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mariacallous · 5 months ago

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It is a measure of the divisiveness and tolerance for violence in the United States that the possibility of civil war looms so large over the 2024 presidential election—no matter which candidate wins. It is even the subject of a hit dystopian thriller. Though an actual civil war resulting from the election’s outcome remains unlikely, a range of sufficiently alarming politically violent scenarios are nevertheless quite possible.

Former President Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records has sharpened frictions, with threats to the judiciary and his opponents immediately intensifying. “Time to start capping some leftys. This cannot be fixed by voting,” was one typical reaction tracked by Reuters on Gateway Pundit, a right-wing news site. Far-right media personality Stew Peters said on his Telegram channel that “our judicial system has been weaponized against the American people. We are left with NO option but to take matters into our own hands.”

Meanwhile, our assessments suggest that elements on the far left in this country are also escalating militant threats. A call to “Fuck the Fourth” recently appeared on an anarchist website, heralding a day of action on July 4 targeting the ports of Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Baltimore. Additional summons to “Flood The Gates: Escalate” over the Gaza War both on college campuses and in communities across the nation this summer and fall are circulating on social media. At a pro-Palestine protest at the White House in June, one protester held up a decapitated likeness of President Joe Biden’s head, while crowds chanted “Revolution.”

These would-be violent extremists represent a microcosm of a U.S. political landscape that is increasingly willing to tolerate violence. A survey conducted last year found that 23 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that “because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” Another more recent poll similarly found that 28 percent of Republicans strongly agree or agree that “Americans may have to resort to violence in order to get the country back on track.” Meanwhile, 12 percent of Democrats agreed with the premise.

Among gun owners in the United States, these sentiments are even more prevalent. According to a survey conducted by the University of California, Davis, “About 42% of owners of assault-type rifles said political violence could be justified, rising to 44% of recent gun purchasers, and a staggering 56% of those who always or nearly always carry loaded guns in public

As the United States approaches its November election, the risks of violence will thus rise. This should not be surprising. Historically, violence is actually quite common in the United States, especially during election seasons. During the Reconstruction era, much of white supremacist violence directed against freed Black men and women was intended to intimidate would-be voters, ensuring that segregationist Democrats maintained their grip on power in the Deep South.

More recently, the 2022 midterms saw an assassination attempt target the speaker of the House of Representatives in an attack that seriously wounded her husband. The 2020 election, of course, sparked the Jan. 6, 2021, terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol. In the 10 days leading up to the 2018 midterms, there were no fewer than four far-right terrorist attacks, most notably the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. The mail bombs that circulated that same week showed that threats to politicians have in fact been particularly frequent during the Trump era.

Despite that disquieting pattern, 2024 appears to provide even more fertile ground for militant responses to electoral developments. Trump’s court cases, coupled with the insistence from both parties that—in Trump’s words—“If we don’t win this election, I don’t think you’re going to have another election in this country,” have painted the election in existential terms.

As the United Nations Development Program concluded from its research into election violence around the world, “A common cause of election violence is that the stakes of winning and losing valued political posts are in many situations … incredibly high.”

Rendering the threat yet more severe is the range of possible locations and individuals that extremists may target, spanning the duration of election season. But how might violence differ at various stages of the campaign? Before the election, extremists may be more likely to target politicians on the campaign trail, seeking to intimidate them into changing their policies or deter them from running in the first place. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley had, for instance, requested Secret Service protection during her Republican Party primary challenge, while prominent Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher hinted that he was forced into retirement by threats against his family.

Based on experience, the election itself will likely feature armed intimidation at polling places and threats levied against election officials. A database analyzed by scholars Pete Simi, Gina Ligon, Seamus Hughes, and Natalie Standridge found that threats against public officials are likely to hit an all-time high in 2024. The data initially jumped in 2017, the year of Trump’s inauguration.

In the weeks after the forthcoming election, depending on the results, extremists will likely direct their animus toward representatives of the government—especially on one of the many ceremonial dates accompanying the transition of power—such the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, for instance. An exact repeat of that attack is probably less likely; law enforcement agencies will be far better prepared this time, and the groups that led the assault on the Capitol have been effectively dismantled by seditious conspiracy charges targeting their leadership.

Although white supremacist and anti-government extremists will be the likeliest to lash out, in line with trends over the past decade, violence from the far left cannot be discounted. Stabbing attacks have repeatedly targeted right-wing political leaders in Germany, for instance, and the harassment and violence targeting American Jews on U.S. college campuses have highlighted a more militant political left that has historically been quite open to violent action, including in the United States. This violent fringe has frequently deployed armed threats against politicians in particular—never more seriously than the lone gunman who targeted the Republican team practice for the congressional baseball game in 2017, or the far-left extremist from California who brought weapons to the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to threaten him in 2022.

Salafi jihadi actors are also emboldened by recent successes in Afghanistan, Iran, and Moscow, and they may seek to take advantage of this particularly divided moment in the United States to elbow themselves back into the national consciousness. FBI Director Christopher Wray has suggested that his organization is growing increasingly concerned about the “potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, not unlike the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russian concert hall back in March.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has similarly warned that “threat actors” will likely “converge on 2024 election season,” with foreign adversaries using influence operations to further divide the U.S. populace and create new sources of divisiveness and violence.

Is the violence likely to lead to civil war? Trump and many of his allies have repeatedly warned that another election loss—coupled with forthcoming trial verdicts—would trigger one or lead to revolution in the United States. A post on Truth Social shared by Trump, for instance, suggested that 2024 might resemble 1776, “except this time the fight is not against the British, it’s against communist Americans.” The threat doubled down on Trump’s previous warning that his defeat would spark a “bloodbath” in this country.

Punditry, however, is not prophecy. Despite the warnings from scholars, policy wonks, journalists, and others, civil war is in fact unlikely in this country. Geographic distinctions between would-be warring factions today run urban-rural rather than north-south, robbing any potential seditious movement of the geographical safe haven it would need to engage in nationwide conflict. But political rhetoric and the proliferation of threats is almost certain to lead to some level of violence.

Making the threat even more serious is that the Biden administration carries little-to-no legitimacy among most hardcore Trump supporters—who still persist in believing that the 2020 election was stolen. The vice grip that these conspiracy theories hold on many mainstream Republicans means that any response by the Biden administration will be regarded as illegitimate—whether that response is deploying additional law enforcement or even the National Guard to polling places or seeking to educate the public about the veracity and integrity of U.S. elections.

In other words, the United States finds itself in a security dilemma, where any defensive measures designed to safeguard the electoral process will in fact likely be interpreted as an offensive strike—that is, to ensure a repeat electoral fraud. As the aforementioned White House protests have demonstrated, Biden also has little legitimacy in the eyes of the far left, meaning that particular movement would not likely be sated by a Democratic election victory.

Countermeasures will need to focus on education and law enforcement preparation. In particular, the Biden administration should champion education tools that reassure the U.S. public about the resilience of its electoral system from hacking or cheating while also pioneering digital literacy measures that might help protect Americans from disinformation and conspiracy theories shared online, including through artificial intelligence.

In particularly high-risk areas, which might include swing states, the administration should also consider raising the law enforcement presence to deter violent actors from targeting such locations. Successfully stopping violence, however, will require a bipartisan commitment to accept election results and publicly praise the integrity of the election and its many officials—which seems completely unrealistic at this stage.

Americans are therefore left with a political landscape defined by existential rhetoric and violent threats, with very little that the government can do to effectively counter these charges. Accordingly, the threat may be less of another civil war than of the total breakdown of the democratic electoral process that has defined the country since its creation.

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streets-in-paradise · 1 year ago

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Spoils of War - Dastan x (fem) Secret Assassin Servant!Reader

Prince of Persia Oneshot

Requested by Anon

" Hi OMD when I saw requests for prince of Persia I literally fell on my knees, literally anything for Dastan pls or enemies to lovers with a secret assassin servant reader 🤔"

Sure, anon! i love PoP and love writing for Dastan. Thanks for your request! Hope you will enjoy it as much as i loved writing it 😊

Warnings: Historical minded naturalization of slavery as concequence of war, prince x servant enemies to lovers with political intrigue happening in the middle ( nizam weaponizing the hate of the reader to attempt getting dastan killed.)

