Nuadaargetlamh - Nazi Punks Fuck Off

"Terrorism and Communism" by Leon Trotsky is book published in 1920 as a reply to Karl Kautsky and others who had criticized the Bolshevik use of political terror, compulsory labor, and other tactics. It is a defense of the use of revolutionary violence by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. Trotsky argues that in the struggle to build a socialist state, the use of force and even terror is justified to protect the revolution against its enemies, both internal and external. He critiques those who condemn Bolshevik methods, claiming that the harsh measures are necessary to ensure the survival and success of the workers' government. The book contrasts the violent methods of the bourgeoisie, which Trotsky argues are used to oppress, with the revolutionary violence of the proletariat, which he believes is used to liberate and create a just society.

I think something that's not clicking for a lot of people on the left with the whole "Tampon Tim" thing (beyond general misogyny and transphobia) is that in conservative areas, there can actually be a pretty huge stigma on tampons vs pads

At least some areas where I grew up in the South, there were even some parents that would outright refuse to let their daughters use tampons (especially in middle school/junior high)

I remember going to the pool and seeing some girls just uncomfortably sitting off to the side, because they were on their period and were only allowed pads. Then in general, there were times people would offer each other products during an emergency, with some girls apologizing and awkwardly refusing tampons even when that was the only thing available, or girls apologizing they couldn't offer any tampons because they weren't allowed to have them

Even though for the most part there is a logical acknowledgement that it's just a hygiene product, there's still the general phrase I'd hear of "Nothing should go up there until marriage"

Then even beyond that, periods in general were seen as something personal and embarrassing that you were supposed to hide however you could (and this is still true in most places). Even a married man with children could get mocked for buying his wife any period products

With all of this, Tim Walz crossed multiple lines by specifically and publicly making period products available - especially tampons, especially in middle schools, and especially in boys' bathrooms. Boys (and people in general) shouldn't have to be aware of periods, and especially not something as morally questionable as a tampon.

So yeah. For some people "Tampon Tim" really is a deeply cutting and uncomfortable insult, to associate him with something (seen as) disgusting and borderline immoral that no one should ever be associated with.

The thing is... Israel admitted to this from the very beginning.

They said the confessions were obtained through 'interrogation' in the Shin Bet aka torture (Shin Bet is where they like to torture Palestinian prisoners for intel) so every country that cut funding to the UNRWA knew from the beginning that Israel was using false forced statements.

The famine in Gaza is partly due to this. Never forget that.

hot take but the tendency many people have to equate their contemporary social/political movement of choice to like the civil rights movement or antifascist movements of the 1930s and 40s or whatever in order to derive moral superiority is more often than not driven by ignorance and narcissism than anything else

Trying to mostly stay away from politics on this blog, but today there’s something I just need to say.

Kamala Harris just defied DECADES of inside-the-Beltway “wisdom” by picking Walz as her running mate instead of Shapiro. The gray-hairs were probably all telling her she had to go with Shapiro to court the independents. Instead of picking the moderate, staunchly pro-Israel guy, she went with a full-on progressive with a strong LGBTQ+, pro-choice, pro-union record.

She’s making a leap of faith here. She’s betting that progressives, young people, and marginalized people will show up for her if she shows that she’s listening. As someone who lived through several decades when progressives didn’t have a voice even in the Democratic party, I can’t begin to tell you how huge this is.

In the coming months, you will no doubt read/hear things about Harris or Walz that you won’t like. Some of it may even be true. There may well already be things you don’t like about her.

Unfortunately, the choice isn’t between a perfect candidate and an imperfect candidate. The choice is between an imperfect candidate and possibly the most disgusting man on the planet, a guy who isn’t even trying to hide his plans to destroy the US. If Palestine is your #1 issue, know that he will do everything he can to pour gas on the flames until there’s nothing left.

Harris made the choice to listen to progressive voices. If she loses because we didn’t show up for her in huge numbers, we’ll likely be wandering in the wilderness for decades more while the planet burns around us.

(Oh, and we’ll need to show up again in ‘26. Let’s not make the same mistake we made in 2010, when the left stayed home after electing Obama and Republicans won big everywhere, which led to the extreme gerrymandering we’re still dealing with in many states.)

This whole Kamala Harris debacle has shown me how many leftist talking points are coming from privileged people whose only connection to politics is the (usually surface level) theory they’ve looked up.