#like YES in universe it's meant to be this gross political thing about cleaning the filth of society

[jichanxo]

some bleach for these bloody hands, some bleach for my baptism! [from june/2023]

#masato arakawa #arakawa masato #ryu ga gotoku #yakuza #like a dragon #yakuza 7 #jichanart #if the caption doesn't make it obvious this one originally had an accompanying piece of aoki with the second part of the text #but i don't like it anymore so i won't post it here #anyway i really wanted to make something bleach themed for masato because i feel like it has some cool symbolic potential #like YES in universe it's meant to be this gross political thing about cleaning the filth of society #buuuut i can hijack that and use it as a fun contrast to the blood that started him down this path #and yeah it'll clean everything so you can start from a clean slate but it'll still hurt you bro... it's still bad for you...

[embracethecringeside]

OK, here's one: do you think that there's any genuine good in Rick? I can't make up my mind about that one. I don't think he's evil or a sociopath (a lot of fans called him that in the early days, that term is so misused), but his intense self-hatred seems to be the only redeeming thing about him. He must have some sense of morality because he knows he's done horrible things, but he makes zero effort to stop doing horrible things unless it benefits him somehow.

My short answer is yes, Rick has genuine good wrapped up in there but my full answer is a bunch of examples from the show that I would like to call Soft Sanchez moments, where Rick either does something good/says something real and genuine/or his goodness is talked about in some fashion.

Meeseeks and Destroy 

Morty: Look, I want to leave now. You win the bet, okay? (Searches Rick's lab coat for the portal gun) Just give me the portal gun and let's go, please!

(Rick sees the badly beaten Mr. Jelly Bean walk out of the bathroom and pieces together what happened)

Morty: Please, I just want to... go h-home. (Tears up and holds onto Rick)

Rick: Okay. Listen, Morty. I just won a bunch of shmeckels. Why don't we use 25 of them to pay slippery stair here for a ride back to the village, and then we'll give the rest of the shmeckels to the villagers, huh?

Morty: Really?

Rick: Sure, Morty. Yeah. You know, a good adventure needs a good ending.

Rick: Good job, Morty. Looks like you won the bet.

Morty: Thanks, Rick, but I don't know if I should. You know, you were right about the universe. It's a crazy and chaotic place.

Rick: Well, you know, maybe that's why it could use a little cleaning up every now and then, you know. This one's wrapped up neat and clean because we did it Morty style.

(They portal away, but Rick makes another portal back and sticks an energy pistol through it and shoots Mr. Jelly Bean, splattering him all over the screaming villagers)

A Rickle In Time

(Puts his own collar on Morty, who disappears) 

Rick: I'm okay with this. Be good Morty. Be better than me. Holy shit, the other collar! I'm not okay with this! I am not okay with this! Oh, sweet Jesus please let me live. Oh, my God I—I've gotta fix this thing, please God in Heaven, please, God, oh Lord, hear my prayers. Yes! Fuck you God! Not today, bitch.

Mortynight Run

Rick: Screw this. I’m out.

(Rick forms a portal and leaves through it. Morty tries to start the car as a Gromflomite approaches, but it stalls.)

Morty: Oooh…! Come on, come on!

Gromflomite: Get out of the vehicle made of garbage or we will open fire!

Morty: *still trying to start the car* Oh no no no!

Gromflomite: Open fire!

(A portal appears directly above the guards and water pours out of it, flooding the room. Another portal appears on the floor, and the water and Gromflomites are sucked into it. A third portal then appears and Rick emerges through it, walking up to the car.)

Rick: Stupid-ass fart-saving carpet-store motherfucker! *shoves Morty out of the driver’s seat and takes the wheel* Move!

Auto Erotic Assimilation 

Rick: You got that right. But... baby, listen. Y-you're talking about taking over planets and galaxies, you gotta... you gotta just... remember to let go sometimes, you know.

Unity (Administrator): I can let go! Hey, look! You see that town across the river? Watch this.

(Planes fly past and bomb the town, blowing it all up)

Rick: Whoa!

Unity (Administrator): Ha ha! Woot!

Rick: Whoa! That's not what I meant!

Unity (Administrator): [laughing] It's okay! It's okay, I evacuated! I evacuated the town, look!

Unity (Townspeople): Hey! Right here! We’re fine!

Rick: (laughing) Oh, that was awesome! My grandkids weren't in that town, right? A-are my grandkids alive? ... H-hey, my drink is empty

Get Swifty 

Rick: Take it from me, Ice. *burp* You can’t just *burp* float around space not caring about stuff forever.

Morty: Tammy… gross. Birdperson, you always stick up for Rick, but he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He doesn’t think about the consequences of anything he does.

Birdperson: And as a result, he has the power to save or destroy entire worlds. And he is the reason you and I know each other. And the reason I’m alive at all.

Look Who’s Purging Now

Arthrisha: Wait, stop! Please, don't kill me! I-I never intended to harm you, I swear. I am trying to end the festival. W-w-what do you mean? I was going to use your ship to destroy the rich assholes that run our society and save my people from the horrors of this yearly festival.

Rick: I'm not here to judge. I'm just a guy from another planet. But this girl is one of your poor people, and I guess you guys felt like it was okay to subject her to inhuman conditions because there was no chance of it ever hurting you. It's sort of the socio-political equivalent of, say, a suit of power armor around you. But now things are evened out, so, Arthrisha?

Morty: I can't help but feel ashamed about what I did back there, Rick. I guess you were right. I've got a lot of repressed stuff. I need to deal with. 

Rick: Don't worry about it, Morty.Remember those candy bars earlier that we got in the first act? 

Morty: Yeah, what about them? 

Rick: Turns out they have a chemical in them called purgenol that amplifies all your violent tendencies. 

Morty: Oh, boy. Whew! Thank goodness for that, huh? That's a relief. 

Rick: Yep. Don't even sweat. You're still the same old Morty. Your character's totally protected. (camera pans out to reveal the label on the chocolate bars reads “now purgenol-free”)

The Wedding Squanchers

BirdPerson: The guest list at this wedding includes 17 of the federation's most wanted. We have committed numerous atrocities in the name of freedom.

Rick: But... but... Here's the thing. Birdperson is my best friend, and if he loves Tammy, well, then I love Tammy, too. (Cheers and applause) To friendship, to love, and to my greatest adventure yet... opening myself up to others.

The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy

Rick: And you know what? I’ll cop to it. I put a lot of strain on your marriage. It wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.

Jerry: What?!

Rick: I didn’t respect your marriage. I certainly didn’t do it any favors. And for what it’s worth, I’ll apologize to Beth for it when we get home. Whoo! Whirly Dirly! Yeah!

Pickle Rick

I’m trying to let the scripts show all the ways Rick is good before I jumped in but since this is really weird without just watching the episode I’ll just explain that Rick doesn’t kill Jaguar after he finds out he has a daughter and then they work together to escape. 

The Old Man and The Seat

Tony: Can I look at a photo of my wife while you kill me?

Rick: Sure, but I'm doing her a favor. She either has terrible taste, or she's trapped in a marriage to a toilet thief. 

Tony: She's dead. And I don't mind joining her. Life has been hollow since I lost her. Using your toilet was nice, though. I'm a bit of a shy pooper. I'm ready when you are. 

Rick: Stay there. (goes through a portal, comes back with another Tony) Tell him what you told me.

Other Tony: What is this? What's happening? 

Rick: Tell him what you told me. 

Other Tony: My wife's still alive. Sh... sh... she went into remission 10 years ago.

Rick: And what did you do today? 

Other Tony: Oh, I, uh, pooped on a really awesome toilet I found... Oh, ow, ow, ow, ow, oh! (Rick shoves him back through the portal)

Rick”: Don't use your dead wife as an excuse. You ( Bleep ) on my toilet because you don't know your place, and your place is nothing. So next time you stumble onto a toilet that feels too good for your ass, trust me, it is. 

Tony: You're not gonna kill me?

Rick: Don’t tell me what to do!

Tony: You can make a perfectly-realized, toilet-filled simulation of heaven, but you can't share a toilet? 

Rick: Don't insult my craft. The chemical is Globaflyn. It connects the whatever-you-want section of your brain to the whatever-you-have section. If your heaven is toilets, that's on you. 

Tony: All of these people... 

Rick: Are living their wildest, meaningless dreams and leaving me out of them.

Tony: People you refuse to kill and refuse to let into your life.

Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerry

(Rick reveals he has saved what he could of PhoenixPerson)

Okay and on to the big one where I am actually going to talk instead of just letting the script go off Rest and Ricklaxation. We see two sides of Rick, Healthy Rick and Toxic Rick. After Healthy Morty slaps Healthy Rick, and he slaps him back, he discovers the machine doesn’t actually know the difference between what is truly healthy and whats actually toxic, it goes by each person’s individual definition. Shortly after we as the audience learn that Healthy Rick? Is actually apathetic. He doesn’t care about others. All the caring and emotions are wrapped up in Toxic Rick. Everything Healthy Rick did and said is all stuff he believes are good, he apologies, he takes responsibility for his actions, he’s polite, he’s trusting, and he doesn’t try to control others, but he is doing all of this simply because he thinks he should. So it is completely selfless when he makes the bargain so Toxic Rick will merge with him, because, and he even says it, he hates having what he considers his toxins inside of him, but it’s the right thing to do.

Then of course Healthy Rick calls Toxic Rick out, knowing that he is the one with all his, “irrational attachments” as he puts it, and as much as Toxic Rick no longer wishes to be a part of Healthy Rick, he merges with him under the pretence that he will then be able to save Toxic Morty. Both act selflessly for different reasons, Healthy Rick believing it is the right thing to do, while Toxic Rick does it for Morty. 

So do I believe that there is good in Rick?? Heck yes!! Good is stored in the garbage grandpa! 

#rick sanchez #rick and morty #this took forever im sorry #ellie answers #long post #rnm #ram #rick sanchez has morals and a heart y'all #ellie's answers #love my awful grandpa

[poc-movie-supremacy]

Blackbird: Heaven is in your arms

Yes, this is part of the blackbird universe, but for now, it’s almost a standalone. Blackbird’s original intent was arrowverse characters coming home from war, so that’s why there’s a westallen one. I was planning on doing one for cynco and kanvers + kate and mary, but I’m not sure anymore. 

Anyways, summary: The house is lonely without him. Iris at home waiting for Barry to come home from war. 

----

Iris hates quiet. It reminds her of loneliness which is what she is and she wants nothing more than to forget that. Every night she places a record in the record machine. Last night it was “Cheek to cheek” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. She cooks a meal for herself, usually something small, she lost her appetite a long time ago. Iris eats in the bay window watching the stars, sometimes the people outside if something interesting is happening. She wants to join them but it’s hard. 

Iris wonders if Barry sees the same stars she does. She wonders if he misses her like she misses him. 

After her dinner is half eaten, she turns off the record and goes to bed. At first she tried sleeping in their bed, but it was too big, too empty. That bed was meant for two people, not one. Iris sleeps on the couch instead. She wraps up her hair, changes into her pajamas and brushes her teeth. Turning off all lights except the lamp next to the couch, she gets the box and settles on the couch. The box is filled with all the letters Barry has sent her while he’s deployed. She always reads them before she goes to sleep. It always soothes her to, if not hear his voice, read his words. Sometimes they even chase away the nightmares. 

