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kharmii · 2 months

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talking about "dehumanization" but basically dehumanizing anyone who disagrees with these lunatics.

another reason they flood western countries because of the ridicously high amount of free stuff they get in these countries.

I feel like before playing the good samaritan they should fix up shit in their own countries over sending help to other countries.

being constantly pushed to help others and guilt tripping people will eventually lead to people pushing back because if you keep blaming people they will stop listening.

And to me it often feels like everyone screaming about it on the internet as well as putting flags in their bio is just virtue signalling to show "look at how good I am" to other leftists

Responses to this post and this post. BTW......why did questioninqthings put their blog on password lock?

Posting these two asks together. Yesterday, I received them hours apart, and I believe they kind of relate to each other due to a certain radical leftwing bullying culture we've been subjected to in fandom since internet began. Leftists are desperate to be seen as good people. They act as if they are the Holy Crusaders of Light, whereas the opposition are for certain demons who deserve to be crushed. Remember when they were all like, "PUNCH NAZIS!!1!!1". Actual Nazis are rare and have no impact on anything compared to the relevant terrorist groups, but the useful idiot cause head statists aren't talking about actual Nazis......

youtube

Today is Good Friday, the day when Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross for the sins of the world, then three days later, rose from the dead. Absent the mercy of God sending His only son to die for our sins, every single human being that has ever existed and will exist is trash and deserves to burn in hell. One sin is as good as another, and without Jesus, there would be no theoretical Noah's Ark that would save a few. Nope. Every last mf-er on earth would rot.

-But in a worldly sense, some sins ARE considered worse than others. The shit-flinging anti harpies could see it like shipping identical twins on Tumblr is actually keeping me out of trouble! I could be doing worse things, like blowing my money at a casino boat, stabbing my grandmother to death for drug money, raping a child, shoving an innocent person onto the subway tracks because of their race, punching a random person in the face because of their ideology, etc....etc.... Instead, I'm just sitting here not hurting anybody by thinking twins are hot because they are identical. If someone is into twins because of the taboo of sibling incest, then that's fine too. They are also not hurting anybody in a irl way.

Leftists like to accuse white people of racism nonstop, but there's a big difference between saying something racist and doing something racist, such as slamming a person's head into the concrete because they are white. The radical left is guilty of putting out nonstop propaganda that encourages non-white people to commit violent actions against white people. Critical Race Theory has taught black people to believe white people are the cause of all their problems, so they're all riled up into gang beating and murdering whites, both in the school and on the street. There are hundreds of hours of documented attacks supporting this, even though our statist leftwing Pravda media covers it up and spews 24/7 propaganda still pushing the fallacious narrative that 'right wing groups are the greatest terror threat' even though there is little or no video evidence supporting this.

Same could be said about clowns pushing this 'white people are racist and don't humanize Palestinians' crap. Do you think this makes Arabs love us when they flood into Western world countries? Aren't nonwhite countries responsible for importing the fentanyl that is killing us by the tens and hundreds of thousands? (-But somehow it's not being considered terrorism) -Or do you think there might be hundreds of hours of video footage showing Arabs beating and murdering white people, in between receiving unlimited welfare and basically being subsidized to outbreed us, while native white people are being crushed under the burden of high taxes in socialist countries that don't give enough in return.

#good friday #somebody has to say it #leftist culture #fandumb fail #the usual bullshit #stop it #stonetoss #daffy duck #looney tunes #antifa #useful idiots #critical race theory #fuck you #sick of it #TWINSTWINSTWINSTWINS

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everything-is-crab · 1 year

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Your reblog of malewifebeater's post would have been way easier and faster if you had just said "I hate black people" instead. If you get accused of being anti-black maybe there's a reason. The fact that you typed out all those paragraphs and never once thought "hmm this might be deeply offensive and racist toward black Americans that are literally killed for existing, jailed more and for longer periods of time, etc" is WILD. And equating black Americans to white Americans as if they hold the same amount of power is unbelievably intellectually dishonest and ridiculous. And holy shit having ONE black president and ONE black female vice president equates to the hundreds of white presidents that committed horrible acts? Of course both are wrong but you're gross for acting like omg black people are on the same level as power and social standing as white Americans. Maybe black people in the United States are too busy focusing on racism in our own country where there are still sundown towns and black people being shot and killed for jogging down the street to worry about other countries and you want to act like we should be concerned about Mexico? Mexicans and every other race on this Earth HATES black people, so we're focusing on ourselves right now and trying to stay alive in a country that hates us. So instead of typing out paragraphs of racist shit telling black people they don't care about people in other countries, you might want to use your critical thinking skills first holy shit. You really should be ashamed of yourself for that racist ass reblog.

Instead of typing this whole essay that I just skimmed through because I have seen this argument a dozen times maybe you should have just said "I am American which by default makes me very ignorant to the world outside and therefore here are 10 of my ridiculous claims about the person I'm arguing with :"

No one has forced black people in the US to talk about imperialism. No one has forced any Americans to talk about imperialism (and we don't expect you to anyways).

I will never force people from any marginalized demographic to focus on the activism of any other group that isn't them. You could be a white lesbian advocating only for lesbians and I will be cool with it.

Where did I equate black Americans to white Americans in terms of power? 🤨Did I ever say it was easy for you all or that there are no obstacles in your course to attain the same power as white people? Point out where and how I implied that.

No but how did you get from "Pointing out American imperialism isn't racist" to "You must hate black people"? (Because I depicted how being black doesn't automatically exempt you from falling for imperialist misinformation and propaganda?)

"Only 1 black president and one black female president"

This is what I am talking about. You think there's been just those two? Do you think it's just been politicians as well? You might want to hear the accusations levied against Rihanna from the NGOs in my country and maybe that will allow you to learn more about how neocolonialism works. And if you think the deaths of thousands of people and ruined lives of billions is something less tragic than what white people have done then it's your problem that you don't consider it an issue big enough to be taken seriously or at least not be dismissed the way you're currently doing.

Does me talking about the deaths of third worlders and their hazardous living conditions really offend you that much that from now I am not allowed to call it "American" imperialism anymore? Because I have been accused as a racist simply for calling it American imperialism because it's racist to assume America is more imperialist than Europe (??). Which is why I made that reply because it has been a long time when even though no one even mentioned black people, simply talking about US imperialism and poc from third world countries has gotten us accusations of racism and demands to stop acting like America is the worst imperialist country when the truth is it IS the worst imperialist country and the Internet is free to enlighten you about that.

Your whole anon is full of misinterpretation and you don't even know the full context. I don't want you to talk about other countries ignoring you own issues and I am not implying you don't experience the things you listed or that you have anywhere the same privilege as white people.

My reblog wasn't made to show any of that but you have purposefully twisted what I said so you could make it seem like I hate black people because I implied living in an imperialist country and culture can affect your own views on those topics regardless of your race. I specifically mentioned in that reblog how it's not accusing all Americans to be war criminals so how could I imply you have committed the same atrocities as white people when I didn't accuse the average white American either for the same?

Insane how you're pulling Mexicans being racist to black people as an excuse to ignore the effects of US imperialism even though black people in the global south have been horribly affected by it too-

https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/what-u-s-imperialism-is-up-to-in-africa-while-no-ones-watching/

https://www.leftvoice.org/u-s-military-in-africa-fuels-political-violence-across-the-continent/

Every point of criticism against Americans but specifically white Americans is accused to be racist but do you think those people on the positivity post aren't all white Americans and aren't racist? Do you think there was no racist intention behind that post that you felt the need to talk over us and defend those white Americans and then turn around and call us racist?

You didn't address any of the other points I made. When all leftists had been crying about how shitty their country is and mocking Southerners now there's suddenly pride in being American and especially Southern American?

Saying shit like how the American culture makes America "the greatest country" isn't racist or imperialist in any way when this culture is shoved down our throats all the time?

I come from a nation that has a dominant nationalist movement growing every day and they talk about their religion the same way these Americans do.

Yk damn well that post came up because people who are not American and primarily from the global south have talked about US ignorance online.

What has anti blackness got to do with that? Do you really think those white Americans had anti blackness of Mexicans in mind when they mocked Latina radfems after the latter talked about US imperialism and how the average American can choose to not contribute to it by simply not doing illegal drugs like marijuana?

Funny thing is I made an entire post (which wasn't even a response to any accusation of racism the way this was) about only Indian Americans partaking in similar behavior and ig that must make me racist against my own race now too huh?

I think you're the same anon and I think you should feel ashamed defending white people from your own country and letting them get away with their racism solely because they're American.

What made you call us racist? Because we think it's cringe to play the victim as white Americans after third worldists started speaking up for themselves?

Anyways, America has no positive cultural values. Hope that helps 👍

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sasquapossum · 2 years

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Supporting Journalism

I'm very ambivalent about online newspapers etc. constantly trying to get me to subscribe. On the one hand I do want to support the people who actually do the work to bring us news. Yes, real journalists do still exist, and care about the truth, and work hard. I do think that's worth paying for.

On the other hand, I've long felt like the major online newspapers have dropped the ball on creating a common payment platform. They've had decades to put something like that together. I don't even care if it's subscription based or per-article with micro-transactions. Just put something - anything! - together so that people like me who want to pay can do so easily, smoothly, without dozens of passwords to deal with and dozens of possibilities for credit-card details to get stolen when the all-too-frequent compromises happen.

