SpaceDogs

This is mainly for Portuguese comrades as they’re probably the most familiar with him but anyone can answer. I see this man constantly on SIC Notícias and all he really talks about is the Ukraine/Russia/NATO war. He’s also got a segment called “Guerra Fria” which comes on frequently enough. Mind you, I can’t understand most of what he and the other people say but I can read the headlines underneath and can pick up context words. He’s always talking about Ucrânia and that got me curious about him due to how seemingly passionate he is about the topic.

I looked him up and from what I can gather he’s a journalist (obviously) who used to be a communist and lived in the USSR. Apparently his time living in the Soviet Union pushed him away from communism and he is now a staunch anti-communist, someone on Twitter called this being “vaccinated.” He has a blog and he even made an entry back in 2014 about the neo-Nazi problem in Ukraine. He switched up real quick. In 2022 he even said that the difference between Putin and Hitler is that Putin has nuclear weapons… what?

Obviously there’s the language barrier (there shouldn’t be but my family was not great in teaching me) that’s keeping me from having a deeper and better analysis so that’s why I’m asking here. Is anyone else more familiar with this guy? Why is he such a big deal in Portugal? Also does anyone know why he’s like this? Is there anything about his cohost Nuno Rogeiro?

Maybe this isn’t important, but I get annoyed every time I see him on screen and I want to know if anyone else feels the same. I ask now because he was brought on to talk about the recent terrorist attack in Moscow, I don’t know what he said about it, or how he feels, but he did talk about it.

The only info I am getting is that an African Diplomat said it but nothing else. I want to use it for the Xi Jingping section of my research paper for Political Science, I think it would add a nice bit of “flavour” for introducing the topic of Chinese relations with African states.

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/3432241

Im curious how everyone here feels about the whole convoy thing and emergency act utilization.

So my first DnD campaign is on hiatus so another player has started their own for us to play in the meantime. My DM for this new campaign is explaining the world and it’s a bit… hmmm. I guess you could say I’m uncomfortable with a setting based on the Soviet Union by someone who doesn’t know anything about the USSR. He explains it as small states forced to be in absorbed into the empire, there’s one rich area and as you get farther away the poorer it gets, the worst area is described as Ukraine. I guess in that area you can be working the land and then some guy forces you to give him money. Our Soviet Union is very repressive and we’re at war with a democratic nation. Every child is given a magical stamp, if you go against the empire or do “thought crimes” you get changed markings. You can get good markings back via “social credit.” I feel so uneasy and I feel bad. I don’t want to be a Debby downer or an ass.

He mentioned Marxism but it seems to be evil in this universe (“with regards to Marxism make sure you don’t get the worst mark on your head”). Also he’s encouraging us to play evil/neutral. I don’t know what to do. I want to make the best of it but damn, I literally play as a Marxist dog in the hiatus playthrough (the current DM is a fellow player on that campaign) so I’m surprised this is happening. Do you have advice on how to make the best of this? Maybe combat misinformation subtly in character? I’m freaking out!

Edit: the currency in this “state” is not gold or typical money, it’s food rations. So when I said if you live in a poorer region and a guy comes demanding money I mean some state official haggles you for taxes which is paid in rations. This haggling seems to only take place in the poorest “Ukraine” areas…

How does everyone feel about the billionaires coming out asking to be taxed?

Does anyone else get a feeling of dread around this time of year? Because I do. I’m at a Christmas party hosted by one side of the family and on Christmas Eve I’ll be celebrating with the other side, and for both of these events I feel uncomfortable and nervous. My family, both immediate, extended, and step, have… “issues.” I think many can imagine what issues I am alluding to: racism, homophobia, transphobia, general ignorance, you name it. Not all of them are bad, of course, and I know things aren’t black and white but damn does the bad sometimes outweigh the good in some people.

My mom has been feeling immense anxiety as she’s hosting Christmas Eve this year and she called me about how she’s feeling; she’s so worried someone (or multiple people) will say something stupid, and knowing me she called to warn me and beg me not to say anything. While she’s very supportive of me and understands where I’m coming from when I try to educate others and why I engage in these polarizing conversations, she doesn’t want me to do anything as it will cause a huge argument leading to me being the bad guy (as always) which will cause her to defend me and it’ll just be a whole mess. She doesn’t want the stress and I get that, I’ve been thinking about that exact scenario too and my remedy is to just leave the situation and cool off, maybe take her dog for a walk (he is a little pom) and if I must, cry. I'm going to use a similar strategy at this party but instead of going for a walk (not familiar with the neighbourhood) I'll just stick my headphones in and play my switch.

