#he's a criminal promoting hate speech

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

I don't have an online source yet other than a tweet in Hebrew, but I heard a report about at least two Hamas divers who tried to invade Israel through the sea. The threat has been neutralized, but this shows once again, that as long as Hamas exists, the civilians in southern Israel are NOT safe. That's along with Hamas still firing rockets at Israeli civilians whenever they can.

This morning also saw another independent Palestinian terrorist attack, this time on one of the major roads leading into Jerusalem. Two Israelis have been stabbed and injured, a 25 years old man, and a 19 or 20 years old woman (I heard contradicting reports, so I'm citing both options). The terrorist was 15 years old, and has been neutralized. He reached the scene of the attack riding on electric bicycles. Just a reminder, inciting and recruiting a teenager to carry out a terrorist attack is morally wrong, if not downright criminal, and it should be where everyone's ire is directed.

The IDF has confirmed that it has killed a Hamas leader in Lebanon, Mustafa Hadi. He was in charge, among other things, of promoting terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets outside of Israel.

I've heard a journalist saying that there are enough aid trucks entering Gaza, the issue is that Hamas is confiscating about 60% of the humanitarian aid brought in. The info is confirmed in this article, about a new pilot the IDF is trying, to try and bypass Hamas. If the last attempt (which backfired) was to bring aid in from the south, and the IDF would secure it as it's transferred to the north (instead of handing it to local elements for the transfer), now they're going to check the trucks in the south, but bring them into Gaza directly in its northern part.

I've already expressed my POV about what is probably the worst speech given at the Oscars this year, maybe ever. Now, the Holocaust Survivors' Foundation has denounced the Holocaust-hijacking, anti-Israel speech at the Oscars as "factually incorrect and morally indefensible." The ADL sent out the same message.

I've already pointed out that the absolute majority of survivors were and are Zionist (as were many of the Jews murdered in the Holocaust), but I think it really matters that the survivors who are still around are using their own voices to speak out against this distorted narrative. Will this director and others like him, who have hijacked the Holocaust for their political messages, actually listen and apologize? I kind of doubt it. Holocaust survivors are to be listened to! ...But only if they're one of the 5 or so who hate Israel.

And while we're at it, it should also be mentioned that the red hand pin that many stars wore at awards ceremonies this year stems from a symbol featured in many anti-Israel protests, leading back to the 2000 brutal lynching and murder of two Israelis who took a wrong turn into the Palestinian city of Ramallah. I think it says a lot in itself, that Arabs in general and Palestinians in particular SAFELY walk around Jewish majority Israeli cities every day, or live in them, but Jews have to fear for their lives when they enter, even accidentally, Arab areas that have been ethnically cleansed of Jews. Regarding the red hand symbol, I'm not saying that every person using it fully understands its origin, that it became a feature of anti-Israel demonstrations only after the lynching, it was never spotted at them before that, it became a prominent feature of the Second Intifada (2000-2005), I'm also not saying this is the only use of a red hand as a protest symbol ever, so people who saw the pin would have easily been unaware of its origin in this context. But it feels like another sign of the same problem: people are ignorant about this conflict, yet they allow themselves the freedom to talk about it, or use its symbols and terms, without truly understanding them, and without seeming to care about the consequences. It's a bit like someone who might have watched Dukes of Hazard, and started wearing a pin of the Confederate flag, initially not knowing (but later also not showing any care for) why this would hurt the feelings of many African Americans.

Here's another reminder from November 2023, that informed people knowing about the origin of this symbol pre-dates the Oscars:

BTW, I should probably mention that the Italian press crew, which documented the lynching and the proudly presented bloodied hands of one murderer, shared the footage despite threats to their lives from Palestinians (while another Italian film crew threw that one under the bus, promising that their TV station abides by the rules of the Palestinian Authority, implying they comply with the PA's censorship of Palestinian-committed violence). An American news team from ABC, was attacked and prevented from documenting the lynching. A British photojournalist, Mark Seager, who tried to document the lynching as well, was attacked by Palestinians, his equipment was destroyed, and he said he would have nightmares for the rest of his life. Back in 2009, Fatah (the ruling party of the PA) used the lynching to claim they were more deadly towards Israelis than Hamas. ANYONE who lived through this, as many Israelis and Jews did, or even just heard about it growing up, would not easily forget the symbolism of the red hand in this context.

This is 13 years old Mai Zuheir abu Subeich.

She was an Israeli Arab Muslim Bedouine. She excelled as a student, and dreamed of being an English teacher. Family members say she was even already teaching her siblings and cousins. On Oct 7, she was killed when a Palestinian rocket from Gaza hit her home, in the Negev desert. This Ramadan, as IDF soldiers continue to fight in Gaza, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Bedouins and Druze, please remember they're fighting to keep the Muslim citizens of Israel safe from Hamas, too.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

#israel #antisemitism #israeli #israel news #israel under attack #israel under fire #terrorism #anti terrorism #hamas #antisemitic #antisemites #jews #jew #judaism #jumblr #frumblr #jewish #israelunderattack

[tomorrowusa]

Republicans and their media allies would prefer to have you fixate on Biden's age (just +3.5 years older than Trump) rather than on Trump's criminality and mental unfitness.

That cartoon was drawn before the State of the Union which may change some perceptions of Biden.

Joe Biden Got the Job Done

For over an hour on Thursday night, during the State of the Union address, President Joe Biden energetically presented a vibrant progressive agenda and repeatedly stuck it to Donald Trump. Yes, there were stumbles and linguistic slips, but Biden portrayed a vigor at odds with the caricatures that are constantly promoted by Trump and Biden detractors in the conservative media. Caricatures focusing on his age are then bolstered by seemingly endless coverage by the mainstream media. The president was aggressive from the git-go; Dark Brandon was in the room. [ ... ] Biden still looks and moves like he’s 81 years old, but he was engaged and engaging, bantering with and goading the Republicans. Biden talked policy details like a pro. He was far more cogent than Trump ever is during his rambling rants at campaign rallies. [ ... ] The heart (and soul?) of this speech was how Biden differentiated himself from Trump. Trump’s political narrative is dark and full of hate. In his speeches, he depicts America as a land of carnage or, as he recently put it, a “joke.” Poking fun at his age—”I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while”—Biden remarked, “My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America. Honesty. Decency. Dignity. Equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story. An American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That’s not me.” Biden offered a stark definition of the choice in 2024. The other guy is all about anger and division, and he endangers democracy overseas and here. He is fixated on identifying and denouncing his enemies, rousing tribalistic ire, and amassing his own power. Biden presents himself as the guy who cares about the country as a whole and has a long to-do list for the benefit of many. And, perhaps best for Biden, at a time when questions about his age and capabilities have assumed a supersized role in the campaign, he showed he can fight.

Donald Trump is a person who rants about becoming a dictator, declares vengeance against perceived enemies, and has no respect for institutions of American democracy. He should be a candidate for a straitjacket – not the Oval Office.

