#ERICA CHENOWETH

[rosszulorzott]

Reading Journal

I'm reading Why Civil Resistance Works, The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan because Kim Stanley Robinson has been mentioning this work, most memorably in the following quote: "If it works like Chenoweth's law says it does, then you only need about fifteen percent of a population to engage in civil disobedience, and the rest see it and support it, and the oligarchy falls. You get a new legal regime." I am plotting the downfall of this regime I'm living in and knowledge is power.

Here's a short TEDx Talk to give you a taste.

#why civil resistance works #erica chenoweth #maria j stephan #Youtube

[sequelscreen]

Persistent protests put survival of Iran’s theocratic regime in question

Following a month of nationwide protests, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s notorious morality police, there is growing belief that the militant clerical regime, in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is living on borrowed time.

Amini’s death on Sept. 16 ignited a tinderbox of pent-up frustrations in Iran over falling living standards and discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, leading to the biggest wave of mass protests since the Green Movement of 2009.

A month on, the unrest has persisted, spreading to at least 80 cities despite a “ruthless” crackdown that has left more than 200 dead.

Such is the scale, fury and determination of the protests there are now many Iran watchers and scholars of social movements beginning to talk openly about the possibility of regime change.

It certainly would not be unprecedented for a nonviolent protest movement of this scale to succeed. According to research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed in this vein as armed conflicts.

Read More : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2184406/middle-east

#MAHSA AMINI #ERICA CHENOWETH #IRAN #ROHAM ALVANDI #LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS #IRANIAN REVOLUTIONS #SANAM VAKIL #ALI LARIJANI #IRAN'S HIJAB UPRISING

[xtruss]

Analysis: What Israel Can Teach the U.S. About Confronting a Constitutional Crisis

Sometimes you not only need to vote—you also need to vote with your feet.

— By Aaron David Miller and Daniel Miller | Foreign Policy | March 18, 2023

A protester waves an Israeli flag during a massive protest against the government's judicial overhaul plan on March 11 in Tel Aviv, Israel (Illegally Occupied Palestine). Amir Levy/Getty Images

Over the past four months, in an extraordinary display of national resolve and resistance, millions of Israelis have rallied in the streets to protest their government’s efforts to revolutionize the judiciary. Because Israel does not have a written constitution or bicameral parliament, these so-called reforms, if enacted, would eviscerate an independent judiciary, remove the one check and balance standing in the way of unbridled government power, and fundamentally undermine Israel’s democratic system.

In a recent conversation with the author, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak noted that the behavior of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government during the current crisis evoked thoughts of the U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

Can the United States learn anything from Israel in its own efforts to stop democratic backsliding and combat a future constitutional crisis in the event, for example, that a president seeks to hold on to power, overturn the results of a free and fair election, and threaten the very essence of constitutional government?

At first glance, the sheer size of the United States and fundamental differences between the two countries’ political cultures and governance systems might appear to render comparisons moot, if not irrelevant. But a closer look reveals important takeaways from Israel’s situation that are worth considering. If Israelis succeed in checking this judicial juggernaut, and even if they don’t, there are lessons for Americans should U.S. liberal democracy be seriously threatened.

The biggest takeaway from what has been happening in Israel has to do with the size, tactics, and endurance of the protests themselves. For months, the world has watched Israelis engage in sustained, massive, nonviolent protests and civil disobedience in cities and towns across the country, drawing participants from nearly all sectors of society.

The scale, scope, and composition of these demonstrations are unprecedented in the country’s history. Hundreds of thousands regularly attend the protests, which are largely grassroots demonstrations, locally organized with former officials and intellectuals recruited to speak. On April 1, close to 450,000 Israelis took to the streets. That is close to 5 percent of the population, roughly equivalent to 17 million Americans. A recent poll showed that 20 percent of all Israelis have protested at one time or another against the judicial coup.

Given the vast disparity in size, replicating this kind of sustained protest movement is no easy matter. As a point of comparison, the Women’s March on Washington on Jan. 21, 2017, drew between 1 and 1.6 percent of the U.S. population. But that doesn’t mean this is impossible. Indeed, the Black Lives Matter protests that took place in the United States in the summer of 2020 were largely spontaneous and may have included as many as 26 million—and perhaps more—protesters in total.

Size is critical, but so is the character of demonstrations. The essential element is nonviolence. As Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan have demonstrated in studying civil resistance movements that occurred between 1900-2006, using nonviolent tactics—which can include protests, boycotts, and civil disobedience—enhances a movement’s domestic and international legitimacy, increases its bargaining power, and lessens the government’s efforts to delegitimize it. Although the vast majority of Black Lives Matter protests were peaceful (despite the false or misleading media and government claims to the contrary), there were acts of violence, looting, and rioting. Any future protest movement in the United States must shun this kind of destructive behavior.

The Israeli movement’s endurance and persistence has also been an asset. The struggle for democracy is not a 100-yard dash—as demonstrated in other countries, such as Serbia. In Israel’s case, the perception that the so-called judicial reform wasn’t just some technical adjustment to the political system, but rather a fundamental threat to Israelis’ way of life, sustained the protests. The profound anger and mistrust toward the Netanyahu government further catalyzed Israelis from virtually all sectors of society to turn out in the streets.

A second essential part of the response to the judicial legislation in Israel has been the active participation of military reservists who have signed petitions, participated in protests, and boycotted their formal and volunteer reserve duty. These reservists play a critical role in both intelligence and air force operations that are key to the current security challenges Israel faces.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is the most respected institution in the country. In fact, what led Netanyahu to pause the judicial legislation was the surge of protests that followed his (since rescinded) decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant had publicly called for a halt to the judicial overhaul, arguing that it was jeopardizing Israel’s security. Adding to the pressure, a host of former IDF chiefs of staff, commanders, and former directors of Mossad have publicly opposed the judicial legislation. And even active, lower-level Mossad employees have been given permission to participate in the protests.

Such actions by former and current government officials are precisely what is needed to imbue the protests with additional legitimacy and to amplify the seriousness of the moment. Active members of IDF units have not refused to serve, and we’re not recommending that active U.S. military units join the protests. Indeed, given the U.S. tradition of the subordination of military to civilian authority, uniformed military would be hard-pressed to intervene in a political crisis.

Still, before the November 2020 election, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power pending the results, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley issued a public statement that the military had no role in an election and would “obey the lawful orders of our civilian leadership.” And senior military officials might well publicly remind the U.S. military—as the Joint Chiefs of Staff did in the wake of the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021—that their mission is to defend the U.S. Constitution.

At the same time, civil servants from throughout the federal government should consider joining the protests and have their organizational representatives (the American Foreign Service Association at the Department of State, for example), issue statements in support. These employees need not resign, at least at first, but they should make clear their nonpartisan opposition to efforts to undermine the rule of law and constitutional norms. The nonpartisan nature of these actions would be reinforced if they involved not just federal employees in Washington, but also the much larger workforce throughout the country. Furthermore, calls to protest could also involve state employees, particularly if the constitutional crisis stemmed from state action.

Third is the importance of strikes. The Histadrut—Israel’s largest trade union, with an estimated 800,000 members—called for a general strike that followed more limited strikes in the preceding months. That decision shut down departures from Ben Gurion Airport. Israel’s research universities and medical facilities (all public hospitals and community clinics) also called to strike, in addition to the closing of banks, businesses, and restaurants (including the ever-popular McDonald’s).

These tactics worked in Israel because, along with other measures (such as closing highways through acts of civil disobedience), they communicated to government ministers and Knesset members that unless they reassessed the situation, the country would shut down, with grave economic and political consequences. The tech sector had already begun to express major concerns that judicial reform as envisioned by the Netanyahu government could turn Israel’s image as a start-up nation into one of a shut-down nation, raising risks that foreign investment might be curtailed and Israeli entrepreneurs might decide to move out of the country.

To be sure, the same tactics could not be so easily deployed in the United States. First, 25 percent of Israeli workers are in a union, compared to 10 percent in the United States. Second, shutting down a country the size of the United States would simply be impossible (although such a strategy might have more success in a small enough state). Additionally, it is unclear if such strikes would help or hurt the opposition politically, particularly in light of the fact that COVID-19 school closures and other lockdown measures were fraught. But strikes should be explored and studied as possible tools. In the summer of 2020, tens of thousands of U.S. workers participated in a “Strike for Black Lives.”

Furthermore, taking a page from the sports strikes in the wake of the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, there are more creative measures to explore in place of or in conjunction with traditional worker strikes. Sports leagues at both the college and professional level might suspend games until the crisis was resolved. If individual leagues were unwilling to participate, their stars could—and many likely would. What better way to cause a sustained, nationwide conversation about a specific topic that punctures all information bubbles than by forcing the cancellation of college football games, or the NBA playoffs, the World Series, or even the Super Bowl? In recent years, sports figures have increasingly become involved in politics, including ones from places you might not expect.

Similar strategies could be considered in the realm of Hollywood, the music industry, and other areas where Americans have a shared cultural appreciation and imbue their idols with the recognition and respect once enjoyed by political leaders. To avoid the appearance that these measures were partisan or political, these actions would need buy-in from actors, singers, entertainers, and writers from across the political spectrum, including from those who have always stayed above the political fray or who belong to the opposing political parties.

Fourth is the importance of respected political leaders, both current and former, joining the response to a severe political crisis. In Israel, former prime ministers have participated in the protest movement, including Barak and Ehud Olmert, as well as foreign and justice ministers such as Tzipi Livni. Former U.S. presidents have generally avoided this kind of participation, but in a severe crisis one can imagine former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, as well as other former senior officials from across the political spectrum, speaking out and participating in demonstrations.

Leadership extends beyond mere symbolism. Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid made calls for a general strike, among other involvement by elected officials. Similar kinds of bipartisan leadership from those in the U.S. House and Senate would be important to amplify the message of the protests and provide legitimacy. And of course, if the constitutional crisis originated from Congress itself, elected representatives could use their authority to shut it down. In this case, the protesters and other stakeholders, such as businesses, should view their opposition as a way to lobby Congress, including by promising to withhold financial backing to any member who participates in the unconstitutional scheme. There were similar actions in the wake of Jan. 6.

It would also be imperative for leaders to come from outside government, including from media organizations that represent a broad spectrum of U.S. politics. Given the United States’ problem with misinformation, this would be essential to accurately portray what was happening on the ground, including dispelling any untruths—for example, the notions that the protests had turned violent or that they were simply partisan reflections of one political party or another.

Finally, perhaps the most important lesson of all is to look for ways to motivate the public with an inclusive national response that transcends party and partisan affiliation. The reason the Israeli protests have been so effective is that even in a society rent by so many divisions, Israelis have gone into the streets because they believe deeply that their very way of life—the character of their society, and the image they have of Israel as an open, tolerant, and democratic polity with all its weaknesses, including and especially the Israeli occupation—is fundamentally threatened. As journalist Gal Beckerman has written, Israeli protesters have wrapped themselves in their flag—the most visible symbol of the protests. And this is something, according to Beckerman, that Americans should take to heart.

It is important to emphasize, though, that most Palestinians—including both those who are Israeli citizens (roughly 2 million out of a total population of 9.7 million) and those under Israel’s occupation and control—see the protests as an effort to protect Israeli Jewish democracy, not a movement to extend equal rights or statehood to them. Arab political parties in Israel have backed the protests, but the majority of Palestinian citizens of Israel, even while they have a great deal to lose should the judicial legislation pass, feel the demonstrations don’t address their needs, including equal rights and rising crime.

But without holding the line against a government whose objectives include de facto if not de jure annexation of the West Bank, continued second-class citizenship for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and enabling violence against Palestinians—as seen in the settler rampages through the West Bank town of Huwara—there will be no chance for peace, an end of the occupation, or statehood for the Palestinians.

And while we remain gloomy about any chance in the near term for an equitable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this protest movement has imbued Israel with a new energy and dynamism. It has created a focus on democracy, rights, and equality that hasn’t been seen in years and that could, under the right leadership, drive home the message that the preservation of Israel as a Jewish democratic state depends on ending the Israeli occupation and extending equal rights not just in principle but in practice to Palestinian citizens of Israel. One can at least hope so.

For the United States, the greatest challenge would be finding a way to wrap a movement in the U.S. flag and identify a broader set of unifying purposes that creates the biggest tent under which millions of Americans could rally. In today’s perniciously partisan environment, this would be hard—some might say impossible. To quote the historian Henry Adams, politics in the United States has become a “systematic organization of hatreds.” Without a written constitution, Israelis have turned to their Declaration of Independence as a source of inspiration, even as a set of principles for a future constitution. Perhaps the United States could do the same, turning to the basic founding principles that have shaped the country’s self-government.

The United States is perhaps the only nation in history founded on an idea: self-government in the interest of securing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Fundamentally, no matter the differences between Americans, what makes the United States special is its ability to self- correct, reinvent itself, and make progress toward guaranteeing opportunity, equality, and dignity for all. A truly national protest movement must be grounded in this dream and the aspiration of making it more accessible to everyone. We are hopeful and inspired by the younger generations in the United States today—by their commitment to making the country a better place for all Americans, and by how they would rise to meet the challenge if the United States were truly tested.

