"why couldn't shuro have just been honest about what he felt with laios and falin it's not that hard" are you. are you White

Cyberpunk and the Individualist

Keeping the theme of Cyberpunk for this week, I want to talk about one other thing about Cyberpunk, that I super rarely see discussed.

Remember a while ago, when I talked about how western Cyberpunk always had this theme of "Japan is overtaking our economy and soon we will be Japanofied!" because of the economic anxieties towards Japan in he 70s and 80s. Which is why Cyberpunk has all those Japanese aesthetics and the Japanese megacorps and what not. It is because of this anxieties...

But... One thing that is often missed among this is the other part of that anxiety. Japan, despite being a capitalist country, is also a collectivist society. Aka a "you do stuff for the good of society" and what not country. Meanwhile western and especially American capitalism is an individualist country, where everything is about the "do your own and only your own" and the illusion "freedom!!!" 🦅

That also is why so much more people died of the pandemic in the USA than in Japan. Because while the US individualist "FREEDOM 🦅" society made a whole thing of "I feel robbed of my freedom while wearing a mask" the Japanese collectivist society was like: "Sure I am wearing a mask if I can protect society through it."

And here is the Cyberpunk thing. The protagonists in Western Cyberpunk stories are individualists. Sure, they might work in small groups, but they are not part of communities. If they start out with a community, they get divorced from the community through the story. Maybe the community gets killed or maybe they turn against the rugged individualist protagonist.

Originally a lot of western cyberpunk obviously had this idea of the noir kinda hero. The out of his luck private detective and what not. But also the street fighter, who has lost everything. A lot of the early stuff also very much focused on a male perspective - and dare I say it? - a toxic masculine approach to things.

And I think this is also where a lot of the defeatism of Cyberpunk storytelling comes from. Because Cyberpunk is of course dystopic. But it is dystopic in a way that has completely given up on things. Cyberpunk is like: "Don't even try to change the system, IT IS HOPELESS." But... Yeah, duh it is if you are working alone or in a small group. You need a community to fight the system. You need to network to do something.

I feel like the true baseline of where Cyberpunk and Solarpunk are different from each other is in fact the idea of community. Cyberpunk with its rugged individualism does not trust community - Solarpunk does.

And here I go again: We silly humans are no good on our own. We actually need community. We need more community than just our little nuclear family. So, just... open yourself up to work with others. Don't be a lonely Street Samurai.

Did you see the extras from volume 39? I read ruk’s translation of the imamura and am curious about it. Does it come off more as a cultural Japanese being-very-humble sort of thing ? Or is there something more going on under the surface that is worrisome?

It reads as not only super Japanese but super Horikoshi. Culturally, the west doesn't always talk about this sort of concept in the same way. What he's really talking about is how there is this ideal version of MHA that gets published when all people working on it come together and do their jobs. In the interest of the MHA final product, Horikoshi's editor is willing to take the heat for doing something that could be seen as inconsiderate of the other mangaka serialized in WSJ. Horikoshi is also being self-deprecating out of politeness to show how grateful he is for what his superiors occasionally do for his sake. He's also showing his gratitude to the fans by apologizing for any disappointment these changes may have caused them and for setting new, potentially lower expectations for us. A lot of these bits that are self-deprecating or show low self-esteem are very much Japanese cultural things.

I say it's super Horikoshi too because Horikoshi often behaves like something of a perfectionist. He does tend to apologize for not being basically a manga machine. The dude cranks out enviable quality and quantity each week all things considered. I'm pretty sure every mangaka on earth is jealous of what he accomplishes. But I'm sure in Horikoshi's mind, his efforts never quite achieve his most desired goal--to draw MHA the way he plans it from the outset. He speaks often of time constraints and physical limitations that prevent him from accomplishing everything he wants (which I imagine is 19 immaculately drawn pages each week). The thing is, other mangaka draw less detail because of these time constraints. Horikoshi's drawing goals are actually very lofty for the amount of detail he always puts in. What he manages to accomplish already is quite honestly insane. These goals and his implied level of perfectionism seem to be the root of a lot of his apologies, but I think he also is apologizing to himself for not getting to finish everything he wants to. And striving for perfection by trying your best is a big piece of the Japanese zeitgeist.

If your question is if we should be concerned about some hidden cry for help, I'd say no. Japan does have horrible work-life balance, and mangakas are notorious for such backbreaking schedules especially, but this is all the norm. Horikoshi speaks on these issues in no way that surprises me. I suspect Horikoshi doesn't often adjust his weekly drawing plans to what's feasible. He doesn't compromise. He's probably got the highest expectations for himself out of everyone. And he's likely been burnt out for quite a while now.

Also, the final line about not being fit for society reads like a joke. That whole bit about not causing trouble for others by meeting your deadlines is also very Japanese and collectivist. It's a normal collectivist society thing to not want to be a burden to others. Hell, just look at Izuku. You may read him as special for his heroism, but very much about Izuku reads more like the (ideal) Japanese everyman to whom readers are meant to relate.

OKAY I have a rant.

So about 2-3 years ago, I got really interested in all those study and productivity videos on YouTube. Because they make it so aesthetic and so appealing to have the utmost productivity and have goals that you work towards, I wanted to try it all too. I even made a Studyblr. If you are here, you already probably know that.

I fell into this trap of wanting to wake up early, have a healthy breakfast, go for a walk, meditate, then sit down to do my work, to plan my day and work according to my plan.

But it was very difficult to actually have that life that Studytubers have. You see, most of these people lived alone, whether in an apartment of their own or in college/uni. They lived their life according to their whims and fancies, they did what they wanted to do at any given point of time. Their life was entirely in their hands, they lived for their own selves.

I lived at home (of course, I was still in school). I could not eat what I wanted whenever I wanted, because my mother is not my personal maid to be doing things as I wish. I could not go outside to walk in a park, because unfortunately I don't live near one and my parents were never gonna allow me to just be walking on the streets of Delhi. I could not plan my day and then follow through with that plan entirely, because something or the other always came up- some guest showed up, dad needed help, mom needed help, my sister needed help, somebody needed the room that I study in for other purposes. And everytime my plan was disrupted, I would get more and more frustrated. (Of course, I had never shared my plan with my family so its not their fault for asking me to do something when they don't know that in my head I have decided that I will be doing something else at that point.)

It took me quite a while to realise what the problem here was. All those people on YouTube were living either in America or Europe. Those are all individualistic cultures. For anybody who doesn't know, individualistic cultures are those where the self is seen as more important than the society/community. I live in India, and like most Asian nations, we are also a collectivistic culture, which means we give more importance to the society than the self. This brings about various major changes. I will give you an example from Psychology because I just studied it. In a research it was found that Japanese and American students associated different circumstances with a general positive state. While the American students allocated the cause of their positive feeling to something individual and socially-disengaged, for example pride in their achievements, the Japanese students linked it with a friendly and socially engaged feeling.

Point is, it took me some time to understand that I don't live in a culture that values a life lived only for yourself. And to be honest, I don't even want to live that life. My life is not entirely my own, to be lived only and only for myself. I live for the people around me- my parents, my sister, my friends. I cannot expect people to to leave me be 100% of the time, especially not when I literally live at home with three other people. I cannot always be "I, Me, Myself" when there are people around me who will be affected by my actions and behaviours.

And my attraction towards that specific lifestyle was ruining my relationship with my family and my own mood and mental health, because I came to see my family as a burden and something that suffocates me and hinders my growth, without understanding that the people who I was aspiring to be are leading a very different life from mine.

I know I might be coming off as complimenting individualistic cultures, but I am not. Trust me, the idea of being so focused on yourself that your entire life revolves only around you is so bizarre to me. The idea that people will value anything above their families is so alien to me. I live for the people around me willingly, and I do not want to adopt a way of life that will devalue the people I love and care about.

