#and he’ll condemn russia??

[luvmoonie]

when sunak openly admits that he does not see what israel is doing as a genocide you know that this country is completely corrupt

#rishi sunak #prime minister #uk #palestine #israel #end israeli occupation #free palestine #free gaza #genocide #like wtf #whilst they’re telling him of their crimes?? #and he’ll condemn russia?? #and iran?? #wtf #do better #this is outrageous #ww3 here we come i guess

[hetalia-angel]

could you do headcanons for who the 2p allies would be in a horror movie!!!

Horror Movie Headcanons

A/n most of these aren’t connected, enjoy!

——————————————————————————————————

America/ 1st girl/ The pawn.

1:He’d be the first one to go. As soon as he heard sounds outside he’d open up the front door to investigate. Then the killer would strike. I imagine Allen would put a good fight; all his fight or flight instincts coming forward in a futile attempt to stay alive.

2: Allen would be the one to bring everyone to a secluded cabin that’d been condemned for good reason. Something that should’ve been lost to time that was reopened like Pandora’s box releasing destruction into him and his friends.

France/ Harbinger / The wise old man

1: François would be disgruntled man at the beginning of a horror movie. The one who warns our main cast of the danger they’ll face if they continue on. His ominous predictions and apathetic expression would be dismissed as some crazy drug addict looking for a reaction.

2: When our main cast themselves getting into trouble they’ll run to François for help as he’d been in the same situation before. He’d be paranoid and isolated wanting nothing to do with them, however the advice he gives is vital to survival. François will provide all the backstory the viewers need for the killer.

Russia/ the skeptic/ the scholar

1: Viktor would deny any implications of an entity. Simply dismissing it as impossible and a thing parents use to scare off children. In the end he’ll meet his demise by the very hands of the so called “fictional entity.” This death would prove to our main cast that the danger was far too real.

2: Viktor would attempt to use his savvy to save his life. Researching anything and everything on this killer or entity to know how they became and how to take them down. If it’s an entity he’ll find their weaknesses and devise a plan to catch them. On the other hand if it’s a killer Viktor will meet his end by joining the kill count in a drawn out fight scene with the killer

Canada/ The hunter/ Slasher

1: Matthieu would be dedicated to taking down the killer for good. He’d rush in to save our final girl or at least give them time to escape from the killer. While our viewers are all rooting for him to save the day one of our main cast members will mistake him for the killer and add him to the kill count. Putting an end to the protection that Matthieu brought.

2: When our main cast decides to take a hedonistic vacation to his woods they’ll be met with a vengeful axe wielding maniac. Matthieu will make it his personal mission to exterminate our main cast from the forest forever. Carefully picking them off one by one with a surgeons precision.

China/ The final girl/ The hysteric

1: While many viewers might mistake Zao for the stereotypical token that’ll be killed off in the beginning of the movie they’re sorely mistaken. Zao would make it to the end by pure luck as his friends are killed off. He would gather any weapon he could find and try and wait out our killer. While if it’s an entity he’ll be searching the house for any sign of the supernatural, keeping all lights on, and following every Chinese superstition he knows of. Anything to stay alive and keep harm far far away.

2: The thought of a possible killer/entity will send Zao into an irrational panic. He’ll be twitching at every noise he hears. All basic survival skills and instinct are simple tossed out the window. When he sees our hunter he’ll catch them off guard and attack them as he mistakes them for the killer.

England/ The sacrificer/ The killer

1: Oliver would gather our main cast together for a fun getaway in a secret ploy to sacrifice them to the supernatural entity. He’ll summon the entity to the house when everything goes wrong. Instead of taking the others as the sacrifice the angry entity is out for blood and no one is safe. Oliver will be killed off early leaving our main cast to fight for themselves.

2: The killer that no one saw coming is a fitting role for Oliver, as he’s the epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’ll pick off our main cast one by one as he hides amongst them pretending to be just as clueless as the rest of them. Right until it gets down to only him and our final girl. As Oliver and our final girl plan to escape together away from the killer he strikes. Catching our final girl off guard he’ll attempt to add them to the kill count, however our final girl will prevail giving our viewers the satisfying ending they hoped of.

#hetalia #hetalia au #2ptalia #2p!hetalia #2p canada #2p france #2p headcanons #2p america #2p england #2p china #2p russia

[beardedmrbean]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar got a prominent Democratic primary challenger Sunday when former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels announced he’ll try once again to unseat her after coming close in 2022.

Omar, a charter member of “the squad” of progressive House Democrats, won reelection twice despite making comments in her first term that were widely criticized for invoking antisemitic tropes and suggesting Jewish Americans have divided loyalties. But Omar — a Somali American and Muslim — has come under renewed fire for condemning the Israeli government’s handling of its war against Hamas.

“Our congresswoman has a predilection to divisiveness and conflict,” Samuels said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of his official announcement Sunday morning on WCCO Radio.

The Jamaican-born Samuels still maintains that his narrow primary loss in 2022 showed Omar was beatable, and that he could have won if they had competed later in the general election, where Omar won 74% of the vote over a little-known Republican.

The big issue in 2022 was the future of policing in the city where George Floyd was murdered in 2020 by a former Minneapolis police officer, which touched off protests around the world and riots in Minnesota. Omar was among the progressives who slammed former President Barack Obama for criticizing the “defund the police” movement as just a “snappy slogan.”

“It’s not a slogan but a policy demand,” she posted on Twitter, now known as X.

In contrast, the centrist Samuels helped lead the opposition that defeated a proposal on the city ballot in 2021 that arose from the “defund” movement and would have replaced the police force with a revamped public safety agency. Samuels thinks safety will be a top issue again.

“The long tails of the George Floyd and COVID issues continue, with empty storefronts and empty strip malls because people don’t want to invest anymore. They don’t think it’s safe,” Samuels said.

Omar issued a written statement Sunday touting her work in Congress and for her district, including fighting to combat climate change and codify abortion rights. She also noted her part in securing an affordable housing facility for veterans in Minnesota and a public safety measure that provides mental health support and services for victims of gun violence.

“Right-wing donors have targeted me since I first entered public life,” Omar said in the statement, which also accused Samuels of taking hundreds of thousands in contributions from far-right donors and political action committees. “If we’re going to stop Donald Trump, we need record turnout, and I am confident in our ability to drive turnout, particularly in a presidential election year.”

The war in the Middle East has already divided Democrats and upended the dynamics of some House primaries. Omar has been critical of Hamas for attacking Israel and taking hostages — but even more so of Israel’s military response. Her focus has been the plight of civilians in the Gaza Strip. She has also condemned the surge of intimidation and violence against both Muslim and Jewish targets in the U.S.

It remains to be seen how potent an issue the war will be in an overwhelmingly Democratic district that includes Minneapolis and some suburbs. The district also has a large Somali Muslim population. And it includes St. Louis Park, which historically has been a center of Jewish life in Minnesota.

Samuels said he believes the war will be a big concern. He criticized Omar for voting against placing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine but supporting sanctions against Israel, and for boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to Congress in July.

“She has frightened the Jewish community,” Samuels said, adding that the community “understands that there is a latent and lurking antisemitic sentiment that always needs discouragement, and always in times of national crisis raises its ugly head.”

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has been actively trying to recruit a credible challenger to Omar. That drew pushback from a strong supporter of Israel, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who issued a public show of support for Omar this summer. A super PAC affiliated with AIPAC spent about $350,000 against Omar in 2022. But Samuels said AIPAC didn’t try to recruit him.

Omar’s fellow House Democrats have portrayed her as a serious legislator who in the past four years has earned admiration for giving voice to marginalized groups often forgotten on Capitol Hill.

But Samuels said people sometimes “mistake her oppositional nature and divisive nature for someone who’s speaking truth to power when in fact she is misusing her power, or not using her power, to make change.”

The other declared candidates are relatively unknown. One Democrat is Sarah Gad, a Minneapolis attorney and daughter of Egyptian immigrants who is Muslim. The other is military veteran Tim Peterson. The only Republican currently running is Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi American journalist and self-described secular Muslim who calls Omar pro-Hamas and a terrorist sympathizer.

#nunyas news #that last sentence hit like a ton of bricks

[alwida10]

Writing this here to get an official time stamp so I can check in a few years if I had been right or wrong. (Technically, this theory is from November 2023, but I never posted it publicly in detail.)

So, my observations.

1. Back in October ‘23, the war in Ukraine was pretty much at a stalemate. The Russians were running out of ammunition and getting lower on soldiers. The Ukrainian offensive had run out without reaching the enormous expectations put into it.

2. It was already known that Russia had gotten drones from Iran (possibly trading methods to enrich uranium for weapons for them) even though Iran had long denied this. By now (march ‘24) it’s known that Iran, Russia and china are doing joint military exercises, implying there might be an alliance behind the scenes.

3. In October ‘23, Russia knew that the biggest factor for its losses in Ukraine were the support from NATO for Ukraine. So, how fight that? A distraction, in best case paired with a dividing influence on the western world.

4. Russia calls Iran -> iran makes the Hamas attack Israel. But not any part of it. They aimed for the people who were pro-Palestine. Young, leftist people, people who employed Palestinians and offered them shelter, people who drove Palestinian citizens to hospitals.

Second part of the plan: they flood social media with posts highlighting the Palestinian suffering. Posts that condemn Israel. They make the “kill or drive away all Jewish people from the Middle East” war chant a world wide catchphrase.

