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opencommunion · 3 months

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since zionists want to act obtuse about why we're criticizing a superbowl ad, here's an explanation from before the ad even aired. it was openly designed to act as pro-genocide propaganda. fighting antisemitism is a worthy goal but that's not what's happening here:

"The New England Patriots’ 81-year-old owner, Robert Kraft, writes seven-digit checks to the right-wing Israeli lobbying machine AIPAC, but his personal, political, and financial ties to Israel run deeper than the occasional donation. The multibillionaire married his late wife, Myra, in Israel in 1963 when Kraft, then 22, was older than the nation itself. Together they set up numerous business, athletic, and charitable ties to Israel, a record of which is proudly proclaimed on the Kraft company website. In particular, the Kraft Group boasts of its 'Touchdown in Israel' program, where NFL players are given free, highly organized vacations to see 'the holy land' and come back to spread the word about 'the only democracy in the Middle East.' (Not every NFL player has chosen to take part.) Kraft also attends fundraisers for the Israel Defense Forces, currently—and in open view of the world—committing war crimes in Gaza."

Now, as Israel wages war against the civilians of Gaza—more than 25,000 Palestinian have been killed with at least 10,000 of them children—Kraft is again flexing his financial and political muscles in order to defend the indefensible. His Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) will be spending an estimated $7 million to buy a Super Bowl ad titled 'Stop Jewish Hate' that will be seen by well over 100 million people. Under Kraft’s direction, the ad’s goal is to create a propaganda campaign to counter the reports and images from Gaza that young people are consuming on social media.

... The content of the Super Bowl ad is not yet known, but FCAS has afforded Kraft the opportunity to make the rounds on cable news saying things like, 'It’s horrible to me that a group like Hamas can be respected and people in the United States of America can be carrying flags or supporting them.'

This is Kraft enacting the mission of FCAS: fostering disinformation. He is far from subtle: A Palestinian flag becomes a 'Hamas flag,' and people like the hundreds of thousands who took to the streets of Washington, D.C., last month to call for a cease-fire and end the violence are expressions of the 'rise in antisemitism.' Without a sense of irony or the horrors happening on the ground in Gaza, Kraft says he is giving $100 million of his own money to FCAS, because 'hate leads to violence.'

Let’s be clear: What Kraft is doing politically and what he will be using the Super Bowl as a platform to do is dangerous. He appears to think any criticism of Israel is inherently antisemitic. For Kraft, it is Jews like myself, rabbis, and Holocaust survivors calling for a cease-fire and a Free Palestine that are part of the problem. Kraft seems to think that opposition to Israel, the IDF, and the AIPAC agenda is antisemitism.

... Right-wing Christian nationalists, with their belief in a Jewish state existing alongside their conviction that Jews are going to Hell, are welcome in Netanyahu’s Israel and Kraft’s coalition. Left-wing anti-Zionist Jews are not. The greatest foghorn of this evangelical right-wing 'love Israel, hate Jews' perspective is, of course, Donald Trump. Kraft, while speaking of being troubled by events like the Charlottesville Nazi march and the right-wing massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue, counts Donald Trump as a close friend and even donated $1 million to his presidential inauguration.

No one who provides cover for the most powerful, public antisemite in the history of US politics should ever be taken seriously on how to best fight antisemitism. No one who funds AIPAC and the IDF and opposes a cease-fire amid the carnage should be allowed a commercial platform at the Super Bowl. But given that the big game is always an orgy of militarism, blind patriotism, and big budget commercials that lie through their teeth, perhaps that ad could not be more appropriate. We can do better than Kraft’s perspective on how to fight antisemitism. Morally, we don’t have a choice."

#zionism

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vtoriacore · 1 year

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Yo! It's me! I was wondering if I could request Ruggie, Idia, Riddle, and Malleus with a significant other who fights people for just breathing in their direction. Like Crowley opens his mouth and their already like "SHUT UP!" And throws chairs at people. I think the comedic potential for this is exponential

✧ alla stocatta (this chair)!

note: this is such a funny fucking concept LMFAO😭 gremlin MC agenda has gotta be my fucking fave they have the power to be so unhinged and i live for it also not proofread because it's low-key 12 am BUT. it's readable so-

characters: ruggie, idia, riddle, malleus

people who reblogged here is a special heart and a kith y'all do the most and ily 💞

♡ RUGGIE

ruggie finds it both amusing and kind of intimidating (and kinda hot but he'll die before he admits this yk) how you literally defend his honour (even when it doesn't necessarily need to be defended) but is he complaining? fuck no!

half the time he is laughing and the other half is him cheering you on and maybe even encouraging you to do something just a little overboard (nothing that will get you into trouble, and if it does he's usually happy to take the blame)

the first time he witnessed you literally throwing your broom at leona in joint flight class because he wouldn't stop bitching to ruggie was just about the most hilarious fucking thing he's ever seen and oh- there he goes falling off because he couldn't stop laughing (he stops when you catch him and ask if he's okay though - this mf may think he's slick but is literally reduced to a blubbering mess once he finds himself in a position considered a little too intimate with you)

the second time he saw you trip someone up because they looked at him wrong, and your silly, sly self simply gave them the most unimpressed look you could muster with a "watch where you're going"

the hyena was too stunned to speak 😮 no but seriously he found that both hilarious (as always) and admirable because holy shit, you did it so nonchalantly and it looked so fucking cool- he questions how he was even able to pull you (dw ruggie, you've got rizz!)

he absolutely loves when you stand up for him for more serious stuff though, like if someone's insulting him for his status or for having to work etc. because your no-bullshit attitude actually works so well? you just casually throw a chair at the mf even daring to look at him and his heart goes ✨✨✨ all the while he's laughing and cheering you on from the sidelines.

♡ IDIA

at first, idia is fucking terrified! bro is borderline crashing because how the fuck did you have the strength to haul that heavy ass cauldron at the person making a snide remark about him? he was going to say he's NEVER coming to class again but after this, he changes his mind so quick

like, you looked so badass doing that? the savannaclaw loser who tried insulting him barely got two words out and you just- oh wow! he just got the "in love" status applied to him again!

nah but fr he is literally fucking grinning as he stares at the poor, poor fool laying on the ground and is so fucking smug about it too!

"that was an ez no scope, didn't even have to be 360 lol'

"idia ily but what"

"it's a roundabout way of saying this bozo stood no chance, you pulled up on him too quick lmao"

at first, he is a bit concerned that you might end up in trouble with someone for doing all this but . . . yk, his money speaks for itself and if something does ever happen covering up wouldn't be too hard so he lets you do as you please

this hades-rapunzel secret love child thinks its low-key hot too, but he'll never admit it and he literally turns bright fucking pink anytime he even thinks this. you tried prying the answer out before, but he pulled out his secret trump card - fainting on you so he wouldn't have to say a thing

idia is another mf to absolutely egg you on as you cause some more chaos, it's getting to the point ortho had to warn you of nearly breaking someone's arm before you stopped. idia was just standing there, the most villainous, evil grin to have ever graced his face; "no, no! let them cook!"

