The Spreadsheet Digest - Vol 12

Hi friends!!

I read a certain dark romance book this week and then also spent some time trying to catch up on all my lovely mutuals' fics (and there were many), so the rec list is only like 9 fics this week. I guess that's still a lot? It's no 27 fics though.

If you tagged me in a fic this week, I'm planning to get to those soon I promise. The actual spreadsheet with all my recs can be found here and the masterlist for my fic recs can be found here.

Anyway recs below the Pedge

Adversity a Frankie/Ezra series by @the-ginger-hedge-witch

This combo... okay I'll just start with how unreasonably HOT this is. Like you got Ezra: protective, talkative, wild, a little feral, definitely likes to use his mouth, lean and impeccably dressed with that dumb little blond patch. Then you have Frankie: Established Canon Pussy Eating King, def talks you through it, broad shoulders and a cute belly, patchy beard you'd just die to have between your legs, broody boy. So obviously, I'm already about to pass out. And then!! Their relationship with each other makes me feel so many things. The way Ez pulls Frankie out of his fucked up head and the way Frankie settles Ezra UGH. And then!!! and then!!!!!!! The way they take care of reader and the way they all love each other and balance each other out!! The hints of the other TF boys in there is v fun also. I know this series is old, but I am dying for it to be added to. Every glimpse into this wonderful lil throuple was wonderful. <3333

i've got headaches and bad luck but they couldn't touch you - a Joel one shot by @tremendum

Brat tamer!Joel is sooooo fucking hot. This is filthy and I love it!

warmth - a Joel one shot by @grippingbeskar

ooooh i love how at first this is just a sweet lil fluffy thing and then you put *you can stop reading here if you aren't a whore. however, i am, so i will continue* LMAO. I'm obviously a whore so I obviously kept reading. This one is for my thigh riding girlies <333

the worthwhile fight - a Marcus P one shot by @swiftispunk

So glad you decided to write some sweet angel baby Marcus P!! And I love the lil twist with reader being the protective one, because.... I actually cannot see Marcus punching anyone. Like I'm sure he would if he had to, but in my head he's such a soft boy I can't. The smut, as usual, was just absolutely immaculate. Looking forward to more marcus from you maybe...???? (please)

Sparks fly - a Joel one shot by @ezrasbirdie

Ok listen... This is the second anal fic I've read in as many weeks that made me have emotions other than filth... How do y'all keep doing this to me. The story is adorable, I love it!! And then they eat each other's asses and it's hot and it's a good time. Honestly I'd still give this a shot if you're not into the idea of eating Joel Miller's ass bc there's a bunch of super cute interactions and some smut before that happens... If you're a freak tho... this is the one

Just a little taste - a Din one shot by @jksprincess10

I fucking love inexperienced!Din and I love when he tastes pussy for the first time and just goes absolutely nuts. This was so hot ugh.

Fire a Din one shot by @jksprincess10

Din Djarin Fluff Supremacy

Hungry Hearts - a Joel series by @atinylittlepain

Young Joel... in booty shorts... playing baseball??? Being a gratuitous flirt and a total asshole in the most frustratingly charming of ways?? Ok and then... he's also a MECHANIC... Slutty Joel is everything. Oh but let's not stop there! We also get girl dad Joel being the most stereotypical softball parent ever. Sarah and Ellie being so very Sarah and Ellie about the whole thing. Also like if you needed more incentive for some reason Joel gets hit in the balls while being a douchebag. I feel like I'm not selling this as well as I should be, but I don't want to give too much away. It's delightful. Read it!!

Peace - a Joel one shot by @swiftispunk

As a former John Green novel SIMP, I love the living eulogy thing. It has a special place in my heart and I refuse to apologize for that. This fic had me tearing up bc like... Joel Miller deserves to hear how good he is and how much he means to people and he doesn't really ever get that in canon. Not really. I am going to have a literal breakdown bye

----------------oldies but goodies----------------

The Appreciation of Fine Liquor - an Ezra one shot by @write-and-buried

poor baby - a Joel series by @walkintotheriveranddisappear

Just a little game - Javi P one shot @walkintotheriveranddisappear

quickie (boyfriend's dad!joel x reader) - a Joel one shot by @joelscruff

𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆, 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 - a Dieter one shot by @psychedelic-ink

warm up - a Dieter one shot by @ezrasbirdie

Dieter Bravo x Library AU - a Dieter one shot @fuckyeahdindjarin

Bouquet, Bloom, Blossom - a Dieter series by @mypoisonedvine

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

Happy Reading

My personal favourite empires ships s1 + s2 only because I’m bored and they’re mostly involving Scott smajor bc Scott supremacy

Flower husbands(every season <3)

(Scott smajor/Jimmy solidarity)

Scott smajor

Literally the cutest fucking thing for my little cupioromantic brain

Hyperfixation

Soft and sweet

It’s literally the “Idiot + Idiot handler” trope and I love it

Gold husbands (s1 or 2, mainly 1)

(Fwhip/Scott smajor)

I don’t know why

They feel like their love language is gift giving but specifically handmade jewelry

Enemies(?) to lovers (classic)

Give off good energy

Two of my favourite canon characters

Sweet tall man + short scrunkly thing

Weather husbands (s2)

(Pixlriffs/Scott smajor)

NAWBKWSBAKB THEM

The grave robber + The archeologist who just wants to preserve shit but his boyfriend won’t stop taking it because it’s shiny

Pixlriffs

Scott smajor

Colour + greyscale

Complete opposites with the same taste for things

I love them

Scosage (s2 but also is there an actual name for this ship or is it just Scosage??)

(MythicalSausage/Scott smajor)

HORNY.

But also sweet and caring

Colour + Colour

FLOWERS❤️🌺🌈

The innuendos kill me and I adore them

THEM SHJSHAJSJA

Brainrot

Absolutely loving it for all its glory

Genuinely sweet

Lizzie/Joel (any season <3)

(I fucking refuse to call it jizzie.)

Ksjsjsususesokmswi they’re gettijng fuvking married

Mad hatter + Calm collected high on meth(/pos)

10ft woman with her bi wife energy husband

LDshadowlady

Unhinged + slightly hidden unhinged

They’re actually married irl and it was so cute and pretty my heart sobbed

Them <3

That’s it because I’m too focused on the backrooms by kwite

(You should totally listen to it on Spotify)

EWOKS SUPREMACY!!!!!!

omg i saw the picture of you pets🥺 tell them all i love them!

well i personally love sweet tea (black tea with sugar) and hibiscus tea is amazing especially raspberry zinger or any kind of berry/hibiscus combination! again i put a bit of sugar🤫

i love london calling and abbey road! not really familiar with the other albums tho😅

forgive me but um is that alex turner!?!?!?!?!?!? i LOVE arctic monkeys

ok i’ll try keeping this short

a night at the opera • queen

van halen I •van halen

american idiot • green day

the stranger • billy joel

1984 • van halen

the game • queen

sheer heart attack • queen

back in black • acdc

gnr lies • gnr

………….i love queen

eddie van halen (van halen)

roger taylor (queen)

billie joe armstrong (green day)

izzy stradlin (gnr)

rick savage (def leppard)

freddie mercury (queen)

brian may (queen)

john “deaky” deacon (queen)

i love queen a normal amount……….

QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!

definitely made a big impact on my life. they got me start listening to rock. as for album van halen I and 1984 (and eddie for that matter) really kept me company while i was in a dark place last year. i still smile like an idiot when i watch a video of them even if i’ve seen it a million times

same question to you!

and do you watch concert videos or videos of your favorite bands? if so which ones are your favorites?

~chris🦝

Raspberry sounds delicious!!! I will try it.

Alex my love 💓✨

Alex my god 🛐✨

Artic Monkeys is one of the best bands from this century.

What a good choice on albums. From Queen I've only listened their popular songs, not the whole albums, but I do agree that they were and still are an important band not only for Rock music, but in general.

This 4 albums helped me when I was having a bad moment some years ago. They have a special place for me

Florence and the Machine — High As Hope

George Harrison — All Things Must Pass

Pink Floyd — Wish You Were Here

Led Zeppelin — IV

And for the artists, I couldn't name them all, but the next ones have had a significant impact on me:

Rory Gallagher

MARINA

The Beatles

Kate Bush

Florence and the Machine

Pink Floyd

Lana del Rey

Led Zeppelin

Yes, I do watch concerts. In fact, one of the concerts that I have on DVD is from Kings of Leon. They are one of my favorite bands.

Another concert that I like to watch is ALL Rory Gallagher's presentations at Montreux. This is one of them:

https://youtu.be/9sfU9jbwYNQ

Other concerts are the following. You can find them on YouTube too.

