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Post by Kat on Oct 10, 2021 0:33:36 GMT -5
Here is an update on the Philippine political scene. (Article contains offensive remarks against LGBTQIA+ people, mentions of torture and death, and Duterte, which should be enough of a content warning at this point.) So, where are we right now? Well, we have a knot of presidential candidates who have announced their intention to run. At this point it looks like a no-brainer, right? Why vote for the unrepentant son of a dictator who wants to sanitize his family name and revise history, or a boxer who has shown lackluster performance in the senate and disdain for the LGBTQIA+ community, or a mayor with lofty goals who is pretty much just Duterte lite? On a side note, Duterte's party finally fielded their presidential and vice presidential candidate and surprise surprise, they're both his lapdogs (Duterte said he was allegedly retiring from politics but at this point we don't believe anything he says). There is still a possibility Duterte's daughter will make a last minute swap and run for president as she is constantly on top of the surveys. You'd think the best option for the Philippines to climb out of the cesspool it's currently in is the vice president, a human rights advocate who sympathizes with the poor and marginalized and who has promised last week in her speech to fight, to dismantle the rotten system and ensure that power is returned to the common person, right? You'd THINK. But Facebook, Tiktok and their ilk are now working overtime as sources of fake news and historical revisionism, asking, "why are we punishing Marcos Jr. for the sins of his father?" (A simple Google search will tell us that Bongbong Marcos was already of age when martial law was declared, old enough to know right from wrong and to defy his parents. He did not and continues to claim that everything said about his family is slander, so that will tell you enough about the type of person he is.) People confronted with facts and news about what Vice President Robredo has accomplished over and above the mandate of her office choose to respond with memes lambasting her, or saying, "I don't care, I'm voting for Marcos." or "I hate her party, therefore I hate her, even if she has decided to run as independent." Social media really needs to put its foot down because there's so much fake news and wrong history spreading around, as well as facts that are correct but framed wrongly (for example, Marcos Sr. did have some infrastructure achievements, but at the cost of the Philippine coffers and even lives, and it was not HIS money used to build the stuff, it was taxpayer's money. Our money.). It's going to be an uphill battle for Philippine democracy at this rate. Duterte knows he stands to lose everything if he doesn't have an ally as president next year. So the social media trolls and the hardcore Duterte (and Marcos) supporters are all hard at work. But Robredo's allies and supporters are trying to engage as many people as possible, to paint the town pink, so to speak, as she has selected pink for her campaign color. Honestly it's a bit daunting to open my Facebook feed to the public just to be able to fight back against disinformation because I know that means allowing trolls to insult me and leave dumb memes in their wake. But I know my social media accounts are an echo chamber, and if I don't do anything, the Philippines may just collapse as a state from the weight of the pandemic and the corruption and Duterte trying to save himself. In other news, I'm sure you guys have heard that Maria Ressa is the Philippines' first Nobel Prize laureate for her work in journalism. So far, the Office of the President has yet to issue a statement congratulating her for this feat. Probably because her work involved exposing all of their lies and corruption and Duterte at several points has tried to silence Ressa.
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Post by Celestial on Dec 17, 2021 19:26:09 GMT -5
I was not sure whether to put this in News Stories of Good Feelings, because it is technically...not, so it is going here. The Gävle Goat has burned. Every year, it is traditional for the town of Gävle in Sweden to build a straw goat. Every year, someone tries to set it on fire. The goat last burned in 2016. Fences have been erected, dogs have been dispatched on patrol, guards watch the goat, and there is CCTV and 24 hour webcam. Ever since then, the years have felt crazier and crazier. Well, the streak of four years unburned has been broken. A 40 year old man has been arrested for arson. It is crazy superstition, and I acknowledge that, but I cannot help but feel that with the goat being burned, it is a sign. That all shall be right with the world. It gives me a weird sense of hope. That, or it gives me hope that at least people will always remain people. People who wish to take up the fun challenge of setting the goat on fire.
