#they’re actively oppressing others

[a-room-of-my-own]

Muslims are definitely oppressed in the USA

Show me the paragraph in the American law where it explicitly states that Muslims do not have the same rights as any other American citizen.

On the other hand I have dozens of examples of how ethnic, religious and other minorities are legally oppressed in Muslim countries. And that’s leaving aside discrimination and violence… and women who can’t be considered a minority.

And if we’re talking about religion, there is not a single country in the Muslim world with actual religious freedom. Let’s call oppression what it really is, and not pretend that millions of people emigrated from Muslim countries to the west because they wanted to live in liberal countries where they wouldn’t face actual oppression.

The fact that some of them then used their newfound freedom to turn entire neighborhoods into Islamist enclaves where no public service, no business and especially no woman or girl can thrive is still a mystery to me. But no one is fooled anymore by the ones who cry Islamophobia when they’re told no you can’t put a veil on a child, no there will not be halal food at a public school, no people will still eat and drink outside even if it’s Ramadan, no we won’t use public funding to build a religious building, yes your children will have to listen to the evolution theory in history class and go to PA etc etc.

[stephobrien]

Is your pro-Palestine activism hurting innocent people? Here's how to avoid that.

Note: If you prefer plain text, you can read the plain text version here.

Over the last few days, I’ve had conversations with several Jewish people who told me how hurt and scared they are right now.

To my great regret, some of that pain came from a poorly-thought-out post of mine, which – while not ill-intentioned – WAS hurtful.

And a lot of it came from cruelty they’d experienced at the hands of people who claim to be advocating for Palestine, but are using the very real plight of innocent Palestinians to harm equally innocent Jewish people.

Y’all, we need to do better. (Yes, “we” definitely includes me; this is in no small part a “learn from my fail” post, and also a “making amends” post. Some of these are mistakes I’ve made in the past.)

So if you’re an advocate for Palestine who wants to make sure that your defense of one group of vulnerable people doesn’t harm another, here are some important things to do or keep in mind:

Ask yourself if you’re applying a standard to one group that you aren’t applying to another.

Would you want all white Americans or Canadians to be expelled from America or Canada?

Do you want all Jewish people to be expelled from Israel, as opposed to finding a way to live alongside Palestinian Arabs in peace?

If the answer to those two questions is different, ask yourself WHY.

Do you want to be held responsible for the actions of your nation’s army or government? No? Then don’t hold innocent Jewish people, or Israelis in general (whether Jewish or otherwise), responsible for the actions of the Israeli army and government.

On that subject, be wary of condemning all Israeli people for the actions of the IDF. Large-scale tactical decisions are made by the top brass. Service is compulsory, and very few can reasonably get out of service.

Blaming all Israelis for the military’s actions is like blaming all Vietnam vets for the horrors in Vietnam. They’re not calling the shots. They aren’t Nazis running concentration camps. They are carrying out military operations that SHOULD be criticized.

And do not compare them or ANY JEWISH PERSON to Nazis in general. It is Jewish cultural trauma and not outsiders’ to use against them.

Don’t infuse legitimate criticism with antisemitism.

By all means, spread the word about the crimes committed by the Israeli army and government, and the complicity of their allies. Criticize the people responsible for committing and enabling atrocities.

But if you imply that they’re committing those crimes because they’re Jewish, or because Jewish people have special privileges, then you’re straying into antisemitic territory.

Criticize the crime, not the group. If you believe that collective punishment is wrong, don’t do it yourself.

And do your best to use words that apply directly to the situation, rather than the historical terms for situations with similar features. For example, use “segregation,” “oppression,” or “subjugation,” not “Holocaust” or “Jim Crow.” These other historical events are not the cultural property of Jews OR Palestinians, but also have their own nuances and struggles and historical contexts.

Also, blaming other world events on Jewish people or making Jewish people associated with them (for instance, some people falsely blame Jewish people for the African slave trade) is a key feature of how antisemitism functions.

Please, by all means, be specific and detailed in your critiques. But keep them focused on the current political actors – not other peoples’ or nations’ political or cultural histories and traumas.

Be prepared to accept criticism.

You probably already know that society is infused with a wide array of bigotries, and that people growing up in that environment tend to absorb those beliefs without even realizing it. Antisemitism is no exception.

What that means is, there’s a very real chance that you will screw up, and get called out on it, as I so recently did.

If that happens, please be willing to learn and adapt. If you can educate yourself about the suffering and needs of Palestinians, you can do the same for Jewish people.

Understand that the people you hurt aren’t obligated to baby you. Give them room to be angry.

After I made a post that inadvertently hurt people, some were nice about it, and others weren’t. Some outright insulted my morals and intelligence.

And I had to accept that I’d earned that from them.

I’d hurt them, and they weren’t obligated to be more careful with my feelings than I had been with theirs.

They weren’t obligated to forgive me, trust me, or stop being mad at me right away.

I’ll admit, there were moments when I got defensive. I shouldn’t have. And I encourage you to try not to, if you screw up and hurt people.

I know that’s hard, but it’s important. Getting defensive only tells people you care more about doubling down on your mistake than you do about healing the hurt it caused.

Instead, acknowledge that they have a right to be angry, apologize for the way you hurt them, and try to make amends, while understanding that they don’t owe you trust or forgiveness.