And yours?

Lil Nas X: Country Music, Christianity & Reclaiming HELL

I don’t typically bother myself to follow what Lil Nas X is doing from day to day, or even month to month but I do know that his “Old Town Road” hit became one of the biggest selling/streamed records in Country Music Business history (by a Black Country & Queer artist). “Black” is key because for 75+ years Country music has unsuspiciously evolved into a solidly White-identified genre (despite mixed and Indian & Black roots). Regrettably, Country music is also widely known for anti-black, misogynoir, reliably homophobic (Trans isn’t really a conversation yet), Christian and Hard Right sentiments on the political spectrum. Some other day I will venture into more; there is a whole analysis dying to be done on this exclusive practice in the music industry with its implications on ‘access’ to equity and opportunity for both Black/POC’s and Whites artists/songwriters alike. More commentary on this rigid homogeneous field is needed and how it prohibits certain talent(s) for the sake of perpetuating homogeneity (e.g. “social determinants” of diversity & viable artistic careers). I’ll refrain from discussing that fully here, though suffice it to say that for those reasons X’s “Old Town Road” was monumental and vindicating. 

As for Lil Nas X, I’m not particularly a big fan of his music; but I see him, what he’s doing, his impact on music + culture and I celebrate him using these moments to affirm his Black, Queer self, and lifting up others. Believe it or not, even in the 2020′s, being “out” in the music business is still a costly choice. As an artist it remains much easier to just “play straight”. And despite appearances, the business (particularly Country) has been dragged kicking and screaming into developing, promoting and advancing openly-affirming LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 artists in the board room or on-stage. Though things are ‘better’ we have not yet arrived at a place of equity or opportunity for queer artists; for the road of music biz history is littered with stunted careers, bodies and limitations on artists who had no option but to follow conventional ways, fail or never be heard of in the first place. With few exceptions, record labels, radio and press/media have successfully used fear, intimidation, innuendo and coercion to dilute, downplay or erase any hint of queer identity from its performers. This was true even for obvious talents like Little Richard.

(Note: I’m particularly speaking of artists in this regard, not so much the hairstylists, make-up artists, PA’s, etc.)

_____

Which is why...in regard to Lil Nas X, whether you like, hate or love his music, the young brother is a trailblazer. His very existence protests (at least) decades of inequity, oppression and erasure. X aptly critiques a Neo-Christian Fascist Heteropatriarchy; not just in American society but throughout the Music Business and with Black people. That is no small deal. His unapologetic outness holds a mirror up to Christianity at-large, as an institution, theology and practice. The problem is they just don’t like what they see in that mirror.

In actuality, “Call Me By Your Name”, Lil Nas X’s new video, is a twist on classic mythology and religious memes that are less reprehensible or vulgar than the Biblical narratives most of us grew up on vís-a-vís indoctrinating smiles of Sunday school teachers and family prior to the “age of reason”. Think about the narratives blithely describing Satan’s friendly wager with God regarding Job (42:1-6); the horrific “prophecies” in St. John’s Book of Revelation (i.e. skies will rain fire, angels will spit swords, mankind will be forced to retreat into caves for shelter, and we will be harassed by at least three terrifying dragons and beasts. Angels will sound seven trumpets of warning, and later on, seven plagues will be dumped on the world), or Jesus’s own clarifying words of violent intent in Matthew (re: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” 10:34). Whether literal or metaphor, these age old stories pale in comparison to a three minute allegorical rap video. Conservatives: say what you will, I’m pretty confident X doesn’t take himself as seriously as “The true and living God” from the book of Job.

A little known fact as it is, people have debunked the story and evolution of Satan and already offered compelling research showing [he] is more of a literary device than an actual entity or “spirit” (Spoiler: In the Bible, Satan does not take shape as an actual “bad” person until the New Testament). In fact, modern Christianity’s impression of the “Devil” is shaped by conflating Hellenized mythology with a literary tradition rooted in Dante’s Inferno and accompanying spooks and superstitions going back thousands of years. Whether Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Scientologist, Atheist or Agnostic, we’ve spent a lifetime with these predominant icons and clichés. (Resource: Prof. Bart D. Erhman, “Heaven & Hell”).

So Here’s THE PROBLEM: The current level of fear and outrage is: 

(1) Unjust, imposing and irrational. 

(2) Disproportionate when taken into account a lifetime of harmful Christian propaganda, anti-gay preaching and political advocacy.

(3) Historically inaccurate concerning the existence of “Hell” and who should be scared of going there. 

Think I’m overreacting? 

Examples: 

Institutionalized Homophobia (rhetoric + policy)

Anti-Gay Ministers In Life And Death: Bishop Eddie Long And Rev. Bernice King

Black, gay and Christian, Marylanders struggle with Conflicts

Harlem pastor: 'Obama has released the homo demons on the black man'

Joel Olsteen: Homosexuality is “Not God’s Best”

Bishop Brandon Porter: Gays “Perverted & Lost...The Church of God in Christ Convocation appears like a ‘coming out party’ for members of the gay community.”

Kim Burrell: “That perverted homosexual spirit is a spirit of delusion & confusion and has deceived many men & women, and it has caused a strain on the body of Christ”

Falwell Suggests Gays to Blame for 9-11 Attacks

Pope Francis Blames The Devil For Sexual Abuse By Catholic Church

Pope Francis: Gay People Not Welcome in Clergy

Pope Francis Blames The Devil For Sexual Abuse By Catholic Church

The Pope and Gay People: Nothing’s Changed

The Catholic church silently lobbied against a suicide prevention hotline in the US because it included LGBT resources

Mormon church prohibits Children of LGBT parents to be baptized

Catholic Charity Ends Adoptions Rather Than Place Kid With Same-Sex Couple

I Was a Religious Zealot That Hurt People-Coming Out as Gay: A Former Conversion Therapy Leader Is Apologizing to the LGBTQ Community

The above short list chronicles a consistent, literal, demonization of LGBTQ people, contempt for their gender presentation, objectification of their bodies/sexuality and a coordinated pollution of media and culture over the last 50+ years by clergy since integration and Civil Rights legislation. Basically terrorism. Popes, Bishops, Pastors, Evangelists, Politicians, Television hosts, US Presidents, Camp Leaders, Teachers, Singers & Entertainers, Coaches, Athletes and Christians of all types all around the world have confused and confounded these issues, suppressed dissent, and confidently lied about LGBT people-including fellow Queer Christians with impunity for generations (i.e. “thou shall not bear false witness against they neighbor” Ex. 23:1-3). Christian majority viewpoints about “laws” and “nature” have run the table in discussions about LGBTQ people in society-so much that we collectively must first consider their religious views in all discussions and the specter of Christian approval -at best or Christian condescension -at worst. That is Christian (and straight) privilege. People are tired of this undue deference to religious opinions. 

That is what is so deliciously bothersome about Lil Nas X being loud, proud and “in your face” about his sexuality. If for just a moment, he not only disrupts the American hetero-patriarchy but specifically the Black hetero-patriarchy, the so-called “Black Church Industrial Complex”, Neo-Christian Fascism and a mostly uneducated (and/or miseducated) public concerning Ancient Near East and European history, superstitions-and (by extension) White Supremacy. To round up: people are losing their minds because the victim decided to speak out against his victimizer. 

Additionally, on some level I believe people are mad at him being just twenty years old, out and FREE as a self-assured, affirming & affirmed QUEER Black male entertainer with money and fame in the PRIME of his life. We’ve never, or rarely, seen that before in a Black man in the music business and popular culture. But that’s just too bad for them. With my own eyes I’ve watched straight people, friends, Christians, enjoy their sexuality from their elementary youth to adolescence, up and through college and later marriages, often times independently of their spouses (repeatedly). Meanwhile Queer/Gay/SGL/LGBTQ people are expected to put their lives on hold while the ‘blessed’ straight people run around exploring premarital/post-marital/extra-marital sex, love and affection, unbound & un-convicted by their “sin” or God...only to proudly rebrand themselves later in life as a good, moral “wholesome Christian” via the ‘sacred’ institution of marriage with no questions asked. 

Inequality defined.

For Lil Nas X, everything about the society we've created for him in the last 100+ years (re: links above) has explicitly been designed for his life not to be his own. According to these and other Christians (see above), his identity is essentially supposed to be an endless rat fuck of internal confusion, suicide-ideation, depression, long-suffering, faux masculinity, heterosexism, groveling towards heaven, respectability politics, failed prayer and supplication to a heteronormative earthly and celestial hierarchy unbothered in affording LGBT people like him a healthy, sane human development. It’s almost as if the Conservative establishment (Black included) needs Lil Nas X to be like others before him: “private”, mysteriously single, suicidal, suspiciously straight or worse, dead of HIV/AIDS ...anything but driving down the street enjoying his youth as a Black Queer artist and man. So they mad about that?