Then on top of that they're so fucking greedy. The standard subscription amount seems to be US$10/month, "discounted" down to half that. Well, I'm sorry, but I read articles from a lot of sources. Even if I narrowed it down to a dozen at half price, that's still $60/month. Yes, I can afford it. Yes, it's still too damn much ... especially when the content I'm willing to pay for is commingled with content I very much am not. By contrast, the artists and such I support on Patreon mostly ask for just two to five dollars per month - more value (and more consistency) for less money. The newspapers and magazines are worse than the proliferation of video-streaming companies, supposedly replacing cable but in aggregate costing even more.

Between those two reasons, I've generally supported only a very few outlets that have a consistently high output of stuff that meets journalistic standards. Currently the list includes Washington Post (even though they also publish stuff that's truly execrable), New Yorker, and Atlantic. I should probably add Guardian, and maybe Vanity Fair. Who ever knew that Vanity Fair would be near the top of the heap? Rolling Stone and Cracked are also good more often than you might think, and that's flat out amazing. There are also local-news aggregators such as Patch and Wicked Local that seem worth supporting to keep that part of the business alive.

On the flip side, I have to give a special giant fuck you to two publications in particular. The first is New York Times. Why? Glad you asked. Two reasons mainly.

They have a strong and clearly self-interest-based hatred of anything tech, because tech has eaten their lunch. Part of me gets that, and might even accept it if it stayed on the opinion pages, but it constantly affects their so-called news as well.

They are the absolute worst when it comes to exaggerating anything negative about Democrats and minimizing anything negative about Republicans. They don't generally seem to hate leftist, liberal, progressives, or whatever. Just the Democrat party. Somebody once said that the only way their behavior makes sense is if you realize that they (and many other papers) just hate Democrats, and it's true. For whatever reason, they must want Democrats to lose. To that end they provide all the ammo the splitters and quitters need to fuck up the 2022 and 2024 elections. Again. We can't afford that.

Then there's the absolutely putrid Wall Street Journal. They actually do seem to hate everything to the left of Bill Koch or Sheldon Adelson, so in a way they're more honest than NYT ... but still, keep it on the opinion page. WSJ's characteristic failing is that even their "news" organization is egregiously, aggressively slanted. They're nothing but propaganda. BTW likewise for Forbes, Bloomberg, and practically anything else with a financial focus. Being too close to the finance industry simply corrupts people, which is neither an original observation nor one worth pursuing here except to say that it makes it literally impossible for a finance-focused publication to be a trustworthy news source. Like NYT (and their puppet Boston Globe), WSJ will never get any money from me. No how, no way.

So, there you have it: less than ten newspapers or magazines worth supporting, out of hundreds or perhaps thousands. The bad ones are more numerous (and more profoundly awful) than any that are at all good. Don't tell me podcasts or other online sources are any better BTW; the ratio there seems exactly the same. That's why I support only a few sites, use an array of browser extensions to strip paywalls from most others, and use archive.is for the remainder. If magazines and newspapers want my money, they need to earn it and few do.

#politics #journalism #media #long post

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1ns4n3j3st3rf0rlyf3 · 2 months

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Militant shelter programs are more evil than jail bc there is less routine and more consistency in abuse

Being in a homeless shelter is isolating, paranoia inducing and traumatizing. So is being in prison or jail. They are built in such similar ways that once you lose your connection to community and you have been in the system for long enough you rationalize being stuck in the system with its toxic codependency that makes people feel like they're doing something the right way. It's emotional Stockholm syndrome that makes people dependent on any kind of reward. Stockholm syndrome describes the psychological condition of a victim who identifies with and empathizes with their captor or abuser and their goals. Stockholm syndrome is rare; according to one FBI study, the condition occurs in about 8 percent of hostage victims.

https://www.britannica.com/science/Stockholm-syndrome

When community is existing outside of the shelters it is so much more preferred to the shelter. Streets over the system until the streets become unlivable bc of the profit based motives the system prioritizes.

It's a large scale propaganda that the shelter is a safe space to put the displaced peoples, so when people prefer to sleep on the street it makes jailing them justifiable to the wrong kinds of people. I think cops like spreading that nonsense to make it seem more humane that they lock up vast numbers of homeless for any possible infractions, real or imagined. They make it seem like they're doing the homeless guy a favor for "taking them off the streets".

Stanford prison experiments and their relation to system based community

Carried out August 15-21, 1971 in the basement of Jordan Hall, the Stanford Prison Experiment set out to examine the psychological effects of authority and powerlessness in a prison environment. The study, led by psychology professor Philip G. Zimbardo, recruited Stanford students using a local newspaper ad. Twenty-four students were carefully screened and randomly assigned into groups of prisoners and guards. The experiment, which was scheduled to last 1-2 weeks, ultimately had to be terminated on only the 6th day as the experiment escalated out of hand when the prisoners were forced to endure cruel and dehumanizing abuse at the hands of their peers. The experiment showed, in Dr. Zimbardo’s words, how “ordinary college students could do terrible things.”

https://exhibits.stanford.edu/spe

This study to me shows how silly it is to expect people who haven't been screened and trained effectively to effectively hold that much power over people. When people are given unnecessary and unreasonable amounts of power, that feeds a fragile ego and makes people act selfishly. The systems in place (ie: shelters, mental hospitals, care programs, anything medical, jail, etc) all share a very similar method of gatekeeping and toying with people for profit.

Gatekeeping theory is the connection between two inarguable facts: events occur everywhere all of the time and the news media cannot cover all of them. And so, when an event occurs, someone has to decide whether and how to pass the information to another person, such as a friend, an official, or even a journalist.

The gatekeeping of political messages is known as media gatekeeping (Shoemaker & Reese, 1996)—that is, “the process by which countless occurrences and ideas are reduced to the few messages we are offered in our news media” (Shoemaker & Vos, 2009, p. 75).

they make it hard for us to get what we need because of the lack of interconnectivity within the care routes and they want to keep the marginalized poor so we r easier to silence

Medical "gatekeeping was associated with better quality of care and appropriate referral for further hospital visits and investigation. However, one study reported unfavorable outcomes for patients with cancer under gatekeeping, and some concerns were raised about the accuracy of diagnoses made by gatekeepers. Gatekeeping resulted in fewer hospitalizations and use of specialist care, but inevitably was associated with more primary care visits. Patients were less satisfied with gatekeeping than direct-access systems." -- quote from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478478/

This continued gatekeeping of medical care leads to the further marginalization of peoples who don't have access to direct access medical care and terminology. Getting help with disabilities is a very rare thing to happen unless you are not marginalized. So the 1% is again hoarding the care while the disenfranchised get stuck in the cycles of gatekeeping. The majority is left feeling isolated and without care.

Now they if they try to seek out care.

I think Stockholm syndrome is trained into people who fall into the system like Pavlov's dog. (Pavlov demonstrated salivation in dogs through a series of experiments where he paired the sound of a bell with the presentation of food. Over time, the dogs began to associate the bell with food and would start to salivate at the sound of the bell, even when no food was presented.) To me the pipeline is troubled teen, rehab, jail, shelter, jail cyclically.

troubled teen - mental health

"Ms. Ianelli is an activist and the author of a new memoir, “I See You, Survivor,” which details her ordeal. But she is far from alone. Hundreds of thousands of young Americans have endured similar harms or assaults in residential boot camps, wilderness therapy and Christian and therapeutic boarding schools, which claim to vanquish teen psychological problems like drug misuse, depression and defiant behavior. Among them is Paris Hilton, who first told her story in a 2020 documentary and is now lobbying for recently introduced legislation to stop the abuse.

These children’s programs act similarly to psychiatric hospitals in that they control residents’ custody and communication with the outside world, but they are typically not strictly regulated. Some states exempt programs that claim to be religion-based from standards enforced on other child-caring facilities, while some states have few, if any, regulations on these programs. Because more than a dozen states allow spanking and paddling in schools, corporal punishment that would be illegal in prisons occurs in many of these programs. Evidence suggests that the punitive “therapies” that these facilities use are unsafe and ineffective."

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/19/opinion/troubled-teens-industry-regulation.html

Children's autonomy is easier to steal with no reparations. Legally more excusable historically.

The Children's Rights Movement is a historical and modern movement committed to the acknowledgment, expansion, and/or regression of the rights of children around the world. This act laid several constitutional laws for the growth of a child's mental and physical health.

https://www.childrensrights.org/

- [ ] Mental health - Rehabilitation

- [ ] Toxic punishment reward system based on shame and fear

- [ ] Rehabilitation - abuse

- [ ] Push and pull loves of drugs and connection

- [ ] Abuse - jail

- [ ] no tolerance for own emotion bc the childhood systems in place silenced ourselves

- [ ] Jail over the streets

- [ ] Community over isolation

- [ ] Food water shelter

- [ ] Not chemically dependent on substances (other than big Pharma)

Gatekeeping and Gerrymandering is a huge system in the bay area. the systems in place currently serve to protect the 1% instead of us and keep us cycled in trauma.

they make it hard for us to get what we need because of the lack of interconnectivity within the care routes and they keep the marginalized poor so we r silenced

The majority people of the United States are not millionaires. According to the statistic below in 2020, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metropolitan area in California had the highest share of millionaire households of any U.S. metropolitan area, with 13.6 percent of all households having at least one million U.S. dollars in investible assets. This is Bay Area culture. The poor stay poor and the rich stay rich.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/294941/largest-ratio-millionaire-households-per-capita-us/

This is where gerrymandering comes into play. To gerrymander is to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class.