4. It works like a charm. Israel’s right-leaning head of the state does what Trump would have done, too. Aggressively attacking, not caring much for wording and not caring how his plans play into putin’s hands.

First result: Ukraine vanishes from the public eye. Help stops. The care for the indisputable war crimes there disappears.

Second result:

Since the reports about the bad things in gaza made it quicker to sm than the reports from the Jewish victims (but also for other reasons) the pro-Gaza news had been more far support online and were shared more.

On traditional news however, the pro-Israel news seemed to be more prevalent. Naturally, young people are more likely to get to know stuff from a than older people. The reverse is true for traditional media (newspapers, tv news).

A generational division appears, additional to the leftist pro-Gaza fraction and people who are either neutral or pro-Israel leaning. Most likely this division also separates Muslims and Jewish people (which in many western countries are a very small minority) plus certain subtypes of Christians.

Now why is that of importance? Because there are elections coming. Both in the US as well as in Europe.

My analysis/predictions:

When Biden got elected 2021, it had been mostly the young people who tipped the wage towards the democrats. Young people who tend to be more on sm than listen to traditional news (tv or paper).

We know now that Russia massively influenced the election that brought Trump to the White House. They leaked Hillary Clinton’s emails and using a lot of bots on sm.

Twitter is now swarming with bots, and Elon supports a lot of pro-Russia stuff. There are a lot of pro-Hamas bots, too.

——-

If this gets repeated, if Trump returns to office, he’ll cut all support for Ukraine, making Putin’s plan a full success. He won’t help Gaza. lol, he probably would tell Netanyahu to up his game. Please google “Trump Muslim ban” if you don’t remember what he thinks about the topic.

TL:DR: you’re not immune to propaganda. Learn to recognize it.

And if you care about Gaza think how YOU would solve the conflict. What YOU would tell the people getting bombed or crying for relatives who are still hostages and sex slaves of the Hamas. Go look for a compromise, for the bigger picture. Those are the posts that are most likely the only ones helpful.

#i/p conflict #free palestine #from Hamas #since those are the ones throwing them into the gutter #as long as they are present #the people will NEVER be safe #all the respect for those who care for the civilians #just be aware the world is not as easy as many of you would like it to be

[honoviadakai]

Ivan Braginsky and Autism

From what I’ve seen, a lot of people in the Hetalia fandom view Russia as a character that is autistic coded.

I agree with this idea 100%

However I don’t think Ivan would really do anything about, make a big deal of it or even get a diagnosis.

First and foremost, this man is THE personification of the entire country of Russia, mental health is not a big priority in that country. A lot of the attitude towards mental illness and neurodivergent people is very “we don’t talk about Bruno”. Basically if you don’t bring it up, talk about it or seek help, it’s not an issue. Obviously that’s very difficult because some people will require medication or therapy to be able to have some semblance of normalcy, no such services exists in Russia without having to pay exorbitant amounts of money and basically condemning yourself to a life of solitude once you start seeing a specialist.

Ivan’s case is kinda weird though. This man is over 1,000 years old and very clearly has mental issues but both he and his family just kinda view it as “shell shock” from all the fighting he had to do in the past. He shrugs it off and just kinda goes about his days and just deals with things he thinks is symptomatic of PTSD. Ivan would absolutely have PTSD too, I think pretty much all the nations have that to some degree, Ivan just doesn’t realize that having a hard time expressing yourself, having difficulty understanding people’s feeling and the almost religious need to maintain his daily routine least he gets very upset has nothing to to with the traumas of war.

Honestly it would be Arthur, Alfred and Matthew who watch his behavior and realize…there’s more going on in the big guy’s head. The North American brothers would sit there, their mental gears turning as they try to figure out what they think it could be. It’s on the tip of their tongue…but what is it??? Arthur meanwhile is just casually drinking his tea, already knowing what’s up. Once he’s done having his afternoon tea, he sets his cup down and casually remarks

“You know he’s displaying almost all of the symptoms of autism in adults, right?”

The bespectacled brother’s eyes would light up. That was it! That’s what was going on!

Alfred would most likely be the one to bring it up to the Russian man and even offer to help him get a diagnosis and any other help he’d need.

This is where the issues would start…but not necessarily in a bad way…but not in a great way either…

First of all…what the hell is that? Ivan’s never heard of that word. Is it a disease? They’d have to explain it in great detail.

Second thing that would occur is that he’d be too prideful to go in. He’s healthy, why should he go see a doctor when he hasn’t even had allergies bothered him all that much since 1912. They’d have to fight this man to the death just to get him to MAYBE think about saying yes to a consultation.

Even if they SOMEHOW managed to get him to a specialist and get a diagnosis…honestly Ivan’s response would be to just…nod at the doctor, get up, go home and just go about his life the way he always has. Again, he’s over 1,000 years old now, if this hasn’t been an issue to him before then he sees no need to see a therapist or get medication.

Not all hope is lost though. If he does get a diagnosis or even just an explanation of what autism is, it’ll be in the back of his head. The topic might not come back up for weeks, months, years, even decades…but it will come up. One day he’ll be struggling to make eye contact while talking to the Italy brothers and getting more and more anxious because he thinks they might be judging him for it (they’re not btw). So he’ll excuse himself and whip out his phone to Google wether or not he’s sick only to remember…isn’t what he just went through a symptom of that thing he got diagnosed with a decade ago? He’ll Google it and sure enough, it is indeed a symptom.

Oh.

So how does he deal with everything now? He’s supposed to be make gnocchi with Feliciano and Lovino in 15 minutes. Again he’ll just Google how to calm his nerves, take a shot of vodka from his emergency flask, smack his face and walk back in like he’s not secretly screaming on the inside.

That’s just honestly how I think Ivan would deal with any mental health diagnosis. Just Google the symptoms, Google how to deal with it, take a shot of vodka and carry on as best he can.

Is this solution perfect? Hell fucking no. But it’s unfortunately what works for him and he’s a stubborn man that will continue on as he always has. Just dealing with the crippling anxiety and feeling of isolation with booze, and the stubborn mask of a man that isn’t too bothered by anything to hide that in reality, a lot makes him anxious but he’ll be damned if he’ll admit it to anyone.

#Hetalia #Aph Russia #hws Russia #Ivan Braginsky #hetalia russia headcanons

[opedguy]

Putin Open to Peace Talks in Istanbul

LOS ANGELES (OnlineColumnist.com), Oct. 9, 2022.--Once 79-year-old President Joe Biden said Oct. 6 that the U.S. is closest to “Aramageddon” since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the world has begun to take notice of the real risks of the Ukraine War.  Biden’s Armageddon remarks remind the public that he’s recklessly conducting a proxy war against the Russian Federation that could easily morph into WW III or worse yet nuclear war.  Yesterday’s Russian bombing of Kiev in response to the Ukrainian bombing to the Kerch Bridge has been called “barbaric” by Kiev, knowing there would be consequences to bombing the bridge.  War is dirty business on both sides, with a few peacemakers, like Turkey 69-year-old President Recp Tayyip Erdogan calling in the loudest possible way for ceasefire and peace talks.  Biden and Ukraine’s 44-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky reject peace talks, hoping to remove Russian troops from Ukraine.

Former President Donald Trump, at a rally in Mesa, Az., Oct. 9 called Biden’s Armageddon comments reckless, saying the if he were still president there would not have been a Ukraine War.  Trump had a strong working relationship with 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, something criticized for political purposes by Democrats and the press.  Today, the U.S. has almost no diplomatic relations with Moscow, one quick step away from a complete break in diplomatic relations.  Biden turned the Feb. 24 Ukraine invasion into a persona vendetta against Putin, saying March 26 in Warsaw, Poland that Putin should no longer remain president.  White House officials walked back Biden’s remarks but they were confirmed a month later when 69-year-old Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said April 26 in Ramstein, Germany the U.S. aimed to destroy the Russian military.

Trump raises some real prospects of WW III based on Biden’s remarks about “Armageddon.”  Biden continues to feed Ukraine unlimited cash-and-weapons, pushing the conflict to the brink of WW III or nuclear war.  Biden and Zelensky think if they can get more Ukrainian land back from Russia, they’ll have more leverage at the peace table.  But Biden doesn’t see the potential for miscalculation the longer the war goes on.  EU officials condemned Russia’s missile strike on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities after Ukraine’s bombing of the Kerch bridge.  But Erdogan knows that the longer the conflict goes on the more like some major mishap takes place.  Putin and Erodgan want to take the conflict off the battlefield and start ceasefire and peace talks.  Zelensky said last week he wanted Putin removed from office before any peace talks could start, something so arrogant it defies all logic.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had not yet received confirmation of any peace talks from Istanbul but was open to the prospects of settling the dispute off the battlefield.  Biden will have to agree to peace talks letting Zelensky know that the war cannot continue unabated with U.S. funding.  Biden has not had that talk with Zelensky, largely because of what Trump said Oct. 9 in Meza, Az.. that the White House continues to do and say all the wrong things to Putin.  Time has long expired for the vicious Democrat and media attacks against Trump’s foreign policy.  When is the Democrat-controlled media going to admit that Biden has turned U.S. foreign policy on its head, leaving U.S. national security in the worst place since WW II.  There’s no longer any dispute, taking Biden at his own words, that the world under Biden’s leadership is closer to Armageddon than ever.