Well those days are over.  

-Rogiérs is a writer, international recording artist, performer and indie label manager with 25+ years in the music industry. He also directs Black Nonbelievers of DC, a non-profit org affiliated with the AHA supporting Black skeptics, Atheists, Agnostics & Humanists. He holds a B.A. in Music Business & Mgmt and a M.A. in Global Entertainment & Music Business from Berklee College of Music and Berklee Valencia, Spain. www.FibbyMusic.net Twitter/IG: @Rogiers1

I’ve seen a lot of nonsense on other social media sites saying that CNCO is gonna flop without Joel and I honestly think that’s the most ridiculous statement ever. People have really short memories and are acting like Richard and Christopher didn’t carry the group on their shoulders for the first 2-3 years. These two were basically the Justin and JC of the group and Joel was the Lance Bass. No one is gonna miss Lance (no offense to NSYNC fans).

Alskksks YOURE LOWKEY RIGHT MAN. Joel was popular w fans so I'm not surprised they're having a small dip now that he left but in terms of talent and work ethic they lowkey lost nothing. I dont think it will be hard for them to build up after this if they put in the work, they might even gain a more mature audience which would be AMAZING to see. And Richard is STILL carrying this band lmao that whole concert was just richard supremacy

What Foreigners Really Think of The U.S. Right Now

The other night, after the kiddos went to bed, we decided to watch the second Borat movie that just came out (have you seen it?). It was insane and hilarious all at the same time, but it got me wondering: what do folks who don’t live in the U.S. think of The United States of America right now? What is their perception of us?

So I decided to pose this question on Instagram and wow. Y’all did not hold back. I want to thank everyone who submitted for your candidness and honesty, even if some of these were hard to swallow. It’s important to note that just because these are their opinions of America, it doesn’t mean it is all necessarily true. Regardless, it was interesting to read everyone’s thoughts and get an outsider’s perspective.

We received hundreds of submissions and couldn’t post them all, but below, people from all over the world share what they really think of the United States at the moment.

Leadership is out of touch with reality and messing things up real bad, not just for the U.S. but also for the world. What’s worse is that half the country is being misled successfully. It just shows poorly on the country all over. -Annonymous

Your president is a disaster when it comes to foreign politics and corona. No class, no knowledge. A joke. Very scary to watch. But half of the voters are happy with it. And that is even more scary. Very difficult to understand the hate and ignorance in your society right now. -Mikkel

It’s just weird. Everything basically. I totally understand now why the U.S. is described as '“flawed democracy” in the democracy index. It’s just a crazy system which is not providing equality among people- regarding the vote especially. This system leads to the fact of the two big parties (similar in the UK basically). But democracy is about diversity in opinions and options. Not just two. -Max

The US is more divided than ever. The two parties cannot work together nor do they appear to want to. The government is no longer run by reason, facts, and policy aiming for the betterment of the entire country and or world in the long or medium run; rather it’s instant gratification for the few who benefit from nepotism. Lies and misinformation are used to build a dictatorship hiding in the form of “patriotism”. And those who could act as a check or balance focus on their own personal gain, putting their needs above those of the persons they should be representing. -Joel

I personally don’t think there is a very good atmosphere in the USA, especially right now, Trump’s administration does not protect the American people or the economy. He only cares about himself and his male-white supremacy. The worst of all is that lots of Americans think Trump is actually a good leader (idk why, honestly). But thank God that people are starting to wake up and fight about what they believe. We can see it through BLM protests, feminist movements, and so on, and the whole world is proud about those people fighting for their rights. America was once the land of dreams, but nowadays (with all that is happening) it is even scary to go there. Lots of things have to change and those changes have to start, voting and defending your rights and your beliefs are the first step. Greetings from Spain. -Antonio

The main reasons I can think of are vote suppression/gerrymandering, expensive health care wealth inequality, racism, lack of fun control… -Brian

Definitely find the hypocrisy of the Republicans so annoying, Trump still being in office, the fact that there has been no police reform or justice for Breonna Taylor, the gun laws, and the COVID numbers just to name a few. -Brian

Here in the UK it seems like CARNAGE over there..don’t get me wrong, it’s wild here too but Trump is insane and it’s really odd seeing so many Americans supporting him. -Dan

Really worried about the fact that you might go for 4 more years with Trump and the fact that he’ll for sure contest the results if he loses. Add to this, all the racial violence and in particular the way some policemen act without being condemned by any judge. And finally the pandemic which seems to be even more out of control than in other countries. This is coming from someone who lives in France where we’re going to be under lockdown for the second time since the beginning of the pandemic (2nd lockdown starting tomorrow evening and will last at least until December 1st 😢). -Estelle

To put a long story short, let’s just hope Cheeto doesn’t get reelected otherwise our UK trade deal will be a disaster and we don’t need any more negative influences in the UK around gender and sexual equality.-Christian

I think with this administration, the US has demonstrated how to shipwreck a whole nation economically, ideologically, socially, and politically within a really short period of time. After just 4 years, we’ve come to associate the US with widespread narrow-mindedness, a lack of respect and courtesy to other nations (and minorities in its own country for that matter), short sightedness when it comes to global phenomena like environmentalism or migration patterns, and a celebration (by some at least) of almost barbaric notions of violence, oppression, and backward thinking, all under the camouflage of its constitution and socio-historic heritage. We’ve really admired the Obama administration over here in Europe, which-despite its flaws and shortcomings- has opened up the US to international partnerships and has established an ongoing discourse shaped by mutual respect and politeness…the contrast couldn’t be more pronounced these day…-Sebastian

I look at our Prime Minister and government and then see Trump and think we really could have it so much worse! Vote!! -Ant

As an American living in London, I can tell you that the news coverage here makes the US look like an absolute joke. Mainly due to 45, his lies, his bigotry, and his insane desire to make covid seem as though it’s a falsehood “created by the left” while hundreds of thousands of Americans have ben victimized by this pandemic. What was once seen as a country of opportunity and freedom, is sadly no longer held to that level of greatness in comparison to its neighboring countries. It saddens me because I had plans to move back home within the next year or so, but if the US continues on its path, I can see myself in London for the unforeseeable future. I can’t live in a country where I am seen or believed to be lesser than another because of my sexual preference. I can only hope and pray that this election brings the change we need to be that country of greatness once again. -Rob

Very poor to be honest. And I’m not necessarily [talking about Trump]- I think the immediate reaction is to blame him. Though, he is pretty awful. There was obviously a huge level of social and other problems in the US, and the current administration has exploited them to the breaking point. Whereas more “skilled” past administrations had the ability to leverage those issues for their benefit, but not let it boil over. I actually thought Trump would be a positive for the US and world- in that his incompetence would force other world leaders to step up. Meaning more equity in how disputes etc. are assessed and the US wouldn’t bully smaller nations. I think the US has hit the point in its journey with capitalism that the USSR hit with socialism in the late 80’s that led to its collapse. Does that mean collapse for the US, I don’t know but the system isn’t providing equity and equality for all as it stands. -Paul

Worried but also hopeful for you guys because I don’t think all citizens in America reflect the current administration. It’s been really great to see people voting early and making their voice heard. No matter what happens just know you did what you could in this moment in time. Even though the current administration provides a scary outlook for the future. As long as the current and future generations lead with love, there will hopefully be a brighter future. Love from Canada. -Ajetha

I've been subscribing to all of the US News since the Black Lives Matter Movement commenced and honestly, it made me scared as a Filipino Asian to step foot in the States ever since. I have big dreams of flying over there and probably working there as an immigrant after I finished college. However, when I found out about the racial injustice that is currently ongoing in the country, I became hesistant of still wanting to live there. Although, I'm positive that there are still people like you two that will be open about working immigrants, I really hope that racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia will end for good among every human beings in the US and also around the world. I do wish and pray that the 2020 US election will make certain amends to the current situation y'all are experiencing because it's getting pretty scary out there. -Harvey I’m an American living overseas working for the US government. I’m trying my hardest to stay overseas so my family and I don’t have to come back to the mess that is the US right now. From politics to COVID, it’s not a good time. While the virus may be surging again in Europe, at least the people comply with the government rules. Sometimes I believe Americans take freedom and liberty a bit too far, especially when it comes to the greater good. -Anonymous

