#that would really solve a lot of problems

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

You know

While of course, as always exceptions exist

as @softness-and-shattering pointed out so correctly

I feel like a lot of the time it really doesn't matter what the autistic person does and doesn't do

What they did is used afterwarts as an excuse why it was O.K. to treat them like garbage

But they would have been treated like garbage regardless

Becasue they are autistic

Now, it's very important to note that these thin slice judgements are because of how humans evolved. This is not some allistic hatred of autistics and secret eugenics. These studies are done by letting the allistic view the autistic person without knowing they are autistic. And we set off alarm bells. This is a social disability, remember. Humans evolved to quickly look for signs if a person is safe or not safe by signals, body language, facial expressions etc. Which many autistics either struggle with or can't do at all. When the people were informed that the person they were viewing was autistic, that distrust dropped significantly.

So

It doesn't work

Autist does something -> NT is annoied -> treats Autist accordingly

It's

NT dislikes autist for being autistic without being able to put a finger on whythey dislike this person -> Looks for a reason to justefy the bad treatmen, since humans are usualyl social creatures and feel bad if they treat something bad without due cause -> Finds a reason (becasue there is aways something) -> treatds them like garbage becasue obviously it is justefied

It's like how black people will always be considered more agressive from teh get go which then of course calls for a more agressive response

Even if they wher just calmly minding their own business

Simply by existing while black they are marked as bad, agressive etc ...

And simply by existing on teh autism spectrum people are marked as bad and untrustworthy and therfor obviously guilty of something ...

Becasue thing is

I have seen people not minding behaviour X in one person and really minding it in another person

The only difference?

One was "marked" as bad (by being a women or queer or disabled or not white etc ... ) and teh other person wasn't "marked" as bad ...

All that is not to say that a more open communication isn't good or anything

Of course it is

I am 100% with OP here

And of course it is a good idea to speak up before one blows ones lid

But it will not solve the problem

The problem is that people on teh spectrum are, through no fault of their own, stuck in teh uncanny valley and people outside the spectrum will always be creeped out by that and act accordingly

Some more, some less

But it's a kneejerk reaction

One can be aware of it

One can fight it

But the onus here is on the NT to fight their naturall instincts on top of not sending mixed signals

I saw some snippet of a callout post for an autistic trans woman where they list social faux pas she committed, and I think we allistic people should all feel 100x more ashamed of not telling people in the moment how we feel about what they're doing. I think its extremely evil and cruel to not only lie to an autistic person and blame them for it but also to feel justified shaming them for your behavior. And it's currently the social norm to do that

[sunflowersonatas]

marry you: drabble

bsf!james potter x f!reader / fluff

summary: heat of the moment proposal— somehow, it doesn’t feel that strange to accept.

a/n: my heart hurts. i think about this a lot.

wc: 425

i usually imagine james, and i think the typical fanon agrees, as a very cheesy, extra-romantic, over-the-top kinda partner. always wants to give you the most and spoil you, because you truly deserve it, for putting up with him.

i’d love to imagine some fancy elegant proposal, you two on the beach at sunset, just the soothing waves and his gentle voice proclaiming his love. huge rock.

but let’s be real. seventh year, war was looming, the world was a scary place. and this man was not playing around. you guys weren’t even dating yet, just best friends, but he always knew.

“i think we should get married,” he’d said to you one night on the couch. it was a joke, or it started as one.

“right, that would solve all my problems,” you countered effortlessly. you were just friends at this point, complaining to each other over your respective love lives, or lack thereof. 

you laughed, so did he. 

but then when you turn to him, he’s not laughing anymore.

“marry me,” he says again, a whisper this time, with bated breath. the air shifts. 

“james—”

“say yes.”

you should really think about it. you should consider this carefully— it’s a goddamn proposal, major life event, hello. weigh the pros and cons, unbiased, considering the war, the uncertainty, the sheer insanity of what he’s just asked you to do.

and you do consider it, for one singular second.

and in that second you realize you can’t think of one good reason to say no.

the past seven years you’ve been saying yes to him. yes, i’ll copy my notes down for you. yes, i’ll sneak out with you. yes, i’ll always be here.

and this just feels like another yes, simple as that. you shrug, feeling too composed for the moment. maybe it’s shock.

“alright,” you answer. like he just asked you to pass the fudge flies.

“alright?” he echoes, jaw suddenly gone slack. like he misheard, or like he was expecting some hesitation, some pushback. normally you’d sit there and list all the reasons why his idea was incredibly foolish and irresponsible, but you weren’t doing any of that.

you shrug again. “yes, james, i’ll marry you.” can’t make it any clearer than that.

he nearly tackles you in a crushing hug, sharing the weight and lightness of the moment at once with you. his fingers clutch at you tightly, like he’s afraid you’ll slip from them.

“you’re serious?” he queries, breathless. 

“no, you’re thinking of the other one.” you answer smugly.

he groans. “i’m gonna kiss you now.”

♡

☀️🌻

[clowns0cks]

I think it's really interesting how the master is a character you can describe as a constant bomb of emotions that can't regulate the way he feels cause he feels too much and it's also easier for him to open up, contrary to the doctor. Despite the doctor actually having friends he trusts and which he can count on and knows they are there for him, he represses everything. Keen on solving his problem on his own without anyone knowing he's struggling. Now I'm not saying the master doesn't repress how he feels. On the contrary, he represses A LOT. But not to others, not because he doesn't want others to know, but because he doesn't want to admit it to himself. Once he accepts he has a problem with something, everyone in the room is gonna know cause he's gonna make it EVERYONE'S problem. Listening to self-help gave me more perspective on this cause if the doctor found himself on like a therapy spaceship he would NEVER let anyone know he's struggling. He would insist he's fine and suppress anything he's feeling. The master on the other hand doesn't gaf. Those people want to help? Okay, why not, let's try, if it doesn't work he could always kill them. But he doesn't hesitate on opening up to these strangers and crying in front of them. He doesn't hide in any way to anyone the way he feels (except the things he still doesn't wanna acknowledge to himself). He's a fuse ready to blow at all times. He feels everything 100% more strongly than anyone and he doesn't care who knows. You could say "yeah he can make himself vulnerable because he knows he will kill those people in the end" except he didn't. He let them go. Once he admits to himself that he's feeling something (which is hard, as I said. He still hides things from himself, so this doesn't happen very often) the whole world is gonna know. He will set fire to everything and everyone who comes close

[rosierin]

midnight snack run │atsumu, osamu, suna

synopsis; you all go for a late-night snack run then talk about your love life in the car park

a/n; for more fics including these four, feel free to check out my masterlist!!