Every single morning she wakes up with a crick in her neck. It’s better than waking up to an empty bed. She undoes the wrap, changes into her work clothes, a pair of red heels, black pencil skirt, blouse, and blazer and puts her hair up into a fancy braid that her mom loves. Aretha Franklin fills the apartment as Iris gets ready for work. The coffee pot chimes done just as she finishes putting on her makeup, so Iris pours herself a cup and grabs a chocolate muffin to eat in the bay window. She watches the people head off to work as she tries to think of anything but where Barry is. The minute she starts on that train, she’ll fall into a black hole of unwanted messy thoughts. 

After finishing breakfast, she joins the crowds heading to their nine-to-five. Linda give her a smile when she opens the door to the Citizen. Her intern, Allegra, informs her of the interviews Mason wants her to do. Iris wants to choke him. 

“Heavy workload?” Linda asks her during lunch. 

“Sometimes I wonder if being a cop would be easier.” Iris complains. 

“What do you have to do?” Linda wondered. She, Allegra, Kamilla, and Iris were sitting together eating lunch in the park next to the CCPN building. They befriended each other through work and have stuck by each other since then. Iris wondered what she’d do without them. 

“I already finished editing my articles, now I just need to complete my politics article, and the one on the string of murders down on sixth street.”

Linda wrinkled her nose in disgust. “How’s the coppers handling it?” 

“Baffled. I think they’re starting to get worried. I’m hoping my article will bring this to public attention and help the situation.” Iris said. 

“That’s the hope.” Linda agreed. 

After work, she goes home and takes a long bath. This time, Tina Turner is playing in the apartment. The same routine plays out again. No mail has been delivered, so she has nothing new to read from Barry. She hopes he’ll come home soon as she drifts off to sleep. 

The rest of the weeks are the same. In these two weeks, she got one new letter from him. He says things are lightening up, and there might be good news in the future. He writes of the new people he’s met across the seas, the places he’s seen, and how much he misses. Apparently she’s been somewhat of a character to the soldiers. Iris West, possible goddess, and Barry’s long suffering wife. They want to meet her. Iris wonders what things he told them. She hope it’s all good things. She hopes his wandering mind stays on his shoulders so he doesn’t... nevermind. 

On Wednesday, she wakes up and gets ready for work. Her brother reminds her that their parents wanted to see them on Friday, so she better not forget to come. She went to work as usual, but had to go see Wally before going home. She was tempted to stay with him in an effort to avoid going back to her empty house, but he practically pushed her out of his house. Iris could’ve sworn she saw him smiling. 

The walk to their apartment was quiet. At least there wasn’t anyone on the street to distract her. She tried to come up with a reason for her brother’s sudden happiness. Barry’s homecoming came to mind, but that wasn’t for weeks so it was brushed aside. 

Music was the first thing that struck Iris as odd when she opened the door to the apartment. It was the little ditty Barry wrote her for their engagement. He dabbled in music a little before he was drafted. It’s why they own so many instruments. A guitar, a piano, a violin, they’ve all suffered from disuse now.  Arts, when concerning music, was never Iris’s forte. 

As she stepped further into the apartment, cooked food could be smelled. She placed a hand on the taser in her purse just in case it was an intruder and walked softly further into the place. 

A skinny man was hunched over the piano, fingers flying over the keys. He was in a formal army outfit sans the hat. 

“Barry.”

Fingers stilled on the keys. 

Slowly he turned around a tired, yet happy smile dancing across his face, lighting up his features. She dropped her purse, almost setting off the taser and started bawling.  He quickly raced to her side before she fell to the ground. Easily, he lifted her up and twirled around crying himself. Her legs wrapped around his waist. His hug almost crushed her. She never wanted him to let go. 

“Shh baby, Iris, baby. I’m okay. I’m alright I’m home.” Iris sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tightly, not caring one bit that his suit was getting dirty with her tears. For once, she felt safe. There was nothing better than being held by Barry Allen. 

“I missed you, so damn much. The house-” 

“I’m not leaving, not again.” He didn’t. Apparently this was his last deployment. Hearing that made Iris cry harder, but this time they were happy tears. He cradled her face in his hand gently wiping away her tears. His eyes swept over face. It had been so long since he last saw her, he wanted to re-memorize every last feature. Her golden brown eyes, her curly black hair, her tear drop face. He kissed her all over, eyes, cheeks, lips. 

That was what finally calmed her tears. Giggling she asked, “You missed this?”

“I miss a lot of things.” He kissed the shell of her ear and along her jaw. “I missed your smile, and your voice. I missed your thoughts, and you kisses. I missed falling asleep next to you, dancing with you... Kara’s a good dancer, but she’s not you.”

“Well then,” Iris shimmied out of his arms, and grabbed his hand. She placed a record on the record player, The Temptations, “My Girl” and extended her other hand. “Can I have this dance?”

“Always.” He kissed her knuckles before pulling them into waltzing formation. Left hand in her right, right hand on her butt, so close together the holy spirit got squished. They’re married anyways. 

He quietly sang along to the song as they danced. Iris pressed her cheek to his chest in an attempt to get as close as possible to him. Maybe she was being insane, but after months without him close, she never wanted to let go. After a few dances, they meandered to the kitchen to eat. 

Barry sat down at the head of the table with Iris in his lap. She made up one big plate for the two of them. As they ate, they swapped stories about their time away from each other. He told her stories of the Diggles, Jesse Wells, Cynthia Reynolds, Kara Zor-el. Friends he made like Alex Danvers, Mary Hamilton, Beth Chapel and Yolanda Montez. In return she updated him on how his parents, her parents and Wally were doing. She told tales of her and her journalism adventures with Linda, Allegra, and Kamilla. 

“Look like you’ve been having fun here.” Barry grossed. 

“Not as much fun as I’ll have with you here with me. I missed you baby.” Iris says. Barry kissed the top of Iris’s forehead. 

“I’m going to see if Bridge will let me take the day off. We could go on a date!” Iris left his lap much to his sadness. “Hunn, let me get some wine and ice cream. The good wine.”

Barry’s eyes widened in surprise. “Fancy.”

“Well it’s a special day,” Iris returned to his lap with a small tub of ice cream, two spoons, and two glasses of wine. “Happy homecoming.”

“Happy homecoming.”

After dinner, Barry did the dishes while Iris cleaned up the living room. When he was done, Barry rushed up to her picking her up and twirling her around. He carried her up to their bedroom and dumped her on the bed. Iris thanked her lucky stars that he didn’t comment on its near sterile-ness. 

“I love you.” Barry stares at her below him. Her hair is splayed out on the pillow, her face is stretched out in a smile. Iris reaches up to pull him towards her. She peppers kisses on his face before leaving. 

“I’m just going to get changed.” He watches her put on one of his old shirts and a pair of underwear. Slowly, he gets up from the bed to get ready for sleep himself. Their movements are a little robust, getting used to sharing this room again, but it’ll be ok. 

In bed, she wraps herself around him, finding comfort in his hold. Softly, she traced some of his scars and tattoos with her finger. He turned off the lights, and for once, she knew she wouldn’t need his letters to chase away the nightmares.

#the flash #westallen #iris west allen #iris west #barry allen #linda park #allegra garcia #kamilla hwang #ella's flash fics #we're all fic writers here #blackbird

[averagemarvelbitch]

The One With The Red Sweater - Part 2

The one where Steve and Tony are celebrating their one year anniversary, Bucky has a big mouth (and regrets it) and everything goes wrong.

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers.

Chapters: 2/2

AO3

Tagging because I thought you guys might like to read the second part! @barnesbuchananjamie @instantlyshadowen @stonyverse @iron-captain

Tony stayed the next three days at home. Fooling Jarvis was rather easy. He only had to tell the butler he felt really sick and with his red eyes and runny nose (from all the crying) it was an easy sell. Jarvis did look a bit suspicious, but said nothing, and let Tony stay at home for as long as he needed.

Tony knew he had to go to school sometime. He couldn’t avoid Steve, and everyone else, forever. But he was so embarrassed. God, why did he have to tell his friends all those things about not ever being chosen? Now they knew how he felt AND they knew Steve had never really liked Tony, he was just being polite, like always. And oh god, the dates. They dated for a year. They kissed, they cuddled. Had Steve been uncomfortable in all this situations? Had Tony forced himself on Steve without knowing he wasn’t welcome? This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, he thought groaning loudly and hiding his head under the pillow once more.

His cell phone didn’t stop ringing for one minute. Some calls from Pepper, some from Rhodey and Nat and Sharon, and about a million calls from Steve. Tony ignored all of them. At one point, he sent a simple text to all his friends (except Steve because he was still mad at him) saying he didn’t want to talk about it and turned off his phone. After that, Steve started calling his home. He called almost every hour and every time Jarvis or Ana would pick it up. They would come to Tony’s room and every time the brunette would shake his head and turn around, leaving the butler and his wife to make some excuses.

When Steve finally realized the phone calls wouldn’t work, he started sending other things. On Friday, he sent flowers with a note. I’m sorry, please, let me explain. I love you. All they did was remind Tony of the fact that Steve wanted Sharon, not him. He threw both of them away.

On Saturday, Steve sent a small robot plushie with another note. You mean everything to me. Please, forgive me. I love you. Tony threw away the note and gave the plushie to DUM-E, who happily took it to his charging station and kept it there.

On Sunday, nothing came. No phone call, no gift, no note, nothing. Maybe Steve had finally given up, realized Tony wasn’t worth the hassle and it was better to just take this opportunity to get out of the relationship he never even wanted in the first place. Tony was fine with that. He was fine.

On Monday morning, he got dressed and turned on his cell phone. He sent Rhodey a text, asking for a ride. His best friend promptly answered on my way. Tony took a deep breath, trying to get himself ready to face the day, and walked down the stairs, straight to the kitchen to have some breakfast.

Jarvis and Ana watched, in silence, as he ate some toast and drank some coffee. He could tell they wanted to say something, but were holding themselves back.

“Just say it. Come on”, he huffed, putting his coffee down.

“He told us what happened, dear. I’m very sorry”.

“Indeed we are, master Anthony. But… Perhaps we could give you something to think about?”

Tony nodded, nibbling at his toast.

“You see, master Anthony. Some people are able to choose exactly who they are going to love. Like your mother. She saw your father at a benefit and decided that was the man she was going to marry”.

“Yeah. Bad choice”.

Jarvis wrinkled his nose, as if trying to stop himself from agreeing. “Maybe so, master Anthony, but she made her choice. Other people, like Mrs. Jarvis and myself, are victims of fate”.

“What do you mean?”

“Objectively speaking, there was no reason why Mrs. Jarvis and I should meet. A war was raging outside and I was merely a soldier, unable to afford even a drink at the hotel she worked. But fate intervened”.

“That’s right. The general, who never ate anything other than meat and potatoes, that very night decided to try some local cuisine. He spent the night throwing up and called Mr. Jarvis for help. I was tasked with cleaning up the room. And that’s how we met. Fate”.

“And then you stole a letter of transit and was almost court martialed for her”, Tony replied, grinning.

Jarvis cleared his throat and took Tony’s plate. “Well, some people are worth committing a crime for, master Anthony”, he said, earning himself a kiss on the cheek from his wife.

“So, what you’re saying is Steve and I were meant to be?”

“All I’m saying, master Anthony, is that Mrs. Jarvis and I believe that some people are destined to meet. And sometimes, when people are being stubborn, or clueless, or when the world decides to make it difficult, fate intervenes and puts those people on each other’s paths. What happens after that, well, it is up to them, isn’t it?”