Typical gerrymandering cases in the United States take the form of partisan gerrymandering, which is aimed at favoring one political party while weakening another; bipartisan gerrymandering, which is aimed at protecting incumbents by multiple political parties; and racial gerrymandering, which is aimed at maximizing or minimizing the impact of certain minority groups.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/san-francisco-redistricting-final-map/

There is a clear decision to make the minority voting members of communities that are usually more marginalized by our country.

Again, https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/san-francisco-redistricting-final-map/ this link is crazy to see the intentional disparity

currently on social media especially there are polarizing AI bots that cause micro conflicts within the communities that should be fighting together

"A report we recently published through the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University’s Stern School of Business sheds light on the relationship between tech platforms and the kind of extreme polarization that can lead to the erosion of democratic values and partisan violence. While Facebook, the largest social media platform, has gone out of its way to deny that it contributes to extreme divisiveness, a growing body of social science research, as well as Facebook’s own actions and leaked documents, indicate that an important relationship exists."

"In an article published in October 2020 in the journal Science, a group of 15 researchers summarized the scholarly consensus this way: 'in recent years, social media companies like Facebook and Twitter have played an influential role in political discourse, intensifying political sectarianism.'"

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-tech-platforms-fuel-u-s-political-polarization-and-what-government-can-do-about-it/

“Twitter has emerged as a key platform on which anyone with a smartphone can engage in political discourse,” observed Michelle Nguyen in her article entitled “Twitter’s Role in Politics” in The Northwestern Business Review (https://northwesternbusinessreview.org/twitters-role-in-politics-b3ed620465c9). She noted that a TV ad “can cost millions of dollars” but “a single post can reach the same number of people just as quickly for a tiny fraction of the cost.”

"Though this study was focused on Twitter activities of members of the 111th U.S. House of Representatives, we suggest that our findings have broader implications about the use of social media by political and administrative institutions. Results of our study are cautionary for governments and policymakers who use social media to collect and interpret the voices of citizens because the preferences of citizens expressed through social media may be directed more toward contentious political issues rather than toward solving challenging problems."

"The capacity of social media to personalize information appears to be contributing to greater levels of extremism, and online political polarization is increasing. Therefore, institutions and governmental entities must develop a process for gathering a wider range of opinions (and greater online participation) from the public and simultaneously discern which voices represent extremist views."

https://scholar.harvard.edu/sounman_hong/political-polarization-twitter-social-media-may-contribute-online-extremism

there are niche micro arguments between people that have the same wants with different language and that's where classism comes into play with our language and the gatekeeping of regular communication

This video shows parts of how language can lead to pipelining and polarization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baaMpTGC04U&ab_channel=Jubilee

What is the alt-right pipeline? 0n3ph Answered: it most often refers to a feature of the algorithm wherein maybe you start with a couple of sjw cringe compilations, then you get passed on to say Tim Pool or Jimmy Dore, and then on to maybe Sargon of Akkad or Steven Crowder, and eventually end up with neonazi content.

It means a series of stages presented to a viewer through the algorithm which slowly boiling-frog radicalises them into going full alt-right.

the ways that society is being polarized by trauma porn is making them feel like the largest public issues are what deserve the most importance but the issue is that we are moving away from collective action in places where our masses could actually do something good

#queer artist #chaotic good #original art #digital art #eyestrain #i’m just a girl #third eye #artists on tumblr

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fatehbaz · 3 years

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Genuinely asking, but that thing with the laws in Texas about felony for blocking access to a hospital or emergency vehicle with its lights on is a felony that sounds like reasonable? Unless the idea is that a cop car with its lights on is an "emergency vehicle"? But blocking an ambulance with its lights on should absolutely be punished

Well, I don’t think anyone ought to be imprisoned by the state -- especially in the US where slave labor is legal, and especially in regions of the US where prisons are built atop slave plantations in extra-humid and hot environmental conditions, and especially since the US uses drug laws and felony convictions to deliberately target and disenfranchise multiple generations of non-white people -- and so I don't trust any legal maneuvering that allows the state to more-easily achieve felony convictions.

Does this complicate the situation and put me in kind of a weird moral predicament, if, for example, reactionary “Virus Truthers” or whatever are blocking access to hospitals? Sure. But the understanding in this case seems to be that Texas is really just targeting Black Lives Matter-type protestors.

Also, this is Texas. And not just Standard Texas, but Texas-in-Desperate-Defense mode under Abb*tt, violently convulsing and lashing-out in response to the perceived threat, however minor, of black/Latin communities reaching a critical mass point where they might potentially achieve even a meager amount of state-level power in the aftermath of Blue Georgia, etc.

Do you trust the State of Texas when it says it’s concerned for your safety?

(This discussion, by the way, is in response to early September 2021 news of the Texas legislature simultaneously passing the infamous abortion restrictions; funding for “the 1836 Project” to white-wash history materials and use state-affiliated offices to spread state-ordained propaganda; prevention of public school students from receiving credit for “civic engagement” activities; requiring professional sports teams to play the national anthem before games; punishing any city that cuts police budgets; etc.)

Texas, Florida, Alberta, etc., all clearly used the p@ndemic as cheap, shallow, and obvious cover to criminalize racial justice and anti-fossil-fuel protesting. In June 2020, Alberta passed the Critical Infrastructure Defense Act, which can be interpreted by courts to mean you can be charged $25,000 a day and held in jail for 6 months for, like, walking down a highway or gathering on the street with more than one other person. These US states also used the reactionary DC Capitol Hill event in January 2021 to re-direct concern-trolling back towards leftist-ish protesting.

In the aftermath of Blue Arizona and Blue Georgia and whatever, when those in power realized that gerrymandering alone might no longer be enough, and that social awareness might be swinging away from the full-on reactionary standards that the US is usually accustomed to, in merely 3 weeks in January 2021, 9 US states introduced 14 major anti-protesting bills, most of which used “protestors could block emergency vehicles” language to fear-monger. Nebraska’s bill would categorize a disruptive gathering of more than 2 people as a “riot”. Also, Nebraska could deny bail to anyone arrested at a “riot”. The version of this law in Nebraska, Mississippi, and Indiana would also punish anyone who “aided” the “riot”, which could include charging/imprisoning someone’s older sister, miles away, at home, for getting on social media to say something like “I support you guys!” The bills in Arizona and Kentucky would allow law enforcement to detain people without charge for 12 hours.

Now, a lot of this legal precedent and language had been practiced in state-level anti-protesting legislation from the past couple of years in South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Louisiana especially, states basically completely owned and operated by energy corporations, where the legislation was specifically designed to target Indigenous protestors and others who demonstrated against fossil fuel pipelines. The term "critical infrastructure" was used to designate railroads, corporate headquarters, pipeline peripheries, etc., as "essential" to public good/health or whatever. Therefore, it would become a felony with severe consequences and mandatory minimum sentencing if the operation of these facilities was disrupted.

In the January 2021 round of legislation, “obstructing traffic” could be considered a felony riot-related offense in the legislation in Oklahoma, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Rhode Island, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

In Oklahoma, Florida, and Mississippi, the legislation protects drivers who, when “fleeing a riot,” strike and kill protestors with their vehicles.

In April 2021, much fuss was rightfully made about how DeSantis signed into law one of the scariest anti-protesting pieces of legislation. And this is Florida, where 20 million people have to put up with this bullshit. The law provides immunity to drivers who strike/kill protestors “obstructing traffic”; makes “blocking a highway” a felony offense; and denies bail to anyone arrested at a protest until their first court appearance. It also created a new felony crime called “aggravated rioting”.

If you think this had anything to do with protecting emergency vehicle traffic flow, DeSantis made it pretty clear when announcing his decision at a press conference in April 2021, saying: “If you look at the breadth of this particular piece of legislation, it is the strongest anti-rioting, pro-law enforcement piece of legislation in the country.” And: “But I can tell you that case was bungled by the attorney general there in Minnesota. They didn’t handle it properly.” (Referring to BLM/Chauvin protests.) And: “We also saw around the country people toppling monuments of people like George Washington. This bill protects all monuments in Florida. You have no right to go in and take down monuments, we’re not going to let the mob win the day with that.”

Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Alberta, etc., don’t give a shit about “health” or “public safety”.

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nemesis-is-my-middle-name · 3 years

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for the character thing: vivi yukino!

VIVI (send me a character meme)

Sexuality Headcanon: bi, with a strong preference for girls

Gender Headcanon: bigender!! uses she/her but masc titles!! im selling bigender vivi propaganda

A ship I have with said character: vivimori obviously they're so good. they can match each other's energy so well, vivi's just the right amount of pushy-friendly to give mori the affection they've Never gotten before, mori thinks she's really cool and strong... just gotta be careful cause ice magic isn't super good for plants, lmao

A BROTP I have with said character: is it cheating if i also talk about platonic vivi & shiromori. cause like, i have a lot of Thoughts abt shiromori winding up as part of the gang, and vivi finding out abt mystery's past through them. also vivi with the rest of the gang of course – she's the group leader! she loves n will protect her boys but they're also always there for her.

ok this is a two for one now bc i actually ALSO have a lot of feelings abt arthur and vivi specifically while lewis is gone. vivi's struggling with this new memory loss and having to work around this giant hole in her brain, which gives her migraines and brainfog etc if she strays too close to something that triggers the buried memories, and arthur only sort-of understands why it's happening but still he doesn't push it (even though it hurts so much) and he just. tries to be there and help without making her feel helpless. meanwhile on the flipside arthur is being Fucking Destroyed and he won't tell her what it's about (because he physically can't) and it drives her crazy. he's working himself to death and still trying to help her all the while and he won't even give her the opportunity to help him in return. friendship is a two way street arthur!! this sucks!! just talk to her!! let her help you!! (she physically can't)

A NOTP I have with said character: i've talked about romantic vithur before but i don't really have anything other than that. but i just... yeah, don't see it. they're so much better as friends imho, i really don't see them working romantically

A random headcanon: all yukinos have ice magic, vivi's been DYING to unlock hers for YEARS. she super wasn't expecting this to be how it finally happened but LOOK LOOK SHE CAN DO IT NOW she's gonna go scream at her parents about it later

General Opinion over said character: <3 good. very good. trying her best. has no fucking idea what's going on at any point in time, ever, but goddamn if she won't punch a ghost about it

#the nemesis answers #the nemesis speaks #mystery skulls animated #msa analysis #ask meme #...wait i can't tag your url without this going in the ship tag #hmm fuck

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tianshiisdead · 2 years

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Hi guys, I’m going to ramble a little about history concerning Russians, Imperial Japan, and Manchukuo, based on a stupid little tweet I saw.