The dorm was a disaster zone of notebooks, half-drunk coffee cups, and an open laptop playing a study playlist that no one was actually listening to. The four of them— Atsumu, Osamu, Suna, and (y/n)— were camped out in (y/n)'s tiny dorm room, attempting to cram for an upcoming exam.

Osamu, leaning back in his chair, suddenly sighed dramatically. “I’m hungry.”

Suna, barely looking up from his phone, muttered, “Shocker.”

“No, like starvin’. I need food now.” Osamu groaned, rubbing his stomach. “If I don’t eat in the next ten minutes, I might actually pass out.”

Atsumu, sprawled out on the floor with his notes abandoned beside him, snorted. “Ya just ate a whole bag of chips, fatso.”

“Yeah, and? That was ages ago.”

(Y/n), perched on her bed with a highlighter in hand, glanced at the clock. “The store closes in, like, twenty minutes.”

Silence. Then—

“Get in the car.”

Suna was already grabbing his keys.

The four of them abandoned their so-called study session, scrambling to throw on hoodies and slip into shoes before tumbling out the door. The night air was cool, crisp, buzzing with that particular kind of spontaneous energy.

They piled into Suna’s car, Atsumu calling shotgun before (y/n) could even blink. Osamu slid into the back with her, stretching out comfortably while (y/n) was almost squished between him and the door.

Suna adjusted the mirrors, deadpan. “If I get a ticket for speeding, you’re paying.”

Osamu scoffed. “I literally have no money.”

“Liar,” Atsumu chimed in.

Suna glanced at Osamu in the mirror. “Then I’ll make you do it in community service hours.”

(Y/n) grinned, already feeling lighter than she had all day. “Drive, Rintaro. We have a mission.”

"Yes ma'am."

After that, Suna pulled out of the parking lot, the radio humming low in the background as the streetlights blurred past. The night stretched ahead of them, quiet and endless, filled with nothing but open roads and the kind of laughter that only came with knowing you were exactly where you were meant to be. To anyone else, it was just a snack run. But to them, nights like these were something sacred.

Gazing out the window, (y/n) smiled. I wonder if the store has strawberry shortcake?

The store was quiet, a few last-minute shoppers weaving through the aisles before closing time. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead as the four of them scattered in different directions, each with their own mission.

Osamu took approximately fifteen minutes trying to decide what crisp flavour he wanted, standing in front of the shelf like it was a life-altering decision. Eventually, with a dramatic sigh, he shrugged and tossed all of them into the trolley. “Problem solved.”

Atsumu, trailing behind, wrinkled his nose. “Ya gonna eat all that?”

“Not in one night, dumbass.”

“Ya sure? ‘Cause I’d believe it.”

Osamu smirked. “Unlike you, I can actually afford it. Some of us work, y’know.”

(Y/n) glanced over. “Oh yeah, how’s the restaurant job going?”

Osamu shrugged. “Not bad. Pays decent, tips are alright. Plus, I get free food sometimes.”

Atsumu scoffed. “Ya mean ya steal food.”

Osamu rolled his eyes. “No, I just happen to be really good at takin’ home leftovers.”

Meanwhile, Atsumu debated buying an energy drink, picking up a can and inspecting it like it held the answers to his future. “Man, I need somethin’ to keep me awake,” he muttered, turning it in his hands. “But this stuff ain’t good for athletes. Coach would kill me."

Suna, grabbing a bottle of water, deadpanned, “Then don’t drink it.”

Atsumu groaned. “But I need it.”

Suna shrugged. “Then drink it.”

Atsumu scowled. “Yer no help.”

Across the store, (y/n) stood in front of the ready-made cake section, practically drooling over the rows of neatly packaged desserts. There was a small strawberry shortcake in a plastic container that looked perfect— exactly like she had wanted— light, fluffy, and covered in fresh whipped cream. She reached for it, already imagining how good it would taste, but the second she checked her bank balance on her phone, she sighed and put it back down.

Suna, who had seen the whole thing, grabbed the cake without a word and dropped it into the cart.

(Y/n)’s face lit up instantly. She turned to him, beaming, and flung her arms around him in a quick but tight hug. “Rin, you’re the best! Thank you!”

Suna, unbothered, patted her head. “Yeah, yeah. You can do the intro for my dissertation.”

(Y/n) pulled back, narrowing her eyes. “That’s why you did it? Not because you love me?”

Suna pulled a face, considering.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes, affectionately swatting his arm.

Suna smirked, amused. “C'mon it's a fair trade.”

"Whatever, Rin. I'll do half— max."

"Deal."

Atsumu, watching from a few feet away, clicked his tongue. “This is favoritism.”

Osamu snorted. “Jealous?”

Atsumu scoffed, crossing his arms. “No.”

(Y/n) turned to him, holding up the cake. “Did you want a piece, ‘Tsumu?”

Atsumu, suddenly unable to look her in the eye, scratched the back of his head. “I mean… I wouldn't say no..."

Beside them, Osamu and Suna exchanged a knowing glance, barely holding back their smirks. Once (y/n) was out of ear-shot, the latter smirked. "She's talking about the cake, right?"

