#supported Military Force

[sassydefendorflower]

As much as I want Roy and Riza to spearhead the restoration of Ishval post-canon, I want Roy to be barred from going to Ishval to do the work himself even more.

Hear me out.

There is something incredibly selfish about Roy wanting to be the one to return the Holy Land to the Ishvalen people. It makes sense for him to strive for that goal - he feels personally responsible for the destruction of Ishval, he sees its restoration as part of his path towards becoming the Führer of Amestris, he considers it to be the rightful way to ease some of the guilt weighing him down.

It is also the easy way out.

Because if you think about it, Roy being the one to do all that, is not a narrative that centers the Ishvalen people. And I think they deserve to be the driving force behind their own salvation.

There is a reason General Armstrong doesn't try to take on the Ishvalen restoration at the end of the show - and it is not just that she has no personal investment in the matter. No, if anything, she entrusts it to Major Miles. She entrusts the future of the Ishvalen people with a man who shares their past.

(her blind trust into the military state be damned)

And who does Miles choose to help him rebuild what was once lost? Scar. He chooses the feared serial killer. The Savior of Amestris. The Scarred Monk. The One Who Killed A King. The Hand of God Striking Down a Monster.

He chooses someone who suffered through the Ishvalen genocide, who was raised not only in the culture, but was an active practitioner of the most common religion of the region.

These are the people who rebuild Ishval for the future.

I think Roy would only ever do it to escape the past.

And if we're being honest, I don't think anyone in Ishval would greet him with open arms. These people might hold a great ability to forgive within their hearts, but I think many of them would consider it an insult to let the man who burned down their cities back into Ishval to become their savior.

To become the public face of the restoration of their Holy Land.

And being denied the ability to spearhead this campaign, it would hit Roy hard. Because in a way, hard labor and the arid desert air, would have felt like a just punishment. Being hollered at by the survivors of the genocide he participated in would have felt good. Getting blisters and sunburns and swallow down his own spit... pain was always a sign of hard work. Of doing the right thing.

But forcing him to stay in Central? To pull the ropes behind the scenes? To be denied this public repentance? To be kept from the most straight-forward way of repaying his sins?

The restoration of Ishval was never the end-goal, and it is just one part of a long list of things both Roy and Riza want to fix before facing a trial, but I think Roy hoped he could pay for that in blood. Cut-up knees and burned hands, dry throats and countless hours spent digging up wells.

But facing up to what he's done isn't that easy - and the people of Ishval deserve to live a life free from Roy Mustang and his damned flames.

[mueritos]

i hope we continue to see more protests within the US military. i see a lot of leftists and folks who are anti-military who have such an open disdain for the people who are in the military, yet neglect to considering the conditions this country makes to produce ideology, poverty, and the illusion of choice to make all kinds of people choose to enlist in the military. You ever see those videos of ROTC kids recording each other asking why they joined the military and everyone's like, "healthcare", "it helped me go to college", "I was bored" or "free ptsd lol". I hate to remind everyone but folks who are in the military are people, too, and they are the same victims and perpetrators of violence as the rest of you, we have all been shallowly conditioned to view each other as enemies just because one person is wearing army greens and the other is not.

some of the biggest anti-war advocates are those who engaged in war. Veterans who genuinely believed they were protecting the US against "terrorism" come back with blood on their hands, and they choose to realize that it was US imperialism that forced them to carry out violence, instead of doubling down and shielding themselves from the fact that they too are capable of atrocities... This is a class of people who are intentionally conditioned to be as poor and as ideologically aligned to US imperialism so that the military has a never-ending pool to send their youth to destroy other country's youth. The only people I have ever heard say "do not join the military" are those who ARE military.