“But… He didn’t want me, Jarvis. He wanted Sharon”.

“Perhaps, in the beginning, master Rogers had a different idea of what love could be. Maybe, before you showed up, love had the face and shape of Miss Carter. And perhaps, when fate put you in his path, he realized love was much different from what he believed it to be”.

“Yeah, but he still didn’t choose me”.

“My dear boy”, Jarvis said with a smile, “He chose you every time he came over to watch, yet again, those silly space movies you love so much. He chose you every time he comforted you after a fight with your father. He chose you when he introduced you to his mother, his only family in this world, as his boyfriend. He chose you when he gave up a scholarship at another school only because he could not bear to be parted from you”.

“How do you know about that?”

“We’re the help, dear. The help knows everything”, Ana said, laughing softly.

“He may not have chosen you at first, Anthony. But he chose you again and again and again for a year. And he kept on choosing you every time he called this house, heartbroken and desperate, and every time he sent a gift with what I can only assume were very remorseful notes. You made each other happy, Anthony. Perhaps you ought to give the young man a chance to prove his love to you”.

Tony didn’t have time to answer. The Imperial March started playing, a sign that Rhodey was waiting for him outside. He smiled at Jarvis and Ana, his way of saying thank you for the talk, thank you for being so good to me, thank you for always looking out for me, and left.

The car ride wasn’t exactly fun. Sharon had spent half of it apologizing to Tony and assuring him she had no interest in Steve (which was fairly obvious since she was dating Pepper). Tony, then, put her mind to rest, saying he didn’t blame her at all and that she had nothing to worry about. They’d been friends since they were in diapers and nothing would change that. That’s when Sharon started sniffing and touching the corner of her eyes, trying to hide the tears.

“Are you crying?”

“No, I have allergies, your cologne is gross”.

The moment they arrived at school, Tony knew something was wrong. He walked in with his friends right behind him and noticed how everybody kept glancing at him. Great, everybody knows what a huge loser I am, he thought, frowning. And that’s when he saw it. A huge piece of paper on the message board that almost took half of it.

I fell in love with you when you came to my games to cheer me on even though you hate football ― yes, Tony, I know you hate football.

Right under the saying was a drawing of a football field with many players. On the side, there was a small brunette cheering and, beside him, a robot (who looked very much like DUM-E) holding a sign that said “Go Team”. Tony smiled.

“Uh, Tones? There’s more of that”.

Tony turned and looked to where Rhodey was pointing. Indeed, the corridor was full of posters with phrases and little drawings. He started walking, slowly, stopping at every single one.

I fell in love with you when we watched Star Wars and I looked at you and you were so excited and so happy it made my heart burst.

A drawing of two figures, a blond and a brunette, pointing at the many spaceships that flew around the paper.

I fell in love with you when you spent five days with me in the ER because my ma was sick ― and you stayed even though they have terrible coffee.

This time, a drawing of a small brunette figure making a face at a cup of coffee while holding hands with the blond little man.

I feel in love with you every time you smiled, every time you laughed.

This one had a very realistic drawing of Tony smiling. It was beautiful. Is that how Steve sees me?, he thought with tears in his eyes.

The posters covered all of the corridor.

… when you introduced me to DUM-E…

… from the first time you called me sweetheart…

… when I was sick and you made me soup ― even thought you burned it…

… every time you called me to tell me about your day…

Tony read every single one of them with a small smile on his face, completely ignoring everyone else who just stood there, watching him. He finally got to the last one.

I fell in love with you the day you kissed me under the bleachers. I was just too stupid to actually notice.

Suddenly, Steve was there, holding flowers and looking very nervous.

“Hi”.

“Hi”, Tony replied, biting his lip.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you. It’s just that… After you kissed me and you told me we should grab a burger, I thought, okay, I’ll tell him the truth at the diner and… I didn’t. Because that day I had the best time of my life. You were funny, and smart, and gorgeous, and damn it, Tony, I was terrified that if I told you, you wouldn’t want to see me ever again. So I didn’t. And I should have. I’m sorry”.

Tony smiled and nodded, taking the flowers. But Steve continued.

“I know you think I didn’t choose you. But, you know, ma used to tell me that sometimes we’re too blinded by the world to actually see what’s right in front of us. So sometimes fate helps. And I think it really was fate who made you cold enough to steal Sharon’s sweater. Because, honestly? I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you. And I thank fate everyday for knowing better than I did. I may not have chosen you that day, Tony, but I swear I’m gonna choose you every day for the rest of my life. Because I love you. I really do. Can you please give me another chance?”

Tony smiled and, instead of using words, just pulled Steve down for a kiss, holding him tight and letting himself be held by him. The people near them started laughing, and cat whistling and clapping. But suddenly, all the noise stopped and the couple heard someone clearing the throats forcefully. They interrupted the kiss, looking for the source.

Vice-Principle Coulson had what seemed to be the ghost of a smile on his lips. “No kissing in the corridors”.

“Oh, come on, you heard the speech”, Bucky complained from the other side of the crowd.

Coulson huffed, shaking his head. “One more kiss only in the corridor, Stark, Rogers. And keep it PG-13. This is not some teen movie High School. This isn’t Hannah Montana”.

“Wait, Coulson watches Hannah Montana?” Steve whispered and Tony tried to swallow a laugh.

But Coulson had, apparently, heard him. “She is a normal teenager by day and an internationally famous singer by night. She’s Batman. What’s not to like?”

While everyone laughed, Coulson shooed the others. Steve smiled down at Tony.

“I’m really happy you forgive me, Tony”.

Tony smiled. “I had no other choice”, he said, and when Steve shot him a confused look, he replied, “Who am I to go against fate, right?”

#part two #stevetony #stony #fanfic #high school au #no powers au #send me an ask or leave a comment if you liked it :D

[space-lions-and-imagines]

Hi, I was wondering if you could write an imagine where the reader has a tattoo no one knows about and one day everyone finds out? And everyone except for Lance is cool with it, but Lance is freaking out because how could someone so sweet have A TATTOO???? P.S. I love your writing.

FLATTERY WILL GET YOU EVERY WHERE AHH THANK YOU SO MUCH I TRY SO HARD Also I am sorry this took so long, I work on weekends and I spend most of Monday catching up on cleaning so its late monday/tuesday that I really get to catching up on my writing (And did I take this in a weird direction? I feel like I took this in a weird direction but once started I couldn’t stop!)

I hated being hot. I hated it with every fiber of my being and would rather freeze to death then deal with being sweaty and gross and hot. Unfortunately with the castle’s temperature control completely on the fritz it was impossible to avoid the almost desert like conditions. Luckily Coran had been kind enough to show everyone to a planet renown for its beaches where they could relax until everything was fixed. Everyone had been more than enthusiastic, even Princess Allura had seemed thrilled at the idea of a day off. She called it ‘an opportunity for team building and connection’ but I had a feeling that she just really wanted to get out of the castle for once.

 Unfortunately for me the temperature here had not proven to be much different than that back on board. Of course the crash of the waves outside was more than inviting but the thought of burning sand was unappealing at best and literal hell at worst. I could already feel the heat coming from the sand creeping its way towards the wooden floor of the changing room. But my dire need to hide in here forever was being pushed back by the delighted screams from my friends out side. Finally the fun on the other side of the door finally seemed to win out and I forced myself to take the walk of fire at a run.

It wasn’t actually as bad as I had expected. In fact it was much much worse. I wasn’t sure what this alien sand was made out of but it was more like walking on freshly blown glass then sand. On the other hand I was a huge baby with a passion for drama so perhaps I could have been exaggerated. So I may have also been exaggerating when I say that diving into the water was the best thing my skin had ever felt. I gave a great sigh and floated on my back and was glad that the space mall had bathing suites that fit me. I hadn’t really wanted to wear my one spare change of clothes into the water and it had been far too long since I had been able to show off my tattoo.

It was a shame really that the day I had come to join the paladins that I was wearing something so covering, my tattoo had taken too long and cost too much to keep out of sight for so long. It was one of my proudest pieces of art as well, a winding lacy design that followed my spine and curled around my waist to circle around my navel. I had designed it myself, spending hours looking for inspiration on the many faceted design with no two parts mirroring each other. It was an extensive labor of love and I was anxious to now show it off.

So when I was suddenly splashed with the unbelievably clear water I couldn’t even be mad, I was ready for the shocked and awed faces. “Yo (y/n) what took so long, this water is the best. All I am missing is pineapples and pizza and oh pineapple on pizza of course,” Hunk said rubbing his stomach with glazed over eyes. 

“Wait are you telling me you actually like that warm monstrosity of fruit on junk food? That is blasphemy and unforgivable,” Lance said with mock fury as he jumped on top of Hunk for a small mini wrestling match that resulted in Lance just about drowning until the others came over and pulled the two apart. “Hey I was telling nothing but the truth! Wouldn’t you agree (y/n) surely you side on the side of goooo oh my god what is all over you!” he cried out in surprise, someone finally noticing the line work all over my body.

The others all joined in with their oh’s and aws. Allura came over and traced her fingers down my back with admiring eyes. “Wow this really is quite beautiful. And I never knew! They remind me of the intricate marking our ancestors would make on their faces when they became warriors. Do these hold some of the same meaning?” she asked politely.

“Actually many cultures on Earth use tattoos as a marking for special events. Its most commonly used as a coming of age ceremony of sorts and has become quite a way for individuals to express significant moments in their life for everyone to see,” Pidge chimed in squinting harshly without her glasses and facing ever so slightly away from the rest of the group.

I was more than happy to explain myself but between everyone’s compliments and questions one person had remained quiet, Lance. It was a bit unnerving since his mouth was never shut but I hoped it was from awestruck admiration. However I was quickly proved wrong. “Tattoos are also totally badass and how did YOU get one! Well I mean I know the how but well how could you have one? You are so sweet and innocent and now you just drop a bomb that you are all inked up like some, some inked up hooligan?!” he demanded taking me by the arm and pulling me for closer inspection “Or was this a someone died and this is how I remembered them thing cause I am drawing a blank on how someone like you has something this large.”

Now I had people question me about my tattoo before, it rarely made me do more than roll my eyes and tell them it was none of their business. Yet some how Lance’s reaction struck a nerve with me. As much as I told myself that others opinions didn’t matter I knew that when it came to Lance it was a slightly different story. Out of all the people in the universe I could have had a crush on I had to chose this loser and this loser had to go and be one of those types. 

I pushed him away from me with a scowl and unconsciously cover the art on my waist with my crossed arms. “No its a I thought it was pretty and didn’t realize I had to enter a debate about my choices about my body every time someone sees them. I think they look great but apparently I don’t have a good enough reason to have them for you,” I snapped with more anger then was probably deserved. I doubted that Lance really meant much harm, his mouth tended to run when ever he was caught off guard. Its just that I had really wanted them to like them.

I waded away from the group, muttering a thanks to everyone who hadn’t insulted me, and could practically feel the tension in the air. I could feel the shift in the water that let me know that everyone had just turned to give Lance the mix look of glare and you’re an idiot exasperation. I resisted the urge to walk backwards, not wanting to offend his delicate disposition with the full view of my tattoo, mostly because I didn’t want to reveal my now burning eyes. If anyone asked I would say that it was the overly salty water but I wasn’t sure if they would believe me anyway.

