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@litano.bsky.social
abolish political streaming influencers
society cannot handle political streaming influencers
society cannot handle political streaming influencers
February 13, 2026 at 5:01 AM
abolish political streaming influencers
society cannot handle political streaming influencers
society cannot handle political streaming influencers
The Vaush comparison is absolutely making me lose my mind
February 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM
The Vaush comparison is absolutely making me lose my mind
Apparently I also need to read theory, because I finished reading the author's note and realized that she actually discusses this very quality of writing in the damn thing! Honestly jumpscared me a bit
February 9, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Apparently I also need to read theory, because I finished reading the author's note and realized that she actually discusses this very quality of writing in the damn thing! Honestly jumpscared me a bit
"futurologists (salaried)" is just a perfect shot. And yeah, there is something magical about the rhythm of her prose- the way it takes these little diversions and then seamlessly nudges you back to the main idea. You really get a sense of her mind at work and all the different ways she sees a topic
February 9, 2026 at 5:59 AM
"futurologists (salaried)" is just a perfect shot. And yeah, there is something magical about the rhythm of her prose- the way it takes these little diversions and then seamlessly nudges you back to the main idea. You really get a sense of her mind at work and all the different ways she sees a topic
I don't think that Le Guin was the first one to articulate this idea, but she definitely wrote one of the most beautiful and compelling explanations of it. None of the techbros obsessed with sci-fi get this, which is why they look at these stories and only see their own neuroses reflected back
February 9, 2026 at 5:36 AM
I don't think that Le Guin was the first one to articulate this idea, but she definitely wrote one of the most beautiful and compelling explanations of it. None of the techbros obsessed with sci-fi get this, which is why they look at these stories and only see their own neuroses reflected back
read theory (The Left Hand of Darkness author's note)
February 9, 2026 at 5:26 AM
read theory (The Left Hand of Darkness author's note)
I mean, I obviously agree with that statement! It's just that there are also obvious illegitimate cases where the logic of security is stretched past its breaking point (such as settlements) where it's a bit of a non-sequitur to bring up except as a mirage.
February 6, 2026 at 5:13 PM
I mean, I obviously agree with that statement! It's just that there are also obvious illegitimate cases where the logic of security is stretched past its breaking point (such as settlements) where it's a bit of a non-sequitur to bring up except as a mirage.
In the case of "settlements" as a reaction to "security," I actually agree that lots of Israelis (wrongly) see these as a complimentary reason and response. My point is that the rest of the world has accepted this logic for much of my life because they agree that Palestine is intransigent here.
February 6, 2026 at 5:02 PM
In the case of "settlements" as a reaction to "security," I actually agree that lots of Israelis (wrongly) see these as a complimentary reason and response. My point is that the rest of the world has accepted this logic for much of my life because they agree that Palestine is intransigent here.
I am reading the chain! The context is a discussion about the justification of security *in the case of settlements.* I hope we can all agree that justifications can be fair to invoke for certain responses and unfair for others (i.e., "my roommate ate my food" justifies a note but not a shooting).
February 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I am reading the chain! The context is a discussion about the justification of security *in the case of settlements.* I hope we can all agree that justifications can be fair to invoke for certain responses and unfair for others (i.e., "my roommate ate my food" justifies a note but not a shooting).
Elsewhere in this conversation you've said that Israel can justify its settlement policy based on security (or at least that the fears that lead them to this conclusion are well-founded). The rest of the world accepting that argument would honestly be one of the more exculpatory readings!
It is plainly not self-serving claptrap given the invasion of Israel's legal territory less than two and a half years ago.
February 6, 2026 at 9:22 AM
Elsewhere in this conversation you've said that Israel can justify its settlement policy based on security (or at least that the fears that lead them to this conclusion are well-founded). The rest of the world accepting that argument would honestly be one of the more exculpatory readings!
Ok, so some staff at HRW tried to argue that Palestinians had a right of return. HRW disagreed. I understand the phenomena you're talking about and agree that it happens in NGOworld, but this feels like a pretty weak instance of it that's just reaching for the latest thing. HRW didn't bite on this!
February 6, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Ok, so some staff at HRW tried to argue that Palestinians had a right of return. HRW disagreed. I understand the phenomena you're talking about and agree that it happens in NGOworld, but this feels like a pretty weak instance of it that's just reaching for the latest thing. HRW didn't bite on this!
I agree that people often talk about standards in these terms, but I would not say that they are applied this way. The ICJ case you raise is a good example- lots of rhetoric along these lines, but Israel was not actually bound from pushing into Rafah and Palestine was not guaranteed sufficient aid.
February 6, 2026 at 8:58 AM
I agree that people often talk about standards in these terms, but I would not say that they are applied this way. The ICJ case you raise is a good example- lots of rhetoric along these lines, but Israel was not actually bound from pushing into Rafah and Palestine was not guaranteed sufficient aid.
The problem is that these powers also want to enable Israeli to act with maximum impunity in the region, which undermines this work. For instance, allowing collective punishment via famine in Gaza only fuels backlash in much the same way as the settlements.
February 6, 2026 at 8:39 AM
The problem is that these powers also want to enable Israeli to act with maximum impunity in the region, which undermines this work. For instance, allowing collective punishment via famine in Gaza only fuels backlash in much the same way as the settlements.
Well, are you talking about annoying blue-haired kids on college campuses and bluesky, or are you talking about the US government and other preeminent world powers? Because I think the latter has signalled pretty strongly that they're willing to pressure and discipline Palestine.