#joe biden #state of the union #sotu #dark brandon #democrats #the democratic party is pro-freedom #donald trump #trump is psychologically unfit #dictator on day one #“biden's age” is the “but her emails” of 2024 #vote blue no matter who #election 2024 #rob rogers

[odinsblog]

Musk reactivated the accounts of Brazilian far-right politicians Carla Zambelli, Gustavo Gayer, and Nikolas Ferreira. Ferreira, a Bolsonaro supporter, openly questioned the security of Brazil’s electronic voting machines, even though he won his local legislative race.

“All of these names have been problematic for years on social media,” says Flora Rebello Arduini, campaign director at the nonprofit advocacy organization Ekō. “They've been pushing for the far-right and election misinformation for ages.”

When Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, later renaming it X, many activists in Brazil worried that he would abuse the platform to push his own agenda, Arduini says. “He has unprecedented broadcasting abilities. He is bullying a supreme court justice of a democratic country, and he is showing he will use all the resources he has available to push for whatever favors his personal opinions or his professional ambitions.”

Under Musk, X has become a haven for the far right and disinformation. After taking over, Musk offered amnesty to users who had been banned from the platform, including right-wing influencer Andrew Tate, who, along with his brother, was indicted in Romania on several charges including with rape and human trafficking in June 2023 (he has denied the allegations). Last month, one of Tate's representatives told the BBC that "they categorically reject all charges."

A 2023 study found that hate speech has increased on the platform under Musk’s leadership. The situation in Brazil is just the latest instance of Musk aligning himself with and platforming dangerous, far-right movements around the world, experts tell WIRED. "It's not about Twitter or Brazil. It's about a strategy from the global far right to overcome democracies and democratic institutions around the world," says Nina Santos, a digital democracy researcher at the Brazilian National Institute of Science & Technology who researches the Brazilian far right. “An opinion from an American billionaire should not count more than a democratic institution.”

This also comes as Brazil has continued working to understand and investigate the lead-up to January 8, 2023, when election-denying insurrectionists who refused to accept right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro’s defeat stormed Brazil’s legislature. The TSE, the country’s election court, is a special judicial body that investigates electoral crimes and is part of the mechanism for overseeing the country’s electoral processes overall. The court has been investigating the dissemination of fake news and disinformation that cast doubt on the country’s elections in the months and years leading up to the storming of the legislature on January 8, 2023. Both Arduini and Santos believe that the accounts Musk is refusing to remove are likely connected to the court’s inquiry.

“A life-and-death struggle recently took place in Brazil for the democratic rule of law and against a coup d'état, which is under investigation by this court in compliance with due legal process,” Luís Roberto Barroso, the president of the federal supreme court, said in a statement about Musk’s comments. “Nonconformity against the prevalence of democracy continues to manifest itself in the criminal exploitation of social networks.”

Santos also worries that Musk is setting a precedent that the far right will be protected and promoted on his platform, regardless of local laws or public opinion. “They are trying to use Brazil as a laboratory on how to interfere in local politics and local businesses,” she says. “They are making the case that their decision is more important than the national decision from a state democratic institution.”

Though Musk has claimed to be a free-speech advocate, and X’s public statement on the takedowns asserts that Brazilians are entitled to free speech, the platform’s application of these principles has been uneven at best. In February, on order of the Indian government, X blocked the accounts Hindutva Watch and the India Hate Lab in India, two US-based nonprofits that track incidents of religiously motivated violence perpetrated by supporters of the country’s right-wing government. A 2023 study from the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard found that X complied with more government takedown requests under Musk’s leadership than it had previously.

In March, X blocked the accounts of several prominent researchers and journalists after they identified a well-known neo-Nazi cartoonist, later changing its own terms of service to justify the decision.

—Elon Musk Is Platforming Far-Right Activists in Brazil

#politics #brazil #elon musk #disinformation #twitter #nikolas ferreira #misinformation #libertarians #fascists #fascism #elon musk is an enemy of democracy #democracy #eugenics musk #apartheid clyde #crypro grifters #techno grifters #crypto bros #election interference #electioneering

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Michael de Adder, Washington Post

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 31, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

The second Summit for Democracy organized by the White House concluded yesterday with an invitation to a third summit, to be held in Costa Rica later this year. The second summit was not just a United States party: its virtual sessions were co-hosted by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia. Over the course of three days, participants from more than 100 countries discussed ways to surge resources to reformers during democratic openings, address inequality, promote economic growth, combat corruption, advance the status of women, promote media freedom, encourage youth political participation, combat hate speech, strengthen unions, and defend the rule of law.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden congratulated the attendees for helping to make democracy work, turning the tide against autocracies. In the U.S. he said, “we’ve demonstrated that our democracy can still do big things and deliver important progress for working Americans.” As ordinary Americans have seen lower costs for prescription drugs and health insurance premiums, progress on rebuilding infrastructure, innovation, and policies to address climate change, they have, Biden said, “resoundingly and roundly rejected the voices of extremism attacking and undermining our democracy.”

Biden highlighted the ways other countries are advancing democracy: Angola is trying to build an independent judiciary, the Dominican Republic and Croatia have combated corruption. Biden called out “many other countries…from countries taking the first steps toward reform to well-established democracies of people making real changes to protect and strengthen their democracy.” The work of democracy “has never been easy,” he said. It “is hard work. The work of democracy is never finished. It’s never laid down and that’s it, all you have to do. It must be protected constantly.”

He continued: “We have to continually renew our commitment, continually strengthen our institutions, root out corruption where we find it, seek to build consensus, and reject political violence, give hate and extremism no safe harbor.”

The U.S. has invested in global democracy by committing more than $1 billion to shore up government transparency and accountability, support media freedom, fight international corruption, defend elections, and promote technology that advances democracy. It intends, Biden says, to commit $9.5 billion over three years.

Protecting democracy, the president said, “is a defining challenge of our age.”

Today, Leslie B. Dubeck, the general counsel for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, wrote to Representatives Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary; Bryan Steil (R-WI), chair of the House Committee on House Administration; and James Comer (R-KY), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, to warn them that their attacks on Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg and his office were “unlawful political interference.”

Jordan, Steil, and Comer have tried to intervene in the district attorney’s investigation of former president Trump. Even before a grand jury of ordinary citizens voted to file charges against Trump, the three men demanded the district attorney share with them confidential information about the state of the investigation. The district attorney did not give it to them because, as Dubeck said, “our Office is legally constrained in how it publicly discusses pending criminal proceedings,… as you well know. That secrecy is critical to protecting the privacy of the target of any criminal investigation as well as the integrity of the independent grand jury’s proceedings,” she wrote.

She called their interference “unnecessary and unjustified” and reminded the men that Congress has no jurisdiction over individual criminal investigations. Nor does it have jurisdiction over state investigations. “The Committees’ attempted interference with an ongoing state criminal investigation—and now prosecution—is an unprecedented and illegitimate incursion on New York’s sovereign interests,” she wrote.

Dubeck noted that the men were reportedly working closely with Trump to attack the district attorney’s office and the grand jury process, making it seem that “you are acting more like criminal defense counsel trying to gather evidence for a client than a legislative body seeking to achieve a legitimate legislative objective.”