I resolved that helping Coran would prove more fruitful then hiding in the dressing room but only made it to the doors of the fitting room. “Hey (y/n) wait!” Lance called out, huffing and puffing as he leaned onto his knees and held out a hand towards me. “OhmygodIhatesandsomuch, okay woo okay I’m back … (Y/n) wait. I erm made an idiot out of myself,” he started but I cut him off before he could apologize, not wanting to hear it. Mainly because I wasn’t sure I would have the will power to not instantly forgive him. Cure his cute face.

“Yeah per usual but I am not going to stand there and disgust you so much with my skin. If it makes you feel any better you are never going to be seeing it again. You made it pretty clear it didn’t suite me,” I spat venomously at him, letting anger rush over me. it was better than admitting to myself that I cared so much about his opinion. I prepared myself for a fight, ready to let myself explode in anger and hopefully break this crush I have been suppressing, but instead I saw Lance blush and look away. He was never the shy type, never afraid of an argument so why he was pulling away now was making my heart flutter.

“You far from disgust me (y/n), I think that you are literally the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. I am not really poetic but all those poems we were forced to read in school about seeing someone and thinking that they must be the god/goddess of beauty or an enchanter/enchantress or just them hallucinating their perfect person? Yeah I think I probably get that, hell I might even be as gushy to say if I heard a romantic rock ballad I might just understand it as well,” he said peeking up from underneath his eyelashes like he was almost afraid to look at me. I had to pinch myself just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

“And before you ask, yes I am aware I said literally the worst things possible. But well I can only be super smooth around people that I find cute. Not around people that you know … I actually have … feelings for,” he muttered, squinting at the ground like he was trying to pronounce words in another language. “So um yeah there you have me being an idiot again. Bottom line is you look awesome, I think you are awesome and er I am going to go ask Shiro to bury me in a hole,” he added sounding much more like his old self, though his face was bright red.

I almost didn’t stop him, so convinced that the heat had finally gotten to me. But when Lance stood there like a sad puppy, obviously hoping I would stop him from leaving I couldn’t help but laugh. I laughed so hard I nearly cried. And the only thing that might have stopped Lance from running away with his tail between his legs was when I pulled him in for a surprise kiss. A kiss that was sloppy and giggly but sweet none the less. I pull back and hiccuped from my laughter and was met with the most confused look one could ever have. “Erm do you have a fetish for idiots or did my words drive you crazy?” he asked with a grin now creeping onto his face.

I grinned back and grabbed his hand “Perhaps a bit of the first but mostly its just because I have a stupid crush on you and am glad I don’t feel the need to go find the space equivalent of laser removal. Or more likely brainwash you to fall deeply in love with me at the sight of them,” I teased him, a shiver running up my back feeling his fingers tracing over the swirls and twists.

“Hey for all I know maybe you did because as soon as I saw them I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“Knew that I was falling for a gorgeous and baddass (insert preference). So when are you going to add my name somewhere?” 

“There you go again being an idiot. Its a good thing I love idiots.”

“And I love you (y/n)”

“And I love you.”  

#ireadtoomuch252 #request #lance imagine #lance x reader #lance hc #voltron request #voltron #voltron imagine #voltron x reader #voltron hc

[useunknown]

Why I’m Afraid

“The paranoid spokesman sees the fate of conspiracy in apocalyptic terms—he traffics in the birth and death of whole worlds, whole political orders, whole systems of human values. He is always manning the barricades of civilization. He constantly lives at a turning point. Like religious millennialists he expresses the anxiety of those who are living through the last days and he is sometimes disposed to set a date for the apocalypse.” Richard Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style, Harpers, 1964.

“How is this to be avoided, among ordinary men, even highly educated ordinary men? Frankly, I do not know. I do not see, even now. Many, many times since it all happened I have pondered that pair of great maxims, Principiis obsta and Finem respice - "Resist the beginnings” and “consider the end.” But one must foresee the end in order to resist, or even see, the beginnings. One must foresee the end clearly and certainly and how is this to be done, by ordinary men or even by extraordinary men? Things might have changed here before they went as far as they did; they didn’t, but they might have. And everyone counts on that might.“ Milton Mayer, They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45

Reason #1: Because I’m a White Liberal Coastal Elite Unaccustomed to Losing

We joked the race would be called for Clinton by the time our election-watch party started at 6:30. Which was fine, because who wanted to watch Wolf Blitzer stall for five hours while vote tallies streamed in? A gleeful gmail thread counted down to the party. Who was bringing the kleenex? There would be tears of joy to mop up. We wondered if Clinton would find a maze on the inside of Trump’s head when she scalped him. A Trump piñata was going to be on hand.

We gathered at a friend’s Echo Park home, “I Voted” stickers slapped over our hearts, half-surprised the election wasn’t yet in hand. Trump and Clinton were still tracking even in Florida, but needless to say that would change when the urban areas started reporting. 

We were graduates of good universities, many of us working in or around Hollywood, who yes, read The New Yorker, and had been listening to Keepin’ it 1600 and joked about Donald Drumpf and told everyone they had to see Moonlight because it’s just incredible. We wanted more diversity at the Oscars and used the right pronouns when we talked about transgender people, and talked about firewall states and paths to 270 electoral votes and how as soon as Clinton won Florida and North Carolina, it would be over. 

We flipped between CNN and MSNBC, watching stables of pundits on expensive sets dance around touch screens as they tried to divine the arcana of obscure suburbs. Trump was winning in counties Obama had won in 2012. The pundits scratched their heads– the polls were getting some things unnervingly wrong. Every so often they’d give a projection, a picture of Trump appearing on the screen with his smug smile, a check mark under his name. The map kept getting more red, Trump’s electoral tally creeping towards 270. We looked at each other– what the hell was happening? We poured more wine as we realized Clinton wasn’t going to win Florida, or North Carolina, or Ohio, or Iowa. Even New Hampshire seemed to be in doubt. I pulled up pathto270.com on my phone and did the math... Wait a minute: if Clinton didn’t win Michigan, she was finished. We broke out a moments-away-from-being-legal pre-roll to take the edge off.

And then Wisconsin started to turn red. And then so too did Pennsylvania. Suddenly it was Clinton who needed to surge ahead in five different states. We changed the channel to Fox News because we suspected that MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki wasn’t being entirely upfront with us. Sure enough, they had already called Michigan for Trump. "It’s over, isn’t it,” someone said despondently.

Those fucking deplorables, in their fucking baskets. Did they realize what they had just done to our country? 

We looked at the Trump piñata in the corner. We were too devastated to go near it, or acknowledge how wrong we had been. I don’t think a piñata’s ever had the last laugh at a party– but it was that kind of night.  

Reason #2: Because I’m Sheltered from Injustice and feel Entitled to Happy Endings

All around me, in communities real and online, in group-texts with friends and conversations with strangers, there’s an unquantifiable sadness. At a hip Silver Lake coffee shop the day after the election, baristas had become de facto grief counselors, each customer arriving at the cash register with a sorrowful sigh.

“How are you?” 

“Oh... you know.”

Sigh. “Yeah.”

I was in Los Angeles on 9/11. The mood on November 9th, 2016 was bleaker. 

Losing elections is one of the despairs of living in a democracy. Every few years you’re liable to feel like your country has been wrested away from you, and that you’re powerless to stop it. But Trump’s victory left us feeling far more bereft than if McCain had won in 2008 or Romney had won 2012. 

Part of it is the dissonance between where we thought our country was and where we’ve found it. We had our phones out, ready to record the moment when we burst through the glass ceiling into an era of a more tolerant, cosmopolitan, liberal, inclusive America. After 43 white male presidents, we’d have an African American and now, a woman. John Oliver had joked during the campaign that if Democracy was a computer game and Clinton was completing women’s 100 year-quest to get the oval office, Donald Trump made for a fitting final boss. We could endure his white nationalist chauvinist worldview and categorical unfitness to be President when it seemed like his campaign was a gross-out Farelly Brothers comedy and his defeat was an afterthought. 

We had believed in a myth of the teleology of liberal progressivism and placed faith in the ultimate goodness of “the American voter.” Clinton’s victory would be the triumph of forward progress over restoration, togetherness over division, high roads over low ones, love over hate. 

So it’s no surprise we were crushed. When a Republican beats a Democrat, that’s politics. When it seems like the forces of evil have triumphed over the forces of good, that can feel like tragedy. Especially to people not used to the world treating them with indifference. Perhaps we’d been standing upside down the past eighteen months– the glass ceiling we thought we’d been looking up at was actually a floor, and we’d just fallen down through it. 

But there’s also something more sinister in the air. A cosmic foreboding. A greater trauma has taken place, something menacing and chilling that makes you think “something’s different this time.” My body is tense, an epigenetic voice that’s seen demagogues and persecution in another life, warning me to be on high alert because somehow, I know how this one ends. It was only a hundred years ago that my grandfather bribed a boarder guard and dressed like a girl to flee pogroms in the Soviet Union.

Reason #3: Because I’m Being Reactive and Underestimating America

Cooler heads will cite America’s resilience: “We’ll survive because we always do.” 

We’ve had bad presidents. It hasn’t meant the end of the republic. We’ve emerged from wars, economic downturns, and attacks on our freedom. We’ve seen demagogues, and rebuffed them. If a president’s terrible, he won’t get reelected. Everything’s cyclical. The system can be slow and ugly, but it reacts and corrects. 

This is by no means the first time a party has controlled all three branches of government. Republicans did it in 2000. They proceeded to lose Congress in the 2002 midterms, and narrowly lost their senate majority in 2006. They may have charged into a few ill-advised wars that killed hundreds of thousands of people and ballooned the deficit and accelerated global warming and brought moral shame upon us with secret torture prisons and warrantless wiretapping and aggravated wealth inequality with tax cuts for the rich and the deregulation of banks and fostered conditions for the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression along the way, but that whole mess brought us Obama, and the republic survived. 

And when Democrats took the White House and a majority in the house and senate in 2008? Republicans curled up in an obstructionist ball for two years, and took back congress in the 2010 midterms. It is the greatest gift the founding fathers gave us– a system that errs towards gridlock, which has protected us against the forces of tyranny for some 240 years. 

The Cooler Heads will cite reasons why this will be the case for Trump. They cite the fact that Trump’s Republican coalition is unwieldy at best. That Trump isn’t even really a Republican– his campaign was against Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and the Republican establishment as much as it was against the Democrats. Once the Republicans cut taxes for the wealthy, appoint a few conservative judges to the courts, roll back Obamacare, Dodd-Frank and the Clean Energy Act, Trump’s coalition is going to start to fracture. 

Trump didn’t win the election because he broadened the Republican coalition and attracted new voters to the Republican party– he won because voter turnout was down. Trump had a million more votes than Romney in the states he won that Romney lost– Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Michigan (with Wisconsin virtually the same), but total voter turnout was lower than it was in 2012 in all of these states (except for Florida, where voter turnout was up 8% from 2012 and Trump outperformed Romney by 11%). Longterm demographic trends still favor the Democrat’s coalition, and if Trump governs as poorly as we fear, democratic voters will be ignited to turn out for the midterm elections in 2018 and to take Trump down in 2020.

The Cooler Heads will also note there are mechanisms for the minority party to obstruct the governing one from getting things done. The Republicans don’t have the 60 votes they would need to force things through the senate. Democrats will copy the Republican playbook from the past eight years and at the very least, they’ll manage to stop Trump from doing anything that puts the country in existential danger. 

As for Trump’s campaign of intolerance and the wave of white nationalism he rode into office, cooler heads will argue that while he may hold views that are racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic, he’s more empty vessel than ideologue. His rhetoric during the campaign was designed to make the election about identity. But it was a cynical marketing strategy, not an ideology. 