♡ RIDDLE

riddle. fucking. FAINTS!

he was NOT ready for that strawberry tart to end up lodged down someone's throat as you victoriously shrugged your shoulders with a "what? they had it coming."

"oh great heavens what have you- where is the decorum? what could have possibly compelled you to-" aaaaaaaand man's down!

when he awakes, he's frantically shaking your shoulders and asking why you would even think that nearly suffocating someone (not really, you pushed the tart far enough they could swallow) was appropriate

but let me tell you, when he hears it was because they've insulted him and brought his mother into it, he low-key feels light headed and oh wow his cheeks are getting pretty warm huh?

riddle, in his own spiteful way, actually doesn't probe you on this any longer and makes you promise that you won't do this in his vicinity again

you of course, nod along. you won't do it in his vicinity, but will be perfectly fine exacting your revenge straight after he's out of sight

when you actually end up having a . . . a chair duel. yes, he read that right. (he wasn't about to even question how that came about but nontheless) he ends up both impressed at you exploiting a loophole you've found within his statement and at the fact the person you've just beaten (both literally and figuratively) is miserably sitting on the floor apologising for giving riddle the wrong look at 12:34 AM on the 3rd of march. very specific

riddle doesn't even chastise you for this one, he is exasperated but does actually pull you away from the scene and thanks you for defending him. this time, he makes you promise to resolve your fights for him verbally, but he won't be stopping you from this point on (it's because he doesn't want to and enjoys you standing up for him)

♡ MALLEUS

the student walking away from malleus makes him feel a bit bad. so naturally, to remedy this, you end up shouting at them! now they're backing away from you instead, isn't this the meaning of true love? (no)

this silly little very capable of looking after himself fae is fucking over the moon! absolutely smitten! completely in love! when you come to defend him and angrily shout at people for not treating him like a being worthy of respect and love.

he low-key debates proposing to you on the spot after you also somehow manage to get a student to apologize to him for fearing him for no good reason! he appreciates the sentiment and you caring for his well being, isn't that basically marriage already? no? he'd like to digress immediately

malleus does get a bit concerned when things get physical, not that he doesn't trust you to take care of yourself or anything but he worries that you might end up hurt. oh, did you think he'd care for the person you're fighting? or you getting in trouble? nah, he could literally BBQ anyone who even dared harm you anyway and if crowley even thought to step in, he'd soon be reconsidering because he doesn't want to end up an elaborate crow dish

however, on the occasion that you do outsmart your opponent (aka the savannaclaw student who just rolled his eyes at the dragon fae) he feels hella proud and is very amused at your antics. i mean, the way you just psychologically destroyed the fool in front of you for their comment on malleus not even being that good at magift is very sure to leave them questioning why they even bothered coming out the womb for the rest of their life.

he is another one that finds it low-key 😳😳😳 like damn, did you always look this badass when flipping someone off for even breathing wrong near him? sane thoughts just weren't made for malleus

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst crack #twst #twisted wonderland #ruggie bucchi x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #idia shroud x reader #malleus draconia x reader #ruggie bucchi #riddle rosehearts #idia shroud #malleus draconia #twst malleus #twst ruggie #twst riddle #twst idia

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howlinchickhowl · 2 months

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It's posting day for my @gallavichthings Gift Exchange gift! I got @rayrayor and I wrote a little something for their prompt about Mickey being a 'straight' patron of Ian's gay bar. Happy gift exchange, I hope you enjoy it!

(There's no warnings and it's fairly PG)

You're Like In Love With Me - a gallavich a.u. fiction 🫶

Someone at the brewery has it in for Ian, he’s decided. They’ve assigned him the world’s weediest delivery guy, who manages to shift one keg for every seven Ian hauls off his truck, and always gets to Ian ‘after lunch’, which, tends to be closer to dinner than lunch in Ian’s opinion, and leaves him very little time to get everything stocked and inventoried and get a break in before the evening rush starts.

He’s sweating buckets as he waves the guy off and staggers back out into the main bar for some ice water. He rounds the bar and snags a dishcloth from Joni who wrinkles their nose up at him as he swipes it over his forehead and the back of his neck.

Joni doesn’t sweat, it’s a point of pride for them. Ian isn’t sure if they actually aren’t capable of sweating, or if they just avoid any activity that could possibly cause them to perspire. If he was at home with his siblings, Ian would shake his head like a wet dog, sending droplets flying all over every surface and into the faces of any person standing close enough. But last year when he took over from Gigi she made him sit through like thirty hours of online health and safety and food hygiene training, and there is an open container of cut limes on the back bar that he can’t in good conscience condemn with his bodily fluids. So he holds himself back and focuses on getting himself a drink and trying not to be too obvious about checking out his favorite regular.

Mickey Milkovich has been coming to The Scratching Post since before Ian’s time, before it was ever even a gay bar, according to the man himself. When he was a kid, before the neighborhood ‘went to shit’ – Mickey’s colorful way of saying got gentrified by the u-haul lesbians and professional gays – it was something of a slum. And Mickey grew up a regular little slumdog. Before The Scratching Post was The Scratching Post, it was The Alibi Room, and the way Mickey tells it, it was basically his dad’s office. He’s told Ian stories about how he used to sit in one of the booths and watch his dad take book or make deals, how he got his first tattoo from the owner’s cousin who was trying to rustle up enough bail money to get her boyfriend out of jail after he shot up their apartment during a bad trip. How his older brother lost his virginity in the upstairs room when it was a short-lived brothel. How the whole fabric of his life is tied up in this place, like he’s just as much a part of it as the stains on the carpet that they’ve never bothered to change.

So now that Mickey is out of prison (attempted murder, but according to Mickey it was a trumped up bullshit charge and if he wanted to murder someone he would fucking succeed) and back living in the house he grew up in, he likes to drink in his neighborhood bar, even if it’s turned into some sort of haven for the L-G-B-T-Q-Whatever (his words). It’s home.

Ian doesn’t mind. Mickey’s a fast drinker and he can hold a lot of booze, and it never hurts to get some steady business during the day. And he likes Mickey. Kind of really likes him, actually. Sort of wouldn’t mind licking the inside of his mouth or tasting the sweat on the back of his neck. And that’s where he gets into a certain amount of trouble. Because Mickey Milkovich? Is straight.

Straight as a ramrod. Straight as a ruler. Straight as the day is long. Capital S Straight. So Ian tries not to think too much about how soft his lips look or how good he smells, and he also tries to keep it under wraps exactly how much he likes to look at the guy. He’s not gonna not look at him. But he doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable in, from what Ian can gather, one of the only places he feels comfortable. And he also doesn’t want to get his ass kicked by a guy he has a crush on. He had enough of that kind of fun in high school.

So he grabs his pint of ice water and wipes his forehead with his stolen rag and he limits his glances to two seconds long with twenty second intervals. Or at least he thinks he does until Joni rolls their eyes at him and announces they are going on a smoke break, since he’s clearly gonna be there for a while anyway. He’d be annoyed but honestly, they’re right.

Mickey always sits in the same spot, on a high stool at the bar just where it’s curved around enough so that he can easily see the door but not so far that he can’t see who’s coming and going from the restroom or the back. His vigilance is quiet, but noticeable if you know what you’re looking for. Or if you just spend a lot of time looking.