Biden is so entrenched in his proxy war with Russia that it’s going to be hard for the White House to admit it made a terrible mistake.  Saying he wanted Putin removed from power March 26 was another one of Biden’s reckless gaffes.  Erdogan recognizes just how close the world is to WW III, doing everything possible to bring the conflict to the bargaining table.  Zelensky worries that he’ll lose face in any negotiations because Russia occupies so much land in sovereign Ukrainian territory.  Whatever direction the negotiations goes, Zelensky certainly has the U.S. and EU driving a hard bargain with the Kremlin.  Zelensky told 51-year-old billionaire entrepreneur Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to “F-Off” for suggesting that ceding some territory to Moscow would help end the seven-month old conflict.  Musk said what many other foreign policy experts said that Ukraine would have to make concessions.

If the U.S. and Ukraine want Moscow to stop missile strikes in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities, they need to show a willingness to end the conflict.  Ukraine continues to sustain massive damage to its infrastructure.  Instead of boasting about some minor Russian defeats on the battlefield, Zelensky should face the music that Ukraine’s dilapidated infrastructure could get a lot worse, including Putin taking out Kiev’s electrical grid, leaving the city black.  Zelensky has pushed the war to the point that he’s lost so much sovereign territory it could take years, if ever, to get it back from the Kremlin.  Biden hasn’t helped Zelensky see the reality of the Ukraine War that it could go on indefinitely, threatening the world with a nuclear mishap.  Give Erdogan some credit for recognizing the stalemate, but, more importantly, the risk of miscalculation that set the world ablaze.

About the Author  

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and globl news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

[swldx]

BBC 0428 19 Jun 2023

12095Khz 0400 19 JUN 2023 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55445. English, dead carrier s/on @0358z then ID@0359z pips and Newsday preview. @0401z World News anchored by David Harper. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday to improve the deteriorating relationship between the two superpowers. It is the first visit by a top US diplomat to China in almost five years. The US secretary of state is currently meeting with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, but it remains an open question as to whether he’ll sit down with President Xi Jinping. Nine suspected people smugglers are to appear before a Greek court accused of piloting the fishing trawler that sank last week leaving hundreds missing and presumed dead. On Monday, the Moscow City Court will start examining a new case against Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. There are seven charges against him, including "extremism." Navalny himself has said that he faces up to 30 years in prison on the new charges. Russia declined United Nations offers to help residents affected by the flooding from the breached Kakhovka Dam, the world body said on Sunday, as the death toll rose. Labelling the discrimination against women under the Taliban as “gender apartheid” could work as a catalyst for change in Afghanistan. North Korea’s ruling party has condemned a recent failed satellite launch at a high-level meeting, state media reported Monday, “bitterly” criticizing the officials responsible. A marine heatwave off the west coast of Ireland has led to a spike in sea temperatures up to 5C higher than normal. Uruguayan authorities are reversing plans to melt down a bronze eagle found on a sunken Nazi ship and recast it as a dove of peace, the president said Sunday. @0406z "Newsday" begins. Backyard fence antenna, Etón e1XM. 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 230.

[productsreviewings]

Putin has made a number of nuclear threats for the reason that warfare in Ukraine started. However the risk is carrying much less and fewer weight. The West appears skeptical that he'll really use nukes. Putin's newest threats embrace transferring strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus. loading One thing is loading Thanks for signing up! Entry your favourite matters in a personalised feed whilst you're on the go Obtain the app Russian President Vladimir Putin has made quite a lot of nuclear threats since launching his invasion of Ukraine final 12 months, sparking condemnation and alarm around the globe, however with every new risk, Moscow's rivals and adversaries are more and more skeptical that Putin will really use it. reminiscent of a weapon.Over the weekend, Putin introduced plans to deploy strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders EU and NATO members, by summer time. Strategic nuclear weapons (also referred to as battlefield nukes) are usually meant for short-range use and are much less highly effective than tactical nuclear weapons. That mentioned, tactical nuclear weapons nonetheless have the capability to wreak havoc and kill 1000's of individuals. NATO, nonetheless, condemned Putin's remarks "Harmful and irresponsible," The alliance additionally mentioned it "has not seen any modifications in Russia's nuclear posture that might lead us to regulate our personal." In different phrases, NATO has indicated that it's monitoring the scenario however not taking any main steps in response. Equally, Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby instructed CBS Information on Sunday that the White Home has seen nothing to point that Putin is making ready to make use of strategic nuclear weapons "in any manner in Ukraine." "I can let you know that we have not seen something that would change our personal strategic nuclear deterrence posture," Kirby mentioned.Ukraine shares a border with Belarus and noticed Russian troops invade the Kremlin-allied nation final 12 months, and its international ministry referred to as for an emergency assembly of the UN Safety Council in response to Putin's newest risk. However Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, additionally derided Putin as "very predictable" in response to the information. "Making a Assertion on Strategic Nuclear Weapons in Belarus, [Putin] Admits that he is afraid of dropping and all he can do is intimidate by means of ways," Podoliak Mentioned by way of Twitter.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Photograph by Vladimir Astapkovic, Sputnik, Kremlin pool by way of AP Many high analysts see Putin's bombastic rhetoric about nuclear weapons as an indication of the Russian chief's frustration with how badly the warfare in Ukraine has turned out for Russian forces. The Institute for the Research of Warfare (ISW), a Washington-based analysis group that has intently tracked the warfare in Ukraine and supplied frequent updates, mentioned Putin's announcement of strategic nuclear weapons deployment in Belarus was a part of an "data marketing campaign" and a "nuclear warfare". Irrelevant to the danger of escalation, which stays extraordinarily low."Putin is "in search of to take advantage of Western fears of nuclear escalation," ISW mentioned, including that the Russian chief is "a risk-averse actor who repeatedly threatens to make use of nuclear weapons with no intention of denuclearization." Western willpower."Final 12 months, there have been critical considerations that Putin would possibly use nuclear weapons as Russia failed to succeed in its objectives within the warfare. CIA Director Invoice Barnes warned final April that Putin may use nuclear weapons if he was determined sufficient. However these fears have seemingly pale. On Monday, for instance, nuclear knowledgeable Joseph Cirincione Tweeted That he was "bumped" out of a scheduled interview with Sky Information to debate Putin's nuclear risk as a result of the community determined as a substitute to deal with a star trial involving Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 ski accident. Days earlier than Putin introduced that Russia would ship strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus, he was internet hosting Chinese language chief Xi Jinping in Moscow. In early March, Xi additionally hosted Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in Beijing. On Sunday, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs the Home Choose Committee on U.S. Competitors with China, instructed ABC Information Putin's repeated "nuclear saber-rattling" has been a priority, however mustn't deter america from arming Ukraine with very important weapons.

[kiss-my-freckle]

Two Plans, Two Imposters

Timeline with double dialogues and sidenotes.

Katarina surviving Cape May. 

6x19 -

Ilya: I thought you were dead. Katarina: I am dead. Ilya: What are we doing here? Katarina: Making sure I stay that way.

7x9 -

Ilya: I see her. With me. Skovic: How do you feel? Ilya: I’m relieved. I thought she was gone. I heard about Cape May. The drowning. Her suicide. Skovic: But there was no suicide. Ilya: No.... No.

Katarina's struggle getting into America.

6x19 -

Dom: I got rid of the bodies, I got out of the country, and I got into America. For Katarina, it wasn’t so easy.

7x9 -

Ilya: She was being hunted. By the KGB. The Cabal. The Americans. Her father helped get us out of Russia. But it wasn’t enough.

Ilya’s plan: Becoming Reddington.

6x19 -

Ilya: I don’t think you’re entirely grasping what I’m suggesting. Katarina: What are you suggesting? Ilya: Becoming Reddington. ⋘⋙ Dom: Purposely stepping into the shoes of a man destined to be condemned as a traitor. Liz: But how?

7x9 -

[Flashback:] Young Ilya: I don’t think you’re entirely grasping what I’m suggesting. Young Katarina: What are you suggesting? Young Ilya: Becoming Reddington. Purposefully stepping into into the shoes of a man - ⋘⋙ Ilya:  - into the shoes of a man destined to be condemned as a traitor. Woman: But how?

Dom and Ilya meeting. They’re all on the run. 

6x19 -

Young Dom: Passports. You’re Americans. Take the train from Leningradsky Station to St. Petersburg, and then on to Helsinki. I have an asset at the American embassy who will vouch for you, see that you find transport from Helsinki on to Zurich. Katarina: What about you? The only reason I’m here is to make sure you vanish. You can’t stay here. Young Dom: I have contingencies. Ilya: What contingencies? Young Dom: An identity, a place to go.

7x9 -

Young Ilya: We can’t be meeting like this. It’s too dangerous. Even now.

Ilya’s plan DIDN’T work. 

7x9 -

Ilya: We devised a plan to steal the money used to frame Reddington and disappear. Woman: But the plan, it didn’t work. Ilya: Not like we thought.

7x9 -

Young Dom: Listen to me. Your ruse with Reddington didn’t work. All it managed to do was anger the people who want her dead.

But Ilya’s plan DID work. 