Summary:A persian attack destroys the home city of your arranged fiancé during your visit to meet him and the winners take you with them after the sacking. Doomed to become the servant of the man who killed him, your miserable and friendless existence as a slave in a foreign country couldn't get any worse.

Just as you are about to reach a breaking point the brother of the king offers you a dangerous way out that you take full of anger, hate and desperation. Switching your wedding night for a black widow job assassinating your master isn't the honorable first moment of union with a man you dreamed, but fate will keep surprising you as you start to discover the kind of man Dastan trully is.

Notes: This turned out loosely inspired in greek mythology and The Son of the Sheik (1926). I didn't plan it like that from the beggining, i realized midway into the writing but thought it would be cool to tell you.

Tags: @blackheart-beauty @axelwolf8109

The city was doomed and sooner or later your rank was going to become a curse. The man you were promised to was the leader of the last defensive attempt and his fate was falling in battle against the sons of Sharaman. Naturally, it was yours to become part of the loot gained on the sacking and being carried away to the palace. From then you could only expect the worst, you would be theirs to dispose.

The persian who discovered you and got you out the hiding spot introduced you to some of the royals with the pride of a well accomplished task. He knew he just had found something they would like or, more precisely, fitting for the eye of the youngest prince. A proper reward for the maker of the feat, since you heard then he was the killer of your fiancee, making coincidence allied with the rules of war.

Followed closely by the careless yet present surveillance of his uncle, Dastan of Persia came to you presenting himself as the needed comfort for a helpless and terrified woman. His eyes were trying to find yours staring back at him as he insisted over and over that he won't hurt you, but his attempt of checking a superficial wound in your cheek caused an intempestive reaction.

You spat on his face, but that clear expression of deep hatred didn't stop the course of fate. You became his servant, one exclusively dedicated to him until you could be trusted near any other persian royals. Bis, the man handing you to his prince, was in charge of watching over you.

Resistance was all that kept you standing, you refused to embrace the new identity coming from the reality being imposed to you. Despite being placed in degrading circumstances you were still a noble from birth and Nizam was the only one who seemed to understand that.

The world was turned upside down, a vulgar man turned into a prince was master of a servant who was once about to be queen. Dastan irritated you above everyone, the parody of a royal he performed was an insult to your principles and he was always teasing you for staying tied to your manners. Nobody would ever be on your side because you were a stranger even among the people they had enslaved you with. To them you were just the foreigner once engaged to their deceased prince before marriage got to happen, but that wasn't enough to owe you any loyalty. You had no friends there and your family wasn't aware of anything so you couldn't count on them.

In that situation, the brother of the king and his sharp ironic whispering was the only approach you found relatable. Unlike Dastan, he had no interest in acting like a moral grounded hero who rescued you from the ruins. He felt to you like an exhausted nobleman, the only one still able to perceive the oddities of the context surrounding you.

Your humiliation reached its peak when the prince introduced you with the restant members of the gang of savages he called friends. You were expected to serve them and although he wouldn't allow anyone to disrespect you and no one did. you had the feeling of being admired with vulgarity as if they were showing approval of the leader's new toy. The prideful horror you didn't care to hide caused more and more teasing coming from him. When he finally got sick of it, Dastan admitted to be testing your qualities.

He said you were beautiful, but lacked humility and that needed to be fixed.

It was unbearable, you would have done anything to get away from him. Feeling he was the only one you could trust, you later told Nizam about the aberration and then discovered you weren't alone. He shared your bitterness to an even higher extreme, directly feeding the flames of your hate towards Dastan.

" Do you want to get rid of the rat? So do i. " He confessed to you as a conclusion of your common venting. " I have the power to fix your life here if you fix that for me. "

" What can be granted to me that would make this any better? " You skeptically recalled. " I lost my life, the small privilege of the highest valued slave is nothing compared with what I once had."

" I can make your living condition be re-evaluated. " He casually offered you,as if it was an easy task that meant nothing to him compared to other things he could do with the amount of power he had. " I would make one of my two nephews marry you. If you behave and serve my interests it could even be Tus so you would get the illusion of being a future queen again. The union would be strategic, you'll pay me when he will be crowned king. "

Returning to nobility having only one secret owner seemed infinitely better than being a servant. You weren't bothered by the idea of becoming a political tool of Nizam if that would get your dignity restored.

" An offer like this must demand a higher price than just helping you keep your nephew controlled for you to rule through him, so tell me what it is. "

" You must kill Dastan." Nizam ordered ríght away. " A chance like this one hasn't been presented in many years. Why do you think I have been following you so patiently? To offer you a friend?"

He was mocking you but you were too lost thinking on the task itself to care about that detail.

" I knew from the beginning that you were perfect to provide me this service. "

The absurdity of that claim allowed you to mock him back.

" Couldn't you find a trained assassin? Or a man of the royal guard? Anyone could do it for a proper price. "

" If anyone could do it, your prince should still be breathing. When battle calls Dastan is as fast as the lightning. No fíghter can catch him by surprise, he can't be taken down in an ambush. It's impossible to defeat him by force, but he is easier to weaken by passion. "

The implications on that last sentence alarmed you more than the command itself.

" I think you are mistaken, ... he does nothing but annoy me for his amusement. "

" He desires you. " Nizam insisted. " The persistence on his part indicates that he wants you more intensely than what he should. What you have to do is tame that wild beast, once he will fall asleep drunk of you he will not even notice the movement of the air as your dagger sinks in his flesh. "

It offended you, that was an insult to the sacrifices you were making in that hostile environment in order to survive the way you wanted.

" I'm NOT a prostitute, I still guard the only treasure that you persians haven't stolen from me. I will bleed over the bedsheet of my husband like the honorable practices command, not let Dastan have that before ending him for his blood to mix with mine. Find another way for me to murder him or I am out."

The energic refusal angered him and he showed you a side of him even darker than what his command inferred.

" You were simply lucky, girl. How long do you think that luck is going to last if you reject my offer? " He hissed in a threatening tone. " Very soon you will run out of things to loose. If you don't give it to him, somebody else will take it because being our slave means any man here has the ríght to go their way with your pretty body. I'm giving you a chance for revenge and a future reward for the stain consequential to your current condition, more than what you deserve. "

The cruel vocab was harshly pointing out an actual truth. Once Dastan wouldn't be there and Bis would follow him to war you would remain in the palace alone without any guarantee of protection. Following the orders of Nizam was the only way for you to land a respectable position and you didn't lack motives to kill the prince. Trusting in the word of a man who wanted to kill his nephew was a dangerous move, but desperate times needed desperate measures.

The execution of the plan started in slow moves, with passive receptions of his provocations intending to generate neutral to positive interactions inviting the prince to trust you. A sudden change of mind would have been too suspicious, you only allowed yourself to act progressively more friendly with Bis.Having his best friend on your side was a good mechanism of approach, but given that was also the man taking responsibility for you it was strategical from all pointviews.

Unfortunately, it all became counterproductive as the intimate proximity needed to be generated for the future success of the job increased. Dastan and Bis were showing true concern for your adaptation when you stopped being mean to them. The orphan made prince shared some particular details of his experience on the drastic change, details that his brothers would never come to completely understand, and the similarity on the feelings he described with yours got to shock you. Despite he was talking of gaining privilege while you had fallen in disgrace, you both knew what it was to feel out of place. Spending time with him was part of your day work and the secret mission, but it also made you start getting to know him at a personal level and doing so was placating your anger.

The first time he made romantical advance on you he still managed to surprise you. Romantical undertones were hard to spot beyond the aura of attractiveness following his every act, his ways were flirty all the time. However, he put in some real work in making that act very distinguishable for you.