Of course, the best way to avoid illiberal backsliding, let alone a constitutional crisis, is to vote for candidates who respect the rule of law, abide by the Constitution, and adhere to democratic norms and standards. Once authoritarians entrench themselves in power, they can use their authority to remain there. But sometimes you not only need to vote—you also need to vote with your feet.

Some of this may seem naive and Panglossian. But the fight for U.S. democracy has always mixed the pragmatic and the aspirational. What has happened in Israel these many months has shown the power that people possess to safeguard their democracy when threatened. It’s not an easy conversation to have. But it’s worth having now because the stakes are so very high, and sadly, the dangers to the United States’ own democratic system are all too real.

— Aaron David Miller is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former U.S. State Department Middle East analyst and negotiator in Republican and Democratic administrations. He is the author of The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have (and Doesn’t Want) Another Great President.

— Daniel Miller is a Lawyer and Activist. Since 2016, he has engaged in various forms of Pro-democracy work and has written for the Washington Post, CNN, Daily Beast, and New York Daily News on democracy issues.

#Analysis #Illegal Regime of ​Isra-hell #Occupied Palestine 🇵🇸 #Constitutional Crisis #Aaron David Miller and Daniel Miller #Judicial Overhaul #War Criminal and Terrorist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu #Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak #United States 🇺🇸 #Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan #Israel Defense Forces (IDF) #Mossad #United States Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley #Ehud Olmert #Strike For Black Lives #Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid #Palestinians 🇵🇸 #Henry Adams #Politics in the United States has Become a “Systematic Organization of Hatreds

[marine-indie-gal]

Greek/Roman Pantheon Headcanon Voices

Ok, so after having much retconning headcanon thoughts, I’ve decided to make up a new and improve list of some headcanon voices that I had in mind for each of the Gods from both the Greek and Roman Pantheon if they were to appear in SpongeBob SquarePants.

Greek Pantheon

King Cronus - Gerald Butler (Stoick The Vast from "How To Train Your Dragon")

Queen Rhea - Angelina Jolie (Maleficent)

Salacia - Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach from "The Super Mario Bros. Movie")

Emperor Zeus - Tom Ellis (Lucifer Morningstar from "Lucifer")

Lord Hades - Alan Cumming (Bog King from "Strange Magic")

Empress Hera - Cissy Jones (Lilith Clawthorne from "The Owl House")

Demeter - Helena Bonham Carter (Mayrin from "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance")

Hestia - Deedee Magno (Pearl from "Steven Universe")

Lady Persephone -  Amy Adams (Giselle from "Enchanted")

Hermes - Ashton Kutcher (Elliot from "Open Season")

Ares - Ansel Elgort (Tommy Ross from "Carrie")

Hephaestus - Herman Tømmeraas

Aphrodite - Sydney Sweeney

Dionysus - Rhys Darby (Hypno-Potamus from "Rise of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles")

Apollo - Robert Sheehan (Klaus Hargreeves from "The Umbrella Academy")

Artemis - Hailee Steinfeld (Vi from "Arcane")

Athena - Toks Olagundoye (Mel Medarda from "Arcane")

Eris - Kristin Chenoweth (Maleficent from "Descendants")

Hecate - Bette Midler (Winifred Sanderson from "Hocus Pocus")

Hebe - Kyla Kowalewski (Anais Watterson from "The Amazing World of Gumball")

Eileithyia - Tati Gabrielle (Willow Park from "The Owl House")

Enyo - Jessica Darrow (Luisa Madrigal from "Encanto")

Zagreus - Rider Strong (Tom Lucitor from "Star vs. The Forces of Evil")

Melinoe - Claire Corlette (Sweetie Belle from "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic")

Pan - David Tennant (Crowley from "Good Omens")

Roman Pantheon

Lord Saturn - Idris Elba (Shere Khan from "The Jungle Book")

Lady Ops - Tilda Swinton (Alithea from "Three Thousand Years of Longing")

Emperor Jupiter - Kerry Shale (Harold Wilson from "The Amazing World of Gumball)

Lord Pluto - Brian Stokes Mitchell (Elktaur from "Centaurworld")

Empress Juno - Georgina Leahy (Stella Goetia from "Helluva Boss")

Ceres -  Anne Hathaway (Queen Mirana from "Alice in Wonderland")

Vesta - Ella Kenion (Delilah from "101 Dalmatian Street")

Lady Proserpina - Mia Wasikowska (Alice from "Alice in Wonderland")

Mercury - Alex Hirsch (King from "The Owl House")

Mars - Michael Kovach (Niles from "SMG4")

Vulcan - Daniel Sharman (Troy Otto from "Fear The Walking Dead")

Venus - Natasia Demetriou (Cala Maria from "The Cuphead Show")

Bacchus - Dana Snyder (Gazpacho from "Chowder")

Phoebus - Marcus Scribner (Bow from "She-Ra and The Princess of Power")

Diana - Zendaya

Minerva - Tabitha St. Germain (Princess Luna from "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic")

Discordia - Zoe Moss (Baroness Von Bon Bon from "The Cuphead Show")

Trivia - Miranda Richardson (Lady Van Tassel from "Sleepy Hollow")

Juventas - Andrea Libman (Fluttershy from "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic")

Lucina - Erica Lindbeck (Emira Blight from "The Owl House")

Bellona - Elizabeth Banks (Lucy "Wyldstyle" from "The Lego Movie")

Plutus - Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from the "Harry Potter" film series)

Macaria - Lilly Bartlam (Skye from "Paw Patrol")

Faunus - Kayvan Novak (Nandor from "What We Do In The Shadows")

Sea Heirs

Proteus - Jack Dylan Grazer (Alberto Scorfano from "Luca")

Benthesikyme - Elle Fanning (Aurora from "Maleficent")

Kymopoleia - Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh from "IT")

Rhode - Dakota Fanning (Coraline Jones from "Coraline")

Isabelle - Anna Kendrick (Poppy from "Trolls")

Ruby - Sofia Carson (Pipp Petals from "My Little Pony: A New Generation")

#indie text #spongebob squarepants #the spongebob squarepants movie #the spongebob movie sponge on the run #sponge on the run #headcanon #headcanon voices

[ceevee5]

“You cannot have state-mandated reproductive laws taking away these choices from women in a country and a robust democracy,” says Erica Chenoweth, a Harvard professor who studies political violence and mass movements. “They’re just incompatible.”

#abortion #texas abortion ban #texas #us politics

[andrewmoocow]

Little Homeworld Life chapter 26: Hostile Takeover (originally posted on June 19, 2023)

AN: It has all come to this. The end begins here. The final episode of Little Homeworld Life is here at last, and after that will be Steven Universe: Snake Eyes. It has been an honor delivering such consistent quality writing to this fandom, and I'll be damned if I don't enjoy doing it again one last time before I finally decide to move onto other stories I've left to dry for too long.

Synopsis: Connie returns home from college just as Black Rutile takes over Little Homeworld and holds the Crystal Gems captive. With their alien friends in danger, the people of Beach City decide to repay the Crystal Gems by joining together to save them from Black Rutile.

Cast:

Grace Rolek as Connie

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper, Skinny Jasper, Carnelian, Superfan Rose, Hippie Rose, Shy Rose, Cherry Quartz, Biggs Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Martha Higerada as Topaz

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Doc, Navy, Leggy, Army

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald, Chest Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid, Eyeball Demantoid

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Jon Wurster as Marty

Shanelle Grey as Sally Grove

Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite

May Calamawy as Chrome Chalcedony

Susanne Blakeslee as Pietersite

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Famethyst, Tiger's Eye

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Yellow Pearl, Blue Pearl, Volleyball, Black Pearl Brigade

Shelby Rabara as Peridot, Squaridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz, Zuli, Phoenix Lapis

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion, Concretes

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Matthew Moy as Lars, Dante

Kate Micucci as Sadie

Indya Moore as Shep

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Priyanka

Crispin Freeman as Doug

Andrew Kishino as Kevin

Reagan Gomez Preston as Jenny, Kiki

Godfrey as Kofi

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Brian Posehn as Sour Cream

Lamar Abrams as Buck Dewey

Colton Dunn as Mr. Smiley

Toks Olagundoye as Mayor Nanafua

Joel Hodgson as Bill Dewey

Eugene Cordero as Jamie

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Billy Merritt as Mr. Fryman

Kristin Chenoweth as Sheena Synstylae

Nancy Linari as Martha

Brian George as Mr. Frowney

Jackie Buscarino as Vidalia

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite, Lemon Jade

Ian Jones Quartey as Snowflake Obsidian, Bixbite

Michelle Maryk as Larimar

Auli'i Cravalho as Orange Spodumene

Kimiko Glenn as Blue Chalcedony

Tara Platt as Heaven Cubic Zirconia, Earth Cubic Zirconia

Tara Strong as Grossular Diopside

Phillipa Soo as Chrysocolla

Anika Noni Rose as Watermelon Tourmaline (fusion), Watermelon Tourmaline

Aimee Carrero as Moonstone

Gal Gadot as Desert Glass

Willa Holland as Albite

Maddie Ziegler as Serpentine

Courtenay Taylor as Beryl

Sarah Jessica Parker as Dumortierite

Cavetown as Diaspore

Emily King as Kunzite

Alex Newell as Monazite

Alyson Hannigan as Lavenderine

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Olivia Olson as Citrine, Citrine Twins

Lin-Manuel Miranda as President Eduardo Suarez

Wendie Malick as Vice President Theresa Maxwell

GZA as Major General Wade Grant

Tim Curry as General Lloyd Waller

John Kassir as Reginald Johnson

Stephanie Beatriz as Arleen Suarez

Xolo Mariduena as Huey Suarez

Leslie Grace as Riley Suarez

Pierce Brosnan as Bane Jones

Hugh Jackman as Beckham Jordan

James Monroe Iglehart as Coach Matt Monroe

Karen Fukuhara as Makoto Fuji

Matthew Rhys as Dr. James Brenner

T-Pain as Sam Galley

Christoph Waltz as Francis von Bowling

Rob Paulsen as Mr. Shreds

David Kaye as Collar

Roger Craig Smith as Tank

Alex Hirsch as Lawrence Abrams

Zach Callison as Steven, Onion, Cactus Stevens, Topiary Stevens

Featuring Christopher McDonald as Carl Grove

And Betsy Sodaro as Maureen Grove

--

"It just feels so good to be bad." Black Rutile gloated to the Crystal Gems as she held them prisoner in a makeshift prison. Today had quite possibly been the best day she has ever had on Earth. Black Rutile had now converted multiple Gems to her coalition of rebels, whether by force or through coercion, her enemies were now hers to torment, and their precious Little Homeworld into her newest evil lair. "I haven't felt this utterly delighted to be victorious since the siege of Tweenis 12, I feel like singing! Maestro?"

Amazonite turned on a music player at her master's command, causing Black Rutile to sing a reprise of a familiar song. "Wither the rose! Growing shadows! Sow a world of chaos! Wither the rose! Only highs, no lows! In a world of chaos!"

"Is this really the time to be singing?" Pearl muttered as she tried to break free from her chains.

"Ha!" Black Rutile laughed in response before looking out at her various enforcers. "Come on minions, hurry along! Soon, Beach City will be gone! I could squeeze myself with glee, first the Diamonds and then this galaxy! I really stopped at nothing, gaslighting, terrorism, and lying!" she declared. "Whatever it takes to get revenge, you really can't blame me for trying."

Little Homeworld soon began hovering over Beach City, casting a dark shadow over a large portion of the town while the townies had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, the water holding the Gem village in the air began firing at the humans, making them scurry in fear as Black Rutile finished her song. "Wither the rose! Growing shadows! Sow a world of chaos! Wither the rose! Don't you doze!"

"This planet is basically ours!" Aquamarine sang along.

"We have control over its superpowers!" Eyeball added triumphantly.

"You are helpless to resist!" Holly Blue proclaimed.

"There's no way for you to persist!" Cat's Eye declared.

"Saying sorry just won't cut it!" Cinnabar boomed.

"This universe will be ours, bit by bit!" Andesine stated.

"You thought you could contain us," Black Rutile sang out in victory. "but you can no longer discuss!"

"Genocide, slaughtering, jingoism, in enemy blood, we shall wade!" the seven Gems joined together in harmony. "Rutile Rebels come celebrate, as we make these foolish Crystal Gems fade!" By the time the song ended, Black Rutile looked out at the destruction below her and began making a speech. "People of Beach City, do not look away!" she bellowed to the humans below. "You witness a Rutile's revival, and the birth of her new empire!"

"What do you want now, Black Rutile?!" Lars yelled from below.