Be aware that some antisemites are using legitimate complaints to “Trojan horse” antisemitism into leftist spaces.

This is a really easy stumbling block to trip over, because most people probably don’t look at every post a creator makes before sharing the one they’re looking at right now.

I recently shared a video that called out some of the Likud and IDF’s atrocities and hypocrisy, and that also noted that many Jewish people are wonderful members of their communities.

I was later informed that, while that video in particular seemed reasonable, the creator behind it is frequently antisemitic.

I deleted the post, and blocked the creator. I encourage you to do the same if it’s brought to your attention that you’ve been ‘Trojan horse’d.

EDIT: Important note about antisemitism in leftist spaces:

While it's true that some blatant antisemites are using seemingly reasonable posts to get their foot in the door of leftist spaces, it's also true that a lot of antisemitism already exists inside those spaces.

This antisemitism is often dressed up in progressive-sounding language, but nonetheless singles Jewish people and places out in ways that aren't applied equally to other groups, or that label Jewish people in ways that portray them as acceptable targets.

If you want to see some specific examples, so you can have a better idea of what to keep an eye out for, I suggest reading this excellent reblog of this post.

Fact-check your doubts about antisemitism.

Depending on which parts of the internet you look at, you’ve probably seen people accused of antisemitism because they complained about the Likud and/or IDF’s actions. So you might be primed to be wary, or feel unsure of how to tell what counts as real antisemitism.

But that doesn’t mean antisemitism isn’t a very real, widespread, and harmful problem. And it doesn’t mean many or even most Jewish people are lying to you or being overly sensitive.

So if someone says something is antisemitic, and you aren’t sure, I encourage you to:

A. Look up the action or thing in question, including its history. Is there an antisemitic history or connotation you aren’t aware of? For best results, include “antisemitic” in your search query, in quotes.

B. Understand that some things, while not inherently antisemitic, have been used by antisemites often enough that Jewish people are understandably wary of them. Schrodinger’s antisemitism, if you will.

C. Ask Jewish people WHO HAVE OFFERED TO HELP EDUCATE YOU. Emphasis on WHO HAVE OFFERED. Random Jewish people aren’t obligated to give you their time and emotional energy, or to educate you – especially on subjects that are scary or painful for them.

@edenfenixblogs has kindly offered her inbox to those who are genuinely trying to learn and do better, and I’ve found her to be very kind, patient, reasonable, and fair-minded.

Understand that this is URGENTLY NEEDED.

In one of my conversations with a Jewish person who’d called me out, they said this was the most productive conversation they’d had with a person with a Palestinian flag in their profile.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

I didn’t do anything special. All I did was listen, apologize for my mistakes, and learn.

Yes, it feels good to be acknowledged. But I feel like I’ve been praised for peeing IN the toilet, instead of beside it.

Apologizing, learning, and making amends after you hurt people shouldn’t be “the most reasonable thing I’ve heard from a person with a Palestinian flag pfp.”

It should be BASIC DECENCY.

And the fact that it’s apparently so uncommon should tell you how much unnecessary stress and fear Jewish people have been living with because of people who consider themselves defenders of human rights.

By all means, be angry at the Likud, the IDF, and the politicians, reporters, and specific media outlets who choose to enable and cover up for them.

But direct that anger toward the people who deserve it and are in a position to do something about it, not random people who simply happen to be Jewish, or who don’t want millions of people to be turned into refugees when less violent methods of achieving freedom and rights for Palestinians are available.

Stop peeing beside the toilet, people.

[girlkisser13]

being married to erik lehnsherr would include

• erik is EXTREMELY protective of you. he uses his powers subtly to ensure your safety, like redirecting bullets or stopping potential threats without you even noticing.

• when you’re driving he will use his powers to move a car over if he thinks that they’re drifting into your lane.

• as his partner, you have a significant role in his plans and strategies. your insights and ideas are crucial, and he trusts you implicitly with major decisions.

• balancing erik’s often ruthless methods with your own moral compass can be challenging. you constantly strive to find a middle ground, helping him see different perspectives while understanding his deep-rooted convictions.

• erik loves to shares his vast experiences from different historical events, giving you a unique perspective on history and the evolution of mutant-human relations.

• being with erik means constantly learning and evolving. he encourages you to hone your skills, whether they’re related to your powers (if you have any) or other talents.

• despite his tough exterior, erik shows his softer side only to you. his love for you is profound and unwavering, and he cherishes every moment spent with you.

• you both enjoy challenging each other intellectually. debates are a common occurrence, and they often end in mutual respect and deeper understanding of each other's viewpoints.

• erik shows his love in small, meaningful ways, like always having your favorite tea ready or ensuring you have a warm blanket when you’re cold, using his powers to fetch things without you asking.

• you both share a strong commitment to the mutant cause. whether it’s through activism, helping mutants in need, or fighting against oppression, your relationship is a powerful force for change.

• despite the constant battles and responsibilities, erik always makes time for private getaways with you. these retreats are a chance to relax, reconnect, and enjoy each other’s company away from the chaos.

• HIM LETTING YOU WEAR HIS HELMET>>>

• the two of you often host gatherings for the mutant community, providing a space for mutants to connect, share their stories, and support each other. these events are filled with a sense of unity and purpose.