Atsumu shot them a glare.

Can't they just give it a rest?

After finally paying for their haul, the four of them made their way back to the car. Of course, in true Osamu fashion, he had refused to buy a shopping bag, grumbling about how they “weren’t gonna scam him outta another ten yen.” Instead, he opted to carry his absurdly large stack of crisp bags and snacks in his arms, which, unsurprisingly, obscured his entire line of vision.

“Dude, you can’t even see,” Suna pointed out, unlocking the car with a click.

“I got it,” Osamu shot back, voice slightly strained as he tried to maneuver his way around the parking lot.

(Y/n) snorted, reaching out to steady a teetering bag of chips before it could hit the ground. “You’re doing great, sweetie.”

Atsumu, already munching on a chocolate bar, gave him a pointed look. “Ya look like a human vending machine.”

“Least I got actual snacks. All you got is a sugar rush and regret.”

Atsumu narrowed his eyes, taking an exaggeratedly loud bite just to prove a point.

Suna shook his head, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Hurry up before I leave all of you behind.”

Eventually, after much struggle (and Osamu nearly dropping half of his snacks twice), they managed to pile back into the car.

“Alright,” (y/n) sighed contentedly, cracking open a drink. “Snack time.”

Soon, the scent of junk food filled the space and as the vehicle fell into easy silence, Suna took the opportunity to scroll through his phone and open Spotify. He picked a song, letting it hum low through the speakers.

Next to him, Atsumu took one bite of his sandwich and crumbs exploded onto the seat.

“Dude,” Suna groaned. “Can you eat like a normal human?”

“Shuddap,” the blonde replied between mouthfuls.

Meanwhile, (y/n) was practically inhaling her strawberry shortcake, discussing how the tartness of the jam complemented the sweetness of the cream. Osamu nodded along, making muffled sounds of agreement through his own snack.

Atsumu gave them a blank look. “Nerds.”

(Y/n) just frowned at him.

Osamu flipped him the bird.

Then, Suna leaned back. “You guys got anything goin’ on in your love lives, or what?"

Osamu shrugged. “Talkin’ stage with a girl in my class. She's cute but I ain't feelin' it."

Atsumu swallowed his food, scoffing obnoxiously. “’'S'cause ya got no game.”

At this, everyone turned to him— unblinking— one eyebrow raised accusatorily.

Atsumu suddenly felt oddly small.

“You can talk, Mister One-Shot-Wonder,” (y/n) said accusingly. “Least your brother can secure himself a second date.”

Osamu folded his arms, looking awfully smug as she defended him.

Meanwhile, his brother pulled a face, indignant.

"Eh!? Where's this come from??" Atsumu asked, visibly insulted. "Also, I choose not to go on second dates."

A scoff. "Yeah, 'cause you sleep with them on the first date then never speak to them again."

There was somewhat of an awkward tension in the air as (y/n) scolded him. The world knew it was because she always hated how Atsumu handled women. Even after all her long-winded lectures about his dating life, he still carried on with his frivolous ways, advice falling upon deaf ears.

Osamu and Suna, however, knew better. Atsumu hadn't lied— he really did choose not to go on second dates. Not because he couldn't, not because others would lose interest. The simple, and only, reason for his 'one-shot wonders' was, in fact, sitting right in front of him.

Osamu debated easing the tension by making some sort of half-hearted joke, but just as he opened his mouth, his twin cut in.

“Listen, I'll go on a second date when I find someone worth my time."

And there it was— a perfect opportunity to shift the atmosphere.

"And who would that be?" Osamu probed, a knowing lilt to his otherwise measured voice.

Almost on cue, Atsumu tensed, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

He leaned into his seat, suddenly unable to look anyone in the eye, his face burning as his twin and Suna watched him flounder in real time.

(Y/n), on the other hand, watched him expectantly, not saying a word.

Suna smirked, tilting his head. “What’s wrong, ‘Tsumu? Can’t think of anyone worth your time?”

Osamu feigned a concerned look. “Real shame. Maybe no one’s interestin' enough for ya, huh?”

(Y/n) watched them bicker, blissfully unaware of the real reason behind Atsumu’s silence. With a teasing smile, she nudged his arm. “Oh, c’mon, ‘Tsumu. There’s gotta be someone you like.”

Atsumu’s throat went dry. He swallowed hard, willing his voice to work. “I mean— I—"

The words got stuck.

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow, forever waiting.

Osamu and Suna, sensing his absolute distress, exchanged a glance— and then pounced.

“Aww, ya nervous, ‘Tsumu?”

“Wow, he actually can’t talk. That’s a first.”

Osamu nudged (y/n). “Maybe it’s someone real close to home.”

A frown.

Suna smirked. “Yeah, like, really close.”

Atsumu’s brain stalled.

(Y/n) stared at him, her expression shifting from amused to suspicious. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She frowned, feeling like an outsider in a conversation she wasn’t privy to. A fleeting thought crossed her mind— were they talking about her? No, that couldn’t be it. They were probably talking about the girl from their shared seminar, the pretty one who always asked Atsumu for his notes. Yeah, that must be it.

“I need some air,” she muttered, opening the car door.

Suna and Osamu exchanged a look— uh oh.

Atsumu shot them a glare— now look what you've done— before quickly slipping out of the car to follow her.

He found her a few steps away, perched on one of the railings where the trolleys were kept, arms crossed as she stared at the deserted parking lot.

“Oi,” he called out, a little softer than usual. "S'cold out here. Want my jacket?"

A hum.

Swiftly pulling his hoodie over his head, he draped it over (y/n).

"Thanks."

Silence.

“So… about earlier," Atsumu began, leaning beside her. He took several glances in her direction, only to find her staring straight ahead— which could mean one of two things:

A. She's pissed off. B. She's thinking.

Both were a reason for concern.