Allthough on social policy the US is no real example for us (I think there is more social ‘security’, more justice, high standards in education for all in most of the EU countries), they always have been a ‘safe haven’ in big international politics. It now feels like ‘they have our back’ doesn’t imply anymore. -Jasper

Well personally I think the country seems in total disarray, instead of focusing on the real issues in the streets both house of the capitol are focused on bashing each other during the election campaign which is a circus due to the sitting POTUS. The obsession with the right to bare arms and the gun culture bewilders most other countries, you have teenagers walking into schools with Assault weapons and yet people still want guns to be available, worst still you ban one type of assault rifle but another just as powerful is kept on sale, it’s plain weird. -Philip

Neither candidate represents their party well. As an outsider looking in, it just baffles me that either of these men could potentially be the leader of the free world...It genuinely feels like worrying times are ahead for the US. -Marc I'm from India and living in Germany at the moment. The race problem in the US is as bad as the class/caste problem in India. Even if I don't have money I can go to a government health center in India. I just had an operation and stayed at the hospital for 18 days here in Germany, I had to pay only 180 Euros, everything else ( the operation and the many tests and scans that followed) was covered by the insurance. When my friends at the US heard about it they were shocked about low the hospital bill. There are really great labs (I'm a researcher) that I would like to work but I have no intentions of working/living in the US for a longer period of time. -Maithy

I think the US has become a joke to the rest of the developed world. Neither candidates running for president are fit to run such a powerful country. I can't help but feel after the election if Trump wins the left will riot and if Biden wins the right will riot. The country might just rip itself apart. American politics has zero empathy and zero morals. Honestly its terrifying. -Andrew

The US has always been a bit confusing to me - the two party system, the focus on religion, the divide in income and possibilities- as well as being the beacon of light in the fight for human rights, the strong personal pride in creating caring societets, the blending of and openeses for ethnicities and cultures... But for a while politics have become not at all about politics, religious beliefs are taking charge in policy work, the wealthier part shows little companion towards the less wealthy, the public spending is way above budget year after year while health care seems to be crazy expensive and not for all. The intrusion of US interest in politics in other countries are blunt to say the least, creating conflict where human lives have no value if they’re not US lives... School shootings that seems to be acted upon as that is part of normal lives, and schools to expensive for even middle class kids to study at... This is a shift in trust and soft power that affects all of us. -Olof

To be honest, I couldn’t come to the US right now, it scares me. The leadership, the gun laws, the violence and the divide of the nation. It sucks, because I love America and have been there 7 times in the last two years from Australia for work... but not anymore. I’m not coming back now until peace wins. -Anonymous

The fact that such a hate filled government is presiding over what is one the greatest countries in the world is scary. And it is seriously mind blowing that out of such a powerful country filled with some of the greatest minds in the world it’s these two men are the best you can do to be your next president. Unbelievable. Seriously unbelievable. -Rachel

I think the orange dude in office is making you guys look bad. But also, good (?). Seeing the black lives matter movement and so many of you stand up to the problems your country faces has been inspiring. One thing our countries have in common is how we are divided into very distinctive opposites sides. I mean, where do all these racists, bigots, utterly, madly conservites people came from? I few like a few years ago things did not seem so much as a boiling pan about to explode. Or maybe they were all hiding and when a lunatic like them rose to power (how that happened still boggles my mind) they all showed their true colors. It’s scary. I hope Trump doesn’t get reelected. Brazilians loooove to imitate americans🙄, so if he gets reelected it makes that much probable that our lunatic will also be in office for four more years. P.S. have you guys watched the show Years and Years from HBO? A really good watch is this election times! ☺️ -Taty

Re. The US atm. Unfortunately your president has made your country a laughing stock around the world and he's destroyed relationships with allies. It's gonna take time to rebuild all of that. He's also moved an entire branch of your government to the far right, even though the majority of the country if left/centr of left. So you've a supreme court that doesn't represent you and it's looking like they're going to try and take away rights from people. You have a healthcare system that doesn't look out for its people and there's this bizarre fear of universal healthcare that seems insane to every other 1st world country. If if Biden wins (and I really hope he does for everyone's sake), there's going to be a lot of work in undoing the damage Trump has done before he can even get into what he wants to do. All the while you've an ultra conservative highest court. There's also the massive political division and the systemic racism. It's a lot. It's not impossible, but it's going to take so much time and people who want it to change. -Ciara

I’ve been sitting here for an hour thinking about your question and there are many different outlooks I could raise so I’ll keep it generic. I’ll start with the elephant in the room known as Covid. Each day, our morning news informs us of what your leaders are doing and daily case numbers in the US. We sit here completely shocked at how your government has let it reach this point. You may have heard that Melbourne has just come out of one of the strictest and longest lock downs in the world. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone to have to do, but I will say, I feel much more comfortable to be able to go to the shops knowing the numbers are at about 2-3 a day instead of in the thousands. I do think that your government does need to address this now, could even be making it compulsory mask wearing. It’s hard for me to comment about your economy as we don’t here much about it, but I will say Trump ‘says’ make America great again, let’s get more jobs, they are pro life, yet how is someone who is prolife not doing anything to stop a virus that is killing people? Isn’t your unemployment rate worse (pre-covid) than what it was when Obama was president? I think as a generic outlook, if change isn’t made in the election, the outlook from a Australian does not look like it would be something you’d want to be apart of. I love America. Have visited a couple of times, even thought about moving there, but at the moment, I’ve never been more thankful to not be there. -Ben

June Reylo Fanfic Recap

This year is half over! And I wrote so much this month, I’m so happy with myself. 6 months since we lost our dear Ben, but fanfics keep him alive! Anywho, if you want to stay up to date on what I’ve been writing, or you want to just binge some Reylo, you can find me as BurntKloverfield on AO3, and you can check out my other personal monthly Fanfic Recaps under the tag #fanfic-recap.

I started out this month by going through my notes for some unfinished fic ideas, and I had so many, and I still have a lot, but I wrote through some of them so there are several short fics you can read through pretty quickly.

Saving What We Love is a canon divergent au where right after the throne room in TLJ. When the Supremacy and the Legacy Saber were shattered down the middle, Rey dragged an unconscious Ben back with her. Unfortunately, he wakes up in a cell. 

Padawans of Ren was a little note that had been hanging around my docs since TFA era, but I went and fleshed it out a bit, and it turned out fairly cute and tender. Set in a post TFA au. Luke refused to teach Rey on Ach-to, and so she returned to D'qar to the Resistance, which was still hidden from the First Order, until Kylo Ren shows up with three new faces.

Entangled Stars is a concept that I’ve had forever, where everyone is participating in a dance competition, another little idea that was hanging out in my notes. I’m sad I don’t have the animation talents to make this visual, but my talents lie in words, so you get this cute little description of a dance competition.

Always a Woman to Me is set to the Billy Joel song by the same name. Another note that was waiting for me to do something with. It was always just Finn and Ben talking to each other about Rey, but it throws in a twist post TROS. 

I also write meta, on occasion. Today on I Fricking Love Ben Solo is a meta I’m sure you’ve already read since I originally posted it on tumblr, but I like to throw them on AO3 as well for safe keeping. 

Palpatine is a Liar is something I’ve been trying to write since I first saw TROS. A quick sidequest shows that Palpatine is a manipulative liar, always has been, always will be, and it changes the entire series of events of the movie. 

Written in My Hand, remember my canon divergent soulmate mark au? 2 new chapters this month!!! It’s a little bit angsty, but I really appreciate where it’s going.

The Rose of the Titanic is a bonus fic this month. It’s actually a GingerRose Titanic au. 

It’s all there for you to catch up on. I’ve got a fic coming out on the 4th, so keep an eye out for that. 

Again, thank you so much for reading, and kudos, and commenting! It’s always so exciting to see people get excited about my writing. I really love writing, and I thrive on seeing people read the stuff I make.

The morning read for Wednesday, Sept. 8

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Each weekday, we select a short list of news articles, commentary, and other noteworthy links related to the Supreme Court. To suggest a piece for us to consider, email us at [email protected].

Here’s the Wednesday morning read:

‘The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics’ Review: On Judicial Supremacy (Bryan Garner, The Wall Street Journal)

The Surprisingly Strong Supreme Court Precedent Supporting Vaccine Mandates (Peter Canellos & Joel Lau, Politico)

Texas Could Not Get Away With This Absent SCOTUS-Created Limits On Constitutional Adjudication (Michael Dorf, Dorf on Law)

On Death Row in Texas, a Last Request: A Prayer and ‘Human Contact’ (Ruth Graham, The New York Times)

The post The morning read for Wednesday, Sept. 8 appeared first on SCOTUSblog.