• trust is the cornerstone of your relationship. despite the challenges and dangers, you both have unwavering loyalty to each other, knowing that your bond is unbreakable.

• erik respects your independence and ensures that responsibilities are shared equally. whether it’s managing your home or leading missions, you both contribute and support each other’s strengths.

• if you have children, erik is a fiercely protective and loving parent. he’s dedicated to teaching them about their heritage, powers, and the importance of fighting for their rights.

• GIRL DAD MAGNETO>>>

• i mean come on, it’s basically canon that this man is a girl dad. look at the way he treats wanda and lorna compared to pietro.

• he occasionally shows off his abilities in small, romantic gestures, like creating intricate metal sculptures for you and arranging a metal flower bouquet that never wilts.

• your house is adorned with thousands of metal flowers he's crafted for you.

• he's also made countless pieces of jewelry for you as well.

• he made your wedding ring himself. <33

[spitdrunken]

Notes: Reader is not explicitly Adami (MC), but you can choose to read it that way. Somewhat headcanon-heavy, mild mouth torture, implied kidnapping, creepy behaviour lol. Scarletella x Reader, or Scarletella has a slightly more hands-on approach to learning your language.

You have no idea where you are. You’re not alone, though.

The man with the scarlet umbrella steps around you with slow, tentative steps, circling you. At no point is there the sound of his feet hitting the floor. When you attempt to take a step away from him, his umbrella is lowered in a flash and stops your movement. His arm brushes against yours. It passes clean through your skin, only leaving a slight layer of cold moisture on your skin. He’s like mist. Elusive, but no less oppressive. Even if you had been able to run, there is nowhere for to go in this never-ending sea of red.

The apparition clothed in red tilts his head at an angle that, had he been human, sacrificed part of his spine. His speech isn’t as soft as your ears as his touch. It’s a string of incomprehensible noises, part guttural and raspy, part rolling and rumbling like a distant thunderstorm. There is no hope in your mind that you could repeat any of the noises. And yet, he does. It doesn’t take long for you to take note of the fact that he’s saying the same things, over and over and over again. It offers you a clear view of the black void inside his mouth.

You swallow a mouthful of nervous spit, and his red pupils dart down to follow the bobbing of your throat. Then, his own neck shimmers as if copying the movement. Now that you don’t think you might die at any moment, your mind is granted a moment to catch up with the situation. The tips of his umbrella still prick into your back. Perhaps the best decision would be to try and communicate.

“Um…” In less than a blink, he leans forward, eyes no longer trained on yours. Instead, they’re drawn to your mouth, but still you press onward. If you’re given no other choice than make a ‘dumb horror movie protagonist’-esque decision, you might as well give it your all. “Do you, maybe, have any idea what’s going on? Are you— Oh.”

His form in front of you flickers, almost appearing translucent in parts. In contrast, his hand looks real as can be, and it’s only when he reaches out that you realise his touch is no longer ghostly. Cold fingers prod at the tiny gap in between your teeth. Forcing your mouth further open with them, he wraps his fingers around your tongue before you full and well realise what’s happening. Spit dribbles down your chin. Your face scrunches up, you shake your head, but you stop moving as soon as he squeezes down harder. With a scratchy noise, the nail of his little finger scrapes along your molars.

“Shtop!” You say, though the word in incomprehensible to your own ears. Your tongue wriggles, futile, against his touch. For a moment, he stills entirely, even his grip on you slackening. His mouth closes. Then, when he opens it again, you catch a glimpse of a pink tongue just like your own where there had been previously nothing.

He tries to copy what you said. The tip of his newly-created tongue tips forward as he tries to form the ‘s’. After a couple of attempts, his smile falls, and his nails once again dig into soft flesh. A shudder travels through your entire body. As you remain quiet, he starts to actively scratch at your tongue, making tears spring to the corners of your eyes.

“Stop!” You repeat, and he once again stills, before trying to copy the noise once again. It’s with a kind of frenzy that he tackles the task and, you wonder for just a moment, what it is he is actually trying to achieve by doing this. Your heart races in your ears. Maybe, just maybe, if you taught him enough, he would… Let you go?

[honeyyoubetter-believeitsbutter]

I literally saw a tiktok yesterday of a woman crying her eyes out because her boyfriend ‘came out’ as a furry. And his boyfriend, in half his fur suit, was trying to calm her.

The comments were on her side saying that he should have told her before they started dating. That would definitely be a deal breaker for them. And that he was evil for keeping something so ‘perverted’ and ‘disgusting’ a secret. How would he feel if she was a sex offender and hid it from him

He even had to clarify that less than 10% of the community is sexual!

Another tiktoker posted a video of her clearly distressed with the text saying something like what are we gonna do when Furries become parents?!?!!!!

… nothing

When consenting adults with a hobby decide to have kids, we do nothing! What do you think is gonna happen? They’re going to force their 3 year old to wear a fur suit to pre-k?

When you’re the ones making kids wear sexualized and heavily gendered clothes I don’t think you can shit on furries who want to put dog ear headbands on their kids for a cute picture

Never trust a furry disliker

[a-polite-melody]

I really think that the “trans women should be allowed to call transmisogynist AFAB people theyfabs” attitude is just the ‘logical next step’ out of the problem on tumblr of identity determinism.