"They were just messin’ around. When are they not?" The latter part of his sentence was delivered with an unintentional scoff.

Finally, (y/n) glanced at him, almost making his heart leap out of his chest.

“Who is she?”

Atsumu hesitated. “Eh?”

“The girl." Her voice carried hints of hesitation, and Atsumu hadn't missed the way her fingers fiddled with the sleeves of her— or rather—his hoodie. "Do I know her?”

Atsumu exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… ya do.”

Her stomach twisted slightly. Atsumu always told her everything, but now it felt like he was holding back. Love lives were important. Why wouldn’t he just tell her? He usually did.

Atsumu shifted on his feet, gaze flickering toward hers before settling on the pavement. “I’ll tell ya when the time is right.”

A double meaning lingered in his words, but (y/n) didn’t catch it.

Not yet, at least.

She sighed, rolling her shoulders as if trying to shake off the weight of the conversation. Atsumu watched her closely, then, as if sensing she needed a distraction, his lips curved into a smirk.

“Y’know, if ya wanted to get me alone, sweetheart, ya coulda just asked,” he teased, nudging her side.

(Y/n) scoffed, shoving him lightly. “Oh, please. If I wanted to be alone with you, it wouldn't be somethin' as boring as the middle of some dodgy car park."

Atsumu chuckled as (y/n) gestured towards the dark, empty stretch of tarmac around them. “You sayin' I ain’t excitin’ enough for ya?"

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile creeping onto her lips. “Not even close.”

Atsumu hummed, stepping closer, his voice dipping into something softer. “That so? Guess I gotta work harder then.”

His hand came up suddenly, flicking her nose.

(Y/n) made a small noise, scrunching her face as she swatted at him. “Hey!"

He laughed a little louder this time, dodging her attempts to shove him away. “Has anyone ever told ya how adorable ya are?"

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” She tried to sound annoyed, but the laughter bubbling in her throat betrayed her.

Atsumu grinned. “Nah, ya love me.”

Before she could fire back, a loud honk shattered the moment.

They both turned to see Suna sitting smugly behind the wheel, his hand resting lazily on the horn. Osamu, in the passenger seat, rolled down the window.

"Oi, quit flirtin’, you two. There's a boxed mac and cheese waitin' for me at home,” Osamu called, sounding comically urgent.

(Y/n) groaned, shaking her head at the latter while Atsumu let out an exaggerated sigh. “Can’t get a moment of peace ‘round here.”

Still, neither of them argued as they trudged back to the car, a lingering warmth between them that neither was willing to acknowledge just yet.

As soon as they got in, Suna cranked up the stereo, and (y/n) immediately perked up at the familiar song. Without hesitation, she started singing along, Osamu harmonizing lazily beside her.

Atsumu cleared his throat, eyes ablaze. “Suna, turn this shit up."

Suna wordlessly complied, huffing a laugh through his nose as he watched the trio sing in the rear-view mirror.

And just like that, the tension melted, laughter bubbling up between them as they sped down the empty streets, the city lights stretching endlessly ahead.

[rifulofthewest]

I don't understand what his objective is now and what he is doing. He is teaching kids for a mission from mycroft.. Does that mean he is in MI6 ? Or is he working for America now? What his role now? Could you talk about in depth please

Of course!!

I'm not 100% sure, but it's information that we have at the moment.

I will first briefly summarize what we know about William's current position and then add screenshots & more text :

1. The American government allowed William to return to Britain, but did not let him go completely.

2. William does not work for MI6, he works with MI6 (he's probably "legally" still works for the US Department of Justice + Pinkerton agency)

3. MI6 uses William as a Google drive for their documents

4. His main goal has changed from «showing people how corrupt the elites are and destroying corruption» to «protecting people of the British Empire from big threats»

William's new role in the MI6

A friend of mine called him "the first version of a Google Drive" and I absolutely love this analogy

The context of the now-burnt classified documents are preserved in this brain without a single omission

Using what's recorded in my brain to steer you all towards the truth

...as the mind of our organisation

Basically:

William reads all the documents, uses his super-intelligent brain to memorize everything in them -> MI6 burns the documents -> William pulls all the details they need (from past cases) from his memory when asked

----- ----- -----

They even put a chair for him away from everyone else so that during secret MI6 meetings he could see everyone at the same time + memorize all the details of their conversations without having to turn his head to the person speaking

Working with MI6, not for

" It's the job you set up for him, director "

" .. the director... even taking personal responsibility for the risk of letting him [William] move freely around the town "

" Mr William is currently on loan to Great Britain "

" Before mobilising MI6, Mr William and The Director cast a net.... "

If anything, William works for Mycroft now. Not for Louis (MI6)

It's not surprising. William always ran ahead of everyone with his plans, and Mycroft should be smarter than him... so why would Mycroft pass up the opportunity to put intelligence of Liam's caliber to good use ?

+ William's constant presence at MI6 missions would put Louis' leadership position in question. In my opinion, having William somewhere on the sidelines cosplaying as a database — when he's around MI6 — is a good decision

In Chapter 79, Mycroft even calls Fred out, saying that he now possesses evidence of Mycroft and William secretly working behind Louis' back for a whole month, yet he has chosen not to report it to MI6

--- ---- ----- ----- ---- --- --- --- --- ---

But William found a way to get more involved with Louis: backing up MI6

Nobody asked him to do so

This is where the difference in Louis and William's approach to problem solving comes into play:

Louis starts thinking about problem solving when a specific problem appears

And William is ready to spend an entire night thinking about what problems might arise and how to potentially solve potential problems

I feel like I said a lot, but it didn't really mean anything 😬

In the end, we have Liam who started progressing on the drug problem a month before Louis & the others caught the dealer in chapter 77 ...because a priest came to Mycroft to consult about an alcoholic father beating his son, and Will thought it might be drug-related (and was right) + got a job at the school where the son of this "alcoholic dad" is studying to get more information about the father from his kid

[robo-dino-puppy]

*kiss*

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the world of heavy metals, love is denser than hate!