This is in no way to ever excuse or explain away any of the atrocious war crimes and violence this industry and its people have committed against others. What I am saying is that we absolutely cannot cast aside the individuals who have been victimized within US imperialism, even if they are wearing army greens. I was speaking with my Palestinian classmate last week and another classmate--a member of the US air force-- walked up to me and struck up a conversation. My military classmate showed me her new bird, bid both of us goodbye, and left. My Palestinian classmate asked me if I was close with her, and I said we talked quite often, and she said, "I never met a person who's in the military. I still hate the military, but I never knew that they did, too. I didn't realize that they were also victims."

If my Palestinian classmate--one who is actively watching her own community die--can understand that it is not individuals who are the problem but it is in fact systems, US imperialism, white supremacy, capitalism...why can't we all? And she has EVERY reason to hate any individual military member. A lot of online activism just creates more barriers. if your optics look bad, complicated, or contradictory, you are cast aside. Everyone has got the be the perfect activist, you can never make a mistake or share a half-baked thought, you should always believe every word from a marginalized persons mouth (because being marginalized doesn't mean you're not entrenched in white supremacy too!) and you should never question what you see...Do you know what you sound like? The very imperialists who are convincing poor whites to vote against themselves. Perfectionism is white supremacy. Black & white thinking is white supremacy.

I'd rather have a military member who genuinely believed in the US imperialism machine but was disillusioned after being deployed as my comrade than some leftist who cherishes the performance of "being a good person". I don't want "good people" in our movements. I want humans who care. I want humans who make mistakes and who learn from them. I want humans who accept the messiness of a person. I want humans who hold others accountable and allow themselves to take responsibility for their actions. I want people who change for themselves and others.

fight systems, not individual people. we can change each other, but if we're too preoccupied looking like the World's Perfect Activists, we will only consume each other alive. Connect to your fellow humans, forever and always.

[alwaysbewoke]

[lucky-clover-gazette]

just spent three hours verbally outlining a revised star wars sequel trilogy with several nerd friends and i love our version of ben solo that doesn’t exist

[worstloki]

People who think Palestinians wanting equal rights to live on their own land equates to wanting to genocide Jewish people are actually telling on themselves

[nocternalrandomness]

Russian Su-25 attack aircraft over Krasnodar Territory

[she-wolf09231982]

A War Miniseries of Their Own

Help set a timeless example that serving with pride is also a woman's prerogative in every branch of the military. Sign the petition link attached to support A War Miniseries of Their Own!

Just signatures! Not asking for any money!

This is my own personal petition I’m pushing for. I’m a veteran who is looking to do the HBO War series justice by retelling the story of the military women in America’s history. Who better to play the part than a veteran who’s already been through the training? Please support your fellow Tumblr girl and sign 💚🪖🫡

(Just imagine the fanfics you could write if this takes off!) 😉

[p2ii]

I feel like there's something to be said about the way fandom will treat characters who's trauma they can personally relate to Vs characters who they cant

[summerhighlandfalls]

Actually though I lowkey hate when modern aus make kks a veteran/active military his ass would noooootttttt voluntarily enlist

[la0istouden]

literally begging people to take 5 minutes to learn about the american military industrial complex, the poor/poverty to military pipeline, and how the american military treats its soldiers before condemning every single veteran because you think "muhmuh all soldiers evil!!1!!!1!1!11".

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

I’m sorry but you can’t cry “human rights violation!!!!” when you are actively carrying out a campaign of genocide.

[alwaysbewoke]

America is Israel's bitch

[idolbound]

De Facto Viscount

Okay, I'm continuing my discussion with Meredith 'subtly' taking on the role of de facto Viscount, during the opening scene of Act 3, when Orsino is trying to rally support from the nobles, Meredith arrives as Hawke does, and this bit of dialogue really demonstrates Meredith's mentality:

"How well did you guard your own mother? Did she not die at a blood mage's hands? [...] Cold corpses speak louder than abstract freedoms, do they not? As long as that's true, Kirkwall needs its templars more than it needs a new ruler."