"What I want is recognition!" Black Rutile responded. "As you can see, I have officially conquered Little Homeworld and taken the Crystal Gems as my prisoners. The means as to how it can fly can all be blamed on their dear friend, Lapis Lazuli." She looked over at Lapis, who was sitting on the Warp Pad with a blank look on her face. "Despite what the Crystal Gems believed, Little Homeworld was the aspiration of idiots and dreamers! A mere tool to indoctrinate poor, unfortunate Gems who were living lives free of their tyranny. But unfortunately for them, I am far smarter than the average Gem, so I continued planning my revenge for months on end, which leads me today." She then sent out her drones, ready to attack at any moment. "Either surrender to me at once or else your pathetic little town will go bye-bye! Bye-bye."

Down below, Jasper and White Topaz were watching the carnage the entire time, lying in wait for an opportunity to strike back at Black Rutile and save their friends. "So, any idea on how to stop her?" Jasper asked her girlfriend. "I mean, it's just a bunch of us Gems that she could convert at any moment with those Blasters."

"Well, one thing's for certain, Black Rutile has gone too far this time." White Topaz declared. "We kept giving her second chance after second chance, but she always used them to try and destroy us! I've had enough of this! Once we defeat her, she's going straight to Revanche 666 where she belongs!"

"Someone's got leftover issues they need resolving." Teal Zircon added as she popped up behind the two big Gems. "Okay, Topaz and I have spent the last few minutes coming up with a plan."

"If it involves doing something astronomically stupid, then I don't want in." Jasper stopped Teal before she could finish. "What makes you think you could come up with an intelligent plan?"

"Because outside of being the obnoxious but lovable comic relief, I am actually far more observant than you think I am." TZ declared. "Which is why I am 10,000,000,000% certain that my plan will work."

"I'd like to see you try." Jasper scoffed before White Topaz placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on honey, just hear her out." White Topaz suggested. Jasper knew she couldn't disappoint her lover, so she relented with a sigh.

"Okay, proceed." Jasper groaned and let Teal explain.

"I say instead of just saving the day ourselves, we team up with the humans to save the world from Black Rutile!" Teal declared proudly. "The people of Beach City have been around us long enough to know what to do in situations like this, and we've gained a few allies over the years to back us up."

"I get what you're saying now." Jasper nodded proudly. "Like him for example!" As if on cue, Dr. James Brenner walked up to the three Gems. "I found him falling to his doom when Black Rutile threw him out. He's her psychologist, ergo, he should know exactly what she's thinking!"

"You are indeed correct, Jasper." Brenner declared. "I have been forced to watch as Black Rutile's schemes took shape, hoping that maybe my advice would get through to her, but alas, my words fell on deaf ears. Perhaps joining forces with all of you can help me redeem myself for being so powerless to help her."

"Great, we have our first recruit!" Teal Zircon cheered while giving the psychologist a hearty slap on the back. "Okay guys, I'll go gather the troops! You two on the other hand will have to find a very special someone."

"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Jasper then asked White Topaz.

"I think so Jasp, but Pete Rose?" White Topaz replied oddly, making Jasper raise an eyebrow at such a non-sequitur. "I mean, can we trust him?"

"No, I think Teal means we should fetch Connie!" Jasper yelled. "You and I both know she's been throwing a wrench in Black Rutile's plans multiple times! Her first invasion of Earth, the Steven monster crisis, and the alternate universe business, all of them had Connie involved and she played some role in stopping them all! You see what I'm getting at here?"

"Yeah, I get it now!" White Topaz exclaimed. "To Connie's house!" Just as the two raced off, a small black spy drone was watching the pair and quickly began following them.

--

"Breaking news all the way from Beach City!" Lawrence Abrams announced on the news. "The alien terrorist Black Rutile is once again laying waste to Beach City, and at the same time, our beloved president has been subject to a violent uprising against legions of angry Arnold Clump supporters led by the alt-right Internet personality Reginald Johnson. Are these two events connected? We'll be back after the break with more updates."

"Sweet Manila in the claws of light." Doug Maheswaran gasped in shock as he and Connie watched Black Rutile's invasion on the news. "This is probably something Steven should take care of, right?"

"Hopefully he at least knows what's going on," Connie added as she prepared to reach for her phone, only to hear a knock on the door. "Can someone get that?"

"Don't worry Connie, I'll get it," Priyanka said to her daughter as she opened the door to find Jasper and White Topaz waiting for her outside. "Oh, you must be that Jasper and Topaz who tore apart Beach City."

"You are never going to let go of that." Jasper declared. "Anyways, we need to see your daughter. The world is in danger and we need everyone we can get to save it."

"Right here!" Connie exclaimed while she raced up to the front door with her sword at the ready. "Come on guys, the Crystal Gems need us!"

"Yeah, about that." White Topaz stated nervously. "They kind of broke up because Black Rutile exposed Bismuth for poofing Lapis and is now holding them all hostage at Little Homeworld. Plus, Lapis officially betrayed them to Black Rutile and is helping make Little Homeworld fly. You know what, I think I know of a way to explain this better."

White Topaz then turned her fingers into puppet versions of the Crystal Gems to further go in depth about their situation. "Hey, what's this I hear about Bismuth poofing me and setting me on this path of torment and betrayal?!" her imitation of Lapis complained. "Oh no, the jig is up!" an imitation of Bismuth exclaimed. "Okay, I did poof you, Lapis, but I didn't mean to!"

"Saying you didn't mean it won't save you from me!" the shadow puppet of Lapis yelled before lunging at Bismuth, only for Garnet and Pearl to stop her.

"Top thirty reasons why Bismuth is sorry." The puppet version of Pearl stated. "Number 5 will surprise you."

"Top thirty anime deaths," puppet Lapis continued. "number one: YOUR BUTT RIGHT NOW!"

"I'm just here to be supportive!" a shadow puppet of Amethyst said as she took Lapis and Peridot's side in the tussle, ending with White Topaz making "whoop whoop whoop" sounds as she started twiddling her fingers into a big clump. "And scene!"

"Okay, I'm going to need a refresher here." Priyanka said, shocked at the bizarreness of White Topaz's show. "What does this all mean?"

"Look, the point is that Teal Zircon and all the Gems Black Rutile didn't convert are gathering everyone in Beach City to fight back against Black Rutile, and we believe Connie is the best possible candidate to lead them all." Jasper explained in brief. "If anyone else wishes to join, you're free to come along."

"But what about Steven?" Connie asked. "Surely he'd know what to do in this situation." Suddenly, the tracking drone from earlier emerged from Jasper's hair, making her and White Topaz wonder if it was following them the whole time, and dropped into Connie's hands to deliver a message from Black Rutile.

"Ah, Connie Meka-Leka-Hi-Meka-Hiney-Ho-Swanson, we meet again." The hologram of Black Rutile smirked at her message's intended recipient. "If you are seeing this message, then you're already well aware of my latest revenge scheme and how frequently you've been playing a part in my constant failures. I would kill you and your parents right here and now, but I believe that would be too easy." The very thought of being killed by such a madman unnerved the Maheswarans. "Which is I offer you this challenge! Meet me at the flying Little Homeworld in ninety minutes to face me for the fate of your wretched world, and bring company too. And for an extra challenge, Steven must not get involved in the slightest. Lose, I will kill each and every single one of you. Win?" She let out an evil chuckle. "The only winner will be me, no matter what. Allons-y!"

The drone then shut down and crumbled to pieces of metal in Connie's hand. Despite the threat to her life, it only made her more determined. "Take us to Beach City."

--

Later at Beach City, Teal Zircon was true to her word and had assembled the entirety of its citizens and then some to discuss their plans to stop Black Rutile. Along with all the Gems that escaped Black Rutile's earlier assault, there was the Barriga family and the Off-Colors, Sadie & Shep, the former Cool Kids, the Pizza and Fryman families, Mr. Smiley and Mr. Frowney, Jamie, Kevin, Onion and his friends, Vidalia, Yellowtail, and Sheena Synstylae. In addition, Teal had also managed to get into contact with Bane Jones, Beckham Jordan, Matt Monroe, Makoto Fuji, and Sam Galley. Now, all that was left was Connie and her parents to make their makeshift army complete.

"My my Teal Zircon, you assembled quite an assortment of characters here." Brenner nodded at all the humans and Gems gathered together to stop Black Rutile. "But do you think this will be enough to stop her?"

"Oh, I know so!" Teal yelled excitedly. "You know those kinds of movies and TV shows where there's a team of people who cannot function together, but they pull through regardless? That's what I'm going for here. On our own, we're just a bunch of misfits. But when we're together, now that's something special." Just then, Connie, her parents, Jasper, and White Topaz appeared behind her from a portal created by Lion. "And there's our girl of the hour! Let's give her a hand!"

Everyone began applauding as Connie walked up to Teal Zircon. "Uh, hello everybody, thank you for inviting me to your little get-together. I'm afraid I'm going to need some catching up to do on what's been going on. I don't think a funny little puppet show is enough."

"Then allow me," Brenner said before he spoke to the audience. "As some of you may not know, our 'dear friend' Black Rutile", He put "dear friend" in air-quotes. "has enacted quite possibly her greatest revenge plot yet, and I bore witness to the fruits of her labor overtime as I was assigned to be her criminal psychologist. She has assembled criminal masterminds, bigoted online personalities, more old enemies of the Gems, and forlorn Gems looking for a place to belong. I have tried multiple times to convince her that she wasn't doing the right thing, but she kept ignoring me at every turn."

"Online personalities like who?" Ronaldo raised his hand, making the rest of the crowd turn to him. "You mean Sally Grove? I've had tons of arguments with her about the Gems before."

"Precisely that," James explained. "I have no idea why she is so cruel, but she seemed perfect as one of Black Rutile's top lieutenants, using her social media influence to gather more human followers through the Internet. There is also Francis von Bowling and his cohorts from P.H.A.N.T.O.M, no doubt brought in for their vendetta against the Gems too."

"Well, I'll be." Bane Jones muttered in bemusement while preparing a technologically advanced shotgun.

"In addition, Black Rutile is now joined by this Marty fellow, who claims to have his own grudge because Steven took his son away from him." James continued, giving him strained looks from Greg and Vidalia. "Together, these scoundrels have converted multiple Gems through these strange blasters built to brainwash anyone hit by them!"

"It's because of those blasters Black Rutile took away my crew!" Nephrite sobbed into Biggs Jasper's arms.

"She took out almost the entire Famethyst!" Carnelian added.

"And like, tons of other quartz Gems too." Chest Rose stated. "Me, my sibs, Biggs, Tiger's Eye, and Cherry are the only ones left."

"Hopefully what the Black Pearls said about finding a way to restore them is true." Cherry Quartz nervously said, looking over at the Black Pearl Brigade.

"So, what can we all do?" Beckham Jordan asked. "We're all just a bunch of humans and Gems who have no idea how unprepared we are for this! Heck, I'm just a star basketball player who knows more about how to score a point than fighting battles! What would happen if one of us were to die today? Besides, Steven won't be here to help us!"

"I promise you all, I won't let that happen." Connie declared before unsheathing her sword and holding it to the sky. "The Crystal Temps will defend this planet to the end!"

"Wait, is that what we're calling ourselves?!" Kevin yelled from afar. "Why not something cooler like the Substitute Crystal Gems, or something?!"

"It's very sentimental!" Connie hurriedly replied. "Now who's with me?!"

"I am!" Orange Spodumene yelled while raising her hand.

"I am!" Kofi Pizza and Mr. Fryman shouted in unison.

"And me too!" Sam Galley added excitedly. "Also, just want to get this outta the way, but I have a bit of a crush on Amethyst."

"Me three!" Lavenderine shouted, followed by a wave of excitement from the gathered New Crystal Temps.

"Aw, what the heck, I haven't got that long a lifespan anyways." Kevin resigned himself to the cause. While Connie proudly looked over at the crowd united for a singular purpose, she felt a familiar hand touching her shoulder.

"I'm in too." Priyanka proclaimed, much to her daughter's surprise. "After that hospital incident, I feel like it's time for me to get involved in your Crystal Gem business and be on the frontlines."

"Well, someone's a little eager." Brenner smiled at Priyanka before looking over at Doug. "And what shall you do for this, sir?"

"I think I'll go look into the Sally Grove situation." Doug answered. "Her parents deserve to know that their daughter is basically selling out the human race to Black Rutile. But be sure to call me so I can still join in."

"Black Rutile told me that I have to meet her in ninety minutes," Connie announced while looking at her watch. "Well, this announcement went by quicker than expected. Anyways, let's save the world!" The New Crystal Temps then began cheering for their grand leader.

--

Meanwhile, in the dark void of space, Revanche 666 was now completely abandoned following Cinnabar and Andesine's escape from the prison. Black Pearl guards, Bismuths, and Peridots were locked in cells formerly occupied by members of the Rutile Rebels, surviving on a false hope that someone would come to save them. However, two particular prisoners weren't meant to be there. They just wanted to get in, stop a prison riot, and get out. But fate had other plans.

"How long has it been since we were trapped here by Cinnabar's plotting and my own recklessness?" Hessonite muttered to Citrine as the two languished in their prison cells. "Feels like we've been stranded here for eons."