Warning for: Human Experimentation, war crimes, slave labour, cruelty, mentions of genocide, everything you might expect when discussing Imperial Japan, racism, abuse, colonization, etc.

Here is the tweet:

So, obviously this is from an Imperial Japan apologist, his grandpa was a war criminal, etc. etc. But what I wanted to focus on, aside from the wildly xenophobic description of an entire ethnicity, is Imperial Japan and Russians. Now, Imperial Japan was an axis power and the Russians, part of the red army, fought for the allies, obviously they were on opposite sides with all that entails, but specifically let’s zoom into a place where both Japanese and Russians lived: Manchukuo.

So a bit of background, Manchukuo was one of Imperial Japan’s main puppet states in China during their invasion, an area established in what is modern day dongbei (three provinces making up northeastern china) and Inner Mongolia. This region shares borders with Russia and Mongolia, and are the historical Manchu homeland. This area was of course mainly populated by Han Chinese, Manchu and Mongolians, as well as Koreans, Japanese settlers, and Russians! Many of these Russians were settled there, this was along the border after all and, and a large amount had fled there after the Russian Civil war (1917-1922) There were over 33,000 ethnic Russians in the city of Harbin alone! Come 1932, the ‘multiethnic nation’ of Manchukuo was established, and with it propaganda about the five races (Han Chinese, Manchu, Japanese, Mongolian, Korean) coexisting in peace and harmony. Most people know a bit about Unit 731, this ‘coexisting’ was obviously pretty fake, and the non-Japanese population was often abused, experimented on, used as slave labour, etc.

Back to Russians! So, Japan’s Manchukuo was part of their little Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere and all that, they had a very specific view on racial superiority. Their own views of the superiority of the Japanese Yamato people as the leader of all other East (and Southeast) Asians was complimented by their intentions for this area to be an Asian area, that is, they had something of a disdain for other races, including white people. So, back to the large existing Russian population. As far as Manchukuo was concerned, they were not an official ethnicity, and as they weren’t nationally Russian or part of the Soviet Union, they were without a country or any real protection, and were generally not granted Manchukuo citizenship. As such, they were specifically targeted for abuse. They were beaten on the streets, and as they were ostracized in Chinese society as well, they had nowhere to be, were denied jobs and food. They were also specifically targeted for human experimentation, kidnapped off the streets to be experimented on gruesomely and cut apart without anesthetics. They were treated so badly, Peter Fleming (a British author travelling there) had a Swiss travelling companion, Kini, who was assaulted and beaten by Japanese colonists who mistook her for Russian, until Fleming was able to prove she was not, upon which they were given apologies.

I don’t really have a conclusion, this vile little tweet just reminded me of an often forgotten and often ignored part of history that I wanted to share. Of course, this is just a drop in the bucket of war crimes in Manchukuo, several ethnic minorities were driven to near destruction by Imperial Japanese cruelty and relocation, and everything was committed there from drug trafficking to slave labour, but this tidbit was something I was surprised to learn while researching and I think more people should know.

#thoughts and stuff #rape tw #violence tw #human experimentation tw #war tw #ask to tag #feel free to correct me #im not an expert #but weirdo imperial jp apologists and such will be blocked #if any of them end up finding this post #long post #history

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hislittleflower-throughconcrete · 3 years

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God is Bigger than the Boogeymen

On the one hand, I have never been a conspiracy theorist, and don’t think it a fruitful pastime to devote research to realms we could never know for sure about anyway. I also think conspiracy theories are often born out of desire - “I didn’t want Trump to win the election, so I’m going to believe Russians sabotaged the election,” or “I didn’t want Biden to win so I’m going to believe the last minute influx of votes for Biden signifies fraud” etc. I think it worse still to buy into theories (unproven accusations) to the point of acting on those beliefs as if they were hardened fact, particularly through inciting violence.

On the other hand, it would be naive to the point of lunacy to believe that the mainstream news is unbiased and reports the complete truth 100% of the time, whether the cause be intentional or unintentional. Particularly in this time of one ideology (the left) controlling all main sources of news, there is an incredible amount of silence around certain issues and propaganda/gaslighting in others.

Among most secular people, politics is their religion - politicians and the political system are deified, as the reaction to the capital insurgence made so clear (”these halls are sacred and deserve reverence,” etc.) The only thing that faithful can rely on as Truth is Christ, His Kingship, that He has already won the great war; these petty earthly dealings have nothing to do with our life with Him for all eternity. That does not mean that political happenings do not carry importance or that we should not advocate for policies that promote justice that protect the poor and vulnerable. It just means that politics is in its proper place in our lives and hearts.

May this inauguration day - like the one four years ago, and like the others in the coming years - be your regular reminder that the might of the King is not influenced by His child subjects throwing mud at each other in the street, and He does not take orders from who is on top of the dog pile.

#inauguration #Christian #Catholic #politics #Biden #Trump

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meloncubedradpops · 4 years

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Repo! the Corona Opera: Part Two Fascist Boogaloo

Greetings fellow Repo! fans,

Here is my second installment of a series of three essays where I compare our contemporary times with the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. My first piece detailed the similarities between the two worlds, and turns out, I have an awful lot to talk about still. I ended my last article by posing the question, "What went wrong in this dystopia to normalize the concept of death due to nonpayment?" No doubt, this movie is incredibly outrageous on many fronts, particularly within the dynamics of the Largo family. As mentioned in the previous piece, I highlighted the pervasiveness of GeneCo's power and influence towards the citizens in the city (is it called city of GeneCo? GeneCo-land? GenCity? An actual city in Italy??).

People who write stories often bend the rules to make their story compelling. Be it exaggerating social interactions, creating scientifically impossible scenarios, or even allowing the characters to use technology that does not exist yet. I admit the creators of Repo! applied all those tactics and more, which makes the parallels I draw that much more surreal. I want to acknowledge this before I dive deeper because yes, I truly think it would be impossible to have a company who can offer cheap and dirty surgeries with an absence of debilitating class action lawsuits resulting from botched procedures, infection, or their body rejecting the organ transplant. And while I admit Zydrate does not exist, yet, but we do have a long history with opioid abuse. If you asked me when I first watched the movie if I think the Largo family could be a mirror of an ultra wealthy family from real life, I would have politely disagreed with you. But times right now are freaking weird. A single day does not go by where something completely outlandish is blasted all over the news, particularly in the United States.

In my last essay I pointed out examples where the citizens in GenCity live a life after experiencing a mass extinction event. Besides the technological anachronisms, society and GeneCo have an uncomfortably close relationship with each other. GeneCo is not merely a corporation that offers healthcare and surgeries, it has an unyielding power politically too. I argue that GenCity is ran by a fascist government that is controlled and operated by GeneCo.

If you're not a person who is super familiar with fascism, basically it's an extremist right wing government philosophy. I find it interesting that in the song "21st Century Cure", Graverobber says: Industrialization has crippled the globe. Although plagues, war, and other hardships existed before industrialization, that paradigm of change accelerated the imbalances between man and nature. Fascism did not exist until after World War I, after all. Between the world war itself and the Spanish Flu of 1918, there was a lot of pain and suffering felt all over the world. Fascists took advantage of vulnerable populations and asserted that their political party is the only correct party, and those who oppose are considered an enemy. Historically fascist governments have blurred the lines between the spheres of what's considered "public" and "private", and often danced harmoniously with business allies in pursuit of profit. As an effect, fascist governments have required citizens to foot the bill of a private company's losses. With enough propaganda, fascist governments will have you believing that this is ultimately for the betterment of everyone. And if you give them enough time, they will normalize terrible acts against humanity that barely make a peep, if the truth even comes to light.

For the rest of this essay, I will be highlighting examples in the Repo! movie that correspond with characteristics of fascism, using political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt's The 14 Characteristics Of Fascism, which was published in the spring 2003 issue of Free Inquiry magazine.

