#this is where american taxes go

[ember-knights]

I just saw the IOF kidnap Palestinian fathers and sons... They are torturing them. Humiliating them. Stripping them naked and then killing them.. and posting it online.

That is . .That is what they can do? Not fight in a war, just kidnap and torture.

Oh how i fucking despise every single fuck who said "my heart goes out for the Israeli civilians." I fucking despise them.

What is happening in the west bank is horrific...

#palestine #fuck israel till kingdom come fucking fuck stop this #im so fucking pissed off #i stand with palestine #free palestine #fuck the usa #gaza #fuck israel #the west bank #fuck the us #this is where american taxes go

[scarz-xo]

Yesterday Israel bombed Lebanon for reasons like "Hezb Allah are trying to get into this war and help Hamas".

Hours ago Egypt got bombed again but it wasn't by the borders this time no, they hit Taba, a city in Sinai Egypt, 5 were injured and damage was done to a residential building because of the "rocket".

This is where the American taxes go.

#palestine #israel #egypt #free palestine #lebanon #israel is a terrorist state #american #taxes #this is where the american taxes go

[biherbalwitch]

They bombed the main gate to Al-Shifaa hospital (a shelter for over 30,000 refugees) and several ambulances and civilian groups that were supposed to be heading south to the Rafah crossing

The zionist occupation's prime minister rejected the "humanitarian pause" that was ironically presented by US secretary of state and said, word for word, that they will continue to bomb Gaza with all their power.

I say ironically because the US house of representatives just approved a bill for 14.3 BILLION dollars in "aid for israel"

#this where your tax money is going #the us won't offer free healthcare or housing for their citizens #but can gladly throw billions on a genocidal nuclear power #colonisers of yesterday will support the coloniser of today #palestine #gaza #gaza strip #free palestine #free gaza #palestine will be free #american politics #genocide #israel #anti colonialism #anti imperialism #usa #from the river to the sea palestine will be free #social justice

[eastsidepapi]

We live in Hell

#free Palestine #🇵🇸 #as arabs this doesnt annoy us its expected #but if I was American I would be pissed #Considering all of the issues with America #homlessness #no clean water #opiod epidemic #healthcare n education #13 billion is more than enough to fix all of the problems in America but no its better spent funding war lords and genocidal maniacs #murdering innocent women n children #Why isnt every single American protesting rn #this is yalls money lmaoooo #this is where your taxes go after working them 2 jobs long hours every week #but Uncle Sam is doing a great job distracting yall #smh

[sherlock-is-ace]

.

#listen I'm NOT complaining I'll never complain about having work I'm literally poor #but like... i wish the way opportunities came to me was like one project a week where i could be chill about it #and not 3 projects at the same time having me working till 3:18am and probably up early tomorrow (saturday) #and then not a single drop of work opportunities for 8 months 🙃 #i'm not complaining truly I'm not #in fact i'm so greatful cause I was about to run out of money to pay some self employed taxes? idk what they are #specially not in english idk what y'all have or what it's called #but i needed to pay it (cause it was 5k last month and now it's like 20k because of the economy going to shit) so i'm glad i am working #but also i want to sleep lol #angel talks #personal #(the 5k and 20k are not usd... just clarifying cause americans think they're the only people in the planet sometimes lol)

[culmaer-sideblog]