Under the excuse of helping you avoid work for a while he took you to his favorite spot in the palace, or more precisely on top of it. His hiding place from childhood, where he would go back then when the pressures of change were becoming too much for the street boy expected to become a prince. You were sitting next to each other with little to no space in between, sharing stories of your past lives. Out of sudden at some point in one of his tales he interrupted himself off to apologize to you.

" Gaining glory with your suffering was never my intention. I can't change the past, but I want to be a helpful part of your future. There is nothing wrong with being a servant if the royal family protects you and I am taking care of that.”

He wasn’t completely satisfied with that and imagined you wouldn't be either if he would keep it that simple, so he encouraged himself to continue.

“ I know what it's like to struggle for survival, but I am aware you will never get rid of the noble girl you used to be. Her virtues and flaws will stay with you, only time and use will show you how to deal with that. If I wanted to help you get rid of that tendency to judge others based on their origins, it is not only because I don't want you to hate me ... Do you think I didn't despise nobility before I became a prince? Adapting costed me some self hatred back when I was learning to emulate their ways, that's how I know that you will only be happy if you get rid of all sorts of prejudices. "

Incredibly wise personal advice with a heartfelt touch, You never imagined he would be capable of such deep thinking. Until then he was to you a brute chosen for the potentiality the king found in his fast movements thinking of forming a fighter. The colorful tale presenting him as a noble hearted boy made a prince in an act of justice was to you an excuse hiding a military reason. It had to be the creation of an unstoppable elite soldier, a mighty weapon for the persian army with fierce loyalty for the king who dragged him out of the mud.

The man you were discovering justified the legend, maybe there was more in him to see than what surface looking would show.

" Why do you tell me this?"

" Because I don't want you to hate yourself seeing how everything changes around you, but you fight to stay the same. "

He made you smile, you couldn't help it. Embarrassed as you were for that moment of weakness, you couldn't even look him in the eye. Noticing you were looking down made him follow your glance and your eyes meet in the ríght spot for something he wanted to show you.

" See this?" He pointed at the rustic necklace he was wearing. " I keep it since those days, a reminder of the life I left behind keeping me grounded. "

You were encouraged to inspect it and the prince secretly enjoyed some accidental caressing through your action.

" Difficult thing for someone living in the heights, always jumping and climbing everywhere. "

Your mock made him chuckle and the level of intimacy you were reaching encouraged him to get more personal.

" Did you love him? Is that why being with me becomes such a heavy burden to you? The same hands bringing death to your beloved seeking to caress you... Is that what you despise and fear?"

Dastan looked lost and regretful. It was as if he feared that any chance to get closer with you was lost forever and he would be the one to blame for that.

" I wasn't in love with him, but I did love the idea of being a queen someday. " You admitted, wondering to yourself why you were encouraging him. " If you would have grown up in contact with more noble girls, you would understand. "

" I can't give you a throne, but if you let me I'll make this place your new home. If I once was the one who took away all your safeties, allow me now to be your shelter. "

The hand you still had on his chest was shaking a bit, so he took it and caressed it to calm the trembling before placing a kiss on its back.

You were absolutely speechless, no sound coming out from your parted lips as you observed him in amazement. Dastan awaited while eliminating all distance between you and once your lips were close enough he stopped fighting back the urge to kiss you. A long, mad, desperate kiss that left you gasping for air.

You should have seen it coming, but you were momentarily swept away by his passion. Not only you didn't resist it, you enjoyed it. It was expected of you to be manipulating his passionate energy, yet you couldn't even keep the upper hand when the prince was kissing you. Heat invaded you, as if your whole body was burning of desire for your enemy.

Those sensations were completely new to you and that overwhelmed you, keeping you far away from the calculative coldness the deal demanded. With your certainties completely shakened, you would still fool yourself thinking you were going to make it. Over and over again you informed Nizam of your excellent improvements claiming to be awaiting for his instructions, but the truth was that you were a victim of Dastan's charm falling for him without wanting to acknowledge it.

The opportunity chosen by Nizam to strike presented itself sooner than what you would have preferred. There was going to be a celebration in the palace and you would have to do more than serving food and keeping the goblets of your masters full. As the new rarity brought with the recent sacking, the local nobles could feel curious and you would have to be presented around them for their entertainment. With your beauty of past days restored and reconceptualized through suggestive dressing you were supposed to bait one of the two noble born princes to want you for themselves and lead the peasant one to his death. Your fate depended on the outcome of that night, no margin for mistakes allowed.

While circumstances impeded your target from his gentlemanly actions taking for himself the role of your protector, Bis was still there to take his place. It wasn’t hard to see that the outstanding change in your appearance impressed him, but he admitted it in a completely harmless way. It felt as if a friend would be telling you that you looked pretty and tried to cheer you up while making you some company before the great moment. Only then you realized that you may have made your first friend among the persians and the comfort made you feel horrible. Sweet, innocent Bis thought you were nervous merely because you were going to dance for the noblemen and he did everything in his power to comfort you. His kind efforts reached unknown limits when he said he knew Dastan fancied you and he was going to convince him to marry you so wouldn’t have to go through that anymore.

It moved you, his consideration was not what you would have once expected from the man who caused your doom. The misjudgement generated by your well justified hatred wouldn’t let you see past that and you sold yourself to the wrong master hoping the enemy of your enemies would strategically become your friend. Bis turned out to be your friend and it was most likely that Nizam wouldn’t show you any mercy. You were an easy scapegoat, he would get rid of you before you could open your mouth to accuse him.

The crossroad you stuck yourself in didn’t have any good way out. if you would confess to Dastan the truth, he would reject you before daring to doubt his beloved uncle. However, if you would desist from obeying Nizam, he would destroy you and the prince would continue to be in danger while completely unaware of that. The only solution was evaluating what mattered the most to you and Bis gave you the answer when you felt a sparkle of excitement beneath the layers of guilt as you heard of his plan to help you. Deep down you were on board with it, Dastan awakened feelings you had never experienced during your brief meeting with your arranged fiance. There was no doubt that you despised him at first, but he kept working hard to change your mind until he eventually did it.

Unfortunately, you realized that too late. He could only hate you if he knew of the conspiracy, Dastan would never be yours and you could only blame yourself for that. Time would come for you to face the consequences of your mistakes, but that night you were going to get your little farewell before his heart would break in front of you and yours with his. Despite you being mixed in the crowd of dancers, you were still able to make him feel like you were performing just for him. The awe in his beautiful, round eyes following your movements was slowly melting you, he was the only man that mattered to you there. Being his servant had at least one perk and that was not needing to hide for decorum, he only had to make you a sign to approach and you abandoned the group for him.

“ Is it good like this, my lord?” You purred innocently while proceeding to sit on his lap. “ I hope you enjoyed the show. “

Dastan was fascinated, almost unable to believe what was happening knowing that it was coming from you.

“ … I loved it, but wasn’t expecting my favorite girl to perform.”

You chuckled and began to run your fingers through his hair.

“ Surprise! See how well adjusted I am? I will not be a problem for you tonight.”

He smiled foolishly, as if his mind was numbed because he was feeling you with all his senses.

“ Well, it’s becoming difficult to focus on anything else but your ravishing looks.” He admitted, unsure of where he would wish to land his hands first but still doubting if he should do it. “ … It may be arabian perfume what I’m smelling over here?”

Dastan reached your neck to keep playfully sniffing. Since he could be then sure you weren’t rejecting him anymore, he began to cover that sensitive spot with kisses. A shy gasp escaped from you and he chuckled against your skin, to which you were completely sure you would end up following him to his bedroom. However, your ecstatic responses ended on the way when you noticed the subtle warning look of Nizam witnessing you escape together across the room.

It shrank your heart and you froze with fear, cursing the moment when you decided to associate with that evil man. The sweet prince was unsuspecting of anything, confusing your sorrow and regret with a fear of his touch making you doubt. Once you were behind closed doors all he did was to hold you in his arms.

