Artemis

I'm a bisexual anti-capitalist, artist, & aspiring propagandist. We're not free until we're *all* free.

Guillermo del Toro fan account. Anarchist pep-talks are provided free of charge. Solidarity forever!

Profile pic & banner are images of GI Robot from Creature Commandos

#nobot

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Last Notes

2026-05-12 18:28:27 CEST

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I've been holding onto a fear about how other people perceive me that doesn't fit with how I am inclined to think, feel, & exist in the world.
I was not inclined to "fit in". I was inclined to dress up in all kinds of different outfits that were fun to me, & sometimes spoke like I was in a freaking Jane Austen novel. That was how I was inclined to be, & it didn't actually bother me that much that other people might find that strange. Other people aren't me. They don't get a say in that.

2026-05-10 20:46:28 CEST

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Seriously, thank you for bringing the light in, thank you for bringing your truth, your experience, & even your pain.
It means everything to me to be able to share this with others.

2026-05-05 14:46:38 CEST

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@nprofile…mdr6
*returns handshake*
Couldn't live without it.

2026-05-05 14:45:56 CEST

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This desk didn't see much use in the first 6 months or so that I had it. I started to feel really guilty for purchasing it & taking up space "for not reason", but when art supplies for Christmas gave me the itch to create, it was ready & waiting for me.
That's when I found out how much easier it can be to create things when you have dedicated space for it. I don't make stuff every day, but the space is already there, ready & waiting.

2026-05-05 14:40:05 CEST

Just emptied my ancient makeup out of the pink organizer on the right there, which allowed me to make a little more space on the desk. It is not usually this tidy of a space (believe it or not), & it will soon reclutter itself.
If you want to create art, I highly recommend making a permanent place to do it where you don't have to worry about mess, if you can (I know not everyone has the room to spare).
Having this space makes it possible for me to create whenever I feel like it.
#MakingArt
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/116/522/012/147/955/583/original/c7ae2ebd7a559099.jpg

2026-05-01 22:17:51 CEST

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WHY everyone is so fucking convinced that the IR wants to start a war with the entire world is another question, but that has always been the assumption: "they will attack, then we will crush them."
Frankly, it seems like they just thought the leadership of the IR was stupid. Like, really, unbelievably, cartoonishly stupid.
And by "they" I don't mean the Trump admin. I mean all of the politicians who have been thirsting for Iranian blood since before I was born.

2026-05-01 22:13:24 CEST

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Spouse says that US military strategy with regard to their bases in the region has always been predicated on the idea Iran would strike first, at which point, the whole "Western" world would (presumably) agree to help fuck them up.
Everything fucking changes when the US starts it unprovoked.
They've been more or less daring Iran to try to attack them there, SO THAT they could turn around & crush them.
The IR just didn't fall for such a silly & obvious trap.

2026-05-01 22:10:07 CEST

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Then the US & Israel, headed up by 2 incredibly unpopular world leaders handily provided them with every justification in the world to rain down hell onto US facilities in the region, & they did.
Some targets the IRGC chose might not be considered justified, but anything US military? No one can fucking say a word about that. The US started an aggressive war with them out of nowhere.
Had the US not done that, they *never* could have gotten away with destroying so many US military assets.

2026-04-28 21:20:58 CEST

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It sucks to feel so unwell that you want to hold your head & howl from the absolutely unbearable overstimulation while trying to behave as though everything is perfectly fine because otherwise you'll be "ruining" everyone's fun.
Yeah...this definitely started in childhood. It is unacceptable, I seem to feel, to have mental, emotional, & sensory needs that might limit or cut short another person's enjoyment of something.

2026-04-24 19:43:29 CEST

We're watching Ken Burns's Vietnam War documentary, which is titled "The Vietnam War." Each episode therefore starts with "Support for the Vietnam War was provided by... [list of donors]."
Can I just say...PHRASING!

2026-04-24 18:04:51 CEST

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@nprofile…gnqe
I don't think I had realized you are an author! (Though *now* I see the book listed on your profile). I really appreciate your perspectives, so I may need to check that out.
What is the memoir?

