#think their vote doesn't matter or that it doesn't concern them

[vexwerewolf]

Harrison Armory

I think a lot of people fundamentally misunderstand Harrison Armory, Lancer fans on Tumblr especially.

Harrison Armory is not Nazi Germany. Harrison Armory doesn't actually have an exact parallel on modern-day Earth, and it would be difficult to draw them without potentially insensitive implications.

I think the closest parallel I can draw is late-stage Obama-era America, with a lot of Nordic-style public investment and China's Social Credit system.

People depicting the Armory as a cold, grind-obsessed hypercapitalist nightmare are thinking of IPS-N. The Armory looks after its citizens, at least in as much as happy workers are productive workers. Even as a colonial subject, you can expect a decent standard of living simply because they don't answer solely to shareholders - for better or for worse, the Armory has a vision, an insistence upon the dignity of Humanity which wouldn't allow them to let you live in squalor. This is a cold, haughty kind of beneficence - they don't care about you per se, it's just that allowing you to suffer would reflect poorly on them.

You will get healthcare. You will get free, frequent public transit that you might not even need to use, since every city is walkable. You will get clean water, healthy food and safe streets. You will get frequent vacations and as many sick days as you need. No matter your ethnicity, birth gender, gender identity, religion, sexuality, physical or mental ability, the Armory has a place for you. The Armory does not discriminate.

The Armory is expansionist, for sure, but it chooses its new acquisitions carefully - Diasporan worlds under the thumb of ruthless dictators, repressive theocracies, avaricious hypercapitalist oligarchs. If you're a colonial subject, the Armory have likely liberated you from tyrants.

What do you give in return? Complete cultural obedience.

You will not cause a disturbance. You will not rock the boat. You will not question the benevolent system that gave you this abundance. The Armory gives you all the choices that really matter to someone like you: eat what you want, shop where you want, buy what you want - after all, every shop, every café, every restaurant is an Armory subsidiary, so whatever cuisine you favour, whatever brand of dataslate you prefer, the Armory is making back most of the salary they pay you. The Armory puts a roof over your head. The Armory protects you from the wolves at the door. The Armory even lets you vote on your local representatives (they've all got spotless Socials, so you know that no matter who you choose, they're loyal, attentive citizens). Are you not happy? Are you not grateful?

Show us. Show us you're grateful. Show up to the Foundation Day parade. Salute the statues of Harrisons I (PRAISE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, LONG MAY HE SERVE), II (PRAISE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, LONG MAY HE SERVE) and III (PRAISE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, LONG MAY HE SERVE). Recite the Pledge. Volunteer for the local Guard Corps - or better yet, the Colonial Legion. Don't you care about your community? Aren't you proud of your nation? Don't you want to give back? Aren't you a good citizen?

What's that? Dissent? You little shit! You ungrateful little worm! After all we've done for you, after all this Great Nation has sacrificed for you, you dare ask for more? Harrison I (PRAISE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, LONG MAY HE SERVE) sacrificed himself on Union's altar for us - for YOU! Harrison II (PRAISE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, LONG MAY HE SERVE) died refusing to bend the knee, refusing to sacrifice our freedom - YOUR LIBERTY! Harrison III (PRAISE THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, LONG MAY HE SERVE) tours the Purview to see and hear your fellow countrymen and address their concerns, and you dare question his right to rule? The Steward Council is comprised of only his most trusted advisors - do you doubt their commitment to our values?

We live in the best and brightest era of human civilization, the problems of the past all behind us, and all you can think about is ways to drag us all down. You ungrateful, shiftless, lazy little bastard. You want me to call the local Social board? See how they feel about your profile? If you don't feel like the Armory is doing enough for you? Well, let's see how you like it when the Armory does nothing for you. You clearly don't have the spirit or the courage to be truly free.

Ugh, dissenters, am I right? Fuck, sorry about that, folks. Yeah, that was... intense! Anyway, let's not let that whole sordid ordeal ruin this party. Let's all just chill, take an edible, and celebrate what we came here to celebrate - the Colonial Legion incorporated its first all-trans Genghis brigade! What a win for progressivism, right? You'd never see that in the Trade Baronies! Praise the Director General! Long may he serve!

[22ayla21]

Harassment Part II

No matter how well-mannered the guys are, within the walls of Night Raven College, there are those who will start harassing guests from another world.

Warning: unpleasant content, mentions of harassment, if you are uncomfortable, do not read. Fem! Reader.

Third year Second year First year

Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle will not tolerate even the slightest hint of inappropriate behavior. If someone dares to disrespect his beloved, he will intervene immediately, using his magic if necessary. Depending on the severity of the situation, he may impose severe punishment.

Realizing that there are well-behaved students in the school, but also those who do not adhere to proper standards, Riddle may propose a new set of rules regarding the respectful treatment of the girl. He may even organize a meeting in the dorms to make it clear to everyone that she will not be treated with disrespect.

After the incident, he will most likely become even more attentive to her surroundings. He may begin to accompany her when possible, or assign one of his trusted people (such as Trey or Ace and Deuce) to ensure that no one crosses the line.

Although Riddle is strict, he is not used to showing excessive emotion. If the harassment affects his lover, he may experience not only anger for the first time, but also a deep sense of personal responsibility for her well-being. This will cause him to question whether he is truly protecting her as he should.

After the threat is removed, Riddle may be concerned for his lover, but will express this in a more measured manner. He will ask if she is okay, and perhaps offer her tea to help calm her down. Internally, he will be very worried and will reproach himself for not preventing the situation sooner.

Ruggie Bucchi

Ruggie is a man who does not like to get involved in problems without benefit. If he notices that someone is being pushy towards his beloved, he will most likely first observe the situation, trying to understand how serious it is. If the girl can handle it herself, he will simply keep the situation under control, but if he sees that things are going too far, he will intervene.

Ruggie knows how to work with people, especially if they are dumber than him. He can first approach the harassers with a wide smile and a friendly tone, as if he does not notice the problem, and offer them to "talk" in private. However, the conversation will be far from peaceful - he will subtly threaten them, using their weaknesses: "You don't want anyone to know about your failed exams, huh?" or "You don't want to lose your lunch next week, do you?"

If the situation is serious, but he does not want to get his hands dirty, he can involve Leona. After all, he is his right hand, and he knows how to present information correctly. He can casually say something like: "Oi, Leona-san, it seems like there's a guy here who's trying to flirt with someone else's girl. Do you think I should give him some advice?" Leona doesn't like to interfere, but if he's irritated, he can simply intimidate the offender or accidentally put him in his place.

Ruggie won't openly yell or hit people, but he will protect his beloved in any way he can - cunning, intimidation, manipulation, and hidden threats. He won't tolerate anyone causing her discomfort, but he will do everything so that he himself doesn't have any problems.

