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seraphica · 5 months ago

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A Walkthrough of Project 2025

By Emily Galvin-Almanza, originally on Twitter.

You may have heard the term “Project 2025” floating around, and you may even have cracked open the 900+ page document yourself, only to see a lot of kind of bland, policy-wonk text. So let me crack through the policy-speak and tell you WTF is in this document.

This is, um, a long thread. But if you want a lot of info about Project 2025, all in one place, you've come to the right place.

This document is what Trump and his team will do if elected. It’s their document, their plan, their platform. So like…it’s not *me* saying what they’ll do, this is *them* saying so. documentcloud.org/documents/2408…

Shall we dig in? I’ll organize and give you page numbers. I’m going to start with criminal justice stuff (of course) and then we’ll wander through other topics like repro rights (none), discrimination (fine, unless it’s against nuclear power), environmental protection (gone), etc

Predictably, this is a document full of states-rights claims, but (true to form) there is very little left to the states when it comes to a Trump criminal legal system.

Generally, the Constitution reserves criminal law to the states, allowing localities to create criminal accountability as they see fit. But under a Trump regime, “small government” just means “no EPA or medicare and HUGE expansions of DOJ’s criminal division power.”

A primary target? The discretion and decision-making of local prosecutors.

Prosecutorial discretion is part of the foundation of our legal system—the idea that the people elect their prosecutor, and can elect (or not elect) a person whose judgment they agree with when it comes to what to focus on when it comes to criminal prosecution.

The Trump DOJ will basically override local voters and prosecutors, bringing federal charges where they deem states not punitive enough. (553)

I should note that this is a ridiculous, massively difficult thing to do—our criminal court system is spread across 3,143 counties.

So what it really means is that the Trump DOJ will troll for cases they find politically meaningful, and use the full weight of the federal government to prosecute specific individuals who stand for stuff they don’t like.

They’re not just going to take on targeted prosecutions, they’re also going to legally come after prosecutors who they feel aren’t prosecuting enough. (553) It’s like this, but EVERYWHERE politico.com/news/2024/04/1…

And somehow they’re also going to do everything they can to make sentences harsher, and increase utilization of the death penalty (553-554).

They’re going to double down on the war on drugs, prosecuting interstate drug cases much more harshly (and by “interstate drug trade” they also mean “mailing abortion pills”) (555, 562).

They will also take election integrity out of the hands of the Civil Rights Division and put it in to DOJ’s criminal division (563), which means you see a lot more cases like Crystal Mason’s, but at a federal level: nytimes.com/2024/03/28/us/…

The long and short of it is, we often think of “prosecution of political enemies” as, like, Donald Trump sending DOJ after Liz Cheney or Rachel Maddow or something. And we forget that this can also mean persecution of ordinary people like Crystal Mason.

People who are not high profile themselves, but whose conduct (or even mistake!) is in a subject matter area that makes them the political target. Under this regime, being in a state that would not choose to prosecute them may be no help.

It’s also important to remember the ramifications of highly punitive policies. A DOJ that seeks the max on every case, seeks the death penalty, increases immigration detention (below), is a federal government expanding (& lining the pockets of) the prison industrial complex.

We already live in a country where basically all social ills are funneled into our criminal court system. SCOTUS just increased that trend by allowing people who are living on the street with nowhere else to go to be prosecuted for…existing…outdoors.

But in this administration, we can see an expansion of what is criminal. You’ll see a lot of Torquemada-esque interrogatory stuff in the doc (especially at Treasury?!) but the most obvious expansion of the criminal system is into the zone of women’s health.

In other words, reproductive rights? Never heard of her. The document is pretty fixated on abortion, unsurprisingly, with plans to end all forms of abortion access (including pills) throughout the document (6, 104, 284, 450, 455 - 459, 503 - 529, 562)

There’s one point I’d like to hit on in particular: this week SCOTUS punted a case back to Idaho which was covered as a case allowing emergency abortions to save a woman's life.

But in fact, that's not what really happened here---the Court punted the issue back to the Circuit court, leaving the question of whether women need to be actively dying to receive an abortion open.

Reminder: long as there is legal uncertainty, there are doctors doing nothing while wondering what they're supposed to do as a woman lies bleeding and septic on their table. msmagazine.com/2024/06/28/emt…

The fact of the matter is, under a Trump administration, they could (and would) simply choose to stop fighting to make hospitals to offer abortion in cases where it is necessary to save a woman's life.

They could simply stop fighting for EMTALA, the statute that says hospitals that get federal dollars have to offer emergency care.

And also, in Project 2025, they want to go even farther than that, farther than banning abortion. They want to MAKE SURE DOCTORS DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO IT.

Specifically, this doc makes the Dept of Health and Human Services responsible for ensuring that training for doctors, nurses, and doulas doesn’t include anything about abortion (485-486).

Oh also DOJ is going to be the Abortion Police and go after anyone mailing abortion pills (562).

Side note: I don’t actually disagree with ensuring more coverage for things relating to women’s preventative healthcare but Project 2025 weirdly endorsing the rhythm method is hilarious

So they're gonna make you have all these babies. Who is going to take care of these babies? Were you thinking maybe you could get access to daycare? Oh no, mama, we want YOU to take care of the babies. What’s that? You had a job? Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.

HHS now, under Trump, thinks the gay agenda is destroying families, but the presence of a biological father can prevent all manner of bad things up to and including teen pregnancy (presumably because dad is going to meet your date at the door with a shotgun)

But also….having an adult male father figure who is NOT your bio dad is apparently the worst and most evil thing in the world. BAN BOYFRIENDS.

The Trump administration would like to make the federal government close its eyes, put its fingers in its ears, and hum loudly when anyone says “gender." Specifically...

...they will scrub out any mention of the existence of trans/nonbinary/LGBTQIA+ Americans in federal agencies, policies, regulations, and legislation (4-5, 62, 259, 333, 475).

To quote, “the terms sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”), diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”), gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights”

These terms are getting cut “out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.” (p 4-5)

Damn, who's the language police now?

This document—in a quest to be really, really fundamentalist about gender identity—also completely abandons the idea of supporting gender equality as a whole. Efforts to protect women and girls internationally? Hell no.

Like, USAID should “remove all references, examples, definitions, photos, and language on USAID websites, in agency publications and policies, and in all agency contracts and grants that include the following terms"

And the terms are “gender,” “gender equality,” “gender equity,” “gender diverse individu- als,” “gender aware,” “gender sensitive” (259)

They would very much like to kick trans people—and anyone gender nonconforming!---out of the military (103-104). Remember Demi Moore in GI Jane? Yeah the second she gets that buzz cut she’s OUT.

What about race discrimination, you say? Well, we will have no idea, because the Trump administration plans to stop collecting any data about that. The EEOC will stop collecting data about race entirely (583).

BTW when I say this is a tricky document, this is what I mean...

The document justifies ditching any data collection by saying that “Crudely categorizing employees by race or ethnicity fails to recognize the diversity of the American workforce and forces individuals into categories that do not fully reflect their racial and ethnic heritage.”

Which at first glance, a person could be like, yes! Racial identity is complex! Let’s not put people in boxes!

But then you step back and realize that NO LONGER HAVING DATA ABOUT WHETHER BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE OR ARE NOT GETTING HIRED does exactly ZERO GOOD THINGS it just makes us UNABLE TO TELL IF BAD THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

The document is full of this—really normal-sounding pablum that actually means “we are choosing to have no idea whether Black and Brown people are being shut out of the workforce, why would the government want to know that?”

The government doesn’t need to know! Because they don’t think disparate impact—when a particular group is disadvantaged in the workplace—matters anyway!

They would “eliminate disparate impact as a valid theory of discrimination for race and other bases under Title VII and other laws. Disparities do not (and should not legally) imply discrimination per se.” (583).

BTW on this point they get hella hella weird about the idea of racial equity at the Treasury Dept…where they would essentially like to have an Inquisition:

Essentially, under this administration, any agency that wants to think about whether race is playing a role in the fairness of their sector can GTFO.

If you go into the original doc and search for “DEI” you basically enter a forest of grandpas yelling I DON’T SEE COLOR YOU CAN BE BLACK WHITE GREEN PURPLE OR POLKA DOT FOR ALL I CARE

BTW you were hoping that a Democratic Senate could be an effective check of some kind, first thing in this doc is that they want to kind of tell the Senate to F off

Specifically, the plan is to get Trump-loyalist appointees into position, scrap the Senate confirmation process for a lot of these appointees and let the rest start working even before Senate confirmation. (p136-137, 173)

All of the agency heads are clearly designated as political in this doc, not expert/neutral. So EPA (428), DOJ (560), FBI (552), HUD (508), DOL (615)...basically the doc calls for the insertion of as many loyalists as possible

And yes, the job of these loyalists is, in many cases, to dismantle the agency they head.

I don’t really know where to categorize this, so I’ll put it here: they think the Department of Homeland Security suffers from “wokeness.” I’m not making that up, they said in black-and-white serif font. I can’t make this stuff up. Page 135.

So like, to be clear, in the same breath as they’re talking about the wokeness of DHS, they would also like to reinstate the Border Patrol officers (who work under DHS mind you) who were accused of galloping up on migrant families and whipping them from horseback.

“CBP should restart & expand use of the horseback-mounted Border Patrol. As part of this announcement, the Secretary should clear the records & personnel files of those who were falsely accused by Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas of whipping migrants and issue a formal apology” (139).

FWIW what they’re referring to is some CBP agents who nearly trampled a kid and used their reins in a way that was, er, whip-like (and before you accuse ME of being overly sensitive, I have ridden exactly this way in my life BUT I WAS MOVING CATTLE NOT HUMAN BEINGS.) politico.com/news/2022/07/0…

Anyway, because DHS is too woke, they need to shrink it down until it mostly just detains and deports immigrants.

They’re gonna bust its union and remove most of its programs and privatize both the TSA and also FEMA’s flood insurance program so you can get bilked if you live in a region prone to flooding (shhhh don’t say the floods are due to climate change).

SPEAKING OF CLIMATE, we’re definitely going back to the same “if you don’t have any information about the problem, the problem cannot exist” strategy they use on race.