¶

#a us american couple bought a piece from the gallery today #comes to about six months of my salary #and they casually charge it to a debit card #but whatever. i've worked in this industry long enough where this is normal #(and i do get a tiny commission on the sale so perhaps it's a bit less than six months all things considered) #anyway as I'm preparing their shipping and customs paperwork #they're telling me about other galleries they've visited #and that they bought 2x sculptures from a very well-known south african sculptor (won't disclose lest I doxx them accidently) #and they're not bragging or anything they're just making conversation #but I know that these works go for like 2 to 5 years of my salary. before taxes. each. and they bought two ! #so oké they really are rich #and here's the thing that tipped me over the edge #the last straw #they're buying a camp in one of our major game reserves and the art is décor #tourism is a huge sector of south africa's economy #game/nature reserves and parks are some of our major attractions #and if we let private americans own these places #then where do the profits generated by these reserves and parks go ?? #does it stay in south africa ? does it contribute to the south african economy ? #or does it flow out and enrich the american owners and investors ?? #capitalists always say foreign investment is good but this doesn't feel like it can be ??? how ??? #like I'm not being racist or xenophobic or nationalistic here #but like when Africa exports raw minerals like gold platinum cobalt copper etc through foreign mine owners #and we get sold back phones and cars etc at much higher cost #we understand how this is unhelpful for the economies and development in Africa #right #so why is it different when they buy our tourist attractions ? #yes it created jobs etc etc #but the profits don't stay in the country #or actually maybe investment is good

[westywallowing]

exploring creative careers?? who knew could be kind of fun??

#reasonable #okay so i just finished my first year of American College and i was. unimpressed to say the least #when i was choosing which college to go to i had two choices: out of state (super expensive) for a creative major #or in-state (more reasonably affordable) for a more major #so i went with the safe option and did in-state #and i am.. not very impressed #i mean its a good school! i love the staff and the community and the campus #ive made amazing friends and socially feel very secure and happy #its the academics and career path that im not interested in at all #i kind of always told myself in highschool that id never be able to do creative careers because they just werent reasonable #which is not correct right i just wasnt giving myself the chance #this year has been INCREDIBLY taxing on me mentally due to my struggle with academics and my adhd #if u have adhd you know how draining it is to be forced to put all your energy into something that doesnt make u happy #its like punching concrete with your fist #but anyway the point is. ive been looking at beauty schools for cosmetology :) #its very daunting. in a big city really far away from home #but also achievable?? inspiring?? creative?? fun??? #its not a set thing but. we'll see where the wind takes me!! #you never know #westy's shit

[beemovieerotica]

it's so funny to me that conservatives think the reason university students become more liberal is because of the actual course material and not like. the fact that universities in the US are oftentimes the first place Americans are introduced to a walkable environment with affordable health care, with community spaces for any affiliation under the sun where they give you free resources and cheap food. with included public transit and opportunities for training in your field of choice. and you realize that for how much you're spending on tuition/taxes, yeah, you do deserve these things, it would be insane not to have those. and then you graduate and go back to having to buy a car to drive 20 minutes to the grocery store.

#america

[chariothart]

committed crimes

murder / manslaughter / assault / robbery / breaking & entering / theft / embezzlement / money-laundering / kidnapping / torture / blackmail / arson / trespassing / treason / libel or slander / obstruction of justice / lying to law enforcement / creation of a weapon / espionage / riot / escape from lawful custody / contempt of court / public intoxication / conspiracy / accessory to a crime / harboring a fugitive / bribery / perjury under oath / resisting arrest / identity theft / corporate fraud / tax fraud / document forgery / destruction of evidence / assassination / counterfeiting / sale of a controlled substance / purchase of a controlled substance / failure to pay child support / hacking crimes / threats / pick-pocketing / shoplifting

#most of this did not happen on american soil #im also only bolding things that like #he could legally be convicted of? so like sure he's talked shit but you couldn't convict him of libel or slander you know #and most of this was like not on his own behalf :/ #lmao i was jsut thinking about how eliot literally puts $ directly into the community where he lives #like he'll pay taxes on whatever ids hardison has going you know? but theres no way all of it winds up getting taxed if any #eliot isnt guilty of perjury under oath bc he has simply never actually been to court #technically not guilty of libel or slander bc he isnt the one publishing anything #shoplifting is also kind of iffy bc eliot is much more like 'go to the warehouse' but #im sure hes had to for cons or like small things #never failed to pay child support bc he simply practices safe s*x w partners who can conceive #well with all partners lmao but #aNYWAY #im gonna say he's only had like one or two pregnancy scares #and his partners hadn't wanted to keep the pregnancy #lmao i did not mean to talk thhis much wow #but also the way eliot would like... pay scarily over what he'd owe in child support #like there'd be no way to count it anyway #god ok im gonna make myself sad byeeeeeee

[ember-knights]

He was saving for a bed..