The point of all this is that I am still trying to tell myself that it is okay if I don't have a morning routine and drink smoothies and have a pre-planned timetable. I don't have to punish myself for not being able to do all of that, or blame my family for it. It's not either one or the other. Just because other people are following a certain lifestyle doesn't mean it is going to fit into the way I live as well. It is okay that the people around me need my help sometimes, I am more than honoured to do it. And it is okay if my mother calls me for dinner when I am in the middle of an intense study session. I can explain it to her without having to make it a big deal and cry to myself in my journal. It is a small journey of accepting my life as being good and satisfactory instead of aspiring for something that has only ever given me trouble.

Idk if this is a reminder or a rant or a lesson or a story, but if you read till the end. Wow.

I downloaded Tumblr only because I wanted to say this but I didn't know where to say it, so now imma go back to studying. Bye.

No Hope, No Future: Let the Adventures Begin!

This writing is dedicated to my dear friend Miles “Art Phoenix” and also to the memory of:

15-year-old Italian individualist anarchist Anteo Zamboni, who lost his life attempting to shoot and kill Benito Mussolini in Bologna on 31 October1926

& Japanese anarchist and nihilist Fumiko Kaneko, convicted of plotting to assassinate members of the Japanese Imperial family and imprisoned until she took her own life.

The sun, moon and the stars do not wait; they bomb the sky with their presence. A tsunami does not hesitate; it announces a death rattle of destruction before dissipating. So why should I wait? And who am I waiting for? And who are they waiting for? The Future is a god obeyed at the expense of one’s immediate desires in order to secure distant membership in a nonexistent utopia.

The Future is a hologram projection of dreams and promises that get rejected by the present. For politicians and other authoritarians seeking long-term domination, The Future is often socially utilized to exploit one's fear of living in the moment. The Future domesticates wild desire, limiting its capacity to explore spontaneous, unpredictable experiences.

Today is here, right now like a blank canvas inviting my imaginative, destructive creativity. Do I dare to dream bigger than the prison world of material wealth, fashion trends and workerism? Should I indulge in savage hedonism against the monolith of collectivized misery? Yes! Against the gospel of The Future, my anarchy is a riotous celebration of now!

The Future is antithetical to any feral insurgency that refuses politicized stagnation. When I say “politicized stagnation”, I am referring to the politics of “waiting for when the time is ripe”. When I say “feral insurgency”, I am referring to the prioritizing of immediate attack rooted in an individualist, unrestrained desire for freedom. The Left enjoys long-winded academic debates and discussions, attempting to redefine revolution within the limited scope of civilized society. Acting as a new constitution for a future society, there is everexpanding politically correct terminology to learn and memorize, along with the everchanging methods of “educating” “the people”. And then there’s the ingroup and outgroup competition, the oppression olympics and lowestcommon denominator identity politics. I consider all of this Politicized Stagnation. More time and energy is placed on the ideological construction of a perfect future utopia than attacking the existing prison society now.

These type of (exhausting) discussions understimulate my desire for wild experimentation and illegalist adventure. When I speak of “wildness” I am referring to the unique complexities of individual experiences and emotion, which defy the politicized confinement of analytical measurement. When I speak of “illegalist adventure” I am referring to the full-flowering of individual growth and selfliberation beyond the confines of law and order.

My wildness is defined by an individualism borne of the intercourse of anarchy and nihilism; it can not be captured and confined to socially constructed identities nor the poverty of leftist ideology. The illegality of my feral revolt against industrial civilization makes me an accomplice of all wild beings who viciously reject social domestication. My wildness is an exploration into the adventurous unknown life experiences of criminal, antiworkerist anarchy. My experiences are unique,

everchanging and my own, blowing to pieces the assumption that they can be defined by identitybased affiliations with any particular group membership. I find identity politics laughable, rejecting its glorified victimhood and representation. Rather than participating in the pretentious role of identity policing, I take destructive aim at the mental prisons of my own class, race and gender assignment.

I also mock the authority of psychiatry with an assertion of negativity toward behavorial standardization. In the eyes of a neurotypical society, I am fucking crazy but in the eyes of lunatics I am alive and well! The insane/sane binary is a socioeconomic trap that criminalizes antisocial behavior and capitalizes on emotional misery. With the experience of having been imprisoned at a psychiatric facility and rejecting their medications, I remain insubordinate: there is no cure for my depression that civilized society induces. There is no prescriptive remedy for my unruly incompatibility with collectivized subservience. I refuse to tranquilize my hatred for authority and this civilized society which maintains it.

Some would even encourage me to indulge in the intoxication culture that takes the sharp, sober edge off of reality. But it is sobriety that I weaponize against the docile, habitual comforts of toxic escapism. There is nothing this colonial establishment wants more than to subjugate my savagery with addiction or habitual inebriation. My sobriety is a feral sworn enemy of industrial civilization.

No Hope, No Future: Let the Adventures Begin!

I don’t want to create new theories or more analysis to filter the world through; I want to destroy the ideological chains that prohibit me from experiencing it directly. I don’t want to create a blue print for another world; I want to experience utopia, here and now!

What differentiates leftism from my nihilist anarchy is the desire to embrace the present as the best time for attack, waging an individualist war on all governance and social control. While adherents of leftism spend years in college classrooms attempting to make leftism palatable to “the masses”, some nihilist individuals send smoke signals of sabotage in solidarity with others who embrace the night like a balaclava. With destruction, these individuals constellate an informal network of feral revolt across the globe, leaving behind the chains of fear and internalized victimhood.

Even in the era of Trump presidency “the masses” have yet to take up arms and overthrow the establishment. While anarcholeftist organizers advertise their groups in competitive popularity contests, the violence of fascism, poverty and police orchestrated executions roll on. Individualized, spontaneous ruptures to the civilized order define a warfare that almost always undermines state infiltration and management. In the transformation of civil anarchism to feral insurgency, anarchy becomes an anti-political life of illegalism accessible to any individual with the courage to get wild and fuck shit up.

The authoritarian “revolutionaries” who carry communist bibles filled with “better futures” are a predatory bunch, discouraging individualist selfdetermination and targeting those most vulnerable to groupthink buzzwords like “hope” and “community”. One is led to a believe in and choose a side within a binaryist worldview: find a future of happiness through the riches of capitalism or find a future of happiness in the communalism of communism.

For me The Future of both is as much of an apparition as the authoritarian power both require to create it; I refuse to endure years of wageslavery in hope of a future financial security under capitalism. Equally, I refuse to surrender my present days building communes in hope of a future communist utopia.

My anarchy can not be defined by either capitalism nor communism: it is the abomination of both. My activities require no future utopia for motivation only a personal obsession with a present life ungoverned by submission. My anger and contempt for this technoindustrial nightmare motivates my actions. “The Commune” requires my individualism in exchange for membership, and like a machine requires my free time and energy for its maintenance.

I mock those Tiqqunists, the Invisible Committee and their disciples for attempting to market insurrection to “the masses”. Their “manual of terrorism” is merely a biblical text that presents itself as a “truth” that people are “forced to choose” if they desire something other than the world we have today. This oversimplification intentionally erases those who channel the power of their individualism towards emancipatory destruction rather than surrendering themselves to "recreate the conditions of another community."

The way I see it, no one other than my self is more qualified to determine and acquire my freedom. I am responsible for my own life, freedom and the necessary attack in obtaining both. Without prioritizing this personal responsibility, I would fall into a dependency which would enable an authoritarian, social hierarchy that normalizes my own disempowerment.

For many, individualist potential is difficult to explore in the presence of an overwhelming number of mechanistic social roles and identities that demand its surrendering. So is it really surprising that many people have difficulty imagining themselves as independent, selfsufficently armed survivalists? Much of what is propagated as “anarchism” in the US comes from a collectivist perspective that boasts more about “community”, “the movement” or “the commune” rather than individualist power. Is it really surprising that so many self-identifying anarchists struggle with not feeling motivated enough to take action unless they are affiliated with a group, organization, or movement?