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul is a person who knows how to keep a straight face. If he finds out about harassment, he will pretend that nothing happened at first, but in reality, he is already planning how to eliminate the problem. He will not make a scene, but will choose a more sophisticated method of punishment.

He may approach the offenders with a friendly smile and offer a "favorable" deal that will leave them at a loss. For example, he may create a contract that seems to give something tempting, but in reality will turn out to be a punishment - perhaps they will lose their vote for a week, or their special magic for a month or more.

If the offenders are important figures in the school (from rich families or influential clubs), he will not act directly, but will use cunning manipulation. He can spread rumors, frame them in the eyes of others, or convince the heads of other dorms of their unreliability.

If the situation gets out of hand, he can call Floyd or Jade. Floyd is a "fun" guy, and the idea of scaring or beating up bullies is likely to appeal to him. Jade, being more subtle, may "accidentally" arrange for these guys to have discipline problems.

After the incident, Azul may become more attentive and caring. He may subtly add little bonuses to her day, such as asking her to stay at the Monstro Lounge where she will be safe, or suddenly inviting her on outings to keep her away from unpleasant people. If he sees that his beloved is truly scared, it will hit his insecurities. He will feel like he is not good enough, since he could not protect her. This may lead to him becoming even more secretive, but also more brutal in his methods.

Floyd Leech

Floyd is a man of mood, so his reaction to the harassment of his beloved may depend on what state he is in at the moment.

If he is in a good mood, his first reaction may be playful and mocking. He may come up, put his arm around his beloved's shoulders, smile at the impudent one, and lazily say something like: "Oh, you probably don't know... but the shrimp is already taken~" His smile may seem friendly, but it will intuitively become clear that it is full of hidden threat.

However, if this person continues to pester, Floyd will quickly lose all humor. A dark light will appear in his eyes, he will literally freeze for a second, and then instantly be next to the offender, grabbing him by the shoulder or collar, squeezing with a force that can crunch the fabric. His voice becomes low, and the intonations are frighteningly slow. Depending on his mood, Floyd can either intimidate the bully or outright threaten him physically (but not in a way that would make him answer to the teachers later).

If he is already irritated, he will skip the mockery stage and immediately move on to intimidating behavior. He can grab the bully by the neck, wrist, or even press him against the wall with such force that he will stop breathing for a second.

"Huh? Who gave you permission to touch my shrimp? Come on, explain it to me while your ribs are still intact." At this point, his voice will be low and the pressure will be noticeable.

If his beloved tries to stop him, Floyd can immediately calm down, hug her and say: "You don't like it? Okay, I won't... But he won't bother me anymore, I promise~" However, he can send an icy look to the bully at the end, showing that he remembered his face. In any case, whoever dared to pester his beloved, that person would either learn a memorable lesson or be afraid to even look in her direction next time.

Jade Leech

Jade never shows his irritation or anger openly. He will continue to smile, speak politely and act as usual, but at the same time he will carefully watch anyone who approaches his beloved with inappropriate intentions.

If someone crosses the line, Jade will most likely not make an open scene. Instead, he will gently remind the offender not to do something he will later regret. His voice will remain soft, his smile - friendly, but the coldness in his eyes and slight hints will make it clear that he is quite capable of making a person's life a nightmare.

If someone really goes too far, that person will suddenly start to face minor (and sometimes major) troubles: their things will mysteriously disappear, someone will trip them up, and their reputation among the students will begin to fall for no apparent reason. And no one will guess that Jade is behind it - except, perhaps, Azul and Floyd, who will only smirk.

Jade can ask her with a slight smile: "Oh, my dear, what exactly will you do with these people? Perhaps you will allow me to help a little?" He will watch her reaction, checking how capable she is of standing up for herself - but if necessary, he will personally make sure that no one bothers her anymore.

Unlike her brother, who could immediately start a fight or start chasing offenders, Jade acts covertly. However, if his beloved is really in danger, he will not stand on ceremony - perhaps no one will ever know where that impudent man who allowed himself too much disappeared to.

Kalim Ali-Asim

Despite his cheerful and easy-going personality, Kalim cares deeply for those he loves. He would be greatly concerned if someone were to harm his beloved. This sense of protection would show in his actions, and he would try to intervene as quickly as possible to stop such harassment.

While Kalim may not be the most agile and is sometimes naive, he would try to actively intervene to protect his beloved, even if it meant failing or looking awkward. He would perhaps try to resolve the situation peacefully, but if that did not work, he would not be afraid to take advantage of his position or perhaps ask Jamil or other friends for help.

Kalim, being a man with good intentions, might not immediately understand the gravity of the situation. He might take action, such as speaking in a friendly manner to those who violated his boundaries, but his sincerity might not be taken seriously, especially when it comes to people with less well-mannered behavior.

Despite his naivety, Kalim has the ability to be decisive. He might engage in more decisive actions, such as reporting the incident to his teachers or older students. His desire to protect others, especially those he loves, would be motivated by a desire to not let anyone be humiliated or hurt.

He might display naive but sincere kindness, while not always clearly understanding how to effectively deal with such situations. It is important to note that his primary actions would come from a desire to protect and support, rather than a desire to demonstrate his power or status. He would console her, trying to strengthen her spirit, and encourage her so that she does not feel alone or helpless in this situation.

Jamil Viper

Jamil, who is used to avoiding attention and hiding his true intentions, might try to stay out of the way and remain on the sidelines at first. He would initially choose to keep a low profile to avoid making the situation worse or putting himself at risk, especially if he felt that interfering could lead to further complications.

Despite his calm exterior, Jamil is an intelligent and experienced man. He would likely use his knowledge and skills to eliminate the threat quietly and without unnecessary noise. This could involve using manipulation or influential people to quell the harassment without drawing unnecessary attention to himself.

As a man with a strong sense of responsibility, Jamil would likely feel obligated to protect his lover, especially if she is new to a world she is not accustomed to. Even if he would prefer to remain in the shadows, he might find a way to protect her, even if it means using his hidden abilities a little.

Jamil, despite his polite and calm exterior, may hide a deep rage inside. If harassment were to become overt, he would control his emotions, but he could probably act tough in the shadows, finding ways to punish those who violate boundaries. This could manifest itself in more subtle actions, such as provoking violators through manipulation or using social connections.

As a person who hides his true feelings, Jamil may experience an internal conflict. He may, on the one hand, feel the desire to protect his lover and show his strength, and on the other, he may be afraid of revealing his true potential and desire to be recognized. This can lead to internal tension, where his hidden ambition clashes with his desire for a quiet life without unnecessary attention.