"It's only been a few weeks, Hessonite." Citrine stated. "But yeah, it really has felt like forever. I mean, it would take a miracle for someone to notice that we're stuck here!" Suddenly, the two heard something crash through the walls. "Well, what do you know?"

"Hey, anybody here?!" Spinel yelled as she and Lemon Jade emerged from a spaceship they just crashed into the prison. "The Diamonds were getting worried that something bad happened!"

"Over here Spinel, over here!" Hessonite yelled to Spinel. "Hello, it's me, Hessonite, and yes, I am exactly who you're looking for."

"Yeah, we haven't seen you guys since you went to stop that prison breakout," Spinel answered while turning her hand into a ventriloquist dummy resembling Yellow Diamond. "Old Yeller was like 'I fear something might've gone horribly wrong on Revanche 666. I need someone to volunteer to investigate.' Luckily, I was there to oblige."

"And I simply got dragged along." Lemon Jade added. "So what did happen?"

"We thought Andesine and her entourage had surrendered, but it was all a ruse she and Cinnabar set up to escape," Citrine explained to the visitors. "Now we're all stuck behind bars with no way to leave, no way of contacting anyone outside this prison, and no way to deactivate our cells. Do either of you have any bright ideas?"

"I got one! I saw this on a TV show once." Spinel replied before she leaned on the wall between Hessonite and Citrine's cells and gave it a hard knock, which somehow forced the destabilizing fields guarding the two to deactivate. "Ey!" she added with two thumbs up. "You can thank me later."

"Finally!" Hessonite sighed with relief while shaking Spinel's hand as she emerged from her cell. "But what about everyone else?"

"Don't worry, I got this," Citrine said as she walked out of her cell and straight to the control room.

"So, where are Cinnabar and Andesine now?" Lemon Jade asked Hessonite.

"The two of them are currently on Earth aiding Black Rutile in whatever harebrained scheme she has now planned," Hessonite stated while the prison staff was released from their cells. "We need to act quickly if we want to stop all of them in their tracks."

"Roger roger, live long and prosper and all that!" Spinel exclaimed. "Come on Jade, let's chew bubblegum and kick some butt! And I'm all out of bubblegum."

"I'm not sure if I'm equipped for a fight, but whatever you say, I'll follow," Lemon said as she, Spinel, Hessonite, and Citrine boarded the ship Spinel crashed earlier and took off for Earth to bring Cinnabar & Andesine to justice.

--

"Ocean Town." Doug muttered to himself as he pulled into Beach City's sister town, easily identified by a sign declaring "STILL NOT ON FIRE." His journey ended at a shabby but homely-looking one-story house where he pulled into the driveway before getting out and knocking on the front door. An overweight, middle-aged fellow with a receding hairline, a barely shaved mustache, and clothes that looked like they haven't been washed in days soon answered. "Hello, is this the Grove residence?"

"What's it to ya?" the fat man said while pulling a half-eaten hot dog out of his pocket to shove in his mouth.

"Doug Maheswaran from Beach City." Doug introduced himself to the man while pulling out his ID. "I'm here to speak about your daughter, Sally."

"Oh good, I thought you were here about the body we found on the train tracks." The man sighed in relief before turning his head to call for someone. "Maureen!"

"What?!" what Doug assumed to be the man's wife hollered back.

"We got a cop here to talk about Sally!" the man replied before letting Doug inside and sitting him down and offering him a drink. "Here, have a shot on me."

"No thanks, I'm good." Doug rejected the offer before a skinny woman hiding her bleached blonde hair in a bandana walked into the living room. "Hello there miss, I'm here to talk to you about your daughter's recent activities."

"Ah yeah, Sally." The woman said as she and her husband sat down on the couch. "I always kept hearing her talk with that alien woman on her whatchacallit….computer. Anyways, my name's Maureen Grove and this is my husband Carl."

"Well, that alien woman is a known bigoted criminal who is plotting to destroy the world." Doug revealed, making Carl and Maureen blankly stare at each other in silence. "Something the matter, you two?"

"Shoulda known our girl would do something like this." Maureen Grove shook her head in shame. "If you think Sally's views were a product of an abusive upbringing or some kind of trauma, I'm afraid you're mistaken, officer. She was diagnosed with kajigger disorder or something."

"Antisocial personality disorder." Carl Grove corrected his wife. "What we're saying is that Sally is just not a pleasant person to be around, especially in this current era of that danged Internet. She thrives on being so smug & self-righteous and making people hate her, yet at the same time she wonders why everyone hates her. And we've tried our best to help her, but she always kept picking on us for stupid reasons! It's absurd, I tells ya!"

"So, she brought this upon herself," Doug said while writing down in his notepad. "Would you care to further elaborate on her behavior?"

"She also had this TubeTube channel that barely had any subscribers because people would rather watch cat videos, let's plays, and those creepy kids' videos," Maureen answered. "But then came that weird monster attack last year, where everything changed forever."

--

"Sally honey, time for dinner!" Carl called for his daughter while knocking on the door. "Mama's making chili cheese dogs tonight!"

"I can buy and sell you, old man!" Sally insulted her father from behind her bedroom door.

"Fair enough, just starve then because I'm a man." Carl casually replied as he walked away. "I swear, we have got to get her a therapist soon." He muttered to himself. "Dropping out of college I can understand, but she desperately needs to do something with her life."

"CARL, GET DOWN HERE!" Maureen shrieked for her husband. "SOMEONE'S INTERRUPTED AMERICAN IDOL!"

"They WHAT?!" Carl bellowed as he charged down the stairs to see what was going on. To his alarm, their TV show was cut off by the sudden appearance of Black Rutile on their television screen as she made a speech.

"Greetings to the civilians of this backwater planet. I am Black Rutile, soon to be supreme ruler of the Gem race." Black Rutile introduced herself to audiences around the world. "I come to you today because you are faced with a crisis that has been right under your noses for thousands of years now, and it can all be blamed on the Crystal Gems."

"Nothing that changing the channel won't fix." Carl declared as he picked up the remote and tried switching to another channel. Unfortunately, Black Rutile was interrupting the programming there, and on every other channel too. "What the Sam Hill is going on here?! Who would believe such malarkey?!"

"They have been living among your people since the dawn of man, and have brought numerous world-ending threats along with." Black Rutile's speech continued on Sally's computer, much to her curiosity. "From loads of monsters that were formerly members of their kind, to insane terraformers that stole the ocean for selfish purposes followed by nearly drowning thousands once they returned the water to Earth, a superweapon made from the remains of their own kind that remains buried under the Earth as we speak, repeated counts of abductions and the near-genocide of all organic life." Despite Black Rutile clearly spreading lies about the Crystal Gems, the desperate TubeTube user felt a special sort of parasocial connection to her. "But now we are faced with a new problem, and it's all thanks to one Gem: Pink Diamond. It's because of her that this monstrosity plaguing the Earth at this moment is running amok and the Crystal Gems have done nothing to stop it, or her for that matter. Should you believe this planet is worth saving, something must be done about the Crystal Gems, or you will suffer the consequences. That will be all."

With the end of Black Rutile's warning, Sally's life was changed forever. Her TubeTube channel was then completely overhauled to benefit from her newfound hatred of the Crystal Gems. They caused so much chaos and destruction, yet they're celebrated as heroes. Sally simply gives her opinion, and she's constantly villainized for it. To her, that simply wasn't fair. But what no one realized about Sally was terrified of growing past her bigoted, misanthropic mindset and becoming a better person because she believed kindness and compassion were signs of weakness. And she despised being weak.

--

"Ever since then, that Black Rutile yutz has been a bad influence on our girl." Carl finished his story. "Sally's been completely off her rocker because of her. Every time we tried setting her up with various lovers, she just kept abusing them. Especially this one feller named Fred who she kept saying had a small di-"

"Anything else I should know before I leave?" Doug asked, cutting off Carl before he could finish. "What other crimes has she committed?"

"What hasn't she committed?" Maureen replied. "Thankfully, she hasn't done anything super serious, but she's also formed lynch mobs online against random people she hates, and cyberbullied her so-called friends away. And let's not forget that she wrote some really disturbing fanfiction!" She cringed in disgust at the thought.

"Right, thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Grove, I promise I'll have your daughter returned home so she can get the help she deserves," Doug said as he got up and prepared to leave, only for Carl to stop him.

"Hey, before you go, officer," Carl said before presenting Doug with a chili cheese dog. "care for a chili cheese dog? Can't save the world on an empty stomach."

"You know what? I'll take it." Doug accepted the dog before pulling out his phone. "Connie, I'll be coming back soon. Is everything ready?"

"Almost, Dad," Connie responded. "Bane Jones helped us get everybody weapons for the big fight. We just need to wait on you now."

--

Elsewhere in Washington D.C., President Eduardo Suarez, his vice president Theresa Maxwell, Wade Grant, Lloyd Waller, and his presidential cabinet remained in hiding from the forces of Reginald Anderson. Having just witnessed his family being held hostage, the White House being overtaken, and one of the secret service agents under his employment brutally beaten to near death, the president was naturally anxious about what to do next. What's more, there's no way he can contact the Crystal Gems at the moment. He was at an utter loss at what to do.

"Never seen Eddy this worked up in ages," Theresa muttered in wonder at her president's nervous pacing. "Last time I've seen him like this was when Clump seemed to have beat him in the polls."

"I wouldn't blame him," Lloyd replied. "Country's in crisis again, plus his family is in grave danger. Poor thing looks like he'll have a panic attack at any moment."

"I'll go have a talk with him," Wade said as he walked over to his chief and put a hand on his shoulder. "Mr. President, are you feeling alright? Do you need anything before we make our decision?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine!" Eduardo exclaimed bravely, a far cry from the nervous front he was just putting up. "I'm willing to give everything for this country, as a good president should!" However, his courageous smile was quickly replaced with an insecure frown. "But what can I do when my family's lives are at stake here? One wrong move and I could lose everything."

"You're right, he's giving us a very tough choice here." Wade nodded when he suddenly got an idea. "Wait, I know!" Whatever he whispered into the president's ear, Eduardo was liking what he was hearing. "You got that?"

"I like what you're saying." Eduardo nodded. "Let's do it." Just then, three men opened the doors to One Observatory Drive and walked in. The first man wore a nice suit and was balding, while his two associates were dressed in a tank top and a collared shirt respectively. "Hello there."

"Greetings Mr. President, my name is Mr. Shreds." Mr. Shreds introduced himself to the president. "These are my two associates, Tank and Collar, and we are here to deliver you to Reginald Johnson so you can relinquish your presidency."

"Just move along now and don't keep us waiting!" Collar said as he and Tank took Eduardo by the arms and guided him to their limo. "Any last words, sir?"

"Yes, I'd like to make a personal request to Reginald." Eduardo nodded. "I'd like to have a public debate with him, face to face."

"As absurd as your request is, I shall grant it," Tank replied begrudgingly, not knowing what he was in for as the limousine drove away.

"So what did you tell him?" Theresa asked Wade as the two worriedly watched Eduardo be taken away.

"You'll see." Wade gave the vice president a knowing smirk.

--

"Making yourselves comfortable, Crystal Gems?" Black Rutile asked her prisoners while paying them one last visit to their cell. "Doesn't matter to me, because I got special plans for you."

"What is it now?" Peridot muttered disdainfully. "Is it about how you're so much better than us because you're not us?"

"Whatever it is, just get it over with already," Bismuth added sadly. "I deserve it for what I put Lapis through."

"Yes, yes you did." Lapis harshly agreed. "You poofed me and then forced me to be the dumb little plaything that you'll always throw away when you don't need me."

"You're still depressed about that?!" Black Rutile groaned in irritation as the brainwashed Emerald pulled up a throne for Black Rutile to sit on. "I'm saying that this could all be avoided if you joined me! Over time, I began to realize that the Rutile Rebels aren't as different from the Crystal Gems as I thought. We all started out as nobodies, did something extraordinary that made us different from the rest of our kin, rose to the top, and earned the respect of the Diamonds, only to have all torn down by a person who didn't even care about them." She declared. "I'll admit, when I first heard about Little Homeworld, I wanted to destroy it so bad, especially when you locked me up here. But after spending some time trapped here, I, ever the opportunist, decided that I could make it into something better!"

"Like turning it into our new secret lair for example!" Aquamarine added.

"And we have your stupid bickering to thank for it!" Eyeball said as all the other Rutile Rebels threw their heads back and laughed.

"What I'm trying to say is that there are special people like us who should run the world, and then there are the disgusting humans who deliver our food and fight our wars." Black Rutile continued. "Which is why I'm offering you this one-time opportunity. Let us work together for once so we can truly bring Gems and humans together in peace and harmony!" To emphasize her point, she turned on a news report documenting the attack on the White House. "Refuse, and I shall make you pay with your lives! Bring out the Disintegrator!"

"Wait, the Disintegrator?!" Bismuth shrieked in terror as Sally walked in with a small, glowing boxlike device in her hands that she set on the table. "I thought that was outlawed eons ago! How did you get one?!"