6x19 -

Simon: Mr. Reddington. Welcome back. ⋘⋙ Simon: Is everything alright, sir?  Young Red: I hope you’re not uncomfortable. It was necessary for me to make some changes to my appearance. I’ve had some recent troubles with the authorities and - Simon: We have a valued history of discretion, Mr. Reddington. Your privacy is our utmost concern. Young Red: Thank you, Simon. Simon: Now - what sort of withdrawal will we be assisting you with today? ⋘⋙ German Banker: How many accounts will you be transferring? Swedish Banker: The full amount for withdrawal? French Banker: We’re sorry to lose your business. Consider us in the future. ⋘⋙ Young Red: Yes. It worked.

6x19 -

Liz: I know you became who you are to access Reddington’s accounts. Red: You know that? Liz: I do. And it worked. But what I don’t understand is what happened after it worked. 

Ilya flat-out states Katarina is already dead. 

Ilya: I thought you were dead. Katarina: I am dead. Ilya: What are we doing here? Katarina: Making sure I stay that way.

Young Ilya: She is dead.

Imposter Reddington already exists. 

7x9 -

Young Dom: Listen to me. Your ruse with Reddington didn’t work. All it managed to do was anger the people who want her dead.

7x9 -

Young Ilya: I should tell him. Young Dom: We’re not telling him anything. Young Ilya: Oh. I know how you feel, but Reddington deserves to know what we’ve done.

Sidenote: Ilya’s plan to “Become Reddington” served two purposes. That’s why it didn’t work, but also why it did. The plan to steal the money worked. So what didn’t work? 

Refer back to Katarina’s dialogue. 

6x19 -

Katarina: I am dead. ⋘⋙ Katarina: Making sure I stay that way.

Her fake death had to be permanent - and it was.  

6x19 -

Katarina: I am dead.

7x9 -

Young Ilya: She is dead.

But they needed a body - for the same reason Anton Velov did. 

7x9 -

Young Dom: Nonsense!

6x19 -

Velov: These are from the last week? Attendant: Everyone we received. Velov: And bodies wouldn’t have been sent anywhere else? Attendant: If a body was pulled from the water within 40 miles of here, this is where it would come. Velov: She’s out there. I can feel it.

That’s why it only angered her enemies. The wolves lost her scent.

7x9 -

Young Dom: Do you know they’ve assembled a directive? The Russian Vory, KGB, the Americans - her enemies - have pooled their resources and put a bounty on her head. They’re calling it the Townsend Directive. Young Ilya: Neville Townsend? Young Dom: He’s at the top of a very long list of people who want her dead.

7x9 -

Lucid Ilya: I hadn’t known you’d taken a new husband. Not that I was angry to find out, certainly not as angry as he seemed to be - charging out of that room. ⋘⋙ Young Dom: Who’s this?

Summary of sidenote: Is Katarina dead as Ilya said, is she not dead as Dom said, or is she both dead and not dead just as Ilya’s plan did and didn’t work? Due to the timing of Ilya’s statement, Katarina being dead would’ve required she die between the last time Ilya saw her (when they kissed) in the motel and the moment in which he met Dom at the cafe. Put it this way... I highly doubt Ilya would state she’s dead while she’s actually living it up with her new husband (that he didn’t even know about). One has to work both questions in a way that fits, or it’s not a viable theory. If Katarina was alive (as Dom stated) and living it up with her new husband, then what part about the plan to become Reddington didn’t work? If the plan to become Reddington was fully successful, then why did Dom suddenly feel the need to come up with a plan of his own? 

My additions to timeline: Imposter Katarina forces Red’s need to build. 

Dom’s plan: Becoming Rostova.

7x9 -

Young Dom: She has to die. It’s the only way to protect Masha. But to get this done, I’ll need your help. She’ll listen to you. You can get her.

7x11 -

Red: The counterfeits are nearly flawless, which is enough. Because our desire for them to be real obscures any imperfection - much like your desire for the woman in Paris to be your mother blinded you to the fact that she wasn’t.

It’s about protecting Masha.

6x19 -

Katarina: Promise me one thing. Ilya: Anything. Katarina: If they get to me, if they take me - take care of Masha. Ilya: Like she was my own.

7x9 -

Young Dom: I’m worried they’ll find Masha, try and leverage her. Young Ilya: Look, Dom, I - I can’t help you. Young Dom: You made a promise! To Katarina. You told her you would look after Masha if anything happened to her.

[Refer to sidenote. “If anything happened" to Katarina. Again, what happened to Ilya’s plan that made Dom feel the need to come up with his own plan?]

Red hires Kate to build a criminal empire. 

The existence of imposter Katarina forced Red to build a criminal empire for two people: A woman and her child. Protecting the Hobson’s choice. 

3x19 -

Red: It was a Hobson’s choice. There was a woman and her child. Both were doomed. Both would die. I could either save one or lose both. I chose the child.

4x17 -

Red: I’ve spent 30 years building an intelligence network of spies, informants, patriots, traitors. I’ve used it to build an empire that exists for only two reasons: To keep me free and you safe.

You bring the woman back to life, you put her in danger. You bring the woman back to life, you also put her child in danger. Period. 

3x19 -

Katarina: What would you do if you knew… knew… that as long as you drew breath, as long as you continued to exist, her life would be in danger? She would be hunted, and she would be killed. What would you do?

7x9 -

Young Ilya: But I can’t call off Townsend. And he will not stop looking.

Conclusion: There is a man and his child... 

4x17 -

Sam: Lizzy is fine, now. But Red says she’s in danger. Kathryn: What kind of danger? Sam: You’d have to ask him.

7x9 -

Young Dom: She was to come alone. One simple job - deliver the dossier. And now he’s dead and she’s alive. And there are witnesses. It’s a mess! The world was supposed to see Katarina Rostova die, and instead - all we’ve done is confirm that she’s very much alive. He’ll never stop. And instead of protecting my granddaughter, we’ve put a target on her back.

4x17 -

Red: Katarina was a traitor to two countries, both global superpowers. God willing, Katarina’s daughter will live a private life of quiet courage. But if anyone learns her identity, the only way I can stop the threats from rising is to rise up as a greater threat than all of them. Kate: So you want me to join you in organized crime to protect Elizabeth. Red: Yes, Kate. Help me protect the girl we love.

I think Neville Townsend would’ve continued looking for Masha either way. If he was serious enough to assemble a directive, pooling resources from her enemies to build a bounty for her head, I have no doubt he would've used Masha as leverage. And after the plan in Belgrade failed, would’ve made things worse because it only confirmed his need to assemble a bounty. Dom was specific.

"The world was supposed to see Katarina Rostova die, and instead - all we’ve done is confirm that she’s very much alive. He’ll never stop. And instead of protecting my granddaughter, we’ve put a target on her back."

Not "they" but "he" - Neville Townsend. I think he assembled for the same reason Anton Velov continued searching, knowing that she didn't die in Cape May waters. I’m more convinced than ever that he was the one who scarred Young Masha at the fire, and that’s why Katarina was so terrified when she dropped Masha off with Kate at the motel. He would not stop looking. 

I'm actually wondering if the Fulcrum was a packet in the Sikorsky Archive, perhaps part of the original 13. If they have packets on a thumb drive, why not on a bubble module back then. 

#Rederina #The Blacklist

[humanrightsupdates]

Russian Court Votes To Jail Navalny

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is pictured in the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, February 2, 2021. © 2021 Moscow City Court via AP

A Moscow court ruled today that Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny had violated the terms of his probation and sent him to prison for 3.5 years. The court stated that since he’s already served a year under house arrest in 2014, he’ll have to serve 2 years and 8 months behind bars. While not a surprise, the ruling is monstrously unjust, and he should be immediately freed.

In his closing speech in court today Navalny, condemned the proceedings as unlawful, saying authorities aimed to “jail one person to intimidate millions.”

The Russian Penitentiary Service claims Navalny failed to report to the probation service between August 2020 and January 2021. In August, Navalny was nearly fatally poisoned in an attack independent investigators allege was organized and executed by Federal Security Service operatives. He was evacuated to Germany in a coma, recovered there and returned to Russia on January 17 to face widely anticipated arrest upon arrival. (Human Rights Watch)

#alexei navalny #human rights #russia

[ethereumgame1986gb-blog]

Bitcoin surpasses $5,300 to a new high, and the CEO of JPMorgan Chase has no selection but to shut up