The 14 characteristics are:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism: Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

The world surrounding GeneCo occupies itself with the concept that this incorporated area derives a sense of nationalism, in the absence of much dissent. If you see below, there is an advertisement on the top right corner that says, "Your Birthplace for a new Heredity". GeneCo is not just a company that sells organs and surgeries. It is its own incorporated city. This ad, combined with GeneCo's relentless messaging that not only did this company save humanity, you must conform to the idea that only GeneCo can provide you the experience of feeling clean, safe, and perfect.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Being able to legally repossess someone's organs because they didn't make their organ payments is about as disdainful as you can get. Nathan has a whole song called "Legal Assassin", and there doesn't appear to be many laws that would at least have the pretense that these repossessions are remotely humane. There are multiple instances in the movie where Nathan approaches a client who is already restrained, panicked, and powerless. From what I can gather from the media in Gencity, GeneCo proliferates the idea that the company would be dysfunctional if people could get financed surgeries and let those payments go to collections. When you're a mega corporation, they let you do it.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause: The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

While the career of a Graverobber is certainly creepy and macabre, the idea that they could be executed without a jury of their peers is especially strange. After I created my last essay, my friend Veronica pointed out, that per "A Needle Into A Bug", one of the deleted scenes from the movie, that street zydrate is not actually derived from the brains of dead people. He extracts zydrate from bugs that nest inside the craniums of dead people, which in my opinion is a huge distinction. So who is he really stealing from? Is it morally okay to dig up a corpse to get drug goo to sell to junkies? Absolutely not, and the idea is incredibly disrespectful for the dead. And while I am sure there are graverobbers in this world that likely steal things like jewelry from corpses, I still wouldn't justify being executed extrajudicially.

Further, Graverobber's relationship with the Largo family has me believing even more that GeneCo needs them more than their media campaign can justify. Rotti has access to incredible surveillance of the city, so you would think he would eliminate anyone who enabled Amber Sweet's addiction. My theory is GeneCo knows that street zydrate may result in more surgery sales. However they want to continue making money selling the lab-grown stuff. So the end justifies the means, if we can associate graverobbers and those who use street zydrate as criminals, we can continue believing that "they" are the enemies setting everyone else back.

4. Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. AND 12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment: Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

GeneCo employs a private police force to carry out law enforcement. They patrol around a graveyard, a quasi-public space carved out for those who mourn. And because there is pervasive video surveillance, Rotti can demand that they do his bidding at any time. An example is his order to murder the repo man. We aren't aware of any sort of involvement beyond the borders of GenCity, but even the concept of a graveyard being a warzone is a special kind of hell.

5. Rampant Sexism- The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

Genterns! On the surface, it’s pretty cool that there is a large volume of female medical professionals who are skilled enough to carry out surgeries. However behind the sexy veneer is the reality that Genterns are not set up for success. They are not provided adequate PPE and work under non-sterile conditions. In the "Mark it Up" scene, one is killed by Luigi. Imagine going to medical school for years and years, only to be tasked with the job of organ warehouse worker. Then on one of your shifts you are stabbed to death because the CEO's son bumped into you while you were working. Not only that, but you are also expected to dress proactively for the purpose of selling the GeneCo product and experience.

6. Controlled Mass Media: Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. GeneCo has a monopoly on the media of the city. Politics, entertainment, healthcare, you name it, they have a direct stake in, and control over, the media. We do see from time-to-time tabloid clippings of the Largo family. But generally speaking, GeneCo puts a lot of effort in upholding their image. The best evidence is Blind Mag's story. She is a singer who acquired the ability to see after a GeneCo cornea surgery. And while she clocked into work day in and day out, singing and advertising for GeneCo for 17+ years, her departure resulted in Rotti murdering her. But why? Was he afraid of the things she would say? Rotti knew he was terminally ill when she declared her resignation, and yet killing her on stage is somehow less of a scandal?

7. Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. Fascist countries use fear as a tactic to keep the masses scared and compliant. The universe of Repo! is one filled with tragedy. Millions of people have died. I would imagine that the series of events that would lead to the creation and success of GeneCo was contingent upon people being scared for their lives. While dealing with the coronavirus, I find myself constantly checking my temperature, keeping my distance from people, and wearing a mask out in public. The human spirit is resilient, which is how we have survived so long. However sociopaths smell our fear and use it against us. The city of GeneCo is surrounded by plots upon plots of graveyards, signifying the carnage left after their public health crisis. I have a strong feeling that GeneCo was able to harness the threat of whatever caused the massive organ failure epidemic and as an effect created a power vacuum.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined: Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

This one is going to be a reach, particularly because there is an absence of religion in this story. I don't think religion would be on the creator's of Repo!'s purview, and honestly I don't blame them. If you look at the imagery of the story, however, it is very gothic. We have no idea if religion survives, and if it does, to what extent. I would imagine that people still have spiritual needs, and I argue that the GeneCo Opera is an example of how they get that fulfilled.

"If you want it, baby, GeneCo's got it"

The GeneCo opera is not your typical opera experience. GeneCo specifically tells their customers to "testify". People are singing in unison, praising GeneCo. Clearly GeneCo has taken several human rituals and blended them together to create an over-the-top entertainment experience that seeks to advertise their company behind the testimonials of its patrons. The benefits of the opera for GeneCo, as a fascist entity, are two-fold: have people associate their most nirvana moments with an experience only GeneCo can offer (zydrate and surgery), and distract them with religious-like concerts so they won't question their neighbors being murdered on the streets by that very same company.

9. Corporate Power is Protected: The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. AND 13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption: Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Throughout the entire movie, the Largo family is front and center. We know Rotti is terminally ill, and he utilizes his final moments to tie up loose ends in his life. His children feel entitled to his estate and the company of GeneCo. At no point do we see Rotti consult with a board of directors at GeneCo, a private fiduciary firm, or with any government entity. I would describe the company of GeneCo to be a weird combination of an aristocracy, government body, and corporation. His children commit crimes with no recourse or justice. Rotti kills the doctor who tells him he's dying. Luigi kills multiple people throughout the movie. In one of the opening scenes, we see a photograph showing Pavi is cutting off a woman's face. In the credits we see Amber's body guards lying dead on the floor during her press statement. What sort of corruption took place to make these occurrences so prevalent and normalized?

10. Labor Power is Suppressed: Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

We aren't super privy to the machinations that make this city functional. But there is a clear stratification that has sustained itself long enough that healthcare is not a right in this city, and those who can't pay for necessary healthcare can finance it. In a just society, if we have the means to save humanity, we can figure out a way to pay for it. Be it taxes on the most wealthy or other cost-saving measures, if there is a will, there is a way. However if you give a company enough power and money, it will do everything it can to stay on top. The best examples I can think of would be Nathan and Blind Mag's tenuous career at GeneCo. Neither really wanted the job they were given, but they were forced into those positions by Rotti. Had Bling Mag belonged to a entertainment union, would she have had more protections? Would a proper investigation into the murder of Marni result in justice being served, and the opportunity for Nathan to live a better adjusted life? Rotti masterfully manipulates situations that create powerless outcomes for his employees.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals: Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts We don't see any particular evidence that GeneCo is currently hostile to higher education or academia. What we do know is the technologies of this world are akin to something we'd see out of the 20th century. However GeneCo is advanced enough to synthesize usable organs. In my last essay, I drew parallels to today by highlighting that there may have been a "brain drain" of intellectualism as a result of academics dying from their public health crisis. Outside of the opera house, we don't see many examples of art in this world. Maybe this is what happens when a government stops funding programs it deems frivolous or challenges the status quo?

14. Fraudulent Elections: Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Based off context clues in the movie, we know that there is a group of voting citizens who help determine whether or not a company can repossess financed organs that are passed due on their payments. We don't know who makes these votes, the election process, or anything like that. So it is hard to say if GeneCo goes beyond their media campaign convincing voters to keep repossessions legal. Despite this lack of knowledge, I would argue that GeneCo wields incredible power regarding the course of elections for laws that apply to them. Okay, you want to pass a law to make organ repossession illegal? Fine, we don't have to offer products on a payment plan. The very threat of being able to take away healthcare is something right wing governments loveeee doing.

Speaking of elections, the United States 2020 general election is approaching. Now that I argued the ways that GeneCo is fascist, I will tie together ideas from both of these essays into a final piece that I hope you will like. If you enjoyed this article, please send it to all your Repo! friends.

#repo! the genetic opera #repo #Fascism #halloween #election #geneco #politics #horror #2020 #coronavirus #zydrate #musicals

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whatbigotspost · 4 years

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I shared this little rant on my personal Facebook today...and ya know, no one gives a fuck. Y’all probably won’t either, but I’m resharing it here since I took all the time to type it anyway. Maybe someone will find it of value.

Posting stuff like this is akin to shouting into the the void, I know. I am truly exhausted and tired of trying to think of ways to articulate “this is not ok.” But I can’t stop. It’s too deeply ingrained in me to want to speak out when things are this awry. So I’m going to try a different method. Let’s play a little imagination exercise, in the form of a novella because I have a lot of words to say:

It is the year 2005. Seat your imagination in your own life in that year.

You become aware that international news is covering some scary stuff in a county you’ve never heard of. As you read through the coverage you are horrified to learn a series of increasingly concerning facts:

The country has experienced the rise of an oligarchic authoritarian who only ever showed 20% of the total population’s support a few years ago. Said oligarch then does everything he can to degrade safety nets, equitable healthcare, and social programs...producing wealth divides and inequity like never before. (And the divides were bad before, too, mind you.)

Recently, state actors on behalf of the oligarch have violently attacked peaceful citizens protesting in the streets (once for a photo op for the oligarch.) The reason people were protesting at all? For years and years prior to that, similar state actors were murdering targeted ethnic minority groups in the streets in horrifyingly high numbers, with no repercussions. (Oh by the way, most of said “state actors” are the base of this oligarch’s support.)

The oligarch has an unholy alliance with a media source which has now become a state sponsored propaganda machine. They freely promote misinformation designed to shore up their base to continue to allow them so enact violence on the most powerless. Every other media source both inside and outside this country easily refutes their lies, but the oligarch and his buddies have unfiltered access to this platform to continue to use as needed to create the illusion of legitimacy.

