Enkrod

It wasn't that long ago when Republicans complained about participation trophies and how, at sporting events in schools, the ones who did not win still were acknowledged for their effort. They were complaining that it would make children weak, not want to compete, not give their best effort if they got recognition without being the top dog.

Now they demand their participation trophy and it better come with tendies!

A (very simplified) timeline of US intervention in the middle-east.

1. Iran democratically elected a secular leader, but he wanted to use iranian oil for iran. So the CIA instead helped the Shah into dictatorial power, who would sell the drilling rights to american and british companies. He opressed his populace so bad, that they turned to Ayatollah Khomeni and his religious extremists to get rid of him. The religious zealots have been in power ever since.

2. To fight against the Ayatollah Regime that drove out western oil companies, the US illegally bypasses a weapons embargo to arm a neighbouring dictator called Saddam Hussein. He wages the first Gulf War on Iran for 8 years, which results in ~750.000 dead. The poison gas attacks happen with the knowledge of the US.

3. Russia invades Afghanistan, the US arms local resistance fighters, a group called Al Quaeda under one Osama bin Laden. To help the islamists against the godless Russians, thousands of mercenaries and religious extremists from muslim countries are recruited by the CIA and brought to Afghanistan, they become the Taliban. More than a million civillians die.

4. Saddam Hussein, seeing no win against Iran instead invades the absolutist, slavetrading monarchy of Kuwait. Kuwait had opened it oil-wells to western companies, so with the help of the CIA and an american PR-agency, the daughter of Kuwaiti ambassador pretends to be a nurse and lies about Iraqi soldiers ripping babies out of incubators. The world is shocked. What follows is the second Gulf War. More than a million dead civillians again.

5. Following this second gulf war, american troops are stationed in the gulf region protecting "western values" (the oil wells). The religious extremists in Afghanistan are not amused, the sheer existence of nonbelievers on holy ground is blasphemy to them. Al Quaeda (formerly funded by the US and the House of Saud) begin their campaign against the west.

6. Following September 11 2001 the US invades first Afghanistan, then Iraq and don't really bother with the long-term stabilizing of a region they so effectively destabilized. From the chaos rises the Islamic State.

There is anti-americanism (which I'll gladly join in on) and then there's making asshole memes.

At least she tries to oppose us through democratic means. But yes, she's still opposition. But I can argue with and sometimes even compromise with a democratic opposition. I can't do that with a fascist government.

malted grain

You mean aborted barley fetuses?

🤯 i have to show Dogma to the girlfriend, we're looking for good nicknames

Oh absolutely, he's been drawing Chloe or versions of her for years and years, and now he's making some money off of it.

The poem of course referring to the real Ozymandias, who is Ramses the Second with Ozymandias being a greek conversion of the egyptian name User-Maat-Re (or Re-User-Maat, of which the english translation is Rameses or Ramses)

Woah there, somebody want's to piss off the entire australian continent.

I like that, will adopt this.

Just reading this makes me SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW!!!

The reasons just don't necessarily come with any moral take away attached.

Children get bone cancer for purely physical reasons, yes, but there is no plan behind it, nothing that makes the situation better in any way and this is how the phrase is usually being used. It's people saying: "Don't be sad, something good will come of it." to the faces of grieving parents or deathly ill people who have nothing to look forward to but pain.

Religious/spiritual proselytising has completely alienated the phrase from the methodological naturalism it could express.