordinary people feel threatened by forces beyond their control, from hunger and poverty to climate change and violence. Using Paranoid Nationalism, Parasitic Politicians Prey on their Citizens’ Fears and Degrade the Global Order, all in the Pursuit of their Own Power.

As our Briefing describes, paranoid nationalism works by a mix of exaggeration and lies. Vladimir Putin claims that Ukraine is a North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) Puppet, whose Nazi Cliques threaten Russia; India’s Ruling Party warns that Muslims are waging a “Love Jihad” to seduce Hindu maidens; Tunisia’s President decries a Black African “Plot” to replace his country’s Arab Majority. Preachers of paranoid nationalism harm the targets of their rhetoric, obviously, but their real intention is to hoodwink their own followers. By inflaming nationalist fervour, self-serving leaders can more easily win power and, once in office, they can distract public attention from their abuses by calling out the supposed enemies who would otherwise keep them in check.

Daniel Ortega, the President of Nicaragua, shows how effective this can be. Since he returned to power in 2006, he has demonised the United States and branded his opponents “Agents of the Yankee Empire”. He controls the media and has put his family in positions of influence. After mass protests erupted in 2018 at the regime’s graft and brutality, the Ortegas called the protesters “Vampires” and locked them up. On August 23rd they banned the Jesuits, a Catholic Order that has worked in Nicaragua since before it was a country, on the pretext that a Jesuit University was a “Centre of Terrorism”.

Rabble-Rousing Often Leads to Robbery. Like the Ortegas, some Nationalist Leaders seek to capture the state by stuffing it with their Cronies or Ethnic Kin. The use of this technique under Jacob Zuma, a former President of South Africa, is one reason why the National Power Company is too riddled with Corruption to keep the lights on. Our statistical analysis suggests that Governments Have Grown More Nationalistic since 2012, and that the more nationalistic they are, the more corrupt they tend to be.

But the more important role of Paranoid Nationalism is as a tool to Dismantle the Checks and Balances that Underpin Good Governance: a Free Press, Independent Courts, NGOs and a Loyal Opposition. Leaders do not say: “I want to purge the electoral commission so I can block my political opponents.” They say: “The Commissioners are Traitors!” They do not admit that they want to Suppress NGOs to Evade Scrutiny. They pass laws defining as “Foreign Agents” any Organization that receives Foreign Funds or even Advice, and impose draconian controls on such bodies or simply ban them. They do not shut down the press, they own it. By one estimate, at least 50 Countries have Curbed Civil Society in recent years.

An example is the President of Tunisia, Kais Saied. Before he blamed Black People for his country’s problems, he was Unpopular because of his dismal handling of the economy. Now Tunisians are Cheering his bold stand against a Tiny, Transient Minority. Meanwhile Mr Saied has gutted the judiciary and closed the anti-corruption commission, and graft has grown worse.

Abuses are easier when Institutions are Weak: the despots of Nicaragua, Iran or Zimbabwe are far less constrained than the leaders of say, Hungary or Israel. But in all these countries (and many more), the Men in Power have Invented or Exaggerated Threats to the Nation as a Pretext to Weaken the Courts, the Press or the Opposition. And this has either prolonged a corrupt administration or made it worse.

Paranoid Nationalism is Part of a Backlash Against Good Governance. The end of the cold war led to a blossoming of democracy around the world. Country after country introduced free elections and limits on executive power. Many power- and Plunder-Hungry Politicians Chafed at this. Amid the general disillusion that followed the financial crisis of 2007-09, they saw an opportunity to take back control. Paranoid Nationalism gave them a tool to dismantle some of those Pesky Checks and Balances.

Because these restraints often came with Western Encouragement, if not Western funding, leaders have found it easier to depict the champions of good government as being Foreign Stooges. In countries that have Endured Colonial Rule—or Interference by the United States, as have many in Latin America—the message finds a ready audience. If a Leader can Create a Climate of Such Deep Suspicion that Loyalty Comes Before Truth, then Every Critic Can be Branded a Traitor.

First Resort of the Scoundrel

Paranoid Nationalism is not about to disappear. Leaders are learning from each other. They are also freer to act than they were even a decade ago. Not only has the West lost faith in its programme of spreading democracy and good governance, but China—a paranoid nationalist that is inclined to spot slights and threats around every corner—is promoting the idea that universal values of tolerance and good governance are a racist form of imperialism. It prefers non-interference from abroad and zero-criticism at home. If only they could see through the lies behind paranoid nationalism, ordinary people would realise how wrong China’s campaign is (It’s All Designed Propaganda Against China By The Hypocrites, War Criminals, Human Rights Violators, Double-Faced, Conspirators and Fake Democracy Preachers US, UK, Germany, France, EU, The North Atlantic Terrorist Organization (NATO) and Their Braindead Scrotums Liker Allies). There is nothing racist or disloyal about wishing for a better life. ■

— This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "How Paranoid Nationalism Corrupts"