To that end, they would like to get rid of Offices of: Domestic Climate Policy (61) Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) (61) Clean Energy Demonstration (381) The Clean Energy Corps (386) Environmental Justice & External Civil Rights (442)

This means getting rid of climate efforts in foreign aid programs (257), stopping the USDA’s efforts to focus on sustainable food production (293—who will need to eat in 20 years anyway? Certainly not our children, they will have evolved to photosynthesize and graze on plastic)

Anyway they’re getting rid of energy efficiency standards for appliances (378) as well as cutting down all EPA activity related to climate change, including repealing the Inflation Reduction Act programs providing grants for environmental science activities (440)

BTW, I think it’s worth noting that there are a lot of things stated as binaries that aren’t binary. Ending energy efficiency requirements for appliances, for example, to focus on cycle time and reparability.

I also want a right to repair! I also hate it that my car’s internal computer makes it really hard to work on my own car! I just think that we, as consumers, have the right to demand BOTH and this doc incorrectly insists that we have to CHOOSE.

I don’t have to choose between repairing an appliance that massively pollutes the planet or having an energy efficient one that will lower my bills but break every two years. WE CAN DEMAND BOTH. False binaries are a sneaky, crappy constant in this document.

I’m highlighting them in particular because false binaries are also a way of dividing us. There are things I can agree with conservative friends on…literally Monday I was having a fun, productive, common-ground convo w/a conservative friend. False binaries are toxic bullshit.

Toxic ideas abound in here. You know how TX created an abortion regulation scheme that incentivized members of the public to effectively be abortion bounty hunters? Project 2025 would do the same for *science.*

Project 2025 would incentivize citizens to come after scientists under the False Claims Act for research misconduct. This is p 438. Fun times!

This is all part of diluting expertise so that the scientists who are trying to warn us about massive danger ahead can get drowned out by “citizen scientists” whose research the EPA will…equally prioritize??? 438.

Housing and Urban Development also gets their climate programs cut (508) because, much like food, who will need housing in the future? We will return to caves, as we should.

Oh, if how much oil drilling the US is doing matters to you as a voter, Project 2025 basically says maximum drilling, all the drilling, all the time (523-524).

Just a quick note in case you were thinking this was a serious policy document: note the contrast between the doc’s desire to let states drill as much as they want bc “States are better resource managers than the federal government because they must live with the results” (524)

And revoking CA’s ability to set its own air quality standards (627)…because…states…shouldn’t be allowed to self-regulate, I guess, if their regulations make things harder for the oil industry?

Oh also they’re gonna freeze all EPA activity which wasn’t Congressionally authorized on Day One (436). How often does stuff get through Congress anymore? This one echoes the recent SCOTUS decision which also strips regulatory authority.

Basically more drilling, no windmills, don’t even think about encouraging electric cars (286).

Also open season on wolves and bears (534) and let’s just mass execute America’s wild horses (529)

To break it down, if you, like me, are a mom who is concerned about the quality of water your kids are drinking at school, and wants the gov’t to be quickly responsive to new discoveries and problems (like PFAS!) that might give your kids cancer, well, you’re fucked.

If there’s a new thing that is discovered that we should regulate/know about, too bad, because of things like this: “Remove the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) for any source category that is not currently being regulated.” (425).

Climate, of course, impacts migration. The more the US contributes to climate catastrophe, the more the consequences will be felt by the developing world, particularly in regions close to the equator and low-lying regions.

What will we do about immigration? Build more prisons for immigrants (142), send unaccompanied children away (148) increase the fees to apply for asylum + generally make immigration more expensive (146) & make it so gang violence & domestic violence no longer justify asylum (148)

Cut funding for NGOs that help immigrants find safety, and instead spend that on walls and jails (149).

Eliminate prosecutorial discretion on immigration cases (150). Oh and we’re doing the head-in-sand thing again by eliminating the office that tracks immigration jailing. 165. They don’t want an “impediment to detention.”

For Americans who rely on government programs to do things like feed their children, keep a roof over their heads, or get healthcare, things will also get worse.

They really hate healthcare: “In essence, our deficit problem is a Medicare and Medicaid problem.” (283).

Even though they want people to have a lot of babies, they’re putting in new requirements on SNAP (299), reducing eligibility for Medicaid (467), cutting school lunch programs (302-303), and eliminating Head Start (482).

Oh and also fuck Sesame Street (247) (and public broadcasting generally).

Safe baby formula? Not a priority. “As for baby formula regulations generally, labeling regulations and regulations that unnecessarily delay the manufacture and sale of baby formula should be re-evaluated.” (302).

Speaking of schools, they’re going to get rid of the Dept of Education, which they say is “a convenient one-stop shop for the woke education cartel,“ (285, 319).

Instead of schools, let’s give teens more dangerous jobs. “Some young adults show an interest in inherently dangerous jobs...DOL should amend its hazard-order regulations to permit teenage workers access to work in regulated jobs with proper training and parental consent.” (595).

There’s kind of a sharp contrast here between high trust of parents in some contexts (to let their kids work dangerous jobs) and low trust of parents in others (if a father isn’t father-y enough terminate parental rights as fast as you can (481-482)).

Obviously, the Biden efforts to forgive student loans are toast (354) but also public service loan forgiveness is toast! “End time-based and occupation-based student loan forgiveness.” (361).

Having a job may be overrated anyway, and so the Trump Admin will tell the Fed to only think about price stability, eliminating full employment as an economic goal (661). Actually WTH maybe abolish the federal reserve completely (also 661).

Oh also if you were looking forward to lower drug costs, they want to end the program where the gov’t can negotiate lower prescription drug costs. 465.

As a matter of fact, no one will protect consumers against fraud and dangerous products under this admin…they are going to eliminate the CFPB completely and return consumer protection to banking regulators who are SO GOOD AT CONSUMER PROTECTION OF COURSE (/s/) 839.

Education, of course, is critical to the ability to distinguish misinformation. Under Trump, we better get ready for a lot more disinfo, because they’re going to yank federal efforts to combat misinfo/disinfo online. Facebook free for all, now with AI generated videos! (155, 550)

Speaking of misinfo, there will be no more independent Federal Election Commission.

Headed by a Trump official (with or without Senate confirmation!) the FEC will only investigate claims the Trump administration wants investigated, and remove its authority to decide what to litigate by handing that over to DOJ. (803, 865)

Oh also the new president will have to have a way to quickly deal with any ongoing, er, litigation, like, uh, criminal cases (but also ongoing litigation that conflicts with his agenda, like, say, civil rights consent decrees or environmental enforcement litigation. (28)

In the name of EXPEDIENCY, they say, the President’s lawyer (the White House Counsel) should give high-level super fast advice without wasting time on, like, researched legal memos or anything.

In other words, what Trump does will be on the advice of a counsel who doesn’t write stuff down. Not great!

Oh also the person chosen need not have fancy credentials (oh okay I'm all for that) as long as they’re LOYAL (oh wait no). Also p 28.

I’m sorry to tell you guys this, but this is like…scratching the surface. This is the beginning. This is the stuff you should know now.

If there is something you care about in this world, I think you should dip into this document and search for it, because you might find something hideous. documentcloud.org/documents/2408…

[original thread]

#politics #us politics #project 2025

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i-have-41-protons · 7 months ago

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Lore for the Co-Dad AU:

So this began as a crack au with Jupiter and Ezra trying to out-dad each other for Morrigan, but now I’m in too deep and have created some actual lore and am in the process of making a comic at this very moment (probably, depends on when you’re reading this). Let’s begin!

Basically the main idea is that Ezra Squall somehow lives in Deucalion, not harming anyone, while Jupiter helps him protect his identity and literally nobody recognizes him as the horrible, terrible Wundersmith despite some people (like Dame Chanda) knowing how he looks, from photographs and stuff. How could this happen? Well, I really like the concept of unbreakable deals, so I decided that I could implement it here. Now, this is an au, so anything could happen, and I decided that Mog needs just a bit more help with her studies than shown in Hollowpox, to keep her from blowing up herself and/or everything around her, so she finally agreed to let Ezra teach her. Jupiter is knowledgeable in lots of stuff, right, so he could also know something about unbreakable deals (deals that cannot be broken from either side, no matter how powerful the person is or how much they try), right? So in this au, Jupiter made a deal with Ezra, in which:

Jupiter North will provide shelter for Ezra Squall in Deucalion, should he ever need it;

Jupiter will do everything in his power to keep Ezra Squall’s identity secret from everyone around, save for the individuals they have selected to tell, together;

Ezra Squall will mentor Morrigan Crow on Wundrous Arts;

Ezra will protect Morrigan from any harm;

Ezra will not use his Wundersmith abilities to harm or control, without their consent, anyone not posing a direct threat to Morrigan, himself or any individuals he and Jupiter have elected for him to protect together (this includes the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow and any other monsters or beings he creates);

Morrigan will fully pull Ezra through the gossamer, so that he is all, physically, metaphysically and mentally, in Nevermoor;

Ezra Squall, Morrigan Crow, and all persons in knowledge of Ezra’s true identity will not tell anyone not in that knowledge about Ezra Squall/Wundersmith being in Nevermoor;

these conditions will get edited as I go along with the comic, in different colors, so we can all pretend it’s Ezra and Jove revising the deal and not me noticing loopholes

And, through some complicated use of Wundrous Arts, Ezra charmed his face so it literally screams “I am not the Wundersmith you all fear and hate! Nope! Not me!! Look away and forget how this face looks!” into everyone’s minds. This is why nobody, except those who already know, will recognize him. Loophole: filled! How: magic!

Anyways Ezra is gonna get babygirl-ified, prepare yourself :3

I will be tagging everything on the co-dad au as #co-dad au :3

@pxme-granate @brainiacdunce ITS STARTING

#nevermoor #co-dad au #au #lore #ezra squall #wundersmith: the calling of morrigan crow #hollowpox: the hunt for morrigan crow #morrigan crow #nevermoor: the trials of morrigan crow

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gardensofthemoon · 1 year ago

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End of the year fic recs

Thank you so much for tagging me, @curufiin! I am veeery new to fandom and fan spaces, and I started reading silm fic in August, but I have already devoured lots of great stories and I’m eager to share some of my favourites. I read mostly ship fics, so that will reflect on my recs.

Recommend up to 5 series or multi-chapter fics from 2023 that everyone should read (multi-year WIPs count, if the last update was in 2023).

Recommend up to 5 single chapter fics/one-shots (long or short) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Recommend up to 5 fics NOT from 2023 that everyone should read (oldies but goodies).

Recommend up to 5 of your own fics (completed or WIP) from 2023 that everyone should read.