2026-04-24 17:46:43 CEST

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@nprofile…gnqe
I have such mixed feelings about things like this.
I think it is fighting for change *within* these organizations eventually leads people to become disillusioned & begin to think about NOT participating in religions which dehumanize them.
But you can't make patriarchy woman-friendly, so the effort itself is a fool's mission.
Still, a lot of people have to learn that real reform isn't happening before they can even contemplate letting go.

2026-04-23 21:44:11 CEST

It's amazing that we keep getting "TACO Tuesdays" because Trump always gives 2 weeks. If he'd make it 10 days just ONCE, it wouldn't be TACO Tuesday anymore. Yet he persists.

2026-04-23 14:49:00 CEST

Whenever this blockade ends & these sailors & Marines are no longer under a communications blackout, the stories are going to be ridiculous.

2026-04-22 21:50:40 CEST

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It's also a desperate attempt to try to convince everyone they are mad at Republicans & ONLY Republicans.
Get outta here with that shit. We're not buying it, & that's why some people right now literally say they trust Iranian propaganda more than they trust you fuckers.

2026-04-22 20:36:13 CEST

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Personally I think the real challenge for politicians in 2028 is to convince anyone to imagine that the government serves anyone but the uber wealthy.
Nothing would be worse news for the Democratic Party than if they sweep the midterms. If they sweep the midterms & then continue to enrich the wealthy at the cost of the rest of us while doing nothing about corruption & rich people crimes, I think that's what destroys the last semblance of legitimacy for the whole thing.

2026-04-22 20:29:42 CEST

This is just speculation, but here's one theory for US politics 2026-2028.
In November this year, Dems sweep national elections, getting a majority in both houses of Congress.
Democrats do nothing that helps anyone.
At some point Trump dies & JD Vance serves a partial term.
Both parties hold presidential primaries with "reformers"/"populists" facing off against the representatives of moneyed interests.

2026-04-22 20:29:42 CEST

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Due to payoffs, bribes, & corruption, the representatives of moneyed interests win in both primaries, & then in November 2028, the US has the lowest fucking voter turnout ever seen as the government fails to legitimize itself & becomes *widely* recognized as a prop used by the wealthy while they steal your stuff & kick you in the teeth.
Just a theory.

2026-04-22 20:15:36 CEST

I'm complaining about what's not on the news, but it's not there because the Revolution will not be televised.
There is shit happening in this country, moods shifting, allegiances changing, & none of this is happening in "the news".
It's very hard to get a gauge of what's actually going on but I think we see it & feel it. The capitalists are losing their grip on people's minds.
I don't mean everyone is enlightened now, but some mechanisms of manipulation & control just aren't functioning.

2026-04-22 19:20:30 CEST

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@nprofile…jzyc
>I have never seen a national mood like this in the US, ever, and of course it's taboo to discuss on the vry srs nooz.
THIS.
It's really hard to get a good sense of general public attitudes when the news doesn't want to talk about it, but... a very large number of Americans are fully cheering for the US to lose this conflict. It's WILD.

2026-04-22 16:59:03 CEST

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CNN didn't present it that way obviously.
CNN said top Trump aides told them that the reason there isn't another round of talks is that the IR is too disorganized & that MUST be why.
That could just be the line they are going with, not what they actually think, but I'm getting the impression that these people are legitimately incapable of understanding the motivations & perceptions of people who are different from them & are therefore unable to grasp the basics of the situation they are in.

2026-04-22 16:07:41 CEST

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When JD Vance walked into those talks, did he expect it to go well for him? Or did he know when he got there that he was showing up to just flop around like a dying fish for a bit?

2026-04-22 16:05:41 CEST

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I can't help it.
I can't help wondering if they even UNDERSTAND what it looks like to send JD "yes, Daddy" Vance to "negotiate" without *any* authority to make *any* decisions whatsoever.
Was it the only thing they could think of to do, was it a distraction/buying time, or did they *actually* think it would work out for them? And if they did think that...WHY did they think that?
That's what boggles my mind about these people sometimes: why did they think x was a good idea when they did it?

2026-04-22 15:59:59 CEST

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My spouse is surprised by my newfound interest in geopolitics but it's another area where I can just be absolutely mystified by the choices made by the Trump administration. I just can't seem to avoid asking "WHAT THE FUCK DO THEY EVEN THINK THEY ARE DOING?"

2026-04-22 15:17:32 CEST

I assume instead of consulting experts on Iranian issues, the Trump admin is just asking ChatGPT to explain Iran to them.

