#thing to do in new delhi india

[rrcraft-and-lore]

In addition to my Monkey Man post from earlier, the always kind & sweet Aparna Verma (author of The Phoenix King, check it out) asked that I do a thread on Hijras, & more of the history around them, South Asia, mythology (because that's my thing), & the positive inclusion of them in Monkey Man which I brought up in my gushing review.

Hijra: They are the transgender, eunuch, or intersex people in India who are officially recognized as the third sex throughout most countries in the Indian subcontinent. The trans community and history in India goes back a long way as being documented and officially recognized - far back as 12th century under the Delhi Sultanate in government records, and further back in our stories in Hinduism. The word itself is a Hindi word that's been roughly translated into English as "eunuch" commonly but it's not exactly accurate.

Hijras have been considered the third sex back in our ancient stories, and by 2014 got official recognition to identify as the third gender (neither male or female) legally. Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and India have accepted: eunuch, trans, intersex people & granted them the proper identification options on passports and other government official documents.

But let's get into some of the history surrounding the Hijra community (which for the longest time has been nomadic, and a part of India's long, rich, and sometimes, sadly, troubled history of nomadic tribes/people who have suffered a lot over the ages. Hijras and intersex people are mentioned as far back as in the Kama Sutra, as well as in the early writings of Manu Smriti in the 1st century CE (Common Era), specifically said that a third sex can exist if possessing equal male and female seed.

This concept of balancing male/female energies, seed, and halves is seen in two places in South Asian mythos/culture and connected to the Hijra history.

First, we have Aravan/Iravan (romanized) - who is also the patron deity of the transgender community. He is most commonly seen as a minor/village deity and is depicted in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Aravan is portrayed as having a heroic in the story and his self-sacrifice to the goddess Kali earns him a boon.

He requests to be married before his death. But because he is doomed to die so shortly after marriage, no one wants to marry him.

No one except Krishna, who adopts his female form Mohini (one of the legendary temptresses in mythology I've written about before) and marries him. It is through this union of male, and male presenting as female in the female form of Mohini that the seed of the Hijras is said to begun, and why the transgender community often worships Aravan and, another name for the community is Aravani - of/from Aravan.

But that's not the only place where a gender non conforming divine representation can be seen. Ardhanarishvara is the half female form of lord Shiva, the destroyer god.

Shiva combines with his consort Parvarti and creates a form that represents the balancing/union between male/female energies and physically as a perfectly split down the middle half-male half-female being. This duality in nature has long been part of South Asian culture, spiritual and philosophical beliefs, and it must be noted the sexuality/gender has often been displayed as fluid in South Asian epics and the stories. It's nothing new.

Many celestial or cosmic level beings have expressed this, and defied modern western limiting beliefs on the ideas of these themes/possibilities/forms of existence.

Ardhanarishvara signifies "totality that lies beyond duality", "bi-unity of male and female in God" and "the bisexuality and therefore the non-duality" of the Supreme Being.

Back to the Hijra community.

They have a complex and long history. Throughout time, and as commented on in the movie, Monkey Man, the Hijra community has faced ostracization, but also been incorporated into mainstream society there. During the time of the Dehli Sultanate and then later the Mughal Empire, Hijras actually served in the military and as military commanders in some records, they were also servants for wealthy households, manual laborers, political guardians, and it was seen as wise to put women under the protection of Hijras -- they often specifically served as the bodyguards and overseers of harems. A princess might be appointed a Hijra warrior to guard her.

But by the time of British colonialism, anti-Hijra laws began to come in place folded into laws against the many nomadic tribes of India (also shown in part in Monkey Man with Kid (portrayed by Dev Patel) and his family, who are possibly

one of those nomadic tribes that participated in early theater - sadly by caste often treated horribly and relegated to only the performing arts to make money (this is a guess based on the village play they were performing as no other details were given about his family).

Hijras were criminalized in 1861 by the Indian Penal Code enforced by the British and were labeled specifically as "The Hijra Problem" -- leading to an anti-Hijra campaign across the subcontinent with following laws being enacted: punishing the practices of the Hijra community, and outlawing castration (something many Hijra did to themselves). Though, it should be noted many of the laws were rarely enforced by local Indian officials/officers. But, the British made a point to further the laws against them by later adding the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871, which targeted the Hijra community along with the other nomadic Indian tribes - it subjected them to registration, tracking/monitoring, stripping them of children, and their ability to sequester themselves in their nomadic lifestyle away from the British Colonial Rule.

Today, things have changed and Hijras are being seen once again in a more positive light (though not always and this is something Monkey Man balances by what's happened to the community in a few scenes, and the heroic return/scene with Dev and his warriors). All-hijra communities exist and sort of mirror the western concept of "found families" where they are safe haven/welcoming place trans folks and those identifying as intersex.

These communities also have their own secret language known as Hijra Farsi, which is loosely based on Hindi, but consists of a unique vocabulary of at least 1,000 words.

As noted above, in 2014, the trans community received more legal rights.

Specifically: In April 2014, Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan declared transgender to be the third gender in Indian law in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India.

Hijras, Eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of our Constitution and the laws made by the Parliament and the State Legislature. Transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender is also upheld and the Centre and State Governments are directed to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.

I've included some screenshots of (some, not all, and certainly not the only/definitive reads) books people can check out about SOME of the history. Not all again. This goes back ages and even our celestial beings/creatures have/do display gender non conforming ways.

There are also films that touch on Hijra history and life. But in regards to Monkey Man, which is what started this thread particularly and being asked to comment - it is a film that positively portrayed India's third sex and normalized it in its depiction. Kid the protagonist encounters a found family of Hijras at one point in the story (no spoilers for plot) and his interactions/acceptance, living with them is just normal. There's no explaining, justifying, anything to/for the audience. It simply is. And, it's a beautiful arc of the story of Kid finding himself in their care/company.

[vasito-de-leche]

;R1999 TENNANT - General Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis on Tennant as a character and other related things.

I missed doing analysis like this and I got burnt out from writing oneshots, so since someone asked for a Tennant post last month or so, here we are <3

she's literally the only 5* I don't have, the woman avoids me like the plague LMFAO. because of this, the screenshots and examples will be taken directly from the fandom wikia!

On the subject of diamonds, Laurence Tennant and the House of Tennant.

I feel like we should talk first about her father, as it will give more context as to her current personality and themes. For the sake of making things less confusing, I'll be addressing Tennant by her real name (Ada) throughout this specific bullet point!

Going by Ada's Cover profile, we can confirm that she was born in Birmingham and at the age of 15, moved with her father to New Delhi.

Thanks to the 01 Story, we understand that the Tennants moved from their homeland because of Laurence's job (mining, identifying and transporting diamonds from British India to the UK). It's also worth noting that the House of Tennant seems to be extremely valuable to the UK because of their mineral/diamond related skills and arcanum - note how Ada's father is titled Sir Laurence Tennant in the first part, and how they strip him of his title.

But what the 01 Story fails to explain is the reason Laurence was persecuted. He's suspected of "an arcanum-related crime, thef, fraud" and other six unknown charges, that's all we know. The 02 Story gives a little more information on the crime he might've committed to have such a large bounty on his head.

"…Laurence Tennant stands accused of an arcanum-related crime, in which he may have turned a batch of diamonds into charcoal on their way to Britain through his arcane skill. The colonial government is still in search of Laurence Tennant and trying to locate the whereabouts of the diamonds and therefore cannot take legal action against the suspect at the moment."

Basically, he does the exact same thing Ada is currently known for. The year this event takes place in is also important - Bluepoch puts a lot of references to real people and events, and given how the House of Tennant lived through the british occupation of India and how they're related to the diamond mining industry, I'd like to talk about a very specific diamond: Koh-i-Noor, one of the largest diamonds in the world.

Now, as usual, I'm only getting this information from skimming wikipedia articles and anyone with more knowledge on this subject is free to correct me or add to the post!

The Koh-i-Noor is notorious for its conflicting and confusing origins, with the earliest mention of its existence being around the 1740s and that it was directly looted from Delhi. This diamond was passed around various royal figures, but we'll focus on what happened to it on the year Laurence Tennant went missing. In 1937, the Koh-i-Noor was put on the crown of Queen Elizabeth for her coronation.

For full transparency, the diamond had been in possession of the Royal British Family since 1851, so the idea that Laurence Tennant might've somehow acquired it while he was aaaaall the way in New Delhi doesn't exactly make much sense. Still, I feel like the year chosen for this event, the themes and the theft of diamonds, plus the subtle emphasis on british colonialism that Tennant's character has, are still worth discussing, to draw more parallels between the real events and the details chosen by Bluepoch.

Laurence Tennant might've or might've not stolen the Koh-i-Noor, for all we know he simply could've switched a handful of regular diamonds for charcoal using his arcane skills. To me this doesn't explain all the chaos that ensued, but it could still be a thing that happened!

My personal headcanon on this matter is that the House of Tennant has been doing this since the very beginning. Father and daughter share the same arcanum, after all. Laurence Tennant was stated to have been working in the diamond industry for many, many years - there's no way he could've missed something as important as the Koh-i-Noor. And in the context of politics, it's way easier to accuse the perpetrator of many different, smaller crimes than the big crime that could ridicule the crown or the authorities in power. I personally like to think this is what happened with the Tennants - that the Koh-i-Noor was found to be fake during Queen Elizabeth's coronation, that they finally realized Laurence Tennant's long scam, and they accused him of minor crimes to save face all while giving him the biggest fucking bounty known to man during those years.

What leads me to believe that the House of Tennant, that both father and daughter were scamming the crown all along, is Ada's 02 Story.

Once her father disappears, he's gone for good. Ada never mentions him again, not in her voicelines, not in her interview with Pandora Wilson. Ada never seems to grieve his disappearance, which seems weird since there's nothing that hints towards them being on bad terms. As far as we know, the Tennant family is only them.