The Cooler Heads might even pontificate that a Trump presidency might not be all bad. I think they’re wrong, and getting there requires a cocktail of denial and privilege, but they might reason that while Trump’s a demagogue and a narcissist with designs to use the presidency to enrich himself and his family, perhaps he’ll have a business man’s savvy about running the government. Maybe he’ll pass a big infrastructure bill that doubles as a stimulus, with Democrats ensuring its inclusive and a chastened media monitoring for corruption and graft. He’ll promulgate business-friendly policies that enrich banks and corporations and increase wealth inequality, but the American economy hums as high corporate profits propel the stock market upwards.   

Mike Pence and Paul Ryan try to push through a radical Republican agenda, but run into gridlock. They don’t have the 60 votes they need repeal Dodd-Frank, they repeal Obamacare through budget reconciliation but delay when the repeal goes into effect because no one can figure out how to replace it, as Republican voters realize through a haze of misinformation that Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act are the same thing, that repealing it would mean no longer being able to afford their cancer treatment, and that everything they don’t like about Obamacare was the result of Republican obstructionism and sabotage. Republican lawmakers stop short of Trump’s craziest proposals, which do indeed prove politically unworkable.  If Silicon Valley keeps innovating and a policy of isolationism keeps America out of a clash between Europe and the Middle East, Trump could even end up being remembered as a middling President, a tier above George W. Bush and Millard Fillmore.

Reason #4: Because the Real Best Case Scenario is Actually Terrible

Even if Trump was a normal politician, his platform would be dangerous. His incompetency and illiteracy and the fact that he processes the world like a five-year old child is enough to spell disaster.

Trump’s stance on climate change alone could be, by definition, apocalyptic. If he walks away from the Paris Accord, it could be a decade before the world cooperates on climate change again. We could look back on his presidency as the moment when we accelerated environmental degradation and doomed the planet. 

Trump’s complete ignorance about diplomacy and geopolitics could also rapidly throw the world into turmoil. He’s exhibited minimal understanding of how the world works or America’s place in it. He’s volatile, reactive and vengeful in a fragile world that manages order only through predictability and diplomacy. Our allies are frightened they can no longer rely on American support, and if we drive them away, they’ll find protection elsewhere. 

Trump’s belief in protectionism will cut economic ties that foster cooperation and American soft power. Trump’s plans to walk away from the TPP will cripple American influence in Asia Pacific, and cede influence in the region to China, and his plans to declare China a currency manipulator and use Taiwan as a bargaining chip could escalate tensions with China and make Sino-US relations openly hostile. 

Trump and the alt-right’s categorical condemnation of Islam and hardline approach to fighting terrorism, including a Muslim immigration ban, the astonishingly unconstitutional Muslim registry, the resumption of torture and black sites, and even the semantic obsession with saying “radical Islamic terrorism,” threaten to alienate moderate Muslims and foster more extremism, while compromising American values and diminishing our standing around the world. Trump could be the buffoon who brings the clash of civilizations to fruition.

Trump’s volatile temperament is at this point well-documented. He’s reactive and vindictive, prone to late-night Twitter rants that spew invective without any basis in fact. What happens when he takes aim at a foreign leader? What happens when he decides to escalate a Twitter War into a real one? U.S. foreign policy has never been in more reckless hands, and the possibility for a misstep that threatens our security, weakens our standing in the world, or triggers an international crisis have seemingly never been higher.

There’s a current of fear sweeping America and Europe, as white people without a college educations outside of major cities who are culturally and economically alienated from the forces of globalization, who never recovered from the 2008 financial crisis and in whom a fear of Islam and terror have been ingrained since 9/11, are turning to right-wing nativist movements that promise a return to a more prosperous past. Countries across Europe are being strained by the influx of refugees, and nationalist parties in Finland (18% of the vote), Denmark (21%), Austria (35%), Hungary (21%), France (14%), and Switzerland (29%) are gaining support on the back of anti-immigration platforms that call out Islam by name. 

This is the sentiment that loomed over the Brexit referendum, which saw British voters upend polling expectations and vote to leave the European Union. On the day of the Brexit referendum polls showed a 3-4% lead for “remain” that was within the margin of error, only to have an unexpected victory for “leave” that was spearheaded by the turnout of non-college white people in the heartland, who longed to reclaim some imagined “past greatness,” felt the loss of “national identity,” and scapegoated immigrants for taking jobs and straining public services. Five months later, the US election has followed the exact same script. 

Trump spent the campaign stoking fears that America was hurtling towards the apocalypse. Now that he’s the president-elect it’s tempting to invoke the same kind of hyperbole. I’m nervous Trump’s administration is going to be one of unprecedented corruption and division, that serves one part of the country at the expense of others, that brings out the worst in us and represses what’s best.

But even in this scenario, the country would survive. Our system, our principles, our resolve have always allowed us to weather these storms. Progress doesn’t move in a straight line. We’ll survive this and come out stronger on the other side, because we always do. Sure the idea that Trump could be the end of the 240-year American experiment is the thinking of the paranoid conspiracist.

But god, if there was ever a moment to wonder if we’re in uncharted territory, it’s now. Because there’s something dangerous about the “we’ll survive because we always do” axiom: it holds true until it doesn’t. 

Because this Time’s Actually Different

There is a critical difference between the 2016 Presidential election and the 57 that came before it: we’ve never elected a demagogue like Trump to the office of the President. 

Of all the demagogues that have emerged in the course of US history–Huey Long, George Wallace, Joseph McCarthy, Charles Coughlin– Trump is the only one to seize our highest office. We’ve watched him closely for 18 months. He’s not bound by any norms, or decency or sense of shame.  His politics are dangerous.

In Trump, we’ve elected the tyrant our founding fathers feared and designed our democracy to defend against. The populist who could rise to power by appealing to base emotions and making promises to the working class that couldn’t be kept. Soon-to-be-boycotted by the alt-right founding father Alexander Hamilton warned that it was democracy’s greatest vulnerability in Federalist #1: “Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.” 

A vengeful narcissist who believes he’s above our norms should not be in the Oval Office. Trump’s campaign followed a demagogue’s playbook– drumming up fears of terrorism and national decline, scapegoating minorities and immigrants, shamelessly lying and promising the impossible. He’s announced intentions to jail his opponents and sue his accusers, incited violence at his rallies and shown a preference for confrontation and vengeance over compromise or resolution. He’s declared the rights to freedom of speech, religion, and assembly to be annoyances he could do without. 

The institutions and norms that were supposed to keep a demagogue out of the White House have already failed us. This puts the United States in uncharted territory, and the possibilities of a Trump presidency should be considered in that light.

Trump’s consistently demonstrated a belief that the rules don’t apply to him. For 25 years as a private citizen, he stiffed contractors and creditors, committed infidelity and sexual assault, and evaded taxes. Most disturbing, Trump maintained during the campaign he wouldn’t accept the election results if he lost, a statement he modulated but never retracted. The peaceful transition of power is the most fundamental and singular political feat of American democracy. It’s the reason any of this works. If Trump was prepared to challenge these precedents as a candidate who was expected to lose, what might he do when he’s in office? It seems not a matter of whether Trump will abuse power– it’s how brazenly and destructively.

Trump plans to have his children run the Trump Corporation while he’s in office, and has put his children in charge of the transition team that will make all key hires for his administration, an unconscionable conflict of interest. I’m not about to pretend that U.S. politics haven’t always involved horse trading and corruption. I’m sure the alt-right has corruption anecdotes about the Clintons and the Obamas– but what Trump’s trying to get away with is unprecedented.

Never before has there been such an obvious channel for directly bribing the President of the United States. Foreign leaders with holdings in foreign companies could award lucrative deals to Trump Corp to influence U.S. policy. Trump’s recently opened hotel in DC seems poised to become a direct channel for foreign countries to bribe Trump, and puts him in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause. Trump’s children headed his campaign and have chaired his transition team– there is no separation between them and Trump. The idea that a “chinese wall” could exist between Ivanka Trump, who heads Trump Corp, and her husband Jared Kushner, who Trump has challenged anti-nepotism laws to bring into his administration, is ridiculous. 

When a company or foreign government meets with Trump Corp, it will be hard not to imagine it’s also dealing with the United States government. It’s a dangerous line that at best opens the door to unprecedented corruption and at worst leads to Donald Jr. igniting a cyber war when he threatens a well-connected Chinese Developer. As Matt Iglesias reasons in one of the most chilling articles written since the election, given Trump’s philosophy of rewarding loyalists and punishing his rivals, Trump could turn the U.S. into a post-Soviet style kleptocracy. A pay-to-play system in which fealty to Trump’s administration is necessary for doing business, while businesses that voice dissent find themselves on the wrong side of regulations, losing government contracts, or embroiled in federal investigations. 

He’s already begun to set the stage for this kleptocracy, with his deal with Carrier “to save a thousand jobs from being shipped to Mexico.” The narrative on the right is that Trump met with Carrier and convinced it to keep a plant open in Indiana, thereby saving a thousand jobs before he’s even arrived in office. Obama would have been pilloried by the right if he ever boasted about “saving jobs from leaving.” He can’t even get credit for creating 16 million jobs during his presidency. No matter that 6,000 Carrier jobs are still leaving, and that Trump has merely slowed the inevitable. This isn’t an economic policy– it’s a precedent for companies to hold the government hostage– “cut our taxes or we’ll leave.” But of even greater concern, Trump has taken the first step towards his kleptocracy, and disguised it in a triumphant and politically-difficult-to-argue-against story about saving manufacturing jobs. A world where he picks winners and losers, singling out private companies to reward or punish on a case-by-case basis. Like the most dangerous demagogues and paranoid psychopaths, Trump keeps a list of his enemies. He has shown no hesitation in using his Twitter account to attack them and seems to relish the power his tweets have to move markets. 

As for Trump’s unwieldy Republican coalition– I want to believe there are reasonable Republicans that might serve as a check on Trump. That party cooperation with Trump’s agenda will slow after they’ve implemented the top agenda items of the Republican establishment and done their best to erase any trace that Obama was in the White House. But if Republicans were too spineless to condemn Trump during the campaign, how can we expect them to stand up to him when he’s returned them to power, touts a voter mandate, and uses the oval office as a bully pulpit? 

These are the same Republicans that began undermining our institutions earlier this year, when they abdicated their constitutional duty to give a hearing to Merrick Garland. A week before the election, Republican senators were vowing to obstruct any Supreme Court nominees appointed by Clinton, abandoning any pretense that this was ever based on even the most rickety of precedents. Our institutions are all that hold our country together. When they cease to transcend any one person or party, our entire republic is threatened. 

Normally the losing party regroups after an election and begins to work towards winning back legislative control in the midterm elections. Bush lost his Republican majority in the house and senate in the midterm elections of 2002, and Obama lost his in 2010. But while a lot can change in two years, the 2018 midterm elections don’t seem to offer democrats that possibility. Republican gerrymandering will aid Republicans in holding the house for the foreseeable future, with many Republicans more afraid defeat will come from “getting primaried” from the right than from a Democrat challenger. In the senate, only eight Republicans are up for reelection, seven of them from solidly Red states, while 25 Democrats are up for reelection, ten of whom are from states won by Trump. 