2026-04-22 14:31:39 CEST

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Like...if I'm wrong about this, it would be nice to know too.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the IRGC didn't effectively fuck up the US's military infrastructure in the region.
But the only way I could *know* that is if someone would actually look into it.
I can't tell you what the situation is...it just doesn't seem like good news for the US that they aren't talking about it.
We know Iranian missiles hit US facilities across the region. What was the result?

2026-04-22 14:27:53 CEST

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This is what media capture looks like.
It's not all glowing praise of the regime:
It's questions that aren't being asked.

2026-04-22 14:23:25 CEST

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They won't fucking talk about what's actually going on. I do not believe some of the maximalist claims coming from the IRGC ("we completely obliterated xyz" type things), but I strongly suspect that US military infrastructure in the Gulf region is *badly* fucked up.
It's hard to get any information on that however.
If only some people whose jobs are to acquire & disseminate accurate & relevant information would do me a favor....

2026-04-22 14:19:16 CEST

If there were real journalists speaking with the Trump administration they would be asking about the US bases in the Gulf region.
What is the status of the Navy supply hub in Manama, Bahrain? What about the air bases in the region? What is the status of US military infrastructure in & around the Persian Gulf generally?
These "journalists" are treating this war like a celebrity feud. I don't CARE what Trump wrote on Truth Social. What is happening with the war?

2026-04-21 21:09:43 CEST

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It's not like this only happens to me with allistic people. It happens with autistic folks too, but I still have the impression it happens *to* some autistic people fairly frequently.
There is a lot of stuff that isn't necessarily easy just because it's happening in communication between autistic people. It's usually much easier, but it's not magical. Points of miscommunication or hurt feelings happen.

2026-04-21 16:00:37 CEST

Reportedly, negotiators for the Islamic Republic were shocked & confused when JD Vance suggested giving the US a cut of the fees for ships transiting the Strait.
They're like..."we've talked about cutting Oman in because they are literally the other side of the Strait but why tf would you guys be involved?"

2026-04-21 15:52:12 CEST

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Liberal democracy didn't "fail". It succeeded in creating extremely uneven economic circumstances where wealth constantly flows upward. As intended.
However, that situation can't remain stable forever. They succeeded, & THAT is why it's falling apart now.

2026-04-20 21:48:22 CEST

The Trump admin seems to be pretending that there are plans for further negotiations with the Islamic Republic in Islamabad this week, & I almost don't know what to make of that.
The more they lie, the less likely the IR is to seriously attempt a negotiation, yet they appear to be lying about the negotiations themselves.
They seem to just want to be seen as doing *something* about the situation when in reality, they are doing nothing.

2026-04-20 20:03:56 CEST

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Centering the discussion of the Islamic Republic's oppression on religious issues allows one to sidestep a whole host of important questions about privilege, wealth, & class.
Convenient, ain't it?

2026-04-20 20:00:34 CEST

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Medea Benjamin is as much a "leftist" as I am a martial artist.
She writes a book on "modern Iran" & can't be bothered* to seriously discuss rural/urban divides, wealth inequality, vectors of marginalization, & class dynamics?
Fuck all the way off.
*Note: "can't be bothered" might be more accurately stated as "deliberately avoids".

2026-04-20 15:56:57 CEST

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Discussions of US military might focus on the cool "toys", the planes, & guns, & missiles. They don't focus on supply lines & regional access.
Movies & TV promoting the US's impressive power don't show you *how* it works or why they *need* to be able to access bases around the globe.
That shit is boring, unglamorous, & unimpressive. They (the defense contractors really calling the shots) want you focused on their expensive tech (but don't think too hard about how hard it is to replace).

2026-04-20 15:47:54 CEST

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I always pictured the US military being able to operate without difficulty anywhere in the world. That's *sort of* been true for a long time, but it isn't a given & depends on factors not actually entirely within the US's control.
My spouse's perspective as a former Navy sailor have helped me see how this works as he is quite knowledgeable about the US military's global presence & how & where military operations are conducted from a logistical standpoint.

2026-04-20 15:47:54 CEST

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I didn't actually know or understand this until this war started, so thanks to Trump for the education I guess, but once you think about it, it makes sense.
Logistically, it's really fucking difficult to resupply & refuel without access to local resources.
And while the US has some refueling jets, that's risk-prone, as evidenced by the fact that Iran was shooting them down.