For me, it’s not just ignorance that bothers me, I understand not knowing things and I’m happy to help. The problem is that my family members are stubborn and confidently wrong. If you try to correct them, even gently as I do every time, there is angry pushback; they cannot handle being wrong ever. Once, years ago, I tried to tell my aunt not to use a slur (I said it nicely as I was 14 at the time) and I ended up getting yelled at by both her and her daughter, it was awful. So that gives you an idea of what I’m working with. Because of my family on all sides the holidays just feel like a chore rather than a warm celebration.

Does this resonate with anyone? I don’t mean to be a downer, I do have good people in my life (my mom, dad, and younger cousins) so it’s not all terrible but it’s still tough. I’m also an introvert and like to be on my own so parties make me uncomfortable and overstimulated.

I don’t have the exact quote, if I did I would just search it and find it myself, but it essentially states that the communist revolution (or “revolution” in general, but it was related to socialism) would happen in industrialized countries first and then spread to non-industrialized ones. It was something like revolution starting in rich countries first and then in “poor” ones. Or I could be misremembering the quote entirely and it was the exact opposite point being made: revolution would begin in the non-industrialized countries and then spread to the industrialized.

Does that makes sense? I hope I’m making sense. I remember hearing this in class but I forgot who was named as the owner. Was it Marx? Lenin? Engels? Someone else? I keep forgetting to ask my professor so I’m asking here. I need it to make a point in my paper.

So I’m preparing for my semesterly research paper which seems to be assigned for every political science class (this is only my second one but I’m sensing a trend) and this one is about comparing one case study to another. We were all provided with research topics by the professor but if we didn’t like any of them we could make one ourselves and pitch it to him, if he approves we can write on that. So I did just that.

I’m going to write my paper comparing two revolutions: the Cuban Revolution and the Carnation Revolution (including the coup that happened afterwards). Since both had similar ideals but different outcomes.

While I need information about Cuba, I want to focus on Portugal in this post because for some reason finding info on the Carnation Revolution and the communist coup is a bit tricky.

My professor gave me some insight on how to go about this as apparently the topic I chose is PhD level (as in one could write their dissertation about it) and he doesn’t want me to get lost in the sauce; I need to define communism for both nations as Cuba’s version is different from the Soviet version which is different from the European version which is different from the Italian version. I have no clue which version Portugal wanted. He also talked about the time when I’m researching, which I believe he meant the timeline and period of the events, I need to break them down solidly.

So to make this research and paper a bit less beefy and intimidating I wanted to focus on the conditions that spurred on each revolution, why they happened, what were their goals, how they occurred (tactics mainly and organization), what were the outcomes, and what are the lasting effects of each. That still sounds like a lot, I know.

My main “research question” is “why did one succeed but the other failed?” Yes, technically the Carnation revolution succeeded in its goal of overthrowing Salazar’s regime but did it completely prevail? What about the immediate coup after? That failed and Portugal was essentially put into the same position it was before but less extreme.

My writing is getting confusing so let’s get back on track (sort of):

Batista vs Salazar - Salazar wasn’t leader at the time (it was Marcelo Caetano) but it was still his regime. With this I wanted to compare the conditions under both of them and their “leadership.” If that makes sense.

The Cuban revolution happened in the 50s (1953-1956 but it could’ve been in the works way before that) while the Carnation Revolution happened in 1974 and didn’t last nearly as long.

The Soviet Union aided the Cuban revolution, right (wrong?)? Did the soviets do anything in Portugal? I mean, the union didn’t fall until the 90s so I’m curious if they got involved.

The US certainly got involved in both but in different ways. How and why were the tactics different in Cuba vs Portugal?

Was it Lenin or Marx that stated the revolution would start in industrialized nations then move on? That’s not the exact quote or wording but you get it, revolution happened in a colonized country and a colonial one, and yet the colonized succeeded and those that made their wealth through colonialism did not. How is that? I’m planning on using said revolution quote to make a point in my paper.