In this sense, Meredith portrays the Gallows and the Templar Order as a necessary martial force to control the city until the apostates and blood mages alike are brought to heel. She has been doing this for a few years since the qunari attack; unrest and dissent are starting to rise amongst the mages and nobles alike. As Orsino succinctly says, "And when will that end? When will you stop seeing evil in every corner?"

To which Meredith replies, "When it's no longer there." This speaks to her increased levels of paranoia, due to the proximity of her new sword made from the red lyrium idol (which we see her carrying from this point already. Whether that's for the sake of the game having just one model of Meredith in Act 3, or if she already acquired the idol sometime between Acts 2 &3 is debatable, but I like to believe her already existing paranoia has increased slowly but surely over this period of time).

Of course, Meredith justifies the efforts of the Order by stating that "You know as well as I that temptation prays on every mage, no matter how noble their intentions." This of course, is likely in reference to her own sister (which at this point, Hawke is not aware of), who in Meredith's view was an innocent child who still lost control to the demon that took over her body. Regardless of intent, Meredith cannot fathom a mage having the will power to survive such temptations of power.

Interestingly, also, Hawke can ask Meredith to respond to Orsino's accusations of her trying to take control of the city, to which Meredith answers, "The City! I am trying to keep order until there is a ruler capable of succeeding where Dumar failed." With the history behind Elthina and Meredith choosing Dumar for his 'spinelessness', as someone malleable to their influence and instruction, it is quite clear that this is what is happening again, only this time the delay in choosing a new Viscount is because they claim to the citizens that they want someone capable (rather than someone compliant).

Orsino pushes it further, asking "And if not? Will the templars rule Kirkwall forever?" to which Meredith justifies her position more so with "We will not stand idle while the city burns around us" Again, Meredith brings it back to mages solely being at fault for the issues in the city, and that finding a new Viscount won't matter until that problem is dealt with.

Again, Orsino pushes to say that the Templar Order exists to guard the Chantry and Circle, suggesting that Meredith should let the nobility rule the city. Which of course, he's right in saying so, and at this point, many of the nobles would be in agreement. Meredith, of course, gets on the defensive in response. "I do not need you or anyone to tell me what my duty is, mage." She's well aware of her role in the city, but isn't letting Orsino of all people remind her of what her station is, and what she must do. But she knows this goes above and beyond, but she continues to enforce that the responsibility of the city is still hers despite that fact.

At this point, Hawke can tell Meredith to step down, or to let the nobility decide, though if Hawke offers to step in, Meredith immediately shuts it down ("That is not going to happen") clearly defending her choice and decision to continue with herself in charge under martial law. Hawke at this point, as Champion, is a viable threat to Meredith's control and plans for the city, and positioning them as Viscount would stand in direct opposition to her interests.

Of course, before this gets even more heated, Grand Cleric Elthina finally makes an entrance to temper things down and keep the peace - and to rein Meredith in as the only person capable of doing so at this point. Elthina makes a point to say that Meredith's actions also demean "us" as in, the Chantry and Order, and to go "back to the Gallows and calm down, like a good girl", which in some ways is a humiliation tactic (to emphasize their pseudo-maternal relationship but also to associate Meredith's behaviour as something child-like) but one Meredith knows she cannot fight against.

As I've said, enforcing martial law and blocking the election of a new Viscount, while positioning this decision as a matter of finding someone competent by her standards and enforcing that the mage problem must be solved first and foremost, Meredith effectively positions herself as the de facto Viscount of Kirkwall in all but the title itself, maintaining power and control over the key institutions in the city-state - the Templar Order, the Gallows, and the Viscount's Keep.

[anastasiamaru]

Ukrainian Armed Forces

After the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine, brave Ukrainians decided to do everythink possible for defending their Homeland. Here is a video of training in essential military skills according to NATO requirements.

Training takes place throughout Europe.Military assistance and support from allies are among the most important components in the Victory over tyranny.

[nocternalrandomness]

"Ghostrider Gunship"