“ I value the effort that you put in for me tonight, but I will not push limits the noble girl in you wouldn’t want me to.” He was sweetly comforting you. “ Imagine this is our wedding night and I’m the husband respecting your choice of not giving yourself to me until I’ll stop being a stranger.”

You both were laying in the bed over the sheets you changed that morning and he was trying to revive the code of conduct you were supposed to forget, bringing to you the world that didn’t belong to you anymore. Dastan thought the effects of the weight of your secret mission were signs of fear for the loss of your maidenhood to him and doing so he proved to be exactly like the husband you had always wanted.

“ Would you do that for me?” You asked with hesitation, the tone of your voice shaking as you tried to fight tears of deep regret. “ … Even right here and now, when I am nothing to you? “

“ Who says you couldn’t be my wife someday? My sole existence here is a violation to many rules, don’t you think? “ He vaguely teased, also making fun of one of the many insults you proffered to him over the course of your first days at his service. “ I’m a street kid made prince, who would have the nerve to judge if I pick a slave princess?”

Tears began to fall through your face and that time you were dragging him for a kiss, desperately trying to hush your thoughts and let him know how deeply you corresponded his affection before the inevitable would have to happen.

“ Nizam … he will never let us be.” You attempted to explain to him right afterwards without choking on the crying. “ Dastan, I did something terrible. I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you. I let him manipulate my emotions … I didn’t want you to save me if I could save myself, there was a time when I truly despise you and he took advantage of me for that.``

The bewilderment in his gaze was breaking your heart in advance.

“ What are you talking about?”

There was no easy way to say what he needed to know, but at that moment his safety mattered more than what could be of you if he wouldn’t believe you. Fortunately, you remembered you had one proof with some chances of making your story plausible. Dastan was slightly concerned when you stood up to loosen your clothes and search for the well hidden weapon that, had the order been fulfilled, you would have kept away from his sight before he would come to undress you.

You handled it to him immediately, letting the evidence speak for you before you would have to.

“ Do you recognize this dagger?”

Dastan examined it carefully, but there was no doubt in his conclusion.

“ How?” He defensively asked you. “ Who gave this to you?”

“ I’ve got it from the hand of your uncle, he strictly commanded me to kill you in your sleep.” You informed him, much to your regret. “ He convinced me with empty promises of manipulating Tus into making me his wife so my position would be restored, back when I used to care about that … Before getting to know you and find out you are all I ever wanted."

You couldn't stand his suffering. He did believe you, but that didn't make things any better. In any case, it was a double betrayal.

" Do you loathe me so much? " He asked you, visibly hurted. " Does he loathe me this much?"

Desperate and unsure of what to do, all that occured to you was being completely honest with him.

" Dastan, i love you! I could have kept the secret and face the rage of Nizam alone, but then the truth would be gone with me and he would still be close to you planning new ways to harm you." You tried to explain him. " I don't care about what could happen to me anymore, I'm doing this for you… I can't let him hurt you."

He stood up in silence and you could tell that he was about to kick you out. Before he could get to even suggest it you threw yourself in front of him embracing his knees.

"Save yourself, my love. Please, be sensical. " You humbly pleaded. " I'm not begging you to forgive me, I know i have just lost you forever and i'm willing to accept my punishment. "

You released him and closed your eyes, still on your knees but adopting a sacrificial position. Dastan understood you were inviting him to take revenge on you if he desired so hoping that would satisfy him. Paying the price for both should stop him from recklessly confronting Nizam.

Not even at the peak of desperation when you were about to be made a war captive he had seen you like that… And you weren't even trying to save yourself, but offering him your life so he wouldn't risk his.

The prince let the dagger fall on the floor, shocked to the realization that you were trully in love with him.

" As you have spared my life, I release you from your debt. " He informed you, then gesturally invited you to rise up. " How could you possibly believe I would have the very same strenght you lacked? If love stopped your hand, so it shall stop mine. "

Inmense gratitude made you smile despite the sorrow. From that point you would accept anything he demmanded of you. Either if he needed help to expose his uncle, or if he was planning to run away so the family conflict wouldn't end in war, you would follow him.

#prince of persia #prince of persia the sands of time #dastan #prince dastan #jake gyllenhaal #dastan x reader #prince dastan x reader #jake gyllenhaal x reader

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checkoutmybookshelf · 4 months ago

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We've Had Witches and Pirates, Yes. But What About SPIES?

India Holton as an author has, with three books, become an author who I will read everything she ever writes. The writing style is cheeky and fun and beautiful, and the characters never fail to be engaging and captivating to watch. The first two books also quietly critiques institutions and what it means to be inside and outside of such organizations. This book takes that to a WHOLE other level thanks to the James Bond spoof we're in the midst of. This book also includes neurodivergent leads--Holton has confirmed that both Alice and Daniel are autistic. Overall, the way this book handles romance, sex, and institutions is nuanced and heartbreakingly good. So let's talk The Secret Service of Tea and Treason.

Hey, so...SPOILER WARNING. I'm going to spoil the ever loving hell out of this book. Either read it before continuing or be cool with SPOILERS.

This is a also a CONTENT WARNING for minor mentions of child physical abuse and an organization putting neurodivergent children and adults in arguably abusive situations.

Agents A and B are the top performers of A.U.N.T., and they both secretly imagine their rivals throughout their careers. Those constructs go straight down the drain when Alice (Agent A) and Daniel (Agent B) are assigned to pretend to be married infiltrate the Bassingthwaite historical flying battle manor to thwart an assassination attempt against Queen Victoria.

The megaweapon that the agency was concerned about ends up being a nonstarter/red herring for this universe's version of Q going full-on supervillain (I told you I was going to spoil the end), which actually ends up being VERY funny. You really shouldn't piss off your weapons expert/inventor, because if you do, then when your top two agents apprehend him, you have to give him a medal and a raise. At which point your top agents realize you're a garbage organization and defect, taking a bunch of other agents with them.

This book is EXPLICITLY clear that A.U.N.T. is not a good or even benign organization. It is deeply controlling, toxic, and super unkind to its neurodivergent trainees. Daniel was treated like a bomb that would explode if handled wrong. He is so used to armed men pointing guns at him during situations that his superiors even *think* could get heated that he barely registers them. His life is literally under threat every time his superiors put him in a situation in which he might have an emotional reaction that they feel is inappropriate. Their feelings, mind, not his reality. And there is QUITE the gap between those things.

Alice arguably had it even worse; she was regularly beaten as a child and during her training any time she became overwhelmed, froze, lashed out, or had someone violate her sensory boundaries and she reacted with the full force of her martial training.

So A.U.N.T. is objectively THE WORST at accommodating neurodivergence even as they benefit from Alice and Daniel's skills. That kind of toxic, abusive, and exploitative relationship with an organization is heartbreaking. However, as Alice and Daniel's mission and romance progresses, they gain more perspective on each others' pasts, which allows them to support each other in leaving the organization. Neither could really process or acknowledge how they had personally been treated, but they both know that they cannot stand how the other had been treated. With each other's support, and the support of their friends, Alice and Daniel get to go live happily without bosses who treat them as less than human.

Interpersonally, Alice and Daniel have an absolutely adorable romance. What I found really interesting and really wonderful, though, was how communication and needs were handled. Alice's sensory needs mean that soft touches are a hard no for her. And for most of her adult life, that has meant that after the first try, people have simply stopped trying to engage physically with her. Alice at one point explicitly thinks that people prefer to simply leave her untouched rather than trying to do the work to help her engage in sex in a way that is safe for her. And that is shatteringly common even today; people have weird preconceived notions of what sex "should" be, and if someone does not enjoy or cannot safely engage in those "shoulds," then they "should not" have sex at all. Which is patently ridiculous. Alice and Daniel actually HAVE the conversation about Alice's needs and wants, and they work together to make sure that they both can safely and enjoyably engage in sex.

I read this after watching season 3 of Bridgerton, and after watching Prudence just NOT ENJOY anything about sex or physical intimacy (but being pressured into doing both anyway), I was SO GRATEFUL that there was consent, accommodation, and everyone involved actually enjoying themselves in this book. I would MUCH rather watch two characters actually have the conversations about how to make sex work for them than watch a female character be forced into sex she does not want to have.