Last month, The far east closed the Bitcoin trade to stop investing. Russian Chief executive Putin publicly condemned cryptocurrencies this week. THE LENDER of Russia also called out that virtual currency trading websites will undoubtedly be closed if necessary. Bitcoin, which appears to have been controversial, will be flying high this 7 days. On Thursday, U.S. time, the price tag on Bitcoin surpassed the $5,000 indicate, as well as the cumulative increase this year is nearing 400%. It broke through $5,000 for the very first time, setting a historical milestone. The price of Bitcoin soared by 11% on Thursday night within the U.S., and the transaction cost broke through $5,386.23. This is actually the first time a cryptocurrency has suffered a price of more than $5,000, surpassing the one on Sept 2 this season. The record of $5013.91 had been only maintained for 10 minutes at the time, but the first sustained price maintenance on Thursday also set a historical milestone. Bitcoin costs soared by 11% on Thurs within the U.S. time. This is the first time a cryptocurrency has sustained a price above $5,000, establishing a record. Coindesk. Interestingly, H1BVisa.org follow the pattern of Bitcoin. Ethereum just increased by about 2%, Ripple dropped by 2%, and Litecoin had been the only person that adopted the tendency of Bitcoin and also rose. By about 10%. The price of cryptocurrency exceeded $4,000 for the very first time two months back. With the closure of ICO and cryptocurrency dealings in China last month, the appearance of a fresh milestone can also show the flexibility of cryptocurrency. Five reasons why the price of Bitcoin hit a new high last 30 days. The Chinese authorities strengthened its manage over digital currencies last month, shutting down China's longest-running Bitcoin investing platform "Bitcoin Cina (BTCC)" and suspending all investing operations. The news arrived of Bitcoin in those days. The price dropped by more than 20% within an hour, dropping below 20,000 yuan (about 92,000 New Taiwan bucks), and virtual currencies such as Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum furthermore fell sharply. Over the past period of time, the governments of China, South Korea, and Russia have successively suppressed Bitcoin transactions, causing the trading market to drop for a while, but recently the market has reported that China is definitely expected to restart Bitcoin dealings, but it might be accompanied by a lot more management such as for example prevention of cash laundering. specification. The foreign mass media "marketwatch" analyzes five reasons why the price tag on Bitcoin has already reached a new higher: 1. Bitcoin will split Some investors believe that Bitcoin will undoubtedly be divided into two versions following the "hard fork", which will promote the keeping of cryptocurrencies. 2. https://h1bvisa.org/ , leader of Bitcoin tracking site CryptoCompare, stated that China is quite likely to reopen Bitcoin dealings. 3.Amazon According to market rumors, the Amazon platform may announce it accepts Bitcoin payments when it announces its earnings report on October 26, along with other companies such as for example Alibaba may follow suit. 4. FOMO (concern with missing out) As the cost of Bitcoin rebounds, a lot of investors will have an urgent, "concern with missing out" (FOMO) (fear of really missing out) sentiment to check out suit, that will push the price tag on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to keep to rise. 5. Wall Road attention In addition to attracting the eye of everyone, virtual currencies also have begun to bring in the eye of Wall Street professional investors. Wall Street banks possess recently expressed fascination with cryptocurrencies, and many mainstream financial mass media have also discussed Bitcoin topics more often than in the past. Ironically, Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Run after, publicly called Bitcoin a "scam" per month ago, which caused the price tag on Bitcoin to fall by 5% at the time, and now Bitcoin surpasses $5,000. The U.S. dollar hit a new high, and also hit the face of Dimon's primary declaration. In this regard, Dimon stated in the third quarter financial statement on Thursday night, "He'll no longer convey any views on Bitcoin."

#bitcoin price #bitcoin news #ethereum games #crypto mining game #top crypto games

[inkstaineddove]

Aria for a Fool

Ships: AusHun; implied PruHun

Characters: Austria, Hungary; mentioned Prussia

Summary: After their marriage in 1867, Austria begins treating Hungary with more kindness and respect, realizing how close he came to losing her. Against all odds and expectations, feelings begin developing and he finds it near impossible to contain them any longer. 

Vienna, 1893.

Roderich's home was his piano. It was sweet release, his break from all reality. In some ways, his music had become a well-tended addiction, often the only thing capable of providing him respite. He was turning to it more often these days. The world was changing fast and it troubled Austria. He found his thoughts more preoccupied by the shifting power balances among Europe and the rest of the world along with the clamoring for independence by the various ethnic groups under his control. But he refused to think about that now. His fingers glided over the keys, opting to compose their own melody this time instead of going through the stacks of sheet music in his head to find the right piece. What his heart was playing was heavy with melancholy, but with a glimmer of hope.

When he finished, he was plenty surprised to hear a polite clap. Roderich turned around and met Erzsébet's eyes. "I wasn't doing anything and your playing is so beautiful. I hope you don't mind." Her smile was polite, yet warm.

"Not at all. I appreciate having a captive audience." He gestured to one of the couches nearby. "Sit, there's no need to stand in the doorway."

She complied. Erzsébet pulled her legs up besides her and sighed. "It's beautiful, really. Whenever you play, it makes you feel almost approachable."

In the past, this type of statement would've annoyed him. But, since their official marriage in 1867 and the elevation of Hungary's status with it, he'd been doing his best to be kinder. Whatever their feelings were, he was afraid to lose her and knew he'd come too close. "Am I not normally this way?" He imagined himself as a big, hulking monster. The picture bemused him.

"No, you're normally much more..." She tried to find the word. He watched her trying to grab it in her head and the sudden euphoria when she found it. "Unobtainable."

"That's applicable to you as well." A statement that could've easily been used as a weapon, but came across more as gentle teasing.

"Hush, that's different. You're usually so far beyond. You weren't like this before. Empire changes people." Hungary looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes as she spoke for fear of how he'd react. "It brings out the worst traits in all of us."

Incredulous, he pressed her. "How so?" He swiveled in his seat, turning himself so he was fully facing her instead of his instrument.

She teased her nails with her teeth, a habit she'd long had since childhood. She understood the importance of getting her words right when it came to this topic, for his understanding and for her own sentiments to be properly conveyed. "What's that saying? Absolute power corrupts absolutely? If it's true for man, then it's true for us. You become the center of the world, shaping it as you see fit. There's very few who are capable of stopping you, your worst impulses as a nation and individual are hardly checked. How could you not fall into excess?" Hungary ventured to look into Austria's eyes now. "It's not a moral failing, please don't take it as such."

An interesting concept. Certainly seemed to be bound in the basis of reality. Still, he knew if it was true then he would be condemned as well. Austria's doubts nagged at him, he wanted her to be proved wrong but not to claim that victory for himself. "Can you give me any specific corruption?"

"Arthur's taste for vengeance turned into cruelty towards those deserving and undeserving. Francis' desire for control led to him successfully taking over a large portion of the world with an iron fist. And you," she paused. He nodded at her, giving her permission to go on. "And your need to be seen above all other's strips you of basic empathy and compassion for those weaker than yourself."

Austria considered that over for a second. He agreed with her on Britain and France. That was easy, accepting the flaws and downfalls of others. How loathe he was to self-reflect that deeply. He longed for counter-examples and wracked his long memory for one. His treatment of Bohemia for wanting to pick a non-Austrian ruler, his browbeating of the Protestant Germans, his repression of any who dissented too forcefully against his authority. He winced. The only recent example he had of benevolence was when Hungary threatened to stage a rebellion he knew she would win. "I suppose I see your point." No longer wanting the spotlight on him, he turned it on her. "Are you worried this will change you like it has the rest of us?"

Hungary chuckled. "No, not in the slightest. I've certainly been elevated, but this is all still yours. My only focus remains on the best interests of myself and my people." She waved a hand dismissively, suppressing a giggle. "I'll let you deal with the Balkans."

He rolled his eyes. How mighty big of her, letting him handle the most quarrelsome aspect of his, of their, lands. "Then why's this been on your mind?" She opened her mouth to protest, but Austria shot her a look. "Don't lie to me. You wouldn't have mentioned this out of nowhere if it wasn't troubling you." He forced his expression to soften. "You've got me interested now."

Erzsébet wrung the skirt of her dress in her hands. She focused intently on the way they messed with the fabric. "I'm worried about him, that's all." She felt the heat of Roderich's irritation rolling off him. She wished to stop herself, but couldn't once the words were out. "An earnest quest for empire, can you believe it? I've already seen it in his eyes. I fear he'll soon be returning to the blood lust he had in the Knights if he continues making war with impunity."

A familiar stab of annoyance hit him in the gut. Strangely, it was mixed with a tang of jealousy over what he didn't have. He bit his tongue until the end, his curiosity piqued. "Are you saying you want him to be put down?" Normally Austria would jump at the opportunity to be the one to do the crushing. His ego stung too much after losing to Prussia in less than two months. With France out of the picture, he had to hope Russia would get brazen.

"Put down is so strong. Beating Denmark was fine. I was displeased by his victory against us, I don't take joy in my men losing their lives and the war, but that was the normal cycle of things." She cleared her throat. "Successfully capturing Paris is another matter."

Austria nodded. This certainly was one of the many things recently troubling him. It was also one of the one's he did not care to discuss. The Prussian was an Icarus, he'd fly too close to the sun soon enough. And Erzsébet would be there to put him back together again when he fell, his insecurities taunted him. "It is, but it doesn't concern our state. He's made this bed and he'll lie in it. Alone."

Erzsébet's expression grew sheepish. "I shouldn't have brought this up, I'm sorry." Talking about this with him was a mistake. She should've confided in Feliks instead.

"Don't be, I asked. It only makes sense you would feel this way." A painful silence lay between them. Austria's fingers itched. A ridiculous part of him longed to impress her. He knew he was being childish, unable to deal with whatever feelings of inadequacy that whole conversation arose. He found himself unable to resist though. "May I play something for you? It always helps take my mind off things."

She shook her head. "Not right now. There's some paperwork I have to get to before the end of the night, you understand. Perhaps if I get finished with it early." Hungary rose and began exiting the room.

Desperation. He hated himself for it. "One second, Erzsi," he hesitated on her nickname. To his relief, she turned around without a hint of discomfort. His eyes focused on her despite how much he wanted to look away. "You're in love with him, still, aren't you?" The question was beyond that though. They both knew Roderich was asking if this - their marriage of equals, his forced kindness turning into genuine tenderness - had changed anything.

Hungary stared out the window. "Ah, that's certainly a question." If he studied her intently, he could notice the slightest of tremors. "My heart belongs to myself." She'd said those words before to a different man. They were as unconvincing then as they were the first time.