Dubeck noted that Trump has been threatening Bragg personally and warning that his indictment might unleash “death & destruction.” She pointed out that the three men, as committee chairs, “could use the stature of your office to denounce these attacks and urge respect for the fairness of our justice system and for the work of the impartial grand jury.” Instead, they and their colleagues were collaborating with Trump to attack the justice system as politically motivated. “We urge you to refrain from these inflammatory accusations, withdraw your demand for information, and let the criminal justice process proceed without unlawful political interference,” she wrote.

Dubeck concluded by noting that subpoenaing the district attorney for information about an ongoing state criminal prosecution, as they threatened to do, was “unprecedented and unconstitutional” and expressed hope they would “make a good-faith effort to reach a negotiated resolution.”

Also today, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled in favor of Dominion Voting Systems in a key point of the company’s lawsuit against the Fox News Corporation for defamation. The ruling also established the central point for dismissing the story that Trump had won the 2020 election. Davis wrote—in italics—“The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that [it] is CRYSTAL clear that none of the Statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true.”

The Fox News Corporation had argued that the false statements of its hosts claiming that the voting system had thrown the 2020 presidential election to Biden were not defamatory because they were opinions. In his decision the judge went through the statements, calling out 20 occasions on which lies were stated as facts and similar occasions on which deliberately omitted material changed the meaning of what was presented.

The judge has determined that the hosts’ statements were false. Now the case will go to a jury trial in April to determine whether Fox hosts knew they were lying and whether Dominion sustained damages from the defamation. The company is suing for $1.6 billion.

In the last stop of her Africa visit, Vice President Kamala Harris today was in Zambia, which co-hosted this week’s Summit for Democracy. Neither Harris nor Biden will comment in any way about the impending indictment of the former president. At a press conference in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, today, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal reminded Harris that she had “spoken about democracy and the rule of law at every stop in Africa,” and asked her to comment on news of the indictment.

When she declined, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema stepped forward. “[L]et’s remove names from your question,” he said.

“Let’s put what we decided we will do to govern ourselves in an orderly manner. First, our constitutions, bedrock law. Then, secondary laws, other regulations create a platform or framework around which we agreed, either as Americans or as Zambians, to govern ourselves.  And so, to live within those confines.

“And when there’s transgression against law, it does not matter who is involved. I think that is what the rule of law means.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #political #vp kamala harris #Hakainde Hichilema #Zambia #Democratic Rule #Rule of Law #Corrupt GOP #Summit for Democracy

[texasobserver]

From “The New Children’s Crusade: Recruiting for America’s Culture War” by Texas Observer McHam Investigative Fellow Josephine Lee, in the March/April 2023 issue of our magazine:

Wearing a blue America First cap, 19-year-old Max White stood among a dozen protesters, softly mouthing the Hail Mary prayers over and over: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” 

Around White flew the flags of right-wing extremist groups, including the American Nationalist Initiative and the New Columbia Movement, carried by men who looked to be in their 20s, strapped with rosaries or assault rifles or both. On a cloudless January day in Dallas, they faced off against a group of nearly 100 community members who showed up to support the drag show performance that White and his peers were protesting. 

“I started going to these events last year, starting with the Pride event in Oak Lawn. … I was like, ‘If these people are going to go and protest this kind of stuff, just perverse sexual stuff for kids, I’m going,’” he said. 

Since he was 16, White has been following young white-supremacist agitator Nick Fuentes and groups like Protect Texas Kids, which has been targeting drag shows in North Texas, including the one that day in Dallas. The organization was founded and is directed by recent college graduate Kelly Neidert, who achieved notoriety by calling for transgender people to be criminalized and Pride event participants to be “rounded up” while she was the chapter chair of the Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) at the University of North Texas in Denton. Now she is using the activism skills she learned from YCT to lead other young conservatives like White, a freshman political science major who hopes to become a lawyer one day.

“You have all these groups that are weaponizing young people in ways that we really haven’t seen before,” conservative political consultant Micah Bock told a group of teenagers and younger children to thunderous applause at last fall’s Texas Youth Summit. As he spoke, young girls at the front of the crowd took notes with their pom-pom pens bobbing. 

It’s all part of a nationwide effort by multiple well-funded groups, many of which originated or are based in Texas, to mobilize young people, mainly Christian youth, to engage in right-wing politics. These groups and their leaders are part of a roll-call of Christian nationalist power players who defend the January 6 riots, promote hate speech, and aim to build their economic and political power by instilling Christian and constitutional “originalism” in the public sphere. To achieve their goals, they are increasingly defending the use of violence, particularly anti-LGBTQ+ violence, which has shot up in frequency since the start of 2022. 

What’s more, the leaders of the movement are set on convincing young people, starting even before high school, that they are the underdogs in this fight—the under-funded rebels fighting a rich, powerful leftist establishment–and that what they’re engaged in is a holy war for America’s soul. 

The movement is meeting opposition from more progressive Christian leaders. 

“What I think they really are concerned about is their loss of a privileged place in terms of influence and power. I think Christian nationalism is being used as a tool to maintain and to galvanize that power,” said Fort Worth Pastor Michael Mills, an outspoken critic of that movement. 

“It feels a little bit like a form of indoctrination [in which] these poisonous ideas are passed from one generation to the next,” he said. “If there are no checks on that, it’s almost like, [as] each generation gets older, they get more and more dangerous, in a sense. And that’s the scary part.”

Read more on the Texas Observer.

(📸 Drag protest photos by Shelby Tauber / Buttons photographed by Josephine Lee)

#far right extremism #political extremism #transphobes #conservatism #extremism #radicalisation #drag show #lgbtq #dallas #Texas

[umbranocturnes]

_Introduction...

Greetings everyone, I am Umbra Nocturne also Umbra Nocturnes. (Umbra Nocturne is my writing alias, Umbra Nocturnes is for art related to my writing. It's only a letter off so no real difference lol) This will be my official Tumblr blog! I will be posting content relevant to my two book series tentatively titled "The Violinist" and "As Above so Below". I am a LGBTQIA+ writer / artist and Aro-Ace Non-Binary (They/them (you may also use he/him) )

I take commissions! You can find the information in my carrd link as well as other socials for my original work [Here]!

Also, I am neurodivergent so the way I interact with people might seem strange. I suffer from pretty debilitating mental illnesses, so I'm not perfect, I try to do better when I make mistakes so please be patient with me. I might be "jumpy" or extremely defensive as I work through this mentally and get more comfortable with Tumblr and its community. It's not an excuse and I do apologize if it happens but it is a warning.

IF you want more stuff from me I also have a fandom blog! I am in several fandoms and I also role-play! I will mention it at a later date!

You can find me and my original content here:

Instagram: @/_umbranocturnes_ [HERE] [main platform]

Discord: [Ask]

Twitter: @/umbra_nocturne [HERE] [not active I will delete that hell hole app eventually-]

Artfol: Umbra_Nocturnes [HERE] [semi-active]

Sections:

Censorship & Context

Book Series Summaries [Content summaries]

Final Warnings and Statements

_Disclaimer!...

My stories/art revolve heavily around historical themes related to military history! One of my series takes place during the Second World War and contains both axis and allied characters. I also work with content from: The Great War (WWI), The Victorian Era, Medieval Europe, and misc timelines! If content containing explorations of: WWII, mental illness, death, trauma, injuries/wounds, persecution/discrimination, war crimes, fictional axis characters (n-zis and others), real historical events and other affiliated content disturbs you it's best to move past my blog.