A deadly infectious disease is also now ravaging this county. Their infection and death rates are many times higher (adjusted for population) than anywhere in the world. Steps can be taken to help limit the spread and major successes are seen all over the globe, except for in this country. The disease is most likely to kill folks already on the margins, especially the elderly and the disabled. The illness and death rates are most staggering and startling in the various local communities where the leadership there is part of the oligarch’s cronies and follow his lead.

As the cases of infections rage and it is well known that gatherings cause spread, the oligarch prioritizes political rallies and self aggrandizing fanfare over the simple safety and livelihood of the population. Said oligarch and his inner circle explain things that amount to: “sacrifice the weak so we can gather.” They make their base think of simple acts of human decency (like wearing a mask) as an oppressive evil force and contribute to countless more cases.

The oligarch not only shows a total lack of regard for the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of deaths now, he also gaslights the country by downplaying the situation and creates an environment where local leaders are pressured to manipulate infection data. Scientists speak out. People asked to manipulate data are speak out and are fired. National leaderships ignores all reason, logic, and science from any experts. Infectious disease experts whose critical knowledge and training could contribute to wider national data tracking, health and public safety recommendations, etc. are desperate to be involved...it’s what they’ve trained for their whole careers. But they are never consulted and/or flat out denied access to a national platform to help spread critical, life-saving information.

In most recent reports, hospitals in many communities are now reaching full capacity. Those same race and ethnic minority groups that have been targets of state violence are again hit hardest. Hospital leadership in the most impacted areas beg for policy changes and help to reduce spread. The oligarch and his friends in local government instead only create policies which encourage spread and have direct correlations to higher cases.

Remember those political rallies you read about?? Well, there is an election coming around the corner in this country where this oligarch could be removed from office, but only if the population can freely vote, because he has historically low approval. Unfortunately, everything that would need to be done to enable that to best happen is specifically NOT being done. Election experts warn that if drastic changes are not made to enable nationwide vote by mail, there will be historic low turnout. (Need I remind you an infectious disease is ravaging the people?)

On top of all of this....in this moment of violence, death, and illness, the oligarch amplifies his inherent cruelty by working to try to remove critical access to healthcare for the most vulnerable, completely guaranteeing more loss of life by his actions, if fulfilled.

Do you get a sense of this powder keg?

Ok, stay with me in this imagination exercise: It’s 2005, remember? So let’s also say that this country has (even a paltry) amount of oil in their land (it does.) Are you going to tell me that in 2005, our leadership at the time wouldn’t at least have had passing thoughts that we should invade this county in the name of “defending democracy” or “for humanitarian intervention?”

Because it wouldn’t have surprised me if that was a case made. (I wouldn't support it mind you, but I would totally believe that it could have happened.)

And yet the same people who would point to this theoretical country and say: WE AS AMERICANS MUST DEFEND FREEDOM EVERYWHERE have allowed its own people to live this hellscape but 15 years later.

If you’ve read this far, I realize there’s a 99% chance you agree with me, which is a really big shame because all those folks who don’t GET THIS are contributing to all this violence, death, and suffering by their complacency and/or gleeful support. And it will only serve to hurt themselves and all of the rest of us in the long run.

Read that list I curated again. Nothing I’ve said here is a lie, although I have used language that cuts through the BS. But a simple Google search would find you a reputable source for any of my general claims.

This is America in 2020. Do you think it’s “GREAT”...good? Fair? Even passable? I don’t. I’m embarrassed and angry and exhausted and over it. We do have the power to change this shit. Stay home. If you can’t, wear a mask. HOLD ALL OF THESE STATE AND NATIONAL LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE. We’ve got to vote out those who have the blood of our neighbors on their hands in such a demonstrable way. This is a moral imperative.

Ya know...I have a BA in political science from a fancy 4 year liberal arts university. Who cares, right? I can admit, that doesn’t probably qualify me for much, but it sure allows me to say, “HOLY HELL THESE ARE SOME CLASSIC RED FLAGS.” This situation is untenable and if major changes are not made soon, it’s gonna get a lot worse for us all before it ever gets better.

Here’s the simplest version of what I’m trying to say: You should care about other people. You should act and vote in a way that shows you care about other people. If you fundamentally disagree w/that, well, we’re done here.

#long post #death cw #us politics #I’m so goddamn tired #racism #ableism #violence #police brutality

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ozymandiascezn · 3 years

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schrei es in die winde ||1|| chapter one

fandom original pairing original oc x original oc warnings potential/references to depression and dark thoughts - “What are you staring at?” “You.” “Why? You see me every day!” He can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips, his eyes remain on her, on the dress she wears and how she twirls in it. How she smiles when she’s wearing it. She’s the air that he breathes. “I know.” She’s so drastically different than him, smaller, petite, but filled with so much fight. Brown hair curls around her shoulders, long and wavy, eyes doe-like and brown, filled with love that only she could harbor for him. The dress is red, a compliment to her pale complexion and dark eyes. It’s his least favorite color, but when she wears it, his whole world topples upside down and robs him of his breath.

He remembers the red dress vividly, the last dress she had worn. He despises it now, he despises every color, but not nearly as much as he hates red. It was the last thing he saw her wear. He doubted he could ever look at a single thing of hers and feel the love and adoration he once had — it’s all replaced with voices that say it’s his fault. The study is quiet, the room is dark. The curtains cover the windows and not even the lanterns are on. It’s the only comfort he can afford himself, the only grief he can allow himself to feel. The tears he has cried so far burn, denting his skin with their bitterness. They followed the creases in his skin, leaving a trail of fire. The saltiness of his pain burns, it burns far more than he ever wanted it to. Papers on his desk draw his attention; business papers that need resolving and responses. A textile factory and several printing presses are all under his name and they need funds, ideas, plans on where to go next. What new clothing pattern is “in”, what is going on in the world, all of it belongs to him. And all of it needs him to be at his best. There’s no time for grieving, no time to just sit and wonder how it all fell apart. “She’s all settled into her new room.” The voice startles Andrej more than he’d care to admit, but when he recovers and notices Victoria standing in the doorway, he relaxes. “Lovely,” he coughs, returning his gaze to the papers before him, “can you take a look at these samples for me? The factory wants to know what to go with for the summer styles.” She approaches, quietly, staring at him as if he’s lost his mind. “You just suffered a great loss and you’re working? I’m sure all this can afford to wait.” “The world doesn’t wait for those who grieve, we just accept our fate and move on.” He replies gruffly, and though his heart shatters a little more at his own words, he knows he’s right. The world continues to move, he can’t afford to stop while everything else carries on. Weakness makes him easy to prey on. “I appreciate your concern, but work must continue. Now, which sample should I send back?” Frustrated, Victoria just points to one of the samples and watches as he tosses the other two away. She can tell he’s hurting, it’s in the way his hands shake, it’s in the way he won’t meet her gaze, and it’s in the way the room is so dark. “At least take some breaks, okay? The world needs you, but we need you more.” She sighs softly, eyeing him for a moment longer. “You should come down to dinner. Get acclimated with the things shifting around.” He looks up, eyeing her suspiciously for a moment. “Vic, I appreciate whatever it is you’re aiming to do, but I just want to be alone. Please.” “Okay, okay, just… just remember to look after yourself. I’ll be up to bring you something to eat around dinnertime.” She leaves, the door clicking shut behind her. He’s alone again and it’s something he hasn’t felt in such a long time. The loneliness is soul crushing, especially when you know just under this roof is someone you once held so dear. But he’s done what he can do, now he must work. Ink meets paper, twirling to meet words that fall from his fingertips like a lie falls from the lips of an experienced thief. He’s done things like this a million times that it now all feels so natural to him. It’s clockwork. If the amount of fabric exceeds the amount of money they have, he siphons money from Engelbrecht Printing to pay for whatever they can’t, and vice versa. Though people could afford to go without the newspaper, but clothes were a much needed necessity. Sometimes people needed favors, be it through opening a tab or sharing information. On occasion this information has aided him in freeing many mutants from a fate worse than death. They were a hunted species, one whose only crime was being born with powers beyond the general public’s understanding. Time and time again he had witnessed his brothers and sisters be murdered in their homes, in the streets, anywhere they were found. You could be accused of being a mutant and if you had no means to silence such