Multi chapter fics:

The Long Road by whyyesindeed, WIP, Mature, Fingon/Maedhros, 26k. I adore the author's previous works, and this one is a chaptered story in progress, an AU where Fingon and Maedhros go to Beleriand 48 years before Finwë’s death. The prose is impeccable.

Half-brother in blood, full lover in heart by @ettelene, WIP, Mature, Fëanor/Fingolfin, almost 200k. This is my favourite Feanolo, with lovely writing and compelling plot. The chemistry between the leads is sizzling and I hope that in this AU there will be a happy(/ier) ending.

Moonlight In His Cave by @cuarthol, WIP, Mature, Curufin/Finrod, 15k. Canon compliant Curufinrod, I don't need to say anything more. I cannot wait to read more; the prose is absolutely gorgeous and I LOVE how the familial relationships are portrayed so far.

Curufinwë Atarinkë’s Journal by @curufiin, WIP, Teen and Up, minor Curufin/Finrod, 9k. This one made me love Curufin so much and understand more of his mind, it's crack treated seriously and it goes from baby Curufin scribbling in his journal, to adult kinslayer bearing a horrible burden. I read this three times and each time, I love it more.

Know Thyself by LiveOakWithMoss, completed, Teen and Up, multiple relationships, 9k. Absolutely hilarious, couldn't stop grinning: First Age Feanorians are magically transported into the modern world and meet their human counterparts. Chaos ensues (Maglor duet contest, selfcest, Maedhros is elected Assistant Manager in a mall shop, some interdimensional threesomes). I adore every word.

One shots:

Mirror Image by @swanhild, Gen, various familial relationships, 4,5k. A few fluffy moments between the Feanorians and the Arafinweans, with Feanor and Arafinwe watching. It's endearing and heartwarming with some ominous foreshadowing. It made me cry.

Mapmaking by am_fae, Explicit, Maedhros/Maglor, 3k. Super funny and clever with lots of puns, and a steamy sex scene. Lots of sexy geography talk.

The dining room by @ettelene, Teen and Up, various familial relationships, 9k. A peek into the cooking preparations and subsequent dinner at the Feanorians' house. With a larger cast, lots of witty dialogue, a Huan cameo and underlying tension, this is a splendid read with great characterisation.

Of doves, letters and darker things by @elevenelvenswords, Explicit, Curufin/Finrod, 3,5k. Super atmospheric, a glimpse into the complex power games between the cousins that ends up in hot throne sex.

Oldies:

Outlast the Forests by daphnerunning, 2021, completed, Explicit, Beleg/Turin, 68k. If I could convince any silm fan to read a fic, THIS WOULD BE IT. It's my TOP favourite longfic, canon compliant, slow burn, mortal/immortal. It's based off of Children of Hurin, rife with tragedy, heartwrenching, incredibly loving and ladden with longing. I read it four times and I still think about it on a weekly basis. This is canon to me, it gives alllll the doomed feelings. I don't even need to read other Turleg fics, this is perfection.

And All Our Wounds Forgiven by Marchwriter, 2012, completed, Mature, Curufin/Finrod, 9k. The writing style is fantastic, tolkienesque, the atmosphere the writer has created is unparalelled, like a fairytale, but infused with tension. One of the first Curufinrod pieces on ao3 and a MUST READ for fans of this pairing. I cannot stress enough how beautiful the prose is.

Those Who Favor Fire by @clothonono, 2022, completed, Mature, Fingon/Maedhros, 41k. The author is already one of my favourites on Russingon, but I love this fic in particular because of Maedhros' portrayal post-Thangorodrim, as it fits in line with my headcanons. It also explores the morality of the first kinslaying and Fingon's attempt at justifying himself. It ends with a gut-punching line.

your shadow at morning, rising to meet you by crownlessliestheking, 2021, completed, Explicit, Feanor/Fingolfin, 5k. Fingolfin goes to Formenos to talk sense into his brother. Excellent characterisation and I specifically liked the dialogue.

Correspondingly so by LiveOakWithMoss, 2016, completed, Teen and Up, Curufin/Finrod, 2k. Notes and letters that are funny and witty as hell and full of subtext. I love ALL of LiveOak's Curufinrod pieces, but this was one of the first ones that I read and I remember snickering so much. Another one I reread multiple times and it has in fact inspired one of my fics too.

Mine:

Fëanor posts on r/amitheasshole, Teen and Up, various relationships, 4k. Pure crack. I laugh every time I reread this and I had a ton of fun writing it, I recommend it for when you want some shits and giggles.

Immortal Longings, Mature, Curufin/Finrod, 5k. Epistolary and humorous, written for a 'sexy letters' prompt. Falcon shenanigans, banter, mentions of steamy scenes and golden lingerie that ends up being treated by historians as valuable artefacts from an ancient age. It ends up in tragedy but I am very proud of this one.

Give me shelter, the night is dark, Mature, Curufin/Finrod, 5k. I consider this my best written fic, prose-wise, and I am very pleased with the dialogue (I adore writing Curufinrod dialogue). The premise of it is basically 'Curufin does drugs and Finrod does Curufin.'

This took way longer than expected! I truly believe I have not read ONE badly-written silm fic, and it was quite difficult to choose from many well-loved works. Tagging all authors mentioned here, if you'd like to join.

#the silmarillion #silm fic #fic recs #great fics!!!!!#elio writes #silmarillion #tolkien

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mariacallous · 1 month ago

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In November 2004, Ukraine’s pro-Russian prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, tried to steal the country’s presidential election, triggering the Orange Revolution protests and reactions from the West. Then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell memorably went to the press briefing room and declared that the United States could not accept the results as legitimate. Current U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken should do the same for Georgia now.

Georgia’s parliamentary elections on Saturday were marred by widespread attempts of “intimidation, coercion and pressure on voters,” according to international and domestic monitoring groups. Despite official results claiming that the incumbent government, led by the Georgian Dream party, retained a majority of seats, the election was not in line with international standards, according to independent observers.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who is not affiliated with the Georgian Dream government, went even further. “I want to say, as the [representative of the] only independent institution, that I don’t recognize these elections,” the president said in her post-election remarks. The country’s major opposition parties have similarly refused to recognize the official election results and plan to protest them.

The United States should follow the Georgian president’s lead and not recognize the results. Instead, the legitimate concerns raised by the flawed election must be addressed first. One way to incentivize proper resolution is for U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to explicitly threaten sanctions against those responsible for the crisis—starting with Bidzina Ivanishvili, an oligarch and leader of the Georgian Dream party; Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgia’s prime minister; and those on Georgia’s central election commission.

Blinken’s statement about the elections, issued on Sunday, falls well short of this. Citing international observers, Blinken’s statement said that the election was not “free and fair,” but he avoided commenting on the legitimacy of the results themselves. Though Blinken encouraged Georgia’s political leaders to “respect the rule of law” and address any electoral deficiencies, he did not name Georgian Dream, which, as the country’s ruling party, created this mess in the first place.

No one should be surprised that Georgian Dream would make efforts to steal the election. This spring, Ivanishvili suggested that, in the event the party didn’t win, the opposition would drag the country into a devastating war with Russia. He made the absurd claim that the opposition was in thrall to its Western “patrons,” who had ordered them to ensure Georgia opened a “second front” against Russia. In August, Ivanishvili promised to make these opposition parties “pay for all the crimes against the Georgian people” by outlawing them.

Even without formally banning the opposition, Georgia has already taken on many of the hallmarks of a one-party state. Ivanishvili’s party has been in power since 2012, and it has been steadily gaining influence since then. Having established control over the parliament and the judiciary, Georgian Dream has also taken aim at the two remaining checks on its power in the last year: It has twice sought to impeach Zourabichvili and has cracked down on watchdog groups and nongovernmental organizations.

To undermine the NGOs holding it accountable, the government proposed a Russian-style foreign agents law that requires organizations receiving foreign money to register as “agents of foreign influence.” Fearing that Tbilisi—like Moscow—would use the law to marginalize and eventually shutter civil society groups and independent media, hundreds of thousands of Georgians turned out on the streets to protest. The government responded with a brutal crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations and eventually passed the law, overriding Zourabichvili’s veto of it.

The adoption of the foreign agents law and the large demonstrations against it did prompt Western capitals to finally act against Georgia’s authoritarian slide. The European Union suspended Georgia’s accession process and froze funds earmarked for government-directed programs. Citing democratic backsliding, the United States froze more than $95 million in intergovernmental assistance to Georgia and imposed a number of sanctions against some of those who were responsible for repressive measures, including the use of violence against demonstrators.

Though welcome, these actions were insufficient and ineffectual. They failed to include Ivanishvili and Kobakhidze, his hand-picked prime minister.

In a situation fraught with potential for unrest, both sides have dug in. Georgian Dream has claimed victory in the election, while the opposition has refused to recognize the results. Meanwhile, Zourabichvili called for protests in central Tbilisi starting on Oct. 28.

Georgian Dream has shown no indication that it would take criticism seriously or try to accommodate the concerns of the opposition. Kobakhidze has said that the opposition’s refusal to recognize the results amounted to a “gross violation” of the constitutional order and that Georgian Dream would form a new government without their participation.

The reports of election intimidation are serious and widespread enough to call the legitimacy of this weekend’s election results into question. Washington and its allies should not recognize this election before, as the German Federal Foreign Office suggested, all irregularities are addressed and remedied. As Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski declared, “Europe must now stand with the Georgian people.” So should the United States.

The Georgian people, who remain very pro-West and are eager to join NATO and the EU, deserve no less—just like those struggling for freedom and human rights around the world. Georgia has become the latest battleground, and it’s time for the United States to rise to the challenge.

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mornington-the-crescent · 2 years ago

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I voted FDR in the poll because of well, the everything, and I was astonished to see how many people had chosen Nixon.

I know our education system is bad, but it was genuinely horrific to see all the other options in the single digits. For most of these people, the only bad thing they know about Nixon was watergate. I remember at least being taught about the internment camps in school, even if they neglected to mention who was president at the time.

FDR fancied himself king of America, and it's disheartening to know how few people realize how genuinely evil he was.

I mean, Nixon was on there mostly to prove that tumblr as a whole does not understand or remember history. Their knowledge of history comes from half-remembered public education, and from ahistorical and hysterical tumblr posts.

Don't get me wrong, Nixon did fucking suck.