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Post by Lizica on Dec 19, 2021 18:08:52 GMT -5
I've only learned and heard about the Gavle Goat through the internet being all, "THIS MADNESS MUST END. THE GOAT MUST BURN," so it was actually kind of jarring when I read the article you linked, and they have the alternate perspective of "I don't understand why someone would do this. ;_;" x'D
But yeah...I also can't help but feel hopeful and weirdly relieved about this, too. <3
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Post by Celestial on Dec 19, 2021 18:13:39 GMT -5
I've only learned and heard about the Gavle Goat through the internet being all, "THIS MADNESS MUST END. THE GOAT MUST BURN," so it was actually kind of jarring when I read the article you linked, and they have the alternate perspective of "I don't understand why someone would do this. ;_;" x'D But yeah...I also can't help but feel hopeful and weirdly relieved about this, too. <3 Because the article I linked to was from a reliable news source (as per the rules). Most people on the internet have similar opinions of "THE GOAT MUST BURN TO SAVE US ALL". And I agree. Article does give some good context as to what happened and what the "tradition" is though, so there's that.
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Post by Gelquie on Dec 19, 2021 18:34:10 GMT -5
Yeah, despite me playing a part of the internet's stance (the years have been bad! We're desperate!), I do definitely see the frustration on the other side. They probably put a lot of effort into planning the goat as a nice holiday decoration only for it to be burned. If you're not planning it to be burned, it's kinda jarring, and I think I'd be upset too if it were my goat.
At the same time, the burning has become so synonymous that I kind of see it as part of the whole thing anymore. Heck, I think one fire-setter of a past goat (2001) was from America and just assumed that burning the goat was part of the tradition and not literally illegal. I have no solution for the builders, but I do think the building/burning cycle will be remembered and maybe get a variation of its own festival where burning a goat structure will be okay. Not soon, though. xD
I wonder what that area's general populace thinks of the goat and whether they think it's okay to burn it. Is building the goat part of the holiday hope, or is burning the goat part of it? Or is it the entire cycle? The answer definitely varies from each person. Either way, I think several people involved (one way or another) are definitely not on the same page.
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Post by Thorn on Dec 19, 2021 22:32:11 GMT -5
Yeah, I definitely feel a bit weird about the goat burning myself. I feel bad for the people who put all that work into building them! But if they're okay with it (which I hadn't even considered), that makes me feel better about it.
Still, it's hard to understand why people get hyped to set stuff on fire. That could so easily get out of hand when it's not an organized burn with safety measures in place!
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Post by Liou on Dec 20, 2021 4:18:29 GMT -5
I really, really want to know what would happen if they had TWO goats?? The Olde Goat must burn, while the New Goat takes its place?
I've known of the Goat for a few years, when things were less hectic and people talked about it more like an Intriguing Statistic. While I can see why people would build it for non-burning purposes, ... on a purely intuitive level, it just makes sense to me to burn something of that kind? Like, that kind of offering needs to be processed somehow. I don't even like fire overall and it makes sense to my inner gremlin or whatever. Like it's a cycle. Construction, then destruction, the Pact is Sealed. It also seems like something that would be an actual part of some other ceremonies? Like Bonfire Night? Yeah, there's a whole bunch of traditions that involve fire. Maybe some humans find building things more cathartic and some humans find setting things on fire afterwards cathartic - like when you've built a tall tower out of toy blocks (brand name or other) and you admire it, and then you just want to enjoy smashing it apart too. So, weirdly enough, it feels right to me that it has burnt. And yes, looking at the past years of the Goat remaining unburnt, I can't help but jump on the superstition train - I was personally relieved when I saw that it had burnt this year. But only thanks to the history of the Goat burning. If this was just the start of a "yay let's build a goat to admire" tradition and some rando went and burnt it with no planning, I would definitely not be pleased about it.