He’s in his spot today, left hand curled loosely around his beer like he likes to be ready to drink at any moment, and he’s smiling down at his phone in a way that has Ian’s tummy start to fizz with little sparks of jealousy. What’s got him smiling like that? He’s desperate to know.

He doesn’t always talk to Mickey every time he comes in, he tries to show a respectful level of interest, though if you polled his employees they would probably say he fails at that. He does some quick math in his head while grabbing another rag and starting to wipe down the bar top, making his way down toward Mickey’s end. Today is Wednesday, Mickey didn’t come in yesterday, on Monday Ian kept his distance, and he hadn’t worked Sunday. That meant that their last interaction had been Saturday. Four days. That’s a decent interval, he figures, and he carries on wiping over the bar, trying to come up with a subtle way to find out what has made Mickey smile.

“That your girl?” Is what he’s got by the time he’s stood in front of Mickey, and it may not be subtle but it’s all he could think of.

“Huh?” Mickey asks, looking up.

“You uh, you look like something in your phone is making you real happy, I thought maybe it was a girl.”

“Oh, Uh.” Mickey looks down at his phone and then back up at Ian, his lips tugging down into a half frown. “No.”

He closes his phone and shoves it in his back pocket, eyes shifting around the room as he takes a sip of his beer. There’s something kind of shifty about it, like Ian’s made him uncomfortable somehow, and if Ian had more self-control he’d call this one a loss and find an excuse to leave him be. But his discipline only extends to his exercise regime and diet apparently because he finds himself unable to walk away, quietly desperate to know what Mickey had been looking at.

“So what d’you win a bet?”

Mickey huffs a laugh and sticks hi phone in his back pocket, Ian wipes a spot on the bar that he’s already wiped clean three times.

“Naw man, just a picture of my sister looking fuckin’ dumb in a squirrel hat.”

Ok. Not what Ian had been expecting.

“A…squirrel? Hat?”

“Yeah it’s for her job or whatever, she looks like a fuckin’ idiot.”

His words are harsh, but the smile that’s spreading over his lips is kind of soft, like he is actually kind of fond of his sister. Ian’s never seen him smile like that before. His smile is always kind of dirty, or wry, or sometimes bordering on a grimace, this is different, and Ian feels like he’s unlocked a new Mickey nugget. He wonders if he can get some more.

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“Two brothers, one sister.” He takes a gulp of his beer and then does a thoughtful little shrug. “That I know of. The way my dad was though, wouldn’t be too shocked if I got a bunch more I don’t know about.”

There’s that wry smile that Ian’s used to, with a half an eye roll that belies a lifetime of dealing with a parent who never stops disappointing you. It’s an eyeroll Ian has performed many a time himself.

“God yeah me too. I got at least one half-sister who showed up out of the blue a few years back, but I could be related to half the city for all I know.”

“Half the redheads at least.” And there’s the dirty smile. He’s mentioned Ian’s hair a few times, most people tease him about it a little, it’s no big deal. He imagines Mickey would have terrorized him if they’d known each other as kids, chasing him around calling him Carrot Top or Little Orphan Annie. This is kind of a gentle tease though, something warm, accompanied with a squint that could almost be a wink, if Mickey Milkovich was the kind of guy who winked, and it spurs Ian on.

“I knew this girl in high school, her dad had so many kids running around that she had to ask people for their family tree before she would hook up with them.”

Mickey almost chokes on his beer.

“Fuck me, should I be doing that?”

“I don’t know. She had a close call once, and her dad literally had like, thirty kids.”

“No shit.”

“Yeah, so, next time you’re lookin’ to hook up with someone, just, ask for a DNA screening first I guess.”

Mickey nods, and then the air sort of drops out of the conversation, like it has nowhere left to go. Mickey gulps the last of his beer in one huge mouthful that puffs his cheeks out and sort of makes him look like he’s chewing it, and the only thing Ian can think to say is to ask him if he wants another.

“Nah I’m good, gotta get back.” He throws some cash down on the bar to cover his tab and is out the door with his arms still shoving into his jacket before Ian can even say syanora.

And then he doesn’t come back for three weeks.

It’s not like Ian’s moping, Joni can fuck off for implying that. The bar is busy and he has a lot to do and employees to manage and siblings to deal with. But in the afternoons sometimes he’ll find himself staring at the empty space where Mickey would normally be and wondering, kind of forlornly, if the guy is ever coming back. Trying to figure out what he did or said in that last conversation that pissed him off so bad he would forsake his childhood bar.

Ian misses him. His expressive face and his disgusting sense of humour, and the way he makes Ian feel, like on edge and at ease at the same time. It just sucks, not seeing him, and not knowing why.

And then one day, three weeks and four days since The Scratching Post had last seen hide or hair of him, he’s back, sitting on his regular stool when Ian gets done mopping the bathrooms.

It gives him a jolt, a little shiver of excitement running down his spine as he shoves the mop in the corner and rounds the bar.

“Haven’t seen you around here lately.” He greets Mickey, as casually as he can, and Mickey looks up, kind of startled, and then looks down at the bar. Or. There’s a white envelope sitting there, and he seems fixated on it.

“Everything ok Mick?”

Mickey nods, a quick little jerk of a thing, eyes fixed on the envelope. He doesn’t even have a drink in front of him.

“You want a beer?”

He shakes his head, brings his right hand up to lay his fingertips over the envelope and slide it across the bar toward Ian.

“What’s this?” Ian picks it up, there’s no name on it, no details, it’s not sealed but he’s still not sure if he should open it. Mickey’s looking up at him when he’s done inspecting it.

“It’s uh.” His bright blue eyes flick away and then back again, are they wetter than usual? They seem so shiny when they finally rest back on Ian. “It’s a DNA test.”

“A DNA test?”

“Yeah. We um. We ain’t related. So.”

He raps his knuckles on the bar a couple of times in a short sharp knock that he must think serves as a suitable stop to this most bizarre of conversations, and clambers off his stool, heading for the door.

“Wait Mickey—What?!”

“Just. Read it.”

The door has barely had time to swing shut before Ian is practically tearing the envelope in his haste to look at the paper inside. It’s exactly what Mickey said, a DNA test, comparing Mickey’s DNA to his own, which, he’s gonna have to talk to him about where he got a sample of Ian’s DNA from, and confirming that there’s no overlap. In the top right corner, in a chicken scratch of a hand, Mickey has scrawled the words ‘just in case’ and then a phone number, and Ian almost drops his phone in the ice trough in his rush to pull it out of his pocket and send a text.

[2:34pm] I thought you were straight?

The reply buzzes through almost immediately, like maybe Mickey’s stood outside looking at his phone waiting to see what happens.

[2:34pm] Good.

It’s a very Mickey text, and something about it makes Ian feel warm, like he’s being trusted with something Mickey doesn’t trust a lot of people with.

[2:35pm] Where did you get a sample of my DNA??

[2:35pm] That really what you wanna be asking me right now?

[2:35pm] I’ve got a lot of things I want to ask you.