"You'd be surprised what I can accomplish through mixing Gem technology with human garbage." Black Rutile stated while presenting the device. "For those uninformed, most likely you Amethyst, this was an ancient torture device built to execute criminal Gems by grinding them up into dust and dispersing them in the air in a beautiful yet morbid fashion."

"Curious, most curious." Francis von Bowling nodded with intrigue. "And how does it work exactly?"

"Allow me to demonstrate." Black Rutile responded before presenting a small rock she placed in the Disintegrator. She then turned it on, and the rock was instantly ground up into dust in a terrifying show of the machine's power, leaving the Gems horrified yet not surprised she would use something like that. "That oughta show you for brainwashing us all!"

"You're kidding me?" Pearl scoffed. "You claim we're brainwashing Gems against their and forcing them to join our side when that's literally what you are doing with those devices! Those aren't rejuvenating blasters, they're inculcating blasters! All these new Gems of yours say: "All hail Black Rutile! All hail Black Rutile!", but the Gems we teach would never say anything like that. We didn't force them to come here, they made that choice willingly."

"Kind of like how Lapis willingly joined me after I convinced her of how alone we were in the universe?" Black Rutile retorted, pointing to a sullen Lapis in the darkness. "Or how I convinced Sally Grove here to be a kindred spirit?"

"Yeah, that reminds me," Amethyst asked. "How could you team up with someone that obviously evil? Surely, you must have some tragic reason for doing so, right?"

"No, no tragic reason at all," Sally admitted without a single ounce of empathy in her voice. "I just like being hated. It makes me feel powerful."

"Hatred makes all of us powerful." Holly Blue agreed with Sally, with Cat's Eye by her side with her cat Blake in her arms.

"Very powerful." Cat's Eye agreed.

"Okay, we've had enough taunting, let's get to executing!" Black Rutile declared eagerly as she began choosing which Crystal Gem to disintegrate. However, her choice was pretty easy. "Bismuth, do you volunteer as tribute?"

"Wait, what?!" Bismuth muttered as the brainwashed Demantoid and Pyrope freed her from her shackles to be executed. "You won't get away with this, Black Rutile!"

"As a matter of fact, I've gotten away with it months ago." Black Rutile cruelly sneered while shoving the Disintegrator towards Bismuth. "Now, you might feel a little tingle."

"Lapis, please, I'm sorry!" Bismuth cried out for possibly the last time to Lapis, but she didn't seem to listen. All Lapis could do was turn away in shame. As Bismuth was about to be thrown into the machine and the other Crystal Gems cried for Black Rutile not to do it, the Disintegrator was suddenly stabbed with an epee, causing it to shut down. "What?"

"You!" Black Rutile yelled at Tanzanite for destroying her machine. "I have put hours upon hours into building that, and you made it all for nothing!"

"That's because you've gone too far this time, and I can't do this anymore!" Tanzanite yelled angrily while proceeding to free Bismuth, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Peridot from their restraints. "Brainwashing is one thing, but executing too?"

"Are you seriously trying to talk back to your master?" Black Rutile growled angrily. "You know how Rose lied to you, you know how she left you to die and become part of a planet-destroying abomination against your will! I was there for you, and this is how you repay me?!"

"Yes, the Crystal Gems aren't honest, but their intentions are definitely real." Tanzanite declared firmly, bringing a tear to Pearl's eye before her former student was threatened with Black Rutile's bowie knife.

"Take that back and fight for me, or pay the price." Black Rutile ordered Tanzanite to stand down, and the punk purple Gem meekly did as she was told while Navy raced up to her master's side. "Yes, Ruby?"

"We got humans and enemy Gems at 12:00!" Navy yelled hurriedly.

"Did you tell them I hate them?" Black Rutile asked while turning her bowie knife into her sword. "No matter." With a superhuman leap, Black Rutile bounded out of her lair and landed in front of the New Crystal Temps before striking a pose as she drew her sword. "Well, don't stop on my account."

"Black Rutile, we've come to finally bring you to justice!" Connie declared while raising her sword in the air. "In the name of the Crystal Gems, the planet Earth, and the entire universe, we'll punish you for your crimes. And this time, we'll make it permanent. Do you yield?"

Black Rutile just sneered at Connie's bold declaration and responded with simply "I do not." With a snap of her fingers, the other Rutile Rebels, including a reluctant Tanzanite and Lapis, soon gathered behind her to counter Connie's forces. Just then, however, the Crystal Gems leaped out from behind the Rutile Rebels to join Connie and the others, followed by Spinel, Hessonite, Citrine, and Lemon Jade crashing into Little Homeworld on their ship.

"CRYSTAL GEMS!" Garnet roared while summoning her gauntlets. "Assemble." With that, everyone behind Connie roared as they charged into battle against Black Rutile and her enforcers, along with legions of brainwashed Gems, Concrete warriors, and Cactus & Topiary Stevens once again forced to serve Black Rutile. This was a day unlike any other when humans and Gems alike found themselves united against a common foe for the first time in thousands of years. On that day, everyone in Beach City became a Crystal Gem.

--

"Of course, you would find a way to ruin my plans!" Black Rutile said as she got into an intense swordfight with Connie. The battle for Earth had already gotten off to a rousing start. Bane Jones and Beckham Jordan fought side by side against von Bowling and his men, Kevin and Vidalia were up against Marty in a mechanical war suit, and Lars had a rematch with Emerald, among many other battles. "For too long now, you've always been interfering and you didn't even know it!"

"It's called loyalty Black Rutile, something you would probably never know!" Connie retorted before going in for a stab, only to be blocked by Sally Grove fighting back with a laser sword. "And as for you!"

"Don't even try to preach to me, little girl." Sally taunted in her usual high and mighty fashion. "We all know you would've found a way to call your white savior because you have no other personality outside of being his protector! You're a disgrace to your ethnicity, brat!"

"That's what you think, bullying my daughter like that!" Priyanka retorted with a sword of her own to fight Sally and Black Rutile with. "Apologize to her at once or I will reveal everything your parents told my husband!"

"What do you mean I have to apologize?! She attacked me!" Sally said before she realized what the doctor meant. "Wait, really? Oh no, no no no no!"

"Yeah, they told me some pretty messed up stuff about you," Doug said while putting out his notepad and reading what he had written earlier, making Sally writhe in agony while Black Rutile looked disdainfully at her human charge. "Let's see, abusing everyone around you, including your own parents, refusing to grow beyond your toxic personality while also blaming it on everyone around you, that disturbing fanfiction-"

"It's only disturbing from a certain point of view, having sexual relationships with your family members is perfectly normal in some parts of the world!" Sally only kept digging herself deeper into insanity in her attempts to preserve her image, unaware that Ronaldo had been live-streaming her this entire time, and her reputation was falling apart by the second. "Hey, turn that camera off!"

"No way, this is going to make a killing on Keep Beach City Weird!" Ronaldo laughed mischievously. "Wow, these negative comments expressing how betrayed your viewers must be for how much of a hypocrite you're being are coming in by the dozens."

"It's the same story I've seen so many times." Doug shook his head in disgust as Sally had an utter breakdown in front of the Maheswarans and Black Rutile, who was just as disgusted at how pathetic her partner was. "A fine, upstanding bigot. Your nose is so close to the grindstone, you can't see anything else. Meanwhile, the world changes and grows, and you're blind to it! Ignorant and proud of it too."

"Am I glad that's not me!" Black Rutile scoffed hypocritically as Sally was handcuffed and taken somewhere safe until the battle was over. "Now where were we? Oh yes!" She immediately got right back to her clash with Connie.

--

"So, calming down Lapis." Peridot muttered as she, Jasper, and White Topaz stood in front of Lapis and Phoenix Lapis fighting Laz and Zuli. "Got any ideas?"

"You're her life partner, you should know!" Jasper exclaimed while Laz and Zuli fought for their lives. "Paz, got any bright ideas?"

"I think I might have a good idea of what to do." White Topaz declared. "Bismuth, we need your help!"

"I'm in the middle of something here!" Bismuth replied while she was fighting Andesine and Cinnabar. "Oh, you want me to make up with Lapis, right?"

"Hopefully having her back on our side will turn the tide of battle!" White Topaz suggested, causing Bismuth to knock her two opponents out and walk up to her. "Just say what you need to say and hopefully she'll listen."

"This had better work." Bismuth took a deep breath and yelled "HEY LAPIS, OVER HERE!" The four Lapises then turned to see Bismuth below. "No, not you, the one who hates me!" she corrected herself.

"What do you want now?" Lapis angrily asked as she hovered on the ground.

"Listen Lapis, I know you won't ever forgive me and the other Crystal Gems for what we did to you," Bismuth said. "but I swear, if you listen and understand we didn't know what we did, maybe we can finally start making amends."

"Wait, you mean it?" Lapis's face softened in surprise.

"Yeah, we're still your friends!" White Topaz declared happily.

"And besides, I'm the only one who gets to be all sullen and betrayed here!" Jasper added before reaching her hand out. "Just take my hand."

Lapis started smiling again, bringing smiles to Peridot and White Topaz's faces as well, and began to reach out to Jasper. However, she was quickly interrupted by Cinnabar and Andesine's groups pointing their Rejuvenation Blasters at the Crystal Gems.

"Make another move, and we'll have to reset all of you." Cinnabar declared coldly.

"Now then, any last words?" Andesine smirked.

"I got one," Bismuth stated before raising her fist at Lapis's gem. "Please don't hate me for this again!" With a single punch, Lapis was poofed yet again, this time to save her from being shot with the Rejuvenation Blaster as the Rutile Rebels began opening fire, prompting Bismuth, Jasper, White Topaz, and Peridot to scatter.

"I'll be taking this to reverse-engineer, thank you very much!" Peridot snickered as she robbed Howlite of her Blaster to experiment on and ran away with a maniacal "NYEH-HAHAHAHAHA!"

"After her!" Howlite commanded and raced after Peridot with Dalmatian Jasper, Zoisite, Amber, and Xenotime behind her.

"Check it out, I got a Rejuvenation Blaster!" Peridot said to Squaridot and IQ while presenting the stolen blaster to them. "Maybe we can work together to find a way to use it to get everyone back to normal!"

"That's some good thinking, Peridot." Squaridot complimented the other Peridot's idea before the three geniuses snuck off to get to work.

--

"So it's come to this, Tanzanite, the student versus the master," Pearl said as she took a battle stance, and Tanzanite did the same. "Tell me Tanzanite, why did you join Black Rutile instead of accepting everything as it was? I understand if you felt betrayed by Rose, but this is not a healthy way of coping."

"It's because I just wanted to save everyone from what I suffered," Tanzanite revealed sadly as she clashed with her former mentor. "My friends! My family! Everything I did was for the galaxy, for the Crystal Gems! But it was all for nothing, Pink Diamond used all of us to avoid the consequences of her actions." Despite how much Pearl tried to speak up, Tanzanite kept ranting. "I had to use my skills on friends; on family; Gems that I knew. She controlled us through lies." She then let out a strained and tearful laugh. "Homeworld, no better than the rebels Rose created. I helped terrorize my people! I wanted you to stop it, I had to stop it. I spoke out. I spoke out to Black Rutile, to save everyone from you! But when I did, I only stood with a monster. You chose Pink Diamond." Now, Tanzanite was on the verge of tears as she sobbed into Pearl's chest. "You left me, gave me no choice! The Diamonds wanted to destroy worlds, and they did. Pink destroyed mine."

"Oh, poor dear," Pearl muttered sorrowfully while holding her old student close. "But do you still believe Black Rutile is good for you?"

"I'm not sure if anyone is good for me." Tanzanite sobbed. "I don't know if Black Rutile really cares for me or if she just saw me as a tool."

"Black Rutile never cared for anyone to begin with." Pearl declared before she held Tanzanite's head in her hands. "I'm truly sorry that I made you choose this path, and I promise that there will be no more secrets between us from now on. Is that good?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I can forgive myself for this." Tanzanite agreed just as she felt the business end of a Rejuvenation Blaster pressing the back of her head.

"Another last-minute betrayal, I see." Andesine grinned while preparing to pull the trigger, only for Tanzanite to smack it out of Andesine's hands with her epee before stabbing her in the chest.

"Now look what you made ME do," Tanzanite smirked as she threw what Andesine said when she shattered her back in the red Gem's face before she poofed.

--

"Okay Mr. S, here we are." Mr. Shreds said as he pulled the limo up to the White House and let Eduardo out. "Just make it quick, I'm on a tight schedule here," Eduardo said nothing as he saw his family surrounded by terrorists and Reginald smugly standing by a video camera and a podium.

"Go on Mr. Prez, don't be shy." Reginald mockingly urged Eduardo. "Just say what you need to say."

"That's exactly what I was going to say to you." Eduardo declared before trapping Reginald in a headlock. "NOW!" The SWAT team immediately overwhelmed Reginald's enforcers while Reginald tried his best to fight back, only to be met with a krav maga kick from Theresa, coming straight out of nowhere.

"Did you plan all this?!" Reginald shouted.