A year after Laurence Tennant disappears from the face of the Earth, his daughter follows. In 1938, Ada also escapes the authorities that were actively supervising her during Laurence's case. We don't know how old she was exactly, other than she must've been older than 15 at minimum. And if she was spotted around the 1940s with her current age being 25, well...

For someone that young to vanish without a trace despite all the constant surveillance, all the attention drawn to her family due to her father's crime - to me it seems like she learned from the best. Especially when she begins her own career of crime in Paris that very same year, using the exact same methods as her father, the legacy of her family.

This would also explain Ada's constant lying and acting. These are all things she learned from her father, someone who was never truly obedient and loyal to the people he worked with.

I would also like to draw parallels between Ada and Druvis III. It's the same argument and parallels I talked about when discussing Forget Me Not. Feel free to skip this, if you already know the deal.

Both characters, Ada and Druvis, were part of important arcanist families, known and respected for their specific arcane skills. Both of them had to leave their homes behind: Druvis, an immigrant forced to abandon her roots and traditions for the sake of assimilating into the "american dream". Ada, who moved into one of the colonies her own country was actively exploiting, an outsider and indirect participant in the mining of diamonds.

Both characters also carry their families and legacies in their names, but whereas Druvis is constantly haunted by her past and the way people continue to talk about her family, the House of Tennant is forgotten. Ada's first birthday quote states:

Many years ago, the Tennants held a birthday banquet for their beloved daughter on this day. But now, almost no one remembers this déclassé family.

The House of Tennant is gone, despite their importance in history and the huge crime commited, no one remembers them. And yet, Ada wears her family name proudly, there's barely anyone left to remember where it comes from and the weight it used to carry.

It's understandable that people recognize Druvis. But why can't people remember the House of Tennant? I don't have an answer for this, I just think it's a very interesting thing, some food for thought!

On the subject of Tennant's ties to New Delhi, colonialism and her stance on racial and arcanist/human issues.

Not to hit everyone with heavy topics, but I feel this is an aspect of Tennant that often goes overlooked in favour of her whole seductive vibes.

Now, Tennant was born in the United Kingdom, but she has a noticeable darker tone to her skin, and while her ethnicity is never stated, it might be implied that she's a woman of color. I've seen people say that she's tan because of the time she spent in New Delhi - she does have a voiceline speaking about the scorching sun - but... She left New Delhi years ago. A tan you get from the sun doesn't ... stick for a decade. That argument doesn't make sense at all to me.

Either way, while I'll be treating her ethnicity as ambiguous, I felt it was important to note out that she might not be white, especially because of the themes I'll be addressing here.

Now, first and foremost I want to talk about the way Tennant talks of New Delhi - this is not the country she was born in, nor the place she was raised, as it's implied that she was also pretty young when she left for Paris. Yet she makes no references to the United Kingdom.

New Delhi? To be honest, I barely remember anything about it. It doesn't make much difference to England, aside from the scorching sun.

This quote? This is a lie. This is Tennant choosing to lie to Vertin for reasons I'll talk about in the next bullet point. How do I know it's a lie? Because the last item you can unlock for Tennant is this.

Cheap accessories she bought in New Delhi. And they must mean a lot to Tennant, because Pandora Wilson notes that it's impressive that she's managed to keep them until now.

The first skin Tennant gets in 1.3 is "Roaming in Delhi".

The text reads:

Back then, whenever there was a day off, I would put on a local outfit and wander around Delhi to visit some historical sites and handicraft shops... Those days were fun. Yours, Tennant.

Clearly, Tennant still thinks about Delhi. The time she spent there must've been important to her because to this day, she still carries part of it with her.

I believe that during her time there, Tennant came to understand the way rich countries exploit others, the lengths they'll go for something as simple as diamonds. And now, knowing that she dressed up as a local and saw their way of life first hand during the british occupation, it gives a lot more depth to her character and why she seems to cherish New Delhi above all the other places she's been in.

I won't pretend I'm a history buff. Again, all this information comes from quick searches and reading wikipedia articles. I'm a person of color myself, but I cannot speak on the struggle India and its people went through.

What I gathered is that Tennant lived through the last stages of the Indian Independence Movement. And given how Tennant was spotted in the 1940's, it's safe to say that she outlived the British Raj, as India gained independence in 1947. The fact that all of these important events were chosen for her backstory doesn't seem like a coincidence to me. It makes sense that Tennant does not abide by laws and is considered a criminal - because the authorities she witnessed were anything but just and fair to the commonfolk. We must also take into account the issues R1999 introduces between arcanists and humans, which overlap with our own racial issues in the real world to a degree.

This might be a reach from my part, but notice how the news from Tennant's 01 Story change when addressing her father. First it's "an official in British India, Sir Laurence Tennant", when they believe him to be missing. Later, after they issue a wanted notice, it's "senior official, mineralogist, arcanist Laurence Tennant". They've already stripped him of his title and now that he's officially a criminal in the eyes of the government, they felt it was necessary to state he was an arcanist. And sure, they also stated his previous role and his job, but as a person of color myself it definitely feels similar to the way POC's ethnicities are highlighted in media whenever they're accused of crimes.

Language and wording matters a lot, and perhaps this is why Tennant knows this, why one of her most effective methods is sweet-talking.

Either way, Tennant does speak of politics and I think her character as a whole was meant to be political given the details we just discussed. There's this exchange at the beginning of her interview with Pandora Wilson:

Pandora Wilson: What's the difference between Britain, India and France to you? Tennant: Nothing different, my beautiful lady. Pandora Wilson: What do you mean? Tennant: For me, humans are all the same, no matter where they are from. Tennant: We share the same virtues and the same weaknesses, and we can't do anything about it. They are part of human nature.

Tennant has experienced all three points of view - that of the oppressor, moving to New Dehli because her family's business is involved in the diamond mining market. That of the oppressed, both as an arcanist and from the times she disguised herself as a local to experience life as just another girl from New Dehli. That of a third party, oblivious to the issues, in a brand new country who does not concern itself with these matters and live a beautiful life in ignorance.

She doesn't see any difference when it comes to all these countries she visited, because she knows of the struggles and how stupid prejudice and bigotry are.

Arcanists, within the universe of R1999, are hinted to be an entirely different race to humans because of the many differences in their biology, with their appearance being one of the things they share. And yet, Tennant doesn't make this distinction - WE share the same virtues. WE can't do anything about it. We are all the same, no matter where we come from.

Tennant, despite the lies she attempts to sell to the world, is an extremely grounded individual, just as multifaceted as the diamonds she recreates!

On the subject of Tennant's lies.

We can't talk about Tennant without addressing her whole lying motif. I've already covered characters who aren't fully transparent with their thoughts, feelings or intentions - not necessarily deceitful on purpose like, let's say, Forget Me Not, but just misleading.

In Tennant's case, this is taken to an extreme.

She's described as a fraudster, a con artist. There's a lot of stress into the fact that one cannot trust her. Deceit runs in her family, her medium is lies, her Inheritance Skill is called "Beautiful Lie". She states that her hobby is "diddling", cheating and scamming others...

And yet, this entire act is a performance.

This might be a controversial take, but Tennant is honest.

She delivers exactly the sort of behaviour and persona that people expect her to, the one she's built throughout the years. She's playing a character and performing for those willing to approach her despite the very red flags - because Tennant makes it extremely obvious that she's not someone to be trusted. You can see it in the way she speaks to Vertin.

Sunlight eases people's mind and endows diamonds with glowing luxury. What a perfect occasion for deceiving.

Good morning, my lady. I've prepared you fresh coffee, sandwiches, and this shiny diamond. Of course, I would never lie to you. This is a piece of cultured work. But look how it sparkles, how elegant, isn't it?

If you want to, you're always welcome at my place. I will be here, with my cleverest scam, waiting for your arrival and, of course, an invitation to yours.

This isn't to say that Tennant doesn't lie - she does that a lot, a good chunk of her voicelines are directly contradicted by her items. The voiceline in the middle is a lie. She's lied to Vertin already, when she said she did not remember New Dehli. She vaguely poses as a man...

If else, lies are to be expected when she's playing her part, when she's painting a picture of her nature as a con artist for you to fall for.

And speaking of falling for Tennant, aside from the whole counterfeit diamond scam, seduction is another aspect to her character. I don't have to go in-depth about this because everyone and their dog has seen her Insight 2 illustration, a good chunk of women who play the game did it because of Tennant's charms. Every day I look through the tag and see people talk about how Tennant was the one character that enticed them to play.

But I will point out a few other details! This is one of her voicelines.

So what's next? The young lady of the rich, resolute and courageous as she is, disregards my humble beginnings and takes her possessions to elope with me. But then, I will leave her and disappear, forever.

And this is the information given for her second birthday login.

On this day, countless maidens in Paris went dizzy with love. They all just happened to encounter an elegant, charming gentleman who gave them a "unique" invitation to a birthday date.

These fleeting relationships, her constant flattery and flirting - they're part of the performance and all the women who fall for it are willing participants. As far as I know, Tennant never steals from them, her targets being merchants and people who can afford to spend money on diamonds so frivolously.

This is why Tennant insists her behaviour is harmless, it's a game. Her conversation in the Wilderness is a perfect example of the way she operates, specifically the way she opens with:

Ironically, diamond itself is a product of lies. I merely add a new layer to it, won't you agree?

The phrase "a product of lies" is very evocative to me. Tennant more than anyone is aware of the truth about diamonds - their value is artificially inflated to support the whole market, but they're not that valuable and they're mostly sold to rich people. So she's right, a diamond is a product of lies! But this phrase could also be read differently, like the way a diamond is born from coal, or the way something so "high class" and brittle could be created through insane amounts of pressure and work. Again,

Bluepoch gives their character many, many layers, the same way Tennant adds yet another layer to the lies of a diamond.

"It's just a lie known to everyone."

So, to summarize: Tennant is honest and upfront about her lies, she's playing a character. Her big scam is to make people fall for something so obvious - she makes maidens fall in love with her despite everything, she makes merchants buy into her fake diamonds. It's both an innocent performance and a risky game she plays. It's like her Ultimate says - she has a sincere heart, just split into many pieces.