He normalized trade relations with China, which ruined American manufacturing, sending countless American jobs overseas, and the rest of the world soon followed suit; that's why 90% of what you own is cheap and low-quality and made in China. Not to mention that the massive influx of foreign money is what led to the CCP being able to continue to prop itself up, when it otherwise would have collapsed under the weight of its own incompetence and inefficiency decades ago otherwise, like every other experiment with socialism inevitably does.

Then there's his taking America off of the gold standard, which permitted the massive expansion of the money supply, which led to the inflation of the 1970's, and all subsequent inflations, since the main safeguard and deterrent to inflationary monetary policy has been removed.

And then there's the incredibly underhanded tactics that he used to to get his political opposition: See, in spite all of his hatred for hippies and the Black Panthers, you can't ban ideologies or political movements. But, both groups tended to smoke marijuana. So what do you do? You stoke latent anti-Mexican sentiment in the American populace, and paint weed as a demon drug that makes people promiscuous and a danger to society. And once it was criminalized, well, now he had all the excuse he needed to crack down on certain groups who opposed him. He wasn't throwing them in jail for their ideology; he was throwing them in jail for the reefer! Totally different! The "War on Drugs" is total bullshit, and like all attempts at prohibition in this country, it just led to a greater amount of the "banned" item in increasing potency and availability, while creating a robust criminal underclass to supply the prohibited good.

And we can't forget that he ordered the bombing and invasion of Cambodia and Laos, two countries which had the misfortune of simply being next to Vietnam. He even ran on a platform of ending the war in Vietnam, and while the peace talks were already started by the time he was elected, it took four more years for America to finally withdraw from a war it had no business being involved with in the first place.

He weaponized the FBI and IRS against political enemies, keeping tabs on anyone that he thought was against him, spying on and even illegally wiretapping opponents. He, like so many others, tried to consolidate more and more power into the Executive branch of the government, outside the normal separation of powers. His election strategy was to openly court racists who were mad about desegregation.

And, of course, I'd be remiss if I forgot to mention Tricky Dick's Wet 'n' Wild Water Heist of 1967. Leave the water in the Reflecting Pool alone, man.

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a-tale-never-told · 1 year ago

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History of Novoselic (Part 3)

So the 1930s rolled in, and the question of who would succeed Josip was in debate. Zoya had most of the qualities to lead but did not have military experience. Paul, by comparison, had a few issues with ruling as a king, but was exceptionable in military tactics, specializing in air warfare and guerilla tactics, and had a keen eye for talent within the youth. But the debate raged on untill eventually, a solution was found: They would vote on it at the Rastek.

It was tough, but everyone in the Rastek and the public decided to vote for who would be the new monarch. After some complications and sorting out a bit, in March of 1932, the first queen of Novoselic, Zoya Nevermind was elected as the new Monarch, by a vote of 143 to 139 in the Ustek, or electoral college. As for Paul, he was appointed as the Novoselic ambassador to Great Britain.

Zoya right off the bat, started to show some strange behavior, such as exhibiting near-dictatorial power, banning free elections and the press, and cracking down on those who spoke up. Created a secret police, called the Auslejc, who proceeded to patrol the streets and arrest people on the accusations of them being "Communist" and "Stalinist sympathizers" Hundreds, even thousands of people were arrested and were purged from the start of her regin untill the end of the war. Propaganda was used extensively to promote Zoya's regime as a golden era and she would like to star in films a lot, often ones that were really bad. It was so bad, that she starred in more movies rather than leading the country, which was in the hands of her ministers.

Back home in Britain, Paul was horrified by the news, but he couldn't go back. Zoya had postponed his flight back to Novoselic indefinitely, no doubt in an attempt to hold onto power. And so Paul stayed, already trying to mend deteriorating relations with Britain and France as Zoya courted Fascist Italy, and now Nazi Germany too. Zoya had taken a liking to Hitler, supporting his policies, especially against the Soviet Union and Communism, even calling for a genocide of ethnic Russians. Paul, on the other hand, was making friends with people like Winston Churchill of all people, who was a key figure in getting Paul back to Novoselic.

As the 30s progressed, Paul was becoming more friendly with the British, though was frustrated at Parliament for hesitating against Fascist aggression in Africa and Europe, like the incidents over Ethiopia and Czechoslovakia. He demanded they stop trying to appease the Germans, claiming that starting a war was what they wanted, and it was already happening, saying that they wouldn't just stop at the German lands. And he was right. On September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, starting WW2.

Paul knew this would happen and so talked to Churchill, by now the prime minister, about the possibility of sending him back to Novoselic to lead an insurgent movement against Zoya. Churchill was a little hesitant at first because Paul would have to go through Greece, which was neutral at the time. However, in 1941, the Germans invaded the Balkans in support of Italy, who were getting their ass destroyed by Greece and Yugoslavia. With aid from Novoselic, the Germans invaded and conquered Greece. Since Greece was now part of the conflict, Churchill finally agreed to send Paul back to lead the resistance against the Germans, Italians, and Zoya.

Paul's plan was to fly a plane to occupied Greece in the middle of nowhere, and then drive several miles through tough terrain to head to Novoselic, where he would meet Novoselic partisans fighting the Axis and be their leader. Accompanying him were a few British commandos in disguise, sent by the British as bodyguards to protect him on the way. And so on July 8th, 1941, Paul flew to North Africa and then from there took off to Greece. Once in Greece, Paul wasted no time finding transport, eventually seizing an Opel Blitz that had been left abandoned by the Germans, and drove to Novoselic. The journey was tough, they had to stop for food, water, and gas frequently and were almost detained by the SS, but eventually, he made it to the town of Cara, where the British intelligence said the rebels were there.

Upon arrival, Paul wasted zero time taking charge of the rest of the group and broadcasted his voice to other rebel groups in the country, telling them to unite under him in a coordinated effort to bring down the Axis. Eventually, he untied the rest of the Novoselic groups around his cause by 1942 and went on a guerilla campaign against the Axis. What made Paul special, was that he was great at fighting and leading a rebellion even more than his own father. He would sabotage the tanks and select where to fight, either in the dense forests or the high mountains and hills. He also started the first command pose, which was to show authority in the line of duty.

By 1943, Paul had expelled the Italians out of the mainland, by capturing their field commander during the battle of Ostos. With Italy suing for peace soon after, Paul was left to combat the Germans and Zoya alone. By the middle of 1944, the rebels had taken most of the South of the country and were advancing North. The Germans, by this time, were fighting on all fronts, the Eastern Front had fallen apart and they had to pour resources into fighting everywhere, and fighting Yugoslavian partisans didn't help matters either. Eventually, the German commander in charge decided to give up, and by late 1944, issued a withdrawal into Czechoslovakia.

Zoya, pretty much alone at this point, tried to escape with them, but was found by the partisans. She was captured, tortured, and then executed on Paul's orders. Paul felt guilty at having to order the death of his sister, but it was either her or the nation, and the nation mattered far more to him than his sister, who betrayed the people to the fascists. The following year, British forces coming from Greece arrived in Novoselic, already having self-liberated itself. With Zoya's death, most of the generals surrendered or went into hiding. And so, Novoselic became united again, with them electing Paul as king shortly afterward, and proceeded to do away with Zoya's rules.

But now, Paul had to lead the nation into a new era, against a familiar rival and in a world more spilt the last...

#mod talks #hajime hinata #dr #dr2 #zoya nevermind #paul nevermind #twlight syndrome arc #a tale never told #novoselic

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gregolwman · 2 years ago

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"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." - Gandalf the Grey , the Lord of the Rings

It's been a long road. Getting from there to here. It's been a long time. But my time is finally near. Sorry, not sorry, but I couldn't resist. Soooooo... It's been a while huh? I know what I said about trying to post something before New Year and all that pizazz. However, I have been in a food coma and then got swamped with work so not have a lot of time to continue my award-winning trash-talking about what Star Trek Discovery could have done to be an interesting show. Therefore without further ado, let's crack into it.

Season 3: Internal Strife! One year has passed since the Klingon War and the Federation has fallen on hard times since Starfleet is at its weakest and there are plenty of sharks smelling blood in the water. The Orion Syndicate, with the secret aid of the Romulan Star Empire, created the Emerald Chain out of several Federation planets and associates by muscling in on their turf. Some people in the upper echelons of the government suspect foul play, as such President T'Rina sends Commander Burnham to investigate the situation and throws her lot with Cleveland Booker, a rogue element within the supposed idyllic lifestyle of the Federation. Eventually, Michael rejoins the Discovery's crew, but often butts heads with Captain Saru since neither of them has any idea how to get past their issues of trust and trauma, even if they come to respect one another. At some point, they are joined by Adira Tal, an inspector with the United Earth Probe Agency after some troubles on the Jovian Moons. Together they find themselves on an emergency trip to the secular world of Trill, where Adira is forced to deal with her past and the isolationist tendencies of the locals. We already know that one of Dax's previous hosts had interactions with the Federation during the 22nd and 23rd centuries so there is no reason for other adventurous symbionts not to do the same plus we can justify the death of Gray with the Klingon's attack on Starbase 1 or just the War in general, as such we have a lovely aesop of letting go of the past and living in the present and such. Anyways, besides that we also have a lost Vulcan colony that has been rediscovered following the Earth-Romulan War, it was thought that the entire place was glassed in nuclear fire. It is here where Michael uncovers a person from her past whom she hoped to never see again and where T'Rina's resolve is tested as whatever the colonists are hiding might be truly damaging to the Federation and Vulcans alike. Spoilers, it is the fact that Romulans and Vulcans can live with one another and complement each other's style of living under the right circumstances. Also, the person that Michael wishes to avoid is her mother, who was neglectful due to her grief and trauma to the point where Michael preferred to spend time with Sarek's family. Michael finally forgives herself and therefore the Georgiou hallucination that has been haunting her fades away as Burnham learned to move on, all the while Saru decides to take a leave of absence and return to his homeworld to help expedite the unification process between the Ba'ul and Kelpiens. However, not everything is going well for everyone as T'Rina gets impeached due to the Council losing confidence in her abilities to lead and the new President-Elect happens to be none other than the hawkish Laira Rillak, who is a Denobulan this time around since these guys barely got featured after Enterprise. The whole thing also benefited the Romulans since now they have more up-to-date information about their enemies without having to start another war.