"Well, not necessarily," Eduardo replied as Wade and Lloyd came to handcuff Reginald. "It's just that I'm far more quick on my feet than you'll ever be."

"Dad!" Huey and Riley Suarez cried as Theresa freed them from their restraints and hugged their father.

"Oh, mi preciosos, I was so worried," Eduardo said as he hugged them back before seeing Arlene walk towards them as well. "And I surely didn't forget you, my love."

"And you never will," Arleen replied before kissing her husband. And so, the White House was saved, thanks to the president and his quick thinking. Now all he had to do was hope that the Crystal Gems were doing alright.

--

"Must I remind you of my superiority, pretty boy?" Marty taunted Kevin while showing off the capabilities of his war suit. "Face it, hiding behind all these beautiful women won't get you anywhere in life!"

"Yeah, I'm absolutely unequipped for this, but that won't stop me from trying!" Kevin exclaimed before beginning to fight back.

"How could you, Marty?" Vidalia asked her ex-husband. "I knew you were a dirtbag, but selling out the entire human race for what? Just because you're mad we disowned you!"

"Oh yeah, I'm absolutely livid," Marty agreed. "but I'm mostly just here to get even with you guys. I don't give a damn about Black Rutile's whole rebellion business!"

Meanwhile, Bane Jones, Beckham, Makoto, and Matt were all standing back-to-back against Francis von Bowling's men. "So, when this is all over, could I perhaps get an autograph?" Bane asked Beckham. "I'm a huge fan, and I consider it an honor to be fighting for Earth with you."

"I'd be more than happy to." Beckham smiled at the offer.

"Hey boys, can we pick up the pace a bit?!" Makoto said while delivering an upside-down spinning kick to Konstantin, Pavel, and Leo at once.

Above the chaos going on in Little Homeworld, Black Rutile stood atop the whirlybird tower and was not happy with how her forces were losing. "STOOOOOP THEM!" she shrieked angrily while pulling at her hair just as she turned to see Connie, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Peridot, Bismuth, Jasper, White Topaz, Spinel, Hessonite, and now Tanzanite standing behind her. "You! You ruined everything again! I could've made everything perfect!"

"You didn't want to make things perfect." Tanzanite declared to Black Rutile. "You just hated things the way they are."

"This is your final warning, Black Rutile." Garnet declared. "And this time, we won't be giving you a second chance. You and your minions are headed straight for Revanche 666 after this!"

"Fine, if I can never win, then neither should you!" Black Rutile completely snapped. "Aquamarine, Eyeball, Chrome Chalcedony, to me!"

"Ready as always, Black Rutile!" Aquamarine said as she and Eyeball fused into Bluebird Azurite, while Holly Blue and Cat's Eye arrived to make Chrome Chalcedony.

"And now, for a little surprise!" Bluebird proclaimed.

"I have a little joke for you all." Black Rutile smiled dementedly while grabbing Bluebird's hand. "What do you get when you cross a depressed loner with a society that abandons her and treats her like trash?!"

"That's not a very good joke!" Amethyst replied.

"I'll tell you what you get, you get what you deserve!" Black Rutile shrieked before she and Bluebird merged to form Pietersite, now sporting Black Rutile's new pink cape and red visor in addition to her outfit now looking different to fit Aquamarine's regeneration.

"PIETERSITE LIVES!" Pietersite bellowed loudly for all to hear and cringe in fear. "AND NOW CRYSTAL GEMS, IT IS TIME FOR THE FINAL CURTAIN CALL!"

"I don't think so!" Peridot said as she fired a Rejuvenation Blaster at the two fusions, which they dodged only for the blast to hit one of Nephrite's crew and revert her to normal. "I stole one of those blasters from Howlite and reverse-engineered them to change everyone hit by them back to normal."

"I'm free, I've been freed!" the Nephrite cheered at finally being brought back to her old self.

"What?" Pietersite muttered in horror as the Crystal Gems immediately understood what was going to happen and raced down to solid ground so they can do the same for all the other Gems Black Rutile converted. "No! No no no! Don't do that, I worked so hard!"

"Stop them!" Chrome Chalcedony added as she and Pietersite tried fighting back against the enemy, but as the Crystal Gems' forces grew with every Gem turned back to normal, they were quickly outnumbered.

"Well, we're boned," Apatite muttered as she and Amazonite prepared to leave. "Let's skedaddle!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Amazonite replied as she and Apatite found themselves confronted by the entirety of Beach City's population, and they weren't happy.

"Goin' somewhere?" Sheena Synstylae cracked her neck and her knuckles.

"Don't worry, you're not the only ones we'll be punishing," Lars added.

"We'll finally gain an advantage over Black Rutile!" Padparadscha Sapphire exclaimed happily.

Pietersite could barely comprehend what happened, and it was so anticlimactic too. Her forces were subdued, her weapons seized and modified to fix what she had done, and now all that was left of the Rutile Rebels was her, Aquamarine, and Eyeball once again. "Please no, just give me a second chance!"

"Not likely," Lapis said as she summoned a sawblade made of water that sliced Pietersite in half, barely giving her a chance to fight because the Crystal Gems now considered Black Rutile to be that pathetic to not even consider a grander defeat. To seal the deal, Little Homeworld was returned to its rightful place outside of Beach City with help from the Lapis Lazulis.

Black Rutile, Aquamarine, and Eyeball all fell to the ground in defeat, while the rest of the Rutile Rebels were brought together in chains. "I hate happy endings."

"Well, that should about wrap everything up!" Pearl sighed in relief once the dust settled. "Now then, it's off to Revanche 666 you all go!"

"And me too," Tanzanite added, much to Pearl's shock. "Even if I changed my ways, I still need to forgive myself for siding with Black Rutile too."

"Indeed, young Tanzanite." James began one final monologue. "At the end of the day, we are all but individuals crying for fairness in our lives. You won't get everything, but you'll get something. The Crystal Gems finally restore peace, while Black Rutile hopefully realizes how futile her schemes were. In the end, we just need to decide what is fair and what isn't."

"Oh, be quiet!" Black Rutile said as Hessonite and Spinel carted her away to the ship Andesine and Cinnabar hijacked in their prison break, while everyone was left to rejoice.

--

"So, that's all that happened?" Steven asked Connie a few days later over video chat. "Wow, sounds like you had quite the adventure."

"Yeah, and that's not even getting into what happened next," Connie stated. "First, Marty's now on the run from the law and lost everything. Then, Kevin got a key to the city."

"That's a phrase I never expected to hear." Steven laughed. "What else happened?"

"The Crystal Gems have all made up with each other and the Diamonds, and they're getting the therapy they need from Dr. Sucrose, Mr. Ikari, and Dr. Brenner." Connie continued. "Speaking of which, Brenner put Sally Grove under house arrest and is writing a book about the psychology of influencers, Neil Michaels is stuck doing ChikFlix movies to recoup his losses, Francis von Bowling is stuck in prison with Reginald Johnson, the president is still alive, and finally, the Rutile Rebels are all safely behind bars for what they've done. But I kinda doubt they'll stay there for long because evil geniuses are harder to squash than cockroaches."

"Hey, Connie!" Lapis cried while knocking on Connie's window, now back in her Crystal Gem uniform. When Connie peeked her head outside, she could see the other Crystal Gems outside her house. "You got a minute?"

"I'll call you back Steven!" Connie said before hanging up on Steven and racing outside to meet with her alien friends, no doubt to go on another adventure together. In the distance, the Officer was recording everything he saw and sending it to his masters.

--

Meanwhile, on Revanche 666, the prison was restored to order as the Rutile Rebels were locked behind the destabilizing fields in their cells.

"Hey, don't be so bummed out everyone!" Kyanite exclaimed. "We can make prison life fun!"

"Oh be quiet!" Zoisite yelled angrily.

"I did pretend to get sent to prison only to get sent to prison for real!" Amber added. "I'm getting anxious!"

"Hey, is no one going to check up on Black Rutile?" Dalmatian Jasper asked while pointing at Black Rutile sitting calmly in her cell.

"She's looking even mopier than me," Xenotime added worriedly. "I hope she's alright."

Hiding from the endless chatter of Zoisite's team, a restored Emerald, Morganite, Demantoid & Pyrope who were behind bars to repent, Black Rutile gazed emotionlessly at her hand as she wondered how it all came to this. So many months of planning have now gone to waste, once again because of the Gems' human friends. This made her finally ask herself one thing. "Is this still worth it?"

--

This went way longer than I expected, and with way too many characters I put on the cast list that didn't get a line! I've recently found it to be a bad habit of mine, and I hope to remedy that in future stories. I also think I kind of rushed this to be as big as possible while still meeting my deadline. But in the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed these past thirteen weeks and I get to enjoy a break at last and maybe pursuing either a story I haven't written yet or one I still need to finish. But for now, let's see what to come in the finale.

--

"Your Highness, we received another update from Aescul!" a snakelike alien told his master, another snake alien who was far larger and resembled a king cobra, as he received the news from their deep cover agent. "He says now might finally be the time."

"Excellent work, sir." The king cobra alien said to his subordinate while slithering away. "You are dismissed." The cobra then retreated into a mysterious chamber where he met with a shadowy figure towering above him. "It's time for the Gems to enter our contest, great Lapidarist." He declared to the shadow. "Soon, we shall return your children to you."

The shadowy figure began glowing a brilliant white light as it woke up, followed by shimmering with every possible color in existence while laying eyes upon its servant.

--

Featuring Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

TO BE CONCLUDED IN STEVEN UNIVERSE: SNAKE EYES

A FINALE THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #little homeworld life #black rutile #connie maheswaran #garnet #amethyst #pearl #peridot #lapis lazuli #bismuth #jasper #white topaz #aquamarine #eyeball ruby #holly blue agate #cat's eye #cinnabar #andesine

[sarasa-cat]

Why Civil Resistance Works - Erica Chenoweth

@auronlu - here is info I mentioned earlier to you. Also tagging @thehungrycity because I cannot remember if I actually posted/sent you this stuff too but I have mentioned it and, well, here it is!

---

Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan performed a large study that used the entire 20th century history of regime change, including failed attempts at regime change. They found that nonviolent resistance was twice as likely to achieve the goal of removing a regime than armed, violent conflict.

Erica Chenoweth was featured in an hour long podcast interview on her work here: How to Change the World. (Additional references to her work are also available on that link)

Book: Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan, Columbia University Press, 2012.

Back of book blurb:

For more than a century, from 1900 to 2006, campaigns of nonviolent resistance were more than twice as effective as their violent counterparts in achieving their stated goals. By attracting impressive support from citizens, whose activism takes the form of protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, and other forms of nonviolent noncooperation, these efforts help separate regimes from their main sources of power and produce remarkable results, even in Iran, Burma, the Philippines, and the Palestinian Territories.

Combining statistical analysis with case studies of specific countries and territories, Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan detail the factors enabling such campaigns to succeed and, sometimes, causing them to fail. They find that nonviolent resistance presents fewer obstacles to moral and physical involvement and commitment, and that higher levels of participation contribute to enhanced resilience, greater opportunities for tactical innovation and civic disruption (and therefore less incentive for a regime to maintain its status quo), and shifts in loyalty among opponents' erstwhile supporters, including members of the military establishment.

Chenoweth and Stephan conclude that successful nonviolent resistance ushers in more durable and internally peaceful democracies, which are less likely to regress into civil war. Presenting a rich, evidentiary argument, they originally and systematically compare violent and nonviolent outcomes in different historical periods and geographical contexts, debunking the myth that violence occurs because of structural and environmental factors and that it is necessary to achieve certain political goals. Instead, the authors discover, violent insurgency is rarely justifiable on strategic grounds.

About the Author

Erica Chenoweth is an assistant professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and an Associate Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo. Previously she taught at Wesleyan University and held fellowships at Harvard, Stanford, and the University of California at Berkeley.

Maria J. Stephan is a strategic planner with the U.S. Department of State. Formerly she served as director of policy and research at the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and American University. She has also been a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

#non violence #regime change #democracy #also: this was interesting to me for so many reasons #not just the research itself and its obvious implications #but also applying this to media theory #which is something that belongs in a completely different post

[syruckusnow]

“Civil resistance allows people of all different levels of physical ability to participate, so this can include the elderly, people with disabilities, women, children, and anyone else who wants to. If you think about it, everyone is born with a natural physical ability to resist nonviolently."

—Erica Chenoweth

#nonviolent protest

[catcake24]

This is my way of reblogging this post since OP turned off reblogs

#revolution #why revolutions don’t work #classism #politics

[ccbrandao]

Mas isso vai mudar alguma coisa?

Um mês e tal depois e ainda cá estamos a tentar encontrar formas diferentes de explicar que bombardear crianças, jornalistas, hospitais, campos de refugiados, torres de água e civis que seguem as ordens de fuga é errado, não estamos?

Perguntam-me muitas vezes porque me dou ao trabalho de ir a manifestações, de assinar petições, de partilhar imagens, vídeos e apelos praticamente todos os dias nas redes sociais, de boicotar marcas. “Não vais mudar nada com isso”, “Eles querem lá saber se deixas de comprar”, “Os protestos não servem para nada, no fim eles fazem o que querem”, “São todos iguais”, “Não vou deixar de usar essa marca por causa disso”, “Eu até ia, mas o sofá, a chuva, o cão, o sono…”.