I in no way want to glorify or promote harmful ideologies / hate groups. I do not support hateful ideologies of the time periods my content takes place in! My stories are historical-fiction not everything is real! I might create fictional events, characters, and or organizations so don't expect 100% accuracy.

_Censorship...

This blog will be heavily censored.

Censorship will range from blacking out / blurring, written warnings, or omitting, it heavily depends on context. I am not a monolith, I am not an expert, so do your own research and fact check! I will give as much context as I can with the knowledge of history I have. I am nowhere near done with research, so my context might be inaccurate. (It's not my intent to be misleading it happens, feel free to correct me if you know more about something than I do but ALWAYS cite your sources please!)

I will be mindful to censor to the best of my ability: names of real war criminals, faces of real war criminals, criminal organizations (EG: Nazis), Hate symbols, Hate Speech/Slurs, graphic depictions of war/war crimes etc...

Context is very important in historical settings. I chose different methods of censoring based on the context of a work. Not everything on this blog will be censored, it all depends on context.

Writing (if I post any) will have a warning message something like: (WARNING: the following section contains uncensored depictions of (X thing)! Please skip ahead to the red - - - - - to avoid it!) Then you can scroll to a dashed red line and bypass the content.

I will have a TW tag for each post so you can blacklist specific tags! It will be (( #TW: [insert name] ))

If you run across something in my work that you feel should potentially be censored please reach out through DMs and tell me! Sometimes I miss things, I am not a monolith, people make mistakes, it's not intentional and I appreciate people letting me know so I can fix them.

_Book Summaries!...

Let's get into something fun shall we?

"The Violinist" -

Is a story set during WWII. Beginning in 1941, we follow a man named Setheroth Noctus who is brought back from the dead as a undead being and is again thrown into a life of war. Caught in the events of the Second World War, he joins up with his old lord Valerius as an allied spy working with the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and other British intelligence organizations to spy on the Germans from within the ranks of high command itself. Setheroth struggles with leading a double life as a fraudulent high-ranking SS commander with men under his command, and being a saboteur serving the British crown and the Allies dismantling the nazi war machine. He faces constant internal struggle and along the way makes unexpected allies and discovers more about himself than he bargained for. This story also follows along with the misadventures of one Brahm Faulkner a British physician and long time friend of Valerius as he and his friends struggle to live their lives in war-torn Britain and across the Allied fronts. The events of the war change their lives irrevocably forever.

(This story contains LGBTQIA+ pairings, LGBTQIA+ main characters and supporting characters as well as drama, tragedy, romance, suspense, historical-fiction, an supernatural elements. It is a fictional war story. An no I would like to clarify- it's not just "bury your gays" / nazi victims. They are proper characters who have influence on the plot.)

"As Above so Below" -

A collection of short stories (document) containing lore of my world's dead beings. It builds upon concepts used in "The Violinist". Some short stories follow important characters throughout events in the dead realm's collective histories and provides insight into how they live. However this is not a true "story" it's more like lore. (Think DnD manuals or Tolkien's "Silmarillion" on a smaller less epic scale lol-) There are two realms, that of the living and that of the dead. The dead realms are inaccessible to humans but all manner of dead beings reside there in. The dead realms encircle our living one ever expanding and invisible to mortals. There are three realms that make up the "dead realms" Elysium in the upper-most divide with Tenebraeyl and Oblivion residing on the lower division. Elysium and Tenebraeyl are home to unique dead being races, and are ruled over by a council of lords and a "King" that rules over all. Tenebraeyl will come to know two kings, Luzifer and Death bound by marriage. Elysuim is resided over by Heliyos and Oblivion by none. A realm of ash and vast grey desert nothing resides where dead being's ashes return. Only one man has ever resided there, Belial the traitor of Tenebraeyl and a entity responsible for unfathomable destruction.

(This also contains many LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships. It is lore with dark "gothic" overtones, high-fantasy, drama, historical anachronisms, ""comedy"" etc... (A Song of Ice and Fire (GoT) but with way more supernatural beings and queers behaving both good and badly.))

_Final Warnings & Statements...

I do not tolerate bigotry!

Although some of my work is set in the darkest points of history and may contain characters who act/think in bigoted ways, I the admin DO NOT support bigots! If you believe in the ass backwards terrible shit the nazis and others perpetrate GET OUT! My blog is not a safe space for neo-nazi extremists, reichblr, wehrbos or anyone else who romanticizes fascism and seeks to suppress people's rights. I am part of the LGBTQIA+ community and I will NOT tolerate discrimination even from within its own fucking ranks. (Looking at you LGB movement- fuck you, you are just quiet cowardly forms of bigots.) Despite the nature of some content I deal with, I am a LGBTQIA+ friendly admin and endeavor to make my work as safe/avoidable as I can given its nature.

2. I do not support nor condone the use of AI generated work or NFTs for profit or otherwise!

I do not consent to my work being used for AI generated work of ANY SORT. Even recreational, I do not consent to it. Also goes for NFTs. Do what you want with your own work but not mine.

3. I am keeping current/modern politics off this blog.

I keep most of my political opinions to myself and away from my socials for the sake of my own sanity. Do not assume that the things I post are reflective of my views on current politics, that is very wrong. Modern politics are a huge trigger for me and this blog is my safe space away from it. So this account is a "modern politics free zone" 95% of the time! Anything post Cold War is most likely not on here.

4. Sometimes I might share funny history meme nonsense but let's keep jokes sensible.

We can have history jokes and memes but I DO NOT appreciate jokes from certain assholes. No, your holocaust jokes are not funny they are shitty and offensive. You don't have "dark humor" you're just a asshole. History jokes can be funny- yes I still laugh at the Caesar salad with knives joke and yes a good Sabaton meme will send me to my grave but some things are just not good to laugh at. Keep in mind the context of your jokes. Is the thing you are making fun of something that is serious that you probably shouldn't be laughing about with strangers online? If the answer is yes, just don't say it friends.

[Updated: 02/02/24]

#ww2 oc #historical oc #original art #original character #my oc #oc artist

[rebrandtdebibls]

Equality Court in Madibeng at he Brits Magistrates Court. Case number  EQ09-2021

Equality Court in Madibeng at he Brits Magistrates Court. Case number  EQ09-2021

In the Matter of Discrimination: I Dr RB De Beer at More street 20 Brits born 16.09.1971

Declare to the Respondent:

Professor Helen Rees and SAHPRA and Daphne Fafudi.