accusations, you would be. Andrej was the Jack of All Trades. There wasn’t a thing he couldn’t do — though it all comes at a great price. He’s learned long ago to keep everything under wraps, but the randomness of his mutant ability comes in handy when he rescues others like him. Especially when he smuggles them across the border into Canada. Though he isn’t lucky enough to decide what ability he gets to use, it is still a useful tool regardless. Oftentimes it’s set at the ability to control the final destination of a bullet. It’s what he’s known for. He’s grown tired of it — reasonably so. He’s been fighting the fight for mutants ever since he was old enough to understand the severity of existing as a mutant. He fought to protect mutants in Germany, now he has to do the same in America. But after the fall of New Tech after the twenty-first century, having to constantly monitor what goes into the daily paper before it’s put out has its toll. He controls what the people see, typically only making sure everything is propaganda free, but oftentimes, something slips by. To the untrained eye, the things that slip by are just jumbled messes, but to Andrej, they’re threats. They’re hints at where to find bodies, where they’re going to strike mutants next, etc. All of which has puts a large burden on his shoulders. The papers can wait, he decides, heading out of the study and downstairs. Papers like that can always wait. He’s never been one to enjoy the sights they had to offer anyways. She’s down there, with Victoria, and the paperboy he often uses to deliver most of his messages. Elizabeth, Victoria, and Philip. They’re playing a game of chess with Philip watching, but the moment he enters the room, they look at him. “Oh! I got a letter for you, boss!” Philip is on his feet, rummaging through his pockets to produce a slightly crumpled letter. “Came all the way from Germany, Sir! Just for you!” Andrej eyes him with suspicion before taking the letter. “Have you had coffee today, Philip? It’s not healthy for you. You get too hyper.” Philip is a little over a foot shorter than he is with golden hair and dark green eyes. He’s freckled, but his face is covered in dirt from his run to the shared home. He’s content with fulfilling his duties though, sparing Andrej a sloppy grin. “Maybe, Sir, but it looked tasty!” He retorts, keeping his lopsided grin. “Whatcha gettin’ letters from Germany for?” “It’s nothing of importance,” he tucks the letter away, “most likely in regards to my sister, but I’ll read it later.” “Sister? You have a sister?” Elizabeth perks up and he tenses incredibly. She’s beautiful, a lot more than he ever seemed to recall. But he forces his mind to think of her as average. She has average brown hair, average brown eyes, average voice. Nothing outstanding about her. He purses his lips, as if deciding whether she was worth talking to or not. “I do. She writes often.” “Then shouldn’t you read it and respond to her? I’m sure she’d be eager to hear your response!” She’s bright and happy, a complete opposite to everything he’s become. To everything that stands in Old York. She doesn’t belong here. “When I read and respond to my mail, is not your concern.” He returns, sharp and quick with his words. “She can wait a while until I have time. For now, there’s stuff to be done.” “Not more work is it? You’ve been working way too much for someone who lost the love of his life.” Victoria warns, eyeing him suspiciously. “I guess we’ll never know what I’m up to, then,” he retorts, returning her warning gaze, “I have to go drop by the factory and after that a trip to the main printing shop. I’m looking at buying more property, a bar, maybe. Can never have too much alcohol, besides, people talk when they’re drunk. We need that information.” Victoria leans back, brows raised. “Don’t make any quick decisions on the bar, then. We should look at locations that’ll provide a higher chance of accurate information.” “I’ve got a few places picked out, they’re in a folder on my desk somewhere. You’re welcome to look through

them,” Andrej nods, distracted almost, “and while you’re at it, there’s a few pages I pulled from printing that mention some young mutants. I’ve found where they are, just bring them here so we can get them set up.” She watches him curiously. “Can I take Elizabeth? Show her how we roll around here? Philip can come too, they’ll probably trust him more if they’re near his age.” “Take who you like, Vic. Just keep an eye out. Things have been getting rough all around.” He pulls out a watch from his vest pocket, opening it to check the time. “Three hours. I’ll need you back in three hours. Not a minute later unless you’re looking for trouble. I’m short staffed already, I don’t need more.” Philip lets out a small whoop of excitement much to Andrej’s utter dismay, but at least someone was enjoying themselves. He’s only thirteen so Andrej can’t quite fault him for the excitement, even if it’s a little false and wrong to feel such an emotion in a time of great turmoil. Not like people were dropping like flies every day. “Andrej, you’re doing the thing again,” Victoria snaps her fingers in front of her eyes, “you zoned out again. You should see someone about that, you’ve been doing it pretty often recently.” “It’s just stress, I’ll be fine. A little rest is all that can cure stress, I’m afraid, and right now I can’t do that.” He shakes his head, though, every part of him whines for him to just stop and rest. He can’t let his mind wander to darker spaces, not when there are still people who need to be saved. If he falters once, he might not come back from it. “I’ll rest when I can, okay? Just give me some time.” “Alright,” Victoria relents, smiling, “you should take a stop by O’Conner’s when you come back. Pick up some of that good bread, and maybe, just maybe some sweets? We all deserve it.” He snorts. “Yes, yes. I’ll bring back some good bread and sweets. You’re all a bunch of addicted fools, but I’ll do it anyway.” He can feel Elizabeth’s eyes on him, but he shakes the uneasy feeling as he finally heads out. He doesn’t like being looked at like that, nor was he a fan of her, really, but the staring made him feel like he was in some sort of freak show. It robs him of everything in one fell swoop, as if he’s nothing but a freak to throw things at.

#schrei es in die winde #original work #original characters #my writing #cezn's writing #cezn's stuff #kinda slowburn #dystopian #futuristic #mutant #mutant ocs #cezn's ocs

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mwagneto · 4 years

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hey, I’m interested, what’s the Trianon thing that you posted about re Austria-Hungary?

aw geez I'm not very good at explaining stuff so sorry if this gets incoherent but basically when they signed the treaty of Trianon in 1920 the agreement was that Hungary would lose 2/3 or 70% of its territory, in the following pattern:

The top number is the size of the lost land, the bottom number is the amount of hungarians stuck in that fracture of land.

this pretty much killed the entire county because we relied heavily on mining and manufacturing, and most of our mountains and with them our mines were stuck on the other side of the border while the factories we relied on remained in what we refer to as "truncated Hungary".

The people stuck on the other side of the borders had it worse as they lost their citizenship and (I'm only speaking for Transylvania here as that's personal experience) they were stripped of all their belongings and valuables and forced to move out of their homes and into tiny flatblocks while their vacated homes were then filled with people from the country they now belonged to in an effort to quickly even out the population.

Transylvanian Hungarians were oppressed for decades both systematically and socially and it STILL hasn't gotten much better, I don't want to delve into family trauma nor do I want to talk about experiences that aren't mine/generalise so I'm not gonna go into detail but point is they weren't allowed to speak their mother tongue on the streets, couldn't get jobs, weren't allowed to leave the country etc and it was and in many ways still is a horrible situation and transylvanians have been desperately trying to change their situation and get at least an illusion of justice and rights but the government frankly doesn't give a fuck about them and instead celebrates today as the day they "finally got justice" or whatever.

It's really an overall horrible ordeal and it brings us a lot of pain and it's a giant trauma for everyone and most people think of it as the greatest tragedy of our (already very unfortunate and tragic) history, the best way I can illustrate this is with the maps people made of "if the cruelty of Trianon was applied to other countries"

ps a LOT of English sources are propaganda to make it look like this was fair somehow, I tried finding some that tell the truth in case you want to read about it from someone who's more comprehensive than me:

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/06/04/world/europe/04reuters-ww1-century-hungary-trianon.html

http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/news_trianon.htm

#sorry i cant come up w more sources it's just. it hurts and it's hard to read #wikipedia is pretty good too #i got mail!#trianon 2020 #trianon

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metsov · 4 years

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Hey I heard about the Hagia Sophia thing and as someone who's never been to Turkey I don't know much about the significance of the building other than it was originally built as a church but made into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople? How do the Turkish people feel about it being turned into a mosque? Cause honestly as a Muslim myself I was quite shocked when i heard about it. I think it's best left as a musuem. It may cause unhappiness among the non-muslims I feel?

Hi :) thank you so much for this question, I really hope I can do it justice!

In brief - the building has quite the history (the magic of Istanbul and her people) but really this debate has very little do with that history. The conversations we’re seeing that are focusing on when it was a church, when it was a mosque, how the deed was signed, blah blah blah - they are simplistic and they are distracting.

The Republic of Turkey was and is dependent on an incredibly violent national identity. This is as true for the secular old guard Kemalists as it is for the religious Turks. They have a common “enemy” in the non-Turk because political figures for several centuries have carefully constructed an “us-versus-them” narrative that constantly proclaims that the Turkish state and the Turkish identity are at risk and those pesky minorities are to blame. If you are familiar with American politics there are some interesting parallels with that sort of discourse! The construction of the Republic of Turkey and the national identity of Turkey would not have been possible without violence, genocide, and Turkification. Understanding the Turkish state and the symbolism of this gesture means understanding the violence and discrimination of Armenian, Assyrian, Kurdish, Jewish, Laz, Greek, and even Arab people which occurred for centuries and is occurring to this very day. This sort of information is noticeably absent from Turkish sources (as well as any works by historians and authors that have been paid by the Turkish state - and how gross is it that a country has to literally fund propaganda textbooks?! If you’d like a list of these authors I can provide one.)

“With the foundation of the Republic, the “state” itself has written a history, or perhaps, to put it more accurately, has invented a history, and drawn red lines around it.”

That’s a quote from the book “1915: Armenian Genocide” written by Hasan Cemal who is the grandson of Cemal Paşa, one of the men who planned and executed the Armenian genocide. This book is not a study of the past, rather it is the personal journey of Hasan Cemal as he sought to learn about and understand the plight of Armenians in modern-day Turkey. I highly recommend it!

Understanding the symbolism of this move requires an understanding of the history and the present-day plight of minorities in Turkey (some recommended reads: Trauma and Resilience: Armenians in Turkey - Hidden, not hidden, and no longer hidden by Raffi Bedrosyan, In the Ruins: The 1909 Massacres of Armenians in Adana, Turkey by Zabel Yesayan, Two Close Peoples Two Distant Neighbours by Hrant Dink or any articles by Hrant Dink, anything by Taner Akçam, My Grandmother: A Memoir by Fethiye Çetin, and fiction books about the Armenian genocide like The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian and Orhan’s Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian!) I know that these are all books, and some of them quite long, but I wanted to mention them. There are lots of great articles out on the web, too!