Podendo eu encontrar várias justificações que expliquem o que para mim é mais do que óbvio, escolhi para aqui, e porque o debate, o tentar convencer pessoas consegue tornar-se desgastante, alguns factos, alguma estatística. Coisas nas quais, à partida, é suposto confiarmos.

Erica Chenoweth, uma cientista política da Universidade de Harvard, confirmou que a desobediência civil é, de longe, a forma mais poderosa de moldar a política mundial. Analisando centenas de campanhas ao longo do último século, ela descobriu que as campanhas não violentas têm duas vezes mais probabilidades de atingir os objetivos do que as violentas, e que as mudanças foram, efetivamente, alcançadas em mais de metade dos casos. Ainda que muitos fatores possam ter influência, ao que parece é necessário que apenas cerca de 3,5% da população participe ativamente nos protestos para garantir mudanças políticas sérias. A investigação diz mesmo que nunca houve nenhuma campanha que tenha falhado depois de atingir 3,5% de participação.

Ora, isso em Portugal significaria que, para conseguirmos as tais condições para o SNS, para os professores, para muitos de nós em matéria de habitação, “só” precisávamos de ir umas cerca de 367 mil e 500 pessoas para a rua mandar vir de forma pacífica, sem confrontos, sem partir coisas. Utópico, eu sei. Mas pelo menos temos uma meta onde apontar. E , em teoria, vá, 50% de probabilidade de conseguir alguma coisa.

Isto porque, diz Erica Chenoweth, as campanhas não violentas têm a capacidade de “recrutar” mais participantes e provenientes de um grupo demográfico muito mais vasto, o que pode causar perturbações graves que paralisam a vida urbana normal e o funcionamento da sociedade. Ainda se lembram da paralisação dos transportes de mercadorias? Acho que a tática é chamar esses para qualquer causa.

Não é a quem faz a guerra que nos devemos opôr, a quem devemos chamar à razão e implorar seja o que for. Não são esses que vão destruir o mundo. Quem devemos combater são os neutros, os do “isso é demasiado complexo”, os que acrescentam um “mas” à retórica do “eu sou contra o que Israel está a fazer na Palestina”. São esses a quem devemos chamar à razão, a quem devemos tentar ir buscar para fazermos estes 3,5%. Aos que não mostram a sua oposição à guerra, à ocupação, aos quem ficam no sofá e não gritam, não se mostram contra porque “não adianta nada”. O perigo está nos indiferentes. Nos que mudam de canal, nos que avançam no scroll, nos da opinião formada e irredutível, nos que não se querem dar ao trabalho de ter opinião.

Nestes dias, deparei-me com uma história muito simples e que me deu mais alento. Contava que, todas as noites, durante a Guerra do Vietname, um senhor, de seu nome AJ Muste, conhecido como defensor dos direitos civis, colocava, em frente à Casa Branca, uma vela branca acesa. A dada altura, uma jornalista (em vez de lhe perguntar se ele condenava os Estados Unidos…) perguntou-lhe se ele acreditava, verdadeiramente, que ia conseguir mudar alguma coisa. E o senhor terá respondido algo do género: “não estou aqui para mudá-los. Venho aqui para que eles não me mudem a mim. Não permitirei que o ataque constante e enlouquecedor da insanidade diminua a minha humanidade. Continuarei a conhecer a verdade e a dizer a verdade. Farei a minha pequena parte - todos os dias - para permanecer humano, para permanecer desperto e terno, para que o mundo não desgaste a minha humanidade”.

Por isso vou, assino, partilho e boicoto, para que eles, os intervenientes, mas os indiferentes também, não me mudem a mim, para que eu não perca a minha humanidade no meio desta loucura. Se cada um de nós não permitir que nos mudem, que nos tornemos indiferentes, acho que seremos muitos. Mais que os 3,5%. Os necessários para não permitir estas atrocidades.

Eu não sei quanto aos outros, quanto a vocês, mas eu não gostava de viver com o peso de um genocídio nas costas. Porque é o que carregaremos se não nos opusermos. Um dia, quando o meu sobrinho vier das aulas de História e me perguntar onde é que eu estava durante o genocídio na Palestina, não sei quanto a vocês, talvez tenham fotos em memoriais, semelhantes aos do Holocausto, com as hashtags #neveragain ou #murronoestômago para mostrar, mas eu vou dizer-lhe que estive nas ruas a gritar contra, mesmo debaixo de chuva. Que assinei as petições a exigir o cessar fogo, o corte de relações, o fim da ocupação. Que boicotei as marcas que apoiaram aquilo. Que tentei usar o poder das redes sociais, correspondendo aos pedidos dos amigos que fiz na Palestina, para ser um bocadinho o eco das vozes e das imagens que nos chegavam e tantos preferiram ignorar ou duvidar, para expor as mentiras daquele a que chamam “a única democracia do Médio Oriente”, as narrativas falsas e cegamente propagadas pela comunicação social, nem que fosse para que uma única pessoa o considerasse e se juntasse. Provavelmente não mudei nada, meu querido, mas eu tentei. E vocês, onde escolheram estar durante o genocídio do povo palestiniano?

[gerdfeed]

But compelling research by Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist at Harvard University, confirms that civil disobedience is not only the moral choice; it is also the most powerful way of shaping world politics – by a long way.

The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world

[jaymiestrecker]

Civil resistance

Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know by Erica Chenoweth describes examples of actions that have been effective — not in isolation but as part of a longer-term strategy — toward changing the "political, social, or economic status quo". These include:

Carrying out a general strike — as when the Sudanese Professional Association, in response to the regime violently cracking down on protestors, called for people to stay home from shops, schools, workplaces, and government offices on 19–21 June 2019.

Carrying out a work strike — as when Norway's teachers refused to cooperate with the occupying Nazis' demands to change the curriculum, and went on strike (with some continuing to teach underground); and when California farmworkers in 1965–1970 organized work stoppages and strikes, and truckers and longshoremen helped them out by refusing to ship grapes.

Boycotts — as when in County Mayo, Ireland in 1880, the Ladies Land League, shopkeepers, blacksmiths, bakers, cooks, laundresses, maids, postmen, and others refused to serve land agent Charles Boycott; and when black South Africans in the anti-apartheid movement boycotted white-owned businesses until the business owners were forced to ask the government for reforms.

Creating parallel institutions — as when Sinn Fein set up an alternative government in Dublin in 1918; and when the Black Panthers ran the Free Breakfast Program.

Chenoweth describes the following actions as ineffective:

Protests and demonstrations if they are the primary/only tactic used by the movement.

Over-reliance on any one tactic, which makes the uprising predictable and vulnerable.

Violent resistance, which proved less effective than nonviolent resistance in Chenoweth's analysis of revolutions in recent history.

Chenoweth classifies calling your senator as something other than civil resistance, thus outside the scope of the book.

One assumption made by this book is that the resistance is going up against some specific person/group in power. Another set of assumptions are made about the workings of political power: "(1) power is based on legitimacy rather than coercion; (2) power is never permanent; and (3) no system is monolithic." Under those assumptions, the way that civil resistance works is by convincing the leadership's "pillars of support" (security forces, economic elites, bureaucrats, media, religious authorities, educational institutions, cultural figures, organized labor, etc.) that it is in their best interest to withdraw their support.

I didn't find much guidance in this book about how to convince masses of people to care about something for more than a minute, which is a prerequisite for successful civil resistance. Somehow you have to get a huge number of people to care enough to make sacrifices, such as giving up some income or not buying a thing that they want. And then they have to stick with it for months or years.

[bspolink1348]

Les nouveautés de la semaine (05/12/22)

A la une : Le masque sanitaire sous toutes ses coutures / sous la direction de Franck Cochoy, Gérald Gaglio, Anaïs Daniau

Cote de rangement : GN 419 .5 M 265723 / Domaine : Anthropologie

"En 2020, quand la Covid nous est tombée sur la tête, les masques sanitaires nous sont aussi tombés sur le nez. Cela dit, Covid et masques sont-ils indissociables ? Le masque n’a-t-il pas des origines plus anciennes ? Est-il désormais devenu un article de mode ? Le masque sanitaire standard a-t-il muté en de multiples « variants » ? Comment se saisir des masques selon qu’on les destine à des enfants, à des « premiers de corvée », à des soignants ou à des commerçants ? Le masque a-t-il été porteur de préoccupations environnementales selon qu’il est jetable ou fait maison ? Comment discours savants et profanes sur la « vérité » des masques s’articulent-ils ?

Cet ouvrage foisonnant apporte des réponses à ces questions et à bien d’autres encore. Il mobilise pour cela un riche éventail de données : archives historiques, témoignages, entretiens, articles de presse, discussions en ligne, etc.

Il est le produit d’un travail collectif de sociologues des sciences et des techniques, des marchés, de la santé et de l’action publique. Le masque sanitaire y est abordé sous toutes ses coutures afin d’explorer les nombreux enjeux qu’il a suscités, et de nous aider ainsi à mieux apprivoiser cet intrus venu soudain envahir mais aussi protéger le cours de nos vies." - Quatrième de couverture

------------------

Sociologie

Petite philosophie de la chaussette / Jean-Claude Kaufmann

Cote de rangement : GT 2128 K 265725

La fabrique du muscle / Guillaume Vallet

Cote de rangement : GV 546 .5 V 265734

La guerre des générations aura-t-elle lieu ? / Frédéric Monlouis-Félicité

Cote de rangement : HM 726 M 265724

Le soin des choses : politiques de la maintenance / Jérôme Denis, David Pontille

Cote de rangement : HM 846 D 265728

Algorithmic intimacy : the digital revolution in personal relationships / Anthony Elliott

Cote de rangement : HM 1106 E 265735

L'histoire mondiale des riches / Fabrice d'Almeida

Cote de rangement : HT 635 D 265731

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Sciences politiques

A world of insecurity : democratic disenchantment in rich and poor countries / Pranab Bardhan

Cote de rangement : JC 423 B 265739

Democracy in hard places / edited by Scott Mainwaring and Tarek Masoud

Cote de rangement : JC 423 D 265742

On revolutions : unruly politics in the contemporary world / Colin J. Beck, Mlada Bukovansky, Erica Chenoweth, George Lawson, Sharon Erickson Nepstad, and Daniel P. Ritter

Cote de rangement : JC 491 B 265746

Social media, freedom of speech, and the future of our democracy / edited by Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone

Cote de rangement : JC 591 B 265743

Hostile forces : how the Chinese communist party resists international pressure on human rights / Jamie J. Gruffydd-Jones

Cote de rangement : JC 599 .C6 G 265745

Russia's path to the high-Tech battlespace / Roger N. McDermott

Cote de rangement : U 43 .R9 M 265740

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Communication

La guerre qu'on ne voit pas venir / Nathalie Loiseau

Cote de rangement : HV 6773 .15.C97 L 265727

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Méthodologie

Explaining research : how to reach key audiences to advance your work / Dennis Meredith

Cote de rangement : Q 223 M 265741

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Environnement

Sustainability : a history / Jeremy L. Caradonna

Cote de rangement : GE 195 C 265737

La condition terrestre : habiter la Terre en communs / Sophie Gosselin, David gé Bartoli

Cote de rangement : GF 41 G 265729

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Informatique

Algocratie : vivre libre à l'heure des algorithmes / Arthur Grimonpont

Cote de rangement : QA 76 .9.A43 G 265732

Applied bayesian statistics / Scott M. Lynch

Cote de rangement : QA 279 .5 L 265736

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Gestion

The burnout challenge : managing people's relationships with their jobs / Christina Maslach and Michael P. Leiter

Cote de rangement : BF 481 M 265738

#Nego : qu'oseriez-vous négocier si vous n'aviez pas peur ? / Eric Blondeau

Cote de rangement : BF 637 .N4 B 265730

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Économie

Solving social dilemmas : ethics, politics, and prosperity / Roger D. Congleton

Cote de rangement : HB 846 .8 C 265744

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Santé

Face à l'antibiorésistance : une écologie politique des microbes / Charlotte Brives

Cote de rangement : QR 177 B 265733

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Philosophie

Le siècle des égarés / Julia de Funès

Cote de rangement : BD 236 D 265726

---------------------------------------

Tous ces ouvrages sont exposés sur le présentoir des nouveautés de la BSPO. Ceux-ci pourront être empruntés à domicile à partir du 19 décembre 2022.