Jamil may try to solve the problem with the help of influential people, such as older mentors or teachers, if the situation gets out of control. He could turn to someone who would be able to influence the offenders without revealing his own efforts.

Silver Vanrouge

Silver would probably react with his usual seriousness and restraint. First of all, he would be wary and extremely attentive to the safety of his beloved. Despite his tendency to fall asleep in unexpected situations, when it comes to Malleus or loved ones, he is capable of showing unusual determination.

If the harassment comes from students, he would try to politely but firmly intervene, warning them that such actions are unacceptable. However, if the situation gets out of hand, he will not hesitate and may become aggressive, revealing his hidden but strong side. At the same time, his reaction can be restrained and almost cold-blooded, with the intention of eliminating the threat without unnecessary emotions.

Silver will probably not make loud scenes or public conflicts, preferring to resolve everything within the framework of discipline and respect. If the situation continues to deteriorate, his tendency to silently threaten and give a cold stare will make his behavior intimidating to those who violate his boundaries.

After the harassment incident, Silver will take special care of his girlfriend with special attention and care. He will monitor her safety, offering support and reassurance that she is safe with him. His actions will be quiet but caring: he will accompany her wherever necessary and often show his attention through small gestures, such as supporting her in difficult moments or protecting her from possible threats. His care will be shown through protection, not words, and he will try to make her feel safe and protected.

[iscdisc]

This is a 2012 take I've had for a while now, and I'm so happy I made art about it today because I genuinely love talking about it !! 🗣️

This isn't meant to be 2012 Leo slander whatsoever, because I adore him and don't think he's terrible or anything (He's literally my favorite pick for the 2012 Turtles-) ! But I do feel that he admittedly had a lot of poor leadership moments at times (Especially in late Season 3 to Season 4- 💀), and I feel like a lot of the burden of having things accessible / ready / or even remotely feasible in order to have Leo's plans actually work out fell on Donnie. Without much appreciation or acknowledgment of that fact from Leo or anyone else for that matter.

I feel like if any of the brothers had a right to argue with Leo about leadership or how things were being run under him, it should have been Donnie, because Donnie had more than enough of a leg to stand on for that argument. I'm not trying to invalidate Raph's feelings or perspective, because I'm not saying I don't understand the angle of him being upset about Leo's blatant favoritism when it came to their Father and that being a big reason why he was so obstinate with Leo- But that aside, I don't feel like he had much of an argument to make when it came to presenting himself as a better option as far as leadership-?? I get retconning canon and that this could've just been the writers depicting Raph in a way that some of you may disagree with, but if we're basing this opinion on the Season 1 episode, "New Girl In Town", we can clearly see that he wasn't very well equipped to fill that role in the way that Leo was. And speaking of that particular episode, it was actually Donnie who stepped up when things were getting really bad with Snakeweed in the sewers- 👀

This is why I depict Raph in this scenario accepting this outcome and not being super defensive or acting like he should be included in the conversation, because I kind of have him admit that he wasn't the best at it-!

I'm also sorry, because there was so much more I wanted to draw, and instead of being able to show those things I'm just going to say them here-! For example, Splinter's involvement in the situation. I pretty much don't have him do anything about the unanimous vote, because in his eyes, this team's dynamic / structure is this team's business and he doesn't really have a place to say whether or not they change who leads the team. Sure he chose Leo in the beginning, but if they decide to come to a different decision, they're fully in the right to do that. So Leo couldn't exactly get Splinter to come to his defense,, 👍 || I also wanted to show more of Donnie and Leo both being pretty content with this new dynamic change after a while ! I somewhat got to explore that with the last image of Leo being able to fully explore his hobby / interest in astronomy, but I also wanted to show Donnie feeling very fulfilled and respected within this group of siblings and friends now that he is the team leader, with that being really satisfying for him ! || I also wanted to show Donnie having his first leader breakdown post the Kraang Invasion of Season 2, with Leo comforting him at the Farmhouse and expressing empathy having been in his position many many times before,, He just never really told his brothers about it because he didn't want them to worry and he honestly felt ashamed for breaking down so much,, <:/

Also, you know I can't resist putting 2012 Jonatello in everything I make, so of course this is going to have Jonatello moments too ! I just didn't get around to it yet- One of those things was going to be Casey becoming the second mechanic in the group in order to take off some of the work load on Donnie since now he's juggling even more than he used to-! The way Casey expresses not only concern but so much support for Donnie gives Donnie butterflies, okay- 👀💜🖤✨ Lmao

I guess the last thing I'll mention is kind of April's role and everything, since I want her to join Mikey in encouraging Leo to really explore himself as an individual now that he doesn't have to be defined by the leadership role anymore ! She's very supportive of him just being able to be himself and figure that out during this time ! But I also wanted her to better explain to Leo why she also agreed with this leadership change, since I can see him feeling a little betrayed by her. With Leo most likely assuming that she would have tried to reason with Donnie or get him to see a different side of the situation. I wanted to be very clear that she did not agree with Donnie because she felt bad for him or because of the weird crush he had on her and she didn't know how to be honest with him, etc. etc., you know what I mean? 👍✨

[fabiansociety]

there's been a post going around in the last several days about how leftists need to stop demonizing men, and particularly young men, if they want to deradicalize them, and i honestly have no idea what the heck they're talking about. there are a ton of men in leftist spaces — a disproportionately large number of men in a lot of them. a lot of leftist movements aren't just skewed male, they're fairly aggressive towards even basic sorts of gender demography or timekeeping.

but even leaving that aside, i don't think i've seen any leftists bag on men as a class? on the patriarchy, sure, on toxic masculinity, absolutely, inasmuch as people talk about men at all, but criticizing the patriarchy or toxic masculinity isn't criticizing men, no matter how much MRAs and incels and the antifeminist crowd try to frame it that way. i'm deeply suspicious of people who frame calls for basic dignity for women, for queer people, for trans and intersex people, as attacks on men; that doesn't speak to a willingness to actually listen.

i think we really do need to acknowledge that many men are in favor of male supremacy, and vote accordingly, the same way that many white people are in favor of white supremacy and vote accordingly. they may not phrase it in those specific terms, but that's the effect of their choices. and those choices are rational enough: there's a big percentage of the country that is willing to accept increasingly severe income inequality rather than lose the privileges their race and gender accord them, because those privileges are concrete and economic.

this isn't to say this is inherent to men: male supremacy and white supremacy are both philosophies that are constantly and insistently propagandized. but whether you frame your concerns harshly or gently, it's not the tone that ultimately matters. there are lots of people who experience any criticism, no matter how mild or general, as an existential attack on their personal identity.

i don't know what you do with that, i really don't. but it's not just or even primarily a matter of tone. people choose systems of power.

[ayeforscotland]

Halò, Aye! Hope you're doing well.