Season 4: Honesty, not a lot has changed from the original format except that Gray is not coming back to life and Ruon Tarka is none other than former Captain Gabriel Lorca, who is now working with Section 31 after they went underground. Lorca's plan is quite simple as he takes advantage of the chaos happening around him and wants to undermine Starfleet since he is both petty and bitter about his imprisonment, he wants to push Laira to extremism, not unlike that of the Federation First party later in the timeline and also wants to get himself a new apprentice who happens to be the new Warrant Officer Cleveland Booker, who is quite rightfully angry at the resident hyper-advanced space whales for blowing up his planet and family. Hugh Culber, who got a very nasty case of having his back broken during season 1 because his Paul was having the mother of all mental breakdowns following his ill-advised augmentation with space tardigrade DNA, decided to become the onboard Counselor since he finally got over the fact that he spent most of season 2 in a medically induced coma and the break he took from dealing with his husband's bad decisions to deal with his own issues.

With all of this in mind, all I can say is that I have no idea what season 5 will bring and the move from the 23rd century to the 32nd century was not a great plan considering that they could have just done all of the above to obtain the same results, but hey that's just Hollywood's desire to milk that cow for that sweet, sweet cash. Keep in mind that during season 3 they transition from the Enterprise Blues to the Origanl Sweaters, but with something more akin to what those guys at the Axanar production have in mind. Also, I have been noticing that a lot of my followers tended to be from the Dark Side of Tumblr, so I made the executive decision to start blocking anyone who didn't have anything posted on their pages and no titles. After all rule 190 of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition says "Hear all, trust nothing" and did I hear some things from those "followers" of mine that now I ain't trusting none of y'all without some proper IDs at hand.

This has been Greg for Owlman's Previously Owned Ideas. We do not advise you to let unknown people follow your profile unless you are into that kind of thing. We also do no refunds.

#ramblings #star trek discovery #sorry not even remotely sorry #scifi #who are you #why do i even bother

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newstfionline · 1 year ago

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Saturday, September 16, 2023

Zelensky Plans White House Visit as U.S. Fights to Shore Up Aid (NYT) Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, will visit Washington next week following his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, according to three U.S. officials. Mr. Zelensky’s visit comes as the Biden administration works to shore up support in Congress for an additional $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine amid a grinding Ukrainian counteroffensive that has so far yielded disappointing results. Mr. Zelensky insists that Ukraine can still make major gains. Mr. Zelensky last visited Washington in December, where he addressed Congress and urged the continued supply of American weapons for his country’s battle against Russia, which is about to enter its 19th month. Since then, anxiety has grown among Ukraine’s supporters as they have watched a decline in U.S. public support for continuing aid to the country.

Hurricane Lee targets New England and eastern Canada (AP) Fishermen removed lobster traps from the water and residents hauled hundreds of boats ashore — leaving some harbors looking like ghost towns—while utility workers from as far away as Tennessee began taking up positions Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee’s heavy winds, high seas and rain that’s expected to span hundreds of miles (kilometers) of land and sea. The storm is projected to be more than 400 miles (640 kilometers) wide with tropical-storm-force winds when it reaches land, creating worries of power outages in Maine. Lee remained a hurricane with 80 mph (128 kph) winds at night as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells, strong winds and rain.

Politicians Charge Millions to Send Migrants to U.S. (NYT) Every step through the jungle, there is money to be made. The boat ride to reach the rainforest: $40. A guide on the treacherous route once you start walking: $170. A porter to carry your backpack over the muddy mountains: $100. A plate of chicken and rice after arduous climbing: $10. Special, all-inclusive packages to make the perilous slog faster and more bearable, with tents, boots and other necessities: $500, or more. Hundreds of thousands of migrants are now pouring through a sliver of jungle known as the Darién Gap, the only land route to the United States from South America, in a record tide that the Biden administration and the Colombian government have vowed to stop. But the windfall here at the edge of the continent is simply too big to pass up, and the entrepreneurs behind the migrant gold rush are not underground smugglers hiding from the authorities. They are politicians, prominent businessmen and elected leaders, now sending thousands of migrants toward the United States each day—and charging millions of dollars a month for the privilege. The United States, Colombia and Panama signed an agreement in April to “end the illicit movement of people” through the Darién Gap, a practice that “leads to death and exploitation of vulnerable people for significant profit.” Today, that profit is greater than ever, with local leaders collecting tens of millions of dollars this year alone from migrants in an enormous people-moving operation—one that international experts say is more sophisticated than anything they have seen.

Dominican Republic closes border with Haiti (Washington Post) The Dominican Republic had already begun building a wall at its border with Haiti. Then it cracked down on immigration, deporting tens of thousands of Haitians back to their impoverished and gang-ravaged country. Now it’s closing the border entirely. President Luis Abinader announced the Dominican Republic will shut all of its land, air and sea frontiers with Haiti starting Friday morning, amid a festering dispute over Haiti’s plans to construct a canal off a river that separates the two countries. The announcement Thursday afternoon significantly escalates tensions between the two nations, which share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and a long history of strained ties. The closure of Haiti’s only land border threatens to worsen the crisis in a country on the brink of collapse. Haiti was already the poorest country in the hemisphere before its president’s assassination. Since then, much of the country has descended into lawlessness, with gangs controlling large swaths of its capital and blocking humanitarian aid.

At London arms fair, global war fears good for business (Reuters) As Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met this week to discuss what analysts believe will be a deal for an exchange of weapons, the West’s leading companies were descending on Europe’s biggest arms show in London. Since the last iteration of the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in September 2021, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and dramatically increased tensions over Taiwan and North Korea have given a shot of adrenaline to arms manufacturers worldwide. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, European defence spending rose 13 percent in 2022 alone, bringing total global spending to an all-time high of $2,240 billion. Consultancy McKinsey reports that Russia saw its defence exports fall 21% over the first year following the Ukraine invasion, creating further openings for Western arms sales in the developing world. Overall, it expects military spending to increase globally by an average of 4% a year through to 2028, led by Japan increasing its military budget by an unprecedented 14% a year. As one defence executive put it: “War is good for business”.

Italy: Meloni under pressure (Washington Post) They arrived in rapid succession, a flotilla of rickety boats carrying desperate migrants from the Tunisian coast across the Mediterranean Sea. Within three days, their numbers—nearly 7,000 by late Wednesday—had topped the total population of their destination, the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa. The crisis has alarmed Italy. On the campaign trail last year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had vowed to halt irregular migration even if it took a European Union-led “naval blockade.” But as arrivals in Italy have surged to 123,800 so far this year, Meloni has found herself criticized on both the political right and left for failing to deliver on her cornerstone pledge. The surge on the southern island of Lampedusa—which declared a state of emergency late Wednesday—came despite a new deal she helped strike with the Tunisian government aimed at blocking migrant sailings. At the same time, she is confronting fresh moves by Germany and France to stop migrants from leaving Italy.

Broken dreams, shattered families in China’s unfinished apartments (Reuters) Construction worker Shi Tieniu bought a presale apartment in an industrial city in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province, billed as a “superior product” to be “passed down through generations”. Eight years later, it is an unfinished shell, and every night he must climb 20 flights of stairs to sleep in a threadbare room without water, heating or electricity. “I almost never drink water, wash my face or brush my teeth,” said Shi, 39, who moved into the Gaotie Wellness City complex in May. Shi and a few dozen desperate home buyers live in the block in Tongchuan city as part of a nationwide campaign to pressure authorities to address so-called “rotting” or unfinished homes that have become more common during a years-long property slump that has bankrupted many developers and left others massively indebted. Since the property debt crisis began in 2021, thousands of homeowners have faced similar situations nationwide as smaller developers face liquidity issues and industry giants like Country Garden narrowly avoided default.

In China, a Completely Different Approach to Lowering Healthcare Costs (WSJ) China is carrying out a massive anticorruption purge across its healthcare sector, in an effort to bring down medical costs and revive the country’s flagging economy. Communist Party enforcers have steamrolled through hospitals and medical institutions across China, detaining more than 190 hospital party chiefs, directors and deputy directors—incumbent and former—so far this year, according to a Wall Street Journal review of government disclosures. The healthcare campaign echoes recent crackdowns on internet giants and the after-school tutoring industry that have altered swaths of the economy.

U.S. cuts military aid to Egypt, sends money instead to Taiwan (Washington Post) The Biden administration this week told Congress that it intends to withhold $85 million designated for U.S. security assistance to Egypt this year, and instead provide the bulk of the money to Taiwan. The decision brought immediate criticism from lawmakers that the reprogrammed amount either wasn’t enough to punish Egypt for ongoing detentions of political prisoners and other human rights abuses, or that it was a paltry offering to Taiwan given the urgency of China’s aggressive behavior. The decision to redirect $55 million from Egypt to “strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities” is the second time in recent weeks the administration has authorized money to Taipei under the Foreign Military Financing program that previously was reserved for sovereign nations.

Libyan city closed off as searchers look for 10,100 missing after flood deaths rise to 11,300 (AP) Libyan authorities blocked civilians from entering the flood-stricken eastern city of Derna on Friday so search teams could look through the mud and wrecked buildings for 10,100 people still missing after the known toll rose to 11,300 dead. The disaster after two dams collapsed in heavy rains and sent a massive flood gushing into the Mediterranean city early Monday underscored the storm’s intensity but also Libya’s vulnerability. The oil-rich state since 2014 has been split between rival governments in the east and west backed by various militia forces and international patrons. Derna was being evacuated and only search and rescue teams would be allowed to enter, Salam al-Fergany, director general of the Ambulance and Emergency Service in eastern Libya, announced late Thursday.

Sharks on a Golf Course Made a Water Hazard Unlike Any Other (NYT) For nearly two decades, the Carbrook Golf Club near Brisbane, Australia, had the ultimate water hazard: a lake teeming with bull sharks. It all started in 1996 when raging floods swept six young bull sharks from a nearby river into a 51-acre lake near the golf course’s 14th hole. When the floodwaters receded, the sharks found themselves stuck, surrounded by grassy hills and curious golfers. The sharks spent 17 years in the lake, sustaining themselves on its large stock of fish and on the occasional meat treat provided by the club’s staff. One shark was illegally fished out, while the others vanished after subsequent floods. While the idea of sharing a lake with bull sharks may be scary to some, the golfers relished the opportunity, Scott Wagstaff, general manager of Carbrook Golf Club, said. “Every single member here just loves the sharks,” Mr. Wagstaff said.

#headlines #news

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jirnkirks · 2 months ago

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Also, what even is there to argue about? Voting Kamala and HAPPY About it describes 66% of Kamala voters of this poll.