Every other day I see a post worded as a reminder that women can and do reinforce the patriarchy and wield misogyny as a weapon even though women are also marginalized by the patriarchy. Or a post reminding people that, just because you’re trans doesn’t mean you can’t be transphobic. We have a problem with identity determinism here.

So it’s honestly not a huge surprise that people are scrambling to claim that trans women who have picked up using “theyfab” are not only calling out transmisogyny (which, again, I think has mostly been a hasty post-hoc justification for pulling out a slur; a lot of the use of “theyfab” I’ve been seeing does not include calling out active transmisogyny, and at best hypothesizes on a transmisogynistic attitude the person must have because of their identity)

but people also are just outright refusing to acknowledge the ways in which the people so happy to wield “theyfab” are doing so in transphobic and misogynistic ways. Because of course they’re ignoring that. Because by the nature of identity determinism a trans woman can’t be misogynistic or transphobic. Especially not to someone who is her oppressor, who she’s calling out for being a transmisogynist!

But then we go back to the fact that women (or trans people) can and have been misogynistic (or transphobic) toward other women (or trans people, respectively) despite the fact that they’re oppressed by that system. And we can even find historical ways in which women have wielded their position in the patriarchy over less-privileged (by way of intersecting oppression) men who are ‘above’ them if you isolate the singular type of oppression by-way-of man>woman.

I don’t know, this just feels like tumblr falling into the trap of identity determinism here again, and then that also often gets paired with a malgendering of anyone who complains about it.

[ihhfhonao3]

I’m a firm believer in the passive and small acts of activism.

You’re actively fighting capitalism by resting and taking a break. You’re actively fighting homophobia by wearing a rainbow pin to signify to others your allyship. You’re actively fighting climate change by air drying your hands after washing them. You’re actively fighting childism by letting a minor talk to you about how they’re doing. You’re actively fighting oppressive systems by simply existing.

There have always been others like you, and there always will be others like you. Your existence is rebellion. As long as you’re alive, conservatives and bigots have lost.

You’re a rebel. You’re a warrior. You’re a fighter. And you don’t even know it.

[ramblings-of-a-detrans-woman]

Why I will never support the radical feminist movement, as a detransitioning woman.

note: this is not meant to be any sort of hit piece or slander, I respect every feminist, even ones I disagree with. This is just my reasoning for why I do not like the radfem movement.

For a bit of context, I’ve indentified as trans since I was 12. At 18, I’ve decided to live my life as a lesbian woman, and i’ve never been happier with that choice.

Now, being a young trans man, I interacted a lot with pro trans content online (of course I did), and so of course I’ve heard about radical feminism. A passionate branch of feminism that takes a unique approach to women’s rights- deconstructing gender entirely. It sounds wonderful in theory, because of course gender is oppressive, most notably of women. I would know, being one. Even when I was trans I had to worry about being out at night. I even got chased once, and a man attempted to lure me to his truck another time. It’s brutal. But radical feminists devote their activism to ending this in a straightforward, logical way.

So why do I, a woman who has experienced both misogyny and transphobia, not support that? I feel that this is a good question for both trans allies and radfems alike to to ask. Knowledge is power.

Well, I’ll be direct. Radfems are some of the most depraved people i’ve ever met. I know, that sounds like a lot, but there’s no other words I can use that don’t perfectly encapsulate my experience with radfems. It’s depravity.

For weeks, I was harassed by transphobic radfems. Radfems, who are insistent on their love and support for TIFs aka trans men. It’s strange then that they would be so cruel towards one, wouldn’t you say?

Detransition is hard enough. It’s difficult to tell family that you were wrong. It’s difficult to reconnect with my gender. Hell, i prefer the term detrans over cis just because i have such a disconnect from my gender. So why do I have to deal with transphobic radfems sending me gore and death threats?

Thankfully all of the accounts doing this seem to be deleted or repurposed. But it’s only a matter of time until a new account is made just to send me an ask telling me to kill myself or a message about how much of a loser i am.

It’s this reason alone why i’ll never be a radfem. They’re just sick people. They don’t want liberation for women, they just hate trans people. It’s not even thinly veiled, their accounts are fully based around how horrible trans women are.

The truth being, trans women aren’t bad people at all. It’s easy to think they are because the news and media cherry picks some of the worst ones, but every community and minority group has bad people in it. some of the sickest people you could imagine, really. yes, they can be trans. but does being trans make you a sick person? does it turn you into a predator? no, it doesn’t. it just means you’re trans. trans or not, it’s up to men to be mature and take accountability for their own actions that they consciously make. a cis man is as capable to walk into a women’s room as a trans woman is.

if radical feminists cared more about women and detrans women, i could consider getting along with them. but sadly, all these passionate and dedicated feminists care about is hating trans people with a fiery passion. and i’ve been a casualty. it’s very difficult for me to sympathize with radfems when they’ve upset me to the point that they have

let me make it clear that gore and death threats don’t upset me, i’m not easily offended. So it’s not the threats that make me angry. It’s just the principle. The fact that radfems are spending their time scrolling reddit for gore pictures to send to fellow women instead of supporting us makes me SICK. it’s heartbreaking to picture a woman, raped and beaten by her boyfriend, and a radfem standing in front of her, readily available to help, but choosing to yell at a passing detrans woman. It’s really sad.