I know panic and doomerism and the like don't solve anything, but with Reform's popularity on the rise how scared should I be just now as a trans person in Scotland? I know they've previously stated their intention to make life even harder for transgender, gender questioning and gender nonconforming students. Do you think if/when(?) (God I fucking hope it's not a matter of when) they get into power they'll try to go further with institutionalised transphobia and make it harder for trans adults to just live their lives too?

Hey, I want to answer this before I disappear.

Reform's popularity and the rise of the far right in general is a big concern. Scotland currently has one Reform councillor and that's because he's a Tory wank who defected to them.

From a by-election perspective, as in elections to replace elected officials for whatever reason (illness, death, standing down etc) Reform are performing well because turnout is pretty low for by-elections.

That doesn't mean Reform aren't a real threat. It's just the percentage of the vote is a bit inflated.

Cis allies need to kick themselves into gear a bit, we can't allow apathy to take hold.

[number1villainstan]

anyways i'm going to bed for real after posting this i promise BUT i've been writing up something in my drafts and it kinda made me realize that growing up in the new republic senate and as leia organa's son probably fucking broke ben's ability to Give A Shit about anything political that doesn't directly concern him. like imagine you're an eight-year-old whose parents are either divorced or in the process of divorcing and you can't even talk to your mom because she's too busy negotiating a trade contract with planets you only barely recognize from your tutoring, and whenever you complain about it everyone (including your mom) is like "this trade contract will save lives and feed millions of hungry people!" like wanting to talk to your mom makes you evil or something. and you keep getting assigned playdates with kids you've either never met or already hate because their parents want to talk to your mom about mining regulations or whatever. and strange adults keep coming up to you and trying to make conversation so they can get to your mom with whatever Super Pressing Issue they have, and they don't ever actually listen to what you have to say, because--again--you're eight years old. and every time you complain about people bothering you with things you don't care about your mom scolds you for your heartlessness because you should care about them, you should be caring about literally everything that goes on in the senate because it's always a matter of Life Or Death for someone.

like--mom. you're eight. you can't even vote. you just wanna hide in a storage closet and read your holobook to ignore the fact that your father's never coming home.

and of course at some point the only defense for all this shaming and emotional overextension is gonna be to decide that you just. don't. care. bunch of people dying slow, miserable deaths from disease? you don't care, you don't know them, they're like seventy quadrillion lightyears away. fascism gaining a foothold among discontents in the new republic? as long as you can read your holobook, you're fine. massive war profiteering scandal? like whatever, you just wanna be left alone. compassion fatigue so intense it turns chronic. political apathy so dire it's practically fatal. and it's so bad the voice in your head manages to convince you to join the fascists just to screw over your mom and uncle, and you, son of the eternal princess of alderaan, end up standing on a stage in front of row after row of silent obedient soldiers as your shitty coworker who hates you announces the first strike of what is essentially the death star squared and the deaths of trillions of people, a lot of whom you probably knew as a kid, and probably all you can think is see you in hell, suckers.

like. you're not eight anymore, and you can do a lot more than just vote as snoke's apprentice, but in your head you're still just hiding in a storage closet and reading your holobook to ignore the fact that you can never go home.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Not to sound overly paranoid, but do you think that Texas bill is gonna pass? No matter how much we all gather around and say how ridiculous or insane it is, it sets a dangerous precedent for the other states if it passes. What gets me is that they're blatantly saying context doesn't matter and that there's a possibility that they could just say any piece of media they don't like falls under this bill.

I'm conservative too, and the way they view any kind of explicit material, no matter why it exists, is the same way leftists view offensive remarks or words. The reason why the words were said doesn't matter, leftists are angry that the words were said at all. The reason why the explicit material exists doesn't matter, conservatives are angry that the explicit material exists at all.

"Free speech is all fine and dandy until you say or make something we don't like, then you and it gotta go," is by far the worst political take in history, and neither side is immune to it.

That Texas bill is the first thing since the shift that has got me worried. But I’m not in Texas, there’s always the possibility it doesn’t pass/get’s a lot of backlash, and we’ve had bills like this pass before that has quickly been repealed due to it being deemed unconstitutional in retrospect. But between the fear-mongering all over the internet about everything, and the recent cases of Chinese authors getting arrested for smut, my paranoid brain is afraid I’m going to get in trouble for reading shit like Black Butler, so that’s great.

These are two different asks but I'm combining them because they're basically about the same thing.

I'm pretty sure the bill will pass. Texas is a red state (supermajority I believe) and it already went through the house with every Republican voting for it. It will be sold as a "protect children from pedophiles" bill which will give them the cover they need to ignore the people who have free speech concerns. Which is infuriating on multiple levels, not the least of which is the fact that they're going to give ammo to the people who criticize any legislation passed to protect children as a cover for taking people's rights away. The next time a red state wants to ban child transitioning the trans cult will point to this law and say "Look at what conservatives do when they claim they're protecting children. They just lock you up for reading manga and don't save a single child from a predator" and they won't even be completely lying this time.

As for the law being repealed by t he Supreme Court, I don't think it will be. "Obscenity" has long been held to be a legal exception to the first amendment, and there are enough right wing justices that I don't see any challenge to the law succeeding.

But this is just a part of the larger return towards puritan censorship on the right. The porn ban freaks are coming out of the woodwork demanding anything lewd and impure be banned. The anti-video game scolds are picking up where Anita Sarkeesian left off trying to ban sexy, scantily clad characters from video games. Even parts of the anti-woke are picking up where the woke left off demanding that all media cater to their specific tastes and their specific tastes alone.

So many people who just spent years fighting against censorship from the left now demand censorship as long as it's coming from the right. It's pathetic, and it's going to hand our culture back to the left once it's all said and done.

[therealvinelle]

What if bella pulled a Renee and Charlie and just decided to leave Edward, the cullens, Jacob, and little rasputia after she was turned? Not that she would ever do it but what if she just skipped off into the night, finally becoming a vampire and deciding that Edward isn’t really for her and she didn’t really want a baby to begin with. it was fun for a time, but she’s just up and vanishes. Like no one can find her, Alice can’t see her, she’s just disappeared. She’s off sipping bloody martinis and killing people - minding her own business, doing what vampires do. How would the cullens react and how would that have changed the story? Rosalie would definitely be thrilled to get to raise Rhoetosaurus. Do you think that the cullens would actually care because I’m rereading the series and they don’t seem to really care about Bella outside of Edward. I could imagine them upset for Edward’s sake but even still I don’t see them being all that torn up about it - Rosalie might even throw a party. I think they would be less concerned than if Edward just decided to vanish. In midnight sun Edward was going to leave to avoid killing Bella, and everyone was trying to stop him. They would’ve rather Edward just kill Bella than leave the family. Esme and Carlisle were so upset that Edward left the family during his killing spree but I don’t see them having that reaction with Bella.

