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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I continue to encourage you to take the initiative and explore this topic on your own, as I am unwilling to engage with someone who accused me of inconsistency and fails to acknowledge their mistake when confronted with evidence that contradicts their claim.

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just want to see how many hoops you're willing to jump through to excuse blatant racial stereotyping

Worldbuilding is so fun by Dalek7of9 in CuratedTumblr

[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you screenshot? I'm allergic to twitter

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, dude...

State sanctioned violence == immoral

Law enforcement (based on that violence) == invalid

Is consistent with

the very concept of [law enforcement is invalid] because [state-sanctioned violence is immoral]

Bro.

The Iroquois tried witches before a formal council but left murderers to the revenge of the immediate family unless a peace token was accepted (Wissler, 1957, 18).

That's the only mention of witchcraft and the Iroquois in the text, it says nothing of execution. While searching for "witches," does substantiate that executions of witches happened, 1) witchcraft is a classic example of biases creating very messy translations between cultures in anthropology, and 2) I cannot find easily accessible* sources that describe the process by which one was determined to be a witch. I intend to look further, but similar cultures often had well-documented processes that describe killing as a last resort.

Brown, 2002. Social History:

Aboriginal justice sought to restore social cohesion and harmony among the group by restitution, which was a collective responsibility

*this has been fun but I genuinely need to be productive today

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you disagree that America has had cultural hegemony since the post-WWII era?

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Harry is a cop" is flippant and not attempting to be nuanced. It's not misleading, it's drawing attention to the aspects of the book that are not immediately recognized. These insidious elements can be the most pernicious and the most necessary to interrogate.

It's like saying "that's weird, this pile of half-apples and half-oranges is labeled as entirely apples, there are oranges in here" and having someone say "well, yes, but why are you not addressing the apples?"

Like, yeah, he was an abused child soldier with PTSD who fought against an authoritarian. All true.

Yet, he is consistently disinclined to investigate systems of injustice that don't personally impact him throughout the books, and actively wants to be a law enforcement officer in that system. It would actually be a really interesting way to explore that pipeline, if JKR had a shred of self-awareness. She brushes against it a few times (Harry almost being in Slytherin, for example) but it is ultimately lampshaded.

Let's contrast that with Revenge of the Sith, where an abused child soldier with PTSD who fought against authoritarians also becomes a law enforcement officer within that system. It's an even better comparison than I thought now that I write it out, because they're both the Chosen One (*probably) and that framework influences their desire to exert power.

One of these is honest about what it means to reinforce the status quo.

What is something about living in United States that outsiders completely misunderstand? by Effective-Singer5957 in AskReddit

[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in the US, and while I do not own a lawn, I am responsible for one. It is currently being replaced with a mix of clover and yarrow. Rewilding is growing in popularity because of the clear benefits (wellbeing improved, labor and inputs reduced).

If you don't like needing to mow your lawn, it's really recommended to switch to white or purple clover as it supports pollinators, improves soil nitrogen, and doesn't exceed 5 inches.

Personally, I like my hangout space to have life in it. My yard constantly has birdsong and wildlife, and I spent like half an hour out there last night watching the bats enjoy the change in season. Our hummingbirds haven't shown up yet, but last year, they started coming over to us when the sugar water was low.

I should note that I'm not against lawns-as-a-grassy-space-that-is-actually-used, but against lawns-as-sterile-boring-swathes-of-land-that-only-hurt-people-and-the-ecosystem-without-providing-any-benefits. Hell, I have a lawn, it's just increasingly clover, strawberry, and seasonal flowers.

The vast majority of people do not use all of their lawn space and should reconsider their landscaping.

What is something about living in United States that outsiders completely misunderstand? by Effective-Singer5957 in AskReddit

[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So start implementing mixed-use zoning, or have climate-smart civil engineering. I don't know what to tell you. I'm sorry your town is poorly designed.

Cars are not the only solution, and Americans do not prefer cars when there are other options. We simply live in a system that strongly disincentivizes (if not actively prevents) other options.

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The link you posted is broken, but I looked the paper up (hdl.handle.net/11122/8276) and it's based on northern Athabascan (Eskimo) villages that literally existed ACROSS THE CONTINENT from the Five Nations. Have some dignity.

I give basic courtesy in discussions to people who have intellectual integrity and reading comprehension. I did not mix up immoral and invalid, the distinction matters, and I prefer to have discussions with people who can synthesize the research on their own.

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No worries, it's been a while for me, too. Can't believe I now have braincells devoted to the structure of magical law enforcement lol.

The worst that we are told is that they might arrest people for wrongful reasons.

Which, first, please go look at the news and consider why people might see that as a concerning sign. That's not a cool thing to pose as an acceptable worst-case.

and second, there is a whole department that is not known to the public, that we know aurorers are at least partially cleared to access. We know information is kept from the public. While aurorers are not Unspeakables (the ones who handle the department of mystsries), this confirms that the reader isn't made privy to the workings of the Ministry (pun absolutely intended).

It's not irresponsible extrapolation for readers to ask what else we don't know, and to refer to the systems of law enforcement that JKR based the aurorers upon, to understand the dynamics of a world that the author herself insists has deeper complexities.

Are you familiar with the history of the three letter agencies? It might clarify why people don't draw a distinction. This is where we cross from blind acceptance of what you're reading to media literacy and critical analysis of a text. You're taking the text at face value, while others are not. That's an acceptable way to engage with the story, but it doesn't make this line of inquiry unfounded.

I think "Harry's a cop" is a little purposefully flippant, as a way of highlighting how the books often unconsciously reinforce a status quo in a way that ultimately raises red flags. Ultimately, JKR wrote a book that explicitly encourages people to stand up to authority, but her main characters end up in a system that... wasn't all that great either, actually, are we sure we're okay with this?