hopefully those reading this can take my words into consideration and use it to improve yourselves or your community (if you’re a radfem). i love womanhood and being a woman and i would love to share that joy with my sisters, but i just can’t when these issues i’ve experienced are in the back of my mind. I want radical feminism to be a safe space, a place where sisters can go to talk to women, relate to women, cry with and support women. but so far, the only love and support i’ve received has been from the trans community. that speaks volumes.

i am going to post more about my experience with finding my womanhood again in the future, so if you’re a detrans woman yourself, trans ally or not, consider following me :) i’d love to build myself a little community

[daydreamer-in-reverie]

The Victor’s purge is absolutely something that just blows my mind.

The Capitol propaganda against Victors were so effective, even the very people fighting for their freedom turned on them.

During the events of TBOSAS, we learn that the first 10 winners of the Hunger Games received no compensation for their participation in the games. Why would they? They’re nobodies. Reminders of a war that had forced the people of the Capitol to turn on each other, forcing them into such desperate lengths that they had to resort to eating other people just to survive. They were not celebrated like the Victors we recognize in the 75th Hunger Games. They were not victors but survivors. In fact, we learn that not many people wanted to watch the Hunger Games in the beginning. It left a bitter taste in a person’s mouth to watch children fight to the death and have the event sensationalized, even if the child is considered the enemy.

And yet, with Victors being placed on a pedestal after the events of TBOSAS, we saw how quickly the Victors were woven into the Capitol’s society.

Upon winning, Victors were alienated in their own Districts. They were given beautiful mansions, fed three square meals a day, and their families wanted for nothing. They became mentors, becoming active participants in the very Games designed to kill members of their own Districts. Their participation may have been forced but when you smile and wave at cameras and show off your new found wealth, it’s hard to believe you didn’t want these things.

Victors are even further alienated outside of their own Districts with the Victor’s parade. A whole week of traveling through the 12 districts to show off your vitality and strength and your life, the very thing you took from the other tributes in order to survive. Victors did not need to drip themselves with jewels to offend the other Districts, their survival was insult enough. Never mind that you didn’t want to kill these kids. Never mind that you are a child yourself.

Every place you turn, you’re met with jealousy, derision and contempt. No longer the perfect quintessential victim but a killer of children who “benefitted” from the very system designed to oppress you. By winning the Hunger Games you are no longer District.

So you turn to the one place that showers you with any hint of adoration.

Ingratiating themselves into the Capitol’s society cemented their identity as Other. They may live in the Distrcts, may be forced to subject themselves in horrors that are far worse than any modicum of starvation they faced in the Districts, but they are no longer one of them.

And so the Rebels forget who exactly they’re fighting for, forgot who actually experienced the horror they could only dread.

Yes, they are fighting against their own oppression. Yes, they fight for their child’s right to live and never play in the Games. But they forget about the 59 other Victors who actually went through the horrors they’re fighting against. They forget about the biggest victims of the system they are fighting against.

Snow alienated Victors from the rest of the Districts so much that of the surviving 59 Victors before the events of Mockingjay, only 7 come out alive.

7 out of 59.

There’s not even enough of them to distribute one to every district.

The biggest victims of the Capitol’s oppression also became the biggest victims of the rebel’s war.

[halemerry]

The thing is. When people look at Book Omens and Show Omens there are a few different things that can happen. Sometimes you get people who try and shove them into one universal true canon. Sometimes you get people totally dissociating them from each other into two separate entities. And, to be clear, I don’t think either of these options is inherently bad to do - I myself defaulted to the latter for quite awhile after season 1 aired - and I always think folks should choose to view these characters in the way that makes them happy. For that matter, I think that there's nothing wrong with disliking a version or preferring one over the other or even ignoring one exists. But, I do think a lot of analysis I have seen has a tendency to remove the characters from their context in a way that does them a bit of a disservice. Because their context matters quite a bit.

Book Omens and Show Omens were made in two very different worlds facing two very different problems and two very different futures stretching out in front of them. The Book belongs in the context of a world on its way out of the Cold War while the Show belongs to a world starting to buckle under the weight of capitalism’s pressure. The evils in the story reflect these two world states - which I think is a good thing. As much as I love the book, if the show had just done the Cold War allegory, I don’t think it would’ve hit quite the same way and could've easily felt dated.

The most notable impact narratively from this shift is the fact that Heaven and Hell both have a more constant presence. Show Aziraphale and Crowley feel far more watched and actively monitored than they do in the book, especially in Aziraphale’s case. His relationship with Heaven especially is far more ‘boss checking the quarterly numbers’ or ‘oppressive family head checks in on their younger sibling’  than it is ‘spy reporting his findings’. And this shift is a huge one as far as what it means for our characters and their context.

Take for example, a small exchange of dialogue in the book where Crowley and Aziraphale do something that we know for a fact would never happen in the show - where they discuss the admittedly slim possibility of each other’s side granting of each other asylum. This is dialogue that works quite well if you’re looking at them as two spies with wavering loyalties but does not work for the show version of our protagonists, because the pressures they face from Heaven and Hell are different. The same thing goes in reverse for the Bandstand scene - a scene that is not in the book at all because it works far better in a show interested in a character facing pressure from a toxic family than it would in a book where Heaven’s presence is a very distant one.