#palestine #free palestine #fuck israel #fuck the usa #i stand with palestine #gaza under genocide #this world is bullshit #fuck biden #this is where American taxes go #gaza #free gaza

[scarz-xo]

Since I'm getting alot of replies, comments & questions in my inbox stating that "Israel has to bomb them as self defense" or "Israel bombs the hospitals & schools to get to Hamas" or the funniest one yet "they're war casualties".

I'd like to present to you an Israeli old war crime that doesn't have to do with Palestine, the "Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing"

Where did that happen?

Egypt.

When did that happen?

8th of April 1970.

Who caused the death of 30 children & injured 50 including teachers?

Israel.

So of course you're asking why did Israel say they bombed a children's primary school?

Does it remind you of something?

Also remember how the US helps Israel with ammunition, money and more?

Guess the type of warplanes Israel used to bomb the school in 1970, yes you're right they were American.

"With American Phantom warplanes, the enemy hit an Egyptian children's school"

Also here's a link about the US-Israeli alliance regarding the warplanes:

In conclusion, don't be surprised by what's happening in Palestine & Gaza, it's not the first time Israel attacks civilians for no reason then come out with the "they have a military base/Hamas underground", also don't be surprised by the US backing them up, it's not the first time & it won't be the last so let me remind you:

This is where the American taxes go.

#palestine #israel #israel is a terrorist state #gaza #free palestine #genocide #ethnic cleansing #israel is an apartheid state #this is where the american taxes go #egypt #israel vs egypt

[glazecake]

Palestine فلسطين

x / x / x | x / x / x | x / x / x

My goal with making this post is to use my platform to raise awareness and encourage solidarity and action for the people of Palestine. Over the past few weeks, I have felt powerless to watch the destruction of Gaza before the world's eyes. However, I realized that I still have a large platform despite this blog's inactivity. With this, I would like to share information about Palestine and what you can do to help.

In the above post, I have sought out videos of Palestinian food, culture, art, architecture, and nature to share. Israeli propaganda is trying adamantly to dehumanize the population of Palestine in order to further justify their genocide. Regardless, no matter where you are in the world, humans recognize and understand what it is to be human. What it is to make art, to share food with your loved ones, to travel, and laugh, and sing. To experience heartbreak and hardship, and to experience joy. To dream about the future. To stand up for what we believe in, to fight in the face of injustice.

If you are an American citizen, use your voice to stand up for what's right. Contact your representatives. Demand a ceasefire in Gaza. Boycott companies and celebrities who voice their support of the Israeli settler state. Protest. Donate. Organize. Fight. We are strongest when in community with each other. Our US tax dollars directly fund the murder of Gazan civilians. Make it known that we will not stand idly by while news outlets and propagandists lie to our faces about the atrocities enacted by the IDF and the Knesset.

Here are some links for information on Palestine, as well as places to donate:

decolonizepalestine - A website aiming to educate and dispel myths about the Palestinian people, ran by two Ramallah residents.

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights - You can use this website to find groups organizing near you.

Palestine Action US - The US branch of a directive aiming to dismantle the Israeli military regime, directly funded by the US.

Hirbawi Kufiya - The last and only Kufiya factory in Palestine, as featured in the gif above. You can pre-order a kufiya which will be shipped once the blockade has been lifted.

Let Gaza Live: Ceasefire NOW - An easy way to send letters to your representatives to demand ceasefire in Gaza.

The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries by Rosemary Sayigh - A good introduction to the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Click to Help - One click a day can help raise donations for the UNRWA.

baitulmaal - Donate to fund relief.

anera - Donate to provide hygiene kits for displaced Gazans.