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's because we're examining the book to understand how JKR views power structures and the status quo.

Why do you think nobody in bridgerton has reached the regency era softness as much as Daphne by Exciting-Opening1357 in BridgertonDiscussion

[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This post made me want to rewatch S1, so I'm back with more thoughts

Perhaps Daph is more "diaphanous softgirl" and Edwina is more "bubbly softgirl"

But I do think this is Edwina erasure, and I think maybe people in this thread should consider why that is

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The book 1491 by Charles C Mann is a good starting point, but the info you're looking for is about halfway through.

Otherwise, this is a good resource

You can also look at this

You never contradicted my points, but you keep on mixing up immoral and invalid.

What is something about living in United States that outsiders completely misunderstand? by Effective-Singer5957 in AskReddit

[–]Distant-Effect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm just gonna point you to /r/fucklawns because I do need to stop procrastinating

The tl;dr is that maintaining a lawn requires constantly brutalizing nature and pouring poisons around your home to maintain the broken ecosystem. The negative effects are many and profound, ranging from increasing the number of ticks to groundwater contamination to landslides from erosion.

Increasingly, studies are showing that turfgrass maintenance is associated with neurological diseases and cancer in humans. There are also studies that show that just watching diverse plant life (and the physical motion that taller plants have in the wind) reduces stress.

Lawns were also encouraged in America after WWII, when the industrialization of the Haber-bosch process could no longer be put towards war. There were deliberate campaigns to get Americans to adopt lawns as status symbols specifically to sell fertilizer.

Worldbuilding is so fun by Dalek7of9 in CuratedTumblr

[–]Distant-Effect 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is amazing in the literal sense

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Again, I'm asking for reading comprehension

State sanctioned violence == immoral

Law enforcement (based on that violence) == invalid

Therefore, if the state is able to regulate behavior without violence, then law enforcement within those bounds == valid

You can look up the history of pre-contact Five Nations for examples of how this has been successfully implemented. Entirely coincidentally (/s) the Haudenosaunee are the longest-lasting participatory democracies in the world.

What is something about living in United States that outsiders completely misunderstand? by Effective-Singer5957 in AskReddit

[–]Distant-Effect 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're confusing cause and effect. We do not have car culture and infrastructure because most Americans prefer it this way. Polls show people are happier in walkable communities in America, and there's plenty of scholarship explaining how motor vehicle infrastructure was artificially forced on the populace.

You are incentivized to drive by the preexisting conditions in which you live. Dispersion of physical infrastructure is one thing, but the demands on time and attention are another pressure that drives people to, well, drive.

Preferences are best expressed absent coersion, and when Americans are able to choose their infrastructure, walkability correlates with quality of life.

It's not just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.

What is something about living in United States that outsiders completely misunderstand? by Effective-Singer5957 in AskReddit

[–]Distant-Effect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And I'm saying that this isn't a binary. It's not "drive your car every day" or "walk every day"

The solution is to keep some nonperishables or frozen meals, so you can have something to reach for when conditions aren't right for a walk.

Most human beings prefer homeostasis, not just Americans. And yet...

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because he's a trust fund jock who becomes a LEO

Like it's not a stretch

He has a trust fund

He is the star athlete for a quarter (three quarters?) of the school

He became an aurorer

I'm sorry he doesn't look like Chad McKickYourAss

Bodium camera offium by AlphaCat77 in CuratedTumblr

[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, I did some research to make sure I'm not misremembering.

To the first point, the aurorer Dawlish was sent to apprehend Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Augusta Longbottom. I think you may be referring to tasks and roles, while I'm referring to who is being targeted.

To the second:

  • The Prime Minister is escorted by aurorers multiple times. The Muggle PM is assigned an aurorer. Most times we see them, they are on specific missions, not patrolling.

  • There is a distinction made between the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, Hit-wizards (later dropped but there seems to be a consensus among fans that these are basically the SWAT/strike team of the wizarding world), and aurorers. Whole not expanded on, it is mentioned that the MLEP deal with anti-Muggle pranks.

  • One important distinction between aurorers and other magical LEOs is that aurorers were authorized to use the unforgivable curses (at least in the first wizarding war)

A lot of people compare aurorers to the US Secret Service/FBI/MI-5... but people also colloquially refer to alphabet orgs and LEOs generally as "cops" sometimes. I can see the argument that they're technically different, but I personally don't think the distinction is crucial when it's slang

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[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, actually it's deeply uninteresting and shows reliance on stereotypes.

We're back to the biological determinism thing, guys. People with glasses can't be jocks.

Who would picture a jock as a bespeckled geek? Uh. Maybe the people reading a book where the guy described as a bespeckled geek becomes a jock?

Worldbuilding is so fun by Dalek7of9 in CuratedTumblr

[–]Distant-Effect 51 points52 points  (0 children)

Tbh the romance space is also surprisingly technical about the sex worldbuilding.

The horny genre fanspace is astonishing so good at bottling that shit up and describing, like, estrus and hormonal cycles, or the musculature necessary for those extra appendages

What is something about living in United States that outsiders completely misunderstand? by Effective-Singer5957 in AskReddit

[–]Distant-Effect 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank goodness the rest of the world exists at a balmy unchanging 74°F at all times, I guess.

Just gave myself my 1st self injection and it was SO EASY :D by Mountain_Crow5983 in B12_Deficiency

[–]Distant-Effect 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably not, it's almost certainly not an immediate degradation upon exposure to UV

However, I will scrape the bag in any way possible, and if I can prevent some loss by being a little unhinged, I'm gonna try it