The anarchist nihilist critique of organization can be summarized as a tension between the individual and the collective. Sure, I will be the first one to say that shit like the J20 black bloc that wrecked havoc in the streets was a hell of a fun time! I understand there is a power, riotous excitement and even sometimes safety in numbers. I also recognize that mutual aid and support do wonders for helping one another in more ways than I can list. But what about that same power, riotous excitement, and safety in individualized, lone wolf attacks?

Is there no power to be found in knowing everyday can be an opportunity for direct action without needing a police killing or some moral outrage for motivation? Is there no excitement to be found within the personal experimentation of clandestine activities, the rush of adrenaline while fleeing the scene of a crime, or the safety in a selfplanned and secured action taking place when and where police least expect it? Why wait for the next demonstration, police shooting, presidential election or convergence? And while the aid of others can potentially enhance one’s criminal experience, there is much to learn about one’s personal experience with carrying out their own individualized attack. Everything from planning, to panic control and task completion are experienced differently when not split up amongst others.

With individualist attack, the actor is not alienated from the action. Everything is evaluated directly, personally, and in the moment. The attack then becomes a direct expression of the individual. Without the ideological guidance of a future utopia or greater power, nor the motivation of a collectivized identity, the individual becomes simultaneously the catalyst and creator of their anarchy. The selfdefeating worldview one holds onto is only as strong as their grip on it. The enslavement of one’s existence is only as powerful as their individualized subordination.

One thing that comes to mind when speaking of creating anarchy is uniqueness. Ones relationship to their action is always unique from another. From a strategic point of view, there is uniqueness in the experience of lonewolf attacks. Even “phantom cell” structured attacks carried out by small groups of trusting individuals offer a unique perspective on direct action. Compared to mass demonstration property destruction, (which unfortunately often ends with police kettling and mass arrests) it doesn’t take long to research how successful ALF and ELF attacks are while utilizing the model of spontaneous and unpredictable attack. But the ALF and ELF are the more wellknown success stories. This doesn’t include all the successful attacks by lonewolf individuals. These individualized attacks have the benefit of being carried out in the most random, unpredictable manner, while displaying the courage and power one determined individual can possess. Formally organized movements that require mass mobilization and time for “education” is futile; along with formally organized militias, both play into the trap of predictability and infiltration.

Socially speaking, personal uniqueness is more often feared than accepted. If it can’t be controlled, massified, or out-right eliminated it is a threat to the continuity of an established social identity. The breaking down of control and stability often induces panic in authority. An individualism that rejects the logic of submission becomes boundless in the exploration of personal potential. This ungovernable potential threatens the collectivized security of social control and predictability. Similar to the strategy of spontaneous attack, desire armed with chaos is like the wildness that civilization tries to domesticate; determined and resilient.

When I hear people say “we have a plan for a better world” in the futuristic sense, I wonder if they are considering the very real possibility that they will never see that world. And unless they are speaking for others the way politicians do, I am curious to know who is going to experience this better world. Is this “plan for a better world” a predetermined model for a future of people that the architects have no relational connection to? I have no desire to propose and enforce a preconstructed model of living upon people from afar. As I expect for myself here and now, anyone who exists beyond my own life is entitled to the same individual agency.

For me, this shit world in which I currently exist is the only world I am going to see. I have no delusions of getting old and touring colleges to give speeches on anarchy. Nor riding trains at 80 years old, or wasting away in a retirement home glued to a television or piecing together puzzles. I will most likely die young, and I don’t see a “better world” coming. Nor a mass uprising that wouldn’t impose another authoritarian regime in place of the current one. I guess some would say this is the “hopelessness” often associated with nihilism. For me, this is a realistic assessment of the world I currently live in.

But this reality, however dismal, motivates my desire to make my life, through fierce revolt, as joyful and fulfilling as possible! My hopelessness does not paralyze me with fear or depression; I celebrate it with hysterical laughter and ecstasy in spite of civilization’s death march. I arm my desires with the urgency to live... against the social order of monotony and peaceful enslavement, to sleep beneath the stars, to feel sunshine and a breeze with every hair on my body, to listen to the latenight conversations of the insects, to become wild...

Scattered everywhere around me are the social manifestations of domestication and control, the politics of fear that reinforce them and the individual architects who construct them. Therefore, opportunities for creative destruction (or destructive creativity) surround me! So why wait?

My Individualism, nihilistic and anarchistic, is the embodiment of both perpetual destruction and creativity. The life I want to live is the one I create here and now. Through the personal destruction of all that governs me, my freedom is experienced creativity. My life is my utopia, located here and now, defining my present as the playful insubordination that renders The Future useless.

******

To black out in becoming the light of hopelessness,

to accelerate emancipation from the shackles of stagnation,

to create an exhilarating life of hedonistic rebellion against the social conformity of self-destruction,

wild insurgency is an individualist celebration,

a reclaiming of a life society says I can’t have,

every day against stifling obedience to The Future.

- Flower Bomb 2019

Post #3 The Unique Japanese Character

HONNE AND TATEMAE:

“Honne can be defined as the wishes, opinions, and true feelings every individual has, whereas tatemae refers to the social obligations and the opinions that have been adapted or adjusted to society....”

“From the Western point of view, concealing the truth may be looked upon with disfavor. In Japan, however, preserving harmony is more important and that’s why true thoughts (honne) are not usually expressed in a straight forward way for fear of hurting peoples’ feeling.”

- A Geek In Japan, Chapter Three, page 36

While I have learned throughout my studies how the Japanese people are part of a more collectivist society, the concepts of honne and tatemae are new to me. I didn’t realize that there was such distinct levels in behavior when it comes to socializing with people. In the United States, being an individual and standing out from the crowd are encouraged. If someone has to “make waves” or “rock the boat” a little in order to fulfill their dream or achieve their goal, they are not necessarily looked on disfavorably. In Japan, the whole is valued more than the individual, and it is important to that the whole remains intact and functioning. Therefore, it is important to not upset the balance of the whole by going against the obligations of society. 

This thought process is completely opposite of what Americans (myself included) have been taught growing up and how we function in our society. I can see how when American and Japanese culture collide there is room for misinterpretation and confusion. I am very interested to see how these cultures will interact when we go over to Kyoto and Tokyo in March.

AMAE:

“Amae is a concept used to describe the way we act when we wish to be loved or seek attention, when we want to depend on someone else with a certain sense of submissiveness....The fact is that in amae is somewhat exaggerated and you’ll find 40 year old women who act like teenagers and this is considered kawaii (cute). Japanese men prefer women with a girlish face who behave submissively and act like girls. They are not attracted to elegant women who look as if they have a lot of personality. Men, boys, and husbands like playing the role of protectors.”