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Undefeated Super Bantamweight Champions Luis Nery & Brandon Figueroa Square Off in High-Stakes World Title Showdown

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Published: May 05, 2021

CARSON, CALIF. – Undefeated super bantamweight champions will meet for 122-pound supremacy when Luis Nery makes the first defense of his WBC world title against Brandon “Heartbreaker” Figueroa in the headline attraction of a three-fight card live on SHOWTIME Saturday, May 15 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will see former unified super bantamweight champion Danny Roman take on hard-hitting Ricardo Espinoza Franco in the 10-round co-main event, plus in the telecast opener undefeated super featherweight contender Xavier Martinez squares off against former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator. Nery vs. Figueroa will see the powerful two-division champion Nery pursue a signature win at super bantamweight, while the rising Figueroa looks to use his all-action style to earn a career-best victory and announce his presence amongst the sport’s elite. The winner of this fight will be in line to face WBO 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton later this year in a unification showdown. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Martinez vs. Burgos is promoted in association with Mayweather Promotions. “The super bantamweight division is one of boxing’s most intriguing, and this showdown between Nery and Figueroa will be a huge step towards declaring the king of the weight class,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “These two undefeated 122-pound champions will leave it all in the ring in front of the passionate Southern California fight fans on May 15. With two Mexican-warriors going toe-to-toe, this is a main event that you won’t want to miss a second of.” Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event. The Tijuana, Mexico native Nery (31-0, 24 KOs) became a two-division world champion in September as he won a wide unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Aaron Alameda to capture his WBC crown. The 26-year-old had held an 11-fight knockout streak entering that 122-pound title fight, establishing himself as a premier knockout artist at bantamweight during a run that included stoppages of former champions McJoe Arroyo and Juan Carlos Payano. Nery first became champion in 2017, when he went to Japan and stopped Shinsuke Yamanaka in his home country to capture the WBC bantamweight world title. “This is one of the biggest fights of my career,” said Nery. “I am going to win this fight in spectacular fashion. I’m training hard every day to make sure I get the win on May 15. This is my time to make history for Mexico.” The 24-year-old Figueroa (21-0-1, 16 KOs) returns to the ring after his most recent outing saw him stop Damien Vazquez in round 10 of their September 2020 clash. Figueroa applied his all-action style scoring knockouts over veteran contenders Moises Flores and Oscar Escandon to move his way up the 122-pound rankings. He captured the WBA’s interim super bantamweight title by stopping Yonfrez Parejo in April 2019, before eventually being elevated to “regular” champion. Figueroa has trained for this career-defining bout in Southern California, alongside his brother and former world champion Omar Figueroa. "Training camp out here in California with Joel Diaz has been amazing,” said Figueroa. “I’m in tremendous shape and I’ll be ready to go on May 15. This is really one of the best training camps of my career. I know Nery is a tough fighter, maybe my toughest test to date. I’m 24 now, so it’s time for me to start fighting these world class fighters and prove to myself that I belong in there with the best fighters. I know Stephen Fulton is lined up for the winner of this fight, but I’m preparing 110% for Nery. I know he’s not just any fighter, so I’m doing everything I can to come away with the win on May 15.” Ranked in the top five by all four sanctioning bodies at super bantamweight, Roman (27-3-1, 10 KOs) will look to continue on his path back toward another world title when he steps in the ring on May 15. The 30-year-old from Los Angeles most recently won an exciting 12-round unanimous decision over former champion Juan Carlos Payano last September. Roman first became world champion in 2017, when he stopped Shun Kubo for the WBA title. Roman would go on to unify titles by beating TJ Doheny for his IBF strap in 2019, before losing a narrow split decision to Murodjon Akhmadaliev in January 2020. “I’m delighted to be fighting once again and can’t wait to step into the ring May 15 on SHOWTIME,” said Roman. “Ricardo Espinoza is a very tough fighter with a lot of heart. I know this fight is going to be another war and I’m fully prepared to go to battle. I’ve stayed in shape since my last fight, so fans can expect to see me throw a lot of punches. I’m going to make this fight a classic Mexican showdown.” The 23-year-old Espinoza (25-3, 21 KOs) has fought professionally since 2015 and has won 15 of his last 16 fights heading into May 15. Fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico, Espinoza dropped a bantamweight interim title fight to current world champion John Riel Casimero in 2019 via a 12th round knockout in a fight that was virtually tied on the cards. Espinoza bounced back with two straight victories, including his most recent triumph, a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Brandon Valdes last August. “I’m training as hard as I ever have for this opportunity on May 15,” said Espinoza. “I feel strong and prepared for anything Roman is going to throw at me. I know that he’s an accomplished fighter, but I have all of the tools to be victorious and win an exciting fight that the fans are going to love.” A Mayweather Promotions prospect from Sacramento, Calif., Martínez (15-0, 11 KOs) has trained for this fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 23-year-old earned a career-best victory in his last outing, defeating veteran contender Claudio Marrero by unanimous decision in October on SHOWTIME. Previously, Martínez added three stoppage victories to his record in 2019 to run up a seven-fight knockout streak heading into the Marrero fight. “I’ve felt great in camp and have already been preparing hard for this opponent,” said Martinez. “My last fight was an incredible experience. The biggest thing it taught me is just because you're winning, don't fall asleep at the wheel. That's the same mentality I'm taking into this fight. I proved in my last fight that I can box and can hang with the best in the sport. This is a side many haven't seen because I've been decapitating my previous opponents. The world is going to see how much versatility I carry in my skill set. May 15 is another day in the office, and it's time to work!” The Tijuana, Mexico native Burgos (34-4-2, 21 KOs) has faced an impressive resume of top fighters throughout his extensive career, dropping world title bouts to Mikey Garcia and Hozumi Hasegawa, in addition to a draw in a 130-pound title tilt against Roman Martinez. The 33-year-old ended up on the short end of decisions in challenges of unbeaten champion Devin Haney in 2018 and undefeated Hector Tanajara in January 2020. Most recently, he won a unanimous decision over Juan Ramon Bernal in March 2020. "This is another opportunity for me to show that I have a lot left to give in the ring," says Burgos. "Martínez doesn't have a strong chin, as everyone saw when he got dropped twice by Claudio Marrero in his last fight. I've been training hard and waiting for an opportunity like this. Fans can expect an explosive performance on May 15."

A Faithful Friend

each of us gives in from a faithful friend, Watch through the beaten tower We give in way to soon... This Newest piece, "The utmost for his highest." covers all known bases to fuel the fan in look deeper in the reunion, sort of like a Flash Gordon experience throughout the torn message now sit back and reflect to the newest poetic message by Mario William Vitale... Fan the flame where here to explain love sought through fame Quatum leap through the oven torn peak begging for pan cakes soon; Stare out my window to explore... Flush out the order fill up to snuggle prepare yourself for the worst the more important thing a take we learned all over again Pizza torn message that tire out the window love is scented by each message Billy Joel made it simple in his Italian restaurant song Filter through a bald man within a cage love is certain... love that clings to life love through ancient spite cloak and dagger shorts left on the blade on a new tooth bothered breath in stronger compass to be fond of blown in the wind shape through the window some sort of a dream The delicous cake batter, complain about the great here after a seed of common cold let the truth be told Within the basement gear lucky is the man who used to know we are given one chance at this game toward life shallow speaks...sprung a leak enough of a chasen given thanks for a good between come this way blocked in the wind scream at the distant rise a puzzle in your eyes... How ever long the journey captivated by a smile Bob Barker has his pets spayed or nuetered Run to the hill ! black eyed peas a solution to it's make believe we spend too much time blinded from the newest glow worm tresured pure melody down on its shallow peak keep your distant from a beep when your hunting you got game to peak not having you in my arms is not driving me insane something open by the cabin unfold... some are faced with sadness something tall. let me feel the pain down at shallows peak brace your seat a place of crisp tart fries thank God I'm alive worry thrown in tearful eyes pardoning the fly's bring your self far from the lies... God in his supremacy come on sit right next to me the closed torn degree living in a land of make believe my head is tired my heart was stained love was simple colored & vain through the river shun each pain Shallow Peak... my work right here is costly insane our mission is provided look on as your eyes flicker know from deeper desire you little piece of shit ! A sworn intention we missed the hit shade return down the cliff love was made a new days scream certain nursed factor stretched on it's horn paralyzed from a gun out of sheer sadness you brought us to the cabin go down through New Britain a pardon in the midst of things you look deeper closed off from society the mighty tenth degree Suddenly, A place of future seed lift high the rivers scene comfort in the trees fair skin in the common wealth of certain pain I climbed through the trees nature wallows through the breeze building upon my legacy some have been born out of the make believe Naked, said I below the bees my love will even swoon think a head of the pain all along the watch tower eyes that capture the saga to its scene Smell it in the air a word of ancient care beside the current web sought through a bon fire ever so will fit together desiring twice the savor wallow in the caged breeze never could do enough sharpen your pencil with us we are out in the woods what are we passionate to do the legacy with its trail jumbo timbers like this in the cold of night we torn from logic into spite open sex in spot of an angle rush throughout each thought night club, casino & desire the narrow approach upon its desire "Every Rose Has A Thorn"...