[2:36pm] So come outside, I don’t got all day.

It’s possible that Ian knocks over a stool and drops his dishcloth on the floor, he’s got bigger fish to fry.

#gallavich fic #ian x mickey #fic #GGE2024

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justaghostingon · 3 months

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In which the Tsarista wants Friends And Furina is the Unfortunate Target

A silly genshin au

So i was thinking, u know how every archon has nothing but respect for Furnia?

What if the Tsarista did too? After all, the tsarista wants to defy the heavens, ancthe only person to get away with that and live (that we know of) is Furina.

And its so hard to find archons to hang out with. She’s still not talking to Venti. Morax has to many shady contracts with celestia, Nahida is a child by archon standards, Ei scares her, and frankly the less said about Murata the better.

So when word gets to her through whatever highspeed knowledge that the archons a seem to have about what Focolors and Furina did, she instantly wants to bring her in as an ally.

But alas! Arrlecino has made an absolutely terrible impression on Furina! So much so that Furina refused to meet her without othwr parties present!

This is a huge failure!

She proceeds to tell Arrlecino that while she’s not in trouble, as she did bring back the gnosis, couldn’t she have been a little nicer?

Just look at Childe! He managed to make a good impression on Morax, and he didn’t even realize it was Morax he was hanging out with!

They still get drinks somwtimes!

If Childe can befriend a god by accident, surely Arrlecino could at least mend bridges with Furina? Furina would be sooo useful after all.

Arrlecino, who has jetted off after getting the gnosis with a sick Childe and most certainly doesn’t have connection to whatever instant gossip communication that the Tsarista has, is very confused

She’s still under the impression that Furina was a cursed human, archon impersonator, and all around waste of space.

Now her boss and archon she respects is passive agressively trying to get her to introduce her to Furina and mad she’s not in her good books?

WHY????

Her general attitude is to point agressively at Furina eating her cake and going “This is the ONE u want? THIS one?”

Tsarista, sighing dramatically, “She’s perfect”

But Arrlecino is a harbringer, and what her archon wants, goes. So she goes back to fontain and tries to arrange a meetinf with Furina

This is of course, completely rejected, and accompanied by a sternly worded letter from Neuvillette saying that Furina is retired and not to bother her anymore.

Arrlecino tries to just go directly to Furina, but is chased away by some very agressive melusines. Arrlecino didn’t even know Melusines could be agressive

At this point, Arrlecino is getting annoyed. Did all their personal meetings mean nothing to Furina? She spent so much time and money on her favorite cakes!

Sure she tried to kill her, but that was one time! She should be over it by now!

But she hasn’t lost her head yet. It’s tiem to use her trump card. The magic siblings!

Lyney is a bit dubious on their new mission: “make nice to furina at all costs.” After all, their last two interactions with with her were Furina putting lyney on trial, and lyney and the gang putting her on trial. Not exactly easy to bounce back from.

But orders are orders, so they give it a shot.

They start with trying to ask Furina for help on stage management, give her invitations to their shows, etc.

Shared interests are important after all.

Bur Furina is not biting. She’s not good at magic she points out, so she won’t be much help to them and their better off seeking others to aid them.

She does go to their performance, but spends the entire time sandwiched between Navia and Clorinde. When lyney and lynette try to approach her, navia drags them into conversation instead as Clorinde escorts Furina out.

So that’s a no go.

Lynette then decides to take the more direct route, of breaking into Furina’s apartment to reach her. This goes understandably terribly, as Furina does not take well to a cloaked figure standing over her bed, saying “the Tsarista wants to talk to you”

She sends her water familiars to chase lynette away.

At this point Furina is getting very paranoid and the magic siblings are at the end of their rope. They break out their last hope: Freminet.

Sure he’s not the most social, but he’s by far the most adorable (in the twins opinion) and definitely nonthreatening.

Freminet’s turn goes as thus: Furina is sitting on a bench with her water familiars playing around her

Freminet sits next to her on the bench with Pers. He doesn’t look at Furina, instead staring at his feet.

Pers goes over to the water familiars and they start playing together. Furina and Freminet watch

Finally Freminet blurts out. “The Tsarista thinks your cool and wants to be your friend.”

Furina is startled, then switches into celebrity mode. Freminet doesn’t seem to mean any harm, but she doesn’t want to agree. So she sets an impossible task. She informs Freminet that she is a very popular person and if the tsarista wants to see her, she must come in person to Fontaine instead of sending minions.

Freminet nods and thanks her, saying he’ll pass on the message. He tells her Pers had a good time, and Furina smiles, certain that she’s handled the situation perfectly.

Exactly one week later, there’s a knock on her door. Furina opens it to see thr Tsarista dressed like a tourist with a bag of luggage. She informs Furina they are having a “girls” week.

Next thing Furina knows she and thr tsarista are sitting at a super fancy cake shop where the tsarista is piling Furina with all her favorite cakes with a beaming smile on her face.

As she resigns herself to her fate of lots of cake and spa activites with Tevats number one most controversial archon. Furina realizes she now knows where the Fatui get their crazy from

The end

#genshin impact #genshin impact au #furina #tsarista #arrlecino #arrlechino #why does her name has an h in it?#genshin lyney #lynette #freminet #pers did all the work #tsarista wants friends au #don’t take this too seriously

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mariacallous · 1 month

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Barring an act of God, Joe Biden will face Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Despite the multiple criminal indictments and civil lawsuits filed against Trump since he left office, there is no legal mechanism capable of disqualifying him from running for president. Yes, Trump’s trial in a case involving allegations that he illegally paid $130,000 in hush money to an adult film actress is set to begin on April 15. But even if he is convicted and sentenced to an actual prison term before the vote in November, the only thing standing between the former reality TV star and a second stint in the Oval Office is the common sense of the American electorate. It is a check that failed in 2016, one that nearly failed in 2020, and one that may well fail again in 2024. The result largely depends on how many anti-Trump Americans actually take the trouble to vote.

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contemplatingoutlander · 3 months

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On Billionaires and "Tyrannical Freedom"

Another excellent commentary by Jamelle Bouie. As such, this is a gift🎁link that anyone can use to read the entire article, even if they do not subscribe to The New York Times. Below are some excerpts:

This week in Texas Monthly, I read a troubling profile of Tim Dunn, a 68-year-old billionaire Texas oilman and lavish financier for right-wing extremists in the state. “In the past two years,” Russell Gold writes, “Dunn has become the largest individual source of campaign money in the state by far.” He has spent, through his political action committee, millions of dollars targeting Republicans who don’t meet his ideological litmus tests of opposition to public schools, opposition to renewable energy and support for tax cuts and draconian anti-abortion laws. A pastor who once said that only Christians should hold leadership positions in government, Dunn sees himself as someone who is on a religious mission of sorts and has devoted his time and wealth to imposing his ultraconservative politics and fundamentalist beliefs on as many Texans as possible. [...] I was disturbed. There is his wealth and influence, yes. But there is also his worldview, captured in the opening scene of the piece. Dunn makes an unfavorable comparison between human societies and bee hives:

By itself, this passage reads as fairly innocuous. But when read with Dunn in mind — a straightforward Christian nationalist whose allies in Texas politics are leading the charge to ban books, suppress the rights of L.G.B.T.Q. Texans and restrict reproductive health care — it takes on a more ominous cast. The passage, in that context, seems to capture the perspective of a man who does not believe in democratic freedom — a freedom rooted in political and social equality — as much as he believes in the freedom of the master, which is to say the freedom to rule and subordinate others. It’s a tyrannical freedom, one that rests on the idea that the world is nothing but a set of overlapping hierarchies, and that if you do not sit at the top of one, then you must be made to serve those who do. You’ll find freedom within your role, and nowhere else. This is not a new or foreign conception of freedom — it is...one of the more dissonant notes in our collective heritage. The issue, today, is twofold. First, we have a powerful political movement, led by Donald Trump, that defines itself in terms of this freedom. And second, we’ve allowed such a grotesque accumulation of wealth that figures like Dunn can wield tremendous influence over the political system. I’ve written before that the fight to save American democracy will involve more than beating Trump at the ballot box. Finding ways to radically limit the political reach of the super wealthy is part of what I mean. [emphasis added]

#right-wing billionaires #christian nationalists #tyrannical freedom #tim dunn #texas #jamelle bouie #the new york times #russell gold #texas monthly #gift link

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itsmythang · 6 months

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I figured as much when it was widely reported he has no bank accounts that can be found. That said right there he was dirty. Only mafia and drug kingpins do that ish. I'm sure others do it but people getting legit $$$$ hardly would ever go to the trouble of conducting all their business in cash.

VIA: Mary Trump

UNBELIEVABLE: The new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson received illegal money from at least one Russian oligarch. In 2018, Johnson received campaign contributions from “American Ethane,�� a company that was 88% owned by three Russian nationals.

Johnson’s received at least three checks, each for $6100, from the company. The campaign says he returned the money after he was exposed. But he's still racking up favors for Russians. -Voted against the 2022 Ukraine Supplemental Appropriation. -Voted for Amendment 22 to HR 2670 which would have prohibited all security assistance for Ukraine.

If you agree my uncle is unfit to be in the White House or anywhere but prison, please support my mission to get these maniacs off our TVs. Sign up for my free newsletter to reserve your spot! Let’s do this. https://marytrump.substack.

Mary Trump

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goddessofwaifus · 4 months

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Double trouble

After lots of thinking and some brainstorming, I'm making another fic here. I need something to do.

The following fic contains: Black air force energy menaces (you and Mikey duh) , throwing hands, reader uses they/them pronouns, Draken is definitely getting double the headaches after this one. Give this poor guy a break.

Trigger warning ⚠️

Mentions of stabbing, and s3xual assault 😥

Edit: both dividers by @benkeibear

If having one dangerous delinquent leader with equally threatening gang members wasn't enough, try giving this little shit an equally dangerous partner in crime besides Draken.

It's a given that Draken and Mikey are Toman's Captain and vice Captain as well as their danger duo. More often than not, Draken has to babysit Mikey and he's a headache on his own when the trump card of Toman decides to be a brat. Sure, they're all crazy and a gang to be fucked with. But then you come along and now Draken has two menaces to Shibuya to deal with. This is where the headaches and irritation begin.

It all began when you were working part-time at a diner in Shibuya. You only took the job because you needed money to pay for food and the basic necessities back at home and the pay was decent enough. Maybe you could save enough to buy a bike so you could finally stop taking the bus and have transportation of your own to get to school. Annoying as the customers were... Especially the ones with the rowdy kids who fling food everywhere, scream at the top of their lungs, run around the small building and nearly trip the staff with their playing, and just overall cause a disturbance in an otherwise nice homey establishment... You put up with it when your coworkers couldn't. You needed to get the bag, your bike was riding on this so you swallowed any irritated thoughts and choice words you had for the careless parents and their equally carefree children to get your paycheck. Then they come in.

A pair of blonde boys your age came in and were guided to a booth by the window. A tall boy with most of his hair tied back in a single braid, both sides of his head shaved with a dragon tattoo on his left temple that reached down towards his neck. He was wearing a black jacket with white and black diamonds adorning the front and back,a white button up shirt and baggy black pants. With him,he brought his shorter blond friend in a green jinbei. <- (Notes at the bottom of this fic) The former wore boots while the latter wore sandals.

You lost count of how many customers you served that day, but you did serve the two blonde middle school boys their food. You were stopped by the short boy before you could leave.

"I can't eat this without the flag! It's not a meal without the flag! It won't be fun to eat!"

He whined, pouting like a petulant child while the taller braided teen across from him sighed in annoyance. You found the pout on his face to be adorable and couldn't help but heed to his childish request for a flag, putting a red flag in the kid's meal for the boy. The pouting turned into child-like excitement as his naturally cold black eyes sparkled with exuberance. The dragon tatted male raised an eyebrow and opened his eyes to see there was a flag now in the meal for his childish friend, one he didn't have to fish in his jacket to stick in it to quiet him down. He didn't know why he was so adamant about a flimsy little flag in his meal, but whatever shut him up would do.

He couldn't deal with the tantrum... Not when he already knew the routine for every visit to the place. He'd order the same kid's meal, demand a flag if they forgot, he'd put one in to shut down the pouting, his friend would eat, and finally fall asleep right after to leave the aggravated teen with no choice but to carry him out piggyback style after paying for the food.

"Thank you so much...Y/n!"

The now sated little menace grinned as he dug into the meal, messy as he ate. You simply giggled to yourself, noticing as the taller one of the two nodded a thank you in your direction. Apparently this was something his friend did often if there wasn't a flag in his kid's meal here. It didn't bother you as long as he didn't fling the food in his fit or start causing too much of a scene. If he did that, there would definitely be a problem and you'd most likely fight the little shit.

"I'm Draken btw. This little hellspawn is Mikey and I apologize if he causes any more trouble with you and anyone else who works here. Why are you working here anyway?"

You needed the money for a bike. You were tired of taking the crowded bus to and from school, giving perverted boys ample opportunities to grope or pinch you with the excuse of "trying to reach for their bag" or "picking a speck of dirt or debris from your uniform" in the little space there was available on the vehicle. You had enough and you'd be damned if it happened again because if it did... Someone was gonna get put in an ambulance and there was no damn way it would be you. Draken shook his head as Mikey wasn't fast asleep for once after eating and perked his head up to listen.

"You look familiar... You sit 2 seats ahead of me on the right! You're working here for a bike? What kind? A regular manual bike? A motorcycle?"

Hearing the name Mikey had widened your eyes a bit. The invincible Mikey? The Mikey with a roundhouse kick so nasty you'll definitely be comatose if he kicked hard enough? Leader of the up and coming Tokyo Manji Gang? Why would he recognize you though? It hit you then that you went to school with him and he was often fast asleep in class. You admit you're slightly jealous he can act the way he does with teachers and get away with it when they wake him up. The perks of being a delinquent you guess. You wanted to be one too but you're a bit indecisive about fully committing to the lifestyle.

Something light but fast enough to get you from the complex you live in to the campus quicker than the crappy bus was the motorcycle you were looking for. Mikey nodded in thought and snapped his fingers at the perfect bike for you.