The accusations brought before the court in the face of “prima facie” the statements made by the accused. Without prejudice to any remedies of a civil nature under this Act, the court may, in accordance with section 21 (2) (n) and where appropriate, refer any case dealing with the publication, advocacy, propagation or communication of hate speech as contemplated in subsection (1), to the Director of Public Prosecutions having jurisdiction for the institution of criminal proceedings in terms of the common law or relevant legislation. In the first instance, the accused is guilty of having published material that can reasonably be understood as discriminatory. In the second instance, the accused is guilty of denying the fundamental rights of traditional doctors, specifically in law: the full and equal enjoyment of all rights of Act.22 of the THP's and freedoms there from. In the third instance, the accused is guilty of having pleaded false under oath before the court. In the fourth instance, the accused is guilty of advocating for material that can reasonably be understood as propaganda to harm and reasonably be understood to incite hatred for traditional doctors. In the fifth instance the accused is guilty of disseminating and advocating  information that unjustly discriminates. And demonstrates the clear intention to deny the fundamental rights of traditional doctors before the public specifically in law: the full and equal enjoyment of all rights of Act.22 of the THP's and freedoms there from and the Bill of Rights.

1.

In Mrs Daphne's testimony in the points three and four and point five she fails to point out to the court that sahpra has no authority over the products prescribed by traditional doctors.

2.

In response to the statement made on 28.10.2021 By the accused: Point 13 mentions criminal transgressions which according to the deponent must be corrected by criminal procedure. Almost three years have passed since the statement made by the accused to the press today, the police have proceeded to the systematic arrest of traditional doctors to date of my knowledge in more than 300 people acting on a legal assumption made from what I understand from Ms. Daphne.Statement.

From this statement it is understood that Ms. Daphne persists in not coming to terms that the denial of a right to a person is discrimination. In law specifically: Traditional health Practitioners; have the right to equal protection and benefit of the law: this includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights of Act.22 of the THP's and freedoms there from and the Bill of Rights. To promote the achievement of equality, of tradiotional health with legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance 

persons, for traditional health and the categories of traditional health practitioners. This includes:

Every THP has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected. Every THP has the right to life and the security and the control over their body. Every THP  has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion. Every THP has the freedom to receive or impart information or ideas. Every THP has the right to freedom of association. Every THP has the Freedom of trade, occupation and profession. No THP may refuse medical treatment.

3.

In the press statement the Police and sahpra;  state THP’S committed a crime. And they suggest that there is a sentence to be atoned and there is a legal process where traditional doctors will be found guilty of drug dealing: such a declaration requires that the judiciary to take a made decision that traditional doctors cannot prescribe hemp as a medicine. The police asked the public prosecutor to initiate a legal procedure where the Act. 22 of the parliament of 2007 THP’S Act. “ What is medicine” is rewritten as it requires the limitation of the rights granted. This decision requires that medical evidence brought before the constitutional court be overturned. Zondo Act. page 40 case cct 108/17 Present clinical experience suggests that cannabis does not produce physical dependence or abstinence syndrome. Such legal procedure requires that the magistrate of the judiciary make a legislative and non-judicial decision. The procedure in place before the magistrates court exceeds the judicial responsibility as the decision would have legislative consequences. And continue systemic discrimination and inequalities, particularly in respect of spheres of life as healthcare as a result of past and present unfair discrimination, brought about by colonialism, the apartheid system. And none the less If any conflict relating to a matter dealt with in this Act arises between this Act and the provisions of any other law, other than the Constitution or an Act of Parliament expressly amending this Act, the provisions of this Act must prevail. The police arrested more than 300 people to my knowledge without ever having one sentence: which should be the first purpose of the detention and arrest of the person that such accusations can then result in a sentence to be expiated or to be paid financially according to the criminal act contrary to law.

4.

I do not accept Ms Daphne's testimony as she is not the person sued and is not the person legally appointed as responsible of sahpra. I only accept:

The deponent as a witness and accused on account as the redatte of the press release: the final draft of the contents must be approved by the board or the person appointed head of sahpra. So I do not accept the testimony of the respondent number two as respondent number one, respondent number one Helen Rees must answer personally as has to be the last person to make the decision in the press statement and the accused one and two are advocating for material that can reasonably be understood as propaganda to harm and reasonably be understood to incite hatred for traditional doctors.

5.

In response to Ms Daphne's statement that she is authorized by Ms Rees from the sahpra parastatal association to act on their behalf: I reply below to the statements made by Ms Daphne as sahpra.

6.

As mentioned in point 12 of Ms. Daphne's statement: the statement does not distinguish between the illegal sale of Hemp and medical treatment. We THP’s have medical institutions complete with doctor’s. With patients with rights to of treatment marked by human relations that are caring and compassionate according to their culture, philosophy and personal medical beliefs and needs. Zondo Act. page 40 case cct 108/17 Present clinical experience suggests that cannabis does not produce physical dependence or abstinence syndrome. To read with THP’S ACT OF 2007 OF PARLIAMENT.  What is medicine. 

7.

Point 13 statement.

As stated in point 13 sahpra has no authority over the products prescribed by traditional doctors and any part of the THP’s Act. 22 of the parliament of South Africa of 2007. The statements made has no legal value but Being discriminatory and degrading in nature in itself. Being outside their jurisdiction and not in the confines of the authority of sahpra. The accusation of illicit drug trade by Daphne based on the accusation in her opinion that the Traditional Health Practitioners Act.22  has been manipulated: in what sense can a given document be manipulated? The accused is disseminating and advocating  information that unjustly discriminates. And demonstrates the clear intention to deny the fundamental rights of traditional doctors before the public specifically in law: the full and equal enjoyment of all rights of Act.22 of the THP's and freedoms there from and the Bill of Rights.

#afrikaans #south africa #botswana #zambia #zimbabwe #lgbtq

[pashterlengkap]

Deranged men shout down pastor trying to deliver Pride church service in possible hate crime

A Pride-themed church service on Sunday in Connecticut was interrupted by shouting as two men approached the pulpit and accused the pastor of promoting sexual activity among parishioners. According to the Rev. Greg Gray, pastor at the Congregational Church of Christ in Enfield, the men arrived about an hour before and kept to themselves. --- Related Stories Small-town mayor bravely stands up to hecklers & conservative Christians to declare June Pride Month People shouted “Lord have mercy” and “bulls**t” as the mayor declared the town’s opposition to “hate, abuse, discrimination.” --- “They were sitting together but not participating in the worship,” Gray told the Middletown Press. He said he sensed right away that they looked out of place. Get the Daily Brief The news you care about, reported on by the people who care about you. Midway through the service, as Gray was delivering his sermon, the two men made their way to the pulpit and started yelling their accusations. The men fled and were later located by police, who said they were talking with the state’s attorney about possible hate crime charges. “If there is a criminal offense, it would be a disorderly conduct breach of the peace,” Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox told WFSB in Hartford. “We’d have to look at the applicability of the hate crime statute.” The men were given a trespassing notice and released. The men didn’t bring weapons into the church and their protest didn’t result in violence, said Rev. Grey, but they are banned from the house of worship. Gray said he resumed the service about five minutes after the incident and asked parishioners if they had felt threatened. “A number of people raised their hands,” he said, adding several of them were straight. “This is the kind of attack queer people feel all the time,” Gray said he told the congregation. A vigil for the community is planned for Wednesday evening at the church. “This kind of behavior has no place in our church or our town,” Gray said. “When hate is strong, love louder.” “I’m thankful they’re sending people our way,” he said.  Police Chief Fox said officers will be present at the vigil. A church in #Enfield was having a Pride celebration during their Sunday morning service when two men disrupted the ceremony with hate speech. Pastor Greg Gray of Enfield’s United Church of Christ wants to make it very clear: this is not okay. pic.twitter.com/CIH2C3qfzl— WFSB Channel 3 (@WFSBnews) June 25, 2023 http://dlvr.it/SrLMdx