What leads me to believe that Tennant is also a very kind-hearted woman is the fact that one of her skills is a shield. This is also something I talked about when analyzing Dikke, since she's also a very violent person whose healing skill give more insight into her character. It's the same for Tennant here!

"People have always dreamed of such thing, no matter it's in the distant universe, or right in front of them."

These little things and the previous point portray a different Tennant altogether - she's offering a harmless, whirlwind romance to many girls out there who are willing to play along, who are enticed by the danger without knowing they're safe and sound by her side, to give them a taste of something beautiful and fleeting. She carries around a gun that is explicitly "seldom pulled out".

To end the post, I have to admit I don't have many in-depth headcanons for Tennant? At least not enough to warrant more bullet points, and I already sprinkled a few throughout the post, so that's about it from me!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Douglas Murray

Published: Feb 24, 2024

Like a number of ‘anti-colonialists’, William Dalrymple lives in colonial splendour on the outskirts of Delhi. The writer often opens the doors of his estate to slavering architectural magazines. A few years ago, one described his pool, pool house, vast family rooms, animals, cockatoo ‘and the usual entourage of servants that attends any successful man in India’s capital city’.

I only mention Dalrymple because he is one of a large number of people who have lost their senses by going rampaging online about the alleged genocide in Gaza. He recently tweeted at a young Jewish woman who said she was afraid to travel into London during the Palestinian protests: ‘Forget 30,000 dead in Gaza, tens of thousands more in prison without charge, five MILLION in stateless serfdom, forget 75 years of torture, rape, dispossession, humiliation and occupation, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU.’ It is one thing when a street rabble loses their minds. But when people who had minds start to lose them, that is another thing altogether.

I find it curious. By every measure, what is happening in Gaza is not genocide. More than that – it’s not even regionally remarkable.

Hamas’s own figures – not to be relied upon – suggest that around 28,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October. Most of the international media likes to claim these people are all innocent civilians. In fact, many of the dead will have been killed by the quarter or so Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets that fall short and land inside Gaza.

Then there are the more than 9,000 Hamas terrorists who have been killed by the Israel Defence Forces. As Lord Roberts of Belgravia recently pointed out, that means there is fewer than a two to one ratio of civilians to terrorists killed: ‘An astonishingly low ratio for modern urban warfare where the terrorists routinely use civilians as human shields.’ Most western armies would dream of such a low civilian casualty count. But because Israel is involved (‘Jews are news’) the libellous hyperbole is everywhere.

For almost 20 years since Israel withdrew from Gaza, we have heard the same allegations. Israel has been accused of committing genocide in Gaza during exchanges with Hamas in 2009, 2012 and 2014. As a claim it is demonstrably, obviously false. When Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the population of the Strip was around 1.3 million. Today it is more than two million, with a male life expectancy higher than in parts of Scotland. During the same period, the Palestinian population in the West Bank grew by a million. Either the Israelis weren’t committing genocide, or they tried to commit genocide but are uniquely bad at it. Which is it? Well, when it comes to Israel it seems people don’t have to choose. Everything and anything can be true at once.

Here is a figure I’ve never seen anyone raise. It’s an ugly little bit of maths, but stay with me. If you wish, you might add together all the people killed in every conflict involving Israel since its foundation.

In 1948, after the UN announced the state, all of Israel’s Arab neighbours invaded to try to wipe it out. They failed. But the upper estimate of the casualties on all sides came to some 20,000 people. The upper estimates of the wars of 1967 and 1973, when Israel’s neighbours once again attempted to annihilate it, are very similar (some 20,000 and 15,000 respectively). Subsequent wars in Lebanon and Gaza add several thousands more to that figure. It means that up to the present war, some 60,000 people had died on every side in all wars involving Israel.

Over the past decade of civil war in Syria, Bashar al-Assad has managed to kill more than ten times that number. Although precise figures are hard to come by, Assad is reckoned to have murdered some 600,000 Arab Muslims in his country. Meaning that every six to 12 months he manages to kill the same number as died in every war involving Israel ever.

There are lots of reasons you might give to explain this: that people don’t care when Muslims kill Muslims; that people don’t care when Arabs kill Arabs; that they only care if Israel is involved. Allow me to give another example that is suggestive.

No one knows how many people have been killed in the war in Yemen in recent years. From 2015-2021 the UN estimated perhaps 377,000 – ten times the highest estimate of the recent death toll in Gaza. The only time I’ve heard people scream on British streets about Yemen has been after the Houthis started attacking British and American ships in the Red Sea and the deadbeat idiots on the streets of London started chanting: ‘Yemen, Yemen, make us proud, turn another ship around.’ Because like all leftists and Islamists there is no terrorist group these people can’t get a pash on, so long as that terrorist group is against us.

I often wonder why this obsession arises when the war involves Israel. Why don’t people trawl along our streets and scream by their thousands about Syria, Yemen, China’s Uighurs or a hundred other terrible things? There are only two possible conclusions.

The first is a journalistic one. Ever since Marie Colvin was killed it became plain that western journalists were a target in Syria. Not eager to be the target, most journalists hotfooted it out of the country. Some who didn’t fell into the hands of Isis. Israel-Gaza wars by contrast do not have the same dynamic and on a technical level the media can applaud itself for reporting from a warzone where they are not the target.

But I suspect it is a moral explanation which explains the situation so many people find themselves in. They simply enjoy being able to accuse the world’s only Jewish state of ‘genocide’ and ‘Nazi-like behaviour’. They enjoy the opportunity to wound Jews as deeply as possible. Many find it satisfies the intense fury they feel when Israel is winning.

Like being fanned on your veranda while lambasting the evils of Empire, it is a paradox, to be sure. But it is also a perversity. And it doesn’t come from nowhere.

==

"From the water to the water, Palestine is Arab."

This is the actual genocide.

[everything-is-crab]

Whenever a femicide case occurs in India, first thing people question is the religion of the victim and the murderer.

Was the girl Hindu? She must be.

Was the guy Muslim? He must be.

Otherwise this case isn't worth debating about as an alarming social issue.

According to Hindu men, only Muslim men possess a threat to us. Femicide is a love jihad case. Not a patriarchal one that Hindu men are responsible for too.

After that recent incidence where a 16 year old girl in Delhi was killed by an adult male she was in a relationship with, people only cared that the guy was Muslim. Same for Shraddha Walker's case.

Nobody gave af that the people who witnessed the murder of the minor girl literally just walked away from the scene. Were those people Muslim too? Nobody gaf about how the police didn't take Shraddha seriously. Were they Muslim too?

Nobody gave af about the incidence in Thane where another minor girl was murdered by her brother when she had her first period. Nobody gave a fuck in 2021 when a husband murdered his wife on a main road in Delhi in broad daylight (and nobody stepped forward to save the woman) because she wanted to do a job and earn by herself.

Even now, another recent incidence in Mumbai that made the news where both the victim and murderer were Hindus, Hindu men are crying victim because the name of the man was revealed and according to them Muslim men's names aren't revealed (which we all know is a big fat lie but imagine feeling victimized when one of yours who murdered an innocent woman is publicly recognized).

Men of all kinds are sick and inhumane. They see that our lives are taken away by them when we choose to trust them as lovers, fathers, brothers or whatever (it's not stranger men attacking us). But the patriarchy doesn't exist. There must be some other politics like race or religion involved.

It is more important now than ever that Indian feminists start taking cases of femicide seriously considering the media talks only about these isolated cases that stand out most due to their disturbing descriptions of the crime and we don't have any idea about the stats because femicide isn't counted as a different crime (it comes under homicide). So many women get murdered or driven to death for marrying out of their religion,caste or for dowry related reasons. Our sex ratio isn't skewed just due to the female infanticide and sex selective abortion cases.

[octuscle]

Could I take DEL 2 suitcase?

Actually, you don't know what you would have expected…. What do you associate with India? Spices? Colorful robes? The gold treasure of a maharajah? You certainly didn't expect a suitcase that heavy. And full of strange boxes and ampoules. All labeled in a language you don't understand at all. What on earth are these letters?

Disappointed, you put the suitcase in the corner. No treasure of gold. So you have to try honest work again. But first you should finish your MBA. Otherwise your parents will cut you off.

While zapping through the TV program, you get stuck on a Bollywood tearjerker in the evening. Hey, you recognize those letters. They are also on the contents of your suitcase. And in fact, after a while, you find the tearjerker not so bad. Some of the actors look really hot.

You fell asleep in front of the TV. When you wake up in the middle of the night, the news from Delhi is on. The morning is already over there. It's getting close to noon. Drowsy, you listen to see if anything is going on. But only the usual reports of government crises and floods. What is wrong with this country. You fall into your bed and fall asleep immediately.

Your alarm clock rings at 06:00. You have to work a bit before going to university. You work in the first level support of a software manufacturer. Annoying customer inquiries. But well paid. And if you're lucky, you'll be hired after graduation. Although, as a Data Scientist you will always find a job. As long as you have your bachelor's degree.

On campus, you'll be drawn outside during your lunch break. The others avoid the heat. But 32 degrees Celsius is not heat for you. You're used to something else. You do a few pull-ups on the horizontal bar. It's time for a proper workout. Tonight you really have to go to the gym.

When you finally get home, you remember the suitcase. Some of the things are not quite legal here. But if you want to reach your goals, you need support. You pick out a protein shake. And take one of the L-carnitine ampoules. Why didn't you clear out the suitcase yesterday? You sort everything neatly into the cupboard and prepare your nutritional supplements for the next day. And you go to bed.

You get up at 3:00 am. Damn the time difference. But as the head of your startup, you have to attend one or the other online meeting in Noida. You hide your long hair, which you are so proud of, under a cap. When the call is over, you go to the gym for an hour. And after that, your hair is washed and groomed. But right after sleeping you can't show it to the public.