And this right here is where we end up with the question of character consistency. There’s traits that each version of Aziraphale and Crowley have that the other does not, which leads to them feeling like two sets of characters in a way that can make them feel like the show is occasionally out of character. But it’s not really that, I don’t think. I think that's just a side effect of viewing them out of context. And I think a lot of those differences and the ways they manifest make a lot more sense if they're viewed like aus - because that's what they are in a lot of ways. The Book is a Cold War au and the Show is a modern au. They’re different, yes, but still undoubtedly them.

[reality-detective]

EXPOSED: The Hidden Network of 10,000 Deep Underground Military Bases (D.U.M.B.s) – A Global Conspiracy Unveiled

Beneath our feet lies a world shrouded in darkness and secrecy—a network of over 10,000 Deep Underground Military Bases (D.U.M.B.s) that stretch across the globe. These aren’t just military bunkers; they’re part of a sinister plan by the global elite to maintain control over humanity, operating far beyond the reach of any government oversight.

The Dark Underworld: 10,000 D.U.M.B.s Across the Planet Imagine a vast labyrinth of underground bases, hidden from the public eye, where the most horrific activities take place. Over 10,000 of these bases exist worldwide, with 1,800 in the United States alone. These facilities aren’t just military outposts; they are massive underground cities connected by high-speed trains, built for purposes that defy the imagination.

Unthinkable Atrocities: Human Captivity and Bio-Experiments Within these bases, unspeakable horrors are said to occur. Reports of human experimentation, especially on children, are whispered among those who dare to investigate. These facilities allegedly host bio-research labs developing weapons designed to target specific DNA, viruses meant to decimate populations, and other forms of biological warfare. These aren’t just theories—they’re terrifying realities hidden from the world.

The Elite's Secret Army: Engineered Super Soldiers One of the most disturbing revelations is the existence of engineered super soldiers, bred and conditioned within these D.U.M.B.s. These soldiers, created through a twisted combination of genetic engineering and cybernetics, are designed to be the ultimate weapons—loyal, fearless, and nearly invincible. Their purpose? To protect the secrets of these underground bases and to enforce the will of the global elite.

The Vatican-Jerusalem Tunnel: A Sinister Connection Adding to this web of deceit is the recent discovery of a 1,500-mile tunnel connecting the Vatican to Jerusalem, reportedly filled with a staggering hoard of gold. This treasure trove, transported by an armada of 650 planes, is rumored to be part of the Vatican’s secret wealth, hidden away for centuries and now uncovered as part of this global conspiracy.

A Global Web of Control: The Super Elites At the heart of this conspiracy are the so-called "Super Elites"—a tiny fraction of the global population who pull the strings from the shadows. These are the same elites who control the military-industrial complex, the media, and even the highest levels of government. Their reach is so vast that over 800 million individuals within the global military and intelligence complex answer to them, ensuring that their grip on power remains unchallenged.

The Puppet Masters: Rothschilds, Rockefellers, and Khazarian Bloodlines Behind the scenes, powerful families like the Rothschilds and Rockefellers, along with ancient Khazarian bloodlines, have been orchestrating this control for centuries. Their influence spans continents, manipulating world events to maintain their dominance. Their goal is not just to amass wealth but to control humanity itself.

The White Hats: A Glimmer of Hope But not all hope is lost. A group of brave individuals within the military, known as the White Hats, are fighting back. These warriors operate in the shadows, working tirelessly to expose the truth and dismantle the structures of oppression. They are the last line of defense against this global conspiracy, dedicated to restoring justice and freedom to humanity.

The Final Hour: A Call to Action We stand on the brink of a new era, where the truth will finally be revealed. The age of ignorance is over. The forces of darkness will be exposed, and the world will see the light of truth. But we must be vigilant and ready to act. The future of humanity depends on our willingness to confront the darkness and reclaim our freedom. The time for revelation is now—will you be ready when the final battle begins? 🤔

- Julian Assange

[nickel156]

THE "DREAMER" HYPOCRISY "

My rant on the blatant inequality the Inner Circle perpetuates between the Hewn City fae and the privileged residents of Velaris, because it’s honestly infuriating. They love to preach about freedom, dreams, and “protecting the innocent,” but the moment you dig beneath the surface, you see how they pick and choose which dreams actually matter. And spoiler alert—it’s not the dreams of the fae living in the Court of Nightmares or even the Illyrians.

The Inner Circle sits up in Velaris, this perfect little city where art and beauty flourish, acting like they’re the champions of Prythian, while they leave the Hewn City fae to rot in their oppression. The hypocrisy is real. Rhysand and Co. have all this power, but instead of helping those in the Hewn City who are trapped in their own cycle of fear and brutality, they just write them off as monsters and keep them there. How is it that the IC get to pick which dreams are worth nurturing and which are worth suppressing? The fae in CoN aren’t even given a chance to “dream,” let alone change their circumstances. But Velaris? Oh, Velaris gets to be the City of Dreams. It’s all so… selective.