"My big bro owns a bike shop! It's called S.S. motors. I could ask him if he could make a bike for you with the parts he has on hand if you'd like?"

You didn't think your eyes could get any wider before you nodded in agreement to the suggestion. If it were possible for him to do that, you could pay for it and finally have transportation of your own.

"Do you know how to ride?"

Draken watched you nod your head to his question. When the two left, Mikey was sure to keep his eyes open for you at school to discuss everything he'd need to tell his brother at the shop. This would soon turn into eating lunch together, studying together, hanging out after school, and even riding on the back of his CB250T wherever you guys were going. In no time, you two were just as close as he and Draken were when they were younger. You found yourself interested whenever Mikey talked about all the bikes Shin had in his shop and passing on his knowledge of motorcycles to you.

It was when your birthday rolled around (Mikey wanted it to be a surprise) that you finally got your bike and what a beauty it was. All shiny and new, polished and sleek in (f/c) with (hl/c) [highlight color] along the sides. You looked at Mikey who only gave you a big ol grin as he wished you happy birthday. Shinichiro gestured for you to get on and try it out for the first time. In the time Shinichiro took to fix it up and put the finishing touches to your ride, Mikey introduced you to all of Toman and the remaining founding members of the crew. He helped train you to fight and with enough honing your fighting skills, you became part of Toman too. Not just as a friend but as an official member with your very own uniform.

You would be Mikey's partner in crime and every delinquent gang that came face to face with Toman, they would soon learn that you and Mikey are a danger combo. Where Mikey has his lethal roundhouse kicks, you have deadly punches and equally devastating force to kick someone out of commission. The invincible Mikey and the merciless Y/N. The judge and the executioner.

Mikey had rode in the back of your new bike with you, guiding you between cars as you zoomed down the road. When everyone saw your new ride, they cheered and praised your new set of wheels. Whooping and checking out your bike as you sat at the front,proud to finally have a motorcycle of your own instead of back seating with Mikey or anyone else. To celebrate your birthday and your new wheels, you rode down the streets of Shibuya with Toman in tow. Shinichiro and his buddies; Wakasa, Takeomi, and Benkei joined the birthday ride along with the rest of Toman. You could truly call that night the best time you've ever had. All thanks to a coincidental meeting at your part-time job with your classmate and him volunteering to ask his big brother to make a bike for you. You're glad you complied with his childish request for a flag in his omurice otherwise you wouldn't be where you are now.

However,with the power dynamic between you and Mikey, it posed another headache for poor Draken. Not only did he have to look after his child of a commander, he also had to rein you in too. Most times, you were completely under control and needed no supervision or intervention from him, but with time in Toman, that slowly changed. Now fully committed to the delinquent lifestyle, no longer needing as much help to kick ass alongside your gang mates in your goal to create a new age for delinquents and gangs alike, you had become an absolute menace just like your captain. If you weren't murder walking <- (note 2) beside Mikey, you were often beating the shit out of a bully picking on someone or fighting alongside the other captains when a rival gang tried to intimidate your gang members into submitting defeat.

Absolute demons, Draken would say as he's dragging you and Mikey away from some kid who thought it would be funny to test his luck because you were harmless and Mikey was below average height. The boy wasn't laughing after Mikey kicked him to his knees and you knocked him out cold with a ruthless knee to the head. Let it be known that you hated being seen as weak and Mikey had an honest to God hatred for being looked down on for his height in both the literal sense and in terms of everyone's "Height= strength" argument. He's not called The Invincible Mikey for nothing. You didn't gain your title out of nowhere just the same. You both earned the names other gangs labeled you two under. It was proof of your rep and his in the era of delinquents Mikey wished to create. It wasn't something for other kids to scoff at or look down at either of you for. Draken however had to step in to keep the both of you from killing the kid or putting him in the ER at least.

While you two were struggling to get free from his grasp, he hit you both over the top of the head to shut you up. He was not having it and Mitsuya could tell when he spotted the two of you giving the angry grumble and the death stare. Not just babysitting one rowdy little demon but a second one who seemed just as aggressive. This would become more apparent after the leader of Moebius barged into the warehouse with 50 other members coming in behind him in their cherry red jumpsuits.

"Moebius this, Moebius that. I'd much prefer if you kept our name outta your mouths... You little rats."

Their leader smirked as he combed his hair back with a lit cigarette between his cocky lips. You couldn't help but visibly cringe at his attitude and face. How was a dude like that cool? Then you remembered what Haruki said at the meeting the other night. This cocky ass clown was the guy who beat pah's friend and then proceeded to defile his girlfriend in front of him as well as letting his men have turns... Then ,to rub salt and lemon juice into an already open wound, they went and beat his family. Suddenly the cringe boiled into rage and disgust towards the blonde in the jumpsuit in front of you. Osanai then turned his head your way and smirked while his men were taunting the boys and wolf-whistling at you also.

"See somethin' ya like~? That little feisty look in your eyes is adorable! Ya gonna bite me?"

You only scoffed and then proceeded to laugh in his face at his attempt to show off in front of his crew. You'd snap your own neck before you gave this guy even a millisecond of your time. You didn't like guys like him, they made you sick and you personally wished that all men like him would just die. The world would be slightly better with less garbage taking up space. Mikey however didn't like the fact that their leader even tried to shoot his shot with you, but he did have a smile of satisfaction when you threw a laugh of disgust in response.

"They don't go for guys like you. The matter isn't needing someone more mature. You can't even make that argument with what you've done with your guys. So, much like you want us to keep your name outta our mouths... Why don't ya do the same and keep your comments to yourself?"

You then doubled down and spat near Osanai's boot, sneering at him when he frowned at the response. Apparently Takemichi was looking at him wrong which provoked Osanai to boxing him until Pah blocked his next punch and pushed the barely conscious Hanagaki aside. This was his fight after all and he'd be damned if this bastard got away with what he had done to his friend. You, Draken, Takemichi, and Ryohei were ordered to sit back and watch a losing fight between Pah and Osanai who was clearly playing with his food. When Pah finally went down and Mikey caught him, you gently set Pah on the ground with your jacket as a pillow for his head. Mikey couldn't corral you in a situation like this so he didn't tell you to stay back when you walked beside him towards Osanai. Words were spoken but they didn't matter since you and Mikey took turns kicking the arrogant ignoramus in the head until his face was black and blue.

You glared and the new recruits under Moebius were shaking as you smirked. You looked like the devil and Draken had to smack you upside the head to settle you before you both heard the once downed Osanai running at you and Mikey. You were quick to shield him, Draken being quick to his feet to catch and disarm Osanai who dropped his broken beer bottle weapon after being introduced to Draken's knee in the gut.

"The only reason why you guys lost to us was because you strayed from the true delinquent's path...We know you molested a young woman and went on to attack her boyfriend's family. You're nothing but a piece of shit. If any of you do anything fucked up like that again, we'll hunt you down and kill you ourselves! Your leader is done because Mikey and Y/N kicked his ass! Any of you got a problem with that?! "

Your face morphed into that of a sadistic sociopath. Truly befitting of the executioner. If they had a problem with Draken or Mikey, they'd answer to you and your curb stomping boots. You giggled with sadistic glee as you grinned at the now terrified men of the newbies joining Toman.