[khorneschosen]

I would be honest with you my guy The fact that you're just saying Europe is kind of the proof I need that you don't know what you're talking about.

Because there are many programs like this in Europe some of them successful at great cost and others horrifically failing. For example you could be talking about Greece the economy that just went under or you could be talking about Norway the economy who entirely funds their welfare programs through natural gas and oil exploitation.

You could mean the swedes or The Danish who fund their massive welfare programs through completely leaving the market unregulated in order to make sure it maximizes profit as much as possible and taxes the individual but not corporations.

You could have meant Spain an agrarian country that has over the last couple of decades slowly had to rebuild itself after leaving fascism. Or Italy the country that after leaving fascism became much more focused on its industrial pursuits.

So when you describe Europe I really want you to understand that one the context is different for each of these countries They don't have the same economic scenario that we currently live in. And two that these countries haven't posed their own versions of cost for these policies and they have been at times been very devastating and each and every last one of them is facing their own version of an existential crisis over how these policies have affected them.

For those that try to solve most of their problems with immigration they now have a difficult choice before them of dismantling their own traditions and values such as freedom of expression or or proposing hard stances against immigration and dealing with the consequences of that. Which basically puts them back in square one of an economic crisis that they now have to deal with with a population that doesn't trust them anymore.

I'm going to be honest with you my guy This from what you've said so far it just sounds like you have absorbed a lot of propaganda about how these states work without actually having talked to people from these countries or studied how the systems works.

As it turns out when you have a deregulated economy and you just let people be free turns out they actually produce a lot more wealth their economic situation improves a great deal they have a lot more flexibility and how they choose to live their life and are ultimately happier healthier and overall better people in terms of virtue.

They did an experiment with the East and West Germany after you reunification studying both and they found that the capitalistic Germans were happier healthier and better people more honest less likely to steal from you less lazy and more benevolent overall. The opposite was not true for the Soviet Germans.

Rising Tide Economics: What is it, and why should you support it?

Hi there! I'd like to introduce you to a bold new way of thinking about economics and how we can build an economy that works for you! 🫵

A rising tide raises all ships!

Rising Tide Economics is based on a single principle. That when you build an economy that supports its members that are most in need, you build an economy that helps everyone!

For a long time, grifters have sold America on a concept we call "trickle down economics." What trickle down economics proponents claim is that when you support the wealthiest people in the country, they will spend their money in ways that benefit the poorest.

For the past 40 years, we have gone all in on supporting the wealthiest in the country, and where has it gotten us? Wealth disparity is larger than ever, the poorest people in the country struggle to get by, and 30% of the wealth is owned by a mere 1% of the population. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of America splits a mere 2.6% of the wealth between them.

Our middle class is smaller than ever and shrinking.

What's been found is that money given to the wealthiest isn't invested in the economy. It's hoarded.

You cannot raise the tide of the economy by keeping money in the hands of people who would rather accumulate wealth than reinvest it.

"Okay, but I'm a small business owner or entrepreneur or independent contractor. Won't I get poorer if my tax money goes to people with less than me?"

Nope!

First, this is a lie that the mega corporations and the American oligarchs want to sell you on. The truth is that nobody is interested in putting more taxes on small business owners and the middle class.

In reality, if you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or contractor, Rising Tide Economics is going to benefit you more than anyone else.

You have been playing a game that has been rigged from the start. Mega corporations have huge advantages due to their size and wealth that you simply can't compete with. They can sell their goods at lower prices, create monopolies that eliminate all competition, and afford to hire massive lobbying departments that are designed to create laws that will benefit them by killing your businesses and killing your dreams.

Rising Tide Economics is about leveling the playing field.

Let's say that you own a store in a small town. Maybe it's a grocery market or a book store or a clothes shop. Maybe you're a struggling farmer selling goods at a local farmer's market. Whatever it is, you built this business yourself with your own two hands and hard work. Then a Walmart comes in next door.

Corporations like Walmart are able to keep their prices low by negotiating bulk prices through China and other countries where they can get goods cheaper than you could ever dream of yourself. These are options that you do not have access to because you lack the means to compete on this level.

The way Rising Tide Economics benefits you is twofold. First, it forces an opportunity tax onto the mega corporation. If they have greater opportunity than small businesses, then it's only fair to give small businesses a leg up so they can have a fighting chance.

The second way it will help you though is because people want to support your business. They want to buy local. They want to support the up-and-coming entrepreneurs of the world. They don't want to give money to a soulless mega corporation if they can avoid it. But sometimes, you have to do what you have to do to survive. Because the economy forces you into it.

Imagine a woman named Sarah. Sarah is a hard-working mother of three. But wages are too low in this economy to be able to afford her rent and feed her children at the same time. She's living paycheck to paycheck. Sarah would love to have the economic freedom to support your business, but she lacks the opportunity to.

If we can put more money into Sarah's hands, she will have the economic freedom to put it into yours.

What does rising tide economics look like in practice?

Rising tide economics should take a multi-pronged approach towards leveling the playing field and giving The People economic freedom. Here are a few examples:

By providing Medicaid for all, we can ensure that people with medical conditions won't be overburdened by medical debt due to situations they can't control, and can continue to have the economic freedom to contribute to their local economies. This needs to be coupled with efforts at bringing drug prices down across the board to save taxpayer money.

By investing in affordable housing initiatives, we can get people off the streets and into homes, fighting back against a growing housing crisis in the United States.

By investing further into programs that provide food to the hungry, we can ensure that people can not only be fed, but use their cash to invest in other areas of the economy.

And as a long term goal, we should work towards providing a Universal Basic Income. That way everyone can have money to reinvest into their economies.