- A Geek In Japan, Chapter Three, page 44\

This is also a very drastically different cultural aspect of Japan compared to the United States. Within the last few decades there have been huge pushes and advances in the feminist movement within the US and women have been more vocal and assertive about their roles, desires, and responsibilities than ever before. The feminist movement has encouraged women to be more independent and assertive in their beliefs, which contrasts starkly with the idea of acting like a young girl and behaving submissively. Neither concept is 100% right or wrong, they are each just different. For myself personally, I would struggle greatly with this submissive role of amae, if I lived in Japan. My parents always encouraged me to stand up for what I believed in and to be myself, so to act the opposite of that would be quite the struggle for me. However, in a culture that values harmony above all else, I can see how this submissive role of women balances the need for the men to be the protectors and providers of the relationship or household.

hot take

if you’re gonna write a story that takes place in china

maybe actually do the research abt china???

fair warning: if you like really like cinder and/or marissa meyer you may just wanna sit this one out

in these trying times of lost innocence of childhood and being more aware of social justice issues, i find myself being very critical of the entertainment media i consume

esp when it comes to representation, bc representation is important to me. and it’s becoming more and more important to me the older i get, as an asexual chinese-american woman. i’m still on the fence abt no rep v. bad rep, but this isn’t what this post is mainly abt

i’m currently reading cinder, by marissa meyer for my book club

and i just...i have a lot to say abt it. a lot that i really gotta get off my chest before i feel i can continue to read it

i’d preferably like to talk abt it with my friends (and maybe i will when the time comes), but i’d have to wait until june 1 and finish the book. as i said above, i really have to get this off my chest before i can finish it, so here i am, screaming into the void

so to begin, and i usually comment abt this when it comes to A LOT of east asian rep i see in entertainment media: my beef with the combination of east asian culture to mean one (1) asian/east asian culture

in this case, a combo of east asian cultureS (plural) into one (1), which would be china

honorifics

there are honorifics in china--like you definitely want to apply the correct honorific to your authority figures (i.e., parents, teachers, doctors, bosses, etc.)

and that part of china’s culture was taken, and then adapted into japanese culture today, HOWEVER, the way it’s used in japanese culture today is very different than how chinese ppl use them

okay so disclaimer real quick, chinese is my second language, and i have not taken up learning japanese, and am i’m going off information i’ve learned from my friends who took japanese as their second langauge; so the information i provide here may not be precisely accruate (hence, having trouble finding better words to explain this)

a lot of china’s honorifics aren’t as “““specific”””--for major lack of a better word--as japan’s

they have mr., miss, mrs., teacher/master, doctor, etc., and, in general, it’s custom to use them bc they are important--authority and hierarchy is v important to collectivistic cultures

japan has “““specific””” identifiers that are often, if not always, used to identify any of those older, younger, or equal to you

senpai, -chan, -san, -sama, etc., as well as other identifiers as placeholders for the person’s name to communicate who they are in relation to the person speaking (e.g., oniisan, oniichan, oniisama)

how honorifics are used in cinder is almost completely wrong, not just in culture, but also through translation

from meyer’s website:

-dàren: for a high-ranking official today is simply means adult, or grown up. it can be used as a respectful honorific toward superiors, but it mostly just means adult. archaically it did mean “your/his excellency.” but again, today, it’s mainly used to refer to an adult. and i imagine however far into the future this book takes places, they’d use it the same way??? but i mean i guess if they went back to imperialism

-shìfu: for an older male this is actually master (as an honorific, such as teacher is, or to specify a very qualified worker). sometimes it can be used to address strangers, specifically older men (not necessarily specifically, or often, used for an older male)

-jūn: for a younger male idk where she got “younger male” from bc it’s mostly used as a measure word. it can be used as an honorific, but translates to “your” not younger male. had she been going by the “honorifics” she uses below, it should be dì, which comes from dìdi (弟弟), which means younger brother (but not necessarily younger male)

-jiĕ: for an older female my best guess is this is derived from jiĕjie (姐姐), which means older sister (not necessarily older female)

-mèi: for a younger female once again, she probably derived this from mèimei (妹妹), which means younger sister (not necessarily younger female)

these specific pinyin (more specifically the last two/three) that she picked cannot be separated from the other pinyin that help to identify them. jiĕ and mèi don’t exist by themselves in the chinese language (compared to -chan, or -san do in japanese), and therefore do not translate as such in meyer’s book. not to mention, multiple characters can be applied to jiĕ and mèi depending on the context and other pinyin/character next to it that helps form the word, or helps distinguish the context

she perhaps simplified these honorifics a little too much. so much so in fact that they lost their meaning. quite literally

and, as i said before, these honorifics aren’t used like they are in japanese culture/language. you don’t tack on honorifics behind someone’s name (like a suffix) as they do in japan. the whole honorific (not just half of it, not like a suffix) comes after someone’s name, such as Lín lăoshī (林老师), which means Teacher Lin. or replaces their name entirely, such as tā shì wŏ de dìdi (他是我的弟弟), which means “this is my younger brother” (as opposed to, “this is bob, my younger brother” or variations of that same sentiment)

names

now, in this futuristic world, i can understand if there are names from other countries (esp. other east asian countries)

however, if your crown prince’s name of china has a japanese name...i’m probs gonna call you out on it. esp bc china and japan don’t have The Best history. now maybe they’ve worked thru it after all these yrs, but still

he’s the crown prince of china

he’s mostly just refered to as prince kai. which i would be okay with if it was just that bc kai is chinese

however, his full name? kaito. kaito is japanese

rikan? japanese. like wtf, if your the emperor of china, you should probs have a chinese name. i mean, you’d think hope?

iko? also japanese (i admit this is being a lil nit-picky, bc cinder or adri or whoever is free to name their android whatever-the-hell they want to, i’m just saying)

and i mean, i guess i can see names from other countries in the real world too, but you have to remember china has the largest population of ppl in the world, so the chances that there are ppl within a certain district who don’t have chinese names is v slim (esp bc you have to take the hsk to show you can contribute to society in china before they grant you a visa to live/work there).

compare that to cinder’s district, where we have cinder, adri, iko, peony, pearl, sacha, fateema, and dr. earland. oh and then the lab tech named li, who’s most definitely the only one i can assuredly say is chinese (and i would hope looks chinese)

now, again, bc it is the future, maybe more (like A LOT more) ppl have moved to china lbr tho, they’ve moved back to imperialism, why would you choose to live there? but i’d still be bitter abt it regardless, bc like china, in theory, should have chinese ppl? w/ chinese names??? i imagine it’s still a p big country in this future

optics

i really wish cinder looked chinese. this is more of a personal thing, and i get that genes aren’t so cut and dry, and if she’s a lunar, then yeah she probably won’t look completely chinese

but a girl can dream for representation other than just mulan ya know (not saying mulan sucks or anything, but it’s like, kinda the only thing i have so)

esp bc the book takes place in china. and she is said to be at least mixed “““““asian”””””

i also wish the fucking prince looked chinese--his skin is fair according to the wikia

bruh

why are you so afraid to make your main characters brown

on a more serious note, and this is getting really nit-picky (kinda) again, but i really wish meyer had put more thought into dr. earland’s character. okay, now, i haven’t finished the book so the good doctor may, in fact,,, be...a...good....................doctor..............?

but my point still stands in that dr. earland comes of as very sexist (with undertones of racism, wheeeeee) bc he hates fateen (who has dark skin, btw) bc she’s taller than him

and he’s also super creepy (as in, “where i’m from, that’s called pedophilia” kind of creepy) bc of his strange interest in young, teenage (cyborg) girls...

yeah

and okay, again, i haven’t finished the book, so maybe he’s supposed to come off that way

but an old, white dude showing too much interest in finding a young woc? not v good optics, regardless of dr. earland’s character yeah?

the fact the fateen points this out does absolutely nothing (aka lampshading).

if you point it out, but continue to fall into a harmful stereotype, you are still perpetuating the stereotype. full stop

misc

i say “misc” but most of this really falls under criticism of the author herself, misc is just shorter

i think it’s great that she’s taking this age-old fairy-tale and putting it into my place of birth, bc representation means the absolute world to me. also i really like this idea that the first telling of cinderella took place in china like fuck yeah, steal that white disney princess from the europeans

but i really wish you’d do it right

in her faq, she apologizes if she got anything wrong, but that’s like putting a band-aid over a bullet wound

how much research is research? did she just google a bunch of stuff, or did she sit down and actually talk to ppl from china? or chinese-americans who have kept their chinese culture?  participate in chinese culture to gain a better understanding?

going by the fact that she wrote cinder in a month, she probably stuck to google

which...i mean i guess i’m glad she made the effort, but it woulda been nice if she’d, after getting a book deal, consulted chinese ppl and edited what needed to be edited yeah? i know she did a little editing, but she said the whole process took 3 months from the time she found an agent to getting a book deal, so like...i’m willing to bet she didn’t sit down with some chinese folk and talk abt their culture (and so on)

and look, it’s really not that hard. and, sure it may delay when the book gets published, but at least it’d be more accurate. and better representation.

