I'm traveling to Europe for the first time in 3 years, with my first stop being France (mostly as a transit stop). But before I land, I'm making sure I educate myself with what is sure is the most important cultural product of Franco-American relations:

What the discourse currently is at the other place

Contrapoints: "where are the revolutionaries? Are you saying its dangerous?"

Contrapoints when the Biden administration cracked down hard on protesters and university students, where many today are still dealing with the court charges and university changes: 🦗

Trump + GOP: WE'RE GONNA ELIMINATE IRAN AND ITS CIVILIZATION TONIGHT.

Meanwhile the Democrats: Is Hassan Piker the greatest threat our party has ever faced?

I like there seems to be a point every single year where folks are reminded that Jake Tapper is a POS who is especially animated by being an anti-Palestinian bigot who will happily elevate other bigots.

Sadly doesn't really do anything, but its still nice to remind folks.

One of Indian twitters biggest contributors of slop......gives the perfect example of savarna/white feminism...while claiming there is no such thing

Also tbh pretty sad that something like this couldn't be made in today's India without the media going "he is reminiscing about his Pakistani friend, TREASON!"

Google Search: Reunion YouTube video by Google India

Not only I cant believe its been 12 years since this commercial...it still makes me cry and even made my roommate (who has zero knowledge of South Asia) tear up
youtu.be/gHGDN9-oFJE?...

Excellent article by @qunfuz.bsky.social on the separate narratives by Sunnis and Alawites in Syria, and how much work needs to be done to heal the rifts left by decades of authoritarian rule and war

In Search of a Story for Syria Since the fall of the Assad regime, violence in coastal communities has been fueled by narratives that reinforce sectarian division and work against forging national unity

Describing all Sunnis as violent Islamists or casting all Alawites as Assad regime enforcers, these stories assign collective guilt to the other sect while exonerating the “home sect”. The historical record shows a much more complex reality. - @qunfuz.bsky.social
newlinesmag.com/reportage/in...

Does anyone have any recommended reads on the current transgender bill in India? Specifically, what motivated it? Admittedly I'm ignorant here, but it seems like it came out of nowhere, and wasn't driven like the campaigns in the West or Maria B in Pakistan

Listen I cant stand CodePink, especially given their past history re Syria, Iran, etc. Or even Hassan since im not a big fan of most of these streamers....but the fact so many accounts reacting to this but zero to comment on the US blockading necessities to Cuba...

Just finished Loubna Mrie's excellent, and frank memoir about growing up in Jableh, her time as a journalist covering the civil war, and so much more. I definitely recommend

Writers: Its bad when majoritarianism causes violence against minority groups and democratic backsliding

Bhakts: You anti-India, Hinduphobic, Jihadist bigot

Laura Loomer: Indians are low IQ rapists who drink shit water...I also hate Muslims

Bhakts: You are a friend of India!

Should I be surprised that Indian media would invite such a horrible bigot, including one who has regularly attacked Indians? Probably not. Why worry about platforming anti-Indian racists when you already had the likes of Tommy Robinson and Steve Bannon

I haven't read it yet but I can't say for sure, but isn't this something that @priyamvadagopal.bsky.social's book "insurgent empire" covered?

A Crisis of Conflict Resolution, Not Conflict Studies - Dissent Magazine A response to “The Demise of Conflict Studies” from our winter issue, followed by a reply by the authors.

And including the response from Mercy Fekadu. I think her 2nd and 3rd points were the main ones on my mind as I was reading the piece.
dissentmagazine.org/online_artic...

The Demise of Conflict Studies - Dissent Magazine An entire industry specializing in mediation, peacekeeping, disarmament, and transitional justice has become largely obsolete.

This is an excellent, thought-provoking piece by @wlacher.bsky.social and @yguichaoua.bsky.social discussing the subject (and industry) around conflict studies. Its a piece I'll be chewing on for the next couple of days, and something I've been feeling as well
dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...

I wish narratives of anti-colonialism focused more on the many ways South Asians refused to fight imperial wars. Punjabis fomented mutiny of Indian troops in Singapore in 1915. A Baloch regiment refused to sail to Mesopotamia in 1915. Muslim soldiers refused to fight near Islam’s holy sites in 1916

What the Possibility of War Is Like for an Iranian-American - The American Prospect The convergence of the two authoritarian republics is unmistakable.

"The calculus for those of us living outside of Iran is different....We live our lives as Iranians and Americans between existing and emerging autocracies, unrepentant regimes devoted to violence at home and abroad." - @swarthy-bastard.bsky.social. written before the war
prospect.org/2026/02/24/i...

When you think Francesca Albanese, communists, anarchists and abolitionist are the same on Iran as the other characters you mentioned...perhaps the issue is with you

😭😭😭

a crowd of people are covered in colored powder and the word holi is on the bottom ALT: a crowd of people are covered in colored powder and the word holi is on the bottom

#HappyHoli somebody throw some gulaal for me

To folks who are in their 30s or older....do colds feel worse the older you get? I feel way better today, but yesterday was so bad I thought I had something severe...but a friend said it just feels worse the older you get. Has this been your experience?

The main victims of Iran's attacks on the Gulf states has been the kafala laborers from South Asia who lack any protection...while you some analysts and influencers going on about how "____ is safe" or "unlike the IRGC, the Gulf cares about its people"

The main victims of Iran's attacks on the Gulf states has been the kafala laborers from South Asia who lack any protection...while you some analysts ans influencers going on about how "____ is safe" or "unlike the IRGC, the Gulf cares about its people"

This isnt even the monarchists, but folks claiming they're progressive, anti-capitalist, etc. I can understand the complexities re welcoming international intervention, but the fact that you cant even acknowledge killing kids is bad (unless its by the IRGC), do you actually care?

Kind of insane that so many influencers wanting change in Iran have looked at the school bombing and gone "its fake", "why don't you care about x", or "its proven its an IRGC plot"...like literally echoing the same denials that the regime and its supporters did re their crimes

I am sad to inform you that after nearly 10 years....Greenwald is starting to think that Trump wasnt anti-war

Centrists: Hahaha how do you like that anti-genocide folks...because you didnt vote Harris, now Trump is attacking Iran which Harris wouldn't have done.

Same Centrists: We're happy that Trump is bombing Iran, long time coming, glad someone had the balls to do it finally