From El Paso to Christchurch, a Racist Lie Is Fueling Terrorist Attacks

Joel Angel Juarez/GettyIt’s the meme behind the massacres. In El Paso this weekend and across the globe this year, white supremacists have left manifestos referencing a racist conspiracy theory to justify slaughtering religious and ethnic minorities.Alleged killers in Christchurch, New Zealand; Poway, California; and El Paso, Texas believed a theory that claims white people are being “replaced” by people of color through mass immigration. Conspiracy theorists often falsely claim this is a deliberate effort by any number of groups demonized on the far right: liberals, Democrats, Jews, Muslims. It’s the theory peddled by white-supremacist groups seeking recruits and the torch-bearing marchers in Charlottesville two years ago. It’s also a thinly disguised—and often not disguised—talking point from some conservative politicians and pundits, experts say.By leaving these conspiratorial manifestos, white supremacists are trying to add to a long and growing library of terror, and get others to follow their examples.“They’re also trying to inspire others about the urgency of the moment. In particular with the New Zealand shooter, the Poway shooter, and this guy in El Paso, you see these ideas building on each other,” Heidi Beirich, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, told The Daily Beast.“There’s no question these people are feeding off each other because they’re referencing prior manifestos. In the Poway case and the El Paso case, they both referenced Christchurch.”Accused El Paso Walmart Shooter Apparently Posted Racist Manifesto Before AttackIn name alone, the conspiracy theory began in 2011, with the book The Great Replacement by French author Renaud Camus. The anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant text likened the growth of non-white populations to the genocide of white people in European countries. This supposed genocide is nonexistent. White supremacists use it as an excuse for violence anyway. On Aug. 11, 2017, white supremacists led a torch-lit march on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. The marchers chanted “You will not replace us,” or sometimes “Jews will not replace us,” in a callout to the conspiracy theory. The gathering, the first event of the two-day “Unite the Right Rally,” was intended as a coming-out moment for America’s increasingly visible white-supremacist movement. On the second day, a neo-Nazi drove a car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters, murdering one.The conspiracy theory continued to gain traction with white supremacists. The Christchurch shooter referred to the “replacement” in the title of his manifesto before he allegedly massacred 51 people at a mosque in March—and live-streamed it on Facebook for propaganda. White supremacists online glorified the Christchurch attack. The alleged shooter at a Poway synagogue in April cited the Christchurch manifesto as his motivation for murdering Jews. The alleged shooter at a Walmart in El Paso on Saturday also cited the Christchurch tract as inspiring him to murder Hispanic people.Clint Watts, a former FBI agent and current distinguished research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the alleged attackers were mobilizing each other.“They all cite each other,” Watts told The Daily Beast. “Yesterday’s El Paso shooter cited Christchurch. Then he talked about how a month ago, he started to think about an attack. That’s really a short time, which makes it even more impossible for law enforcement to get in front of it.Mass Shooting Kills 20 at El Paso Walmart: Gunman ‘Started Shooting Everyone, Aisle by Aisle,’ Witness SaysWatts likened the attacks to terror campaigns by organized groups like ISIS, which touched off a series of attacks across the world in the summer of 2016, with new violence inspiring new violence.“Because of those successful attacks, you’d see a wave of inspired attacks, meaning that there are often one, two, three people already thinking about doing an attack,” Watts said. When those people see a violent incident, “they mobilize because they want to get into the media storm. They want to be part of that phenomenon. It becomes a contagion.”ISIS terror and white-supremacist terror both require a wide network of online extremists potentially ready to commit violence for the cause. The difference with the current wave of white-supremacist violence, Watts said, is that white supremacists are decentralized and do their organizing through a leaderless online movement, rather than following orders from recognized leaders.Media treatment of ISIS and white-supremacist violence are also different, Watts noted. “What’s remarkable is that our response [to white violence] is just, ‘Eh, this guy is a bad apple; he’s crazy,” he said. Sometimes, the white-supremacist rhetoric actually comes from conservative media and politicians, SPLC’s Beirich said.These figures are “not always using the term ‘Great Replacement,’” she said, but “even from Trump and others, there’s a lot of talk about Latinos ‘invading’ the United States, about the idea that Democrats like immigrants because they’re going to vote for the Democratic Party, the idea—which we’ve heard from Trump, Tucker Carlson, and others—that white people are basically being pushed out of their areas by these new populations.”Trump on Twitter has repeatedly described Hispanic immigrants as “invading” the U.S.—the same terminology the alleged El Paso shooter used—and in a campaign speech last year said migration from Central America was “like a war” on America. (Trump condemned white supremacy in an address Monday from the White House.)Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has gone further, promoting explicit white nationalists and writing that “we can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies” in a tweet defending a racist Dutch politician’s stance on “demographics.”Fox New personalities have also invoked similar terms, with pundit Laura Ingraham recently claiming that Democrats support “replacing the current American population, or swamping the current American population, with a new population of people.”The line could have belonged in one of the emerging manifestos, according to Beirich.“They’re not calling it ‘white genocide,’ per se, but it’s the same idea,” she said.America Under Attack by White Supremacists Acting Like ISISRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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Joel Angel Juarez/GettyIt’s the meme behind the massacres. In El Paso this weekend and across the globe this year, white supremacists have left manifestos referencing a racist conspiracy theory to justify slaughtering religious and ethnic minorities.Alleged killers in Christchurch, New Zealand; Poway, California; and El Paso, Texas believed a theory that claims white people are being “replaced” by people of color through mass immigration. Conspiracy theorists often falsely claim this is a deliberate effort by any number of groups demonized on the far right: liberals, Democrats, Jews, Muslims. It’s the theory peddled by white-supremacist groups seeking recruits and the torch-bearing marchers in Charlottesville two years ago. It’s also a thinly disguised—and often not disguised—talking point from some conservative politicians and pundits, experts say.By leaving these conspiratorial manifestos, white supremacists are trying to add to a long and growing library of terror, and get others to follow their examples.“They’re also trying to inspire others about the urgency of the moment. In particular with the New Zealand shooter, the Poway shooter, and this guy in El Paso, you see these ideas building on each other,” Heidi Beirich, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, told The Daily Beast.“There’s no question these people are feeding off each other because they’re referencing prior manifestos. In the Poway case and the El Paso case, they both referenced Christchurch.”Accused El Paso Walmart Shooter Apparently Posted Racist Manifesto Before AttackIn name alone, the conspiracy theory began in 2011, with the book The Great Replacement by French author Renaud Camus. The anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant text likened the growth of non-white populations to the genocide of white people in European countries. This supposed genocide is nonexistent. White supremacists use it as an excuse for violence anyway. On Aug. 11, 2017, white supremacists led a torch-lit march on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. The marchers chanted “You will not replace us,” or sometimes “Jews will not replace us,” in a callout to the conspiracy theory. The gathering, the first event of the two-day “Unite the Right Rally,” was intended as a coming-out moment for America’s increasingly visible white-supremacist movement. On the second day, a neo-Nazi drove a car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters, murdering one.The conspiracy theory continued to gain traction with white supremacists. The Christchurch shooter referred to the “replacement” in the title of his manifesto before he allegedly massacred 51 people at a mosque in March—and live-streamed it on Facebook for propaganda. White supremacists online glorified the Christchurch attack. The alleged shooter at a Poway synagogue in April cited the Christchurch manifesto as his motivation for murdering Jews. The alleged shooter at a Walmart in El Paso on Saturday also cited the Christchurch tract as inspiring him to murder Hispanic people.Clint Watts, a former FBI agent and current distinguished research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the alleged attackers were mobilizing each other.“They all cite each other,” Watts told The Daily Beast. “Yesterday’s El Paso shooter cited Christchurch. Then he talked about how a month ago, he started to think about an attack. That’s really a short time, which makes it even more impossible for law enforcement to get in front of it.Mass Shooting Kills 20 at El Paso Walmart: Gunman ‘Started Shooting Everyone, Aisle by Aisle,’ Witness SaysWatts likened the attacks to terror campaigns by organized groups like ISIS, which touched off a series of attacks across the world in the summer of 2016, with new violence inspiring new violence.“Because of those successful attacks, you’d see a wave of inspired attacks, meaning that there are often one, two, three people already thinking about doing an attack,” Watts said. When those people see a violent incident, “they mobilize because they want to get into the media storm. They want to be part of that phenomenon. It becomes a contagion.”ISIS terror and white-supremacist terror both require a wide network of online extremists potentially ready to commit violence for the cause. The difference with the current wave of white-supremacist violence, Watts said, is that white supremacists are decentralized and do their organizing through a leaderless online movement, rather than following orders from recognized leaders.Media treatment of ISIS and white-supremacist violence are also different, Watts noted. “What’s remarkable is that our response [to white violence] is just, ‘Eh, this guy is a bad apple; he’s crazy,” he said. Sometimes, the white-supremacist rhetoric actually comes from conservative media and politicians, SPLC’s Beirich said.These figures are “not always using the term ‘Great Replacement,’” she said, but “even from Trump and others, there’s a lot of talk about Latinos ‘invading’ the United States, about the idea that Democrats like immigrants because they’re going to vote for the Democratic Party, the idea—which we’ve heard from Trump, Tucker Carlson, and others—that white people are basically being pushed out of their areas by these new populations.”Trump on Twitter has repeatedly described Hispanic immigrants as “invading” the U.S.—the same terminology the alleged El Paso shooter used—and in a campaign speech last year said migration from Central America was “like a war” on America. (Trump condemned white supremacy in an address Monday from the White House.)Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has gone further, promoting explicit white nationalists and writing that “we can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies” in a tweet defending a racist Dutch politician’s stance on “demographics.”Fox New personalities have also invoked similar terms, with pundit Laura Ingraham recently claiming that Democrats support “replacing the current American population, or swamping the current American population, with a new population of people.”The line could have belonged in one of the emerging manifestos, according to Beirich.“They’re not calling it ‘white genocide,’ per se, but it’s the same idea,” she said.America Under Attack by White Supremacists Acting Like ISISRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