"You don't have to lie to me." More plead than request. Austria hated his own weakness.

"It's not you I'm lying to." Her hands returned to fidgeting with her dress. The habit made her look quite girlish. "Once acknowledged, the truth can be quite a dangerous thing. I need you to understand that."

"And if I don't?" His insolence surprised him. He cleared his throat. "What I mean is, it's better to deal with the truth now than to keep kicking it down the line. It only brings forth more pain." Roderich bid himself to be less honest. He didn't care if it made him a hypocrite, he just needed to stop making himself feel so much.

Erzsébet smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, you're not wrong." She met his gaze, steady and strong. "You're quite observant, Roderich. I believe you know the truth. It's not necessary for me to tell you."

He couldn't bear it anymore. Roderich stood and, within a few strides, was before her. He kissed her tenderly, his hands on her hips and softly pulling her towards him. It was futile, but it felt meaningful to him as all last-ditch efforts do. Their whole marriage felt futile, at the point where it was now fraying irreparably, despite their best efforts to change its course. Still, he found himself hoping and wishing to transport that feeling to her.

They parted. Her eyes carried such cruel pity. "You're becoming such a good man, Roderich. I missed this part of you." Her words cut him like a knife. Erzsébet didn't have to add that it was too late. She didn't have to remind him. She kissed him quick.

"I love you." The words game out fast. The first time he'd said them where it felt true. Giddy on the revelation, he offered it in Hungarian. Anything, anything to get the pity out of her eyes. "Please, Erzsi. You used to say it so often."

Erzsébet stepped back. "I did, didn't I?" She bit her lip. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart wouldn't quit aching for him. "I'm sorry, Roderich. You responded too late. It should've been different for us." She watched his heart break before her eyes. She wanted to offer a platitude, offer him something to console him. She'd never seen him this distraught before. She took his hand.

He laughed bitterly. The action was directed at himself, but she still appeared hurt. "How ridiculous. In the beginning, I knew how devoted you were and I didn't care. It irritated me, the goodness in your heart. I rejected you because I saw no benefit to loving you. Now, when you've understandably closed off to this careless monster - please don't disagree, we both know its true - you've been trapped with for all these years, well now I'm able to recognize how extraordinary you are." He smiled, if only to prevent himself from breaking down. "I resented any attempt you made to find the smallest joy in this hell. My deepest desire is now only to see you happy. I'm an idiot." Roderich paused, his voice becoming a whisper. "He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

She listened. Tears welled in her own eyes. The truth of it all hurt, but it needed to be said. She wished she could turn off her feelings, she wished it would be so easy to welcome him back unconditionally into her good graces. Erzsébet had become so used to how things were, she couldn't believe that this new loving behavior wasn't only temporary before things returned to their past resentment. She wanted to avoid his question, but knew she couldn't. She sighed. "He does."

The truth, the bitter truth. He knew it and, yet, he still needed to hear it. "Can't I make you happy instead?"

Erzsébet kissed him, sweet and slow. Roderich found himself still leaning in when there was no longer anyone there. "That would take longer than we have."

"But we have eternity." Begging, begging for her not to do what he knew was coming. She had just so recently entered his world, really entered it. He couldn't imagine being without her now.

"You know what I mean." Eyes downcast. "I don't know how much longer we can stay. But until then, you can try." She stroked his cheek. "I do appreciate the effort." She stepped back and it felt to Roderich like a world was between them. "Please, I need to do my work."

This time he didn't prevent her from leaving. She shut the door behind her and Roderich crumpled to the floor. He cursed himself, he cursed his pride and his disregard for what he'd had for so long. He cursed himself that he would never be able to keep her and that he would never stop performing the Sisyphean task of fighting for her. He'd go down a fool, but maybe now he could take pride in himself for having tried, for giving her a few years where she felt respected and valued. His tears fell and he let them. No, maybe he wouldn’t feel happiness, but to give it to her would be just the same.

#aph austria #hws austria #aph hungary #hws hungary #aushun #aph aushun #hws aushun #hetalia #aph #hws #hetalia fanfic #hetalia fanfiction

[janiedean]

Have you seen the latest drama re: Brian May's latest instagram posts (about BoRhap, accuracy, and representation)on tumblr and insta? If so, what do you think?

I’ve.... seen that wank peripherally and like I’m not even touching it with a ten foot pole but from what I gathered

he did say that the movie’s message got lost but it was still better than nothing to have it released - admittedly I don’t disagree because even if you watched a censored movie if you like it you’ll look into it and you’ll find out what was cut and it still will have done more than zero, even if ofc it’s not okay that it was censored period

but like the point is why it was censored, not what he thinks. like, don’t bitch at brian may, bitch at the fact that lgbt rights don’t exist in oman and it’s illegal to be out. like, I feel like a lot of this discourse misses the basic point ie that you have to criticize/question the governments that treat being lgbt as being a crime and so censor lgbt-themed movies, which oh wait casually in 90% of the cases are... theocracies without state/religion separation. I mean, russia isn’t and china doesn’t officially condemn it even if it’s censored, but not counting those two it’s the case for every single place in the world where being lgbt is a crime, can people maybe put two and two together and realize that that is the problem and not brian may’s opinions about whether it’s better that the movie is censored but released or not released at all?

because I mean, if your closeted fifteen year old gay kid in oman goes to see the censored version and knows freddie wasn’t straight from before he still gets the gist and he still can be inspired by freddie’s achievements, if he doesn’t know he wasn’t straight he’ll look it up later and he’ll find out, and he’ll feel better for it. if the movie isn’t released he doesn’t see it period and he’s not going to feel better whatsoever. like, obviously it’s better it’s out censored than not at all and it’s not ideal, but like.... idk if it were me, rather than leaving brian comments about how problematic he is (also he’s seventy+ honest guys you can’t expect him to be Woke TM about everything jfc) I’d try to find what charity I can spend twenty bucks on to help lgbt people in oman or whichever other country borap was released censored, but that’s me and my allergy to armchair activism

re the accuracy..... well I mean you can’t do an accurate biopic for someone’s entire life in two hours. it’s true. like, you can make an accurate one for a specific happening in someone’s life in two hours and it’s not even a given (I mean guys spielberg’s lincoln movie wasn’t exactly that accurate and it only covered *one* instance come on XDD), it’s taking peter morgan six seasons and more to do the pseudo biopic in a tv show for queen elizabeth and I’m sure not all of that is accurate either, what are we even arguing about? 

also he’s not wrong when he says we’re not as liberal as we might think and until forty years ago we censored everything too... and he’s hoping that in forty years they won’t censor lgbt movies either...? how is that a problem...?

idk it seems to me like if ppl wank over it they’re missing the point that they should see how to help out lgbt people in oman and the other countries where borap can’t be released if it’s not censored rather than arguing about brian may’s opinions which come from a seventy year old guy who is certainly not 100% up to par with social justice lingo from our generation nor uses social media the way we do and who obv. loved freddie and has good intentions and is not even saying such outlandish things, but that’s my two cents obv.

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #brian may for ts #i mean guys we srs #moviestorian #ask post

[buzzdixonwriter]

The Love Of Money As The Root Of All Evil

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.” -- Dwight David Eisenhower

People love their money.

They love their bargains.

They’ll rush to Wal-Mart to buy a plastic bowl for $1 rather than one at a local mom & pop shop for $1.50.

Of course, very little of that $1 they spent at Wal-Mart stays in their community -- a few pennies in the form of low wages, but then we have to add our tax money going for SNAP cards because Wal-Mart’s employees often don’t make enough to live on.

Not like the mom & pop shop, where the 50-cents extra they charged pretty much stayed in the community:  They paid for their house, they bought their kids clothes, put food on their table…

Mom & pop?  Working for Wal-Mart now.

Living in a cramped apartment, not that nice house they dreamed of retiring in.

The stores and businesses that depended on them spending their income in town?

Most of them have gone under, absorbed by Wal-Mart and other big box multi-national conglomerations.

As much as the moral scolds like to tell us Rome fell because they were decadent, the truth is Rome at its gladiatorial / orgy worse was Rome at the peak of its power and influence.

It fell after it split apart.

And it split apart because the Western half didn’t want to pay for the upkeep of the Eastern half, i.e., the business end of the empire.

The Eastern half needed roads and infrastructure and sound political government and armies (oh, lordie, how they needed armies) and the fat cat landed gentry in the Western -- protected by thousands of miles of terrain and sea from those who would do them harm -- refused to pay their fair share.

So Diocletian split the empire in twain, letting the greedy bastards to the west fend for themselves while he established a new empire that would eventually become known as Byzantium to the east.

The Western empire, what we think of when we refer to the Roman Empire, fell a little less than two centuries after that, overrun by Germanic tribes (we call them “barbarians” but the kneeslapper is they were Christians.

Byzantium stayed a going concern for about a millennia after that, but eventually it fell for the same reason:  The people taking the most out of the society refused to pay anything into it, and a younger / tougher empire (the Ottomans) came a’knockin’.

Without Pax Romana the Mediterranean world became a far more violent / perilous place.  Europe split up into a plethora of kingdoms / principalities / duchies constantly jostling with one another to take more money.

Oh, sometimes there were inventions and technological breakthroughs that added coins to the coffers, but mostly it was finding a neighbor who had something you wanted, figuring out their weakness, and taking it from them.