I think, if Bella decided to up and leave, the Cullens would be dumbfounded by her leaving behind a husband and daughter she sacrificed everything for. To the Cullens, Bella hasn't only said she loves Edward or Renesmee for that matter, she has demonstrated time and again that Edward is the one she wants, can't live without him, and she will (and has) die for Renesmee.

If she then suddenly changed her mind about all of it and declare she's leaving right now, I imagine the Cullens assume she does love them, but has for whatever reason concluded she must do this.

Famously, she did exactly this to Charlie too once, telling him she hated him and couldn't stay a second longer in Forks, back then it was because she wanted to protect him from James.

Renesmee and the Cullens have reason to be worried about the Volturi, and as long as Bella is in their family the Cullens do pose a threat to the Volturi, making them a potential target for elimination. The Cullens will assume that's why Bella is doing this, and try to find a way to convince her she doesn't have to do this and they're less safe without her.

If Bella persists, and the Volturi are clearly not the reason, I think they'll have no choice but to assume either mental illness, or something earthshattering happened to her while they weren't looking.

Either way they would be deeply upset by this, the vote after the truck incident was a "one human versus all our safety?" vote, they did not know Bella then and Carlisle was able to persuade them. Now that Bella is in the family, she's in the "us" and not the "them" group.

[rikamae]

I understand now. I understand all of it.

All those times politicians claimed something was "too complicated" "not that simple" "we don't have the money" it's all lies to keep us complacent.

They did it about the situation is Israel. "It's too complicated" everyone said. It didn't look complicated when I did my own research, away from those shitty think pieces talking down to me. Israel was a state built off the blood of Palestinians, and they simply do not want you to think about it. Because there is oil in the middle east and Israel is our only "Ally"

Wow, so complicated! The complicated part being that our media is tricking us into thinking this is so complex so they can be evil in plain sight: yes, so complicated of a situation!!

And today I wake up to find that the House of Representatives (the lowest level of US government) has passed a bill offering 14 billion to Israel! It will go to the Senate to vote. Wow, billion with a B huh? I got a question for you.

Where the fuck did we get enough money to fund genocide? Where the hell was all this money when it comes to supporting the Americans you politicians claim to be representing? Where was this money for free college, universal Healthcare, covid precautions, the climate crisis??

"It's just too complicated! You'll make us do cuts on other programs! You'll make us raise taxes!! Think of the taxes!!!"

Then where did this money come from? Oh, the IRS, the fucking company that handles our taxes??? Yeah????? That was an option? Why wasn't it an option before but it is now? Were they over funded and we just didn't notice until now? Or are you taking advantage of the situation to cut funding to another service you hate?? The point being: if they really want something, they can find the fucking money. They haven't because they don't want to.

It's never been complicated. It's their job to move money around. It's their fucking job to raise our taxes and provide for us, but the only people they truly represent are the ones filling their pockets with lobby money. They could have done this long ago, given us what we've been demanding, but they coddled us and said it was too complicated and our baby brains couldn't handle it. And God forbid you be a woman!! That means you're double unable to understand!

Enough. Fucking enough. Every year congress votes to increase their wages and refuses to raise our minimum wage. Every year they take advantage of their medical insurance and benefits they get for "representing" us when nearly every adult I know is left to suffer with their conditions: untreated sicknesses, chronic conditions, the depression that looms over us because we live in the most wealthy country in the world but we can't make ends meet and our government is more concern with funding armies that feeding and housing us

Politics was never complicated. They just told us it was. To shut us up. To make us feel young and idealistic and stupid. And we fell for it. And now evil is moving through the wills of our leaders IN OUR FUCKING NAMES to support a genocide in the middle east. Their only crime was being born on that land. Their only crime is being Arab. That's not a fucking crime.

Our system isn't complicated. It's working as intended. Keep the people blind and claim that it's too hard, leave all the details to them. But we are smarter than they are. We are informed. The world is connected like never before and I refuse to let their propaganda ever reach me again.

Hold them accountable. Know their names. Write it in the history books. Let their legacy be known to the end of times.

Be loud about your anger. Go to protests. Write your reps to tell them your vote is on the line. And for God's sake vote in the damned elections!

THE IDEA THAT YOUR VOTE DOESN'T MATTER IS PROPOGANDA. THEY WANT YOU TO FEEL USELESS. THEY WANT YOU TO GIVE UP SO THEY STAY IN POWER.

They want you to think it's complicated. It never has been. Be loud. Vote. Use your right to protest. Use your right to free speech. Use your right to petition. Next Tuesday is election day. Make it fucking count.

[tirsynni]

I'm already seeing it: everyone complaining that Trump is going to win. Why? Because people are frustrated with Biden. So their response is... what? To passively let Trump win? Are you kidding me right now?

If Trump wins, I don't want anyone blaming Biden. Not a single person. Everyone has already made their position clear and have also made it very clear that they understand the consequences of those actions. Just instead of accepting blame, they're blaming Biden. For their own choices. For their own actions.

No. You need to be an adult to vote. Now prove you're an adult and that you can take responsibility for your own actions.

No matter how pissed you are at Biden, you need to recognize that non-Trumpers outnumber the Trumpers and it doesn't mean shit if non-Trumpers don't vote. Guess what. Trumpers are going to vote. They're going to go to the polls and they're going to vote. If they vote and you don't, guess how it's going to go, even if non-Trumpers outnumber Trumpers. Doesn't mean shit if your vote doesn't reflect that.

What do you think is going to happen with Palestine if Trump wins? If you're pissed about Biden's actions and inactions regarding Israel and Palestine, how are you going to feel about Trump? Because I promise, if you choose not to vote for Biden, you are voting for Trump, and he will be worse.

There is no third party option which is going to win against Trump. Your symbolic non-vote is a vote for Trump. If you don't vote for Biden, you are fucking voting for Trump, so I hope you're ready for that.

"But Biden --" I don't give a fuck. Be an adult. Accept that sometimes in life, you have to accept the lesser evil. There is no room for you to go "Well, I have to do what feels right." NO. That is self-serving, self-indulgent, selfish bullshit. You are helping no one but your own feelings. You will pat yourself on your back with one hand and stab your neighbor in their back with the other.

If you are really concerned about Palestine, vote for Biden, because I promise, he's still better than Trump. Vote in all elections, because they all matter and Trumpers are voting in all of them. Make phone calls. Raise hell. Sign petitions. Do whatever else you can. I fucking promise you, though, that for any of that to count, you need Biden in the office, not Trump.