2026-04-20 15:40:24 CEST

US military might depends heavily on having access to bases around the world.
If the US were limited to a military presence in its own territories it would face significant logistical difficulties in conducting wars far away from it.
That is: if other countries don't let US jets fuel & take off from their runways & resupply their ships in their ports, the US would have to stay close enough to home to refuel & resupply.

2026-04-20 15:30:05 CEST

There is a YouTuber I like (Knitting Cult Lady) but have had to stop watching her videos lately because—I don't care what she says—she has not actually dealt with her cult programming from her days as a captain in the US military (intelligence officer).
There is something about how she talks about the US military...she knows it's a cult, but some part of her seems to still really, really believe the hype, & I find it kind of disturbing.
Still reading her book The Culting of America though.

2026-04-20 14:28:17 CEST

There should (imo) probably be more reporting on how—since the war with Iran began—the US Navy has been cut off from their main logistical supply hub in the region (Bahrain, INSIDE the Persian Gulf).
I think that's actually a significant problem for the US military right now, so why tf ain't the media talking about it?

2026-04-19 22:07:49 CEST

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Dabashi suggests social revolution has to happen first: "Voluntary associations standing in between the ruling states & the atomized individuals are the only way a measure of self-governance might be procured. Independent labor unions, grassroots women's rights organizations, & nationwide student assemblies: these are what I propose to be the solution." (pp. 55-56)
I'm certainly interested to see where this is going.

2026-04-19 22:07:49 CEST

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Iran has flipped between dynasties & regimes several times since its emergence as what might be understood as a modern state, & yet in that time, the forces that have repeatedly driven its people to acts of resistance have remained: severe wealth inequality, control over women's bodies, religious control (both imposing religion & forcibly opposing it), ethnic discrimination, etc.

2026-04-16 17:47:36 CEST

I've mentioned that I believe this book to be propaganda for the Iranian regime both based on what I have read & looking up the author, Medea Benjamin.
But how could that be? She discusses the many human rights violations of the Islamic Republic! How could that be pro-regime propaganda?
Here's the thing: these "discussions" are actually set up to be thought-terminating. She explains a type of abuse, says human rights activists within the country are trying to improve the situation & moves on.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/116/415/165/613/046/494/original/e2a4a38611318bee.jpg

2026-04-15 22:10:37 CEST

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So yeah, fellow USians, if Iran does come here in June for the World Cup (unfucking-believable that FIFA won't move their matches), let's figure out how to give them the best fucking welcome imaginable.

2026-04-15 22:01:51 CEST

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Everyone loves an underdog.

2026-04-15 21:57:12 CEST

On the one hand, I do not think it is safe for any non-US players to come to World Cup games in the US, & especially not Iranians, & FIFA should fucking move the games to a safe location.
On the other hand, we'll see where things are in June, but it's possible we could see an American crowd cheering extremely enthusiastically for the Iranian football team, which would be a pretty funny humiliation for the Trump admin.
https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/48495900/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-iran-play-world-cup-usa

2026-04-15 16:40:08 CEST

You know what's fucking weird to me?
Listening to US political analysts talking about geopolitical situations & assuming that whatever comes out "best" for the US is the "good" outcome.
I have literally never understood this assumption. Not even in my right-wing days. Not even when I was a child.
Even if you don't think it's an evil empire, there is nothing magical about the US that makes everything that is "good" (for some value of good) for it, "good" for the world.

2026-04-15 14:35:36 CEST

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@nprofile…sgzh
Yeah, a good deal of my confusion at MAGA Christians is that they are people I most likely would not have considered Christian at all back when I was one.
Their religion is not recognizably Christian to me as I understood it when I was standing inside of it.
I don't make that "fake Christian" designation now because I don't have an opinion about what makes a "true Christian" since I no longer believe in the religion. But they remain puzzling to me as a formerly devout person.

2026-04-14 13:52:04 CEST

Prisons don't exist to prevent crime. Crime is created to fill prisons.