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‘Diversity’ is Anti-White Racism

Ash Sharp Editor Editors Note: At RSN we've hit the ground running with a series of commentary about white people and their place in the world. While our intent is to cover the political world in all its shades and cover as many topics as possible, it seems to be that this particular topic is a hot-button with the early contributors. A short while ago I published a series of articles exploring the roots of Neo-Marxist thought and the relation to anti-European bigotry we ecounter in the media at large. The first of these is republished below. Enjoy!

How did it come to pass that the political left turned into a segregationist movement?

Our tale begins with grasping one key concept. Feminism, Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality and Socialism form today what we can comfortably label as Neo-Marxism. If you’re still fumbling around in the dark denying that Neo-Marxism exists, please, read on. It’s going to be a wild ride. Through this article, I will deconstruct the logic of Neo-Marxism, and show you how to defend against it.

I will reiterate this for the hard of understanding later, but criticising racist Neo-Marxist Theory is not an endorsement of the Alt-Right. Nor is it racist to do so. I utterly reject racism, and I would hope that you do too.

“All races have the right to exist, but only white people are openly discriminated against when we stand up for that right, lawfully I might add. If this issue is not addressed, we are on the cusp of a full-blown white civil rights movement.” A.B

Neo-Marxist theory leads to an abuse of Intersectional Theory. neither Marxism or Intersectional Theory is extreme in essence. They are forms of critique, that have become weapons in an ideological war. This war has been so far fought solely by leftist ideologues, fueled by Frankfurt School-inspired indoctrination and employing Alinskyite tactics. Their opponents have submitted like Hindu cows. Why? Because for many years, the totalitarian threat to freedom came from the religious right, not the so-called liberal left.

“Everything is sexist, everything is racist, everything is homophobic, and you have to point it all out.” ~Anita Sarkeesian, displaying her programming in the clear.

In the UK, Australia, Canada, and the United States in particular, we have become afraid of taking an ethical point of principle and applying it to race. Perversely, as the Neo-Marxists have deployed critical theory on everything, the counter from the centre has been to capitulate. For fear of being labelled racist, sexist or Islamophobic: the centre has given up. The lack of belief in true liberal values has spread wide. Many people now do not understand what Liberalism is, let alone that it is one of the greatest concepts in human history- imperfect thought it surely is. Without a whimper, we are forgetting what truly made our nations great. That the market should be free. That we understand life, liberty and property are the supreme values of law and authority.

That no one should be discriminated against based on arbitrary factors over which one has no control.

We must recognise that more kids in Universities understand Intersectional Theory than understand Liberalism. Indeed, this year has seen Neo-Marxists equate Liberalism with white supremacy itself.

A Subversion of Western Values

In place of these Western liberal values, Neo-Marxism has spread through schools, universities and social and legacy media. The concepts of oppression, intersectionalism and even overt demands for socialist government are widespread. Were it not for the duplicitous and underhand dealings of the Democratic National Convention in the USA, we might well have seen a run-off between socialist Bernie Sanders and populist Donald Trump for the Presidency. Unbelievable, that the Liberal tradition (meaning in American parlance the Democrats AND the Republicans) could only toss up Hillary Clinton as a candidate. This is a damning indictment of the system as a whole.

In previous times the Left/Right dichotomy in democratic nations has been a process of balance. One side achieving hegemony should be frightening to all with a moderate grasp of politics. You might imagine the process as that of a swinging pendulum. The pendulum swings this way and that over the years, sometimes quickly. Sometimes slowly. But it swings, and the momentum of the swing is the conflict between the governing party and the opposition, the friction of ideological difference in service of the people.

So goes the theory.

But today the Neo-Marxists cannot be reasoned or negotiated with. they’ve shown us they don’t care about balance; or values for that matter. Whether the field of debate is race, or gender, or religion- the Neo-Marxist is never, ever satisfied with the response from society at large or you in particular. The Neo-Marxist is a revolutionary. The demands are simple. All they want is more control, over every aspect of society. There are no bad tactics- only bad targets. For your entertainment, it is on the tactics deployed by Neo-Marxists that I write on today.

Curious in the extreme is the adoption by Neo-Marxists of Orwellian doublethink when it comes to the topic of race.

Imagine if I were to say the following.

Let me state, emphatically, that I do not hate black people. Quite to the contrary, I love black people. I just hate what black people have done and continue to do to White bodies, to White words, to White thoughts and White appeals and White feelings.

This reads like something from The Daily Stormer. In fact, it is from an article on Medium. I have merely switched the races around to prove a point.

This is fine and not racist

The capitalisation of Black and the lower case ‘w’ in white is deliberate also- an implicit but subtle signal of one’s racial supremacy. I love my Blackness. Your whiteness is toxic. This is a dog-whistle.

Our author Joel Leon isn’t done there. he continues:

In other words, race is a simultaneously a social construct and real at the same time. The logic is illuminated within this sentence screen capped above. At the start, race is not real. By the end, race exists. It depends on which point the writer wishes to make as to which concept is real at that moment.Race is wished into existence to serve ideological goals.

For example, race is a social construct. So, white people is a construct to which we can ascribe certain qualities; whiteness -oh, excuse me- Whiteness, is a role to be played. The role that Whiteness plays in this psychodrama is whatever the writer wishes to rail against that day. Police brutality, economic inequality, black-on-black crime; all can be laid at the feet of Whiteness.

It is this concept that enables an Asian woman to sell a course to White people about getting rid of those dastardly racist Thetans that are clogging you up. Imagine how awful it must be to be a White person. Toxic, indeed.

When it suits writers like Joel Leon, he can switch to his other definition of race. As race isn’t real, but it exists, this is the sophist’s way of saying; race is real. This is not meant in the way, for example, a forensic scientist might understand race being real. This is to say, that the races are different in character. One is innately different from the other.

This is race realism, perpetuated by people who want to punch Nazis.

I asked Mr Leon to explain what he meant, and I received the following response.

This I find highly illuminating about the mindset of a Neo-Marxist Race Realist. Duplicity in thought is fine. What you might consider cognitive dissonance is accepted, so one can logically say race is real and a construct simultaneously.

As someone who is not a Neo-Marxist, I reject this concept of race utterly.

When we reject the central conceit of racism- that one race is superior to another- then, as people of principle, we must also defend that definition. The Critical Race Theorists say:

“[Critical Race Theory] recognizes that racism is engrained in the fabric and system of the American society. The individual racist need not exist to note that institutional racism is pervasive in the dominant culture.”