Good workout! Now you can show the losers in the lecture hall that they know nothing about data science. They may make fun of your Indian accent. But you are the youngest lecturer the faculty has had. And the only one who teaches in a tank top.

[i-cant-sing]

BJP didn't destroy a mosque there was previously a Ram Mandir that Babar destroyed in own Ram birth place after 500 years BJP made the Mandir

And in Kashmir all of Hindu pandits were killed they forced a mother to eat her husband bodies if she didn't they would kill her children's and they were killed and they did more horrible things

And don't forget about The Kerala Files

There are constantly terrorist attacks in India from Pakistan like the attack on Delhi or Mumabi and the taj hotel

Or the Kashmir were they are bombing it

Or the news were we keep hearing that Hindu girls are cutted in pieces and kept in freezer

Girl... look me in the eye and be so fr, tell me dead ass that Hindus haven't committed more crimes against Muslims. Actually, if you're a BJP supporter, just- leave. Hate NM, so there's no point in talking sense into his followers.

And yeah, you've mentioned a lot of crimes against Hindus and yeah, it's very wrong and terrible what happened to them, but what about crimes against Indian Muslims??? Or they don't count because they're a religious minority aka second class citizen.

NOT TO MENTION THE BIGGEST CRIME OF ALL- Indians- of which many are Hindus- are going to Israel to work at this point in time- which would end up in supporting the Palestinian genocide.

AND YOU KEEP MENTIONING PAKISTAN- omg why are Indians so obsessed with making Pakistanis look bad??? Like there's so many bollywood movies where Pakistanis are the bad guys. It's like Hollywood's version of making Germans and Russians the villain every single time.

Don't even get me started on Kashmir. Do not-

[oldlibrariesbookishgirls]

India and Independence- Part 1

Tomorrow, 15th of August, is when India celebrates her 77th Independence day and I'd like to rant on everything that should be brought in spotlight. Here we go:

Religion and its role in today's India: I expect we all know what's the current state of religion is in India. It has became no more than a political tool to gain votes. Nothing more. People kill, torture, rape, exploit in the name of religion. The united front this country once presented in the face of the colonisers has long been collapsed. People of different faith find themselves questioning their safety and rights in our country. Have we all forgotten? That in the struggle of independence, we didn't see eachother as hindu, muslims or Sikh, we were just Indians. That during the Jallian wala bagh shootings, the Britishers didn't discriminate between Hindus and muslims, they open fired at all. So why today we point fingers at eachother? Why does extremist parties still thrive in this country who spread religious hatred and entice communal violence? They put on a facade that 'blah blah religion is under threat' and naively everyone agrees. The higher ups plays with the religious beliefs so that they can remain in that position of power. We must remind ourselves this independence day that as long as we foster religious hate, we are never going to develop.

Deep rooted patriarchy and it's cruel effects on the women of this country: Oh I can never run out of words when speaking on this topic. Whether you're a man who has been told since childhood that "boys don't cry" or a woman who has experienced all the atrocities committed by people around you just because you're a woman. We all have experienced the toxic effects of Patriarchy in our daily lives. The mindset that men are superior, more logical, more capable, owner of the house, women are emotional, weak, should stay at home, lower their voices while talking to men, each and every one of this point mixes the poison of Patriarchy deeper into the rivers of this country. It is so deeply engraved that people don't even bat an eyelash when a husband treats his wife like shit. Domestic abuse is common in India. Violence against women is justified. "Husbands have a right to beat their wives", I heard this from the mouth of my own grandmother 2 days ago. This country got independence 77 years ago, but women don't have any in this country. From the second we step out of their homes, men eye us lecherously, we step into our workplace, the manager gives us a creepy smile, we go to schools and colleges, the principal teaches us "don't dress provocatively." Where are the morals? Rape has became so common that we don't understand how horrific it is. And how do the rapists get punished? Bilkis bano's rapists were bailed out and were felicitated with garlands and bouquets as if they did some great thing for the country. THEY GANG RAPED HER. Nirbhaya's case (Delhi 2012), changed nothing! The convicts were hanged yes, but what did the government do to lessen the chances of another nirbhaya? What did they do to protect the women of our country? Nothing. Prajjwal Revanna, a renowned politician, whose rally our honourable pm😍 himself attended, had raped women and had recorded sex tapes of him doing the act. What was the action taken against him? Nothing. The recent news that cut deeply through the medical community, The kolkata doctor's horrific rape and brutal murder. She had completed her 36 HOUR shift and had dinner with her juniors at 2 am. Then went to rest in the seminar hall. What are they doing to bring justice? Nothing, just false assurances. All this country does is sits back and wait for another Bilkis bano, another nirbhaya, another female doctor. When is this going to change?

I wanted to delve even deeper into the issues but the post is getting too long. So, wait for part 2 ig?

[nuagederose]

following up to my original post for “vostok” (the antarctic mermaid and the pinned post—the dtiys for that goes all the way to may 1, too!), i give you my prompts for mermay around the world. i tried to get all the continents—it’s tricky here with the states because we’re such a melting pot of cultures and dialects, so i picked two of the cities i can readily represent through art (i was going to use new orleans or nashville but i’m slightly more drawn to vegas and hawai’i).

this is inspired by three things:

planetary coalition (the obvious one).

some time ago, i was looking into art of the middle east, namely israel and iran (before the revolution of 1979, of course) and feeling enamored by it all.

the third thing that inspired it was thinking about east asian art and how i’ve always been drawn to it. i don’t know how my mind jumped to it but i thought about angkor wat and block paintings of temples in southeast asia, and my mind being the rocket it is went from there.

***i also don’t want to hear any objections to tel aviv and kiev being on here. if you don’t like it, do your own or use someone else’s list.

i’m dropping these now to give plenty of time to study the art and culture of each city. i’d rather let people be influenced and inspired than appropriate 😉

Kingston (Jamaica) 🇯🇲

Las Vegas (United States) 🇺🇸

Mexico City (Mexico) 🇲🇽

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 🇧🇷

Santiago (Chile) 🇨🇱

Honolulu (United States) 🇺🇸

Manila (Philippines) 🇵🇭

Tokyo (Japan) 🇯🇵

Shanghai (China) 🇨🇳

Phnom Penh (Cambodia) 🇰🇭

Auckland (New Zealand) 🇳🇿

Sydney (Australia) 🇦🇺

Suva (Fiji) 🇫🇯

New Delhi (India) 🇮🇳

Kathmandu (Nepal) 🇳🇵

Istanbul (Turkey) 🇹🇷

Tel Aviv (Israel) 🇮🇱

Cairo (Egypt) 🇪🇬

Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast) 🇨🇮

Freetown (Liberia) 🇱🇷

Fez (Morocco) 🇲🇦

Porto (Portugal) 🇵🇹

Monte Carlo (Monaco/the French Riviera) 🇲🇨

Geneva (Switzerland) 🇨🇭

Athens (Greece) 🇬🇷

Kiev (Ukraine) 🇺🇦

Prague (the Czech Republic) 🇨🇿

Brussels (Belgium) 🇧🇪

Helsinki (Finland) 🇫🇮

Vilnius (Lithuania) 🇱🇹

Dublin (Ireland) 🇮🇪

[biblioklept-writes]

Daydream

(Stargirl Part 2 Modern!Aemond x F!Reader)

A/N: Reader lives in India, but no specification of her family or her appearance is there except for her residence in Delhi and Indian food. Reposting because the tags didn't work

Summary: You are back home, but thank gods for the miracle of texting. Later, Aemond gets a little surprise from his professor.

Word Count: 2.6k (almost)

Series Masterlist | HOTD Masterlist

Two days had passed since that party, and you had packed up to leave for home. After an entire year of grilling, you were finally able to go back to see your family. You still hadn’t reached out to Aemond, though, figuring it would be best to wait until you return. Or if he wanted to speak with you, he had your number.

He hadn’t texted you either.

Although, you kept the napkin with his handwriting in your wallet, looking at it as you sat in waiting for the gates to open. You had called your mother to let her know that you had reached the airport on time, and yes there was still a good hour left before the boarding would start. She said to call her once you were boarded before she hung up.

Next you called your roommate, Casey, and Haelena to let them know that you had safely reached the airport.

It wasn’t until the next morning, when you were in the comfort of your bed in your home, that you received a text from Aemond.

Aemond Targaryen: Hello Y/N. I hope you had a comfortable journey. You: Hey, Aemond! I did, I am with my parents now. Aemond Targaryen: That’s good to know. Do you have any plans? You: To sleep away the jet lag and then meet my friends. Do you have any plans for the month-long break? Aemond Targaryen: Nothing much, just a bunch of family dinners and then I have to visit a historical site. You: Ohh, that sounds great. Where are you thinking of going? Aemond Targaryen: I haven’t decided yet. Open for any suggestions. You: Well… what are the places that you haven’t been to? Aemond Targaryen: I have been around Westeros, and seen whatever there is of Essos. I don’t feel like revisiting. You: I am glad I don’t have such ‘rich people problems’. Aemond Targaryen: Is that sarcasm that I detect? You: You tell me, Mister. You: Okay, my mom’s calling. Ttyl!

Later, you went to bed, tired of the jet lag. The next afternoon, as you were in the metro going to meet your friends, you texted him again.

You: Hello

Then you went to scroll through instagram, and found a new follow request: vhagaristhebest, and you smiled as you accepted the request and sent a request back. His profile picture held his side with the lilac eye and he looked down at his lovely doberman, Vhagar. He is dressed in a dark-grey sweatsuit from what you could make out, hair pushed back from his beautiful face. In your mutuals is shows haelenalovesbugs and heyjacaerys and you grin with your teeth despite yourself.

Your phone buzzes again and you check your messages, and you first text your friends that you are on your way and would be there in forty minutes.