Again, I don't give a flying fuck if you hate Biden. I sincerely don't. The US presidential election will be two party. Should it be? No. Doesn't matter. That's reality. The US presidential election will be two party: Biden vs Trump. We need to be adults, and we need to recognize what we're dealing with. I will say it again and again and again: any vote which isn't Biden will be a vote for Trump. Don't think to yourself, "I don't want to show the Democrats they have my support with all of this bullshit, so I'm going to not vote/vote third party/symbolically write something in." Be truthful with yourself. Be realistic. If you are pissed at Biden and decide that you aren't going to vote for him, say clearly to yourself, "I'm voting for Trump and all that entails."

If you really think that way, please let me know so I can block your selfish ass. Make sure to tell your neighbors that you're cool with fucking them over, because you need to do what feels right, and that means letting Trump back into office. If you want to brag about your integrity, then at least have the integrity to at least be that truthful with everyone.

[qqueenofhades]

I only recently found your Tumblr and have been enjoying it. I wondered if you'd seen the new article in The Atlantic yet? It's everything I was afraid of and more.

https://www.tumblr.com/meret118/776013260973539328/faa-employees-say-trump-and-musks-purge-is-a?source=share

I have not, because I am very, very careful about my news and social media consumption these days. Not least because I have been here since at least 2016 talking about how bad Trump et al are and what they can do, will do, and are doing, so I don't see the need to expose myself to even more distressing information that confirms what I already know and which I can do nothing to control. So, like... I know that Trump and Musk are evil rapacious shitbirds who are doing their level best to turn the US into a tinpot theocratic oligarchy for their own personal benefit, and are completely uncaring of any consequences or impact on the American people. As far as they're concerned, breaking things and causing pain and suffering is the point, just like the cruelty.

As well, the American media played such a large part in getting us into this mess that I am especially wary of giving them more Panic Clicks (TM) in the Trump 2.0 era, considering everything they did to bring it about. They destroyed Biden and forced him out of the race in six short weeks after the first debate debacle; they could have chosen to do this to Trump at literally any time, and they did not. The billionaires who own the news media are already bending their knee and eagerly lapping Trump's bloated orange backside with its PROPERTY OF VLADIMIR V. PUTIN tattoo. The more "liberal" outlets, i.e. the Atlantic, are getting back into their Principled Defender of Truth mode, where they can once more whip up Democrats and liberals into a panic (hardly as if that needs much help) to do... what?

Obviously, accurate reporting about the current Shitshow Moment is an important public service, but we had four years of Trump loudly stating his intentions at every possible moment while only continuing to get worse. As I said before, nothing he's doing now, heinous as it might be, is a surprise, because he said it all many times beforehand. But because half the country nonetheless just shrugged and voted for him again, the problem of informing them goes much deeper than just reading another Atlantic article about how it's exactly bad as we thought. This isn't pointed at you by any means; you're doing the work to keep yourself informed and to think about what you're going to do about it. Right now, however, I myself really don't need any more information and everything I learn about politics in the present moment is often against my will. (See: ferocious blacklisting, avoiding national news sites, trying to comment only on constructive aspects of the situation, etc.) So at this point, I'm keeping strictly away from the kinds of alarmist reports that tell me stuff I already know: it's really bad, it's gonna get worse, and we are the ones who are going to pay for it. But because half the country is locked in the Trump bubble, how do we deal with that? They're not reading highbrow Atlantic articles about how bad it is. They're reading AI gobbledygook on social media websites owned by fascists, that comfort them in their belief that however bad it is, it's a justified punishment for those Bad People over there and it doesn't matter if they suffer too, as long as the Bad People do. So we've gotta deal with that first.

Anyway: I hope this didn't come off as too dismissive, and I'm glad you're enjoying my blog! It's just that I really, really try to keep these kinds of pieces at arms' length right now, for various reasons, and put my energy into thinking what we can do about this situation instead. We know (god, do we ever) the basic fact that Shit Real Bad. But we can't stop there. Etc etc., Gandalf, What We Choose To Do With The Time That's Given To Us, so that is what I try to do.

[traegorn]

why do you think that voting for someone doesn’t endorse what they do? voting for a certain president doesn’t mean that you’re going to start a fight against them like you’re desperately trying to use as an excuse. people, even the young, remember 2016, and maybe they wouldn’t feel great with the idea that they’re supporting a genocide- i don’t care if trump is worse or whatever, you’re still supporting a man who’s actively funding an ethnic cleanse and doesn’t even care about trans people since that’s your main concern apparently.

"i don’t care if trump is worse or whatever"

That is the most arrogant, privileged thing you could respond with. Imagine telling that to the folks facing mass deportation under a Trump presidency. Look those people in the face and tell them you don't care what happens to them because you'd feel icky.

If you really cared about what you say you do, you wouldn't be taking this position. This feels more like you care about who you hurt than who you help.

It's a two party system, and one of two people will be elected in November. If you're going to challenge the person in power, it matters very much who the person in power is. It's not endorsement, because in an electoral system strategic voting is a requirement for survival. There is no magical option that doesn't put us under either Trump or Biden.

And they aren't even anywhere near each other on the one issue you say you care about.

Biden's position on Israel can be changed. Trump's cannot. Biden has threatened to withhold aid to Israel (which is remarkable to happen at all coming from a US President), Trump says he wants to "finish the job." Trump will escalate things, while Biden can be pushed.

Allowing Trump to get elected will literally make the genocide worse.

And there is no other possible result of the Presidential election.

You want to stop what's happening in Israel, right? How will you do that if you also have to also fight mass deportation, a rollback on trans rights, and further attacks on women's rights? What will you do when two more seats come up in the next four years on the Supreme Court? Will we flip the court back to the left or will a conservative majority stay in place for another fifty years?

So leave your doomerism, selfish, self centered bullshit at the door.

There are real fights to be fought, and you're telling me that not only. is my life worthless in your eyes, but so are millions of others. You don't care if anyone else dies if it means you can feel better about yourself.

[aroaceleovaldez]

Hello, if you still have Nico di Angelo thoughts, I have a curiosity. How likely do you think it would be for Nico to express some of that internalized homophobia (that he got over way too quickly imo) towards others too?

Not violent homophobia, but little comments that make others go "huh, something about what you said feels off"

Nico doesn't mean harm by them, but he has views that are accurate to the time he was born and raised and I don't think there've been many opportunities for those views to be challenged enough for them to change (at least from what we've seen in canon, TSATS dni)

(Of course I know this is a sensitive topic so if you're uncomfortable with it feel free to ignore the ask)

I actually do have a very specific thought about this! Thank you for asking - So my take on it is I don't think Nico would have his internalized homophobia externalize at others - he's a very tolerant character in general and it's implied Maria generally raised him to be very tolerant. I think the majority of his internalized homophobia manifests mostly as a subset of his self-loathing more than anything, because he is actually very assured in his identity in general! Most of his problems with his own identity aren't actually grappling with any specific identity itself, but his concerns with how other people perceive him about said identity (being gay, son of Hades, etc). (I do agree though that in canon he moved on from that WAY too quickly.)