Do you remember? The lack of sympathy for Israelis who didnt like it but enlisted and did their "duty" as IDF soldiers? The way we mocked how proud IDF were that its soldiers were queer friendly & filled women? The Israeli political left & center who believe Palestinians are terrorists but they shouldn't stoop to the level of them?

And not only that- Kamala has come out to say she wouldn't change a thing about Biden's administration except maybe add more Republicans to her Cabinet. Biden has been largely ineffective in changing or curtailing Trump era policies, meaning just 1 GOP president can fuck you all forever. Kamala is pro stricter border control, doesnt seem particularly interested in reproductive health, healthcare, debt forgiveness, minimum wage, accessibility. Biden has some good appointments namely in the FCC and his chair (Lina Khan) is cracking down on major tech consolidation especially with gen AI- Kamala wants Khan gone. Wants to start a major conflict with Iran.

I do think so many Democrats are disgusting in their callous denial of Palestinian lives and even Arab & Muslim voters who rightly feel that Kamala doesnt give a fuck about them and their family in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria & the Arab world being bombed by their taxes. But also, if maybe Kamala promised ANYTHING to ANYONE I would sympathize as someone stuck in a different country with absolutely dogshit politics.

But she doesnt! Shes literally offering the same thing Trump does but as a girlboss and maybe less quickly! And theres isnt even talk of local politics or which specific people cabinets do well or ANYTHING on why voting Kamala will actually help your stupid dogshit country when Dems are sliding right and Republicans are sliding even further. Theyre already ceding ground to centrists and conservatives! Everyone who isnt living in rosewater can fucking see it! Because they know they dont need to take anyone left of that seriously!

So what are you actually doing??? Who are you helping????? You are not special for having dogshit presidential candidates all around! But most even vaguely left or liberal citizens of countries with dogshit politics can recognize they live in a dogshit system where even in cases with a distinctively worse candidate, the system is so dogwater bullshit & specific elections can be so dogshit that we can accept its all such a nonsensical farce to pretend one candidate will create an even half decent world. And when decent is the bare MINIMUM, you cant really be pissed at the people who will live in the same dogshit regardless!

On tumblr and elsewhere in my internetsphere, I see a ton of people who have been very critical of Kamala, and I’m wondering, how these people are planning to vote. I’d also love to hear how the war in Gaza is or isn’t impacting your choice!

#I hate americams #Just say you dont care about the people you kill and you can go suck establishment cock

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enbycarp · 1 year ago

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Got this in a newsletter for a podcast called RadioLab, and I thought it was interesting (and the episode they mention is really good):

Do We Really Have to Choose Between Safety and Freedom?

By Anna Rascouët-Paz Remember Section 230, the U.S. law that shields internet platforms from responsibility for the content their users post, sometimes to disastrous effect? We dropped an episode about it earlier this month, so if you haven’t heard it yet, do it now. I’ll wait. Section 230 is credited for allowing the internet to be what it is; cases were brought against it, and everyone worried that the U.S. Supreme Court would strike it down. This, experts argued, would break the world wide web as we know it. There was a collective sigh of relief when the Justices left it in place. Case closed, right? Wrong. Unlike U.S. law, the world wide web is… worldwide. Sites we use in the U.S. serve billions of people across the globe. Guess who else uses Facebook, Twitter (sorry, X), TikTok, Grindr, Amazon: Europeans. And Europe really, really cares about keeping its people safe. The group of 27 countries is a pioneer of internet regulation—a phrase that, to U.S. ears, can sound like an oxymoron. But following their rules can force such huge changes, the vast majority of sites just implement them globally. You know how you have to approve which cookies can spy on you when you get on a new site? That’s the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). By giving Europeans more control over their privacy, they gave it to the rest of the world, too. And here comes another round of EU Laws That Protect Humans On The Internet: the Digital Services Act (DSA) rollout began last week, with full implementation by 2024. Fun fact: it’s trying to address many of the issues of Section 230. And like GDPR, it’s already affecting U.S. users. The DSA holds internet platforms accountable for the content users post on them. The EU believes that all “intermediaries”—sites that provide goods, content and services—should foster an environment that respects the rights of users. This law has created an obligation to moderate. Break the rules and companies will face fines of six percent of their global revenue, or even EU-wide bans. Platforms must facilitate reports of harmful content, and act on them. They must allow their users, not the algorithms, to rule their feeds (Facebook brought back its chronological feed last month, for everyone , to get a head start). By the way, they’ll have to share said algos with EU authorities. Kids will no longer be exposed to suggested content based on their activity. Once a year, companies will assess the risk on their platforms and share how effective their safety tools are. They’re also obligated to let researchers and internet watchdogs access their data—I’m eager to see all the science this will yield. The law is going after the usual suspects: fake news, child pornography, racist attacks, harassment. Sites will need to crack down on content that gets in the way of public health, electoral processes, and fundamental rights. The EU promises that they won’t be gentle if platforms mess up. Europe’s approach suggests that they don’t see freedom and safety as opposing forces. They insist that the law will target what is already illegal, so the internet won’t be less free than real life. Also, if you disagree about a content removal decision, you’ll be able to challenge it more easily. Giants like Google, TikTok, and Meta are complying. Amazon is suing the EU . Elon Musk’s Twitter—sorry, X—was procrastinating, but the EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton warned that they’d better get in line before Europe’s election season begins, or else. Musk swore they’d be ready. If these announcements are anything to go by, adapting to the new rules represents a large enough operational shift that the companies might apply them wholesale rather than by location. Long term, many believe the DSA will be a model for other countries to follow and fine-tune. Who knows. I, for one, can’t wait to see how it’s going to play out for Section 230. Next: the EU takes on artificial intelligence. Stay tuned.

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sleepy12ftpanda · 2 years ago

Text

<- "Okay so according to this framing we have two options. Either we share works online freely without artists being properly compensated for their labor, or we submit to an exploitative system where artists get less than what their labor is worth and only rich production companies get the say of what actually gets made and distributed. I don’t like either option. Let’s make a third. How about we elect a democratic council to take public money to fund artists in our own communities?"

-> "You’d have to appease the whims of the council to get anything made."

<- "Then how about we set a universal basic income so people can create art without having the fear that they’ll starve?"

-> "And who would go out of their way to do the most humiliating, stressful, and dangerous jobs in our economy if poverty didn't force them?"

<- "What if we also paid a job proportional to how unpleasant and dangerous it is?"

-> "Wouldn’t that give excess influence to the people who chose to exclusively work in those sectors?"

<- "Yes, and that would also mean that everyone would start to participate in them because nobody would wanna be left behind economically."

-> "That would mean artists would still be poor next to their peers and have to work a side hustle to stay afloat."

<- "It’d be a side hustle where you wouldn’t have to sacrifice as much time to your job and could take breaks to finish your art without starving or losing rent and healthcare. Combine that with both strengthening and democratizing the National Endowment of the Arts to work via elected council at the county level, and you have a system where artists can work their non-art jobs one part of the year and produce their craft the other."

-> "So let me get this straight. We’d need universal basic income, universal public healthcare, labor and danger proportional wages, and an expansion/restructuring of the National Endowment of the Arts JUST so that artists don’t have to sell their labor to capitalist institutions to live?"

<- "It’d be much freer."

-> "At that point, why not end world hunger or global warming? Give all the land back to the natives! Finally get those reparations for slavery and colonialism you keep talking about. Take all the nukes and throw them into the sun, Superman!"

<- "Literally nothing of what you said was a bad thing."

-> "So why isn’t it already happening?"

<- "There isn’t the political will among those with power to do so."

-> "Right. Why do you even go through the bother of thinking up these things if you know you don’t have the power to put them to action, much less not be persecuted if you tried?"

<- "I just want things to be fixed and problems solved. It’s not like you’re any happier."

-> "At least I don’t waste my fucking time wishing I was a superhero."

<- "Really? You could’ve fooled me with the amount of escapist media you consume."

-> "I’m enjoying my life here. All the things you want are things working people would have to sacrifice their lives trying to achieve for the next generation, and I just so happen to want to fucking chill now thanks."

<- "The more we chill, the more time we lose."

-> "Exactly."

<- "Listen to yourself! You act as though you got it all figured out, but you're just running away. Life should be more than the crack of blue light between blinds of dread!"

-> "Uh-huh."

<- "Joy, man! I’m talking real joy. Contentment. Fucking…calm! When was the last time you felt, in the depths in your heart, that things will finally turn out for the best? That tomorrow had a promise? A future?"

-> [ boots up Ps5 ]

<- "I want that. I want that so bad! I need your help to make it, and you- …"

-> [ Elden Ring noises ]

<- "What are you doing?"

-> "Getting dopamine. We have a shift tomorrow, don’t we?"

<- [ Slumps down on the couch next to -> ]

"Can’t you just let me be Enjolras once in a while?"

-> "Only until you start building barricades."

<- [ Sighs and nestles against ->’s shoulder ]

< - > [ They stay there for a bit in silence, then- ]

-> [ pauses the game ]

"I’m sorry. You want good things. I’m just…"

<- "Scared?"

-> [ nods ]

<- [ takes his partner’s face in his hands kisses his forehead ]

-> [ kisses <- back and wraps his arm around him in an embrace. ]

"…we’ll get through this."

<- "yeah…"

< - > "…I know we will."

The IA's "Open Library" is Not a Library, Yesterday's Lower Court Decision does Not "Hurt Authors," and the Planned Appeal Is (Almost Certainly) NOT a Good Way to Try to Change Bad Law (In Fact, It's More Likely to Make Bad Law Worse)

Ok, so a day later, I'm still mad about this. If anything, I'm even madder. I'm going to write this as a response to the Internet Archive's "The Fight Continues" blogpost, but before we begin, let's get some facts straight:

Copyright law in the United States, especially the law around digital lending, currently sucks. It's really really bad, and anyone with a stake in the game - except the big publishers and e-book services that profit from it - hate it.

That said, copyright law exists as a thing. As I said in a previous post, you *can* try to change it through court cases, but there are certain things you cannot change. And there are certain things you can try to change, but it will be an uphill battle to change them in a positive direction. And notably, as bad as digital lending law is in the U.S., it still could always get worse! And one general rule of impact litigation: if you are trying to change the law, you want to make sure you have the best possible facts. Because the worse your facts are, the worse your case is likely to go.

Yesterday's district court ruling DID NOT CHANGE ANY SUBSTANTIVE COPYRIGHT LAW IN THE U.S. I cannot emphasize that enough. Regardless of whatever you think of the ruling, it was applying already existing law to the facts.

