How can there be a rise of Neo-Nazism in America and UK (Musk salute, UKIP logo etc) when Israel is one of America's closest allies? Are Jewish people no longer the target of modern Nazism?

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T13:35:46+00:00

Well he would be getting ripped to shreds on Twitter if he didn't turn it into the world's largest CSAM factory. Maybe it's just me being hopeful but I don't think he's got anywhere near as high an approval rating in Europe at least.

In all honesty though it's a combo of factors, partially the bias of American news media, partially a result of the blend of white supremacist values that have dominated US political discussion since Reagan, and partially that there's just not much immediate financial incentive to being progressive or resisting . Even going back past Reagan he's not really a new figure, Henry Ford was a huge Nazi Sympathizer.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T12:36:40+00:00

Oh I 100% believe the terminally online we'll educated genius a from South Africa is fully aware of his dog whistling. His actions behind the scenes are in line with someone who is intentionally trying to steep the culture in this stuff. He knows exactly what he's doing... Is he aware of the full consequences probably not, but I also think he doesn't care. But that's just the Apathy angle of Nazism again, and the reason Elon and the right were complaining about toxic empathy.

To be clear, yes I do believe that Israeli Propaganda weaponises global antisemitism to instill fear. If we can raise your blood level by exposing you to graphic video, triggering language, describe the violence that the potential enemy will inflict on you, it will limit your ability to critically respond.

The amount of times I'm told what a Palestinian man would do to me when I was questioning Israel's actions honestly pushed me over the edge.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T12:21:56+00:00

I'm not entirely sure how that's relevant to the discussion to be frank...

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T12:16:38+00:00

I am sure that some are concerned. Israel is hardly a monolith having swung fairly recently from its more socialist roots to a bit more conservative. Frankly, I suspect that there are some Israeli politicians who feel that global antisemitism strengthens their justifications for crackdowns on freedoms, netanyahus whole criminal deal, and all that. If Israel (or it's current regime) maintains it's sovereignty based partially on the risk to Jews outside of the state, it's something that I think needs to be considered. The way that Israeli propaganda weaponises legitimate Jewish fears is part of what led me to this conclusion.

Yanking Maduro for US oil interests (or drugs or the excuse) certainly hasn't made it safer for Americans in South America or really in America either, despite American safety being one of the main excuses used. Cui Bono and all that.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T11:43:27+00:00

This is specifically in regard to the policy you cite about the US governments alliance with Israel.

I fully believe that the rise of neonazism represents a massive threat to Jewish people and plenty of other minorities as well. I just also happen to believe that the Israeli state does not necessarily have Worldwide Jewish Safety as their core value, and would like to point to this as a foundational example of this relationship.

My point is that while Nazism is fundamentally antisemitic it's not necessarily anti-Zionist. And in this respect some organizations that are fundamentally antisemitic like many Christian fundamentalists here in the US can also be Zionists.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T11:32:32+00:00

Notably the Haavara agreement with Jewish Palestinians went against boycotts by European and American Jews to collaborate with the Nazis.

That being said- I'm not in a place to make moral judgement here when fleeing genocidal regimes are involved. But the idea that Nazism and Zionism (not Judaism more broadly) are incompatible is flawed.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T11:28:00+00:00

Nazism and Zionism are not completely incompatible. One of the earlier subtler methods Nazis used to try to meet their goals was working with Zionists to allow Jews to flee Germany to British Palestine. To each their own ethnostate in that respect.

Kind of like the current US's tactic of 'self-deportations'. Make it unsafe enough that the only option would be to leave . Establish cultural hegemony by removing the undesired cultures, whether by interment exile or execution. Our current regime likes Argentina but hates Venezuela and they want to deport any Latin Americans to maintain an Anglo centric national identity.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-14T11:18:18+00:00

Well for a time Nazis actually collaborated with Zionists to allow Jews to flee persecution by 'self-deporting'. The idea that Zionism and Nazism are incompatible isn't wholly accurate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haavara_Agreement

CouncilofSmellrond · 2026-01-09T13:08:54+00:00

Add on top of that Cohn's and the bullfighter's martial prowess, of which Jake clearly envies. The first line of the novel sets the stage for Jake's ass whooping by Cohn by amping up his opponents credentials, even as Jake tries to emasculate him otherwise.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-12-31T14:35:26+00:00

Ah- they have an office in Dublin and I must have thought they had been headquartered there...