2026-04-13 19:50:06 CEST

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Also of note: Benjamin states that Iran could *never* be a military threat to the US & will *never* be a global superpower.
She offers no significant evidence & makes no thought-out argument as to why & then goes on to ask why anyone would be concerned about what "Iran" is up to (and curiously, it is "Iran" & not the Islamic Republic she refers to) since it is no threat to the US.
Cheap-ass, lazy propaganda.
#RecognizingPropaganda

2026-04-13 16:15:08 CEST

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You can hate the US Empire without backing dictatorial regimes elsewhere.
Power to the people. ALL power to ALL the people.
No power for oligarchs from ANYWHERE.

2026-04-13 16:10:18 CEST

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I don't think THIS specific book is probably too dangerous for lefties, but there is another book I'm going to be looking at by Medea Benjamin, & I think I may be able to get into what the dangers are for those of us in leftist spaces who are targeted by foreign propaganda from countries like China & Iran.
Hating the US Empire is totally reasonable. That doesn't mean that you can trust everyone pushing anti-America narratives. I'd hope it would be obvious, but I think there is real danger here.

2026-04-13 16:01:31 CEST

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First tip for recognizing propaganda: before reading something that is supposedly factually informative about a topic you know little about—like a geopolitical situation you're not informed on—start by searching the person's name & see what else they've written & where they have worked.
If you're going to read a book on Iran by Daniel Kovalik & when you search him, you see he writes for RT & has defended Russia's invasion of Ukraine, you know you're in for some bullshit.
#RecognizingPropaganda

2026-04-13 15:53:05 CEST

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But I'm dipping my toe into the real shit. The shit where they DON'T want you to know what they are doing.
And this is scary nasty stuff.
So hopefully I will be able to share some insights & knowledge while I work through it.

2026-04-13 15:53:05 CEST

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I call what I do "propaganda" because I don't actually want to deceive anyone about what I am doing.
I *am* trying to appeal to you emotionally. I *am* trying to shape how you see the world. I *am* trying to encourage you to take action.
I don't fucking lie. I don't obfuscate the truth. But I will use every persuasive tool I can use *honestly* convince people to see what I see. No shame in it.

2026-04-13 15:48:58 CEST

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My bio describes me as an "aspiring propagandist" because I do consider some of what I do "propaganda". I try to provide compelling & persuasive narratives that convince people to think & act in certain ways. I am trying to reach people emotionally & use every tool I have to persuade them
I just happen to also be committed to not persuading anyone of anything I don't sincerely believe myself, & I try to continually educate myself & think carefully to be sure I'm not leading anyone astray.

2026-04-13 15:33:19 CEST

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A lot of the bullshit I learned growing up was basically white supremacist propaganda wrapped up in apparent intellectualism & purporting to tell the "real truth" about certain things, & my parents fell for it.
They've apologized since. They did not realize they were listening to charlatans.
That's why I'm fucking wary.

2026-04-13 15:33:19 CEST

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It's easy to fall for some of this shit because they will point to real truths about the ill-intentions of certain parties, & if you're not paying close attention you won't notice the inconvenient truths they are skipping.
It's not hard to prove that the US government loves fucking with foreign countries, including Iran, & that it needs to fucking stop. That's the true part.
But that has fuck all to do with whether the civil rights of the citizens of the Islamic Republic are protected.

2026-04-13 15:26:55 CEST

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I don't think I am going to enjoy what I learn about the world as I go through this journey of examining & learning about propaganda & how it is created & circulated.
Lots of pseudo-intellectuals peddling bullshit to people who were never taught how to be critical readers. It looks good at first. It seems to make sense.
And then Noam Chomsky stamps his name on it, & there you go: obviously it's legit.

2026-04-13 15:24:16 CEST

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I've never really dipped my toe into the faux-intellectual propaganda space before, but I think I'm about to learn how many "trusted names" promote obvious propaganda. If I follow the web of Daniel Kovalik's many obvious works of propaganda, I find plenty of other people playing the role of "public intellectuals" while whitewashing the crimes of whichever governments have presumably paid, bribed, or otherwise convinced them to do so.

2026-04-13 14:01:17 CEST

Supposedly the US will start their "blockade" of the Strait today. Let's see how it goes & how long it lasts.
Time for an enormous game of "chicken".
I'm so tired.