rather than falling into what most ppl do these days (i’m looking at you miraculous ladybug) and combining all the east asian cultures to make one (1) culture, and call it--not even east asian--but asian

as if that one (1) monster culture that’s mostly made of up east asian cultures could speak for the variety and diversity of a total of 48 countries, and their respective cultures, that are within the asian continent

now, this whole “calling it asian culture” isn’t meyer’s fault--it’s a side-effect of our society. like i get that, and i’m not trying to put the blame solely on her shoulders

but she still perpetuates it by choosing not to talk to chinese ppl abt a folk tale the may have originated in china, in order to ya know, make it more accurate to china. considering it takes place...IN CHINA

hello! sorry to bother you, but i saw your rr crit post and wanted to comment a couple of things as well (i’m also sorry to send this rather than reblogging, but i’m not comfortable mentioning things that may give away my location off anon.) for reference, i’m japanese living in california and went to a high school that was about 30% asian—want to note this because east coast culture may be different, and i am speaking largely from experience lol. re: ethan nakamura (tw abuse mention and self harm mention), i think one of the major issues with him is that his backstory sounds a LOT like a westerner (by “a westerner” i mean rick) misunderstanding the concept of filial piety and collectivist society. he joined kronos at the request of his mother, injured himself for her, and his reason to stay was to bring honor to her... that’s kind of an ongoing trope in western portrayals of asians (mulan, zuko, etc). while respect and loyalty toward one’s family are important for japanese people, i don’t know if it was a great idea for a white man to write it as ethan basically completely accepting his mother’s abuse and becoming a bad guy for her. this could be interesting and tragic and bring awareness to parental abuse, which is an important topic and not one rr shies away from but i would feel much more comfortable with an asian person writing about this if Asian Family Loyalty was going to seem like such a big theme for him, and it’s never really addressed for what it is. ethan just looks like a prisoner to his familial tie to nemesis. i also just think the way he died was stupid but that’s just me complaining. re: drew tanaka, she doesn’t fall into the asian nerd category but the unfortunate flipside of that is that she is basically an abg (“asian baby girl”; the heavy makeup, heavily styled hair, the way her character is sexualized which is a whole issue in and of itself considering asian women are SO HEAVILY fetishized in the us). the bitchy attitude is not necessary for being an abg but the two are certainly thought to be associated. i wouldn’t mind this so much except both she and mrs. chase are written as asian intruders, stealing white men away from their rightful relationships. re: alice miyazawa, i actually don’t mind having a japanese prankster background character! not all characters need to be developed, it’s just a shame that the asian ones who are are usually shallow and/or antagonistic. her characterization is less of a problem than the lack of characterization given to frank, a protagonist, and the villainous characterization of the other asian minor characters. re: billie ng and kpop, i can unfortunately say that kpop had my classmates and i making some VERY questionable fashion choices in 2010-2013. east and southeast asian americans at the time didn’t have much media representation in the us, so a lot of us turned to kpop. this resulted in studded shoes and snapbacks, brightly colored tops, circa-2009 2ne1 inspired makeup, and diy hair dye jobs that probably half of us got grounded for. billie’s type of look was pretty common at least in california! i might actually be okay with it except that it’s NEVER explained like this. we all dressed this way because kpop idols were the nearly only asian celebrities we knew of. to explain this would bring attention to what was a prevalent social issue at the time and paint billie as a young girl trying to get comfortable with herself, but because there’s no commentary about Why she looks the way she does, it just comes off as rick confusing asians for other asians and slapping a stereotypical aesthetic onto them.

Aoyama Mentor Report

You have been learning about what your host culture SHOULD be like (e.g., collectivist, focused on hierarchy, close personal distance). Review what you have learned and what you have read in MSA and in your destination-specific travel guide and ask your mentor: Is it really like that? How is it different from how the book and other resources portray it?

In regards to Japan, Marianna stated that the country is a “textbook definition of a collectivist society”. She goes on to say that people in Japan tend to be more reserved not because they are like that naturally, but because they want to be seen by everybody on the outside as the “ideal Japanese citizen”. Being such a collectivist society, Marianna also mentioned that fitting in with the crowd is very important to the average Tokyo citizen. But, being not of Japanese descent, it will be hard for us (Kaitlin and I) to blend in anyway, so it shouldn’t be something we should focus too much about. Just don’t be obnoxious.

What is the biggest difference between our (US) culture and the host culture?

“Hm… everything,” Marianna answers with a chuckle. One example of that ‘everything’ that she spent a significant amount of time on was the Japanese view on visitors vs. the American one. She says that when someone from outside of the United States comes and visits, the general expectation is that they will have some sort of English ability. However, in Japan, Marianna says that the expectation of foreigners is that they know absolutely no Japanese, and no matter how many times you go to the same convenience store you will be treated as such. She says that it’s frustrating, but just something to expect and accept.

What is the biggest cultural similarity?

Because there were so many differences, Marianna found very few similarities between the two cultures. From small things like what side of the street you walk on or if places prefer cash or card, to larger societal and cultural things such as individualism vs. collectivism, Japan differs from the United States greatly. 

What is the most important thing I should know about the language(s) in my host culture?

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. They can tell you aren’t a native and will know that you don’t mean to offend them.” Marianna mentions that when she first got to Japan, she was nervous to speak for that very reason, but found herself more comfortable over time using Japanese on a daily basis. She also says that strangers are unlikely to correct you, while friends will be more inclined to in hopes that it will help you. However, she does say that getting a stranger to speak Japanese to you at shops and such is difficult, and that even when she spoke perfect Japanese to them shopkeeps felt inclined to say “Sorry no English” instead, and that was very frustrating for her.

What is the thing that surprised you most about the culture and/or the people of the culture?

“Rules. There are so, so many rules. It’s ridiculous.” From the dorm’s rules to society’s rules, it can be a lot for a foreigner to remember all at once. But, Marianna told Kaitlin and I of our most powerful asset in this regard-- the “I’m a foreigner so I didn’t know that” card. She said that relying on this is not a good thing, but even when you are doing your best to assimilate people will place this foreigner card on you anyway so do not be too upset if you mess small things up.

“Also, if you are out at night, be ready to have to show your gaijin card to any police officer that asks. They have nothing better to do.” Gaijin card (lit: ‘Foreigner card’) is a colloquial term for the government-issued ID given to you upon approval of your extended stay visa. Japan will give that to you upon landing, and it is best to keep that on your person at all times (instead of a passport).

How does the host culture typically view Americans?

“Fat, lazy, rude, loud, and you don’t speak Japanese.” was Marianna’s first response, then she further added “McDonald’s, football-- anything that is very stereotypically American is what you will be seen as.” Even with this negative view, Marianna says that breaking those stereotypes are easy when your Japanese is halfway decent (able to form sentences at an intermediate level). Marianna arrived at Aoyama Gakuin University with the same level of Japanese that I will be, so hearing this was comforting to me. 

If the person was in the same program: what are the most important things to know about the academic expectations?

“It is ridiculously easy. Like, everyone was studying all the time and I had no idea why.”  Marianna answers truthfully, stating that North Central’s heavy academic expectations on the student is likely the reason for her being much better off compared to other peers. She said the only class she had to study for during her semester was her level 4 kanji writing class, which is likely the one I will be taking as well. When I asked her if taking a class taught in Japanese was a good idea at my level, she said that while she didn’t personally attempt that she doesn’t think it would be too difficult for me if I took an easy class. “But don’t be late. They hate that.”

What is the one thing you wish you knew before you left?