Even more than gerrymandering or specific senate races though, the Democrat coalition faces a longterm structural and geographic problem. Democrats enjoy a voter majority, but their support is inefficiently distributed in a system that awards political power based on geography. For the second time in five elections, the Democrats won the popular vote and lost the electoral college. Clinton won California by 4.3 million votes, and won its 55 electoral votes– Trump won Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina by about 800,000 votes, and won 108 electoral votes. Representation in the senate is also geared towards geography– the 40 million people in California get the same number of senators as the 600,000 people in Wyoming. The arithmetic of congress and the electoral college was set up to create a buffer between voters and their elected officials and to prevent any one region from becoming too powerful. But with democrats clustered in cities and on the coasts, the arithmetic currently cedes disproportionate representation to Republicans, and even as demographic trends favor the democrats, it could be a while before demographics catch up to geographic distribution. Add to that the fact that Trump can appoint a partisan crony to chair the federal reserve in 2018 to grease monetary policy in the run up to the election in 2020 and that Republicans will delay the repeal of ACA until after the midterms, and the Republican hold on power could end up increasing in 2018.

Trump’s early cabinet moves also portend an Orwellian state, rendering every department’s name into cruel irony. The Environmental Protection Agency will be led by a fierce climate change denier who works for the oil and gas industry, the Department of Labor will advocate pro-business policies that aid in worker exploitation, the Federal Trade Commission will encourage monopolization and consumer exploitation, the Department of Justice will condone civil rights abuse and exact revenge on Trump’s opponents. Trump has appointed a white-nationalist anti-semite to a Bismarckian role exempt from congressional approval, and seems intent on filling most other positions in his cabinet with plutocrats and alt-right loyalists. Instead of emptying the swamp, Trump’s filling his cabinet with muck from the bottom of it. People is policy, and Trump’s administration is shaping up to be an intersection of the Christian right, white supremacists, Trump loyalists, and cronies of the oil and gas industry.

And what happens when a demagogue who doesn’t play by the rules decides he doesn’t want to relinquish power? For now, a 60-vote supermajority is needed in the senate for key appointments and legislation, which will allow Democrats and key Republicans to moderate Trump’s agenda. But what happens when Trump grows annoyed with the filibuster, and pressures the senate to blunt the tools of minority opposition? And makes dangerous appointments with a 51 vote majority approval that turn the courts from a check on his power to a rubber stamp?  And declares war on the the press, limiting White House access to conservative media of his choosing, and expanding on the precedent set by his friend Peter Thiel in the lawsuit that ruled against the first amendment and led to the shuttering of Gawker? And helps the passing of discriminatory voter suppression laws (the 2010 reinstatement of which already helped to sway the election for Trump) under the guise of addressing voter fraud, and deregulates campaign financing, while making Breitbart a state-sponsored TV Channel to be transmitted to every home and be built-into every American-made iPhone, which by the way, will now transmit all of your private information to the Department of Freedom. On one hand, it sounds unthinkable. On the other, everything that’s happened since Trump declared his candidacy has seemed impossible– until it wasn’t. It may be time to assume the worst about him and prepare accordingly, rather than being surprised with every new offense that pushes us incrementally closer to an autocratic kleptocracy. 

This is all without even mentioning Russia. At the very least, it appears Russia hacked the DNC and leaked information in an attempt to sway the election towards Trump, with the Trump campaign taking advantage of the leaks that dogged Clinton throughout the campaign. Remarkably, Republicans who used to call themselves patriots are now happy to condone interference in an American election by a hostile foreign power. Which is insane. But at worst, all of this goes much deeper. Multiple intelligence agencies seem to believe that Russian intelligence taped Trump getting peed on by prostitutes when he visited Moscow in 2013, giving Russian intelligence blackmail to wield against him. This theory would hold that the Kremlin systematically coordinated with and funded the Trump campaign, working through Paul Manafort, who took over Trump’s campaign over the summer of 2016 before disappearing back into the shadows and whose ties to Moscow are well-documented, and it would mean Russia has a puppet in Washington DC for the next four years. Trump’s consistent pro-Russian stance, his obsession with Putin, and his nomination of Exxon Mobil CEO and Russian Order of Friendship Recipient Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State further suggests treasonously deep ties between Trump and Moscow. Trump continues to deny all of this, even the universally agreed upon fact that Moscow hacked the DNC. If there’s unrest in Latvia in the next few years, and Russia blocks security resolutions to intervene but moves in unilaterally as a peacekeeper, and Trump doesn’t do anything about it, we’ll know the tape is real.  

Because This Could Go From Bad to a This-Is-The-Darkest-Period-In-American-History Worse

There was speculation during the campaign that Paul Ryan and Mike Pence were more ideologically extreme than Trump. “Sure, Trump’s got some crazy in him,” the thinking went, “but at least he used to kind of be a democrat.”  If Trump was to end up being impeached, be it due to allegations of treason, perjury, violating the constitution, or demonstrating with finality that he’s unfit to hold office– or if he succumbs to a heart attack because of his incredibly poor health– there was an idea that the devil we knew might be better than the devil we didn’t. It was Pence, after all, who backed a law in Indiana that would force women to have a burial for their aborted fetuses, and spearheaded the charge to leverage Hurricane Katrina to pass policies that lowered labor standards and gave handouts to oil and gas companies.  

I’m offended by most of their politics, and would no doubt look upon their agenda in horror, but I’d accept this was our democracy playing out. Red vs Blue, D. vs R., hollywood liberals vs bible belt conservatives, with a lot of filibustering, fundraising, and shouting at each other on Sunday shows on the way to relative gridlock. But I would believe that no matter the appearance of corruption, religious fervor, or even bigotry, that they believe in democracy, the constitution, and the rule of law. 

But in Trump, we’re faced with a new set of concerns. I’ve spent a lot of words talking about alarming implications of Trump’s temperament, his policy views, and his incompetence. But the only scarier thing than Trump’s blustering incompetence is that he, and more likely Steve Bannon, are in fact maniacally competent. 

For the past eight years, Democrats and Republicans have had a philosophical battle over whether our system worked. Obama tried to navigate unprecedented partisan gridlock to pull levers that nudged the country in the direction of a progressive liberal agenda, even if the movement was sometimes slight. With the nomination of Hilary Clinton, Democrats continued to stake out a belief that change could be affected within the current system. The Republicans, radicalized with the ascendence of the Tea Party, became the party of revolution– they decided they didn’t believe the current system worked, and they wanted to overturn it. This made the Tea Party well-suited to be an opposition party, because it was always ready to play the game of chicken. Either it would get its way, or it would lose and take the whole government crashing down with it– and it was perfectly fine with either outcome. The Democrats would never have risked jeopardizing America’s credit to gain a policy victory, as the Republicans did when they threatened sovereign default unless Obamacare was repealed. But instead of being thrown out of power for needlessly threatening to throw the global economy into chaos, Republican lawmakers expanded their hold on both federal and state legislatures over the past six years. There was a time when conservative Republicans could at least be counted on to be patriots and believe in upholding the constitution, but Republicans have become the party that is willing to abandon those tenets for other ideological gains. 

The country’s susceptibility to autocracy is made more challenging by the  “post-truth” environment in which we now live. The fact that “post-truth” is now a term we throw around and accept is itself ludicrous and dangerous, but seems to be the only way to adequately describe the current political and media landscape. The polarizing impact of social media networks, the death of the local newspaper, the erosion of civil society, the divide between people with a college education and people without, between secular liberals in the cities and religious conservatives in the heartland, have made it so that Democrats and Republicans no longer inhabit the same reality, and have no mechanism for even communicating with each other.  As of 2016, 72% of Republicans still doubted whether Barack Obama was born in the US.  Over 60% of Republicans still didn’t believe global warming was due to human activities. If we can’t agree on objective facts, we open the door to unspeakable horrors, with no way to hold those who propagate them to account.

Republicans have denounced every news outlet that follows basic journalistic standards as an ideological arm of liberal elites. Meanwhile, many Trump supporters get their news from Breitbart, the propaganda organization of Trump’s top advisor, Steve Bannon. No US President has ever had a news organization for directly misinforming his supporters. State-run news organizations are hallmarks of autocracies.

The Great Con of the Republican party is that it relies on the support of people its policies don’t particularly help. It’s not just democratic campaign rhetoric that Trump wanted to cut taxes for the wealthiest 1% and deregulate banks and enrich businesses at the expense of their workers– that’s really the crux of their plan.  Trump added a populist spin that won him the election– but I’m against his policies because I’m confident they’re going to leave the country worse off. 

So the scary part of a Trump presidency happens when his policies fail to make a difference in the lives of his supporters. When it turns out that fixing health insurance wasn’t as simple as selling plans across state lines. When protectionist policies increase the prices at Walmart. When putting tariffs on Mexico doesn’t bring back post-WWII manufacturing jobs, but rather accelerates the pace of automation. When the Affordable Care Act is repealed and people can no longer pay for their cancer treatments. When Americans realize they’re worse off, and Trump faces a rising tide of disapproval and charges of incompetency, and begins to scramble to deflect his failures from his administration and place them somewhere else. 

This is the point when a lot of presidents would lose reelection. But this is where Trump and his demagoguery set up a different dynamic. Trump has proven uniquely adept at speaking to his supporters, and distracting them from policy by fanning the flames of intolerance and xenophobia. He has a strong cult of personality and commands blind allegiance from a base that puts faith above reason. They have perhaps been failed by our society-- left behind by our economy and education system, they are unequipped to understand their own self-interests or confront ideas that challenge them-- as Errol Morris mused, the "a stupid person is a person who treats a smart person as if he is stupid.”  Their shame leaves them angry, their resentment leads to tribalism. Those bright red Make America Great Again hats recall a tactic used by other fascist movements to identify their supporters– badges of allegiance that serve as a mechanism of deindividuation and embolden those wearing them to express their most base and intolerant beliefs.

But it may not just be a matter of incompetency. Trump has expressed his admiration for Putin’s regime, and Steve Bannon subscribes to William Strauss and Neil Howe’s theory that every 80 years America has a major crisis, when the system gets remade. Trump and Clinton were both viewed so unfavorably that the 2016 election was often framed as a contest between the lesser of two evils. But we may have actually seen the triumph of a deep-seated white-Christian authoritarian world-view. Trump might be inviting crisis. 

I’m afraid we’re about to see the most cynical version of disaster capitalism. Employed by the Bush administration after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina (and documented by Naomi Klein in The Shock Doctrine), where the Trump administration welcomes disasters and leverages them to implement policies that roll back our freedom, weaken our institutions, enrich government contractors and cronies, and try to remake the world order. I’ve already mentioned why Trump’s bluster towards Islam is strategically flawed– we risk alienating moderate Muslims we need as allies in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism, and ending up in some sort of clash of civilizations. But there’s another, scarier scenario– given Trump’s clear racism towards Muslims, the many mentions he made of killing terrorists and their families during the campaign, and his belief that the mistake in Iraq was not securing the oil– I wonder if Trump is seeking out this clash. If he’d invite another terrorist attack on American soil, blame Obama for being too soft on terror, and use it as an excuse to partner with Russia to create a white Christian world order that wipes parts of the Middle East from the earth. Scarier still, I’m nervous his supporters would welcome it.

It would seem I’ve assuredly veered into the realm of paranoia and conspiracy that I set out to avoid. I hope we’ll laugh about it one day– I’ll be happy to get a boozy, yuppie brunch in Silver Lake with all of my liberal elite hipster friends in two years, after the Democrats retake the house in 2018, a Sunday edition of the New York Times on the table with a headline “Trump Card: Congress to Begin Impeachment Hearings,” as Trump sits at 18% in the polls. We can laugh about how I was a directionless millennial– a “whiny loser,” as Trump would say– who was prone to conspiracy theories and didn’t have enough faith in American institutions, which truly do always win out in the end. 