February 6, 2026 at 8:36 AM
Well, are you talking about annoying blue-haired kids on college campuses and bluesky, or are you talking about the US government and other preeminent world powers? Because I think the latter has signalled pretty strongly that they're willing to pressure and discipline Palestine.
"Israel has a legitimate interest in its own security" as a rationale to accept or overlook illegal settlements is an argument that says because Palestine will not moderate *therefore* we will allow this violation of international law.
February 6, 2026 at 8:28 AM
"Israel has a legitimate interest in its own security" as a rationale to accept or overlook illegal settlements is an argument that says because Palestine will not moderate *therefore* we will allow this violation of international law.
Yes! The international community has pretty broad consensus on this point that it's acceptable to pressure Palestine to raise its standards and punish it when it does not. Even extreme measures like accepting the settlements are often couched in these terms.
February 6, 2026 at 8:27 AM
Yes! The international community has pretty broad consensus on this point that it's acceptable to pressure Palestine to raise its standards and punish it when it does not. Even extreme measures like accepting the settlements are often couched in these terms.
Given that this is the case, ameliorating Israel's policy here is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for creating a plausible negotiating partner. I don't know how to make the hegemonic Palestinian institutions into good liberals any more than I know how to make the Israeli institutions...
February 6, 2026 at 8:22 AM
Given that this is the case, ameliorating Israel's policy here is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for creating a plausible negotiating partner. I don't know how to make the hegemonic Palestinian institutions into good liberals any more than I know how to make the Israeli institutions...
I think that for all the reasons @loudpenitent.bsky.social has laid out, Palestinian nationalism likely will not moderate or lose its antisemitic character in the face of Israel's current treatment towards the West Bank and Gaza.
February 6, 2026 at 8:20 AM
I think that for all the reasons @loudpenitent.bsky.social has laid out, Palestinian nationalism likely will not moderate or lose its antisemitic character in the face of Israel's current treatment towards the West Bank and Gaza.
Yes. And given that this is the case (to take it back to the top of the discussion) I think it's entirely appropriate for the UN, the US, and other international actors to apply more pressure to Israel even if it intensifies Israeli fears in the short term.
February 6, 2026 at 8:10 AM
Yes. And given that this is the case (to take it back to the top of the discussion) I think it's entirely appropriate for the UN, the US, and other international actors to apply more pressure to Israel even if it intensifies Israeli fears in the short term.
The only comparison I'm trying to make is that a siege mentalities are a common response for groups who wind up on top of racial caste systems. This does not mean that global pushback is necessarily futile or that the siege mentality will abate when dominant group is offered a viable path to peace.
February 6, 2026 at 7:57 AM
The only comparison I'm trying to make is that a siege mentalities are a common response for groups who wind up on top of racial caste systems. This does not mean that global pushback is necessarily futile or that the siege mentality will abate when dominant group is offered a viable path to peace.
Ok, so it's out of bounds to say that Israel is deeply committed to a policy of irredentist one-state rule but it's beyond critique if they operate from the position "Palestinian national aspirations are inherently antisemitic?" I'm just trying to figure out the rules here.
February 6, 2026 at 7:46 AM
Ok, so it's out of bounds to say that Israel is deeply committed to a policy of irredentist one-state rule but it's beyond critique if they operate from the position "Palestinian national aspirations are inherently antisemitic?" I'm just trying to figure out the rules here.
You're not proving real differences! People also thought the threat to Afrikaners would be real with an end to apartheid, and peaceful anti-apartheid factions within the country were often dismissed as covert arms of more militant coalitions (which was *literally true* in many cases).
February 6, 2026 at 7:37 AM
You're not proving real differences! People also thought the threat to Afrikaners would be real with an end to apartheid, and peaceful anti-apartheid factions within the country were often dismissed as covert arms of more militant coalitions (which was *literally true* in many cases).
Sure, but "We have a wolf by the ear" is not a new or unheard of rationale for extending systems of racial or ethnic domination out into perpetuity. People also said that South Africa wouldn't come to the table until the ANC moderated and the rest of the world stopped "singling out" the country.
February 6, 2026 at 7:26 AM
Sure, but "We have a wolf by the ear" is not a new or unheard of rationale for extending systems of racial or ethnic domination out into perpetuity. People also said that South Africa wouldn't come to the table until the ANC moderated and the rest of the world stopped "singling out" the country.
So that
"It's a democracy that doesn't look like it's ever going to toss out the people in power.
They almost did."
Step just does not rebut the actual claim that's being made here.
"It's a democracy that doesn't look like it's ever going to toss out the people in power.
They almost did."
Step just does not rebut the actual claim that's being made here.
February 6, 2026 at 7:11 AM
So that
"It's a democracy that doesn't look like it's ever going to toss out the people in power.
They almost did."
Step just does not rebut the actual claim that's being made here.
"It's a democracy that doesn't look like it's ever going to toss out the people in power.
They almost did."
Step just does not rebut the actual claim that's being made here.
I think the issue is that you're treating "throwing out Netanyahu specifically" as interchangeable with "throwing out the irredentist majority that is totally opposed to the cause of Palestinian statehood." Raphael talks about a *multitude* that holds hegemony in Israeli politics, not one guy.
February 6, 2026 at 7:09 AM
I think the issue is that you're treating "throwing out Netanyahu specifically" as interchangeable with "throwing out the irredentist majority that is totally opposed to the cause of Palestinian statehood." Raphael talks about a *multitude* that holds hegemony in Israeli politics, not one guy.