For this question, Marianna had a lot to say. She was originally planning to study abroad at Aoyama for one year, but when she arrived, she found the whole adjustment to be way too much for her and her anxiety-- and left. She found that she was trying to be too independent too fast, and that when she returned and took things slower she was much more comfortable and ready to adjust to Tokyo life. Also, life in Tokyo means being prepared for the weather. It is HOT and HUMID. Ridiculously so, from our Midwestern perspective. She says that she regrets bringing sweaters, as they took up a lot of precious suitcase space and she absolutely never needed them. She wore shorts to school most days. 

Are there any cultural taboos? Things I should avoid saying or doing?

Eating while walking.

Marianna says that the strangest thing about this cultural taboo is that she’d see people crowding outside the Baskin Robbins because there was no seating inside. Drinking while walking is okay, though.

Taking phone calls on the train.

While this is only seen as an annoyance to fellow commuters in America, this is seen as incredibly rude in Japan. I learned over D-Term that taking calls between cars is what you should do if you absolutely must take a call.

Being “too public”.

People in Japan tend to be very private with things considered “personal” in their lives, such as having a significant other. If you mention having a significant other to a person you barely know, they may get the impression that you consider them to be very close to you, and feel stressed about it.

Walking on the right side of the street.

The right side of the street (“right” meaning “correct”) is, contradictory to in the United States, is the left side. Because Tokyo is such an incredibly crowded city, remembering to walk on the left side of the street is of utmost importance, because the last thing you want to do is disrupt foot traffic.

What did you do for budgeting?

Marianna says that she budgeted $1500 (USD) for the three months she’d be in Japan, with a $500 a month spending limit. But, she found herself using much more than that-- especially upon first moving in where she needed to buy so many things (like a hair dryer, pillows, etc). In order to keep having money, she got a job as a bartender for under the table cash. While she didn’t say whether or not that was a good idea for me, she did say that she learned more Japanese through her job than she ever did in school. Because I was planning to bring a similar amount of money, but am not a large spender, I do not plan at this time to get a part-time job, but will keep such a thing in mind. In regards to our visas, she said that many international students do under the table jobs, and while technically not allowed it’s not enforced strongly.

I don’t want to rely on English when I’m in Japan, but you said the international dorm life primarily speaks in English. What should I do?

“Treat your dorm like an apartment, and do things outside of school.” Marianna answers simply, then expands on that by explaining what she did to achieve that. “I left before everyone was awake and return by the time everyone was asleep.” She didn’t completely avoid her floormates, but wasn’t too attached because she didn’t want to deal with the drama that came with hanging out with one group of people that all lived together-- and as a North Central resident student, I totally understand and agree with that notion.

If Japanese people are so reserved naturally, what is the best way to get to know a Japanese friend of yours?

Marianna said that doing some social drinking was one of her ways to make close Japanese friends, as going to an izakaya (Japanese style bars) to socialize is a part of the culture. While in most parts of society it is frowned upon to strike up conversations with complete strangers, it is normal to do so at an izakaya. She advises that you should definitely be careful, though, and that just because Tokyo is miles safer than Chicago that you should let your guard down. If someone you don’t want to speak to you (eg. someone giving off very bad vibes) tries to do so, you can quickly say that you don’t speak Japanese or English and they are likely to leave you alone.

What is a good way to meet people on campus?

At Aoyama, there is a program for people who natively speak a non-Japanese language to sit down with Japanese people studying said language and converse with them for the purpose of language practice. While Marianna did not personally do this herself, she says that she knew people that did and that they really enjoyed it.

Interviews | Yu Yen

Yu Yen is a Masters’ student in London who frequently sends me photos of faces she makes with food. The first time we met was at an awkward welcoming party where I gave her a Tim Tam and she gave me Taiwanese cookies. Food just makes people bond.

 CG: Hi! Where were you born and where do you live now?

Y: I was born in Taiwan and live in the UK now. 

CG: Have you ever lived anywhere else?

Y: Yeah Nishinomiya, Japan for about one year.

CG: What are the main differences between these cities? Did you experience any culture shock?

Y: Sorry pal, I think I need some time like 10 minutes to think about this question.

CG: (laughs) Yeah take your time.

Y: Main differences 1. The distance between people (This varies from person to person though) I think in Nishinomiya and New Taipei City (where I was born), people tend to be more hospitable, while in London people may just want you to leave them alone. Besides that, when I came to London, some people reminded me to be more aware when walking on the street, because in some areas theft and robbery have been a problem. However, in Japan or Taiwan, that is not a serious problem, so I feel I can trust others more.

2. Diversity No matter in Japan or back in Taiwan, foreigners, especially those who apparently ‘look different’ from local people, easily draw attention. However, in London, I guess most people are used to meeting people from different countries/cultures, so that situation rarely happens here.

3. Japan is quite collectivist, Taiwan is kind of in the middle, and the UK is more individualist.

4. (I am not sure if this counts or not) At school, people from the Western world are more likely to actively give their opinions or answer questions in class and I think it is because they are encouraged to do so and being different is not deemed as a bad thing in their societies.

5. Culture shock

UK 1. In my hometown or in Japan, the density of convenience stores is quite high, while in London, albeit it is such a metropolis, I have to walk for about 10 minutes to find one, which I think is less convenient. 2. From my observation, I think people do not care about public cleanliness that much in London. For example, compared to Japan and Taiwan, public transportation as a whole here is much dirtier. Moreover, they are less environmentally conscious because they do not really do recycling as much as people in Taiwan or Japan.

Japan 1. No makeup sometimes may be considered inconsiderate in Japanese society. Comparatively speaking, they spend lots of time and efforts on their appearance and think following the fashion is quite important. 2. There is a very strict hierarchical structure in their society. Examples can be seen even at schools where you have to respect the seniors a lot. As for the workplace, you have to use 'keigo' when talking to your boss, which does not exist in Taiwanese or British culture.

I think there's more but these are the things I could come up with so far.

CG: Wow! That is a long list, thanks for sharing! So how did you end up in London and what are you doing there?

Y: This may sound a bit stupid but it’s true haha. I felt so happy being able to learn new things and make friends with people from different countries when I was in Japan. Based on that experience and after talking to some of my friends and family, I decided to go and study abroad again. Since I didn’t want to spend too much time on it, I decided to come here to study MSc International Marketing on a one-year program. Also, I heard that London is a diverse city where I can experience a totally different life. And partly because I’ve never been to this side of the world so I wanted to give it a try when getting the chance to do so.  I feel that’s a bit stupid now because studying a masters degree is not as interesting as studying as an exchange student.

CG: I don’t think it sounds stupid at all. What do you miss most about Taiwan?

Y: I miss my family, friends and dogs the most. I also miss tasty and cheap food. (laughs) I think I miss the sense of belonging and how convenient it is, like cleaner public transportation and the high density of convenience stores. 

CG: What were the best things about exchange in Japan?

Y: 1. Being able to meet people from different countries/backgrounds which could indeed be life-changing (as you said haha) 2. Learning Japanese and travelling around Japan I think learning a language in the country where it is spoken and travelling around allowed me to learn more cultural things (e.g. their dialects and differences within the country) 3. JASSO [a scholarship] because I think it’s quite important to be economically independent to some degree 4. New products in convenience store/supermarkets Haha they launched new package or new products so often and I do appreciate some of their ideas (and liked trying new ice cream flavours hehe) which made me become more interested in marketing 5. The standard of living is high (Like Japan is safe and clean)

CG: Interesting. What do you love to do?

Y: I like watching TV, reading novels, travelling, cooking, making crafts (like handmade cards), listening to the music, and Postcrossing (does this count?)

CG: Cool! Yeah Postcrossing counts! Where have you received postcards from

Y: I’ve received postcards from Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the USA, Ukraine, and the UK. Most of them were from Germany, Russia, USA, Netherlands, and Finland.

CG: Oh my gosh, that’s so many! I’ve thought about signing up for a while.

What are some of your favourite TV shows and books?