Aemond Targaryen: Took you long enough to speak with your mom. You: I fell asleep. Why are you still awake vhagaristhebest? Aemond Targaryen: I was up reading, hotgirlslovetoread. What are you doing right now? You: I am going to meet with some of my friends. Currently in the metro You: sent a photo Aemond Targaryen: You look stunning, as usual. Is that the subway? You: Thank you, and yeah. Anyways, what book were you reading? Aemond Targaryen: Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy You: No way! I love that book. What else does your reading might entail, Mr. Targaryen? Please tell me you love fiction. Aemond Targaryen: I do, actually. And others, you know the basics - the Picture of Dorian Grey, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson yada yada. You: Percy Jackson is like holy scripture to me. Aemond Targaryen: I am a religious man then. What do you like to read, Miss? You: All sorts of things - mostly fantasy though. But I have read a few of the classics. Might I interest you in the Scarlet Pimpernel? Aemond Targaryen: Added to tbr. You: How chivalrous of you. Alright, I should let you off now. Go to bed and get some rest. I am sure you need your beauty sleep for that flawless skin and hair. Aemond Targaryen: Shh… Don’t go about spilling my secrets. Take care.

One of your friends entered the metro, and squealed as you hugged her. “King’s Landing seemed to have been kind to you,” she observed.

“And that is the biggest lie,” You said. “It’s all being-back-home. Man, I missed the food there. No one seems to get the paneer tikka right?!”

“Oh, the menace,” She sighed.

.

Half-way across the world, Aemond sat for dinner with his family, constantly checking his phone. Everyone was there: his father, mother, grandfather, step-sister, her husband, and their children. It was a mess, and he only found comfort with Haelena, Daeron and Aegon, as miserable as it was. He was quiet most of the time, keeping to himself like he normally did - only speaking to Haelena or Daeron or answering if he was asked something. He looked around the table once more, Aegon was busy stabbing his food and Haelena and Daeron conversed about something.

He looked at your profile picture for a long moment, admiring the way your hair looked as you faced away from the camera. He refreshed his feed once again, and saw that you had updated a story. With an excited heart, he opened it - finding you with your friends from back home. You were dressed in a green dress that reached a little above your knees and your hair was free of any confines. You looked so different from that night - you had been a temptress that night as you were now - but that night you were a storm, and today you were a gentle wind.

Aemond scrolled through the stories, screenshotting the one you had of yourself. The next picture was with a guy with his arm around you, and he looked at you with a soft smile on his face as you laughed at the camera. There was a sudden pang in his chest, but he ignored it. You wouldn’t have made the move on him if you had a boyfriend, would you?

He decided to reply to the story that you had of yourself. I know I said it already, but I’ll say it again - you look gorgeous, he sent, and put the phone down.

Daeron was applying for his subjects, more interested in Computer Science than finance like their mother wished to. Haelena told him that she had a lovely friend in the department and could speak to her regarding any queries that he had. 

Jacaerys, who was seated across from them, looked up at Haelena’s mention of “my lovely friend,” and smiled. “Do you mean Y/N?”

“Oh yeah,” Haelena agreed. “She was a part of your project wasn’t she?”

“Yup,” Jace said, nodding dreamily. “She is so pretty – and of course talented too, she made all of us do the work, stayed up till 4 with us to integrate the Artificial Intelligence bit to the moving parts. Daeron, if you want any help for Computer Science, Y/N should be your favoured contact.” 

“What did you say about Y/N?” Aegon asked, and Aemond internally groaned. He knew - 3, 2, 1 – there it was “I am sure Aemond knows a lot about her,” Aegon raised his glass as if for a toast, his brow raised and a smirk plastered on his face. “Don’t you brother? Or were you too busy eye-fucking each other to talk?”

“Aegon!” Their mother looked positively repulsed. “This is no manner of speaking for a man of your stature.”

“I am merely speaking the truth, mother,” Aegon said, shrugging. “Ask Aemond if it’s true or not. Don’t you find Y/N pretty?”

Aemond pursed his lips, glaring at his older brother. “Are you ashamed that she called you bad company?” he said, and their cousins snarked. 

At that, the glare he received was full of spite, but Aegon seemed to have calmed down enough to sit back in his seat. He returned stabbing at his food, but Aemond was left to deal with a confused Haelena. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“Haelena, it’s nothing.” He attempted to placate her. “I’ve only seen her at the party, and we exchanged phone numbers. We have barely even talked.”

“Because you were too busy eye-fucking?” Daeron added with a laugh. Aemond rolled his eye, lightly smacking his little brother. 

“Oh not you too.” Aemond sighed. “And even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. She’s gone back to India to see her family.”

Daeron elbowed him in the ribs, grinning like a fool. “Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Aemond.”

“Come on, don't you have anything better to do than bully me?” Aemond sighed.

“I do, but this is more fun,” Daeron said.

Aemond’s phone buzzed, as he checked the notification to see your message an involuntary smile graced his usually stoic features. 

.

Meanwhile, your group chat with the girls was exploding with messages as you slept the night away in Delhi, exhausted after a day of enjoying with your old friends. You were surprised to wake up to over five hundred messages from the group chat, confused as to what could have happened. Did someone die?

Shaking that thought away, you first did your business in the bathroom and started brushing as you opened the chat. There had been so many tags to you, all of it screaming, “BITCH WHO WAS GONNA UPDATE??”

You spat out the toothpaste immediately as you saw Helaena’s text. She was very, very mad, furious. 

Helaena (Sweetheart): YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING TO AEMOND AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME! TELL ME WHY I HAD TO FIND IT FROM AEGON OF ALL PEOPLE! (cussing emoji) NEITHER OF YOU DID! Roomie<3: BITCH Y/N WHAT THE FUCK- Helaena (Sweetheart): IFKR? YOU TELL HER, CASEY. I AM FURIOUS WITH YOU Y/N, YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM THIS

Rinsing out the remaining toothpaste, you quickly gathered yourself and thought of the best response that you could give. Perhaps the truth would be just fine.

You: I literally bumped into him at that party and then we exchanged phone numbers and we started texting like yesterday calm down guys, I didn’t tell you because there was nothing to tell. Helaena (Sweetheart): Aegon said that he found you, and I quote, “eye-fucking”. You: Well, Aegon’s an idiot. I literally bumped into Aemond and I would have fallen down the stairs if he didn’t hold me.

Roomie <3: How does that lead to number exchange. AND THEN THIS? You: then what? Helaena (Sweetheart): sent a photo

You gasped and nearly dropped your phone as you saw the napkin with your phone number and the red lipstick stain that was most certainly yours. 

You: I WAS DRUNK! AND HE DID IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY Helaena (Sweetheart): What did he do? You: He had written his number on a napkin and gave it to me, and my drunk self thought it was only fair to return the favour. Roomie <3: Spill. Everything. You: *sent a voice note*

The group chat fell silent for a long moment as they listened to you speak, and then the two of your friends started yelling at you through the messages. As you want to have your breakfast chila, you read their commentary, waiting for them to calm down enough to let this go.

Aemond Targaryen: You seem really fond of “The Love Hypothesis”, hotgirlslovetoread. Might I enquire, why? You: Read around and find out ;P

A gasp had left your mouth as you read his text, and now you stared at your risky response to it. I shouldn’t have done this, I shouldn’t have done this. You glared at it in horror, but it was too late and he had already seen the message. Have you gone too far? Stunning him into silence? What if he thinks you are weird and stops speaking to you altogether? Gods, why am I like this?

Helaena (Sweetheart): Tell us immediately if you get any message from Aemond. I would like to know what my little brother is up to these days. Roomie <3: You want to see if you raised him right? Helaena (Sweetheart): Fucking hell I do. Look at him acting all grown up and not telling me that he actually met Y/N. You: Well, we’re just talking about books and stuff. Heleana, you did raise him right with the manners, I must say. Helaena (Sweetheart): Well, I must have gone wrong somewhere with the both of you since both of you met each other and decided not to tell me. You: I was a busy woman this past couple days, if anyone deserves these taunts it’s Aemond, not me. 

.

Helaena sits in front of Aemond Daeron, carefully watching the chess game her little brothers are playing. Aemond moves his black pawn diagonally, taking Daeron's white queen. "Checkmate," He says, face stoic as ever.

"How do you always manage to win?" Daeron sighs, stretching in his chair. 

"You missed important observations," He explained. "When you play, all of your mind should be on the board, trying to figure out my next move instead of yours. If you get that fine, you'll win."

"Enough of chess now," Helaena said. "I want to go out with you guys now."

"We can go in half an hour, I just need to be on a short call with Professor Leyland," Aemond says, going to his laptop desk. "Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes,"

"Would it be a problem if we stay here?" Daeron asks, looking at him with big pleading eyes. 

"It's fine," He turns to his laptop, putting a finger to his lips to tell them to stay quiet.

"Good afternoon, Professor Leyland." Aemond speaks.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Targaryen." the other voice says. "You said you wanted a new topic for your research, and I was thinking of assigning you Indian history. It's a vast topic and I am hoping that you wouldn't have issues with the travel expenses."

"I am grateful that you think I am capable of covering that topic," He politely smiled, ignoring the burn of the glares being sent his way by his siblings. "Of course, expenses are not an issue."

"Good then, you will cover your project works in the subjects with the same. Feel free to choose any city for your report work." The old voice said. "That’s it Mr. Targaryen, have a good day."

"Good day, Professor." Aemond said as he hung up.

"What was that?" Helaena asked as he closed his laptop, looking at his too still hands. "This is some sorcery that you are doing."

“It’s fate!” Daeron said, clapping his hands together in his little drama queen fashion. “This is a sign from the universe, mate!”

Aemond couldn’t stop the heat that flooded his cheeks, but he cleared his throat as Helaena and Daeron shared a look. “Didn’t we have to go out?” he said instead. “You know what, we should go to the mall. I want to get… a new chain.”

“Sure,” Helaena commented, and Daeron snickered. “I will speak with Y/N,”

“Thank you,” Aemond said, straightening his straight sweater sleeve.

.

.

.