That’s all I have so far as of making this post but I’m more than willing to clarify anything in the comments. I know this is asking for a lot and you don’t need to give me exact info, even just steering me in the right direction or asking questions back would help get the gears turning. Staying on track for me is kind of difficult as the more I think about certain pieces of information the more questions I have which makes me dig deeper and deeper into more questioning that it’s becoming like a large tree branching into many different areas, I think that’s why my professor said this is a PhD topic and I need to be careful. He is more than happy to guide me as I write which is nice.

I think sometimes I’m not asking the right questions so coming here helps with that too.

So I, unfortunately, came across this TikTok on my FYP and it set off major alarms. First of all, why the hell did it come onto my page, and second, is this even true? If you don’t want to watch the TikTok I’ve got you covered:

The person who made the TikTok cites these books and articles:

Dear Leader My Escape From North Korea by Jane Jin Sung

Nothing To Envy Ordinary Lives In North Korea by Barbara Demick

Rogue Regime Kim Jong Il and the looming threat of North Korea by Jasper Decker

Without You, There Is No Us by Suki Kim

Under The Loving Care Of The Fatherly Leader by Bradley K. Martin

North Korea’s Organization and Guidance Department by Robert Collins

The articles:

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/pleasure-squad-defector-sheds-light-on-life-of-kim-jong-il-1.481988?outputType=amp

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/08/22/kimworld

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/the-secret-sex-parties-of-north-koreas-elite/news-story/567c1e94e43066b585feaebaad61900b

https://www.gq.com/story/kim-jong-il-sushi-chef-kenji-fujimoto-adam-johnson

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/kim-jongun-reinstates-pleasure-troupe-harem-of-young-women-10150879.html

Transcript:

“The pleasure squad is comprised of about 2000 North Korean girls divided into three different teams: there’s the sexual services team, the massages team, and the entertainment team. These young girls are appointed to the squad in middle school or high school, typically between the ages of 13 to 16 and they serve for about 10 years. This squad is run as official part of the government. It’s under the Cadres department, which is run by this man, Kim Phyong Hae, and it not only serves Kim Jong Un, it serves his top leaders and his inner circle. This squad is also nothing new in North Korea. Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il, and his father, Kim Il Sung. Both had pleasure squads for themselves. The government has an official process which they do every single year to find new girls for the squad. Theres also specific selection criteria for who they can choose to put on the squad and I want to read a firsthand account from this book (Nothing to Envy) on what the process looks like: this is a firsthand account from a woman named Mi-ran

now, fortunately, Mi-ran was not selected to go any further, her family was not at a high enough social class for her to be selected, but the girls who do go further have to meet strict criteria: they have to be a certain height, free of scars and blemishes, and had to have a soft, feminine voice, they were also required to be a virgin. After the top girls are selected they are sent to Section 5 of the Cadres department. The Cadres department reviews the list, whittles them down, and then sends their final selections to the North Korean leader. He then handpicks who he wants to be on his squad, thee new recruits go to a six month training course before they start, they are then assigned to one of the royal residences around North Korea. It says 32 here but there’s a lot more nowadays. This book (Rogue Regime) is a little bit old. We have stories from men who are either related to the North Korean leader, or served him in some capacity, talking about the Pleasure Squad. The girls were constant presences at guest houses regardless of what team they were on. They typically all had to do some sort of sexual services including stripping naked or playing erotic games. Once the girls have served a decade, when they hit their mid twenties, they’re retired from their roles, they’re typically then married off to elite guards of Kim Jong Un and regardless, they’re kept under close watch because they’ve seen so much behind the scenes. Theres only one case in history where we know a group of girls were allowed to return to their families; they were each paid $4000, which is a lot in North Korea, as well as giving gifts in exchange for swearing to secrecy. Anybody who broke this pledge would be immediately executed.”

This and war in Ukraine have made me realize how exactly the holocaust happened. When I was little I was always so confused as to how something so horrible could’ve happened, but history is repeating itself and it’s not so surprising anymore.

What I am still shocked about is how so many people, seemingly good people, become blood thirsty so goddamn fast but it does prove how the holocaust came to be, and the fact that nobody can see how it’s happening again is truly astonishing.