[brijeshtiwaripune]

Social Media Star Andrew Tate faces charges of human trafficking and rape in Romania

Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer, along with his brother Tristan and two associates, has been charged with rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime group for s****l exploitation . The defendants are accused of recruiting seven alleged victims through false promises of love and marriage and subjecting them to intimidation, surveillance, and forced debt . It is alleged that they forced the women into pornography and shared it on social media . The trial is expected to take several years, and additional charges, including money laundering and trafficking of minors, are still under investigation. Andrew Tate gained notoriety in the past for his controversial statements about women and was previously removed from the TV show Big Brother. The indictment states that the defendants formed a criminal group to commit human trafficking in Romania and other countries, recruiting alleged victims through false promises. The victims were taken to buildings in Romania, where they were subjected to surveillance, control, forced debt, and coerced into participating in p****graphy shared on social media. One of the defendants is accused of rape. Andrew Tate, known for spreading hate speech and misogyny, has faced previous bans on social media platforms. He has a history of expressing provocative and misogynistic views, which has generated significant controversy. However, Tate denies promoting misogyny or manipulating women for financial gain. The trial of Andrew Tate and his co-defendants is pending, and a judge is currently reviewing the case files. The process may take several years before the trial commences. Tate and his legal team have expressed their intention to prove their innocence and protect their reputation. It is important to note that the information provided is based on the charges and allegations against Andrew Tate and the ongoing legal process. The final outcome of the trial will be determined by the court based on the evidence and arguments presented. Please keep in mind that the above information is based on the provided internet sources and may not encompass the entirety of the case. For more detailed and up-to-date information, it is recommended to refer to the original news sources cited. Read the full article

#andrewtate #andrewtateheight #andrewtatenetworth #andrewtatenetworth2022 #andrewtaterecord #tristantate #whoisandrewtate

[fahrni]

The Musk Files - Down the Rabbit Hole

The latest bad press for Space Karen and his mismanagement of Twitter.

To think Reddit CEO Steve Huffman thinks Musk has done a great job running Twitter with less is shocking.

I’m not sure how anyone labels this guy a genius. He’s a huckster, racist, masochist, and anti-Semite among other things.

If you still believe in him dig deep and ask why you believe that. The answer should scare you or at least make you think about your values as a human being.

Enjoy the links.

Daring Fireball

There are some moments in this video interview that are just cringe-inducing. Even just the awkward pauses. (Faber, to my mind, did a hell of a job — Musk is obviously a very difficult person to interview.) I’m starting to get real Bobby Fischer vibes from Musk — a genius, yes, but descending into conspirational hateful madness. But Fischer became a recluse; Musk is one of the most prominent people in the world.

Vox

In the past five days, Musk has doubled down on a conspiracy theory about the Allen, Texas, shooter; tweeted that billionaire philanthropist George Soros (who has long been the target of antisemitic conspiracy theories online) wants to “erode the very fabric of civilization” and “hates humanity;” and promoted a quickly debunked rumor that falsely claimed Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz was related to the founder of the Internet Archive.

The Atlantic

Twitter has long been described, even by its most ardent users, as a hellsite. But under Elon Musk, Twitter has evolved into a platform that is indistinguishable from the wastelands of alternative social-media sites such as Truth Social and Parler. It is now a right-wing social network.

France 24

Researchers have documented an explosion of hate and misinformation on Twitter since the Tesla billionaire took over in October 2022 – and now experts say communicating about climate science on the social network on which many of them rely is getting harder.

Platformer

Their high-profile event on Twitter Spaces, where DeSantis had just announced his run for president, had been plagued by technical glitches. The first audio livestream cut out before DeSantis could get his news out.

Daily Kos

Billionaire conspiracy promoter Elon Musk spent $44 billion on Twitter to implement his special brand of “free speech,” essentially bringing back all the Nazis, conspiracy theorists, and all-around deplorables that were once moderated out of the platform, relegated to darker corners of the internet.

The Daily Beast

Twitter is failing to remove 99 percent of hate speech posted by Twitter Blue users, new research has found, and instead may be boosting paid accounts that spew racism and homophobia.

Ben & Jerry’s

We’ve watched with great concern the developments at Twitter following Elon Musk’s purchase of the social media platform. Hate speech is up dramatically while content moderation has become all but non-existent. In addition to the changes on the platform that have led to an increase in hate speech, Musk himself has doubled down on dangerous anti-democratic lies and white nationalist hate speech. The platform has become a threatening and even dangerous space for people from so many backgrounds, including people who are Black, Brown, trans, gay, women, people with disabilities, Jewish, Muslim and the list goes on. This is unconscionable in addition to being plain bad business.

Erin Reed

As Pride Month began, Elon Musk stated his intention to lobby for the criminalization of gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors - a move that is unequivocally harmful and contradicts all major medical organizations in the United States and standards of care.

Ars Technica

Twitter’s US advertising revenue plunged 59 percent year-over-year during a recent five-week period, The New York Times reported today. The firm’s US ad “revenue for the five weeks from April 1 to the first week of May was $88 million, down 59 percent from a year earlier, according to an internal presentation obtained by The New York Times.”

The Business Journals

Judge orders sheriff to evict Twitter from Boulder office

[tomorrowusa]

« Antisemitism is fundamentally antithetical to the progressive movement. Now is the time for those on the left to be crystal clear that social hatred, discrimination and violence toward Jews will not be tolerated within their own ranks. Should those on the left allow these ideas to fester, they will cause enormous long-term damage to the progressive agenda that so many have fought so hard to promote for decades. As the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, “Some are guilty, but all are responsible.” »

— Princeton Prof. Julian Zelizer writing at CNN.

It's disturbing how some people who claim to be progressive have been espousing antisemitism. Perhaps they are low information types who feel obliged to hop on any bandwagon driven by fringe elements on social media without really examining it.

It is not at all difficult to support the rights of the Palestinian people without acting like a participant in the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville.

I have long supported a two-state solution to accommodate Israelis and Palestinians. It is extremists on both sides which oppose it. Both Hamas and Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu are vehemently opposed to the Oslo Agreement which began the peace process; Bibi and Hamas are frenemies in their opposition to Oslo. So those demonstrators in Western countries proclaiming their love specifically for Hamas terrorists are indirectly on the same side as the most far right government in Israeli history.

Unfortunately it is not at all an exaggeration to say that some of the people who purport to be pro-Palestine are talking and acting like Nazis and Klansmen.

Cornell University student arrested for making violent antisemitic threats: police

Patrick Dai, 21, a junior from Pittsford, New York, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications, according to United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman. [ ... ] In another post, Dai allegedly threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish males he sees on campus, “to rape and throw off a cliff” any Jewish females, to “behead any Jewish babies” and to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot” Jewish people.

For people outside the US: Cornell is a prestigious Ivy League university.