I also appreciated that this book acknowledged that people have weirdly specific preconceived notions about sex and who can/should have what kind(s) of it while also going out of its way to say "no, actually, people should have adult discussions about this and figure out the way that works safely, consensually, and enjoyably for them." This feels vanishingly rare in the here and now, and I adore when books do things like this.

Like the first two Dangerous Damsel books, the writing style in this book was PURE DELIGHT. I literally cannot let that go without saying, because with the rise of GenAI and some publishers trying to replace real authors with AI, I feel it's even more important to highlight it when a writer has a unique style, clear voice, and significantly above-average grasp on language. Especially in popular and romance books, because people tend to use those descriptions to describe literary fiction on the regular--but not all of us WANT to read literary fiction. And those of us who enjoy popular genres deserve to have competent writing from real humans!!! India Holton is just a phenomenal writer, and I will never not recommend her on the strength of that.

Beyond that, we also get more pirate and witch shenanagins, and that's never not a blast.

Overall, this trilogy ended strong, and I cannot recommend the Dangerous Damsels enough.

#india holton #the secret service of tea and treason #victorian romance #spy romance #romance novel #spies #witches #pirates #autism representation #neurodiversity #books and reading #books #books and novels #books & libraries #book recommendations

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livesinyesterday · 7 months ago

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Manhunt (2024) - ep. 7 thoughts

Which I am also calling "We'll Always Have California"

I am planning on doing a rewatch of the whole series and then I will write my final thoughts on it as a whole but I finally watched the finale so these are my reactions to that.

I'm going to come out of the gate and say I am very sad they didn't end on Stanton barricading the doors of his office. 1. That is one of my favorite things Stanton ever did and I was so excited when he started moving his desk and 2. That slow pull back from him sitting on the desk as they pounded on the door would have been such a powerful note to end on. Then you would have just had black placards for the information that followed. The scene where his son tells him about his confirmation, then pulling out to a strange fade-to-white to SHOTS OF CALIFORNIA???

I'm sorry, but the mention of California in the Lincoln scene was not significant or powerful enough for the ENTIRE. SERIES. to end on waves hitting the California shore. Even if you wanted to try and say it represented the age of manifest destiny and a shore-to-shore United States or some such it just...it doesn't work for me.

But anyway, the barricading scene was perfect, no notes. I was so glad to have Lincoln back, definitely I think Linklater (Lincolnlater) had found his voice for this role by this point and puts in an emotionally effecting performance here. I really like the depictions of them bonding over grief. I find certain elements of these scenes strange though. If you wanted Mary out of the room why even have her in the scene to begin with? Why have the 'doctor lying to Mary' moment? Also in the second Lincoln scene the way they talk about work and vacation seems a little strange. California beach vacay, anyone? But overall I was glad these scenes were here. I can nitpick and mention the fact that first scene happens before Grant would have been Lieutenant (Willie dies in 1862, Grant becomes head of the Union army in 1864, Grant's great victory in the west at Vicksburg wouldn't happen until 1863) so Stanton mentioning him in this conversation is not really accurate but thats pretty insignificant for the plot and doesn't really bother me. It is funny to me though that this series sort of makes it seem like Stanton was Lincoln's only 'true' friend which is pretty much because the show left a bunch of people out lol. I know they want to keep the emotional heart of the series Stanton's relationship to Lincoln but I think it does somewhat lead to a bit of a misrepresentation of Lincoln and how beloved he was by his staff and others. I feel like we could have benefitted from some more of his close acquaintances being shown here and made his brutal loss all the more heartbreaking. I will get into this more in my final thoughts on the show, but I have felt strange about the depiction of Mary for the entire series. Mary is a complicated historical figure to depict, especially because many biased, unflattering accounts get written about her, notably Lincoln's old law partner David Herndon writes very negative things about her and his accounts are generally considered untrustworthy. So I appreciate the show trying to depict her with dignity but in doing so I do think they are ignoring the reality of the sheer mental health crises Mary was struggling with by this point in her life and certainly after the death of her husband and I don't know if simply ignoring that does her justice either.

I love that we give Elizabeth Keckley her time in the sun here. She deserves it.

Thoughts on the trail. Overall pretty solid. I wish again that we hadn't wasted so much time on the KGC plot and could have stayed longer with the trial part of the story. The addition of the 'pet' letter is bizarre? It did not exist, it was not a thing. So why add it? Who knows. Also strange to see Seward sitting in the courtroom just chilling. He would definitely still be recovering at this point and after the assassination attempt half his face was permanently sagging dramatically due to the muscles that were cut. Also his wife would have just passed away as she dies in June of 1865 while the trials are going on (and sadly his daughter, who we see in the scene standing next to him, would die a year later). Also the 'I could have accused you' line...not so much. There is little to no evidence that Stanton accused President Johnson of being part of the conspiracy.

Obviously they play up Mary Simms' part in the trial and as well as Conover, but I understand that for the sake of television. If you are not going to make the entire series about the trial you can't stop and introduce a bunch of new people the audience won't recognize in your finale so none of that bothers me.

It's also true that they couldn't connect the conspirators to Jefferson Davis, he stays in prison for a couple years then gets bailed out. I do really like that there's a brief line of dialogue that hints at the fact that trying to try Davis was always really awkward because of the potential risk of legitimizing the Confederacy with a verdict. Davis ended up living to like 1889 and writing bullshit memoirs that support the Lost Cause Myth. And the missing pages thing. There is no evidence that Edwin destroyed them, it was a fringe theory that floated around and I can see why it makes intriguing television. Because we can't know for sure what happened to the pages (it's highly likely Booth tore them out himself for whatever reason) I view this in a similar vein as The Terror speculating on certain things that we can never know about the Franklin Expedition.

Overall I enjoyed the episode, as I have overall really enjoyed the show. But as always this show has a tendency to be really strong on so many fronts and then just make random weird choices that catch me off guard like "Huh??"

"California?"

#manhunt #thinky thoughts #manhunt spoilers #spoilers

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bidisasterhawkeye · 5 months ago

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To this I would add, be wary of the rush to give hot takes. Protect your mental well-being and avoid social media sites where you will see people (on both sides) try and use the heightened emotion for opportunism. Most pundits are not there to educate and to put matters into context, they exist to make money by feeding the echo chamber of rage that is most social media.

For example, one hot take I've seen people post: "Trump will now win the election for sure." Why? What data indicates that a failed assassination attempt boosts a candidate's popularity? Historically, all we have are anecdotes.

Teddy Roosevelt was a former president who survived being shot in the chest during a 1912 campaign event. (He was not the incumbent running for re-election, but hoping to be re-elected to the presidency again, non-consecutively.) Despite widespread acclaim at his calm reaction (declining medical treatment and finishing his speech with a bullet lodged in his chest), he lost the election.

President Gerald Ford survived two highly publicized assassination attempts two weeks apart in 1975, yet lost to Jimmy Carter.

In 1972, George Wallace ran for president in the Democratic primary, portraying himself as a moderate who had mostly disavowed his previous racism as governor of Alabama. He was actually doing fairly well in the polls when he was shot four times at a campaign event and permanently paralyzed from the waist down. The attack was condemned and Wallace was visited in the hospital by both Democratic and Republican Party leaders. News coverage of the assassination attempt won an Emmy. After the attack, Wallace went on to win both the Maryland and Michigan primaries, yet ultimately lost. Wallace lost again when he ran in 1976.

Again, this is such a rare event that we will likely never have any hard data to indicate what impact a failed assassination attempt has on a campaign, as it depends so much on a situational basis of what else was going on in the election. However, past historic incidents seem to indicate that, while violence against a candidate may result in voters condemning political violence and having personal sympathy for the victim, there's no evidence that those feelings translate into actual increased support for the candidate's platform.