2026-04-13 02:55:22 CEST

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But seriously, y'all, it's time to stop laughing about those videos.
I think they are a cognito-hazard & should be treated with caution.
They are powerfully effective. They also contain a lot of shit you probably shouldn't get comfortable dancing along to. They promote a very appealing but false narrative about the Islamic Republic of Iran & exploit your sympathies with the Iranian people & your anger at American/Israeli corruption & violence to get you cheering for war & destruction.

2026-04-13 02:26:47 CEST

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Lying all the time serves a lot of purposes for them, but American citizens right now are laughing & dancing to propaganda funded by the Iranian government and saying they *trust them more* than their own government, so I think maybe that strategy isn't working out so well in this case.
The Islamic Republic is able to capitalize on the fact that no one anywhere trusts the Trump administration about *anything*. Being total fucking obvious liars has downsides, it turns out.

2026-04-13 02:04:11 CEST

I don't think the Trump administration ever anticipated a time when they would actually need to have *credibility*, but they need it now, & they don't have it.

2026-04-12 19:17:43 CEST

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I mean, theoretically *anything* can happen (& supposedly there is a universe in which it does), but let's not assume that there is an automatic connection between Trump's words & anything.
The Trump administration is flailing harder than they ever have before. We keep hearing a hundred different contradictory & mostly nonsensical threats a day.

2026-04-12 19:01:19 CEST

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Not everything Donald Trump says he is going to do is a thing that he can actually make happen.

2026-04-12 17:51:07 CEST

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I don't know everything. I can't speak with absolute certainty. I definitely can't predict the future.
But I think we are failing to look critically at Trump's desperate flailing. We don't have to believe things just because he said them.
He's been making nonsense threats this whole time. You know why? Because he doesn't have any real options.

2026-04-12 17:47:34 CEST

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Really? They are going to “seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran"?
How? What's the plan, here Donny? Do you want the Navy to start firing on merchant vessels? Do you think you can order people to do that?
It's possible they may put some ships outside Hormuz for a bit to try to make this look like something, but this is bullshit. It's not a plan.
Maybe I'm wrong, but Donny's been making wild & wacky threats this whole time because words are cheap.

2026-04-12 17:41:44 CEST

This is nonsense. The desperate threats of a weak man. Posting on Truth Social doesn't mean this is even a threat that makes any sense. I don't mean just that it would be a bad idea & backfire. I mean that it's not a real idea to begin with. He doesn't have the faintest idea how it would actually work.
"Trump says U.S. will blockade Strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks fail"
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/12/trump-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz.html

2026-04-12 14:43:09 CEST

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The reason I'm setting out a crash course for myself on Iranian history & culture is that I feel the only way I can *actually* sympathize with the Iranian people is if I know who they are & know enough about their government to make distinctions.
We don't see much out of Iran, because that's how the government likes it. Our government attacked them & the only image of Iran we have to work with is an exterior one. We paste our sympathy for a people onto the only representative we have for it.

2026-04-12 14:43:09 CEST

One of the problems Americans are having with figuring out how they even feel about war with the Islamic Republic of Iran is that we don't know enough about Iran to make any meaningful distinction between its autocratic government & its people whom we don't hear much from due to said autocratic government.
We feel confusion about "wait, are we cheering for Iran?" because we would rather the entirety of US military assets fell into the sea than keep watching "our" government murder people.

2026-04-12 01:28:13 CEST

Ok... What have y'all got for recommendations of books on propaganda & how it functions or historical accounts of wartime propaganda campaigns (or anything similar)?
I'm trying to analyze the Iranian Lego propaganda videos, & I could use some additional context.

2026-04-11 23:41:07 CEST

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I can't deny I am fascinated. I see why these videos reach deep down in our psyches the way they do. This is a powerful narrative. It's seductive, especially now. Who doesn't want the underdog to win? Who doesn't want to see the bully get punched?
But
We share one struggle for liberation with the *people* of Iran. Autocratic regimes can get fucked.

2026-04-11 23:21:52 CEST

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But remember, anyone can dress up as a liberator.
Revolutionary ideals can get co-opted by authoritarians to give themselves the appearance of legitimacy.
The US/Israel strike on Iran reinforces or perhaps even *fulfills* the regime's entire narrative.
The Islamic Republic is not a savior.
Link: Iran between Repression, Co-optation, and War: Three Waves of Counterrevolution
https://crimethinc.com/2026/03/19/iran-between-repression-co-optation-and-war-three-waves-of-counterrevolution

2026-04-11 23:01:01 CEST

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I don't want to get too deep into it just yet. I'd like to spend a little longer doing research to be sure I'm not just spouting BS I don't understand.
Damn there is a lot going on under the surface here.