But surely there can be other goat-crafts for people to make burn for themselves? :'D
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Post by Thorn on Dec 20, 2021 5:19:39 GMT -5
I don't make a habit of going around burning art, and it still confuses me a bit, as does the idea of it being an offering of some kind (I'm not sure I'm following, this thread is the first I've heard of this.) I saw a picture of the 2009 goat on wikipedia when reading up on this and it was so pretty, it makes me so sad people would burn something like that! With the little lights and the lovely blanket of snow!
The difference with Bonfire Night, at least as I understand it, is that it's organised. This is burning someone else's creation without permission from the creator, and just doesn't sit right with me. Less like one person builds a block tower and kicks it down, more like one kid builds a block tower and another toddles across the room purely to smash it down.
(also at least this year they did have two goats! Both were burned. xD)
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Post by Liou on Dec 20, 2021 6:38:07 GMT -5
I'm certain that no one here condones the unplanned burning of straw goats and we are only discussing the event and the situation around it.
Yeah, maybe the smaller Goat construct could have been the one to tide people over like "fine, this one can get burnt", like a bodyguard for Main Goat, but apparently it was not sufficient, so I wonder what would happen if they had two of the actual giant-sized Goat. Security isn't going to get any easier down the line, what with drones and new gadgets. And yes, this is definitely not the same as an organised burning, and it's so weird that people are using the Goat that is not for burning, instead of just. Making their own to burn?? / building your own block tower to you can smash it down instead. Why.
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Post by Thorn on Dec 20, 2021 14:29:40 GMT -5
Yeah, that would make a lot more sense! If people love burning these goats so much, would be cool if some were constructed especially for that purpose. xD Maybe mini goats made on an individual level? I was doing some reading and the Official Goats are really expensive to construct, so would probably not be easy to make them on the same scale if there was an Official Burning Goat Festival.
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Post by Celestial on Dec 20, 2021 14:45:53 GMT -5
Regarding why people set stuff on fire, I think it's a very primitive human thing: we like fire. Fire is good. With the goat, by now, it has become a challenge owing to the long-standing history of trying to burn it. That combined with the human urge of "FIYAH" is...probably quite a powerful draw.
I would be 100% down for a goat burning festival, and I think it's something they should at least look into, now that it seems that all their defences over the past four years have been foiled. You cannot stop the goat burning. Might as well embrace it.
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Post by Huntress on Dec 21, 2021 11:34:13 GMT -5
Fun fact, we've had this event for a number of years now where after Christmas, everyone takes their needle-shedding Christmas trees to designated collection sites, which are then used to build massive sculptures and set on fire as a sort of country-wide series of public spectacles for the whole family. Gets rid of the whole problem of what to do with dead dry Christmas trees, sates the vaguely sacrificial angle and is a more fitting end to the trees than a landfill. We've never actually been to one of those events yet (kids and transport and we have rather a number of setting-things-on-fire festivals throughout the year so I've never really felt the urge) but articles of past festivals make it look pretty cool (and, uh, apparently involve shaman drums and flaming crossbows. We should really try and hit it up sometime in the future, depending on whether they'll still be held.) ...this is what we teach our children.