Tags:

@depressedperson88

[somerabbitholes]

Hello! I'm in dire need of an unbiased opinion. Considering the newer books coming out on history, there's more unknown facts and stories from our history becoming mainstream or rather, easily accessible. I thought that was a good thing. But the recent divide in how it is being labelled as propoganda in the left vs right debate seems to be an insult to the main crux i.e. the events and people of the past. Am I crazy or are people being absurd with the ideologies? Like history is history, how are people trying to impose labels? I think I lost a friend over this debate and hence, I need an unbiased opinion. Thank you for your time! Love your blog btw, I'm new to Tumblr and seeing your blog was a delight.

People are being a little absurd with ideology, you're right there. It's strange to me that history is quite possibly having its best, most flourishing popular life in India at the same time as it is also arguably in crisis of sorts. I do think it's a good thing that newer histories, newer sources are being written about, that older sources are being reinterpreted. I stand by that: there is so much room to do history creatively, and extremely luckily, there is also now the audience.

Here's the thing though, history isn't a blank or static canvas. It's not the past, it's how we make sense of the past, and us in India have had a very flawed reckoning with our history, both because of colonialism and simply how post-independence historical writing worked, ideologically and institutionally speaking. So while it is currently chaos and also a landmine — and no one knows this better than us whose business is history — I don't think we could've avoided this. Like it had to come one day, and now it has. I like to think it's history breaking out of a very Delhi-centred academia and in many ways, it's jarring and it's context collapse, but again, it had to happen.

The whole thing with calling books a "new" or "untold" history is very annoying to me but that's a separate conversation. As to your question about labelling things as propaganda: a simple rule for me has been to read something and find out why it's being called what it's being called. For what it's worth, I do have hope. There is room for research the way there hasn't been for a very long time in the country, and there's enough to do if you'd like to.

I don't know if that helps, but I hope it does.

[aleenapaulsposts]

ALEENA PAUL || NEW DELHI INDIA

AWARENESS BLOGGER.41

HUMAN RIGHTS MATTER

Albert Einstein said

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing any thing.

In my opinion bystander not consider as a guilty but coward who ignore the crime

ALEENA PAUL || NEW DELHI ,INDIA _published 9 sep 2023

I am just a consciousness raising women and i want to tell my story because we matter our voice matter.



Have you seen this image ever before ? If ‘No’ then its right time to describes about this image .its seems like I am going to describe about a such type if crime which happens in every day in our life this is not just about our country but a serious issue around the world .

I don’t know what you call this crime but I call it coward bystander .

You know what people fear the most ?yes .its ‘FEAR’ and that’s make a person coward.

Today we will discuss about very important issue which you call as bystander which known as crime but not crime in law

Have you hared about a very popular crime murder case which was happened in 1964 in newyork city the bystander effect following the violent attack and murder of a women name ‘cathedral kitty genovese’. This crime occurred over 30 minutes. During this time 38 neighbors heard kitty cries for help .but no one helped her or call the police so shameful incident . she attempted to save her own call was made to the police but it was dismissed as a domestic dispute all though the incident become globally famous. Image of news published in 1964.



Simpler to this case one more incident was done by a boy called sahil in metropolitan city delhi , INDIA on March 2023 ‘nikki murder case’ .which gone very viral.

In this case sahil who was prime suspected for his girl friend nikki murder case .which was cord in cctv camera which visible very clearly in cctv camera the boy nihal stabbed 21 times then battered with boulder. Public cought in cctv camera delhi girl killed as people walk by .

The girl suffered a ruptured skull during the attack according to the preliminary final post mortem report .scenes captured by cctv camera in a lane located in the shahbad diary area of delhi rohini.

Now my intention was not to discuss about such crime murder case but a small alert related such crimes .a topic which happen every day life in entire world a globle problem which every one ignore .known as bystander.

Before we discusses about this topic can I ask you a question?

What type of personality you are upstander or bystander?

If you are any of these plz comment .

BYSTANDER

Some one who sees or know about bullying or any crime but takes no action to address it or report it.simply who sees the crime happening but simply ignore or wrought take responsibility or simply ignore may be he/she don’t know how to handle this.

Eg – shy , fain-hearted , coward etc

UPSTANDER

Someone who recognises when something is wrong and act to make it right.

Eg – honest , faithful , brave and supporter etc.

We are upstander and want to create a campus environment where every members of our community feels included , valued and safe.

We all play a critical role in identifying situation that have a potential for harm and intervening it something dons’t look or feet quite right.

Don’t just be a step and protect people who need help your action could prevent some one from becoming a victim of any crime.

🟥 Be aware of event around you

🟥 take responsibility for the well-being of everyone in the community.

🟥 step in help others

🟥 step indirectly and separate the person

🟥 use distraction to re – direct the forces of one person elsewhere

🟥 let some friends know what going on and recruit them help

🟥 if the situation looks like unsafe call the police department or ngo for help .

Watching but doing nothing (bystander)

🟧 effect occurs from interdependence between group of people .

🟧 people in a group may expect someone else to help which relieves them from any type of responsibility to take in action.

🟧 if know one help still the blame for in action applies to everyone in the group.

🟧people may feel a shared responsibility where in a larger group so individual may not take action because they feel less responsibility when other are present.

🟧 fear of unfavourable judgement.

🟧 pluralistic ignorance is a thought that how will we do .if no body else is taking action bystander will think it is not a emergency situation and it is not my problem.

🟧 passive supporter who witness the incident but do nothing to interface.

How can we encourage bystander to get support to bullying victim?

Now the good samaritan law was introduced in india .to provide legal frame work to motivate and encourage the bystander to offer aid to the victims with out any fear of legal hassles.good samaritan who make a phone call to inform the police or emergency service .for the person lying injured on the road .shall not be compelled to reveal his name and personal detail .government of india provide cash who saves lives in road accident by those who saves lives in road accident by taking them to hospital within the golden hours. The amount of good samaritan is 5000/-rs per accident. The scheme will remain will remain operational the completion of the 15th financial cycle till 31st March,2026. One of the historic figures was mahatama gandhi ,nelson mardela and martin luttor.

Who are upstander and what they do? UPSTANDER are community members who provide acknowledgement , understanding and support for neighbours facing challenges as a result of hateful acts , natural disasters , violence or interference that threaten the integrity of their community.



[gerrydefault]

You are spreading misinformation too I think, Imane Khelif was NEVER banned from the Olympics, for the IOC her testosterone levels have always been in the norm, at Tokyo she lost in the quarterfinals against a cis woman that ALSO had normal levels of testosterone (and lost very badly too, 5-0). She WAS banned from the world championship, and even then, she was not banned for her testosterone levels, but for "arbitrary reasons". Now, if you followed boxe, you would know how much of a bad reputation the IBA (a racist and bigoted association) has. (You can read their statements here: https://www.iba.sport/news/statement-made-by-the-international-boxing-association-regarding-athletes-disqualifications-in-world-boxing-championships-2023/ and here IOC response to the fact https://x.com/iocmedia/status/1819068761787244959?t=-PUHH5YmhoGFK2jFdpsRYw&s=19).

Andrey (and I was a big fan of his) spread transphobic rethoric AND misinformation, using transphobic talking points (men enter women spaces saying they're trans and make them unsafe, trans-inclusivity could lead to pedophilia) contributing to the hate campaign towards a WOMAN who did NOTHING WRONG. A hate campaign that could become VERY dangerous for her real fast, considering the extremely homophobic and transphobic country she lives and practices in. There is no excuse and I hope he, at the least, acknowledges the misinformation he spread.

nice to see another boxe fan I guess, I am 99% sure I am not spreading misinformation hopefully

I remember the whole tokyo accident and the following allegations from the indian times, covering the fact and claiming the allegations about testosterone (they posted this article yesterday with basically also the old info attached)

“Khelif is a renowned boxer who earned a silver medal at the 2022 world championship of the IBA. The same organisation banned her from last year's women's world boxing championship in New Delhi, India, due to alleged excessive testosterone levels.

She was surprisingly banned a few hours ahead of her scheduled gold medal battle against Yang Liu of China. However, Yang Liu's bronze medal was also taken away after she failed to meet IBA's eligibility test, which prevents athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in the women's category”

and I will had this part too:

“The disqualification, in Khelif's opinion, was a plot to stop an Algerian boxer from winning. According to the IOC, Khelif was disqualified because of high testosterone levels.”

I do unfortunately know about the immense racism going around this field, and reading the link you provided me it’s even worst for the most part, however the fact that her testosterone levels are higher doesn’t mean she can’t lose against a woman with hormonal balance if this is what you are trying to say about the (5-0) loss, both Yang and Khelif took the test again for this year olympics and the testosterone levels where the same always higher than normal

“Lin Yu-ting and Khelif were allowed to compete this year because IOC's regulations allow the admission of athletes with gender diversity and DSDs (differences of sexual development)”

(to be honest a girl wrote me that Khelif was taking supplements or medications to lower her hormonal issue but frankly I couldn’t find not a singular proof of that so I guess it’s not real or ??)

I already uncovered the andrey situation in another anon ask, and how the majority tends to believe media (because supposedly they should provide us with the truth) and the whole please let’s keep in mind he is russian thing, about you saying he is spreading transphobia??? it might be me but I don’t see it??? maybe you are talking about the “a woman should not compete against a man who think he is a woman” sort of thing to which I understand your logic and how you might feel about it, however I guess it was just the heat of the movement because his main focus truly was to talk about violence and how he can’t stand that, also let me clarify I am not saying that he is a trans rights supporter or stuff like this, he is probably not and like a lot of things very neutral about it, I know that it will sound like a mantra but guys…. he is russian in russia people with lgbtq+ community are considered criminals, you have to think he grow up with that sort of upbringing should never forget that people there are not free to think the way western people are, and he is self aware of it and never spoke about certain topics until yesterday were his main focus wasn’t the””” trans woman””” herself but the supposed injustice Angela Carini went through , it has been years of me listening to his interviews and he just can’t stop yapping about peace and justice, it’s just his thing. the only transphofian here is Carini herself but this is another story.