But I can’t help but watch what’s happening and think we’re living through that fateful, chilling, divergent moment that will appear in history books. The kind of moment of which historians will ask, how did this happen and why didn’t anyone stop it? 

#donald trump #trump #election 2016

[richmeganews]

Narendra Modi’s Election Challenge: Create Jobs. Lots of Them.

Aashique Ahmed Iqbal had no reason to think he wouldn’t find a job. Although from a modest background, he’d studied at one of India’s top schools, attended one of its best universities, and completed a doctorate in history at Oxford University after being awarded a highly competitive scholarship.

When he returned to India, in 2017, he was optimistic that he could find work as an academic. Over the past decade, India’s education sector has opened up. Well-regarded private universities have joined some of the country’s elite, state-run institutions to offer a quality education for not only India’s top students, but also its wealthiest. These schools actively sought out people like Iqbal—those educated abroad—and paid them relatively well.

But Iqbal’s return was anything but easy. He struggled to find consistent, full-time work, telling me that when he initially came home, “it didn’t seem necessarily unreasonable that I would get a job—maybe not necessarily the first one I applied for, but I certainly didn’t expect to be unemployed for as long as I was unemployed.”

His travails embody the experiences of tens of millions of young Indians—and that could have consequences for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he prepares his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for parliamentary elections, which begin this month. Stories like Iqbal’s are found all over the country. Last year, for instance, 19 million people applied for 63,000 vacancies in India’s national railway authority. This year, there were more than 20,000 applicants, at least one of whom held an M.B.A., for five jobs with the literal title of “peons”; duties included making tea and photocopying. Similarly, 200,000 people, including those with advanced degrees, vied for 1,137 open slots for police constables in Mumbai, a job that officially only requires a high-school diploma.

[Read: Converting to Buddhism as a form of political protest]

These startling stories, coupled with hard economic data, pose perhaps the most serious threat to Modi’s narrative of reform. They raise questions about his pledge to create 10 million jobs annually and belie India’s robust economic-growth rate, which has hovered at about 7 percent over the past decade. In isolation, these accounts might seem like cherry-picked anecdotes designed to poke holes in India’s economic success story. Taken together, however, they call attention to the systemic unemployment that Modi—and indeed any future Indian leader—will struggle to fix in a country of 1.3 billion people, where half the population is under the age of 27.

“If you take the long-term view, this is the single-largest challenge that India faces,” Sadanand Dhume, who studies South Asia at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank in Washington, D.C., told me. “How do you get vast numbers of young people, many of them the first people in their families who have any kind of higher education, wage-paying jobs?”

Between 2005 and 2012, before the BJP was elected, India’s economic growth generated about 3 million jobs a year, according to World Bank data. But the country’s demographics ensured that 13 million people entered the working-age population each year during that time.

In 2014, a wave of support, especially from young Indians, propelled Modi to power. Their demand: Fix everything. The newly elected prime minister promised to overhaul India’s economy, remake its creaking infrastructure, and clean up its pervasive corruption. But though the current government has made some changes, significant ones, its solutions to India’s deep-rooted economic problems are the same as the last one’s. Modi not only has continued the previous Congress Party–led government’s populist economic policies, but also has presided over two spectacular self-inflicted crises: a surprise demonetization program that the government said was designed to root out corruption, and a bungled rollout of a nationwide goods-and-services tax.

[Read: Modi won the Indian election on Twitter, too]

India’s troubles are hardly Modi’s fault alone. They have been cemented by decades of mismanagement. Few governments, even well-intentioned ones, can tackle the challenge of providing for more than 1 billion people. Quality education and health care remain chronic issues, as does a lack of basic development. India, despite its impressive growth, is still a shockingly poor country. Its per-capita gross domestic product is about the same as that of Laos and Uzbekistan. If some of its most populous states were countries, they’d be poorer than all but a handful of nations. Indeed, decades after independence from British rule, nearly 40 percent of Indian children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition. These children will be part of the future workforce after being wrung through a sclerotic education system that doesn’t produce enough employable graduates. And even when it does, some of them, like Iqbal, have trouble finding jobs.

Armed with his doctoral degree, Iqbal began his job hunt in earnest in India—he felt what he described as “an ethical obligation to come back home” because of the government-subsidized scholarships that had helped him fund his education. “It was important that I contribute to the society which I came from,” he told me.

He applied to dozens of positions, often paying a mandatory fee meant to elicit only serious applicants, yet seldom heard back. Jobs, it seemed, weren’t available. He told me that at one point he “seriously considered quitting academia and was looking at journalism and publishing” as potential career paths. The problem is especially bad in India, with its relatively young population.

India has more people younger than 25, 600 million, than the European Union’s total population (512.6 million). Modi’s policies will be felt acutely by these youths, a large section of them Modi supporters, over the course of their lifetime. The prime minister has succeeded in creating about 1 million jobs a year, according to one estimate, not an insignificant number (other estimates put the number at closer to 5 million a year), but one that pales before the challenges ahead. Critics of Modi acknowledge that the prime minister was handed a difficult job, but they say his approach has hurt the country.

“Yes, we know there was a problem before you [Modi’s BJP] came in, but what has happened under your rule is it has actually become worse,” Salman Anees Soz, a former World Bank economist who is now a development consultant and a Congress Party spokesman, told me.

The centerpiece of Modi’s economic program has been Make in India, an effort to persuade foreign companies to manufacture domestically so that the country, like China and South Korea before it, can lift the majority of its population out of poverty. But what worked for those countries decades ago may no longer be applicable. For one, Make in India hasn’t been the success Modi had hoped it would be, because of, among other things, a lack of labor and land reforms. It’s simply too difficult to hire and fire workers in India, and far too challenging to acquire land to set up factories. Second, even if the initiative were successful, automation is getting rid of manufacturing jobs, imperiling the Indians who would have benefited from such employment in a previous era.

[Read: Can Indian manufacturing be the next Chinese manufacturing?]

Perhaps realizing the scale of the matter, Modi and the BJP have shifted their prescription from job creation to self-employment and entrepreneurship, a path that on its own is unlikely to meet the needs of the huge numbers of people who are looking for work. A World Bank report on India said that only a “growth strategy that focuses on productivity-led economic growth and good jobs” will ensure inclusive and sustainable expansion. In other words, the private sector needs to create millions of jobs.

The government’s policies have failed, however, to drive hiring. Despite some changes, onerous regulations and bureaucracy stifle businesses’ operations. Simply put, a small company has little incentive to hire on a scale that could dent India’s unemployment figures.

“India has a jobs problem,” Soz said. “And then, when you look at the future, as technological changes are taking place, what experts are worried about is there might be a hollowing out of jobs, perhaps at the low- and medium-skilled levels.”

A government jobs report that was withheld from public release but leaked to the media in March showed that the unemployment rate is at a four-decade high, and that the total workforce actually shrank for the first time since the 1990s. An independent economic-research institute said that 11 million jobs were lost last year. These are hardly figures that a sitting government will want to campaign with. Yet Modi remains popular and is expected to be easily reelected, partly because of a fractured political opposition and partly because progress, while glacial in pace, is palpable. Prosperity in areas of the country is evident. College graduates may be underemployed, but they have jobs—just not the ones they want.

Iqbal was luckier than most. After being unemployed for more than a year, he now teaches history at a newly established private university in the south of the country. Whether his path reflects that of other young Indians is unclear. Their fate hinges on the implementation of good government policies. If Modi wins, little indicates that he will shift gears in his next term. Even if he does, India’s employment sector will take years to fix.

“You have to create a million jobs a month,” Dhume, of the American Enterprise Institute, told me, before you can refer to India’s youth as a potential demographic dividend—when the share of a country’s working-age population outstrips those who are not of working age. “There’s a very real prospect that this will be a demographic disaster. We just have to own up to that.”

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#Breaking News

[emeralta]