Many are now arguing that this ruling won’t change much - visitors will still be allowed in the Hagia Sophia and thus it will still be public. This argument is so simplistic and demonstrates no understanding of the history of Turkification and erasure of minorities in Turkey. I myself have stumbled upon Greek churches in Turkey (mostly in and around the provinces of İzmir and Balıkesir) that were either in complete disarray or had been converted into completely random things (one was a museum for children’s toys). Arguments that this happens to Muslim communities in other parts of the world does NOT negate the fact that the treatment of Christians and other minorities in Turkey is wrong and amounts to a humanitarian crisis. On a wider scale, Turkey has a long history of destroying or repurposing the structures of ethnic and religious minorities and erasing their contributions to history, culture, art, cuisine, literature, etc. This is a continuation of the massacres and genocides of people that are indigenous to these lands. Many parallels could be made here... the erasure of Palestinian heritage and culture perpetuates their suffering, the forced assimilation and cultural erasure of Indigenous peoples in North America perpetuates their suffering. The Turkish Republic relies on the continued erasure of its minorities (example: for decades it denied the existence of Kurdish people, referring to them as “mountain Turks” with funny accents... meanwhile it was illegal to speak Kurdish or engage in Kurdish cultural practices and many Kurds faced incredibly violent persecution simply for existing). The erasure of minorities is not unique to Turkey, but it is the heart of the issue when we talk about the Hagia Sophia’s conversion to a mosque.

Some things I would recommend reading up on if you’d like to learn more about the topic of cultural erasure and perpetuation of Turkish hegemony in Turkey:

-the Armenian city of Ani

-the burning of Smyrna

-Turkey’s incursion into Northern Syria (which has disproportionately impacted Kurds and Christians)

-the Turkish government’s moves to impede cross-cultural dialogue between Armenians and Turks, even kicking a delegation of Armenians out of the country illegally (happened in Kars in the early 2000s, mentioned in the Hasan Cemal book)

This is a pretty decent article that touches on the topic: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/07/01/hagia-sophia-erdogan-erase-turkeys-christian-past/

The Hagia Sophia is a wonder of the world. Museum status brought everyone together to admire the structure just as she is. It is a source of contention in its present-day use as a place of worship, but it is a shared treasure when it is a museum that belongs to humanity. Cheesy lol I know, but both Turkey and the world need more places that can bring people together like the Hagia Sophia has as a museum!

I feel like I’m all over the place lol here but I should also mention that not only does Turkey engage in the erasure of ethnic and religious minorities, it openly celebrates the violence perpetrated against these people. There are streets, schools, and parks named after the engineers of the Armenian genocide. Can you imagine a school in Germany named “Adolf Hitler Elementary School”? Reconciliation will not become a reality until the suffering of ethnic and religious minorities in Turkey is recognized and their pain is acknowledged.

In his analysis titled “Nowruz, Kemalism and Religion” (Taraf, March 21, 2012), Ahmet Altan pointed out that even though in theory it is not possible for the religion of Islam to converge with nationalism, there was a shared nationalist and statist mentality between Kemalists and religious Muslims in Turkey: “The greatest and most horrific victory of Kemalism was to be able to inject the poison of nationalism to the veins of religious people.

This is from Şahin Alpay’s article “Where are the roots of Islamist Kemalism?” which explores the construction of Turkish national identity and how it exists despite the cognitive dissonance of religious Turks.

Here is an article which talks about the Islamic Society of North America’s condemnation of the move to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque: https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/07/14/islamic-society-of-north-america-condemns-turkeys-conversion-of-hagia-sophia/

Also, the debate over the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been going on for years! Funny enough, it tends to resurface when there are pressing sociopolitical issues that Turkish politicians don’t want to talk about (a failing economy...... the government’s poor response to COVID-19..... take your pick lol) or an election is coming up. It’s truly a disservice to Turkish people to reignite the fires of this debate now. Turkish people of all religious and political affiliations are losing their jobs and struggling to put food on the table - the storm that Hagia Sophia has created is very conveniently masking that.

Some articles about the current economic crisis:

https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-debt/turkish-economy-headed-towards-further-crisis-under-unorthodox-management

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/07/turkey-foreign-investors-flee-ankaras-isolation-grows.html

I want to end this on a better note - I love Turkey and I believe in Turkey. I know that reconciliation is possible and that dialogue can lead to a better Turkey for everyone.

#türkiye #turkey #aya sofya #hagia sophia #istanbul #answered

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ronanvun38 · 3 years

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Week 11 Global Social Media: China

For this week’s blog, I’ll be talking about the social media in China. With businesses across the globe using Facebook/Instagram to reach new customers, entering a new market without them might seem impossible. However, there’s a range of other platforms available that businesses can use for social media marketing in China. As we all know, China had created their own social media such as WeChat, Weibo, Tencent and etc. These social are more like a China version of social media from the Western countries.

The video below shows the top 5 social media in China.

youtube

Why is social media so important in China?

According to a Chinese government study, 802 million people in China are now active internet users. This amounts to 57.7% of the country’s population. Even more interesting is the incredible level of mobile uptake in China: 98% of Chinese people using the internet do so via mobile devices. Compare that with just 73% in the US. This makes Chinese social media more immediate and dynamic, with mobile users looking to platforms like WeChat and Weibo for the latest recommendations, testimonials, and tips.

Why some social media are banned in China?

China is considered to have one of the most extensive and sophisticated censorship regimes in the world. The "Great Firewall," a number of methods are employed to control online expression, including website blocking and keyword filtering, censoring social media, and arresting content posters who broach sensitive or political issues. A host of government agencies wield authority over the internet in China, such as the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Public Security. In 2014, it established the Cyberspace Administration of China as the main body for internet censorship in China. Since then, The Great Firewall prevents users from accessing foreign news sites such as the BBC, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, among others.

That’s all for my blog. This will be my last blog for MDA20009. Thanks for Dr Bertha and my fellow classmates for the presentation and I have learned a lot from all of them and it is very interesting to listen to others’ idea towards the matter every week. Hope you all stay safe and good luck in your upcoming assessments and exams.

#mda20009 #week12 #socialmedia #china

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crazyintheeast · 4 years

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Spree tactics- instead of attacking innocent civilians they could've attacked military. Not all military are witches, in fact, witches are only a small branch of US Army - so there's plenty of non-civilian targets to choose from. They could've targeted politicians, they could've organized civil protests via internet, etc like today- instead they slaughtered hundreds of innocent humans who might as well have been other witches families. There's no excuse for that.

Very interesting points anon. But would this work? If they manage to find military bases without witches on sight why would the public care about this? Why would it change it’s mind about the deal it had made with enslaving witches? The public would be safe, the violence would still be away from them and they would have zero incentive to pressure politicians into changing anything. And would slaughtering soldiers and their families really be any better? Same for politicians. I don’t think the internet exists in the Fort Salem universe. Even cell phones don’t seem to exist The world seems to be in the early 90′s as far as technology is concerned and do you really think this would work? Just look at today’s USA. Take a look at how massively difficult it is to enact any real change. What do you think the chances are a nice peaceful campaign will suddenly change how the military is ran even in our own universe much less the Fort Salem one? That’s highly unlikely really. Witches are an extreme minority. They are at tens of thousands instead of millions. I highly doubt there are more then a hundred thousand witches in all of the USA. And the most powerful of them are strongly in support of the system. I am sure the Spree has caused some collateral damage to witches but it’s not even close to the massive amount of witches the military kills regularly so as far as the regular witch on the street is concerned they are in far more danger from the military then the Spree. Just look at Raelle who is probably the best representative of an average poor witch. Despite the fact that the Spree had just killed thousands of innocents she was just ”yeah maybe they have a point” It’s not really about excuses it’s about survival. Every country has risen through horrible acts. Just look at the USA . And yet we expect an enslaved minority to be morally pure in it’s attempts at surviving. and carving a place for themselves? See this is why I love this fucking show! It’s so well written it actually makes me really think about questions like this. About the morality war. About an oppressive system. About our double standards. About how it’s acceptable for countries to kill thousands just to expand their political influence and secure their economies but how we condemn violence from the oppressed, how we demand that they find some other way? And are we wrong in both cases? When its it acceptable to kill? How much do you have to suffer before striking back? And another interesting thing to consider is that there is no option where you remain morally pure. I think that’s a big part of the Spree propaganda. Being complicit in the system. They have three choices. To go on the run and become a draft dodger. This means that they will never have a real life and that they can be executed at any moment. And seeing as how savage this universe is their families would probably be punished if not outright killed as well. The system will continue to be the same and there would be no hope. To join the military and to kill innocent witches who are enslaved just like you and probably countless other innocent humans as collateral damage. The system will be the same and you will have blood on your hands. Or to join the Spree and kill humans only as far as possible. You will have still have blood on your hands but you will have the one thing that no other option gives you. Hope. Hope that your children won’t grow up as slaves

I think the only actually realistic peaceful way is through High Atlantic s. Alder and they had the political power to release witches a long time ago but they deliberately kept them salves because this benefited them. And I think this is where our girls come from. The Spree doesn’t have a chance to ever get the High Atlantics to use their power but our girls are sliding into positions where they can actually change something. Tally is a Biddy and she is not an obedient one. She will have her say. Abigail is a Bellweather and one that will return a hero and one who has already forged a connection with the other most powerful High Atlantic family through Libba’s mom. And Raelle with access to the new superweapon and her connection to the Spree So yes I think the Spree are vicious but they are part of the equation needed for change. The Spree and the Military are both sides of the same equation. Equally dirt and guilty but both are needed for any real change to happen

#motherland fort salem #fort salem #lol sorry this went for a long time #Anonymous

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