(he probably will not acknowledge that until all the medias gonna start saying something about it because as I said before he doesn’t search for stuff) however I don’t think he is transphobic that just wasn’t the main point in his statement.

(also I tend to use newspaper such as hindustan times, Ansa, Gazette ecc for both university and writing works because they are a-political and the most of them are independent so I am pretty sure about the info given by them ofc nobody is 100 but the universal truth is yet to be found)

[onlyjellyillputinmybelly]

Hey guys i've found myself defending America and it feels weird but can yall tell me if I'm in the wrong here?

(its long im sorry)

TLDR: My friend is an international student, we got in a joking argument about soccer vs football that ended in accusations of racism and McCarthyism. Did I take it too far?

.........

I go to a private college in America (in the south) that I have worked hard to get a full tuition scholarship so I can afford to attend. I have a friend who also goes here that is an international student from New Delhi. I'll call her N.

N is very sweet, but she has the tendency to get very peeved about the culture differences between India and America. I have met plenty of other international students who are also from India (there are a LOT of international students this year) and most of them are very chill and embrace the multicultural area that the school is located in.

I am also, as we may know, an avid arguer. I'm a philosopher at heart. I think disagreements let me get to know people better through how they argue (which helps me know if they'd be a good friend. idk its the tism ig).

So N and I were chilling and out of the blue they send me a reel about how non-americans get mad when americans say soccer and not football. I sent back "its true cuz we're fine with them calling it football but they pop off whenever we say soccer" and she responds with "Because you're saying it wrong."

We've had convos like this and I normally assume they're being light hearted and pretending like its a big thing, so I responded kinda sarcastically "damn learn how to accept peoples differences" and she said "not if theyre american"

Like ok shes being sarcastic back but it feels weird. I started bantering about how other countries also say soccer (australia, south africa, new guinea) and she says "yes but only in the US and canada you haveto clarify what you mean when you say football because yall stole the name."

This confused me cuz tf you mean "you stole the name." First off I didn't do shit, second off how the fuck do you steal a sport? I said exactly that and she replies with "Nothing in america is your own" and holy shit im actually defending america wtf. This is not like me. But im not defending its history or its government, im defending the culture of it cus thats honestly the only good part of it. So respond with a cheeky lil "and isnt that beautiful" and she says "its yall being stupid."

I say "its a melting pot" and she says "a melting pot takes inspiration." I got a lil pissed at this because ok so did immigrants and enslaved people just spawn here? Did they steal their own cultures from their home countries?

They went on for a bit about how america is built off of appropriation, which it is fair that cultures are constantly being appropriated, but there are also cultures constantly being celebrated and fused, and that fusion and appreciation is what has the lasting impact.

I say this and she says "whatever im not arguing with an American" which of course I have to shit headedly respond with "imagine being reductive sorry I'm different than you"

She then responds with "bitch ur white" which yes. But does that mean I dont come from a diverse background and dont have culture? I respond "Yes and I live in a wonderfully diverse city of people who come from different cultures that I learn about and respect and love" and girl goes "those places dont exist in america" THEN WHERE AM I??? SPAIN???

We are literally in one of the most diverse and culture-rich cities in the south (ill give you 3 guesses) and she is saying that there isnt diversity and respect anywhere in america.

Skip forward a bit, she says that america has no culture, then corrects that to say "white america has no culture." That fucked with me a bit because its sus as shit to use the idea of "white america" and "poc america" in an argument. I said that and said that you can't give a concrete definition to "white culture" or "black culture" or "latine culture" cuz thats literally stereotyping

She said that prayer is a big part of indian culture, but isnt necessarily an overall truth for every person, which is fair. So I said then wouldn't American culture be like the national anthem. She said no because every country had a national anthem. I said that prayers are part of other cultures too, but that doesnt take away from the fact that theyre parts of other cultures too.

She then said that the national anthem isnt culture because "thats only for white people" and "a lot of america is only for white people (meaning its been used to disenfranchise poc people but she worded it in a way that sounded a smidge racist but no shade) And I said yea it fucking sucks and its forced upon us but its still well known. Theres no way that prayer isn't used to disenfranchise religious minorities in India, but its still culture.

She then said that white culture and american culture isnt a thing but black and latine culture is, (which tbh neither of us can really speak on, I was mainly discussing the american and latine element cuz I can speak on those) and I said that denying that american culture is just a mix of cultures evolving parallel over time simply because a bunch of shitty white guys founded the country is ignoring the people who have worked hard to make america their home and to carve out a spot for their own culture in this country. Just because people fucking sucked (like they have in the history of every fucking country ever) doesn't mean that people arent working to make the world better in their wake.

She said that poc culture in america stems from years of oppression. I agreed, but I said that racism and oppression isnt an America-exclusive thing. She then said, pretty out of the blue, that " for you to deny that their culture stems from oppression is racist." I said "when did I deny that." She said "you said you dont deny that what youre denying is racist. So that means you're being racist."

This confused me, so I asked "where did I deny that something was racist." Also I'm pre law, so I started getting a lil pre-law-y here. Don't judge me its a survival instinct I got from my parents lmao. She said "I said if you refuse to accept that black and brown cultures are real youre being racist." I said "show me what message I said that."

She said "chill babe theres no need to get defensive" which is literally the worst thing to say to me because boom youve made me into a defense attorney. I hate being patronized. I said "I am not being defensive, you are making accusations with no regard for evidence." (my profs would like that line)

She goes "this isnt a court of law girl" ok girl you act like youre gonna say that america doesnt have culture and then call me racist? I really just wanted this to end so I pulled out the mccartheyism card and said "you cant red scare roundabout logic your way out of being reductive and oversimplifying an enormously widespread country." and we were done. I know I ended it on an accusatory note which I hate, but I feel like shes ignoring so much thats literally going on in front of her face. Did I go too far? I know that I did and I shouldn'tve started the "youre being reductive" circle, but genuinely, the cure to culture shock isnt to be indignant about every difference you see, its to accept it. Its the same in literally every country. You cant just say "no I dont want to."

[shreejeesblog]

A Bride's Guide to Timeless Style with Palazzo Suits in the Bridal Trousseau

Hey there, beautiful brides-to-be of 2024! As you are about to start the journey towards your big day, let's talk about the art of balancing tradition and modernity in your bridal trousseau. And, of course, no discussion about a contemporary trousseau is complete without the spotlight on Palazzo Suits. Join me as we dive into the significance of including these marvels from Shree Jee, a leading Palazzo Suits Manufacturers in Delhi, in your ensemble for the grand Indian wedding extravaganza.

Understanding the Bridal Trousseau: 

First things first - what exactly is a bridal trousseau? It's not just a collection of clothing; it's a treasure trove of carefully curated pieces that a bride takes into her married life. This includes not only the wedding attire but also a mix of traditional and modern outfits, accessories, and sometimes even sentimental items.

Why is it important, you ask? Well, your trousseau is a reflection of your personal style and cultural roots. It's a blend of tradition and contemporary flair that sets the tone for your new chapter in life. Each piece is chosen with love and care, making your trousseau a symbol of your journey into marriage.

The Palazzo Suit Marvel: 

Now, let's talk about Palazzo Suits - the unsung heroes of a modern bride's trousseau. Shree Jee, the maestros of ethnic fashion, has crafted Designer Palazzo Suits that seamlessly weave tradition and trendiness. The wide-legged silhouette, adorned with intricate details, makes these ensembles a must-have for brides who want to embrace both the classic and the contemporary. They are also recognized as one of the best Kurti Manufacturers and Cotton Salwar Suit Manufacturers in India. You can also check the latest collection and add some of the hot-selling articles to your bridal trousseau. 

Why include Palazzo Suits in your trousseau, you ask? Because they're versatile! From pre-wedding festivities to post-wedding celebrations, Palazzo Suits transition effortlessly, ensuring you look radiant at every step of your marital journey. Plus, comfort is key, and these suits are designed to let you move, dance, and, most importantly, enjoy every moment.

The Extravaganza of Indian Weddings: 

Talking of the Indian wedding, it's not just a ceremony; it's a kaleidoscope of colors, traditions, and celebrations. Your attire plays a starring role in this grand spectacle. Whether it's the vibrant hues of Mehendi or the regal elegance of the wedding day, your outfit is a canvas that contributes to the overall splendor.

Picture yourself wearing a Palazzo Suit from Shree Jee. The intricate craftsmanship and contemporary design give you a vision of grace amidst the cultural richness. It's not just about dressing up; it's about being a part of the magic, creating memories that are as timeless as your love story.

Styling the Post-Marriage Glow: 

The festivities don't end with the wedding - they continue into the post-marriage glow. Palazzo Suits effortlessly transitions from the grandeur of the wedding day to the more relaxed post-marriage celebrations. Mix and match with different accessories, experiment with hairstyles, and let your style evolve as you step into this new phase of life. The versatility of Palazzo Suits ensures you always radiate elegance, whether you're at a family gathering or a cozy dinner with your significant other.

As you curate your bridal trousseau for the spectacular journey that lies ahead, consider the timeless charm of Palazzo Suits from Shree Jee. These ensembles not only embody the perfect blend of tradition and modernity but also promise comfort and style throughout your wedding festivities.

Do not forget, that your trousseau is not just a collection of clothes; it's a reflection of your personality, your roots, and your dreams. So, dear brides-to-be, embrace the magic of Shree Jee's Palazzo Suits, and step into married life with confidence, grace, and a wardrobe that's as extraordinary as your love story. Cheers to tradition, to style, and to the beautiful journey that awaits!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

More than two miles long and 1,142 feet tall, Uluru, the red sandstone rock formation in Australia’s Northern Territory, wows travelers during the day.

But now, a new night spectacle Wintjiri Wiru illuminates the darkness adjacent to the monolith in a way that reveals Indigenous culture while dazzling with high-tech sound and lights.

“Humans are drawn to light—just think of how compelling sunsets are,” says Melbourne light artist Bruce Ramus, who designed the work in collaboration with the local Anangu people and Voyages Indigenous Tourism.