That being said I do think people around him would mistakenly assume he's homophobic at first, LOL.

A.) I think his language is VERY outdated, because he probably has never had the opportunity to educate himself on English queer terminology back in the day, and absolutely has never had the opportunity to educate himself on modern queer topics/terminology, nor would he probably be brave enough to do so on his own. If he's had any brushes with modern English queer stuff it'd probably be the kids at Westover saying slurs and Nico internally quietly going ("??? is that the word for it?") He knows it's considered crude but he can't tell if it's because it's impolite terminology or just general homophobia and he's too afraid to ask, so he just awkwardly avoids saying anything at all or just VEEEERRRY SLOWLY starts letting out the most hesitant "...f-?" until his friends cover his mouth going "no no no no, don't say that-" (Nico di Angelo voted most likely to say "Is he... yknow... [gestures vaguely]...?")

B.) Nico kind of goes deer-in-the-headlights about queer topics in HoH and I imagine that would be something that continues for a bit until he learns that he's in a safe space for it. Like anybody starts mentioning queer stuff and he just freezes up a little bit and starts awkwardly trying to read for what reaction he should be having based on everybody else while remaining polite as possible, but also he can't tell if they're being sarcastic or not so he's just trying to leave just in case someone starts being homophobic, and also he's very confused anyways because he's not caught up on the terminology. But everyone else just reads that as "oh, queer topics make Nico DEEPLY uncomfortable. Is he homophobic but like, trying to be nice about it?" (cause the majority of camp probably still thinks Nico has a crush on Annabeth and has no reason to believe he likes guys, or anyone for that matter). And then people find out he's from the 1930s and proceed to filter his behavior through that lens and just assume "Oh, it must just be him being from the 1930s" and leave it at that.

Also its just REALLY funny to me to have the dynamic of Will looking at Nico, mistakenly assuming he must just be mildly homophobic, and going "I CAN FIX HIM-" while there is Nothing To Fix he's just old, gay, closeted, and confused.

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

Alt: An excerpt of a bluesky thread by Emily Quinn concerning what to do about the transphobic S.9.

'hi, cis folks! meet S.9. it's the senate sports ban for trans athletes that matches what passed the house & they'd love a bill for trump to sign day one.

short call scripts for democratic & GOP senators follow. if you said you'd stand with trans folks, it's time.🧵

if your senator is a democrat, try the script below. it’s got a bail out written in. you’ll get an intern. be polite. by all means, fiddle & improvise!

so far, there are no dem cosponsors. what dems need to know to fight is that it won't hurt them to stand with trans people. it won't!🧵

"Hi, my name is _______________ and I'm one of Senator _______________'s constituents. I need the Senator to commit to voting No on S-9—the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" ban on transgender athletes.

This bill isn't about protecting anyone. And there's no compromise Democrats can make on trans rights to make Republicans stop attacking.

Voters respond when Democrats fight against injustice.

If Democratic Senators stand together against this, Republicans

can't pass this unjust law.

[you can stop here at 0:30 if you want to bail out]

Not standing up for trans people didn't help Democrats win elections in 2024 ask Sherrod Brown, Colin Allred, or Kamala Harris.

Please tell Senator _______________ to vote No on S-9. If not for trans people, then because voters show up to support Democrats who stand for something. Thank you."

if your senator’s GOP, try the script below. it’s got a bail out written in. you’ll get an intern. be polite.

different issues motivate these fools, but some can be manipulated, especially if they think it could come back to bite them—see the next post. by all means, rewrite or improvise.🧵

"Hi, my name is ________________ and I'm one of Senator ________________'s constituents. I need the Senator to vote No on S-9—this "Protect Women and Girls in Sports Act."

Government shouldn't be in people's business like this. I don't want some adult looking down a kid's pants to make sure she's got the right parts to play softball. That's disgusting nonsense and it doesn't do a thing to bring down the price of eggs-which is up again, by the way.

[you can stop here at 0:25 if you want to bail out]

I thought we were going to help the working class? Fix the economy? Going after 20 people across the US doesn't do that. Most folks don't ever even meet one of these people. This kind of stuff just makes people hate us. It's embarrassing. Who cares?

[you can stop here at 0:45 if you want to bail out]

Tell ________________ to vote No on S-9. Focus on business. Things that matter. Not culture war nonsense. We don't need perverts looking down kids' pants. Thank you."

the so-called “protection of women and girls in sports act” is cosponsored by 36 republicans.more from this list may sign on.

until then, check the screenshot below. if your senator’s 1 of these 8—especially one of the top 4—i’m borderline begging you to call & let them know this could bite them. 🧵

"persuadable?

susan collins - maine

deb fischer - nebraska (was pro-bostock?)

dave mccormick - pennsylvania

lisa murkowski - alaska

occasionally not frothing at the mouth

bill cassidy - louisiana

john curtis - utah

chuck grassley - iowa

mike rounds - south dakota"

“how do i find my rep?” try this website.

and unfortunately, at this time, i wouldn’t recommend calling from outside the US. 

getting people to act on this at the moment may well depend on making them afraid they’ll have to deal with angry constituents and/or lose the next election. 🧵'

End of alt.

And my addition to this is trying faxing with these templates if you can't call, but want to do something.

And that wasn't the whole thread, the rest has some great resources about why this bill sucks, but I figured time is of the essence and people on here should know what to do.

[therealvinelle]

Would Carlisle/Alphard work? (Platonic or romantic)

... curse tumblr for I had drafted my reply to you. ALAS.

No.

Carlisle is not for Alphard

Alphard is an extremely cynical person who admires Tom Riddle for his strength and infallibility. Tom is the most extraordinary person in the room at any given time, and always true to himself. As far as Alphard is concerned Tom is a demigod among men, the sort of natural force who doesn't live by the same rules the rest of us do and wanting him to change is the last thing on Alphard's mind.

Would he admit this to Tom's face, never, Tom has enough of an ego. Alphard will call him a lunatic and ridiculous, and mean every syllable. Did he fall in love with a violent lunatic with impure blood who was beating up not just Alphard, but his closest relatives and all his friends in school, also yes.

It's the whole package of Tom that makes him appeal to Alphard, from the physical beauty to the uncompromising personality, to the way he can't ever be fully predicted, and the tragically romantic backstory. Being in love with him is just a point of fact for Alphard at this point.

Even becoming Lord Voldemort is something Tom never claims is anything but what it is, and while Alphard is horrified and heartbroken Tom remains the person he always was. Readers of The Man Who Would Be King will remember Alphard lasted one week before being married to Tom again.