To pay for these programs, we start by closing tax loopholes that only benefit the wealthiest in the country. Tax loopholes that the mega corporations lobbied for, using legalized bribery to make sure they wouldn't have to pay their fair share. Another unfair opportunity they have that small business owners don't.

After that, we start looking in to opportunity taxes. How much of an unfair advantage does the wealth of a mega corporations allow them to have against the competition? What type of penalties could be applied to make a fair playing field to let smaller competitors keep up with them?

An Era of Rural Revitalization

If you live in a rural area like us, chances are that life hasn't been kind over the past several decades. Sadly, Rural America is dying as industry and wealth becomes more concentrated in the cities. If you're like us, you've probably watched businesses that you love close down or leave because they just can't make enough money in small towns to survive anymore.

Rising Tide Economics seeks to change that by taking the income out of the pockets of megacorporation and putting it into yours! Into your communities!

Under Rising Tide Economics, rural businesses will be able to thrive again, and the American dream will be something attainable no matter where in America you live!

Rising Tide Economics Isn't About Red Or Blue! It's about Green!

It's about money. It's about keeping money flowing, keeping the economy healthy and booming. And it's about getting money into the hands of the people who need it and the people who deserve it!

[nenoname]

honestly??? i still dont know what to do with the idea that there might be a bunch of clone fords out there???? it honestly makes me so unhinged??????

[unopenablebox]

the way people talk about """"building community"""" feels so weirdly like. abstract? artificial? alienating? idk. i see those posts and have an immediate reflexive feeling of "this could only be done by some entirely other kind of person with whom i share no skills or interpersonal approaches" and it takes me a while after that to remember that i organized a union

[boomgun]

Appreciate the energy here, but I have some nitpicky disagreements (which you are free to disagree with as well, I just feel an obligation to say something because I am the OP here).

Mostly that Edelgard is actually really bad at keeping a distance from people. Sort of.

A lot of Edelgard Supports follow a really interesting pattern, given that we are told by Edelgard herself that others have described her as cold and detached. Edelgard herself does not deny these accusations, she just shrugs it off and says she values practicality. Which may not be too off the mark, in several C supports (Linhardt, Bernadetta, Caspar, Lysithea, Hubert to a degree), Edelgard is already trying to make connections by helping people and solving their problems as a Model Leader should, or more accurately trying to help people because her efforts usually backfire at first. Edelgard wants Linhardt to be more productive, wants Caspar to be angry at his father for not recognizing his abilities without having a crest, wants Bernadetta to stand up for herself, wants Lysithea to take care of herself, and wants Hubert to open up. Edelgard is a lot more extroverted than I think she even gives herself credit for (like, I can see why folks think she puts up barriers because Edelgard herself talks a lot about how lonely she feels). Now, in fairness, we are told that Edelgard did come to the Monastery to make allies as much as scope out the defenses of the church. It stands to reason Edelgard is trying to reach out to people for pragmatic reasons. However, there is one consistent thing in many of these supports; Edelgard is often rebuked because of her staggering lack of emotional intelligence. Edelgard often misreads people or puts them off by being too direct or aggressive. Edelgard is not cold, nor is she putting up a front, she is genuinely trying to help people it is just that she has a hard time communicating properly. Which makes sense given how isolated she has been from people until the story starts. Hubert has a similar problem derived from being in a similar situation. That is kind of the punchline here, Edelgard is not really cold as much as she has a hard time picking up on social cues. Edelgard is not lonely because she puts up barriers, she is lonely because she has a hard time getting over other people's barriers. Edelgard is really abrasive and insensitive at times, but paradoxically there is a desire to be kind and sensitive behind it. Both of these seemingly contradictory things can be true. It makes sense that a character who is a core villain in most routes, but a hero in her own is a bit contradictory in her nature.

Now, there is some conscious detachment Edelgard engage in, which we most clearly see in the Edelgard and Lysithea supports; Edelgard refuses to show any vulnerability. Lysithea is literally telling Edelgard that she has everything figured out, but Edelgard never openly admits or confirms Lysithea's suspicions that they went through the same torture. Edelgard dislikes losing control, Edelgard dislikes feeling or being percieved as a victim or weak. Edelgard enjoys solving problems, as she redoubles her efforts after being rebuked every time in each support chain where she is rebuked, but she never asks for help. Edelgard is kind of arrogant, thinking she is above the need to ask for help and can figure out everyone's problems. Which makes sense! You would likely not pick a fight with a whole continent to reshape a millennia old power structure if you were humble! Edelgard's arrogance is what drives her to help people as much as it is an obstacle to it. It is not Edelgard trying to push people away, she genuinely thinks she is built different. Which can push people away. Oops!

Now, while I am saying that Edelgard is not putting on a front to drive people away, she clearly wants to draw people into her circle and in fact her ability to pull people in is why she is so dangerous (Seteth in Silver Snow admits that her soldiers are shockingly loyal, Edelgard is not ruling by fear alone she is genuinely inspiring people), the core of what you are saying is true.

The biggest difference between a Crimson Flower Edelgard and Edelgard in other routes is that in Crimson Flower, if we go by her supports, Edelgard realizes the importance of the give-and-take of interpersonal relationships. Edelgard had to learn how to understand people on a deeper level and genuinely hear them out (Linhardt, Caspar, Ferdinand) and she has to be willing to show some vulnerability to reach people (Bernadetta, Lysithea). To go back to my point that Edelgard wanted to help people under the careful calculation of making allies for her war, while that can be argued in her C and even some B supports, by the time we reach the A supports that cold calculation is not the reason anymore. Edelgard genuinely considers these people her friends and that makes her a more effective leader to help them out and understand them. I still think my argument that she falls in love easy stands because the Black Eagles downright annoy her at first (consider how exasperated she is during the class introduction after you choose them), but by the end she sees them as integral to her dreams (her supports with Ferdinand are huge for this point). I would say that a person who can go from Deeply Annoyed to Genuinely Affectionate is someone who falls into love easy.