"If you give my captain or his number 2 any issues, you'll be answering to me~ I have no qualms with rearranging your faces with my boot... It surely won't be the first time I stomped someone's face in with my heel. So make no mistake, don't underestimate me, my captain or his second in command. I'll make you regret it, got it?"

The once cocky boys trailing behind Osanai were now shitting bricks. They couldn't argue with Draken and they certainly wouldn't argue with you either. You nodded to Draken with a satisfied look on your face as he proceeded to speak while holding Osanai by the arm.

"In that case, Moebius will now belong to the Tokyo Manji Gang!"

You stretched as you popped your back, ready to get out of this dusty ass warehouse until you noticed that Pah was missing from the spot you and Mikey had laid him in. You looked around, but were a second too late to warn Draken as Pah drove his hidden switchblade into Osanai's side. The situation had went from a sweet victory to a bitter one as the result of the conflict ended with some of the men from Moebius being caught by the police as everyone began to scatter per protocol for gang brawls. Pah owned up to his mistake made in blind rage and vengeance to turn himself in much to Mikey's and Peh's disapproval. You didn't like the idea much either,but better he realizes the consequences of his actions than run from them like a coward.

Your group ran with a bitter taste in your mouths,unable to savor the victory of gaining more men in Toman. The next guy down was Takemichi and you were quick to run to retrieve his now unconscious body with Mikey following right behind. Today went from 0 to 100 way too fast for you to catch it and you wish you could have to stop the shit storm that would soon take form...

What was the point of celebrating if there was gonna be a divide in the group behind Pah's choice to turn himself in over keeping the gang together?

Notes

Jinbei- A traditional set of Japanese clothing worn by men, women, and children during the summer. It consists of a jacket like top with a rope to tie it closed and slits along the sleeves for ventilation as well as matching shorts or pants based on preference. They're usually worn for summer festivals like the festival they had the night of the Moebius v Toman brawl on August 3rd. It's the outfit that Mikey was wearing and it's traditionally paired with geta sandals. They can also be worn as pajamas.

Murder walking- If anyone is familiar with the Tumblr post, this is basically a reference to that. Walk like you've been sent to murder Captain America is the walk that the reader can usually be seen doing beside Mikey. They're feral just like us.

#manjiro sano #manjiro sano x reader #gremlin duo #ken ryuguji #draken #mikey tokyo revengers #tok rev #tokyo revengers #tokyo rev

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tomorrowusa · 7 months

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There is a lot of emphasis in the news media on Biden's age while almost nothing about Trump's fitness. This needs to change and we should be more active about holding news organizations to account.

In a four day period in September, the cable news stations mentioned Biden’s age 193 times while Trump’s age was mentioned just 56 times. (MediaMatters.org on September 29, 2023.) After this one sided coverage, these same media outlets then polled the voters about Biden’s age and found (surprise!) that voters are more concerned about Biden’s age than Trump’s age. It’s garbage in and garbage out.

There's just a 3.5 year difference between Biden and Trump. But Trump is not the fitter of the two. Being an epic blowhard and blabbermouth is not a measure of fitness.

After Biden concluded his debt ceiling deal with McCarthy in June, the extremist so-called House “Freedom” Caucus members complained that Biden “outsmarted” McCarthy in the negotiations. The House GOP’s most extreme members hate Biden and have zero incentive to tell the truth about Biden’s good state of health.

So even the most extreme Republicans had to admit that they were outfoxed by Biden.

On October 2, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) took to the floor of the House to denounce the deal that funded the government for forty five days Gaetz said: “It is going to be difficult for my Republican friends to keep calling President Biden feeble while he continues to take Speaker McCarthy’s lunch money in every negotiation.”

As for Trump's health, mental health in particular, the evidence of his debility is on full display.

Meanwhile, the mainstream press has largely ignored and downplayed Trump’s declining mental condition and increasing tendency to threaten violence. Probably the only mainstream media piece that accurately described the respective health of Biden and Trump was in the New York Times on June 4, 2023. The pertinent excerpts are as follows: “While in office, Mr. Trump generated concerns about his mental acuity and physical condition. He did not exercise, his diet leaned heavily on cheeseburgers and steak and he officially tipped the scales at 244 pounds, a weight formally deemed obese for his height. After complaining that he was overscheduled with morning meetings, Mr. Trump stopped showing up at the Oval Office until 11 or 11:30 a.m. each day, staying in the residence to watch television, make phone calls or send out incendiary tweets. During an appearance at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he had trouble lifting a glass of water and seemed to have trouble making his way down a modest ramp. Most striking was Mr. Trump’s cognitive performance. He was erratic and tended to ramble; experts have found that he had grown less articulate and that his vocabulary had shrunk since his younger days. Aides said privately that Mr. Trump had trouble processing information and distinguishing fact from fiction. His second chief of staff, John F. Kelly, bought a book analyzing Mr. Trump’s psychological health to understand him better, and several cabinet secretaries concerned that he might be mentally unfit discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him.”

He's gotten worse rather than better since leaving office.

These aren’t isolated statements. The highlights (or lowlights) of Trump’s deteriorating condition are as follows. Trump forgot who is currently president, and claimed “the Obama administration” recorded the length of his “border wall.” He even claimed **Jeb Bush** invaded Afghanistan and Iraq! Trump appeared confused when he said Jeb Bush was president during the Iraq War. “You know he was a mili — he got us into the, uh, he got us into the Middle East … Right?” In September, Trump mixed up Biden and Obama, and claimed Biden might start World War TWO. Trump even said you need a government photo ID to buy a loaf of bread. At the same time, Trump’s remarks have taken a dark turn and he has repeatedly threatened violence. Trump suggested that General Mark Milley should be executed. If anybody else had said that, they would be getting a visit from the FBI. The fact that this isn’t being treated as major front-page news is astonishing to me.

Trump makes threats to media moguls and they go easy on reporting his delirium.

The run away front runner for the GOP presidential nomination said Comcast, the owner of NBC and MSNBC, “should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason’” and promised to do so should he be re-elected president next year. Why does the press continue to cover up Trump’s poor health when he has promised to go after them? How can they be so stupid? It’s pretty wild that, of the two leading presidential candidates, the guy found liable for rape and who is facing ninety one criminal indictments isn’t the one who is facing calls to step aside for someone else to run. The mainstream media has lost all sense of scale and proportion. The media fixation with Biden as opposed to this clearly impaired guy is journalistic malpractice.

Psychologist Mary Trump, Donald's niece, called her uncle a "dangerous presence" on Australia's ABC earlier this year. She also said he was essentially "an insecure little boy who seeks attention".

youtube

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Ask your news providers why they are seldom mentioning Trump's mental health in their coverage. They should not be normalizing his threats against people and his bizarre erratic comments.

#donald trump #trump's deteriorating mental health #trump is unfit for office #mary trump #republicans #2024 gop presidential nomination #election 2024

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landoom · 15 days

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Just a little thing for all those who are criticising Lando, McLaren and their fans about the Trump thing.