Carlisle, by contrast, while unbelievably beautiful and just as extraordinary, is a man who has made self-delusion a cornerstone of his life. He loves his family and wants them to care about human life as much as he does, so he'll give them little nudges like going to their victims' funerals or have family votes where thankfully the majority voted against killing an innocent girl, and not think about what it says about Edward that he killed people for pleasure for four years because- well, he came back.

And he walks around talking about how great, how humane, how wonderful his family and their way of life is. While living among humans, thereby risking the deaths of innocents for no reason other than "it's our lifestyle!" (and the even worse, underlying reason of "if they don't live with humans they might forget humans aren't food...")

Loss of control isn't even a hypothetical, this happens to the Cullens semi-frequently.

Alphard would think he's a fool and a killer by proxy, and despise and pity him. To him, Carlisle is easily worse than Voldemort.

Alphard is not for Carlisle

The trouble with Alphard is that he is what Caius would be if Caius was worse. He's mean, he's judgmental, and he's cynical, all qualities Caius shares only Alphard is somehow worse. He's just so mean.

More troubling yet, he is very principled and harsh on himself but lives cease to matter to him where his loved ones are concerned. Had Aro said "Here is my Horcrux, it's a fifteen-year-old Aro who must be fed a soul to gain a body" Carlisle would have pressured him to either repair his soul, and left when Aro didn't do so. Alphard, by contrast, "Ope, guess we're finding him a soul then."

Alphard is a very ruthless person, he may be principled but should his line of reasoning lead him to murder being the solution to a problem a loved one is having then murder it is.

Alphard also reacts to Tom becoming Voldemort much the same way he would infidelity, as it's not really the suffering Tom inflicted that bothers him but the betrayal of his own character as Alphard knew it (and he'd have had a much harder time getting past actual infidelity. That would have been a crisis). His faith is restored because he sees enough of the goodness he fell in love with. His niece Bellatrix is much the same, of sure she's done bad things, Alphard is intellectually aware of this fact. It's getting hard to deny that she probably has tortured and killed people, and delights in it. Well, have you considered the fact that she's precious and perfect?

Andromeda's marriage to Ted is on par with Tom and Bellatrix's life choices in that Alphard's not thrilled with it, but he can look past it because he loves her that much.

To Carlisle this man is genuinely insane and terrifying. Carlisle can move past his friends killing to live because it's what they've always known and he sees the good in them in spite of that. Alphard would frighten him, there is plenty good in him but Carlisle would correctly put together that the man is one line of reasoning away from killing anybody at all.

Carlisle stays as far out of his way as he can, and warns others to keep their distance from this one.

Can these two even be in a room together?

I think if they meet in the library and only talk about books, they'll have a grand time. Just don't let them talk about anything personal, at all.

[statementlou]

i feel like i can talk to you about this because you have rational opinions. so louis bought a starbucks coffee at the airport and the fandom on twitter are eating him alive, calling him evil and wishing he goes to hell. i’m disappointed since starbucks is on the list of brands to boycott but i feel like this reaction is too much? someone even said jay would be disappointed in him, but people said that was taking it too far. i don’t know, i love louis and i’ll keep supporting him and his music but the fact he can be a careless millionaire is disappointing

1. thank you sweetie I would boop if I could 2. oh my god it's a fucking cup of coffee and if people think that's the worst thing Louis, a multi millionaire, has ever done financially they need a reality check! His money will be handled by bankers who are putting it into all kinds of evil fucking shit that he won't even know about, it's actually very hard to know or control that and there is no way trying is even on his radar. That's a passive thing and not on purpose; but the fact that people don't bother to know about that or care really speaks to how performative this kind of online approach to activism is, that they only care about image rather than effect (the effect of his investments would be easily thousands of times more than any number of coffees or even of the promotion Starbucks might get from him holding it.) But furthermore buckle in cause you hit a nerve: Starbucks isn't even an actual organized boycott target as concerns Palestine because THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT financially! The official BDS movement calls for boycott of very specific and pointed targets of which Starbucks IS NOT ONE it's literally just an online trend which is not the same as an actual boycott to materially impact a target! Losing them money is always great, they are a crappy union busting small business killing corporation, but it has zero direct effect to help Palestinians unlike supporting the meaningful boycotts called for by BDS. I don't think Louis has decided to buy starbucks because he has this analysis, but to me it's a pretty important point. Him crossing an actual picket line (playing Israel, playing Eurovision [lmaoooo that thought tho], waving an Israeli flag god forbid) would be a very different situation and something that would trouble me so the distinction matters to me. But I get that to people on twitter, that's what they feel like he has done. To which I would say...

There are so many fewer ways to help Palestine than we would wish, and it's SO hard to deal with feeling so powerless right now in the face of such horror, so I love that people feel so strongly about doing whatever they possibly can. But worrying about consumer spending, even on BDS targets, is perhaps the least effective of the things a person can do. Note that BDS boycotts do not mostly focus on asking people not to buy things; they list the products that are especially complicit, but the main work of the movement is to get large investors (corporations, public institutions, whole governments) to divest from the companies targeted because that actually hurts them enough that it becomes less profitable to continue to collude with Israel than to drop them as clients. Consumer spending is not enough to do this. It's easy and doesn't require doing actual work but it's basically virtue signaling, not organizing. Just NOT doing something (yes including voting) is not enough! I personally choose not to give my money to certain corporations because it feels bad to me and I can't stomach doing it, even if they never notice me doing it. But if I was running out of fuel and the only nearby station was a Chevron, I would spend a few bucks there and not beat myself up about it because it will have zero impact on their overall profit reports but a LOT of impact on my life. And if I was in the airport for the second time in mere days after circumnavigating the globe and playing a massive show and doing press and fan service before even having time to adjust time zones and about to get on another flight to another country I might buy a fucking coffee from whatever coffee shop was in there too! But Louis isn't me and I'm gonna be real honest I would be real surprised if he KNEW there was a boycott or gave a shit- he is not a political activist! It's reasonable to be disappointed if someone behaves not how you want them to, but just in general responding to being disappointed in people by lashing out at them is... not it. Not useful, not rational, and not actually an okay way to act to other people. Louis is an awesome sweet caring person who I believe tries hard not to have a negative impact on anyone directly and who cares very much about others; if that's not enough for someone to be a fan of him, okay then they should not be a fan of him! But warning: they're not going to be able to be a fan of anyone else either. No one is pure and perfect... maybe that energy would be better spent trying to make a meaningful difference in the world, and a great first step in that IMO is to recognize and challenge your inner cop. The better world I want to live in doesn't include policing other people, not on twitter and not anywhere.