This is because the Internet Archive's "Open Library" absolutely violates existing copyright law. It just does! They broke the law, they had plenty of notice they were breaking the law and harming authors (more on that below) and just think the law shouldn't apply because they don't like it.

The Internet Archive's "Open Library" is not a library. Some big ways it differs:

While it pretends to have a one-to-one owned-to-loaned ratio, as the opinion granting the publisher's motion for summary judgement notes, IA concedes that it allows "partner libraries" to add books to its collection and then doesn't check (and has no way of checking) if the book is out of circulation at the "partner library" at the same time it's being "checked out" of the Open Library. In other words, it's like if you took a book, scanned the pages, and then gave the scans to your friend who then loaned the scans out to other people but totally promised they were only lending the scans to one person at a time so it's basically like there is still just one copy! And meanwhile you still own, are reading, and lending out the physical copy of the book. Except instead of one book, they were doing this on a massive scale. NO, THAT'S JUST THEFT.*

Speaking of which, the "Open Library" didn't keep that promise! Their "Emergency Library" just let everyone borrow as many copies at a time as they could! Again, THAT'S JUST THEFT.

Like I'm sorry if you don't like the idea of copyright at all: right now, we live in a capitalist system where authors need to be paid for their work in order to, like, not die. If you take their work, scan it into your computer, and give it away for free to anyone and everyone, THAT'S JUST THEFT.

Also, most authors love libraries! Libraries allow more people to access their books while not substantially impacting their revenue and not impacting their rights! AUTHORS - not just publishers, authors - DO NOT LIKE AI'S "OPEN LIBRARY." Why haven't authors sued to stop this before, why is this the publishers suing? From the above letter: "Even simple copyright lawsuits must be brought in federal court, and often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. A challenge to the Internet Archive could easily cost millions." Publishers have deep pockets that authors and authors' groups don't. Also, authors who object to AI stealing their work are frequently subject to harassment.

If IA won this case, the new law that would be made is this: it would be legal to steal an author's works.

*I'm using "theft" and "steal" instead of "piracy" throughout this write-up to make it clear what this is. "Pirating books" is just stealing them.

So to sum up the facts above: copyright law in the U.S. sucks, but it exists. Attempting to change it for the better through the court system would be very difficult. Even then, changing the law for the better would likely require a case with good facts. Unfortunately, the law could also change for the worse. Yesterday's ruling did not change any law. The facts in this case are very bad, because the IA absolutely violated copyright law. That is in part because the IA's "Open Library" is not a library; they just steal books. Many (if not most) authors and author's groups don't like that IA is stealing from them. If IA won this case, that victory would mean that anyone was allowed to steal an author's works.

*deep breath*

Ok, let's turn to the IA's statement, "The Fight Continues":

"Today’s lower court decision in Hachette v. Internet Archive is a blow to all libraries and the communities we serve."

The Internet Archive is not a library.

No it's not. It is a blow to the Internet Archive, specifically, because you broke the law and it ruled you broke the law. As stated above, it does not change anything with regard to copyright, including digital copyright, law in the U.S., and therefore does not impact libraries or the communities they serve. If you appeal this ruling, as you have stated you intend to, and the law does change for the worse (which is always a risk of appeal, and a risk that gets worse when you have bad facts), THEN libraries might be affected.

"This decision impacts libraries across the US who rely on controlled digital lending to connect their patrons with books online."

I mean yes, in the sense that "controlled digital lending" isn't normal e-book lending. It's the thing you made up where you steal books and illegally redistribute them.

This genuinely sucks for libraries and communities that don't have other ways of accessing digital books because the current copyright scheme sucks so bad! Real libraries are doing things to try to help, and not just steal from authors! More on that below!

"It hurts authors by saying that unfair licensing models are the only way their books can be read online."

OH GO FUCK YOURSELVES

Ok this line, this line right here? That is honestly why I wrote this whole thing.

How DARE you cloak your theft in the real struggles authors face with unfair licensing models. How DARE you pretend you are on the side of authors when you are stealing their works, and they have made it quite clear that they would like you to stop, please. And how DARE you frame it in this "for exposure" bullcrap that ignores the real struggles that authors have to eat, to get healthcare, to get any sort of fair pay and wages for their work, and instead pretend that all authors should care about is whether or not their books can be read online.

And bluntly? If you - not IA, YOU, tumblr user reading this - if you shared this bullcrap statement and told people to donate money to the IA because of this? If you told people they should steal more books in response (because it's the publishers fault, ignore the real authors who are actually harmed)? How DARE you. How DARE you pretend to be on the side of authors and writers.

"And it holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere."

Except for those readers who are also authors, and need to eat.

And readers who want to read books that will never get written if authors can't write (because they need to eat).

And also, no it doesn't, because it doesn't change the law. It just applies the law that already exists to you. Because you are not above the law.

"But it’s not over—we will keep fighting for the traditional right of libraries to own, lend, and preserve books."

You are not a library.

You were not (and are not) fighting for "the traditional right of libraries." Plenty of other organizations are fighting against bad copyright law in the U.S. This court case, however, was literally just about you stealing books.

Like I cannot emphasize enough that you were just stealing and you got caught.

"We will be appealing the judgment and encourage everyone to come together as a community to support libraries against this attack by corporate publishers."

You aren't a library.

Fuck you for borrowing the (justified) hatred of corporate publishers to paper over your bad actions.

Does "coming together as a community to support libraries against this attack" mean giving you money, as suggested by the calls to action at the bottom of this page? Because you aren't a library.

"We will continue our work as a library."

You aren't a library.

"This case does not challenge many of the services we provide with digitized books including interlibrary loan, citation linking, access for the print-disabled, text and data mining, purchasing ebooks, and ongoing donation and preservation of books."

First, and most important: these are all uncritically good and important things that the IA does! Despite the rest of this post, I am really really glad the IA exists, that it is doing these things, and I hope that it will continue to do this things!

You are correct that this case does not challenge those services! Because those services aren't just stealing books from authors, which is what you were doing, which is what this case is actually about!

I'm skipping the statement from Brewster Kahle because it's just more of the same. The statement then invites you to Take Action! by donating to IA and positing themselves as standing up for libraries! (They are not a library.)

But real libraries and librarians are actually fighting the good fight over lack of access to materials, especially digital materials and bad laws, and you can support them!

If you actually do want to "come together as a community to support libraries," and support digital access, may I suggest instead donating to The Brooklyn Public Library's Books Unbanned program?:

https://www.bklynlibrary.org/books-unbanned

While they aren't directly challenging bad copyright law, they are directly fighting back against laws that are much more actively and materially impact people's access to books, including providing free e-book and database access to everyone in the U.S. age 13-21. It's a great and important program, and your donations can really help!

#panda writes #panda thoughts #mlm #panda reacts #self love

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yanxidarlings · 3 years ago

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Ummm Yandere Allies with a darling that has a husband. But the husband is sadly verbally and emotionally abusive to the darling and neglects them. Even if the allies is trying to seduce the darling away, the darling is dead set on staying with their rather shitty husband. They don't believe in cheating/ adultery, they hate it and refuse to stop so lowly.

𝒴𝒜𝒩𝒟𝐸𝑅𝐸 𝒜𝐿𝐿𝐼𝐸𝒮 𝒳 𝒰𝒩𝐻𝒜𝒫𝒫𝐼𝐿𝒴 𝑀𝒜𝑅𝑅𝐼𝐸𝒟 𝑅𝐸𝒜𝒟𝐸𝑅

AMERICA

• alfred didn't think it was possible to hate someone as much as he hates your husband. that repugnant man is lucky enough to be married to someone as lovely as his darling, and he isn't even grateful. and what irritates him more is that no matter what he does, you cannot be seduced.

• whilst he admires your loyalty and morals, he despises that you'd be so faithful to someone who'd probably cheat on you given the chance. wait, cheat on you... alfred is a yandere who will elect to sabotage before murder, he'd rather his rival suffer then be granted quick death. being the powerful country he is, creating a few lies about your spouse is easier than cracking an egg.

• you'll soon find out that your husband has been cheating on you for years, giving his heart and soul to others whilst you have been left in the dark. if you still won't leave your husband at this point, then alfred will be forced to take drastic measures.

• the news of your husbands death could be a shameful relief or an upsetting heartbreak, america won't give you any time to mourn as he whisks you away to his home, from now on he won't let anyone mistreat you, even if he has to use some underhanded methods to get you to see his point of view. but if you do, america will soften up, he may even start to believe your husband never even existed, and attempt to live normally with you.

ENGLAND

• calm and collected on the outside as his insides burned with rage. no matter what he said, what he did, his darling insisted on staying with that mongrel, when there's a gentleman like him willing to take you in and treat you in the respectful way you deserve, won't do, that won't do at all.

• if only your unwavering loyalty could be directed at him, that's all he could wish for. someone who would stay by his side despite his vices. he may have become obsessed with you for this reason alone. arthur is a lonely nation, so many have left him, and meeting a person as faithful as you would he a breath of fresh air. he's impressed with your unresponsiveness to his attempts at seduction, but after a while he gets impatient

• while he doesn't want to dirty his own hands, your husbands actions are unacceptable, but murder isn't gentlemanly, so he decides to take the america route. suddenly your co workers give you sad looks as you pass them, your in laws are aloof and standoffish, even your own family seems odd. then you return home to find your husband in another's arms, accusing you of neglecting and abusing him. no one believes the true story, no one, except arthur.

• you have no choice but to depend on england for comfort, and as your husband disappears off the face of the earth after you sign the divorce papers, beginning a relationship with him would not at all be against your morals anymore. but if you insist of rejecting him, then he can always make you a nice convicing cup of tea, and then you wonder why you ever waited so long to leave your ex-husband.

CANADA

• matthew may just be the most infuriated, with mostly your husband, but partly you. for having so little respect for yourself that you'd stay with such a putrid man, especially when held right there, ready to be the perfect partner for you. so stop being so stubborn and leave your husband already, eh?.

• he's another manipulative yandere, he works his way into your heart with sweet words of distraction from your husband. he's your supportive friend who regularly encourages you to leave him, that there are better people out there for you. he can come across as passive aggressive as he mentions his issues with your husband, how silly you are for staying with him, but you brush it off as him being socially awkward.