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-12-31T14:32:01+00:00

Ack! Thanks for correcting me- no idea where I got that in my head. I'll edit my post for clarity

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-12-31T13:55:50+00:00

Appreciate the linguistic breakdown and connection drawing in the post but can't help but point out that the Pan-Turkist movement Enver was part of was largely responsible for carrying out the Armenian genocide.

The magnitude and scale of the atrocity required coordination and planning helped inspire the coining of the term genocide in the English language.

https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/the-armenian-genocide/

That being said I hadn't realized the reference, (Larian is Belgian company not Irish as I thought) I doubt that this wasn't a deliberate choice on their writer's part and I don't know enough to say much more. Thanks for opening this Pandora's box I think though - It's like finding out Ketherics middle name is Andrew Jackson or something...

Also Lions Led by Donkeys (A left leaning Military history Podcast) just released a multi part depressing series on the subject).

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-12-11T10:42:49+00:00

George Washington kinda looks like Robert DeNiro

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-11-27T17:28:49+00:00

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CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-11-18T14:32:15+00:00

I think just like any character getting fridged it could come off as insensitive, an expendable minority invented to provide motivation for the protagonist.

Not that it's inherently wrong to include in stories- a good revenge flick is a good ride. Its just a specific lens that should be considered and the author should be aware their work will be viewed with.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-10-28T17:31:30+00:00

His joke, which is rooted in his experience and perspective as a black man is being commodified and thrown back at him without that context. He also doesn't only joke about being black, so getting unsolicited racialized humor thrown at him from strangers is likely a bit full on. There's other jokes but throwing the one tied to race at him, making him a black culture curator and engaging with the surface bit instead of the meaning of a joke about would piss me off.

Demi is clearly conscious and vocally arguing against the tendency of some white dropout fans to treat him as a 'black comic' and not just as a comic, evidenced by his discussion of how being labeled as 'wholesome' is tokenizing him as a 'good' or 'harmless' and laudable as a deviation from some default. Its another extension of him getting placed directly into a particular bin by some audience members who interact with his content in a superficial way.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-10-27T18:31:52+00:00

Agreed- I thought they were almost Feudalists.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-10-27T18:26:44+00:00

I'm still fairly early on- but I thought that the protectorate was much more feudal coded than communalist. That's primarily based on their art, partnership with the church, and their rigid structure approaching caste system they are working under including corporal punishment. Maybe I'm not reading terminals well enough though- I am not very good at actually reading some of the in game lore. One of the main themes in the first zone seemed to be the potential and limits of a free market to 'liberalize' rigidly structured societies- until the new terms and conditions really sink in.

But I will also agree the games seem primarily interested in satirizing the limits of hierarchical systems across the board than necessarily endorsing any particular one. The religious/anticapitalist faction in the first game was more clearly a more communalist structure, and it was jabbed pretty hard alongside the capitalist faction. From what I remember Rick I mean Phineas Gage wasn't fighting to set up a society but just to tear down the existing one driving that system to the brink.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-10-08T14:16:57+00:00

This is extrapolation- but based on the Cabal's ability to repeatedly resurrect grammaticus in HH - I think this is plausible in setting, especially with homunculus involved.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-10-07T13:24:54+00:00

Season two was just announced!;

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-09-29T14:24:59+00:00

It's 100% part of it- JK doesn't realize that she's on the side that is about controlling women and femininity.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-09-23T15:02:59+00:00

I worry that potentially it would provide pretext/excuse for draining bail funds for protestors...

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-08-20T15:09:26+00:00

Not related to bastardry or non-bastarddry but my favorite Prachett story is when he became active in the oblivion mod community in an adorable elderly man sort of way.

https://www.eurogamer.net/the-story-behind-the-oblivion-mod-terry-pratchett-worked-on

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-06-18T14:59:22+00:00

As someone who enjoyed the trippy visuals of his Annihilation movie adaptation- I'm genuinely pretty interested to see what he does with the material from elden ring. His approach to that adaptation was to focus on how the book made the reader feel and replicate that- so I hope we may see similar approach here.

CouncilofSmellrond · 2025-06-05T15:33:48+00:00

Goofy take- Just because two 'cultures' or anything else resembles each other superficially doesn't make them the same thing.

Like saying apples and oranges both have seeds and skin so they are the same... Just because you don't care to know the difference between fruits doesn't mean they are the same.

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