I would say love is a strong theme in Edelgard because she is a character whose most consistent theme is navigating how annoyingly complex the human condition is. Edelgard always starts with a straightforward and practical response, gets confused as to why her solution does not resonate with her eccentric classmates, and then redoubles her efforts with a different and more nuanced approach. Edelgard is trying to understand humanity, she needs to if she wants to liberate it. Love is messy and weird and makes no consistent sense, it flies in the face of the singular vision and peaceful order Edelgard wants to impose on the world. Yet, clearly, Edelgard is motivated by the love she had for her siblings and is reinvigorated by the love she builds for her comrades. Edelgard is the great destroyer and violent instigator of the story, who breaks and shatters and consumes like an inferno, this should not be brushed aside. Especially because it so starkly contrasts with the moments of gentle care and introspection Edelgard displays in her later supports. What else can explain such a contradictionary nature than a contradictionary emotion? Love hurts and love heals, Edelgard hurts and Edelgard heals. The artists covered her in heart motifs for a reason.

Funny enough, I do think Edelgard prefers the company of women, I just think that her potential relationships with several men are the most tragic and that is crack to me. However, I should rectify this.

The game shows me that Edelgard viscerally dislikes how anxious and afraid Bernadetta is, in that Edelgard believes Bernadetta deserves as much dignity as any other person, and that Bernadetta describes Edelgard as the bravest person she knows. Those two are in love.

Marianne clearly fell in love with Edelgard and they did not even have supports, you are going to have a hard time convincing me what else Marianne describing Edelgard as radiant and brave could mean. Like, Edelgard is rebelling against the Goddess that Marianne very much believes in the existence of and Marianne's response is just "Damn, she sure looks brilliant and courageous, though."

Why did Dorothea have a song about Edelgard prepared like that. Oh, it might have been improvised? How did Dorothea improvise it that quickly. Why is Edelgard so invested in what makes Dorothea happy in their early supports and what makes her upset in their last support? WHAT DID EDELGARD MEAN THAT HER STORY IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT DOROTHEA? Love.

Yes, maybe Lysithea is more of a sister to Edelgard and vice-versa. That is a very valid interpretation of what is going on, just given that they must remind each other of their families one way or another. At the same time, neither of them show their vulnerabilities that often and it is crazy how unguarded they get towards each other. They literally save each other from their medical conditions in their shared ending. Romantic or not, they are locked in on each other.

You know, yes, this does get Hapi involved despite no supports (again). Edelgard invited her with Lysithea in their raid to trash one of Thales's laboratories. Is killing mutual abusers together not an act of love? Listen to Dixie Chicks "Goodbye Earl," then come back to me to weigh in on this. If Edelgard is in love with Lysithea, then this is strong evidence for Edelgard also loving Hapi.

Monica is literally a punchline for delusionally obsessed homosexuals in this fandom after 3 Hopes launched. What else is there to say.

Obviously, not everything is shipping. Love can be platonic or found family and all that jazz. On the other hand, maybe we should reinterpret a core assumption about the Edge of Dawn/Lady Hresvelg motifs; maybe the song is not addressed to Byleth, maybe Edelgard went to Garreg Mach and realized that she needs to close off her heart because she realized she falls in love with people in general too easily. Maybe this loser fell in love with half of the people she came here to betray and kill. That song is pretty sappy, if we accept it as a look into her mental state, it is strong evidence that Edelgard is someone who falls in love often.

[hikarielizabethbloom]

This weekend, I saw so many interesting posts that I will write a (hopefully short) post about them.

1) Controversial ship

I think I'm gonna be controversial with this 😂:

Éowyn and Gríma are an interesting pair. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a ship—though I have read fanfiction about them 🤷‍♀️—but their relationship is compelling. She is beaten down, and he keeps attacking her to the point where she convinces herself that the darkness surrounding her is the only reality. But he is in that darkness, too, which creates a twisted bond between them; if he is there, then at least she is not alone.

By the end of the story, though, she finds herself in the light. Éowyn becomes the light. She saves herself, and she manages to do so because the people around her—Merry, Aragorn, and Faramir—show her kindness.

2) Galadriel's actions while Adar is killed

This is really interesting. I believe that Galadriel is actually in shock and struggling to understand what is happening. When she senses Sauron approaching—thanks to Miv—she appears genuinely terrified. This is the first time she has seen Sauron since she found out who he really was and since he tried to kill her. Leaving someone to drown can certainly be viewed as an attempt on their life.

But, I think that, at least in relation to Adar, Galadriel's role is to bear witness. She must observe, comprehend, and mourn—not just for Adar, but for what he represents. By having Adar killed by his children, Sauron destroys the last hope for Middle-earth. So, I do not see her as passive; I interpret her role as incredibly active—she is there to witness it all.

3) Galadriel's sl in s2

I've been thinking and talking about this a lot. Sometimes, people online (and in rl, sadly) seem to believe that just because they don’t like something, that makes it bad. That’s just not true! I totally get that positive criticism is needed, but some comments are just ridiculous.

It’s not accurate to say Galadriel’s role was cut down in Season 2; it’s more about the story switching focus to Celebrimbor. Season 1 was really about her, and Season 2 was more about him, but Galadriel still played a key role.

It’s an ensemble cast, after all! Sure, the limited screen time created some pacing issues, but it's not Galadriel’s storyline that took the biggest hit.

Trop is not perfect, it has its issues but Galadriel isn't one of them IMO.

And can we please stop throwing around terms like misogyny and feminism when they don’t really fit?

Don't make go Inigo Montoya on you: “You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

[puzzlewagon]

it is funny to me that people will insist homestuck "always referenced memes" because (1) hussie specifically created sbahj so that he WOULDN'T have to do that (and then sbahj became an actual meme because he's just that good) and (2) if you want an mspa that explicitly references memes and internet culture, problem sleuth is right there.