With Trump himself, you have to also consider the fact that, as a candidate, he is so polarizing and prone to extremism, any sympathy this incident does inspire in voters may be washed away if he has his typically angry and hateful reaction.

Then there is the factor of our social media age and the hyper news cycle: When multiple innocent children are gunned down in their schools and then forgotten the next week, how can anyone say with certainty what will impact an election four months from now? Will anyone be even thinking about Trump's hurt ear on Election Day, much less to the extent that it will drive large swaths of people to switch their vote to him? "It will galvanize his supporters." Why? Were his rabid supporters not intending to vote for him before? How many people do you think, who - if they love Trump to the extent that this incident drives them to despair - weren't going to cast a vote for him on Election Day already? How many people do you think are walking around still undecided about Donald Trump, one of the most polarizing figures in the world? That's not to say there aren't oblivious people - but anyone oblivious to that extent is not likely to vote at all, nevermind remember a news story from months prior.

The historical anecdotes I cited above occurred in the pre-social media age and were immediately accepted and recognized at face value. It's only been a few hours since this incident, yet there's already a large volume of misinformation and conspiracy theories flying around. As time goes on, that will only get worse. A portion of those who hate Trump - or who don't trust the media or government at all - will believe this assassination attempt didn't happen at all. A portion of rabid Trump supporters may believe it happened, but will automatically disbelieve who the perpetrator is and/or his motivations.

There will be people in-between: who may believe it happened, but that aspects of the incident are suspicious. There are people who will blame the actual perpetrator vs. those who blame Trump himself vs. those who blame Biden or Democrats. It may end up being an institutional failure on the part of the Secret Service. And there will always be the crazy fringe who think it was aliens, or Melania, or Trump's secret gay lover or the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein out for revenge. The point is that getting your head spun around by bad faith actors does no one - including yourself - any good.

A lot of rumors are about to fly about this rally. Trump's team is 100% going to try and take advantage of this situation. So will malicious foreign actors/bots/etc.

Please don't auto share. Check your sources, and vet their wording/sourcing carefully.

Ask yourself - What do you not need evidence to believe? Be very careful with those biases.

#thank you for coming to my Ted talk #election 2024 #Trump #Biden #politics

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news365timesindia · 1 month ago

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[ad_1] Paromita Das GG News Bureau New Delhi, 17th October. Bharat and Canada, two nations with historically strong ties, now find themselves at a significant low point in their diplomatic relationship. The strain stems from accusations by the Canadian government that Bharatiya diplomats were involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and known Khalistani separatist. Despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims that Bharat played a role in the killing, no substantial evidence has been provided to support these serious allegations. This dispute has led to a series of escalating actions, including the mutual expulsion of Bharatiya diplomats, raising concerns about the future of Bharat-Canada relations. The Domestic Political Dimension: Opposition Reactions in Bharat and Canada As the Bharat-Canada diplomatic crisis intensifies, it has become a focal point of political debate in both nations. In Canada, the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, has voiced concerns over Trudeau’s handling of the situation, particularly regarding the international implications of the allegations. While Poilievre condemned any foreign interference, he also criticized the Prime Minister for failing to be more transparent about the evidence behind these claims. In Bharat, the situation has prompted a range of responses from political parties. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to social media to express concern over the situation, calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to consult with opposition parties. However, Ramesh’s statement notably lacked any show of solidarity with the government during this critical moment, which some observers have interpreted as an attempt to gain political leverage rather than to support national interests. The Indian National Congress certainly hopes and expects that Prime Minister @narendramodi will take the Leader of Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, and the leaders of other political parties into confidence immediately on the extremely sensitive and delicate issue of… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 14, 2024 In contrast, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) took a more balanced stance. While it, too, called for the government to involve opposition parties in discussions, the CPI(M) emphasized the need to address the threat posed by Khalistani elements operating in Canada. The CPI(M) also raised concerns over allegations connecting Bharatiya diplomats to Lawrence Bishnoi, a notorious gangster, signaling that opposition parties are wary of Canada’s efforts to implicate Bharat through questionable associations. CPI(M) Polit Bureau on India-Canada relations pic.twitter.com/yXqJZN94Ht — CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) October 15, 2024 Diplomatic Fallout: Expulsions and Tensions In the aftermath of Trudeau’s claims, both nations took the unusual and serious step of expelling each other’s diplomats. The situation escalated further when Canada declared the Indian High Commissioner to Canada a “person of interest” in the investigation, intensifying the diplomatic row. Bharat responded by dismissing these accusations as politically motivated and took similar steps by expelling a senior Canadian diplomat. The expulsion of diplomats marks a significant downturn in relations between the two countries. Historically, Bharat and Canada have shared a relatively cordial relationship, with both countries benefiting from mutual trade, education, and people-to-people ties. However, the current standoff threatens to disrupt these areas of cooperation, particularly in trade and diplomacy. Canada’s Allegations: A Case Without Evidence? One of the key aspects that has led to the deterioration of Bharat-Canada relations is the lack of factual evidence provided by Canada to back its claims. Prime Minister Trudeau initially suggested that his government had “credible evidence” pointing to Bharatiya involvement in Nijjar’s killing. However, as time passed, Trudeau’s

statements became more ambiguous, shifting from “credible evidence” to “credible allegations” and later even to the possibility of Bharat’s involvement. Bharat has consistently called on Canada to present any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims, but the Trudeau administration has yet to produce anything substantial. The allegations, therefore, seem to be rooted more in political posturing than in solid intelligence. This uncertainty has only added to the skepticism surrounding Canada’s accusations, and it has eroded international support for Trudeau’s stance. Canada’s Khalistan Issue: An Underlying Problem The backdrop to this diplomatic dispute is Canada’s longstanding struggle to manage Khalistani activism within its borders. For years, Bharatiya governments have expressed concerns about Canada’s leniency toward pro-Khalistan groups, which advocate for the creation of a separate Sikh state. These groups have often been at odds with Bharat’s territorial integrity, and New Delhi views their activities as a direct threat to its national security. In this context, Trudeau’s willingness to entertain allegations against Bharat is seen by many as an attempt to appease Canada’s influential Sikh diaspora, which includes a significant pro-Khalistan faction. This group holds considerable sway in Canadian politics, particularly in key electoral districts, and it has been suggested that Trudeau’s government is playing a delicate balancing act to retain its support. International Ramifications and the Violation of Diplomatic Immunity The core of this diplomatic crisis lies in Canada’s decision to name the Indian High Commissioner as a “person of interest” in the investigation into Nijjar’s killing. This move is highly contentious, as it likely violates the principles of diplomatic immunity outlined in the Vienna Convention. Diplomatic immunity is a cornerstone of international relations, protecting diplomats from legal action in the host country. By implicating the Indian High Commissioner without presenting evidence, Canada risks damaging not only its relations with Bharat but also its standing in the international diplomatic community. Moreover, the broader international community has remained largely neutral in this dispute, with no significant global powers openly supporting Canada’s allegations. Bharat, as a rising global power, holds key strategic partnerships with nations like the United States, Japan, and Australia, all of which have refrained from taking sides in this issue. Conclusion: The Path Forward for Bharat and Canada The diplomatic crisis between Bharat and Canada over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar represents a critical juncture in their relationship. With both countries expelling diplomats and issuing stern public statements, the situation has deteriorated rapidly. The lack of evidence to substantiate Canada’s claims has only added to the strain, leaving the two countries at odds over an issue that could have been handled more diplomatically. From Bharat’s perspective, the allegations seem politically motivated, tied to Trudeau’s need to maintain support from Canada’s Khalistani elements. However, Canada’s actions, particularly regarding its treatment of Bharatiya diplomats, raise serious concerns about its respect for international law and the norms governing diplomatic relations. Both Bharat and Canada need to approach this situation with caution and a renewed focus on diplomacy. While Canada’s allegations have strained relations, the two countries have much to gain from cooperation, not confrontation. Bharat, a global economic powerhouse, and Canada, with its diverse and prosperous society, should work together to resolve their differences and maintain their long-standing ties. For Bharat, the Khalistan issue remains a sensitive topic, and the presence of Khalistani activists in Canada is a legitimate concern. However, a diplomatic solution that addresses these concerns while maintaining respect for international law is crucial.