The Enlightenment strove for a better world, but it took money to be a philosopher in those days and since that wealth typically came from peasants / serfs / slaves doing all the grunt work while the philosophers sat around thinking noble thoughts, it didn’t take long for racism -- the belief that there are different races and some are inherently superior to others (and those deemed inferior were good for nothing but common labor in order to keep the philosophers philosophizing).

Mind you, there had been prejudice and bigotry and chauvinism before, but while Hebrews and Philistines may have hated one another, they at least recognized their common humanity.

They didn’t decree the other to be doomed to perpetual servitude due to their so-called race.

The Enlightenment and Christianity did much to poison the well in Europe and later in America, but they did have some positive points.

Both, despite the cruelties their practitioners ladled out on others, held high ideals of universal rights.

Those ideals would live on, and foster generations of thinkers and ethicists and moralists to come.

But the cruel side had its fans, too.

The colonies that would eventually become the various nations of the American continents (and let’s not forget Australia and New Zealand while we’re at it) all responded with varying degrees of success to those ideals.

They also offered plenty of opportunities for those who loved wealth above all else to flourish, inevitably at the expense of huge segments of their respective populations.

As faulty and as flawed as the American Revolution was, it ended up sowing the seeds for similar movements in other countries.

In France they took root just as the clock ran out for the aristocracy.

Just as in Rome and Byzantium, the French rulers realized they were heading towards disaster.  For a century and a half before the French Revolution, the various Louis would establish a royal commission made up of the best and the brightest in the kingdom, and had them examine the problem and offer a solution.

The solution was always the same:  The ones with the wealth needed to take less and put some of what they had back.

Nobody wanted to hear that (well, nobody with money) and that’s why the guillotines were dropping day and night.

Various trade and crafts guilds had sprung up at that time; al were hammered down.

Socialist movements and parties were started; they were hammered down.

Trade unions were formed; they were hammered down.

But the thing was each movement that got hammered down created a more brilliant and far tougher phoenix to replace it.

By the late 19th / early 20th century communism looked mighty good to a lot of people.

Again, the intransigence of the greedy (call them financiers or industrialists or robber barons or whatever) pushed the world into war yet again, this time bankrupting Germany, Austria, and Hungary (as well as finishing off the Ottomans, last seen sacking Constantinople).  

Around the world people clamored for more input, more control in their daily lives.

Czarist Russia -- brutal, heavy handed, autocratic czarist Russia -- fell to the Bolsheviks (who proved to be no less brutal, heavy handed, and autocratic than the czars).

Germany threatened to go down the same path and the industrialists and financiers -- who sure as hell weren’t missing any meals -- backed a crazy little ex-corporal who promised to keep the labor unions and the socialists and the communists under control.

We know how well that worked out.

In the United States, the wealth made their money directly or indirectly off the back of slave and immigrant labor, and when much to their great dismay the legal form of slavery disappeared, they found new methods of enforcing the old ways, which we now refer to as jim crow.

Poor whites weren’t much better off than their African-American neighbors, but as Lyndon Johnson observed:   ”If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."

The United States was not that much better than German when it came to race hatred.

Indeed, the Nazis -- even while condemning US segregation for propaganda purposes -- studied jim crow carefully and applied its lesson to non-Germans in their territories.

The wealthy 1% nearly destroyed the United States with the Great Depression, but the gratitude they showed to Roosevelt for saving capitalism was to undercut and fight him every step of the way.

Because, hey, if it wasn’t making money right now for them!!! then it had to be evil, right?

Right?

And just as the plantation owners in the antebellum South used propaganda to argue slavery was actually a good thing for those enslaved (because both the Bible and Darwin -- at least according to their readings -- said so), so did their spiritual / philosophical / and too damn often direct biological heirs with their anti-communist rants via the John Birch Society and other front groups.

Fred Koch, founder of the Koch family fortune, also founded the John Birch Society.

And let the record show that when the Koch family businesses operate within the law, they do nothing illegal.  They anticipate the ebb and flow of supply and demand and invest accordingly.  Nothing wrong with that -- but there’s a lot wrong with what they use the money for.

For generations Americans have been told that socialism is bad, that Marxism is a failure.

And the truth is socialism works when it’s used wisely, to put the brakes on the worst excesses of capitalism.

And Marx gets a bad rap for what he didn’t do; i.e., the spurious claim that he created the blueprints for world domination.

Marx was a brilliant diagnostician but woefully lacking as a hands on practitioner.

The thing is…Marx knew this and recognized it.

Das Kapital analyzed the problem of capitalism in the 19th century.

Marx never intended it to be the final word on the matter.

He wanted those who came after him to be constantly examining and critiquing the way politics and finance work, so that both systems could be constantly tweaked and modified.

His posthumous work, Grundrisse (short for “Fundamentals of Political Economy Criticism”) were not intended for publication but rather Marx’ own personal resource / reference notebooks for his other work.

He was never satisfied with it and put it aside, possibly because he felt the topic was too great for just one writer to expound on.

Of course, once he was dead nobody cared, and it was promoted as literally the last word on the topic when in reality it was filled with what Marx himself would acknowledge as half-baked ideas, concepts he was spitballing in an attempt to find the real, underlying truth.

Imagine somebody finds some wistful half-completed bucket list you leave behind when you die and tries to live their lives according to that.

Gives you an idea of the problem, no?

But just as the hard line communists in Russia embraced Grundrisse for their purposes, so did Fred Koch and the John Birch Society for their own purposes.

Koch was a businessman who dealt with Russia in the days before WWII.

(Most international money people are whores and will go wherever they can find a buck.)

He didn’t like what he saw -- a fair enough assessment -- but what scared him was that there was something in the underlying structure of Russian society that might be appealing to non-communists.

Remember what I said about the Enlightenment and Christianity?

Add Marxism to that.

It ain’t the solution to all the world’s ills, but damn, it ain’t wrong about the causes.

Now the way the Koch clan tells it, when Fred saw Red, he realized it was a brutal, unworkable economic system and to stop it from spreading, he needed to form the John Birch Society to keep it from taking root in America.

Hold that thought.

If a system is unworkable, just let it collapse.

In fact, as a capitalist you should be interested in propping it up as long as possible both in order to rake in as much cash off them as you can in the time they have left and to make its ultimate collapse an even bigger warning to future workers.

The Koch propaganda machine has been working for literally generations to keep Americans from examining what’s wrong with our system.

They embrace racism because it enables them to keep labor costs down by pitting one group against another.

They fund the evangelical fringe, not necessarily because they believe them, but because they can deliver large swaths of the voting population.

(And of course, many white evangelicals prove themselves to be bigots, so promising to get rid of their taxes and keep “those” kids out of their schools and neighborhoods goes hand-in-hand).

They made a couple of runs at getting their agenda pushed through -- notably with Goldwater (who failed) and Reagan (who didn’t) -- but their desire to take more money by rendering all form of socially just government regulations impotent has produced an unintended consequence.

Donald Trump.

Just as the mad little corporal tapped in on simmer racial and religious resentment in Germany, Trump has done the same here.

A lot of white people are scared that their day is O.V.E.R.

At current demographic projections, come 2048 white people will drop to only 49% of the population.

The largest minority in a nation of minorities.

That means they’ve going to have to learn to cut deals with other groups.

And those groups, because they were marginalized for literally centuries, have learned to be much more self-reliant, much more imaginative, much more focused, much more innovative.

African-American culture is going to dominate the United States in the second half of the 21st century and well into the 22nd.

I want us to walk away from the precipice.

I want us to recognize there is literally no future in burning down the house to make sure the black folks don’t get in.

I want us to recognize reasonable precautions and controls on capitalism do not make people poor but rather prevent poverty from ruining lives.

But I fear for this country.

A few other empires, as they started splintering, recognized their peril and took steps to minimize the chaos and impact.

It took ‘em a while, but England managed to learn to let go of its vast empire in peaceful / democratic / diplomatic ways that enabled them to maintain good relations with former colonies around the globe.

The Koch mentality can’t do that, I’m afraid.

It can’t abide the thought that somebody else has a say in how they do business for the simple reason that those people’s lives are adversely affected by choices the Koch empire makes.

But we as a nation need to also recognize we slit our own throats every time we place price first and foremost in our shopping.

The Trump supporters who bemoan the demise of their single industry towns never seem to realize the decline started when they began saving a few pennies by shopping at big box stores and franchise fast food restaurants.

In their desire to save a few pennies, they threw away family fortunes.

History offers some grim warnings about empires that slide into this level of oligarchy.

Rome fell.

So did Constantinople.

The guillotine blade fell again and again and again until finally people were willing to accept Napoleon in order to regain stability.

And Napoleon started wars that led to World War One…

…and World War One allowed Hitler to rise thanks to the industrialists and the financiers.

The 1% of their generation.

We have to be more informed and more insightful in our daily choices.

What profit a person if they save a few pennies, yet lose their soul?

  © Buzz Dixon

#capitalism #Marxism #socialism #morals #ethics #politics

[sarcasticcynic]

China has long been a primary purchaser of U.S. farm products. In 2014, for example, U.S. agricultural exports to China exceeded $24 billion. China has been “the largest importer of American soybeans and a top-three importer of American pork; overall, China is the fourth-largest importer of American agricultural goods.” From 2000 to 2017, U.S. agricultural exports to China increased by 700% overall.

