TruthTellah

Wild to see how many racists are so upset that anyone might bring up how racism and xenophobia still impact our world today. Twitter and forums are a mess right now. Someone suggesting racism might be involved in something is practically treated like a slur by many overly-defensive people online, and they say such offense might justify all kinds of fascist actions due to hurt feelings. It's sad that so many people entertain such nonsense.

Unfortunately so. The UK has seen ever-greater racial integration in recent years and a decent bit of immigration, as the US has, and "immigrants" have become the latest favorite scapegoat for the alt-right. Sadly, it's a meme for people in a number of countries in Europe right now. Amazing how so many colonial powers still with troops in other countries are now immensely concerned by immigration.

That wasn't slander. I was mentioning an actual Leave advocate who told me it is essential they "Keep Britain Pure", and many ads for Leave matched with that sentiment(such as the one comparing the happy white people vs the poor brown people I mentioned). All of which harkens back to Britain's old "Keep Britain White" anti-integration slogan from the 1950s and 60s.

I've criticized people's ignorance and racism to their face many times in my life, and I am afraid of no man. But, hey, I don't intend to physically tussle with some friends of yours. If you genuinely think their response would be violence and not heartfelt disagreement, that says some unfortunate things about your opinion of them. I'm sure they'd be fine to hang out and chat with.

I suggested that white supremacy was dripping from "Leave" ads and cartoons talking about keeping Britain "pure" and depicting Muslims as impoverished rats; I didn't say your friends were necessarily white supremacists. That our societies are impacted by white supremacy doesn't mean everyone holds it near and dear to their hearts.

America and Europe both have vibrant populations of PoC, but it doesn't erase their legacies of white supremacy or the remnants of that prejudice in our lives. The British Empire laid waste to civilizations around the world, uplifting white supremacy and helping tie it into so many societies. We would be mistaken to believe the impact of centuries of such action would disappear in a few decades away from overt imperialism. Acknowledging that legacy around us is part of us undoing its enduring influence.

So, while it's a shame that many people may have hurt themselves and others by voting to tear apart the United Kingdom and much of the progress the country has seen with the European Union, I hope your UK friends get through this mess well. It's going to be a difficult time ahead, and ultimately I hope everyone eventually comes around to standing for better in the West.

Criticizing the underlying racism and xenophobia behind an effort is not the same as dismissing everyone who supports something as "just a racist" or "just a xenophobe". The fact is, it's more complicated than that, and I mentioned that in my comment. Part of why racism and xenophobia can influence people, like those in England, is allowing too many problems to fester.

As I said, war, economic austerity, and politicians playing to xenophobia are all part of what set the stage for demagogues to take advantage of people's economic troubles and general unease. It's how people are taken advantage of time and time again, including innumerous times in the UK's own history. When people are left in desperate situations and hate is allowed to bloom without serious challenge, it's no wonder when people give in to the allure of fascists selling easy scapegoats that won't actually fix their problems.

These are ultimately normal everyday people, and that's the nature of racism and xenophobia. People don't just sprout wings and fangs when they're influenced by racism. They're normal people taken in by hate around them, often because there are some genuine fears and anxiety there that people regularly take advantage of. People in your own family are impacted by prejudices; people on these forums for certain are. It is not shameful to admit that racism, xenophobia, and sexism impact our lives; it is only shameful to deny their presence around us and sometimes in us.

My own brother has some bad views on immigrants(though he has improved as he has worked with them more). It doesn't mean I don't still love my brother, and it certainly doesn't mean he is evil. It means he's a human being just like me, susceptible to fears and hate around him. I will never dismiss someone simply because they have some issues. Best I can do is discuss those issues honestly and attempt to offer ways to overcome it. I've faced many issues in my own life, and we all will tangle with the influences of prejudice til the day we die. We just need to be aware and work toward better. :)

This is what happens when people leave problems festering for too long and give ample room for demagogues to scapegoat minorities to desperate people looking for a change. Unending war, economic austerity, and appeasement of xenophobia show just how much politicians have overestimated the resiliency of liberty and progress. Britain has real problems; none of which are addressed by this horrific Brexit.

Some may whine that people have discussed the open racism of much of the Leave campaign, as if the reality of how racist nationalism and xenophobia plays a big part in our modern world is somehow insulting to even bring up, but the truth is that racism has not gone away and it still has a major impact in our lives. White supremacy is real, and it shines in British "Leave" activists encouraging people to "Keep Britain Pure". It seethes underneath ads depicting happy white people in a sunny vista next to Muslims in rundown apartments, saying, "This is Britain's future if we do not Leave." Cartoons in papers depicting Arab immigrants as rats rushing under the door into Britain can barely hide their racial disdain.

Racism and fascism have a long history in Europe, and we are only seeing their latest chapter. America is facing similar challenges, and we can only hope we learn the lessons of where Britain is now faltering. The way our own election is going, I fear we may not.

"Then the Bernie supporters who swear they will vote for Trump... didn't truly believe in advancing progressive ideals?"

That should be relatively apparent. Same as Clinton supporters who have said they'd vote for Trump if Clinton lost because they'd "never vote for a socialist". Tenuously progressive people until the point it becomes inconvenient.

As for people who say they "will never vote Hillary", many of them may genuinely believe in progressive ideals. I know plenty of liberal people who are currently planning on voting for Jill Stein instead, and they're thinking of the larger picture of our destructive two party system. One of my friends is a Latino who has seen the historic deportations Clinton and President Obama have presided over, and she is extremely wary about ever voting for Clinton when she doesn't reject more of the same. And one of my friends is a Muslim who refuses to put her name behind Clinton or Trump when their foreign policies will continue to butcher Muslims overseas.