Let’s not even start on the Illyrians. Rhysand loves to brag about how he’s making changes in Illyrian camps, yet most of the Illyrians are still stuck in a toxic, hyper-masculine society where women are wing-clipped and treated like dirt. Where’s the equality here? If Rhysand is such a champion of progress and change, why are so many Illyrians still suffering under a system he’s supposedly in charge of? The IC sit there in their fancy Velaris lofts, patting themselves on the back for their “reforms,” while doing the bare minimum for the people outside their little bubble.

And don’t get me started on the whole “dreamer” narrative. The idea of being a dreamer is nice in theory, but when the IC controls which dreams are valid, it’s an empty sentiment. You can’t call yourselves dreamers when you actively keep others in darkness and misery. You can’t act like Velaris is this perfect utopia while pretending the Court of Nightmares doesn’t exist or that the Illyrians aren’t suffering in the camps. The Inner Circle is playing favorites, plain and simple, and it’s frustrating how selective they are about who deserves a better life and who doesn’t.

So yeah, the concept of being a dreamer in the Court of Nightmares doesn’t work when the IC are the ones holding the keys to who gets to have a dream in the first place. They pick and choose who gets the privilege of dreaming and who’s left behind, and that’s not progress—that’s hypocrisy.

[gffa]

In the very first episode of The Clone Wars, the episode where we're meant to understand the foundations of who the characters are, what they believe, we see Yoda explicitly saying that Jek, Thire, and Rhys have the Force residing in them and they can use it to calm their minds, too.

This is a deliberate parallel to how Yoda teaches Luke, showing that the Jedi believed the clones were just as worthy of being taught as a Force-sensitive was: Dave Filoni:  “You see Yoda teaching the clones much like he taught Luke. ‘Cause that was kind of natural for [the Jedi], a natural instinct to take to these clones like they’re students.  It really allowed Yoda to have a scene that was reminiscent of a scene that we both liked growing up, when he was teaching Luke.” Their explanation for what the Force is that it's generated by all living things, they say "May the Force be with you" to non-Jedi, they respect that other Force cultures (like the Lasats or the Bardottens or the Nightsisters) exist and have their own ways, etc. The Jedi are consistently shown to not believe they have any kind of monopoly on the Force or trying to stop anyone from using the Force unless they are actively plotting to hurt, murder, or oppress people. Jedi are absolutely fine with these people existing:

As for the Jedi especially not wanting women to use the Force--in every scene we see of the High Council, there are always multiple women present??? Depa Billaba, Shaak Ti, Yaddle, Adi Gallia, Stass Allie (and I often argue that TCW was making a case of prepping Aayla Secura for future Councilhood), as well as Luminara Unduli and Jocasta Nu are clearly in well-respected positions of leadership and aren't treated any differently than the male characters???

[altschmerzes]

hey aro gang? can we collectively make more of an effort to like. advocate for ourselves and our communities and specific identities in ways that aren’t just. actively and openly hostile to other aros or implying or outright stating that they’re harming us or that they have societal and community support they don’t have? like i get it - im non-sam aro, and i relate heavily to a lot of aroallo experiences and it’s really frustrating and hurtful to feel overlooked or erased or anything else, but like. aroaces are not doing anything wrong by talking about their experiences or relating to posts or posting in the aro tag or anything else and it’s getting to a point where im personally getting really uncomfortable seeing people verging on or outright stating that this is the case or that aroaces are some kind of oppressive community force or responsible for the bad experiences of non-ace aros. can we all just cool it a bit please. it’s frustrating and hurtful to feel like you’re being mistreated specifically for not being someone else but that is not that other person’s fault or their identity group’s fault, nor is it always necessarily true. none of us are doing great out here and society at large does not want aroaces to exist or be talked about any more than any of the rest of us i promise.

[merwgue]

The bat boys, particularly Rhysand, love to throw around the phrase "change takes time" like it’s some kind of divine mantra, as if the simple utterance of those words makes them progressive, thoughtful leaders. Now, I’ll be the first to say that change does take time. Anyone with a basic understanding of societal reform knows that creating lasting, meaningful change is a marathon, not a sprint. But come on, 500 years? Rhysand has had a literal half a millennium to improve Illyrian society and the mess that is the Hewn City, and what’s been achieved? Let’s check the scoreboard: Illyrian women are still grounded like chickens, and the Hewn City is still treated like some dark, festering secret Rhysand keeps locked up because, well, it’s too icky to deal with.

Here’s the thing: if you say "change takes time" while doing absolutely nothing about it, what you’re really saying is "I’m too lazy (or indifferent) to actually put in the work." And that’s precisely what’s happening in Prythian. The "change takes time" argument would be more convincing if we saw any evidence that Rhysand and company were even trying to instigate meaningful reform. Spoiler alert: they’re not. It’s like saying you want to build a house but never bothering to lay down the foundation. They’ve had 500 years—half a millennium—to take concrete steps to create lasting change, but instead, they’ve stuck to the "we'll get around to it eventually" approach.