2026-04-11 04:04:19 CEST

As I reflect on Iran's propaganda videos, I really start to see that the Islamic Republic is fighting a very different kind of war & has been for a very long time.
They see themselves as "Great Persia". Their plan is to win hearts & minds, more or less. Why be a conqueror when you can be a "liberator"? And there is a possibility they may soon be able to call themselves the Liberator of Palestine & Lebanon.

2026-04-10 19:56:12 CEST

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Everyone keeps saying the US military FAR exceed the Iranian forces in "military capabilities", but it seems to me that strategies for winning a war should be included in "military capabilities", in which case...are you SURE the US is the superior force?

2026-04-10 19:52:31 CEST

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This is NOT just the Trump admin either.
It really seems that the US Armed Forces are (and always have been) obsessed with useless metrics.

2026-04-10 18:40:17 CEST

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The history of psychiatry is so fucking gnarly. Uglier than even a lot of other colonialist institutions.
And it would be absurd to pretend all of that is in the PAST. Oh no, no, no. They do horrible things to the MOST vulnerable people there are.
So yeah, I can get the help that I need, & I deeply appreciate both my psychiatrist & my therapist, but I still remain very wary because accessing mental healthcare can be downright *dangerous*.

2026-04-10 18:40:17 CEST

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I was voluntarily hospitalized for my depression, & it was life-saving/-changing, but even by voluntarily admitting myself I lost a lot of control/dignity for that week of my life. I mean, I was fucking LOCKED IN THERE. I didn't even have shoes...just hospital socks.
So, yeah, you can imagine how bad that can go when someone is given NO choice in the matter.

2026-04-10 18:29:51 CEST

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I hate it when I see people fully discourage others from even considering psychiatric meds because my meds have given me so much more stability than I would otherwise have.
I should have gotten medical intervention for my mental health LONG before I did (I didn't start antidepressants until I was hospitalized for being suicidal).
But you can't ignore the massive harm that psychiatry as an industry/institution has done/continues to do to the most vulnerable people. What to even say?

2026-04-10 18:12:20 CEST

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I think my mixed feelings about stimulant meds for ADHD can basically be summarized thus:
- it sucks that I have to take medication that alters how my brain functions so that I can survive in a capitalist hellscape that is ableist by design
- it is awesome that I can take medication that enables me to accomplish things & participate in more activities

2026-04-10 18:01:36 CEST

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In any case, I think this med change is going to work for me for now.
I sometimes have mixed feelings about medicating ADHD, but at least it's a medication that you can choose *not* to take on any given day if you might feel inhibited from your natural self.
I frequently skip it on the weekends for that reason, but I'll probably take it tomorrow because my spouse & I want to work on the house & yard, so better energy & focus will result in a much better day for me.

2026-04-10 17:54:46 CEST

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It's hard to navigate medical care when *wanting* a treatment that helps you could be used as a reason why you shouldn't get it.

2026-04-10 17:52:59 CEST

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It's so funny because I worry about asking for higher dose ADHD meds because I could be perceived as "drug seeking", but after literally 8 years or something of seeing the same psychiatrist & usually agreeing during my check-ups "yeah, no reason to change the meds" (because for long stretches of time there isn't any reason), I doubt my psychiatrist is going to perceive me that way.
It sucks though that one of my meds is a controlled substance where people might think that you want it too much.

2026-04-10 17:52:59 CEST

I'm on a slightly higher dose of Concerta now, & it does seem to be helping with my problem where I get nothing done at work. So that's probably good.
It's not a huge change but I certainly felt it wear off more dramatically last night. Which isn't all bad. It's just a little weird to have a point in the evening where your brain suddenly switches what it even means to focus on something.
Suddenly last night I had several trains of thought going instead of one.
#ActuallyADHD

2026-04-09 18:50:15 CEST

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@nprofile…v9ae
Truman calling it a "police action" doesn't make it so.
Maybe it's just because my grandfather was conscripted, but it's utter bullshit to not call it a war. They forced people into military service for it. That's no "police action" I've ever heard of.