Wintjiri Wiru is just the latest offering—and newest technology — in the tradition of son et lumière (sound and light) shows, grand public spectacles projected on to (or close to) historic buildings and natural wonders.

These mash-ups of pageantry, culture, and art are experiencing a boom fueled by digital advances and tourist sites looking to attract visitors after dark.

Here’s where to see the latest shows, plus why visitors love these “virtual campfires.”

How did sound and light shows start?

Paul Robert-Houdin created the first sound and light show in 1952 at France’s Château de Chambord.

Music and narration played while slide projectors splashed colored lights on the 16th-century palace.

“We had the feeling that a new way of discovering and understanding monumental heritage was perhaps being born,” one observer wrote in Le Figaro newspaper.

The concept was a hit.

“Standing in the dark and being immersed in sounds and images creates a sense of enchantment,” says Jane Lovell, a professor of tourism at Canterbury Christ Church University in England.

In the following decades, other storied sites harnessed that magic, such as the Red Fort in Delhi, India, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

“There were captive audiences for these attractions, so the efforts were minimal—just light up these beautiful things that already existed,” says California light show producer Ryan Miziker.

Early technology was expensive and bulky: sofa-sized slide carousels, finicky stereo speakers that malfunctioned in bad weather.

The storytelling, if mostly historically accurate, could be clunky and lecturing.

At Egypt’s Pyramids at Giza, the still-running circa-1961 show features the Sphinx “narrating” a lofty spiel about ancient life as murky colored lights wash over the monuments.

https://youtu.be/anLYLqMyK1I

How tech took over light shows

“Son et lumieres started out as pretty rudimentary things—a castle would be lit up and a soundtrack would say, ‘this tower was built in 1592,’” says Ross Ashton of London’s Projection Studio, which designs extravaganzas for attractions from Welsh castles to Indian fortresses.

But by the 1990s, innovations in video, lasers, and audio meant creators could screen riveting, mind-bending shows.

“Digital video changed everything,” says Miziker.

“We had software to do 3-D mapping, which takes a round object like a globe and flattens it, or wraps any structure in overlapping, blending geometry.”

Sound evolved, too.

“Bells, spoken voices from different directions, or a fireball rolling, you can layer sound up, so it feels like a tapestry,” says Projection Studio’s sound artist Karen Monid.

Today’s sound and light shows are like mini action movies screened on historic buildings or natural wonders.

San Antonio’s The Saga wraps the 18th-century San Fernando Cathedral in sound effects (mariachi ballads, cannon blasts) and painterly images (folk dancers, renderings of the Alamo) to tell the story of the Texas city.

In Jerusalem, Israel, the ancient Tower of David has two night shows, one on city history and the other about the biblical shepherd-turned-ruler that gave the site its name.

Wintjiri Wiru harnesses LED lights, lasers, sound, and 1,100 drones to recount a legend from the Anangu, who consider Uluru sacred.

The show depicts mala (wallaby-rabbit) beings battling a gigantic devil dog spirit.

“Combine light with sound—in this case Anangu songs and other effects—and it’s like the desert is speaking,” says Ramus.

Other projects are more abstract, such as the new Aura Invalides show at Les Invalides in Paris, which fills the grand interiors of the historic military monument with surreal rays of colored light and outlines architectural elements in laser graffiti.

“People move around within the building, making it more like a 360-degree immersion than something didactical,” says Manon McHugh, a spokesperson for Moment Factory, the studio that created the show.

Why travelers love spectacles

Experts think people are drawn to these shows for their sense of wonder and spectacle.

“Sound and light shows are like fireworks—it’s impossible to look away,” says Miziker.

"Since audiences are sitting in the dark, there’s cognitive dissonance, with the atmosphere almost becoming its own entity,” says Lovell.

https://youtu.be/FV3XdOda3zM

Plus, in this age of Instagram, sound and light spectacles make ideal selfie backdrops or video ops.

“When Moment Factory started doing shows, we didn’t want people to have their phones out,” says McHugh.

Now, other digital production studios build in elements like photo booths to encourage participants to share their experiences.

How sound and light shows help tourist sites

Sound and light shows can be expensive and time-consuming to design.

(Wintjiri Wiru was developed over several years and cost $10 million.)

But many tourist attractions and cities are willing to shell out.

“They produce new income streams,” says Ashton. “People normally go home at night, but if you sell them a ticket to an illumination, they’ll come back.”

Many sound and light experiences in public, urban spaces — outside cathedrals, on city halls, across skyscrapers — are free, but paid for by cities to give visitors an excuse to stay an extra night.

“We used to think of tourism as a daytime activity, but there has been this tourist-ification of the night,” says Andrew Smith, a professor of urban experiences at England’s University of Westminster.

“Now cities want to attract people and keep them in town. It’s a commodification of the night, a way to extend economic and cultural activity.”

Studies indicate that these shows might even make city downtowns feel safer. “It starts to dematerialize the buildings,” says Ramus.

“You just see the lights, and our cities become transparent. They feel gentler.”

[bopinion]

2023 / 36

Aperçu of the Week:

“Keep pushing!”

(Literally every Formula 1 team principal over radio)

Bad News of the Week:

"Opposition is crap" is what Franz Müntefering, the legendary party leader of the German Social Democrats, once said. He may be right. But that should in no way justify the fact that some opposition politicians limit their political positioning to just that: opposition. In other words, being against. Against everything the incumbent government does. Basically. But that is precisely what Friedrich Merz, head of the largest opposition party in the Bundestag, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is doing.

As a reminder, Merz was fired by Angela Merkel at the time. He earned millions at Blackrock and thought he was in heaven - on his third attempt and after almost 20 years of political abstinence - when he finally became head of his oh-so-beloved party. But the 20 years have not been kind to him. Sometimes it seems as if he has been on another star. His catchphrase at beer tent speeches is "Kreuzberg is not Germany - you are Germany!" He is usually applauded for this.

You have to know that Kreuzberg is a district in Berlin that was very colorful for decades. Many peoples, many languages, many cultures, many religions. Beautiful, actually. But for Merz and people like him, the epitome of non-German. And then also woke - where you can order your cappuccino with almond milk, families can have two mothers or two fathers, and there's no one named Friedrich in kindergarten. So for a stick conservative, it's hell on earth. And for the political opponent (i.e. the Greens and everyone to the left of the CDU - in other words, everyone), the home of the ideologically lost.

Merz is wrong in two respects. For one thing, even Kreuzberg is gentrified these days. Investment bankers like him live in the barely affordable old buildings. And there are far more SUVs on the street than rickshaws. So the image of a parallel society outside the "usual norms" no longer holds water. On the other hand, we now live in the 21st century. In which "Who's afraid of the bogeyman?" is no longer played in the playgrounds and everyone knows that the vegetables at Tarek's or Giorgios' on the corner are better than those in the supermarket. So Merz has disqualified himself with his Kreuzberg bashing. Once again. My hope is that this will slowly get around to his clientele...

Good News of the Week:

At the latest when it became clear that China's head of state Xi Jinping would not be attending, the G20 summit in India looked like a flop. And then intermediate shades - such as whether the host would call itself Bharat instead of India - seemed to dominate. So a pure show event with pretty pictures for the evening news and political experts mainly analyzing what is not happening? No, far from it. India achieved many small breakthroughs and even three major ones that were not expected.

First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Sherpas succeeded in issuing an official final declaration that was supported by all 20 states. Which seemed unlikely with Russia and the U.S. at one table. Even if the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is not mentioned by name, the use of brutal force is condemned. An "impressive diplomatic achievement," as Die Tagesschau writes. "The host saved a presidency that was threatened with failure."

Then a gigantic infrastructure project was launched that clearly positions itself against China's "New Silk Road." At this point, at the latest, Jinping might have regretted not coming. India, the Middle East - including Israel! - and Europe are to be better connected with the help of the United States - with rail tracks, hydrogen pipelines and power lines for renewable energies. Apparently a plan to be taken seriously. Because Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni immediately took the opportunity to announce in New Delhi that her country (the only participant so far from the European Union) was withdrawing from the partnership program with China.

And finally, the G20 effectively became the G21. For the "African Union" was welcomed as a new member on the very first day. The maltreated continent is thus given a voice at the table where the fate of humanity is decided. The bottom line is that one thing is also clear after this summit: there are more and more significant players whose self-confidence is growing. The world is becoming more multipolar. And that is a good thing.

Personal happy moment of the week:

Last week I was having a lot of happy moments. Bavarian moments with a Canadian guest to be precise. It's always nice to be able to introduce someone to your region, culture, cuisine, language, country, city, etc. If this is well received and appreciated, you are happy that you are privileged to live here. And even things that are commonplace for you start to shine again. Bella Bavaria!

I couldn't care less...

...that the Kremlin's United Russia party was declared the winner in sham elections in the Russian-occupied territories of eastern Ukraine. Key word of this statement: sham elections.

As I write this...

...everything in Germany revolves around the ball. First, on Sunday, the German men's basketball team won the world championship in Manila in a complete surprise - yes, (also) against the USA. And my second home country Canada won the bronze medal - yes, against the USA. Then the German soccer federation fired national coach Hansi Flick for losing a test match against Japan on Saturday in a crash. After he got knocked out in the preliminary round against Japan at last year's World Cup and hadn't improved at all since. If Germany were not hosting the European Soccer Championship next year, they would even have to fear for qualification.

Post Scriptum

Germany's society is aging. That's why we need a good half million immigrants every year, even if some on the political right don't want to acknowledge that. However, we are facing international competition. In which we are doing anything but well. I just read a series of interviews in which expats tell why they gave Germany a chance (leading technology companies, public safety, moderate climate) but then left again (excessive bureaucracy, difficult language, lack of a welcoming culture). As long as no one at least speaks English at the foreigners' authorities, landlords bluntly prefer "Bio-Germans", foreign educational qualifications are not recognized and little Fatima is looked at askance in kindergarten, there will be no preservation of our prosperity.