For America, we can now substitute any other English speaking nation, Western Europe and some parts of South America. The prevailing narrative is that this is so. The truth is always a runner-up in such circumstances- and this is where Classical Liberalism has failed- or rather, has been failed. We have allowed Critical Race Theory to become dominant in universities and schools because we are afraid of being called a racist if we oppose it.

Don’t you agree that black people are oppressed? Racist. Don’t you feel white guilt? Racist. Do you criticise multiculturalism? Racist. Do you value your own culture? Racist and a liar, White people have no culture. The only culture White people have is that which they appropriate from people of colour. It has become so normalised that Whites cannot experience racism that on Medium, posts like this are commonplace.

We should not be concerned with people liking to associate with people like themselves. This is natural. I understand that we like being around people like ourselves. I would say that race is the least important aspect in a healthy level of tribalism- the in-group feeling of belonging that all humans seek out and crave.

Language, culture, ethics and shared goals all feed into our in-group preferences. For example, I have much more in common with a Black or Asian person from the village I grew up in than I would with a direct blood relative who grew up in Japan and speaks no English.

We also exhibit bias on a biological level for people who look similar to ourselves. The effect of this bias in the real world? It appears minimal. If we take the example of police shootings as a metric (I find this to be particularly useful as it is not laboratory or survey-based) a white person, per capita is more likely to be shot by police in the USA. Why? Well, it would appear that culturally the police have overcome any historic racism when gunning down citizens. Though the study did find that black people are more likely to experience non-lethal force during arrest — with (Hispanics and Blacks 50 percent more likely) White suspects in situations where guns are fired are more likely to be shot than other races.

If I were a Neo-Marxist, I would argue the following counterpoint.

Minorities are more likely to be beaten by cops, so that means that they are oppressed by a White Supremacist System. Whites being shot more often by cops might mean that we are having a positive effect with our activism against police shooting minorities, so we should carry on with that. #BLM. White people don’t need guns to kill Blacks, just look at Eric Garner. #ICantBreathe. Also, Whites not catching hands from cops is a clear example of White Privilege.

I have tried to steel man this position as concisely as possible. I think it should appear familiar to you if you have engaged with these social justice advocates. The narrative from Neo-Marxists is that Black people are murdered by the state because the state is racist.

In the USA between 2011 to 2013, 38.5 percent of people arrested for murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault were black. This figure is three times higher than the 13% black population figure. Black males aged 15–34, who account for around 3% of the population, are responsible for the vast majority of these crimes.

The narrative collapses as soon as one pays attention statistical evidence. This is why the Neo-Marxists will also lay claim to nebulous concepts as ‘lived experience.’ It is quite correct that I, as a white, straight British male will never know the lived experience of a Black female from Guam. But she cannot know mine either.

The Neo-Marxist demands that phenomenology, the study of experience and consciousness, be categorised and utilised in the same way as data and statistical evidence. So, an opinion that France is a rape culture or that Blacks are victimised by the police is a fact and the evidence that disproves such fancy is products of White Heteropatriarchy.

How about… no?

It should come to the surprise of no-one that the response to identity politics entering every facet of life has been for more identity politics, in the shape of the furthest extreme of the Alt-Right. Identity politics is fine until those toxic Whites want to play.

I do not wish for one moment to provide credence to the Hard Alt-Right or White supremacists by pointing these things out. I wish to illuminate for you dear reader that the far right is far less of a threat than the left would have you believe. While the far right tie themselves in knots about the Jewish Question and the ins-and-outs of how to make an ethnostate, the Neo-Marxists are already teaching our kids. I do not suggest that the far right go unopposed. I do suggest that we consider critically how the media builds boogeymen about Nazis to further their own agendas.

In any case, these particular culture warriors deserve an article of their own, so we’ll move on.

I can come to no other conclusion that as part of an overarching desire to subvert the dominant paradigm of Western culture, Neo-Marxists have embraced racism. It is a racist ideology. There can be no other conclusion. At the same time, we are told that White Supremacy is everywhere, but Whiteness is toxic. If that is so, it seems quite strange that so much greatness has come from European origins. I suppose that advanced technology, culture, music, art and politics are all aspects of oppression. Somehow. If only it wasn’t for those terrible White people.

In the service of diversity, we have reshaped our societies. A non-racist and liberal society has no desire to discriminate against people based on their race. Liberal society has allowed the growth of the cancer of Neo-Marxism to take place without critique- proving that Liberalism is inadequate to defend Liberalism.

We cannot say that racism is over in the West while we persist with diversity quotas, so-called positive discrimination and affirmative action. Diversity is not our strength if it is an ideological tool for social engineering, leaving us paralysed by doublethink and a crippling lack of self-awareness.

Diversity, as it is understood by liberalism, is a diversity of opinions.

Diversity, as it is understood by Neo-Marxism, is Anti-White bigotry.

And I can prove it to you.

Neo-Marxists are concerned with colonialism. Cultural appropriation, the influence of ‘Western Imperialism.’ The same people demand open borders in countries that they live in so that more diversity can occur. The concept that this leads to the understanding that non-white is better than white because to be white is to be privileged, and thus bad. If reverse racism does not exist, can we call this reverse colonialism?

Neo-Marxists also demand incredible scrutiny of White history while lionising non-White history and whitewashing (pun intended) the uncomfortable parts of it away. What do you mean, Islamic slave trade? How dare you.

A double standard that persists to this very day is the demand, through Privilege Theory, that the sins of slavery in the Americas that took place over 150 years ago be visited on all Whites still alive. The very real occurrences of slavery in the modern era, endemic across parts of Africa and Asia, is hand-waved away through the use of Cultural Relativism. All cultures are equal in the eyes of Neo-Marxists, but Western Culture is just the worst.

Remember, all the good parts of Western Culture were appropriated. All the bad parts of Western Culture are things that you must atone for, personally.

This is a Kafka Trap. It is impossible to win against the Neo-Marxist by allowing the Neo-Marxist to frame the discussion. This is what has led to Apple’s Head of Diversity having to apologise for saying that a room full of white people can be diverse, based on their experiences.

The Neo-Marxists cannot allow such heresy to stand, even when it is objectively true and even conforms to Neo-Marxist ideology. The only problem with her statement was to use the example of White people. A room can be diverse when it is filled with Black women. It cannot be diverse if filled with White men. The implicit statement is that White men are somehow… Untermensch.

This is Anti-White. This is what underpins the vast majority of this ersatz intellectualism from the Left. A Neo-Marxist, racist ideology that divides nations, peoples. The proponents of this ideology are Anti-White, the same as Neo-Nazis are Anti-Jew. The singular problem for liberal society remains that we are unable to confront the Neo-Marxists in the same, effective way that we have confronted Neo-Nazis.

While we talk about Free Speech and Hate Speech and the line between, remember that Antifa and other Neo-Marxist groups are also racists. They are Anti-White. Witness the abuse doled out to any Person-of-Colour who dares rebel.

It’s not OK for Larry Elder to be a conservative. It’s not OK for you to think the wrong way. Or you will be called a racist and ostracised. In a piece on Harvey Weinstein, I mentioned Sargon’s Razor:

We should always remember that those who make character judgements about their opponents based on nothing are usually guilty of that flaw themselves.

The Neo-Marxist is a bigot of the worst kind. Resist them at all costs. Demand that these people accept that they are the racists. Their ideology hinges entirely on Anti-White bigotry.

Ironic, that a prominent Neo-Marxist and Black Lives Matter leader should provide such a fitting end to this article. Thanks, Deeray. You are wiser than you could ever know.

Irony: The Tweet.

So, the next time you encounter a Neo-Marxist, ask them: Why are you Anti-White?

It makes no sense at all to persist in mindless bigotry. The only cure to this madness is to reject Neo-Marxism utterly, and oppose it wherever it lies. There is nothing wrong at all with paying particular attention and favor to your own culture. When you denigrate another culture solely for the fact that it is better than your own- this is racist.

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Parker Molloy (@parkermolloy) joins the show to discuss stock photo models and to help answer a Patreon question about how to tell if you’re trans. Also, the MVAs get political with transgender military personnel, anti-white supremacy speeches, suicide awareness, and Susan Bro. Trump associate boasted that Moscow business deal “will get Donald elected,” 26 ways to help the Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts, the problem with donating to the Red Cross, North Korea launches missile over Japan, Joel Osteen’s Houston megachurch blasted for closing as thousands are displaced, Trump signed an order making future infrastructure less flood-proof weeks before Harvey, and Trump expected to lift ban on military gear to local police forces

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