For historical reasons, Germany is particularly concerned about antisemitism. Robert Habeck is the leader of one of the three parties in Germany's center-left ruling coalition. He is Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economics. Dr. Habeck felt concerned enough about the rise in antisemitism to make a video about it and print the text in the original German as well as English, Arabic, and Hebrew.

The talk was widely praised in Germany.

There is apparently a DOS attack aimed at the Economics Ministry by foreign elements trying to suppress the minister's comments. Fortunately the video is also available at YouTube with English/Arabic/Hebrew subtitles.

The Vice Chancellor condemns antisemitism regardless of the source – far right, far left, Islamist, and Putin inspired.

What is true in Germany should also be true in its NATO allies, including the United States.

Unfortunately Jewish students at US campuses are being threatened and targeted with hate speech.

Any person targeting or making threats against Jewish Americans because of events in the Middle East needs to be prosecuted by the feds or local law enforcement under applicable laws.

When people cross the red line from criticizing the Israeli government to scapegoating and harassing Jews, they have forfeited the right to call themselves progressives; such people should be shunned and rebuked.

#antisemitism #anti-semitism #jewish americans #cornell university #patrick dai #robert habeck #yoni kurtz #harassment on campus #hamas #binyamin netanyahu #real progressives are not antisemitic #smash antisemitism

[hardynwa]

NHRC, CSOs insist on Punishing those behind 450 cases of poll violation

The Federal Government has been tasked to arrest and probe perpetrators of various acts of electoral violence during the just concluded general elections before it’s too late. This is after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), yesterday, disclosed that it received 450 complaints of human rights abuses and violations during the polls. According to the Commission’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), while 300 complaints of human rights violations were received during the Presidential and National Assembly elections, 150 cases were recorded during the governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls. Ojukwu stated these in an interview with journalists in Abuja, during the launch of the e-rights project by the Avocats Sans Frontières France, popularly known as Lawyers Without Borders. The project, which was funded by the European Union (EU), is aimed at promoting the rights of Nigerians in the digital sphere, harnessing opportunities and addressing challenges provided by new technologies. Recall that over 700 offenders were arrested by men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for violation of electoral laws during the elections. Disclosing this on Tuesday, Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, said the exact figure of those arrested currently stands at 781. Giving more details regarding the arrest, IGP Baba said 185 cases of electoral infractions were recorded during the presidential election with 203 arrests made. For the governorship and State Assembly elections, the police chief stated that 304 electoral breaches were recorded with 578 offenders arrested. The NHRC boss stated that the Commission closely monitored activities of law enforcement and security agencies during the elections. He said: “Of the 450 complaints received, I cannot say exactly the categorisation. This is because some were about violence, vote buying, voter suppression, intimidation and hate speech. Don’t forget, we had a situation room, which was able to harness the complaints of Nigerians across board of the violations that happened during the elections. The Vice President of ASF France, Ivan Paneff, said the agency had over the last 15 years, worked with Nigerian institutions to protect human rights of citizens. He, however, said the coming of modern technologies have made it necessary to look at the aspect of digital rights. “Now, we have entered a new phase in a new area of the law due to the permanent intervention of electronic devices, tools and networks in our day to day life. It means we have to take that in account to protect the rights of citizens and fight against abuses, using tools, networks and different bad behaviours of certain bodies or companies.” On her part, Country Representative of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu, warned against censorship of online platforms, saying freedom of expression have to be guaranteed, not just offline, but also on online platforms. According to her, the e-project will respond directly to the needs of youths, activists, journalists, bloggers, social media influencers, human rights defenders and active citizens to have access to a free and open internet. THE Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) has asked the Federal Government to arrest and probe those who perpetrated various acts of electoral violence during the polls. The group warned that should authorities fail to take action against perpetrators of all the criminal acts, which were committed on the election days, citizens would take action in the form of sending petitions to national and international bodies, especially where perpetrators of such acts have been properly identified. CHRICED’s Executive Director, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, said: “Given the climate of fear, anxiety and uncertainty, which now pervades our country, there can be no mistaken the fact that all is not well. From the discontent in the polity, to the worries posed by an economy in tatters, Nigerians are having it rough in the hands of the current ruling elite. “CHRICED believes strongly that it is not yet too late to investigate, apprehend and prosecute the brigands and their backers for the crime of violently subverting the vote of the Nigerian people. “Sadly, as we speak, the gang of criminals and thugs who assaulted and threatened electors on Election Day are still walking scot-free,” he said. The group further noted that the 2023 elections, which witnessed 24.9 million Nigerians voting in the Presidential and National Assembly elections out of more than 93.46 million registered voters show that Nigeria is experiencing a democratic decline. He said: “The fact that only 24.9 million Nigerians voted in the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25, out of more than 93.46 million registered voters and 87 million citizens, who collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), is a major disappointment. “This implies that Nigeria is experiencing a democratic decline due to the declining voter turnout. This calls for urgent steps to fix the flaws ailing our democracy.” Also, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) coordinated by the Global Network for Youth Empowerment and Equal Justice (GNYEEJ), led by Chris Okike, has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain to Nigerians why the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) developed faults during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections. In a communiqué made available to journalists in Abuja by the Executive Director of GNYEEJ, the coalition resolved that “INEC should explain to Nigerians why the BVASs developed many faults.” PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has described those trying to ascribe religious or ethnic colouration to the Obidient movement as being parochial. Obi, in a series of tweets, yesterday, said there is no looking back on the movement’s goal of taking back Nigeria because the time is now. Arrests made by the police for alleged disruption of voting and destruction of ballot boxes at Gwammaja area of Dala LGA, Kano State. FILE PHOTO “In the life of every nation, there is a turning point. For Nigeria, that time is now; a time to save Nigeria, save our democracy and give the Nigerian youths hope. The OBIdient Movement has been the arrowhead in the take back Nigeria mission.” He described his role in the movement as just to provide leadership and direction. “My role in the movement is that of a focal point. As I’ve always stressed, Nigeria remains a secular state. As such, the movement is not about my tribe or my religion, and it is not an Igbo agenda or in any way, to Christianise Nigeria. “My aspiration is for a new Nigeria, where the children of a nobody will become somebody. A nation anchored on national interests, and not sectional interests; where the entire youths from the six geopolitical zones will have a sense of belonging in the affairs of their country.” Obi drew the attention of Nigerians to what is happening in Scotland, where a 37-year-old, Humza Yousaf, is set to become Scotland’s first Minister, having won the keenly contested SNP’s leadership contest. Born to Pakistani parents, Yousaf, whose parents migrated to Scotland in the 60s, is from the ethnic minority and a Muslim. “I have always maintained that Nigerians must rise above ethnicity, religion, and sectarian politics in matters of governance; and that the leadership selection process must be strictly based on character, competence, capacity and compassion, only then shall our democracy flourish and our society progress. Contextually, the Scottish reality is instructive and presents us with some lessons learned and missed opportunities.” Read the full article

[yuna-writes]

Final thoughts on Death Note

I’m starting to realize maybe Death Note wasn’t trying to tell a story about morality but rather there is some evilness to extreme views. I spent a few days trying to analyze whether Light’s action was justifiable but that wasn’t the message of the story I think. It’s only justifiable if Light thinks his beliefs are right, but it was wrong for him to make it into the objective “truth.” 