I may feel differently, but I can't tell anyone they have to vote for Clinton. As the candidate, she has to convince voters that she will do better. Most I can do is continue to encourage people to vote for anyone but Trump, boost voting for the Dem candidate when I can, and vocally stand up to reinvigorated white supremacist fascism in our country.

I've never met a liberal Sanders supporter that would ever think of voting for Trump. Most of his liberal supporters are like the ones who have been disrupting Trump's rallies and taking the fight to him. The ones Clinton people have talked about as out-of-control "hooligans" for breaking up his events. These supporters see Trump as an inherently fascist threat to our society, and they recognize that direct protest action is vital against fascism. People are genuinely to believe -those- sorts of supporters are gonna vote for a man they are actively working to oppose?

This odd Clinton campaign meme whereby more liberal Sanders supporters are just a different shade of Trump supporters and might flip has continued to be absurd. Exit polling during the Primaries actually showed that in many states more Clinton supporters would flip to Trump if Clinton didn't win than Sanders supporters would flip to Trump if Clinton won, but the Sanders supporters were focused on because of the assumption that Clinton would win. Clinton has had support from many hawkish and authoritarian but socially liberal Republicans, and Sanders has had support from younger Republicans screwed by big business Republicanism and drawn to his anti-establishment message. Both of these groups have had the potential to fall back in with the Republican nominee, and with Trump's white supremacist and nationalist messaging, pretty much any white or authoritarian-leaning conservative has been at risk of falling in behind him eventually.

Sanders has specifically said that voting for Trump would be a "betrayal of what this entire campaign has been about", and the notion that any liberal Sanders supporter who was really for his message would turn toward Trump is a misunderstanding of Leftist American politics. Sanders may be critical of Clinton as a pro at playing a crooked, destructive game, but people like Trump are why our politics are a crooked, destructive game. There is no reason any actual Leftist in America would support Trump instead of attempting to stamp him and his fascism out; it is not a real concern in this election.

As far as liberal Sanders supporters I know, most are thinking of either reluctantly voting for Clinton and trying to get progressives in local races(I am leaning this way), holding out until at least the convention to see if Clinton will be indicted, thinking of voting for Jill Stein to boost a progressive Third Party for the future, or are Muslims who may be morally abstaining in the face of horrific options. It's a difficult, morally-challenging election for sure, but in it, a clear unacceptable answer is supporting Trumpian fascism. We must continue to challenge it and reject being dragged backwards as a nation.

I'm concerned by the 6% of Giant Bomb forum members who would vote for Trump, but I suppose there will always be some of those folks around.

This election is certainly emotionally difficult for many people, as Clinton is a far from ideal choice and Trump is a proto-fascist authoritarian who has redefined modern American dogwhistling. Trump was just here in Texas this week, and he said he was "a real friend to the *looks at notes on pedestal* the L,G,B,T" and he'd help keep out immigrants who might hurt LGBT people(in the wake of 49 Latino and Black LGBT people gunned down by a non-immigrant American). Then he went and posed for pictures with a local preacher who'd endorsed him, Robert Jeffress, one of the nation's leading anti-LGBT voices. A man who says immigrants and gays are ruining this country. Trump is literally willing to embrace any position and say anything as long as it comes back to reinforcing xenophobia and talking about how great he is personally.

I'm very disappointed that Clinton is the Democratic nominee, as I pushed for Sanders and have been a serious critic of Clinton and President Obama particularly for their foreign policy, but more of this troubled same is better than uplifting outright fascism to try to "fix it" or "make America great again". Many conservative Americans are right to join with liberal Americans to push back against Trump, as people understand that he is basically a distillation of the worst elements of our country. Rich, racist, duplicitous, conspiratorial, irrational, violent narcissism. He is a serious threat to this nation and people around the world impacted by US policy.

Also, for those unsure about voting or feeling like because they're in a swing state it won't matter, please don't just stay home and not vote. There are still local races which matter, and the Popular Vote may matter this time around despite the electoral math being very poor for Trump. Every vote will count. If we have another 2000 where the electoral vote decides it, it'll be a mess. Voice your opposition to this madness and, even if not for Clinton, at the very least vote for a Third Party. Turnout is already low enough in our system that not showing up doesn't really send much of a message. Vote and show that you helped stand up to the rising tide of American fascism Trump is leading. We can be better than this.

Gonna be a difficult, ugly election. Thank goodness we'll have Giant Bomb to help ease the pain a bit.

So glad The Kleptastrophe won and the community has given so much support to AGDQ 2016! I don't think I'm going to do an overview post of it again this year, but it was a great thing to watch.

Here's to a fantastic Final Fantasy IV run to finish it off. Let's show that Spoony Bard who's boss! :)

Additional Note:

The last North Korean atomic bomb test in 2013 yielded an explosion of around 9 kilotons.

The first US hydrogen bomb test ever in 1952 yielded an explosion of 10400 kilotons, or 10.4 megatons.

That's over a 1000 times stronger, and yet, the current signatures for this "hydrogen" explosion appear to be comparable to the last test. Obviously we won't know for sure for a while(maybe they covered up the impact somehow. Not sure why though when their point is to inspire fear and respect), but having doubts at their claim is reasonable.