Y: Usually I like watching dramas and Taiwanese TV shows. Do you want me to tell you the names of them?. And there’s a Japanese TV show called ‘Why Did You Come to Japan?’ that I liked watching (because I haven’t watched for a long time) As for books, Harry Potter (but I’m not sure if I’d wanna read them again now...) Pride and Prejudice, Jimmy Liao’s picture books, and a Chinese novel called ‘The Color of the Deep Ocean’ are my favourites.

CG: Sure I’d like to know the names of the shows you like! 

F: There’s one called WTO Sister Show (the English name is probably a bit weird but basically it’s a talk show and some foreigners living in or moving to Taiwan are the regulars). And I also watch a talk show called 小燕有約 and others like ‘Stylish Man the Chef’ (a cooking show) and Mr. Player (a game show). Sorry they all have strange English names. And one doesn’t have English name. 

CG: Do the shows and books you like share common themes?

I’d say not really. The shows and books I like don’t share common themes and sometimes can be quite different actually.

CG: What has been the best year of your life so far?

Y: Umm I’d say the exchange year in Japan. Though I also experienced something sad in the year, I think it was still the best year of my life because it was the first time I left home (for such a long time) and stepped out of my comfort zone, which made me know myself better (kinda haha) and explore the world more as well. And probably also because I didn’t expect I’d make so many friends during the year so when I met so many amazing and kind people (you’re one of them haha) I felt so lucky and thankful.

CG: What do you think society could do without?

Y: I think my answer sounds too utopian but here it is.  - Discrimination and gender inequality: because it’s quite unfair that one being is treated differently just by things he/she can’t decide, and it is who they really are that is more important, instead of what gender, ethnic, etc they are. (But sometimes I probably also make judgments beforehand...) - Hatred because so many tragedies have resulted from this - Criminals (I don’t know if this is too general or if this sounds like a social justice warrior...): Although this may be related to the social structure and their family backgrounds, I just feel there are probably better ways to solve problems instead of committing a crime. - Weapons: It’s quite important that countries should protect their citizens but if there weren’t weapons, we’d probably try to solve confrontations between countries in a more peaceful way.

CG: Interesting. Where do you see yourself in the future? 

Y: To be honest, I don’t really know how to achieve these goals and also doubt my abilities but anyways... I hope I can: 1. Earn my masters degree first (haha) 2. Get a job related to marketing that allows me to earn enough money to support myself (become economically independent) and simultaneously make people happy in some way (e.g. by satisfying their needs/wants like what Disney/USJ/Sanrio etc do). 3. Take my family travelling and give them anything they want 4. Meet you guys and all the friends I made in Japan again 5. Travel as much as I can 6. Become a better person (may sound a bit cliche but it’s true (laughs)

CG: Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing a small part of your life with me!

Yu Yen’s awesome food faces

Her dogs, 5 & 7

I want YOU to take Responsibility for our European Future

I know that you have noticed it. I know that that you know. I know that even if you tell yourself that it is a good thing, you know that our countries are changing in fundamental ways.

I believe that the results of these changes will be irreversible. I believe that unless we act, the future is bloody, dark, and will turn men into monsters. Why do I believe this? Well, that depends on you. A lot depends on the answers you have in your heart to the questions I am asking.

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"I wanted to change them, but it's them who have changed me, making me in their own image. The Future used to just be a continuation of the present; with all the changes looming far beyond the horizon. Now the Future and Present are One. Are they ready for it?" ~ Pisatel, Stalker. (1979)

In a few short decades, European people will begin to become ethnic minorities in their homelands. This process will be the end of White Europeans as a race. There are many among us who think this is fine, that when people live in a particular place they become citizens of that place with all the values and beliefs that entails. This is a lie. This is a lie that our leaders have told us for years because their failing economic system demands constant cheap labor to sustain itself. This is a lie that has been perpetuated in our schools, universities, newspapers, television and online. There is no escape from the lie of multiculturalism, though no-one can say what it is truly for, or why we will be better off becoming an ethnic minority.

Friends! Muggings! Stabbings! Acid attacks! Assaults! FGM! Murders! Terrorism! All created by Tory Austerity! But, of course, as Our Sadiq says, all these things - which, in any case, are all Far-Right LIES spread by Trump - are just 'part and parcel of living in a big city.' pic.twitter.com/CKLQaAjWJ9

— Sir Leftski Clifton-Edge (@SupportOurLefty) March 22, 2018

Some say being The Great Replacement is a just reward for colonialism. Some say White people are all racist. Some say that non-Whites can never be racist. Some say that Whiteness is toxic and that equality means group-interest for everyone except Whites. Some say that it is a privilege to be White. I disagree.

"I was born an activist. Silence is Violence. If you are silent, you are, in your way, being violent. You are contributing to that violence as it's happening," Alicia Keys

The fundamental problem we face as communities, cultures, and nations of broadly European natures- that is all anglophone nations, all European nations- is that we do not recognize ourselves in the mirror. Like a dog, we look in the mirror and do not recognize ourselves. We do not consider race as part of our make-up. We think we are French, Italian, Danish, American, English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, German. But I ask you- What are those names? What are they based upon? What do they mean? Is it really just a document given to you by the government, when we know there are distinct cultures that are produced by distinct ethnic European groups?

In a way, the Leftists are accurate in their belief that there is something racist about not seeing race. While you might tell yourselves that treating others without consideration for race is treating others fairly, in fact, what you are doing is denying the truth that people of other races recognize as easily as breathing.

A lot more than you sweetie. And where are their parents? Drunk? In a gutter? In prison? Down the pub? Get real

— Mike Graham 🍾 (@Iromg) March 21, 2018

Everyone knows you are a White person. Non-White people definitely treat you as a White person. It is you alone who denies your identity.

So, what does that mean, to have a White identity? On the surface, nothing much changes. Your life will continue as it always has. You will not turn into a racist- I promise! It is a little thing that should in no way affect how you treat your fellow man, in fact- the very idea that recognizing the differences between humans makes one a supremacist is insulting to all humans. If the political left is to be believed, the same civilization that ended slavery and went to the moon will crumble to dust if Europeans acknowledge that people from different cultures behave in noticeably different ways. Europeans, as has been proven in many nations over the last seventy years, are a highly tolerant and welcoming people. Can any other people claim the same exalted heights of equality among mankind?

As an immigrant growing up on a SE London council estate going to a grammar school - I joined the only party with the vision to help someone like me get on in life - @Conservatives Sorry to disappoint you pal but this immigrant is not going to fit in to your Leftist tick box... pic.twitter.com/Him1LpBnsN

— Amandeep SinghBhogal (@AmandeepBhogal) March 21, 2018

Despite our attempts to create a purely civic society, race comes into play with great force when you think in demographic terms on a civilizational scale. this may be hard for you to imagine after decades of individualistic operant conditioning. You can feel it when I ask you these questions, the resistance in your mind to looking deep within yourself. If you feel uncomfortable thinking about the answers you have, you should ask yourself- why? Does your mind race to find excuses? Rather than answer, will you instead call me names, or close this browser window in disgust? Why do you suppose that is?

Do you want a better future for your children and grandchildren than the one you had? What does that look like, in your heart? Imagine it for me. Tell me what that is. Say it aloud.

Does it look like Cologne at New Year's Eve? Does it look like Johannesburg? Does it look like Tower Hamlets? Does it look like Chicago or Detroit?

Does it look like an Islamic State?

Going after grooming gangs is too much trouble but we will arrest the fathers of the young girls being groomed for trying to save their dignity. #Priorities pic.twitter.com/At3a2l14za

— Orwell & Goode 🇨🇱 (@OrwellNGoode) March 21, 2018

In a little over a century, Germany has been defeated in war twice yet neither war destroyed all Germans.