I won't talk again about the fact that the responsability lies with the FIA more than with the team or the drivers.

It's more about how you judge someone.

We all have principles, things that we value above others.

But not everyone puts those principale above EVERYTHING. Either because we can't or because we won't.

By reading some comments, it's like tumblr and twitter are full of saints, able to put those principles and beliefs above eveyrthing else at all the time so easily.

Strangely, in real life, I haven't met that many people able to do that. Because more often than not, real life make it difficult. Because we don't always have the choice, because we might get in trouble or just because we're a bit lazy.

I'm tired of people feeling like they can criticise any person that is not sharing their values at all time.

We are all different. We all have differents principles and values. We all have different things going on that can makes those principles and values easier or harder to defend.

Yes, a large majority of the world think Trump is a bad guy. Yes, McLaren and Lando choose not to oppose him today for reasons that we might guess (politics, pressure from the FIA, a bit of ignorance perhaps, giddiness after a win...).

And what? If we decide to keep supporting them, we deserve to be insulted? Ok. But then the next time you buy from a brand that support a war somewhere or the next time you stay silent when your boss makes a misogynist joke or when you enjoy a film with an actor that supports Trump or gives money to the NRA, are we allowed to insult you too?

Nobody is a saint. Nobody!

So yes, we can acknowledge that Trump shouldn't have been there, that McLaren welcoming him was not a good thing. And then we can stop there.

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antifainternational · 2 years

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Republicans will be all like "save the children" but then turn a blind eye to the horrific abuse of children in ICE custody and throw their own LGBT children to the wolves by kicking them out to the Streets. 🐸☕

(content warning for discussion of child sexual abuse)

If right-wingers were actually concerned about saving children from sexual abuse, they'd be focusing their efforts on where most children are being sexually abused. The trouble for them is that the same institutions they actively participate in and/or support (e.g. their fellow right-wing extremists, the Southern Baptist Convention, CPB/ICE, the Catholic Church, Donald Trump, etc.) are regularly accused of the worst examples of systematic child sexual abuse, with the accusations coming from actual people making credible allegations, usually backed by substantive evidence. There are media reports from well-respected outlets; publicly-accessible court documents and hearing transcripts; and public statement made by some of the victims that anyone could find to verify the claims with just a little effort. But right-wingers don't actually care about child sexual abuse. They don't raise money for counselling and therapy for survivors of child sexual abuse (and as politicians they often block access or prevent funding for therapy for survivors). They don't support NGOs that do credible work fighting human trafficking. They actively work against providing the kinds of supports that are the most effective at preventing children from being sexually exploited to begin with. What they do instead is use terms like "groomers" and "paedophiles" to tar-and-feather any outgroup they want to portray as "the baddies" in an effort to rally their troops to attack a scapegoat - both to distract people from the actual problem and what could be done about it and to build their followings and encourage violence against those outgroups. Currently it's trans people that are being subjected to this abuse; previously it was Muslims, then LGBTQ+ people before them, and so on. We're not saying that child sexual abuse is not horrific and that the problem does not have to be addressed, obviously. But the way the right accuses any group they're currently scapegoating as "groomers" allows the institutions the right supports that are currently and have historically engaged in the systemic sexual abuse of children to get away with it and even continue the abuse and shelter abusers without accountability. It also does real harm to legitimate organizations doing legitimate work combatting child sex trafficking because it takes resources away from them and diminishes the credibility of the movement as a whole. It's a cynical weaponization of child sexual abuse to gain political points against the perceived "enemy du jour" for the far right. It is especially ironic that people holding this viewpoint would then use it to justify ostracizing and rendering their own LGBTQ+ children homeless, since doing so makes their own children extremely vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. That's a long way to say that the right-wingers are disgusting hypocrites, but there you go!

#antifa #save the children #antifascist #child sex abuse #antifascism #groomers #grooming

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qqueenofhades · 2 years

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please please please tell me all your thoughts about the Alex jones trial, it is literally so funny

Welp, I'm not sure that "funny" is quite the word I would use, since it's obviously happening since he viciously lied about a school shooting for years, sent his insane followers to attack and harass grieving families, and made up to $800,000 a day from his weaponized lies. But yes, it is absolutely peak schadenfreude to see Ye Olde Karma Bus (in the form of the Texas judicial system, WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THAT COMING?) run that slimy bastard into the ground, back up, and then run him over again. He was just ordered to pay an additional $45 million in punitive damages today, after the original order for $4 million in compensatory damages, bringing the bill for two families to almost $50 million. And there are at LEAST two more trials awaiting, including one in Connecticut. Oh please oh please take it all.

Anyway, he's clearly and literally incapable of not lying at all times, and getting himself into even more trouble as a result, such as when the prosecutor asked if he had been mocking the judge in his trial on his show while said trial was going on, the asshat insisted that he hadn't, and bingo whammo hey presto, the prosecutor presented a clip from his show, wherein there was a photoshopped image of the judge on fire. I repeat, the judge currently presiding over his trial at that exact moment. Some people might think this wasn't a very smart move, but hey, we can't all be Alex Jones, Master of the Universe.

Of course, nothing will ever be more satisfying than Alex Jones' lawyer, who clearly hates Alex Jones even more than most sane people hate Alex Jones, "accidentally" sending the ENTIRE contents of Alex Jones' cell phone to the Sandy Hook families' lawyer. Not only that, but not bothering to assert attorney-client privilege or trying to get them back or filing to make them impermissible as evidence. So Alex Jones then had to read his OWN texts in court, which he didn't know the prosecution had, after they waited 12 DAYS to spring this trap and just sat there and let him dig a giant hole of perjury first. Whoops. Not to mention, the January 6 committee immediately said "hey, we want those texts," and subpoenaed them, since Alex Jones was deeply involved in the planning of the attempted Trump coup and his texts have the potential to be VERY, VERY ILLUMINATING. And of course, the Sandy Hook lawyer immediately said, "Yes, PLEASE ASK ME FOR THESE, I will absolutely give them to you."

Anyway, the combined damages of nearly $50 million are close to the absolute maximum that can be imposed under Texas law, which means that the jury hated Alex Jones and they clobbered him with everything they could legally force him to cough up. Of course, he's tried to protect his assets/InfoWars media empire with bogus bankruptcy filings and other shady financial maneuvers, but then (see: total idiot who can't keep his mouth shut even in his own defense), he literally ANNOUNCED TO EVERYONE that that was what he was doing with said filing, which methinks makes it harder to stand up in court and/or liable to be rejected as a false statement and get him into even deeper legal doo-doo. AGAIN. Admittedly, I am not a lawyer. But money and power is the only consequence that these vindictive, vicious morons understand, and I am 1000% for them realizing that it's not so fun to discover that, as the Sandy Hook lawyer again put it, "speech is free, but you have to pay for your lies."

In conclusion, every right-wing loudmouth hatemonger is sweating bullets and crying foul, because oh boy do they not want to be dragged to court for $50 million and counting, and fuck Alex Jones.

#anonymous #ask #fuck around and find out!

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