On the other hand, Canada must provide evidence if it wishes to pursue its claims, as unsupported allegations will only harm its credibility on the global stage. Ultimately, diplomacy should prevail over political maneuvering, and both countries must find a way to restore trust and move forward in a constructive manner. Only through open dialogue and mutual respect can Bharat and Canada hope to rebuild their fractured relationship. The post Opposition’s Opportunistic Stance in Bharat-Canada Dispute Sparks Debate appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates. [ad_2] Source link

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news365times · 1 month ago

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influencermagazineuk · 4 months ago

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Kamala Harris Shatters Records with Donation Drive

Vice President Kamala Harris has shattered fundraising records with an extraordinary $81 million haul within just 24 hours, marking a pivotal moment in the 2024 presidential campaign. The influx of donations underscores a surge in support following President Joe Biden's decision to step aside and endorse Harris as the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee. Harris's Record-Breaking Fundraising Effort Campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz announced on Monday that Harris's team, in collaboration with the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, amassed an unprecedented $81 million in a single day. This remarkable achievement surpasses any previous 24-hour fundraising totals in U.S. political history, highlighting Harris's formidable fundraising prowess and broad-based appeal among donors. Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Impact and Strategic Positioning The historic fundraising surge catapults Harris into a commanding position as she prepares to secure the Democratic Party's official nomination at the upcoming national convention. With the support of a vast majority of Democratic governors and congressional members, Harris's campaign is bolstered by both grassroots enthusiasm and substantial financial resources. Comparison with Rival Campaigns Harris's fundraising feat eclipses recent efforts by her political rivals. Notably, it surpasses the $50 million raised by Donald Trump immediately following legal challenges and the $38 million garnered by Biden post a widely criticized debate performance last month. The Trump campaign has not disclosed its fundraising figures following a recent assassination attempt on the former president. Grassroots Support and Donor Engagement The surge in contributions was driven by 888,000 grassroots donors, over half of whom made their first donation of the 2024 campaign cycle. This broad support base indicates significant momentum for Harris, with the Democratic Party's donor class mobilizing to capitalize on her candidacy's newfound energy. Reaction from Democratic Leaders and Donors Prominent figures within the Democratic Party have expressed overwhelming support for Harris, viewing her candidacy as pivotal in defeating Trump and advancing Democratic priorities. Major donor calls and endorsements continue to bolster Harris's campaign infrastructure, underscoring her broad coalition and organizational strength. Challenges and Dissenting Voices While Harris's fundraising success has garnered widespread acclaim, some prominent donors, like tech billionaire Vinod Khosla, have voiced reservations about an uncontested nomination process. Their concerns highlight ongoing debates within the Democratic Party regarding transparency and inclusivity in the nomination process. Strategic Use of Campaign Resources With access to Biden's extensive national infrastructure and a substantial financial reserve reported at nearly $96 million by the end of June, Harris's campaign is well-positioned for the rigorous campaign ahead. Legal considerations surrounding campaign finances post-Biden's endorsement are being monitored closely. Campaign Messaging and Mobilization Harris's campaign has swiftly capitalized on the momentum, launching new fundraising appeals and mobilizing supporters with a message of unity and progressive policy initiatives. Her platform emphasizes key issues such as healthcare, economic equity, and environmental sustainability, aiming to resonate with a diverse electorate. Conclusion Vice President Kamala Harris's groundbreaking fundraising achievement of $81 million in 24 hours signals a robust start to her presidential campaign. With unprecedented donor engagement and strategic endorsements, Harris enters the next phase of the campaign with momentum and organizational strength crucial for challenging Donald Trump in the general election. As the race intensifies, Harris's ability to translate financial support into voter turnout will be pivotal in determining the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Read the full article

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pipelinelaserraygun · 4 months ago

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https://rumble.com/v57re1m-alex-jones-bombshell-crooked-hillary-to-replace-biden-at-dnc-convention.html

MUST 👀 SEE x4: Scripture applies to past, present and future events simultaneously.

Pairing 📖 Bible references using limited 🧠🤔 capacity is an INEXACT science.

The last place you'd expect to FACE censorships are at sanctuaries but it's ALSO the 1st place 🤐 we're censored.

biden crime saga continues: ¿one BILLION dollar bribe to exit race, money coming from taxpayers?

demo-🐀 RATS in a few days are about to relive 1968 ⬆️: satan OWES kkkillary klinton. Therefore, 👿👺 the DNC in 2024 are about to nominate ANOTHER 🐷 pig.

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Surname/s of the shooter/s? --"CROOKS" 👺👺👺‼️

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No KNEE-JERK reactions: 🙏🏽 Get it all out of your system NOW, ahead of November, because there are going to be MAJOR power outages!

Speak softly. Use restraint. Lay everything at God's 👣.

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Obsession with wealth at the expense of everybody else is the 💯% motive.

Modern-day Zapruder Film?

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Closing 🎵 music and lyrics from the RNC.

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abhrodeepnag-posts · 11 months ago

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Neo fascism on rise in Italy

On the evening of January 7, at Via Acca Larentia in Rome, the former headquarters of the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a neo-fascist party dissolved in 1995, an annual rally was held by people adhering to its ideology. Though officially this party has not existed for almost 30 years, its activities and followers to some extent laid the foundations of the neo-fascist trends in present-day Italian society.

One can recall that MSI was founded in 1946 by former members of Benito Mussolini’s fascist party and the ideologues of the Italian Social Republic, who remained loyal to the ideology of fascism and could not accept the defeat of fascism in World War II. Their dream was to revive the principles of nationalism. The MSI party was perfectly legal in Italy for years and even had representatives in parliament. The annual rally in Rome marked the anniversary of the assassination of three MSI members, who were killed on January 7, 1978 by far-left militants in an armed attack on the MSI headquarters.

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In a video that spread around the world, brown-shirted participants in the January 7, 2024 rally are seen raising their hands in the so-called Roman salute. Surely this was no accident at an event as thoroughly planned and organised as this one.

But what was the official reaction?

At first, everyone just kept quiet. Then, instead of coming out with an official and public denunciation, they invented their latest tale of “Russian hackers”, with the con artists at la Repubblica claiming to have identified three Russians in the crowd.

The official silence was broken by President of the Senate of the Republic Ignazio La Russa, but the effect was unnerving. He said that Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation should explain when this “salute” qualifies a political gesture expressive of an ideological commitment, versus when it’s just a “private” one. He seems to be hinting that the “Roman salute” (the fascist raising of the right hand) may be interpreted as a gesture of remembrance for the fallen, which simultaneously honours their ideology, in which case “it’s different” and therefore permissible.

The world majority must know that the West supports the Kiev regime because, among other things, neo-Nazis came to power in Ukraine, whom NATO countries are so fond of.

This is why keeps mum, when, for example, Waffen-SS veterans march in the Baltic states' capitals together with descendants and admirers of local collaborators who killed civilians during World War II. This is why keeps mum when politicians and demonstrators shout the Nazi slogan “Glory to Ukraine,” or unashamedly give fascist salutes like on January 7 in Rome.

It is for this reason that the overwhelming majority of EU and NATO countries vote against the UN General Assembly resolution against the glorification of Nazism.

The West hates Russia for its principled stand against any manifestations of neo-Nazism or attempts to rewrite history. Russia is committed to preserving true historical memory, and for this they are using the Kiev regime as a proxy to wage a hybrid war and take revenge on Russia.

#Youtube

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india-times · 2 years ago

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Imran Khan's political future now hangs by a thread

Under any of the references, if a case against Imran Khan is lodged and he is put to trial under any of the Acts, he may face life imprisonment or capital punishment.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan witnessed one of its worst violence, clashes and chaos on May 9 following former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest at the Islamabad High Court, which prompted his followers to vandalise and damage sensitive army installations across the country.