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Post by Geo 🇺🇦 🌻 on Jan 5, 2022 8:37:45 GMT -5
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Post by Celestial on Feb 13, 2022 9:22:10 GMT -5
So...I think it's time I stopped vaguebooking in mini-rants and talk about the situation in my home country as calmly as possible, both to give some perspective and to go into what my family is doing right now. This may be a bit more personal than a normal Discussions and Debates post, but that cannot be helped. As a springboard, I'll start with this article from the BBC: Ukraine tensions: After eight years of war, an eastern city unifies against Russia. This is my home city. This is what is going on there right now. The article brings home the fact that this situation is not a new one: it's merely an escalation of existing issues. This war has been going on for eight years. In 2014, when it all begun, my home city almost suffered the same fate as Donetsk and Luhansk, the currently disputed areas. As the article says, before it had a pro-Russian identity. We are 40 kilometres from the Russian border, and everyone in my family, including me, spoke Russian. I did not mind being called Russian back in the day. In 2014, however, that all shifted. My mother refuses to speak Russian. My grandparents still speak it, but they all know Ukrainian. I learned too. The city itself has undergone extensive decommunisation. Statues pulled down, ztreets renamed, all to create a more Ukrainian identity. The people have done the same. The protests they talked about in the article? My gran went to them. She sent me photos. They were big. A whole city square filled with flags and people. And this is during an ongoing pandemic. This might seem insignifcant, but it is important. It's vital for people to realise they are not alone in these sentiments. To foster resistance. It is likely that, should there be an invasion, my city will be on their hitlist. It is not far from the border, strongly industrial, and percieved as "Russian" because of the Russian-speaking population. But there will be resistance, not just in Kharkiv but all across the country. A war of eight years has galvanised people against Russia, given them a common enemy. It has also created an experienced active army, and even larger reserve army. Most people have some combat experience. Combined with the zeal of fighting for one's identity for the past eight years, and a resistance is guaranteed. It might be the end of Russia as we know it, as they keep throwing waves of their own men into a meatgrinder while being squeezed economically. They already have felt the squeezze from 2014. This might cripple them further. I have faith in my homeland. I just do not know how much bloodshed it will take before they fight off this invasion. But I firmly believe that Russia will not find it an easy win. As for what is happening with my family, my grandparents have made it clear they are staying put unless things get really bad. They are in their 70s, so are non-combatants, and their whole lives are there. They can head out into the countryside if the city becomes too dangerous before they leave Ukraine. I do not know what they plan to do while they stay. Of course I am worried about them, but I also recognise they are privileged. The situation will become clear soon, one way or another. As for me, I just want to be able to visit my homeland and see my family there. That's all I ask.
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Post by Celestial on Feb 24, 2022 4:30:41 GMT -5
Well, it's happened. Russia has sent its military into Ukraine and is attacking. This is not a surprise; this was always going to happen. Everything earlier has been farce. They are bombing major cities, including my home city. For now, my grandparents are okay, but we shall see how this goes. At the moment, what they are targeting are military targets. When this will escalate, if it does, I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is this: we might not be able to win this, but we will give them a fight to remember. Ukraine, for the past eight years, has known Russian aggression and greater acceptance into Europe. Both are powerful motivators. Given the war that has been going on for the same amount of time, the question was not if this would happen but when. Meanwhile, the Russian army is a conscript one with aging equipment. There is more of it, but the advantage of home turf, morale, and a civilian population that is galvanised and ready to fight cannot be understated. It's going to be brutal and bloody and long, but I believe in my people. We have survived so much, and we are proud and independent. We will not surrender. Now, if you're wondering how you can help: [/url]. There are a ton of sources out there. Duolinguo has a great course on the language. And I am always happy to tell you as much as I can, though bear in mind I am one person who is from the north-east. The country is vast; there's a lot of traditions and small cultural details I might not be privy to.[li] Combat misinformation- Use your newfound knowledge. The war will be fought on the internet through propaganda and misinformation too. If you see something that does not feel right, it most likely is not. Call it out. Get it deleted. If you are unsure, fact check. I am always happy to help with this, so if you are unsure, my inbox or messages are always open. I don't know everything, but I can tell you if something is [/li][li] Donate- Only if you can, and try to find charities which directly help Ukraine. The best list I could find was on Reddit, so the standard warning about comments sections applies. Some of the top comments have additional charities though, for those who feel the list is not adequate. There has also been a bank account set up for the Ukrainian army.[/li] [/ul] If there is another way you think you can/want to help, send me a message and I'll see what can be done. Do not hesitate for any reason in sending me messages. No question is too big or too offensive or sensitive. This is my way of coping and helping. I do not want anything. We will get by. My family are privileged, and we have historically been very lucky. I ask that you stay informed (as much as your mental health allows) and do not let any misinformation slip you by. If someone is arguing in good faith or from an uninformed perspective, talk to them. If they are in bad faith or a troll, cut them off. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.
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