Let’s Talk About Law and Enforcement: The Basics

In law, there’s a term for what Rhysand is doing, or rather, not doing—nonfeasance. It’s the failure to act when there's a legal obligation to do so. In this case, Rhysand, as High Lord, has a duty to create and enforce laws that would elevate Illyrian women, change the power dynamics in the Hewn City, and basically make Prythian a functioning society. But it seems like he's been practicing nonfeasance for centuries. Change does take time, but in legal and political terms, if you don't enforce new rules or provide any consequences for breaking them, you're effectively telling people, “It’s fine, carry on torturing and oppressing women, no big deal.”

Here's Law 101: Laws don't just exist in a vacuum. They require active enforcement. If you tell people, “Hey, you can’t oppress and mutilate women, but don’t worry, if you do it, nothing bad will happen,” no one’s going to follow that rule. That's why we have consequences. There’s a concept in law called deterrence—essentially, you punish bad behavior to discourage others from engaging in the same actions. It's basic governance, but Rhysand and the bat boys seem to have missed that day in Law School.

Let’s talk specifics: take the Illyrians. Rhysand knows they're mutilating their women’s wings, grounding them forever, and preventing them from flying or fighting. It’s an ongoing issue that has apparently been happening for centuries. What’s Rhysand’s solution? A strongly worded speech every few decades? An awkward scowl whenever he flies past an Illyrian war camp? We never see any meaningful enforcement of anti-mutilation laws or any effort to dismantle the oppressive structures within Illyrian society. There’s no widespread legal precedent being set, no institutional reform, no policy implementation—all of which are necessary to create systemic change.

Fear, Respect, and the Role of a Leader

Now, let’s get to another key concept in leadership: authority. As a leader, you need a balance between being respected and being feared. Respect comes from having a personal connection with your people, from showing that you genuinely care about their well-being. Fear comes from them knowing that if they mess up, there will be consequences. The problem with Rhysand is that he’s all about the respect and none of the fear. He spends so much time wanting to be liked and loved by his people that he’s forgotten the other crucial aspect of leadership: enforcing the law and maintaining order.

Imagine if Rhysand actually said, “Hey, if you continue to oppress and mutilate women, you will face serious consequences. We’re talking about jail time, or even capital punishment if the crime warrants it.” That would send a message. People might actually start to think twice before continuing with harmful practices. But instead, he takes the “please stop doing that, but if you don’t, no biggie” approach, which isn’t leadership at all. It’s passive, and it’s ineffective. In legal terms, Rhysand is failing to implement any kind of punitive deterrent, and that’s why nothing ever changes.

Hewn City: The Loch Ness Monster of Prythian

Then, there’s the Hewn City. It's treated like the Loch Ness Monster: terrifying, hidden away, and no one really wants to deal with it. The idea that this city, filled with morally corrupt aristocrats, has been allowed to continue its oppression and cruelty for centuries is baffling. Rhysand holds power over the Hewn City, yet he does nothing to reform it. He visits it occasionally, uses it for political leverage, but doesn’t make any lasting changes. It’s like he’s more comfortable letting it fester than actually facing the monster he’s allowed to grow.

Instead of taking control, Rhysand locks the Hewn City away like it’s some sort of dirty secret he can’t be bothered to clean up. If Rhysand really wanted to bring about change, he would dismantle the existing power structures in the Hewn City, implement new laws, and actually enforce them. But, much like with the Illyrians, there’s no real reform. Just the same passive acceptance of an unjust system that Rhysand could change if he chose to.

“Change Takes Time” Is a Cop-Out

Ultimately, Rhysand’s “change takes time” line is a weak excuse for his unwillingness to act. Yes, change does take time—no one’s expecting overnight reform. But 500 years of nothing? That’s not slow change; that’s stagnation. And it’s not because change is difficult, but because Rhysand isn’t making the effort. He’s content to maintain the status quo while telling himself that he’s a good leader, when in reality, he’s failing to fulfill his responsibilities.

If Rhysand were really invested in changing Prythian for the better, we’d see efforts towards societal reform. We’d see him using his authority to push through laws that promote equality, we’d see him punishing those who break those laws, and we’d see him actively working to dismantle oppressive power structures. Instead, we get 500 years of excuses, stagnation, and passive leadership.

So, to Rhysand and the bat boys: Yes, change takes time. But it also takes effort, and right now, you’re not putting in any. If you really want to be the progressive, morally upright leaders you think you are, it’s time to step up and act like it. You’re not just figureheads—you’re rulers. Start ruling.

[wirefoxedterrier]

My biggest frustrations with the anti-vegan posts that garner thousands of notes on this app are they tend to always be points actively discussed in vegan spaces since their creation.

Veganism varies by circles and isn’t a protected word, so is absolutely used by Instagram dieters and misanthropes who have never considered the oppression of humans, but veganism has also has (and has had for decades) active discussion about the requirement to support human and social liberation alongside that of non-human animals. All leftist vegans I know firmly agree that non-human liberation of the environment and other animals is not going to happen and is futile without just as much focus on all the other injustices in a capitalist society. That includes a holistic boycott whenever possible of products and enterprises that harm humans alongside avoiding animal produce .

Of course like, the tumblr users making these posts probably haven’t seen these vegan circles or discussions because they’re not in them, and the health dieters and non-intersectional single issue focused activists are pretty vocal and infuriating, but still. It’s so infuriating to see people bringing these up as a gotcha towards veganism based off things that vegans have greatly in depth discussions, prioritising the voices of those whom are minorities, for so long.