I think the biggest flaw of Light’s character was that he didn’t quiet accept that people are imperfect. He felt disgusted that there was too many crime, corruption, violence, war and suffering. He wanted to take matters into his own hands to punish people he deemed as evil to create a “perfect world.” But a perfect world doesn’t exist, because people are imperfect. Eventually, he almost achieved in his goals. Since he was punishing people, there were no more violence, wars and crimes. He almost achieved the “perfect and peaceful world.” Because people were terrified of him. Anyone who challenged his ideas and was trying to capture him was also killed in the Death Note. That was the biggest problem with Light. He couldn’t accept an unjust world and he couldn’t accept that the justice system was imperfect. He couldn’t bare to see innocent people becoming victims and criminals getting away with their crimes. So, he gradually developed extreme views to purge the world of evil himself. The lack of control made him want to seek control and power. Which turned into activism on his part. Extremisms brainwashes people into some ideology or belief. That was what Light fell into eventually. I think the writer was warning readers to avoid extreme beliefs because it can turn into an uncontrollable obsession. In this instance, Light will take any means necessary to create a peaceful and just world, if it means killing innocent people who tried to stop him.

I suppose this current social movement narrative in modern society is to permanently end racism or “hate”...but the reality is, such an ideal world doesn’t really exist unfortunately. No matter how many times people cancel other people. Try to burn down buildings, fight with the police, and create riots.... these methods doesn’t eradicate those issues completely. On the contrary, it only creates more fierce opposition to stop the aggressor. Using tactics such as intimidation and violence only creates fear into society. While it does actually decrease hate speech and eventually decrease hate crimes, the method to achieve it seems immoral. It’s a weird form of hate on hate toward humanity by taking other people’s livelihood as hostage. So we have a phenomenon called cancel culture in which the accusers believe they are the ‘justice warriors” by banning people they perceive to be promoting hate speech. Yet, the accusers can’t prove that they are morally superior then the accused. Just because they have never been criticized for an opinion that other people disapproved of, it doesn’t mean they are representing justice. Because there are going to be people who disapprove of their beliefs too, and think of them as a bad person. In terms of real life and on social media, offensive remarks only makes an impact if the person feels effected by it. If they feel extremely effected by it, then they can take the person to court. The other option is just to ignore them. But a regular civilian is not a ‘justice warrior.’ That type of job is left to the Judge to make those decisions. Majority of us aren’t qualified to be in that type of position, yet it seems like many people want to be in that position on social media. It’s a form of seeking power to control other people and villainize them. 

In the modern world, I do wonder why people fall into extreme beliefs. There is Communism, Marxism, Capitalism, Fascism, and many other political beliefs. I guess I’m sort of weird in a way that I don’t really try to put myself in a box under a label. My opinions can sometimes be conservative. Other times it can be liberal. But I wouldn’t really resort to extreme views of either party and I’m definitely not loyal to either one. I notice the left wing group wants to dismantle capitalism and promote socialism. The right wing group thinks socialism is communism and capitalism is a better system. But neither are willing to come to a compromise that capitalism and socialism both have benefits and flaws. No system is perfect, because the people living in it aren’t going to follow them perfectly and ethically. There’s always going to be corruption and injustice on either system. But I think the issue is that there aren’t peace talks or negotiation between two sides of the party with very extreme beliefs. That’s the reason why there are so many disruption on social media and in real life in which people can’t tolerate each other because they believe they are righteous. I think if people start seeing other people and the issues as complex and more nuanced, then it’s possible for people to come to a middle ground and find some form of peace. 

#notes

[nibeul]

How often does the Coruscant Guard have to deal with anti-clone civilians?

question from @outernorth

Ok, I actually had a lot of ideas for this which I was going to include in the original post but didn’t since I decided it was getting too long. 

Anti-clone sentiment isn’t uncommon on Coruscant, and my bet is that most of the CG troopers are more than accustomed to it. It’s kind of an everyday thing that ranges from subtle comments to straight up insult and violence, but there isn’t really anything they can do about it except roll with the punches. There are civilians who see them as nothing more than punching bags, there are civilians who seem them as droids, or there are civilians who blame them for the war. There’s a variety of problems civvies have with clones and they unfortunately just have to sit and take most of it since most of it is unorganized. 

That’s with regular civilians/criminals anyway. 

Moving on, there are a handful of anti-war groups with varying goals/purposes (I might expand more on others in the future), though the main one I’ve been sitting on is called the Republic Peace League [RPL for short]. They formed at the beginning of the Clone Wars and cite the clones as the cause of the conflict. Since clone production drains a whole lot of money from the Senate, it's been pretty easy for them to gain support from the general public, especially the working class and those in poverty (whom make up the majority of the Coreworlds’ population). The organization itself claims to be peaceful, however there have been a number of attacks (specifically on clones) which Fox has desperately been trying to link to them. It’s... not really a secret that the RPL isn’t as peaceful as they promote themselves to be, but the Senate continues to turn a blind eye because the most the group could be charged with is “damaging Republic property” and they also have ties to the Senate itself (gotta love corruption). Since the RPL hasn’t publicly claimed any of its attacks, it’s made Fox’s job that much harder, and the violence continues to escalate. 

The RPL has adopted three Points of Unity:

An end to the production of clones

An end to clone presence in the coreworlds

Redistribution of military funding

The public figurehead for the Republic Peace League is a human man by the name of Haro Zapaal, and he commonly broadcasts speeches over the holonet in what he calls “attempts to reach the common civilian”. Haro himself is upper middle class, as are most of his associates, and he’s said to be extremely charismatic which is appealing to his listeners. He’s the face of the RPL (though there’s evidence that suggests he isn’t actually the mastermind) and the size of his influence is more than concerning. Haro Zapaal himself doesn’t get his hands dirty, though his speeches more or less encourage his followers to, which is part of the reason why it’s so hard to bring any evidence against Zapaal himself. He can’t actually be charged with anything because he’s not directly inciting violence, just leaving a space where it can be encouraged. Putting the blame on the clones is also an easy way to absolve the Senate of responsibility which is.. kind of appealing to the public in a way I guess? Because Senators seem untouchable even if you hate them while clones are on the ground and there. 

Really, the only reason the RPL has so much support is because Haro Zapaal has a way with words and blaming the war on the clones is an easy copout for a lot of people. Zapaal doesn’t... actually care about ending the war, he just knows that his position gives him power. Redistribution of the military budget is really the only good point the RPL puts forward, but uh, it’s also intentionally vague because those resources probably would not be going to help the public and more so the pockets of Zapaal and his associates. There are dozens of other anti-war groups which are actually focused on helping the Republic’s citizens, and like I said above, I might expand on some of those too, though this is the one I have the most ideas for at the moment. 

Lore Tags: @captain-rexter @spacerocksarethebestrocks @stormwarnings @lummolte @anstarwar @mando-meer (if you want to be added to tags, feel free to shoot me an ask! also, I’m going to be tagging my lore posts with “nibsverse”)

#nibeul talks #nibsverse #coruscant guard #world building