Our children might see that reality come to pass. In a century, the United States has led the world into a new era of prosperity and may still lose it all to demographic change. In a little less than a century, Great Britain has fallen from leading the World to seeing a million of her daughters stolen, raped and impregnated by her former subjects. In a century, France has stumbled to her knees, from the land of the highest enlightenment to seeing Muslims and Communists occupying the Basilica of Saint-Denis. The House of God and tombs of kings being treated in this way may not upset you, we are a secular people these days, but this is the least of the problems France faces today. The few places on Earth where mankind can truly express themselves freely are becoming censorious police states, run by crooks who look at the issues brought about by immigration and decide they are problems with which the next generation must contend, not ours. Not right now.

You may think online you are anonymous, you can create fake profiles and no-one can trace you. That’s wrong! The messages you type and send can be traced back to you. The same laws apply to online messages, images and videos. What you post now can affect you later in life.

— Police Scotland (@policescotland) March 21, 2018

"A shared hatred of the West is what conjoins the Left and Islam, their coercive and collectivist ideologies at odds with the Western philosophy of individualism." John Q. Publus

Does this look like the future you want for your children? Does this look like the present you want?

You need to take responsibility, not just for yourself and your family but for the truth. The truth is that unless Europeans become organized and educated about the very simple consequence of The Great Replacement, there will be no Europeans. There will be little of Europe left that you would recognize; outside perhaps Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

You need to realize that there is no Europe without Europeans. That means that yes, it is okay to be White. Your ethnicity is just as valid as anyone else's- if we are not racists, how can it be any different? To recognize that is in the interest of yourself, your family and your country, not to mention the ethnic minorities in Western countries who benefit from the rights Europeans extend to all mankind.

You need to recognize that people who tell you that Europeans are a unique people with the right to exist are not racists. The racist is the one who tells you that your blood is evil, that you are a colonizer, that your existence is a cancer that is oppressing other races. Recognize it. Recognize that without you, there is no Europe. There is no America. There is nothing.

"The worst evil is not to commit crimes, but to fail to do the good one might have done." -  Léon Bloy

Is it okay for Japanese people to have their own country? Is it okay for the Maoris to live in New Zealand? Is it okay for people to live in peace among their own kind? If it is okay for Africa to be Black- well, I think you see where I am going. If we can agree that there are rights to land that are contingent on ethnicity -this is after all what so much of the talk about decolonization is about- then Europeans must also have this right to self determination.

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Do you want European people to continue to have countries of their own, or not?

Can you in good conscience answer this question with "No"? I hope not. I hope you are more honest with yourself than I was for most of my life. Yes my friend, I was a leftist myself for something like twenty years. I denied it all, as you deny it today. I was hooked on the religion of progressive politics and denied reality too, secure in the knowledge that my atheistic reality would not change as the world changed around me.

This Nation has already changed drastically. But unless you make a conscious decision to stand up & say ENOUGH, then it will change beyond all recognition. Demographically, Culturally, We will cease to exist. Make you or ancestors proud & your descendants humble.

— Scott Anthony 🇬🇧 (@Politikking) March 22, 2018

If you do want to leave something after you die; if our lives have any meaning at all, if our culture has any greatness left- it is time to talk. Talk to your family and friends about these questions. Find your answers. There are some things that will not go away, even if you wish it with all your heart.

The fight for the future has already begun.

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Articles, Tagged With "Reality Of The Matter".

Concern is psychological or empathic understanding of the suffering as well as feelings of others. Ellen was speaking with Wayne Dyer, and he claimed that empathy was one of the most important lesson to show our kids. Participants in mind imaging research studies showed significantly less compassion if the individual they observe experiencing discomfort belongs to a various race, social course or a rival football team or political party. There is no such point as other people's kids. If you have any queries about where and how to use Get the facts, you can contact us at our own page. This could include those who are related to the self, including spawn in specific and also hereditary relationships as a whole (Bowlby, 1969; Hamilton, 1964 ), in addition to reproductive companions (Frank, 1988 ), friends, reciprocal alliances (Trivers, 1971 ), and group members (Sober & Wilson, 1998; Henrich, 2004 ). In addition, one more's suffering can readily be assessed as relevant to the individual's more comprehensive goals or worths, such as a general value that all people ought to have equal legal rights and chances (Lazarus, 1991 ). To the degree that another's suffering remains in keeping with the individual's objectives (for instance, in tormenting an adversary), feelings like schadenfreude will certainly result (Ortony, Clore & Collins, 1988 ). To the level that an additional's suffering is incongruent with the individual's goals, and also with raising relatedness in between the self as well as various other, compassion will be experienced with raising strength. You'll obtain prayer updates on particular problems impacting the lives of kids, family members and also Concern team all over the globe. Before the crash I couldn't have actually thought of a life without kids. As negative" as video clip pc gaming is for children, it was the first medium that allowed children to understand the characters on the display in a real feeling, and also, relatively cognizant of this, Nintendo bewared not making those good example also terrible, too worthy, or as well fake. I am not versus state treatment ... an increasing trend doesn't lift all watercrafts," Cameron claimed on Monday in a speech on life opportunities" that ruminated around inquiries of personality, resilience, socials media and also neuroscience in between more headline-ready promises on dealing with council estates and also coupons for parenting classes. Plainly compassion is associated with the extraction and experience of concern, but compassion does not decrease to a compassionate state of mirrored sadness, worry, or distress. Furthermore, empathy alters the felt connection" between people at work (Frost et al., 2000), and also is associated with a variety of positive perspectives, habits, as well as sensations in organizations (Dutton, Frost, Worline, Lilius, & Kanov, 2002; Lilius et al., 2003). Children revealed heart price slowdown during both of the compassion induction movies as well as heart rate velocity during the distress induction film (Eisenberg, Fabes et al., 1988 ). In a similar research study with grownups, heart price slowed down throughout a compassion-inducing movie, and also self-reports of sympathy and also empathy were favorably pertaining to heart rate slowdown (Eisenberg, Fabes, Schaller, Carlo & Miller, 1991 ). Other in a similar way determined research study has documented that heart price slowdown is positively associated with prosocial habits. But this issue will still be hotly opposed, as long as a lot cash streams into help companies from child sponsorship and so many youngsters's lives are impacted by it. This sort of support is invaluable, as these people are as unrelenting as a stalker in their proposal to eliminate these beasts from target's lives. Empathy is identified from love at the level of antecedent events: compassion replies to suffering and adverse occasions, whereas love antecedents are largely positive. Various other youngsters in the family members could be shown to value their demands, their space of an autistic child, and also aim to understand particular habits they have. They tease wrongly, tease in a hostile fashion, and also come to be completely spontaneous." Mr. Keltner compares the sensation of power to brain damage, noting that people with great deals of authority have the tendency to behave like neurological patients with a harmed orbito-frontal wattle, a brain area that's important for compassion as well as decision-making. On top of that, cultures differ in the degree to which cooperation as well as selflessness are observed outside the family members (Henrich et al., 2005 ). Individuals from collectivistic societies (e.g., China and also Japan) have the tendency to help members of their own teams more than Americans, whereas Americans assist individuals from groups besides their very own greater than Japanese as well as chinese (Leung, 1988; Wong & Hong, 2005 ). These findings indicate a theory worthy of testing: that interdependence boosts the propensity to feel compassion for ingroup participants, whereas self-reliance boosts the propensity to feel compassion for outgroup participants. Rather than sensation compassion, people directed fingers, stating they need to have been much better ready, relocated their personal belongings to greater ground as well as not been so reckless. I believe when people are creating in a lot of the time, it's much less concerning individuals in general as well as their needs in regards to love as well as even more concerning a particular issue that we could see is tearing this connection apart. Sophia Claims training cards are for moms and dads, caretakers as well as any kind of expert who is supporting kids. Concern" involves with an unsure globe we're experiencing, distilling it right into a distinct noise region: Barnes' exploration of the mid-point in between ecstasy as well as irritation, human and also fabricated really feels timely and also impacting.