[kn-1013]

i know i've been on my anti-modern AU propaganda lately and it's just because i've been delving deeper into the sally face ao3 tags and i just keep finding them over and over. it's frustrating because there are a lot of really interesting concepts out there that would fit really well and make for a genuinely really interesting story in the 90s, but they get thrown off because the author doesn't know enough about the 90s to write for that time period, so they make it into a modern au instead. there's nothing inherently wrong with that, and i think there's room for modern aus to be done well here, i even have my own half-serious modern au, but i do think you often lose part of what makes sally face special when you turn the story into any other kind of contemporary love story/horror story/etc where all the characters just have ~iphones~ and use ~snapchat~ and all these things.

like, the 90s was not some kind of alien planet, and a vast number of the problems that you're solving with smartphones can be worked around very easily with just a bit of research or thought. long distance walkie-talkies, pagers, and PDAs were all (though sometimes expensive) perfectly capable contemporary technologies for talking to people when you are not physically with them. in fact, a lot of the abbreviations and slang we use over text right now was developed by young people in the 90s using pagers to talk to their friends. PDAs were a bit more out there in the 90s than they were in the aughts, but it's still completely plausible for henry in particular to have one, considering he already owns a home computer, which was not at all ubiquitous in the 90s. considering the apparent financial limitations that he and sal live under (it's never stated explicitly, but i mean, they live at addison's, they can't be in a great financial situation) and how insanely expensive computers were back then, it's more than likely that henry's job requires a home computer of some sort, meaning that a PDA would probably be incredibly useful to him if he were away from it, because there's no way in hell he's getting himself a luggable or another kind of early laptop to bring with him, that would've been too expensive.

and that's ignoring the fact that so many situations where two characters are apart form each other but need to communicate could just be fixed by rewriting the plot so that they can meet in person. i know that's not what people wanna hear because rewriting sucks, but you can find a lot of reasons for characters to meet each other randomly or to have reasons to meet up later if you give it a bit of problem-solving. part of what makes the pre-smartphone era interesting to write for and so optimized for horror, and probably a big reason that gabry chose this time period for the story in the first place, is the level of disconnection between each character in the story BECAUSE they don't have things like smartphones. having to work around this technological limitation is part of the fun, because you get a very enjoyable push and pull of closeness vs. disconnection between each character.

this is great for alienating ash, the only one who doesn't live in the apartments (except for neil), and causing her internal conflict about her relationships with the rest of her friends, especially as the story progresses and they start discovering more shit about the cult, and her instincts are to call the cops because she's a lot more normal than her friends are. or, it's good for alienating travis, who also doesn't live there and is far more isolated than everyone else (more on that next), or for creating an unhealthy and codependent relationship between sal and larry, who, with the walkies, are the only two in the friend group who DO have semi-instant access to each other all the time--all of which are plot points i put into my writing.

and if that's not enough, think about the implications for travis's character in particular. his father is a preacher, and a huge talking point of christian extremists in the 90s was that things like television were evil and demonic in some way. they campaigned against these things heavily. with the kind of person that we know kenneth phelps to be and the way many technologies we take for granted today, including TVs, were still being adopted by older generations, it's not out of the question at all that travis doesn't own something like a TV or a VCR, putting him even more out of the loop with what other people his age are doing than he already would be, having approximately 0 friends. he doesn't know what DND is, and he doesn't know how to look it up because he's not familiar with computers or the internet, he just knows his dad thinks it's demonic, so he steers clear of it.

the intention of cult leaders like kenneth is to keep their victims as isolated as possible, and not owning a TV, VCR, home computer, etc, is a great way to keep travis and his sisters isolated and disconnected from their peers, and therefore more connected to the cult, and it's a lot easier to justify not owning these things in the 90s, where the story already takes place, than it is if you're writing a modern au. a modern au for this situation would require all kinds of technological workarounds to make sure that travis owned a phone but couldn't do anything his father didn't want him doing on it. he's the kind of father who would go through and monitor his kid's texts, he wouldn't just let travis have snapchat or whatever, but i digress.

i know i'm just doing my petty bitching and people can do whatever they want however they want to, but i really do feel like there's a huge piece of the story that is lost in turning the sally face story as it is into some kind of modern au, and it's pretty unfortunate to me that people seem to think that the 90s was such a primitive alien world of incomprehensible technology that they don't want to write for that time period at all. it's really not as terrifying as it seems, genuinely. a surface level understanding of the era's technologies would be straightforward enough for anyone who wasn't there to write something perfectly coherent, if lacking in specific cultural/technological details that nobody but me cares about because i have autism.

if you're a sally face fan reading this and you struggle with writing for the american 90s because you weren't there, go look up pagers (also called beepers) and PDAs (which are basically early pocket computers) and how they work. ask older family members if or how they used them. go look at the different kinds of home computers of the era from companies like packard-bell and IBM. learn what a pentium III is/was, or what it means to be X86 compatible. look at the history of the CD-ROM, and how when it was invented, it could contain so much data that consumers had absolutely no idea what to do with them until people started putting video games on them. go watch cathode ray dude, LGR or techmoan on youtube.

go learn things about this era, it's good for you and you will have a lot of fun, even if you're not like me, i promise, and your fanfiction will be better for it. please learn about this era. take my hand. we can go to beautiful places together.

[cutalight247]

today is one of those days when I spent the entire day wondering how the USA, one of the major powers of the entire world, does not, to this day, have mandatory voting. Like it’s election affects everyone, why not make it as democratic as possible ??? Well stand strong folks, good luck and look after yourselves!!!

(also why is the electoral college still a thing?)

[sandpapersnowman]

I had been worried that cutting my dad off and distancing myself from him would put me in a difficult position with his side of the family but I've actually reconnected with a couple family members over how shitty he's been and it turns out I'm not the first one to stop talking to him, he's been blocked by like two of my aunts And my cousin