• if he can't convince you to leave your husband no matter what, or you reprimand him for trying to seduce you, he'll snap. he's a yandere who can be driven to the edge quite easily, but you won't realise until it's too late. and oneday you get a call saying your husband and his family have been in a fatal car crash, and has passed away.

• as you mourn he'll be there to comfort you, attempting to initiate a relationship as you slowly begin to get over him. he's patient at waiting for you to be ready for another relationship, he can probably tolerate just being your friend, as long as you never forget him, but if you start one with someone else. well you won't be seeing the light of day for a long time.

FRANCE

• a delusional yandere, francis will have convinced himself that this whole ordeal was an arranged marriage, your husband neglects you because he has another love, and you just wish to make whoever arranged this marriage happy. oh what a selfless darling you are, sacrificing your own happiness for other peoples wishes. but francis is here now, and will support you in anyway you require, so hurry up and divorce your husband, and let this chapter of life be behind you!.

• he won't understand why you refuse to be with him, he would treat you like the godly being you are, he would give you the happiest life you could ever live, why is his darling being so difficult?. francis will regularly persue you, there's no convicing him that you want to stay with your husband of your own accord. it takes the longest for his bubble to burst, but when it does, he's furious. so your husband wanted to be married to you and then purposefully neglects and abuses you? how dare he. francis won't tolerate the situation for even a minute.

• in a moment of recklessness, he'll knock you out and bring you to his place, when he realises what held done, you've already woken up and are demanding to know what's happening. francis will burst into tears, perhaps they're real or perhaps they're fake, and beg for forgiveness, explaining that he just wants to take care of you.

• he's manipulative, but rarely intends to be, france is genuinely upset many of the times, and you can't help but feel just a little but guilty for making the frenchman who, aside from kidnapping you, had been so sweet. if your husband comes looking for you, france will reluctantly kill him, especially if you still refuse to be with him because of your marriage.

RUSSIA

• ivan is displeased with his darlings reluctance to leave your husband, but maybe you just don't realise how much better ivan is for you, no worries, he can just take you to live with him, to get a glimpse of what your life could be, and will be from now on.

• you'll wake up in a different bedroom to the one you fell asleep in pretty quickly, confused as to where you were, you'd attempt to get out of the bed, only to realise you were chained to the bedpost. when ivan comes in and explains why you're there, you're quick to reprimand him, insisting on staying with your husband, russia will say nothing, and leave you in the room alone.

• this will continue for weeks, as the only human interaction you get will be with ivan as he comes upstairs each day to feed you, eventually the isolation gets to you, and adultery seems less horrible as it did before. ivan is surprisingly patient, but only with you, downstairs the baltics are getting a beating whenever you refuse his company.

• if it's because you're married then you don't have to worry, russia ended your husbands life when he first kidnapped you. if he see's you mourning that useless imbecile, then he'll snap, and your interactions will become more forced. and if even then you reject him, then he might just have to become much stricter with you.

CHINA

• aiyah.. yao will be irritated at his darling for making his life so difficult, he already feel incredibly childish for having one of these silly western obsession, but with you already being in a relationship, this is amplified ten fold.

• at first he attempts to ignore his obsession, hoping it'll go away with time. perhaps it would have, but when he saw your husband mistreating you, all rationality would have been thrown out the window. he's not obsessed with you, no, his intuition was just incredibly good. yao would think that he was just worried for you, as a yandere who thinks he's above being a yandere, this would be the point where he would embrace his obsessive tendancies, seeing them as justified, as you couldn't even choose a suitable life partner for yourself, you were like a child that needed guidance, and he would be more then happy to provide.

• nevermind if you cannot be seduced away, that just proves that you understand loyalty, a trait he greatly values in not just a partner but anyone close to him. yao will make quick work of your husband, either through ruining his career and reputation, or simply having him killed. but he'll be there to help you get through it all.

• china will be very pushy in convincing you to move in with him, saying that you'll need a place to stay without your husband supporting you. he's one who won't kidnap you easily, unless you go out and try to start a new relationship, he'll just show up at your house so often and invite you over to his that you'd might as well be living together. he's another that won't force a romantic relationship, as long as you stay single and close to only him, he's content.

#yandere hetalia #yandere allies #yandere america #yandere england #yandere canada #yandere france #yandere russia #yandere china #yandere aph russia #yandere aph china #yandere aph america #yandere aph england #yandere aph france #yandere aph canada #yandere aph #yandere aph headcanons #yandere hetalia headcanons #my headcanons

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wilwheaton · 4 years ago

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wow! you really did it this time. who knew you would be the one whod crack the oh so cryptic nazi dogwhistle that the rightwing has been hiding behind all this time? you're truly a genius! now that you have basically compared the official term (that the members themselves have used for years) of the democratic party TO the n-word, the s-word and the k-word, they cant make fun of liberals and leftists anymore, we are finally free. their supplies are SPENT and their defenses BROKEN. thank you mr. wheaton, you have done it! you have defeated fascism! may god bless america!

Just because you don’t know about the history of something doesn’t mean your interpretation and dismissal of that history is factually correct.

You’re probably not going to hear this. That’s okay. This is for anyone else who is open to hearing how this 48 year-old guy got where he is, politically.

The biggest event in my generation’s life is likely the attack on 9/11. None of us had ever experienced something like that, and it wrecked a lot of us.

But in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, all of us who weren’t on board with Bush’s illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq were grouped in with the terrorists who murdered 2000 people. We were The Other. It wasn’t as dangerous or as violent at that is in Trump’s America, but for its time, in its context, it hurt.

Sidebar: We are losing a 9/11 of Americans every two days, to COVID. It didn’t have to be this way. The fact that it is this way is a choice.

The whole point of a slur is to dehumanize and cast out a group of people. slurs shape unconscious public perceptions, encourage prejudices and bigotry, and create The Other.

When our nation was grieving and afraid, Republicans saw it as an opportunity to consolidate power, and one of the ways they did that was to Otherize and dehumanize all of us who didn’t share their political ideology. Our grief was minimized and discarded, and part of that was deliberately calling us The Democrat Party, instead of The Democratic Party. This was started by right wing Fascist Rush Limbaugh. He said that anyone who was a Democrat wasn’t actually democratic, and within 24 hours, elected Republicans at all levels of government, their supporters on hate radio, and right wing pundits were saying “Democrat” party instead of “Democratic Party”. As far as slurs go, it’s nowhere near the slurs propagated against BIPoC, LGBTQ+, and other groups of people who are dehumanized by my fellow white people. But it is still a slur, and it is still intended to dehumanize and delegitimize us.

So we were left with this huge, emotional, psychic wound that we couldn’t heal, a national grieving we were very publicly excluded from. If you weren’t alive then, you likely don’t know what it felt like for us to be told “you’re with us or against us” at a time when “us” meant Bush and the GOP. We lost friends and family and colleagues on 9/11, too. We were afraid, too. We lived in the same country and had the same right to grief and healing as Bush’s allies.

So when I hear a young person, who likely wasn’t alive or was a baby in 2001 and its immediate aftermath repeating a phrase that was used against me and people like me, I take offense. I won’t apologize for that. I also won’t apologize for not being as Left as some of the kids who attacked me. I do apologize for not making more of an effort to communicate clearly and compassionately.

I can’t imagine that anyone who doesn’t already agree with all of this is still reading, but just in case some of you are open to it, open to hearing this old man’s voice of experience:

This will be hard for you to believe, but I’m WAY to the Left in American politics. I know I’m not as Left as some of y’all in other countries. I respect where you’re coming from, and I ask you to understand and respect that, in 48 years (30 of them voting and actively participating in campaigns at every level of government), I’ve learned that we will never get as Left as I want. Bernie was as close as we’ve ever come, and as much as I love his message and policies, Americans have been asked, twice, if we want him to be The Guy, and both times America has said no thanks. We tried, again, with Senator Warren, and America said No Thanks.

That’s a giant bummer, but it has laid the foundation for a new generation of progressive Democratic Socialists who I hope are the future of my party. I believe that the future is progressive, that America can’t continue to exist in Late Stage Capitalism, and that the Republican party as it exists now must be destroyed.

This is likely where we diverge: I vote my conscience and my heart in the primary, but I vote for Democrats in the general election, because even when I don’t get everything I want, I know that of the two options, Democrats aren’t going to deliberately hurt me and people I love the way Republicans will and do.

I’m willing to fight like crazy in the primaries to get the most Progressive candidate into the general, but once we’re in the general, I am going to support the candidate who is closest to me. I sent my message in the primary with my vote, and with my bank account by supporting the most progressive candidates I’m comfortable with. There was a younger version of me who believed voting Green would push the Democrats to the Left, where I was. I was wrong, and boy do I regret ever giving any of them my vote. Maybe it’s different in other countries, but in America, Greens have become useful idiots for Fascists who seek to hold onto power not by winning majorities, but by splitting their opposition’s vote.

When my candidate doesn’t make it out of the primary, I’m not willing to sit out the general, or cast a vote for a candidate who won’t ever win, because I have worked on enough campaigns, been close to enough party officials, and spent enough time in American politics to know that the two parties you despise don’t care at all about your protest vote. It doesn’t move them to adopt your positions. It makes them dismiss you, entirely. That 90 or 90 percent of things you and the Democrats agree on? Doesn’t matter. You’ve ceased to exist for anyone who will ever be elected or hold electoral away. And because you did not vote for the one candidate who could beat the candidate you hate more, you have ended up supporting not just the candidate you hate, but all of their policies, their SCOTUS Justices, and every single head of every single branch of government.

I want to repeat that, because I really hope someone will hear this the way I couldn’t and didn’t hear it when I was in my early 20s: When you vote third party, not only do you help the candidate you most want to defeat, you take yourself out of the conversation. Nobody who will ever be elected takes you seriously, and all the things you care about will not be any closer to being addressed by people who can actually make a difference.

I don’t want you to give up your seat at the table. I want you to move the Overton Window back to the Left, so we get America closer and closer to being a nation that isn’t overtly racist, doesn’t murder Black people, provides healthcare and college to all Americans at no cost, and holds criminals -- even powerful criminals -- accountable for their actions.

In our Primary, I worked hard to get Senator Warren over the top, but our party and the voters who will decide the election didn’t agree. The people who can end Trump’s criminal reign of terror all said “We want Biden,” and I know this is a hard to swallow pill, but they are the people who matter, and they are the people we need to support if we want to get rid of Trump and stop the Fascist advance in America.

#alejosdo

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