#anthropologie #Sociologie #SciencesPolitiques #Communication #Méthodologie #Environnement #Informatique #Gestion #Economie #Santé #Philosophie

[mauriciomeschoulam]

Protestas masivas en Irán: Cinco escenarios

Artículo publicado originalmente en El Universal: https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/mauricio-meschoulam/protestas-masivas-en-iran-cinco-escenarios

Irán vive un movimiento social que se ha convertido en el mayor y más importante desde al menos 2009, probablemente incluso desde la revolución de 1979. A pesar de que las protestas sociales no han sido poco comunes en ese país a lo largo de los últimos años, estamos observando características distintas en las manifestaciones actuales, lo que inevitablemente hace a muchas personas preguntarse si en esta ocasión, dichas manifestaciones resultarán en transformaciones políticas y sociales de fondo. Sin embargo, la historia y la investigación muestran que no hay un único o dos únicos posibles desenlaces para movimientos como este. A manera de ejercicio, comparto a continuación algunos escenarios al respecto, explicando antes algunos supuestos para entender la lógica detrás de los mismos. Advierto, como siempre se hace, que esos escenarios son solo abstracciones mentales prototípicas; la realidad, compleja como es, normalmente está compuesta de elementos mezclados de esos escenarios y de muchos otros que no menciono.

Las diferencias entre este y otros movimientos sociales en Irán

Otros movimientos sociales en Irán en el pasado, han sido detonados por temas económicos, políticos o electorales varios. El común denominador es que tras lo que funciona como detonante (como puede ser una elección cuestionada, el alza a los combustibles, o algo similar), normalmente las manifestaciones evolucionan hacia demandas de cambios y transformaciones de fondo, o incluso se exige el fin del régimen. Hasta ahora, no obstante, dicho régimen ha sido capaz de reprimir y sofocar cada uno de los movimientos que han surgido. Con todo, en esta ocasión se trata de un movimiento claramente liderado por mujeres, que surge tras la muerte de una mujer kurda a manos de la Policía de la Moral (cuya simbología, por tanto, se mezcla entre el género, la minoría kurda y la represión política del Estado en general). Ello entonces levanta los temas de género con una fuerza impactante, aglutinando la expresión de una frustración colectiva acumulada por las mujeres de esa sociedad, pero consiguiendo también sumar a otras voces y otras demandas que velozmente se transforman—nuevamente—en “Muerte al Ayatola” o “Muerte al régimen”. En suma, esta vez se trata de un movimiento más integral, más comprehensivo, con mayor impacto en distintas regiones del país, no solo en grandes ciudades, entre muy diversos sectores sociales y laborales, pero el cual no deja de estar liderado por mujeres de todas esas regiones. Además, otros factores como la propia dispersión geográfica y las capacidades tecnológicas de grupos de jóvenes, están haciendo mucho más difícil para las fuerzas de seguridad, detener las marchas.

Los supuestos

1. Según estudios de la académica de Harvard, Erica Chenoweth (2011), hasta antes del 2010, un movimiento social pacífico que involucrara al menos al 3.5% de la población, tenía altísimas probabilidades de conseguir cambios. Sin embargo, estudios mucho más recientes de la misma autora y su equipo, muestran que esto ha cambiado en la última década. Los gobiernos, en otras palabras, han aprendido a controlar, a reprimir y a terminar con la mayor parte de los movimientos sociales. Como resultado, las protestas han tendido a ser mucho menos eficaces en los últimos años en términos de cambio político y social.

2. En Irán existen estructuras paralelas de poder. Una incluye al gobierno, al ejército y otras fuerzas de seguridad. Pero el líder supremo de la Revolución, quien tiene siempre la última palabra, es el Ayatola Alí Khamenei, bajo quien opera el aparato de seguridad más importante en el país: los Cuerpos de las Guardias Revolucionarias Islámicas. Esta última agrupación no solo cuenta con enorme poder militar, sino también económico y es sin duda la más interesada en garantizar que nada ponga en jaque su control, su dominio y su autoridad.

3. El mundo está viviendo, además, una situación internacional enormemente conflictiva e inestable. Irán no es ajeno a la geopolítica regional y global. En la actualidad, Teherán está operando mucho, pero mucho más cerca de Moscú que apenas hace tan solo un año. Algo similar está sucediendo con el acercamiento entre Irán y China. Todos ellos, son factores que deben considerarse.

4. A pesar de las enormes diferencias entre distintos países de Medio Oriente, hay rasgos comunes en la región que ayudan a comprender cómo en 2011, una ola de protestas y manifestaciones se extendió ampliamente en esa zona del mundo (con el propio Irán incluido), o cómo es que varios de esos rasgos permanecen como factores irresueltos. Pero, por otro lado, esa serie de elementos comunes también nos permiten efectuar contrastes y comparaciones, únicamente como ejercicios analíticos, con objeto de pensar hacia adelante. En aquel entonces hubo pocas historias de éxito real. Varios de aquellos movimientos fueron reprimidos o terminaron en guerras civiles, en intervenciones internacionales y en la participación de actores no estatales de carácter violento como Al Qaeda o ISIS, situaciones que persisten hasta nuestros días en sitios como Libia, Yemen o Siria. Incluso Túnez, el que hasta hace poco era considerado un caso de éxito, merece un análisis más actualizado tras los últimos sucesos.

Considerando todo lo anterior, las fortalezas del movimiento actual pero también los antecedentes regionales, estos son algunos escenarios que podemos visualizar para Irán:

Escenario 1: El movimiento se apaga, el régimen sobrevive sin mayores cambios o con cambios cosméticos. Una posibilidad es, por supuesto que pasadas las semanas y, a pesar de la fuerza y resiliencia que hasta ahora ha mostrado el movimiento, el régimen mantiene su capacidad represiva y termina por hacer lo que siempre hace: sofocar las protestas. En todo caso, el gobierno ofrece algunos cambios menores, o disminuir la aplicación de temas como el código de vestimenta o medidas similares. Las mujeres y la ciudadanía en general, se agotan, se frustran por la falta de eficacia y regresan a la vida cotidiana.

Escenario 2: El movimiento resiste y consigue transformaciones de fondo. En este escenario, es el régimen quien se agota, o quien pierde la capacidad de mantener sus tácticas represivas, surgen disidencias tanto en el aparato político como en el militar, y se decide transitar hacia un entorno más democrático. Obviamente este escenario no es uno, sino muchos, que van desde la posibilidad de desmantelamiento total del régimen vigente, hasta otros como determinadas reformas para lograr cambios que podrían ser sustanciales.

Escenario 3: similar a Egipto 2011-2013. Cambiar para que todo siga igual. En este caso, un sector de poder dentro del propio régimen, encuentra que es imposible sobrevivir bajo las condiciones actuales, y aplica su mano sobre determinada figura o figuras para “aliarse con la revolución”, pero asegurando que la estructura de fondo resista ante estos cambios. Pensemos, por ejemplo, en las Guardias Revolucionarias relevando de su cargo al presidente o incluso al Ayatola, o modificando las reglas para supuestamente “dar el poder al pueblo”, pero asegurando en el camino, que ellas mantendrán el control económico y militar que hoy sostienen, y garantizar que posteriormente, si algo no les gusta, puedan remover del mando al actor o actores que se les oponen. En Egipto, solo para comprender este escenario, sigue gobernando quien fuera el General Sisi (aunque hoy ya no se autodenomine “general”), después de elecciones parlamentarias y presidenciales, después de un golpe de Estado contra el parlamento, y luego otro más contra el presidente democráticamente electo, Morsi, y después de la brutal represión contra la Hermandad Musulmana.

Escenario 4: más similar a Siria. Guerra civil con intervención internacional. En este escenario, el régimen iraní se obstina con la represión al movimiento, continúa disparando contra manifestantes y sigue empleando otro tipo de medidas de fuerza. Esto ocasiona que ciertos actores de la sociedad se radicalicen y decidan tomar las armas. Otros actores dentro de las propias fuerzas de seguridad también desertan y se unen a la rebelión. Se conforman milicias y se produce una guerra civil con momentos de alta eficacia contra el régimen. Esto puede derivar en que algunos actores internacionales apoyan a esa rebelión, financiándola, armándola o sumando su respaldo logístico. Otros actores, como Rusia, deciden apoyar al gobierno iraní, lo que le permite resistir. El desenlace de este o estos escenarios es, naturalmente, incierto.

Escenario 5: más similar a Túnez. La revolución de “terciopelo” revertida. Este es un escenario de relativa transición democrática, la emergencia de partidos políticos que representan actores sociales, el uso de la política para dirimir diferencias y disputas y un relativo camino hacia la normalidad. Pero también puede tornarse en un escenario en el que, tras años de disputas políticas en los que la democracia no logra funcionar como mecanismo para resolverlas, se produce un golpe o un autogolpe por una figura, como ha sido el presidente en Túnez, disolviendo al parlamento, y reescribiendo la constitución al grado de revertir un gran número de las transformaciones que se habían logrado.

En medio de todos esos escenarios hay múltiples vertientes y otros casos para comparar, no solo en Medio Oriente sino en otros países que tienen situaciones de absoluta actualidad. Por ejemplo, Bielorrusia que vivió un movimiento social prolongado durante meses en 2020, o Myanmar, el más reciente golpe de Estado y las guerrillas actuales, o bien, casos de relativo éxito como Chile, en donde, más allá de filias o fobias por Boric, las manifestaciones y los profundos agravios que exhibían lograron encaminarse a través de la vía política y no de la violencia. Para comprender lo que pueda suceder en el caso iraní, con todas sus particularidades, por supuesto, habrá que seguirlo monitoreando de cerca.

Instagram: @mauriciomesch Twitter: @maurimm

5 de noviembre, 2022

#iran #protestas #movimientos sociales #medio oriente #análisis internacional

[carolinemillerbooks]

New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller

New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/the-handmaidens-tale/

The Handmaiden's Tale

One of the low points in women’s history may be the discussion among Church leaders in 585 on whether women had souls. I’ve referenced this story more than once and as early as 2014.  Further research reveals details are cloudy about where that discussion took place but it ended in the decision to reject the idea that women were soulless. Since that nadir point, a woman’s place in society has made little progress. In some places, goats are treated better than females. Afghanistan is an example.  After 20 years of relative autonomy, women under the Taliban might envy goats.  Women in western societies have also seen their rights eroded.  Brazil, Hungary, and Poland have far-right movements that call for the end of “gender ideology.” They want women to return to their narrow roles as homemakers. A similar pressure faces women in the United States. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, as expected, they will lose their Constitutional right to control their bodies and be returned to the status of chattel. That outcome would be a loss for everyone. Research reveals that a direct link exists between female oppression and authoritarian states. (“Revenge of the Patriarchs” by Erica Chenoweth and Zoe Marks, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2022, pgs. 102-116.)  Autocrats fear women’s mass movements because they tend to succeed and more likely to lead to egalitarian democracy. (Ibid pg. 105) Because their demonstrations are non-violent, it’s easier to mobilize participants.  (Ibid, pg. 110.)  Should those actions fail, however, women risk facing a patriarchal backlash. (Ibid pg. 111) In an attempt to reduce women to their biology, patriarchs cry for “Traditional Values.”  Not surprisingly, the appeal attracts women rooted in Christian doctrine.  (Ibid, pg. 112.) Piety degrees that women play a secondary role to men.  Being Daughters of Eve, the devout accept the scriptural judgment that women cannot be trusted. Not surprisingly, these women have learned to use subservience as a means to gain a foothold within the patriarchy.  Valorizing traditional motherhood, conservative women often play supporting roles to the masculine stars of the show. (Ibid, pg. 113.) The corollary of patriarchy is that men are not men unless they control women.  (Ibid, pg. 113.)  Sometimes their governance is strict or brutal. Sometimes the role becomes one of a father figure where women are treated like children for their protection. No matter how it is expressed, patriarchy ends with women losing dominion over their bodies, their economic freedom, and their political autonomy. (Ibid, pg. 114)  Women who resist are vilified and accused of putting masculinity under attack. (Ibid, pg. 115.) Countries that practice gender bias have poorer economies compared to those where women work in partnership with men. Nonetheless, for some males keeping women in an inferior status trumps a thriving economy.  Their fear of a loss of station is too great.  That insecurity denies a deeper wisdom.  We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. –Malala Yousafzai.

#Afghanistan #chattel #gender bias #how women manipulate subservient roles #Malala Yousafzel #patriarchy #religion and female subservience #relligon and female subservience #Roe v Wade #scriptural judgement against women #souless women

[antifainternational]

Harvard researchers looked at 7300+ Black Lives matter protests in all 50 U.S. states. Here's what they found: 95% had zero arrests made 96.3% had zero property damage done 97.7% had zero injuries to anyone reported The BLM protests were and are "remarkably peaceful" when compared to other protest movements. The study notes that "when there was violence, very often police or counterprotesters were reportedly directing it at the protesters." This tracks with the white supremacist gang member that tried to incite looting at the 2020 George Floyd murder protests in Minneapolis; or the Boogalosers who set fire to and shot at a police station in Minneapolis; or the 104 vehicle attacks against BLM protestors over the last year or so. So why did the news media make it seem like #BLM protests = the end of the civilized world? Why do so many people still believe that #BLM protestors "burned down cities?" Well, who gains from pushing that false narrative, do you reckon?

#black lives matter #blm #Erica Chenoweth #Jeremy Pressman #harvard radcliffe institute #racism