As of October 27th, 2023, Gazans are losing access to the internet. It is imperative for us to share their stories, to continue to remain active and aware of their martyrdom. The IDF will utilize this information blackout to their advantage. We must do all we can. Do not forget the plight of the Palestinian people. Do not allow their voices to go unheard.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. 🇵🇸

#palestine #ceasefire now #free palestine #gaza

[destructive-path]

imagine living in a society where genocide is actively being televised, streamed, and consistently posted abt on social media. where theres floods of information, eye witnesses, evidence FOR FREE and u still choose to stay silent, uneducated and un involved. oh wait……..

if u think this post applies to you, then do better. if u claim to be an “ally” or “woke” or literally whatever term is trending these days and u arent using your platform to spread any type of awareness THEN U ARE ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM.

HEAVY ON AMERICANS TOO. our tax dollars are funding the murder of men women and children in gaza and now one of the only aid sources for palestinians is officially cut off by the hands of our president.

every day im haunted by the things these innocent souls have to go through. and it makes me sick that others claim to care but do nothing in their power to help. the aid i can offer to save a life is next to none, i can pray that the posts i reblog reach someone who doesnt know much about the conflict, i can protest, i can donate to aids that im not even sure are able to enter gaza, but to sit in a place of privilege? and do nothing? couldn’t me me, and if THATS YOU, then you should take a moment and reflect on how loud your silence can be.

if u wish to argue with me on this matter this is not the space to do so, i will not take time out of my day to debate on whether what is happening in palestine is unjust. it is. period.

#free palestine #from the river to the sea palestine will be free #palestine #free gaza #gaza

[leupagus]

On Voting in America

So one of the most profound comments on routine chores that I've ever encountered was, hilariously, the Pickle Rick episode of "Rick & Morty," where (after a lot of shenanigans have already ensued) this therapist absolutely lays Rick out:

"I have no doubt that you would be bored senseless by therapy, the same way I'm bored when I brush my teeth and wipe my ass. Because the thing about repairing, maintaining, and cleaning is: it's not an adventure. There's no way to do it so wrong you might die. It's just work. And the bottom line is some people are okay going to work and some people, well, some people would rather die. Each of us gets to choose."

I think about this at least once a week — usually while I'm doing my laundry or sweeping or some other task that needs doing and won't get me anything more than clean clothing or a dog-hair-free floor. There's no Pulitzer for wiping down your microwave or scrubbing your toilet; no one's awarding you for getting all the dishes out of the sink. At best you have the satisfaction of crossing it off your list.

Voting is very much the same (and I'm talking about the US here, as an American). Sure, you sometimes get a sticker; but nobody's going to cheer for you. There's no adventure here, no potential for anything more than crossing something off of a list. It's a chore, something that needs doing in order to repair, maintain, and yes even clean. So I get why people don't like doing it.

And I've decided I don't give a shit.

Do it anyway. Your country takes astonishingly little from you — taxes, the once-in-a-blue-moon jury duty, and a theoretical draft that hasn't been used in over half a century and likely will never be again — but it asks you (asks! not requires! not demands!) to vote once a year. It's not always easy; especially in conservative states, the impediments to vote can be ridiculous. But it is once a year and unlike in our nation's all-too-recent past, you will not die if you do it.

In fact, the worst outcome from voting these days is that the person or issue that you vote for loses — but you won't know if they lose until after the election. Polls are less accurate now, for a whole host of reasons; you cannot know until after the election who or what will win. This makes your vote more valuable than possibly ever before.

Use that power. Not because it's exciting or even rewarding, but because your vote is what keeps our country's metaphorical teeth from falling out and our metaphorical ass from stinking.

Brush, wipe, vote.