2026-04-09 17:08:01 CEST

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I honestly think the moral injury is intentional though in a system that thrives on violence. Coercing people to violate their conscience is a way of breaking them & getting them to accept abuse & violence as inevitable.
I dunno, that's a half-baked thought still, but I think it's a thing.

2026-04-09 17:08:00 CEST

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People are responsible for their own moral choices. I'm not denying individual responsibility.
It's just that so many people would stay home & not bother a soul if allowed real freedom of choice. How horrible is it to strong-arm people into doing grievous harm that they have no interest in doing?

2026-04-09 16:59:22 CEST

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Conscription is such a great evil. Incalculable moral injury.
Like I said, beyond "company carpenter" I have zero idea what he did or didn't do in Korea. None. I just don't know.
I do know that, if left alone, my grandpa—at the time a newly married farmer with a kid on the way—would never have gone out looking for someone to harm. He didn't even fucking hunt deer.
It is so fucking fucked up to drag people out to kill & die for you. What evil.

2026-04-09 15:51:25 CEST

Some military person in Ken Burns's Vietnam War doc:
(Paraphrasing because I watched it yesterday): "We weren't prepared for Vietnam because the last war we fought was World War 2, which required very different strategy & tactics."
Me: *spits out my drink*
Are you not going to mention KOREA, motherfucker? I know the US got itself entrenched in Vietnam at the tail end of that, but what about motherfucking Korea? My grandpa was drafted. What do you mean the last war was WW2? Then what was THAT?

2026-04-09 15:21:36 CEST

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I don't want the US to be BETTER at war. It's just astounding to see how badly mixed up the priorities are.
The Art of War is literally "War for Dummies," but maybe that's still too advanced for lil Petey Kegsbreath.

2026-04-09 14:54:30 CEST

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Hegseth says "maximum lethality." Ok, that was the Vietnam War strategy: "we'll count the corpses, & if we get a lot of corpses, that means we're winning."
Obviously that's monstrous & incentivizes indiscriminate killing, but it's also not focusing on strategically important objectives.
Also, when you are fighting a guerilla resistance, you continually create more enemy combatants. The more people you kill, the more they want to be rid of you. It's not hard to comprehend.

2026-04-09 14:48:28 CEST

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Good Lord, US military propaganda does a lot of heavy lifting. The reality is not nearly so impressive, whether we're talking about the 1960s or the 2020s.
I keep asking...both about the Trump administration & now about the Johnson administration "do any of these people know what a war IS or how you win one?"

2026-04-09 14:44:57 CEST

Spouse is showing me Ken Burns's Vietnam War documentary & I just yell in frustration every time I hear some ridiculous decision which sounds just like the Trump administration.
I've been yelling a fair bit.
Lazy, incompetent, & way overconfident white men in charge then. Same now.
Supposedly Pete Hegseth's nickname at the Pentagon is "dumb McNamara".

2026-04-08 15:52:56 CEST

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My mom (who has come a long way out of religious extremism) said something to me recently that included "of course there is such a thing as real sexual degeneracy" & I kind of recoiled & didn't ask her about it because I was scared of what she meant (was she talking about gay people? Trans people?).
After a little thought about the nature of our conversation though, I concluded that she was most likely thinking of really despicable & harmful sexual behaviors, not so much people having butt sex.

2026-04-08 15:46:36 CEST

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Right at the same time that women & queer people were more & more successfully pushing for freedom of gender expression & sexuality, there was also a serious push to further degrade & sexualize women & children.
Then out come the religious grifters who "explain" to people (especially people with children) that those are the SAME THING & to accept one is to accept the other.
It's such a con.

2026-04-08 15:39:32 CEST

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I see this as an intended effect of that effort to sexualize children.
On the one side you have Abercrombie & Fitch (for instance) using highly sexualized images of children to sell their clothes & on the other, you have a right-wing religious enclave that pulls in people who are horrified by that & culturally & politically hijacks their shock & disgust to actually further the aims & increase the power of the very people who are behind those awful things.

2026-04-08 15:39:32 CEST

I do have to admit, when you look at how the Epstein class worked to sexualize children in the past several decades, I do understand a little better why my parents went running to strict religion.
Turns out that was NOT the solution, but legitimately they weren't wrong to be horrified by some of the "worldly degeneracy" they saw.