http://sananda.website/message-to-humanity-and-the-earth-it-is-time-by-james-gilliland-november-1st-2017/ Sananda Love is our new reality - MENU -HomePerspective On The New RealitySanandaMeet-ups Around The WorldAbout usQuestions and AnswersContact  Message to Humanity and the Earth: It is Time by James Gilliland, November 1st, 2017  Per Staffan November 5, 2017 James Gilliland  November Update Message to Humanity and the Earth: It is Time by James Gilliland November 1, 2017 We are going to reveal some information that will be similar too and as controversial as a message delivered over 2000 years ago. Yet this message will not be in fables and allegory it deals with facts  We are going to reveal some information that will be similar too and as controversial as a message delivered over 2000 years ago. Yet this message will not be in fables and allegory it deals with facts. This story goes back over 460,000 years. It is time for America and the World to wake up, grow up and end the ignorance in beliefs that have nothing to do with God or the origins of Humanity. You no longer have the luxury of remaining in ignorance and acting outside of Universal Law. What is being done in the name of God and Country is an abomination. Now at the expense of being labeled as spiritually and politically incorrect, which is another mind control program we are going to drop some heavies on you. Only when you know the truth, only then can you break the chains that bind you. The chains consist of a long history of lies and deceptions upon which people depend upon to base their reality. You no longer have the luxury of remaining in ignorance and acting outside of Universal Law. What is being done in the name of God and Country is an abomination.  The Earth has been visited and colonized many times going back over 600 million years.  Anunnaki means those who came from Heaven to Earth. Some operated under Universal Law and were in service to Creation others were self-serving taking advantage of primitive people There were many attempts to colonize Earth and many Star Nations were involved. The Earth has been visited and colonized many times going back over 600 million years. Yes, artifacts have been found proving advanced humans lived on the Earth over 600 million years. Human foot prints alongside of dinosaurs not to mention Trilobites crushed by boots worn by early off world explorers are part of the archeological record. This also includes advanced vehicle parts and jewelry a minimum of 500 thousand years old. Anunnaki means those who came from Heaven to Earth. Some operated under Universal Law and were in service to Creation others were self-serving taking advantage of primitive people. There were many attempts to colonize Earth and many Star Nations were involved. They have come and gone due to great wars, cataclysms such as pole shifts, meteor impacts and massive volcanic eruptions not to mention tsunamis. Some were multiple events happening at once.  In the Vedic Scriptures they talk about great ships, some physical, some pure energy, even magnetized light ships along with Merkabas, spiritual masters appearing as light ships. They gave explicit descriptions of their weapons heat and sound seeking missiles, along with what can only be described as atomic weapons. There are great sheets of glass where this technology was unleashed in the Gobi Desert and in India. When some of these weapons were unleashed according to ancient accounts forests were set ablaze, armies were destroyed, the flesh melted off of elephants and the ground is till radioactive to this day. Your pyramids and other stone monuments some beneath the sea are a testimony to these people. This includes the latest uncoverings in Greenland and Antarctica. Archeologists and Geologists are aware of these major cataclysms and ancient civilizations. Governments and religions also know about this so why has it been kept hidden? To keep you ignorant, divided, and maintain the status quo.  The real question one should be asking is who is behind the separation game? Who stands to profit?? The real question one should be asking is who is behind the separation game? Who stands to profit? This is going on to this day with Antifa, Black Lives Matters, Open Borders, major religions and political organizations all funded by the very same people. We have said many times the right wing and the left wing is the same bird yet what we are missing is who is the head of the bird and it is global. Everything else is a very destructive distraction. People are having their own victim patterns used against them manipulated into emotional storms of hatred and violence serving the very people they profess to be against totally ignorant of their handlers. Do you know what is feeding on these energies? Take a guess. Who are the dividers? Who sits at the top of the war and disease profiteers? They own your religions, your politicians, your lame stream media, even most of your monetary systems. What many do not understand is they own your mind and the last thing they want is for you to take the red pill. This information is the red pill. Even when you think you know the truth there are usually layers of twists and turns, psyops operations designed to manipulate your beliefs. They have done such a good job of creating division and separation over the years including financing both sides of every war since Napoleon many are so busy judging, fighting and fearing each other they never stop for a moment and ask where did their grudges and racism come from? Their history was all one big manipulation. Including religions that demonize and sponsor actions that bring harm to others. Actions outside of Universal Law which supersedes your religions. People are having their own victim patterns used against them manipulated into emotional storms of hatred and violence serving the very people they profess to be against totally ignorant of their handlers.  This all began 460,000 years ago when the Anunnaki who were ancient Lyrans – a very large race came to Earth. Upon arriving they found a knuckle dragger known as the Denisovan man and added their DNA to his/hers. This was one of the ancient humans that were evolving naturally. They needed them to mine the gold to save their planet which was degenerating every time it looped around our sun every 36,000 years. What began as a win/win situation, higher genetics and an evolutionary quantum leap on the Earth human side and getting the gold, they needed to save their outpost, Nibiru devolved when some of the Anunnaki fell. Many began breeding with the hybrids, Enki the scientist and creator god also began upgrading the hybrids to create a more perfect human and Enlil, the general wanted the experiment to end once they got their gold.  The story of Adam and Eve has merit when you know the science and the players. Did you know the one in charge of taking care of the new hybrids was named Mama? Is it starting to come together? This is one of the origins of your image of the all loving all forgiving creator and the jealous wrathful genocidal god. I am using little g for a reason. The jealous, wrathful genocidal god was the image Jesus came to erase when he brought the new covenant the image of an all loving all forgiving God. He came to erase the images of the past and heal the collective trauma and ignorance as to the true nature of God. It is the one consciousness that encompasses all consciousness on all planes and dimensions throughout the multiverses, the Creator within all Creation and the access point is within. It is not external as so many of your religions would like you to believe. It is the spark that sits in the seat of the soul next to the heart which can ignite into the full flame when accessed and activated. These bearded Gods were the origin of many of your religions and myths of old. The demigods were the offspring of the gods mating with the upgraded versions of the more primitive man/woman. Many of the Egyptian leaders were demigods, half Anunnaki half Human. The second generation coming from the failed colonies of Atlantis and Lemuria. Now before you scream blasphemy hear this out.  It is the solution to world peace. An end to war if you awaken to how things truly unfolded on Earth. You have to know your real history of Earth to end the separation game between you, God and the Creator within all Creation. How can you or anyone else be separate from Omnipresence, the unified field of consciousness and energy? How did this separation game begin and who were and are now behind it? Who is perpetuating fear, guilt, unworthiness, class separation, hierarchies of power and wealth? It all goes back to your true ancient history. Marduk, one of the sons of Enki, wanted total supremacy over the Earth even if it meant warring on his own people. He made a pact with the Draconians or Reptilians along with other fallen ETs then waged war only to be eventually betrayed when no longer needed. To this day we have been under Draconian Law or what some call the Archon or Draconian Grid. This next question has but one answer. Why is there so much inhumanity, satanic child sacrifice, pedophiles, war, disease, racism, pain suffering and senseless death? Could the inhuman acts possibly be planned, sponsored and set into motion by non-human entities? Do you really think we got here with all the wars, disease, pollution, inhumanity and what looks like an all-out war on creation by ourselves? It’s time to wake up, grow up, dispel the ignorance and put an end to this separation game. It is the solution to personal freedom. The gross uneven dispersal of wealth, the manufactured lack and enslavement through dependency, the planned obsolescence, the withholding of clean fuel-less energy, the cures for most disease, the all-out war on creation all points back to a network at the top of which are unseen entities some call Archons, demons, reptilians, malevolent greys and fallen Anunnaki. Forget about your need to be right, your religions, your politics, transcend your cultural and religious programs unify and address the real problem. That is the solution.  The real problem is you have been manipulated for eons by some very dark unseen negative influences, the puppet masters behind the mega elite, the banksters, most political and religious leaders and others who in ignorance do their bidding. You have been brainwashed into playing the separation game. The good news is this is about to come to an end.. The real problem is you have been manipulated for eons by some very dark unseen negative influences, the puppet masters behind the mega elite, the banksters, most political and religious leaders and others who in ignorance do their bidding. You have been brainwashed into playing the separation game. The good news is this is about to come to an end. The Earth is in the boondocks, in the outer most corner of the Milky Way virtually ignored by the rest of the multiverse which had its problems. Many of you, most reading or listening to this newsletter have had lives where great wars were fought and won in the Orion System.Spiritually and technologically advanced artistic people were devastated by these invaders often caught off guard due to their peaceful nature. Most of these wars were in the 4th dimension. These Draconian wars spilled out into other systems as well bringing into the conflict the Pleiadeans, Arcturians and Andromedans. The inner worlds closer to galactic core have been cleaned up and now it is time for Earth. It is the last hold out for these destructive, self-serving entities seen and unseen. The unseen negative forces have been cleaned up within the fourth dimension, most of the puppet masters on Earth have been dealt with down to less than one percent. The Archon or Draconian grid is down, a new 5d grid is in place. In the next two months, you are going to see a great unraveling of all that was aligned with the Archon or Draconian grid. This is a trans dimensional war in consciousness and it has already been won. The armies of God are not just Ascended Masters, Angels, Saints and Sages. They are multidimensional and they have their ships You need not worry about the ETs and ships that are coming it’s the ETs and Ships that have always been here. The armies of God are not just Ascended Masters, Angels, Saints and Sages. They are multidimensional and they have their ships. As described in your ancient text, some are physical, some energy, some magnetized light ships. Some have beings which are physical, some pure energy and some also have magnetized light bodies such as the Andromedans many mythologically call Arch Angels. You need not worry about the ETs and ships that are coming it’s the ETs and Ships that have always been here.  The benevolent Anunnaki that continued to evolve are returning. They are within the 6th to the 9th dimension. There is a recall so to speak of all the fallen Anunnaki that stepped out of Universal Law. They are having to stand before the Higher Council and explain themselves. Some will be rehabilitated, some will be recycled back to Source. The reptilian energies they were working with will experience the same fate. Most have already left back to their home world where they are isolated so as to never return. The Andromedans in the 7th dimension the council of which most others go to for advice are also helping with this matter. The Arcturians are also assisting. The Orion Council of Light who have the most experience in dealing with these entities are playing a paramount role in the planetary liberation of Earth. Great battles were fought and won in the Orion system. The Pleiadians who have the greatest stock in human, plant and animal genetics which were major tera-formers in the past creating the colonies of Atlantis and Lemuria will also play a major role in the restoration process. The Earth was never meant to go in this direction, it was created to be an Eden where all life could evolve to its highest potential. It was hijacked. This is about to be reconciled.  They are having to stand before the Higher Council and explain themselves. Some will be rehabilitated, some will be recycled back to Source. Many are already observing the ships coming in on many different levels depending on their sensitivity. NASA is fully aware of massive ships miles long in various shapes and sizes. Do not forget they are a part of the network as well and if you base your beliefs and trust on what little they have shared with you again you are placing severe limitations on yourself. They, the debunkers and planned opposition controlling the narrative within the UFO and science community are about to have major egg on face. Those within the Government, the press all will soon have some major explaining to do considering the fact that ships have been here and have been coming and going before Egyptian times. What is going to happen when they suddenly appear in mass. They have already been appearing despite the censorship over major cities to acclimate the people yet something very big is about to happen. Most likely you are a part of it knowingly or unknowingly. People in all walks of live are being initiated, activated and coming into remembrance of why they came to Earth. They are remembering other lives, other civilizations some of which they incarnated in the past. They are waking up to the fact that something just isn’t right, never has been right and the real reason why they never fit in. They were never supposed to fit in. They are the ground crew and are here to liberate humanity and the Earth from a very sick controlling elite. An elite that has been influenced, taken over and in some cases in total submission to these unseen negative influences. This is the core issue make no mistake. The only question now to ponder is who do your serve? You don’t have the luxury of continuing on the wrong side of the fence  The Earth is ascending to the next level. What most of you call Inner Earth Beings are assisting along with Ascended Masters, Saints, Sages and what some call Ultradimensionals or Off Worlders, spiritually and technologically advanced beings. The puppet masters most of which have been removed is leaving their puppets to flounder. The draconian grid is gone giving virtually no support to the puppets, the bankster elite war and disease profiteers, disempowering and deceiving religious leaders, crooked self-serving politicians, the child sacrifice and pedophile network is being exposed and let’s not leave out the shenanigans of Holy Wood. Everything that does not align with Universal Law which is pressing in along with the 5th dimensional energies enforced by what some call the armies of God/Great Spirit/Creator will come to an end. The days of tyranny, predators and parasites are coming to a close. Everything that is not frequency specific to the new 5th dimensional energies, Universal Law, what some call Unity consciousness must transform or come to an end. Put that on CNN. A very short-lived network. You will see very shortly a complete overhaul of global economics. You will see the fuel-less energy devices, frequency healing devices and the suppressed cures to most disease coming forward. What many call the swamp will be drained globally. Universal Law what can easily defined as Universal Peace, Brother/Sisterly Love, Individual Freedom and Prosperity for All will be the law of the land. The Star Nations will be instrumental in cleaning up the environment and with their advanced technology it will happen very quickly. This is your destiny. It is Earth’s destiny. It is supported by the Beautiful Many Masters, Saints, Sages, including the Spiritually and Technologically Advanced Off World beings, your ancestors some of which are referred to as Ultradimensionals. It is by edict of the real God/Goddess, Creator/Great Spirit whatever name you wish to call it. The sacred circle of life will be honored, the hoop mended. This is an individual and collective experience. How you participate is up to you however I would advise not to go against Universal Law nor hinder the awakening and healing process within yourself or others. Karma is being exponentially accelerated. All will be revealed. The ground crew is being activated. People from all walks of life are coming forward. The real invasion happened a long time ago when advanced beings heard the call and chose to incarnate and assist in the awakening and healing process. It is still happening with the young masters coming in despite all efforts to suppress them. The soul activation is on, the switch flipped, everything is in place and the end of the tyrants seen and unseen is unfolding as we speak. That is the Big Event. Despite any false flags, attempts to create WW3, suppress individual freedom, unleash death and destruction and create chaos the tyrants will fail. It is their destiny. Let���s all do our part by adhering to Universal Law, refusing to participate in anything which would cause harm to humanity and the Earth and hold the leadership, political, business, and religious to the same standard. You are not alone. The greater force is with you. What is all boils down to is: Are YOU creating Heaven on Earth? Are YOU living according to Universal Law?   Pass this on far and wide, it is a solution. Be Well,  James Gilliland  www.eceti.org  www.bbsradio.com  www.privateinvitationeceti.com  ECETI Official YouTube Channel  Instagram FacebookTwitterGoogle+EmailShare ← Previous post Next post → Search the website Donations The wait for financial freedom is prolonged. 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