#ok the metaphor may've gotten a little gross but rick & morty chose it not me #anyway if voting didn't matter then rich people wouldn't do it #and I can assure you: they do #also: please don't think of voting like a reward for the person you're voting for #or as a punishment for the person you're not voting for #my mom's advice was: #think about the most vulnerable people you care about and vote for the person or issue that will make their lives better #and you'll rarely go wrong #yes there are often two bad options but if you're old enough to vote you're old enough to understand the difference between bad and less ba #anyway that's all the political lecturing I'll do this year #except maybe to complain about the 18-hour day I'll be having on Tuesday #oh also SIGN UP TO WORK ELECTIONS WE NEED MORE HELP #thank you #politics!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The unexpected upside of global monopoly capitalism

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 10) at UCLA, then Chicago (Apr 17), Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

Here's a silver lining to global monopoly capitalism: it means we're all fighting the same enemy, who is using the same tactics everywhere. The same coordination tools that allow corporations to extend their tendrils to every corner of the Earth allows regulators and labor organizers to coordinate their resistance.

That's a lesson Mercedes is learning. In 2023, Germany's Supply Chain Act went into effect, which bans large corporations with a German presence from using child labor, violating health and safety standards, and (critically) interfering with union organizers:

https://www.bafa.de/EN/Supply_Chain_Act/Overview/overview_node.html

Across the ocean, in the USA, Mercedes has a preference for building its cars in the American South, the so-called "right to work" states where US labor law is routinely flouted and unions are thin on the ground. As The American Prospect's Harold Meyerson writes, the only non-union Mercedes factories in the world are in the US:

https://prospect.org/labor/2024-04-08-american-workers-german-law-uaw-unions/

But American workers – especially southern workers – are on an organizing tear, unionizing their workplaces at a rate not seen in generations. Their unprecedented success is down to their commitment, solidarity and shrewd tactics – all buoyed by a refreshingly pro-worker NLRB, who have workers' backs in ways also not seen since the Carter administration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

Workers at Mercedes' factory in Vance, Alabama are trying to join the UAW, and Mercedes is playing dirty, using the tried-and-true union-busting tactics that have held workplace democracy at bay for decades. The UAW has lodged a complaint with the NLRB, naturally:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-mercedes-benz

But the UAW has also filed a complaint with BAFA, the German regulator in charge of the Supply Chain Act, seeking penalties against Mercedes-Benz Group AG:

https://uaw.org/uaw-files-charges-in-germany-against-mercedes-benz-companys-anti-union-campaign-against-u-s-autoworkers-violates-new-german-law-on-global-supply-chain-practices/

That's a huge deal, because the German Supply Chain Act goes hard. If Mercedes is convicted of union-busting in Alabama, its German parent-company faces a fine of 2% of its global total revenue, and will no longer be eligible to sell products to the German government. Chomp.

Now, the German Supply Chain Act is new, and this is the first petition filed by a non-German union with BAFA, so it's not a slam dunk. But supermajorities of Mercedes workers at the Alabama factory have signed UAW cards, and the election is going to happen in May or June. And the UAW – under new leadership, thanks to a revolution that overthrew the corrupt old guard – has its sights set on all the auto-makers in the American south.

As Meyerson writes, the south is America's onshore offshore, a regulatory haven where corporations pay minimal or no tax and are free to abuse their workers, pollute, and corrupt local governments with a free hand (no wonder American industry is flocking to these states). Meyerson: "The economic impact of unionizing the South, in other words, could almost be placed in the same category as reshoring work that had gone to China."

The German Supply Chain Act was passed with the help of Germany's powerful labor unions, in an act of solidarity with workers employed by German companies all over the world. This is that unexpected benefit to globalism: the fact that Mercedes has extrusions into both the American and German political spheres means that both American and German workers can collaborate to bring it to heel.