Then along came “Tariff Man” and his pointless penis waving trade war.

From 2017 to 2018, U.S. agricultural exports to China fell more than 50 percent, dropping to $9.1 billion. And now, in response to Trump’s latest round of tariffs, “the Chinese Commerce Ministry announced that China will no longer be buying American agricultural products.” At all. None. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Bupkis.

Trump could not care less. He just wants to claim a win somehow. (Because, y’know, “Trade wars are good, and easy to win.”) He’s has already blown “as much as $28 billion” bailing out U.S. farmers and ranchers from the consequences of his trade war, and he’ll happily drive up the federal deficit even further and waste billions more tax dollars trying to bribe those same U.S. farmers and ranchers into voting for him again in 2020 despite the economic disaster he’s caused them. Hey, it’s not his money!

Besides, China will presumably continue buying from Russia instead, which pleases Trump’s good buddy Vladimir Putin. Maybe Putin will pay Trump another compliment, which would totally make all this worthwhile!

As you might guess from its name, the American Farm Bureau Federation tends to lean to the political right: the organization supports “mostly Republicans,” and, for example, opposes government efforts to combat global warming. Even the conservative Farm Bureau, however, is rather displeased with the results of Trump’s latest idiocy:

“China’s announcement that it will not buy any agricultural products from the United States is a body blow to thousands of farmers and ranchers who are already struggling to get by. In the last 18 months alone, farm and ranch families have dealt with plunging commodity prices, awful weather and tariffs higher than we have seen in decades. Farm Bureau economists tell us exports to China were down by $1.3 billion during the first half of the year. Now, we stand to lose all of what was a $9.1 billion market in 2018, which was down sharply from the $19.5 billion U.S. farmers exported to China in 2017.”

Doesn’t look as if those bribes are gonna work out for you, Donald!

But don’t get all smug, Democrats. Yes, Trump’s stupid trade war is hurting the economy, killing U.S. jobs, costing us billions, and increasing costs to every U.S. household. And in last night’s debate, every single Democratic candidate roundly condemned Trump for it. But not one of them offered an alternative suggestion for how to deal with China. And not one of them pledged to roll back Trump’s tariffs; some (Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg) even averred that they would leave the tariffs in place “for leverage.”

So yeah, we’re all pretty much screwed no matter what.

#business news #politics #Trade #China #trade war #tariffs #Trump #Donald Trump #President Trump #POTUS #Tariff Man #ignoramus #economy #agriculture #farmers #ranchers #soybeans #Russia #Putin #Vladimir Putin #Farm Bureau #American Farm Bureau #American Farm Bureau Federation #Democrats #2020 election

[monabela]

eey @rukkilill this is your @hwdevents Secret Spectres gift! as soon as the letters ‘SSSS’ caught my eye, I knew what prompt I’d be using, because... I love SSSS. I hope you like it! :D

of silence

characters/pairings: Estonia/Finland (could be read as platonic or romantic; not the focus)

word count: 1242 summary: This can’t be how it ends, Estonia thinks. After everything his people have been through, a stupid illness can’t be the end of them. And yet, he’s helpless against it.

warning: mentions of death and illness,, and badly described body horror

It’s the sixth day of what will later be called year 0 when Estonia sees Finland off on one of the last flights to leave Tallinn, hugging him hard in the hall of the nearly abandoned airport. Every tourist has been sent home, wherever possible, with several countries having closed their borders. Both Finland’s and Estonia’s governments have plans in that direction, although they’re waiting to see what Sweden and Russia will do.

It has been chaos, these past days. Not just in their corner of Europe, but all over the world, people are getting ill.

They’ve both been through pandemics, but it seems worse now that the lines of communication are so short. Spain sends updates on the original eleven patients, who are in his country, daily. They’re not bettering.

“Take care of your people, Est,” Finland tells him, fitting his hands around his jaw in that way he does. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too,” he replies. And, putting his own cold hands over Finland’s, “I love you.”

“Never doubted it.” He smiles. “I love you too.”

There’s no see you soon, Estonia realizes later, as if they both knew that they wouldn’t see each other for years to come, that the small stretch of sea between them would become an insurmountable barrier.

It’s late autumn, and when Estonia gets home after eating in Tallinn’s Old City—his people are resilient and refuse to close their shops and restaurants yet, even with the tourists gone—his phone vibrates with a message from Finland, telling him he got home safely and that he lost his dog in his snowy backyard. Estonia grins. He always manages to lose the fluffy white thing the second any snow hits the ground. She always turns up fine.

He sends a message back, and then one to his boss, asking for information on how many people are sick in his country now. It’s not enough that he can feel it, not yet. If this gets bad enough, he knows that he’ll start experiencing some symptoms of what they’re calling the Rash. Luckily, they don’t seem too bad. Nausea, vomiting. That rash, of course.

No one has died, and he prays it stays that way.

A wave of shock rolls across the world the next day, so palpable Estonia can feel it before he hears the news.

The Rash is deadly.

His government snaps into crisis mode. There’s talk about closing the borders immediately, about quarantining patients. Estonia still can’t feel them, but he guesses it won’t be long.

Latvia calls, sounding remarkably calm. His situation is much the same.

The second he hangs up, there’s a call from Finland.

“Hey, Fin—”

“Spain says they’re hiding something,” Finland bursts out. He’s never been patient. It makes Estonia smile, although the message worries him. The original patients, six now, are in Spain. If anyone would know, it’s him.

“Something like…”

Finland sighs, quiet for a moment. There’s chattering in the background. He must be dealing with his government too.

“Not sure. He seems distressed. Only used one exclamation point.”

That is severe, for Spain. For something to faze him at his age, it must be bad. Estonia takes his glasses off, rubs a hand over his eyes.

They’re both silent for a while, listening to the other’s background noises, his breathing. Neither of them is good with words, but they’ve learned to read each other in different ways.

Someone calls for Estonia.

“I have to go, Fin.”

“Yes, me too. I’ll let you know if I hear from Spain.”

“Thank you. Take care.”

“You too.”

The days pass silently. Literally, in many ways, as the citizens of Tallinn, of the rest of Estonia, finally cave and close up shop, relocate to family in the countryside, to one of the many islands. They’ve started quarantining newcomers there. Estonia hates it, but understands it’s for the best.

Updates from the rest of the world are becoming increasingly scarce. Journalists are staying home, by choice or necessity. The government members have scattered across the country. Only a handful remain in Tallinn.

Finland hasn’t found his dog.

They still speak every day, but the conversations are short.

“How many?” Estonia will ask, and Finland will tell him how many of his people are sick, that no one has died.

The day of the first confirmed Finnish death is the day Estonia discovers what Spain said the doctors were hiding. He thinks he knew, in hindsight. The harmony of his people, always at the back of his mind, has become discordant, and he wakes up short of breath on the seventeenth day.

He didn’t dream, certainly not the terrifying dreams Norway and Iceland report having.

It’s worse than that, because the Nordic brothers see things in their sleep, animals and people ripped apart by the Rash, the illness infecting their minds and tearing their sanity to shreds along with their bodies, until nothing remains of them but empty, monstrous shells.

It’s worse, because Estonia knows then, they’re not dreams.

He’s faced many horrors in his life, too many to count, and always emerged stronger. But he’s never looked at a thing carrying only the suggestion that it is—was?—human, with hollow eye sockets and torn flesh, and heard it plead for help with a voice piercing through his skull, like a shout rising above the harmony.

He can feel it’s one of his people. She’s one of his people. Or was. He stares at her. She stares back.

One of her arms is bent backwards unnaturally. She’s still using it. There are protrusions under her rash-torn skin that he fears could grow into something horrible.

“Hᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ,” the once-human horror rasps. Her torn vocal chords shouldn’t be working. Nothing about her should.

“How?” Estonia asks. “How can I help you?”

“Iᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛs.”

He clenches his eyes shut.

This can’t be it. After everything his people have been through, this can’t be how it ends. They don’t deserve that.

“I’m sorry,” he tells her. “I’m so sorry.”

Villages go quiet as winter sets in, while spring arrives. Estonia doesn’t feel sick, but almost wishes he did, as he knows he doesn’t because everyone who gets the Rash is lost to him, whether to death or something worse.

Finland radioes now, because Helsinki’s been evacuated, and he’s out on the lakes, where reception is bad.

The world is in disarray.

Estonia has eaten practically nothing for days to leave more for his people, when his boss finally decides to leave the mainland, effectively condemning it. Estonia knows there are people left out there, but also knows he can’t protect them alone, and can’t ask the weakened ones left here to risk their lives.

They all know who he is, what he is, now. He needs them together, because even if they’re all that remains, they are Estonia, more than he is.

He radioes Finland a last time before he leaves for the islands.

“It’s the end,” he says. Finland crackles an exhausted laugh. It’s been a long few months, and the ones ahead look longer yet.

“We’ll meet again, Est. In a year, or a century. I promise. Our people will get through this too.”

“I hope so. I really do.”

He prays, on the cold coast, in the old, pagan way he remembers, for the first time in centuries. It seems fitting.

The world is silent beyond the islands.

#rukkilill #hetaliawritersdiscord #aph estonia #hetalia #thanks for reminding me I have an ssss blog that's been dead for a year #which is now alive again #aph finland #u: apocalypse #u: canon #w: 2500 #on that language tree I'm pretty sure there's like a tiny leaf representing estonian #estfin