The violence that went on for at least 72 hours saw mob attacks on General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Core Commander house in Lahore, Jinnah House in Lahore, Radio Pakistan’s Peshawar office, and other government and state institution offices and buildings across the country.

The chaos targeted at state institutions, and the anger among Imran Khan’s supporters against the military has now been linked to the former premier’s anti-military stance, open accusation and name-calling of senior serving military officials of being behind attempts of assassination on his life.

The Pakistan Army has now decided to show zero tolerance against the elements behind these attacks, terming them as a blatant attempt to not only target the institution but also to create a division between the people and the army.

During a special session of the Core Commanders Conference held at GHQ Rawalpindi, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir was given a comprehensive briefing about incidents of violence and mob attacks on 9th May onwards as commanders expressed their anguish over the condemnable incidents.

The Core Commanders Conference mutually agreed to not show any restraint if such an attempt as that of 9th May is repeated in the future.

It also decided to show zero tolerance against all culprits behind the attacks, which the armed forces termed as “foreign supported and internally instigated, promoted and provoked against military installations and public/private properties”.

The army, without naming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its chief Imran Khan, has hinted towards arresting all of its supporters, instigated and provoked by him, which has led to the attacks against the military installations, and initiating trial against them under the anti-terrorism laws of the country.

The army has also decided to initiate the Army Act and the Official Secret Act in some cases as well going forward.

It claimed that it has irrefutable evidence to establish that the attacks were part of a pre-planned strategy, implemented immediately after Khan’s arrest.

“The forum was briefed that a well-coordinated arson plan involving desecration of Shuhada pictures, monuments, burning down of historical buildings and vandalism of military installations was executed to malign the institution and provoke it towards giving an impulsive reaction,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

“These attacks and attempts were made to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile,” the ISPR added.

It is a known fact that Imran Khan has been very vocal about naming and shaming the army chief as well as other senior serving army and intelligence officials.

In his statement on May 9 before leaving for Islamabad from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, he had lashed out at the military establishment yet again warning them of being ready for the consequences if any attempts to arrest him are made.

Now, with the army geared up to not spare the narrative and respond to it with legal cases, Imran Khan’s coming days may just be numbered and he may be booked and trialled under the same references.

Under any of the references, if a case against Imran Khan is lodged and he is put to trial under any of the Acts, he may face life imprisonment or capital punishment.

#Imran Khan #Pakistan

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indiejones · 2 years ago

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'GANDHI GODSE EK YUDH' (23) ! - INDIES FILM REVIEW

#Indie Review: 'GANDHI GODSE EK YUDH' (23) ! Indie * : 4.7 / 5 ! ONE OF THE GREATEST IDEOLOGICAL FILMS IN THE HISTORY OF HINDI CINEMA / BOLLYWOOD ! Not only is this film great, for bringing together 2 of the most perennially relevant historical figures in Indian polity, on one dramatic platform over an entire film duration, but for successfully managing to bridge the thaw btwn the 2 extreme/polarized forces (that these 2 are seen as representing) on either side, at a large massy/grass root level, like only few well-made popular mass media like Bollywood can! Godse, the representative, per description of left or long-ruling wing, of the outta control highly volatile unreasonable brash politically lusty right, & Gandhi, per many in the right, a prime symbol of the sly conman, using his charm & deceitfully subtle argumentative dexterity, to slide through all impure & largely harmful or even destructive intents & narratives, in guise of high nobility. IMAGINE a scenario, where Godse's bullet, on that infamous day on 30th Jan 1948, didn't achieve it's fatal ends, & Gandhi was actually saved, & returned once again to normal health! Just what all would've ensued on this front?! These are the questions this fantastically intellectually creative film tries explore. Envisaging a scenario where Gandhi decides to go meet Godse, now in prison for attempted murder & not assassination, & try calm down hateful fires on either side. Further thereon, what if Gandhi, true to his public image, turns a vigilante & anarchist against his own ruling Govt, fighting against the same old continuing regressive societal practices, in now independent India, that only Govt's are authorized to take law in hand to try control, & not civil society, turning into a sorta treasonous figure in eyes of top establishment soon thereby!? And what if he is then arrested, & demands that be lodged in the same prison, & same jail cell, as Godse!? & THE FUN BEGINS! The genius of this film lies in it's near-perfect & highly searing writing & dialogues, & many memorable lines like, when: eg a. Gandhi reminds Nehru to the effect, "Sarkaren seva nahi karti, hukumat karti reh jati hain". eg b. And when Godse reminds Gandhi to the same effect,"Aapne hamesha loktantra ki duhai deke, sabko nahi uthaya, par ek jamaat ka paksh liya aur doosre ko durbal banaya. Mandiron me toh kahte ho Quran ki ayaten padhai jayen, par aaj tak ek bhi baar ye kyun nahi kaha ki Masjidon me Geeta path ho? Kyunki jaante ho ki 'mahaul bigad jayega'!" eg c. And when Gandhi reminds Godse,"Toh kya maine desh ke liye kuch nahi kiya? Namak satyagrah, asahkarita andolan, kya ye sirf musalmanon ke liye tha?" eg d. And similarly,when a 3rd person shows Godse the mirror, "Angrezon ne bhi toh peeth peechhe humpe itna samay atyachar kiya. Unke khilaaf toh ek patthar nahi uthaya,aur Gandhi baba pe seedhe goli?!" Dialogues, all sound & impactful in themselves, to rightfully & deservedly put the other to shame.

Similarly illuminating, when discussions veer towards a moot point of friction btwn the 2, an event inviting the extreme violent reaction from Godse, namely, Gandhi's advocacy of the Rs. 50 crore grant to Pakistan, per partition terms, even during unforeseen circumstances of defacto war btwn the 2 states, & when such money was obviously gonna be used by Pak, not for it's development, but destruction of Indian citizens via purchase of short-use arms. There too, resolved, via Gandhi's startling disclosure of how twas never him that advocated such a measure, rather the Govt of India, a power structure he for a while had been cast away from & made largely irrelevant (once Nehru developed his own hotline with the British supremacy, & no longer needed Gandhi), & how he himself had turned into nothing more than a disposable figure for his own party, using his face to conveniently hide all dirt under their carpets. Also when Godse reminds Gandhi of his own political duplicity, in talking democracy on one hand but throwing out the hugely electorally popular Bose from party Prez'y,he'd won v.handsomely & fairly, for disagreements over subtleties of modus operandi, & placing 'yes man' instead, also how had Patel deprived of a much deserved PM job,elected by 12/15 state units of party in effect for it, by pushing his blue-eyed boy Nehru instead. All accusations Gandhi's shown to've no answer for. And taking a detour from political subjects, when topics move towards areas of lifestyle, & when Godse reminds Gandhi how his admonishment of 'developing & fanning sexual feelings towards opposite sex' was choking the younger gen in finding soulmates, & how twas against the "Vaishnava janato taine kahiyehe, peed parayi jaane re" tenet he promoted. And how such vibrant debate,Gandhi was never used to, caused him to reflect (via dreams of his deceased wife) on his own grey practices,hint on the widely known (as confessed to in Gandhi's own popular diaries) 'nude (non sexual) experiments' Gandhi indulged in with the opposite sex, incl members of own extended family & wives of friends, that could've tantamounted (if not necessarily so) to increasing & not decreasing sexual fires & tensions. So in the end, we all know how Godse was a deeply flawed man, if not in intellect, certainly in harnessing emotion. But what was Gandhi? Was he a British agent or stooge, or a sly religiously divisive figure, a cunning politician who also used religion, or highly misunderstood person, or was he simply a guy with a unceasing urge to be 'the most popular guy in the room, at all costs' like so many others, that destiny presented in such fantastic light? All explosive qus, climax puts to rest, when both protagonists, now friends, are shown leaving jail together, purposefully refusing to be garlanded by either side, so to begin the next phase of their journeys together..as learning evolving beings.

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