The same is true for antitrust regulators. The multinational corporations that are in regulators' crosshairs in the US, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and beyond use the same playbook in every country. That's doubly true of Big Tech companies, who literally run the same code – embodying the same illegal practices – on servers in every country.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has led the pack on convening summits where antitrust enforcers from all over the world gather to compare notes and collaborate on enforcement strategies:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cma-data-technology-and-analytics-conference-2022-registration-308678625077

And the CMA's Digital Markets Unit – which boasts the the largest tech staff of any competition regulator in the world – produces detailed market studies that turn out to be roadmaps for other territories' enforces to follow – like this mobile market study:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

Which was extensively referenced in the EU during the planning of the Digital Markets Act, and in the US Congress for similar legislation:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2710

It also helped enforcers in Japan:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-crack-down-on-Apple-and-Google-app-store-monopolies

And South Korea:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-considers-505-mln-fine-against-google-apple-over-app-market-practices-2023-10-06/

Just as Mercedes workers in Germany and the USA share a common enemy, allowing for coordinated action that takes advantage of vulnerable flanks wherever they are found, anti-monopoly enforcers are sharing notes, evidence, and tactics to strike at multinationals that are bigger than most countries – but not when those countries combine.

This is an unexpected upside to global monopolies: when we all share a common enemy, we've got endless opportunities for coordinated offenses and devastating pincer maneuvers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

#pluralistic #monopoly #labor #nlrb #germany #harold meyerson #supply chain act #right to work #onshore offshore #uaw #vance alabama #vance #alabama #bafa #mercedes #antitrust #trustbusting

[mephistopholes-brain]

2,977 civilians died tragically in 9/11, 343 being firefighters.

Since then it has been “Never forget.” for over 20 years, the US attacked and destabilized an innocent country, and white ppl have further pushed the narrative that Muslims and Middle Easterners are all “evil terrorists”.

Now, in less than 6 months the OFFICIAL death toll in Gaza exceeds 30,000, half being CHILDREN. At least 200 doctors have died and many were TARGETED by IOF soldiers. I have seen children dismembered, maimed, sniped, run over, crushed, starved, scalped, exploded, burned, and strung up on the side of a building.

I have seen men, women, and children desperately digging through the rubble to find their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, friends, lovers etc.

I have seen brave doctors run outside to save injured civilians while at extremely high risk of being shot by snipers.

I have seen a father carrying BAGS full of his children’s remains.

I have seen a young girl, no more than 9, with a leg, an arm, and a hand blown off while her scalp hangs from her skull.

I have seen doctors speak out against the cruelty and ethnic cleansing while surrounded by the bodies of those they tried to save.

I have seen hundreds of pictures of NICU babies who were going to die soon because the hospital was about to run out of electricity.

I have read the first hand story of a father who traded one of his children for one of his brother’s children so that if one group dies at least one of their children would make it.

I have read posts from lgbt+ KIDS talking about how they regret not kissing their crush because they just watched them DIE.

I have seen the public posts of IDF and IOF soldiers where they show off the underwear and lingerie they looted from the drawers of the Gazans they are massacring.

I have listened to the screams of mothers after hearing their child is dead.

I have watched a teen boy’s gaze harden into something cold and empty after his entire family died in front of him, leaving him completely alone.

I have seen an IOF soldier throw a father and his baby into a giant wood burning oven just for fun.

I have seen many children with shell-shock, shaking because their minds and bodies can’t comprehend the horrors they have experienced.

I have seen tanks run over women actively giving birth on the roads of Gaza.

I have watched oldest siblings, no more than 11, take on the responsibility of keeping their younger siblings safe. I cannot comprehend how incredibly stressful that must be.

A little 6yo girl was trapped for 2 weeks in a car surrounded by the dead bodies of her family as they rotted.

This is all done with American tax dollars while companies like McDonalds give free food to Israeli soldiers. We are quite literally paying for this. 20% of your work and hard earned money is paying for the genocide of innocent people in Palestine.

This is NOT a political issue. This is a human rights issue.

Pro-Palestine is Pro-Humanity.

#free palestine 🇵🇸 #from the river to the sea palestine will be free #free gaza #gaza #gaza strip #gaza genocide #free palestine #protest #israhell #fuck israel #fuck the police #fuck biden #fuck billionaires #fuck america #vote third party #taxes #human rights #palestinian genocide #genocide #ethnic cleansing #9/11 #middle east #islamophobia #anti zionisim #zionsim is terrorism