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artemis

@[email protected]

#horror and #ttrpg enthusiast.

I'm a bisexual anti-capitalist & aspiring propagandist. We're not free until we're all free.

I sometimes have updates from my brother "Apollo" on the ground in Minneapolis.

Guillermo del Toro fan account. Anarchist pep-talks are provided free of charge. Solidarity forever!

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@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

Another interesting factor of resistance to ICE in Minnesota is that it does actually change what it means to people to be "Minnesotan" in a way that I hope will inspire & encourage people there.

Sure, Minnesotans like to think of themselves as good neighbors. The idea of being a "good neighbor" is highly valued.

But I think Minnesotans have redefined "neighborliness" for themselves in recent months.

artemis OP ,
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Minneapolis has been a multicultural city for a long time at this point, & the George Floyd protests in 2020 kicked off something huge. So it's not like this version of neighborliness started with ICE coming to town, but this is a defining moment. It's a re-mythologizing of a sort.

artemis OP ,
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"Love your neighbors" & not just when they look exactly like you. That's the opposite of the fucking point.

This isn't about in-groups & out-groups or regionalism. It's about the people around you, whoever they are & wherever they come from. People are people, so look out for them.

Now that's what I call neighborly!

artemis OP ,
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The parable of the Good Samaritan starts with someone asking Jesus "who is my neighbor?" A lot of Minnesotans answered that recently. Your neighbor doesn't have to look like you, talk like you, or have the same life as you. That person next door deserves your care & protection because they are a person.

Minnesotan or not, let's keep that energy up. Let's keep spreading the word: love your neighbors. Care for the people around you & don't let anyone tell you who you are allowed to care about.

artemis OP ,
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That is the energy we need. Enough with our prejudice. Enough hiding behind privilege. Enough with fearing the person next door who has never fucking harmed you rather than getting angry with the oppressors who would hurt you both.

If we can actually get our shit together & get serious about real solidarity, the fascists & white supremacists are fucked. They are counting on white people to fucking think of themselves first & act on fear, prejudice, & indifference.

artemis OP ,
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If enough white folks will just fucking look around & accept that everyone else is as valuable as they are, that everyone matters with no exceptions, the fash are going to really struggle with what they are trying to do.

Same with cis-het people with queer people. Same with all those dividing lines that define people as "not like me".

They need us not to care about each other. They need us indifferent to each other. They need us not to be able to see the humanity in others.

artemis OP ,
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Frankly, this is why fashy folks lose their shit at the inclusion of POC & queer people in entertainment media.

The media we interact with helps shape how we see each other & what we believe about the world.

Yes, representation is great for the group represented, but it is healing to all of us. It can help us learn to see each other without fear or hatred or disgust.

So yeah, they are fucking upset about inclusion in media. It's a fucking problem for them if we can just see & love each other.

artemis OP ,
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The increase in recent years of widely available good representation of different people & experiences has been transformative for me.

I can't name specific examples because it's not really individual things. It's the overall experience of exposure.

Sure, I try to mentally unpack my racism & other prejudices, & that's important work, & OF COURSE I try to apply that progress in real life, but the whole process is significantly helped by additional exposure making difference feel normal.

artemis OP ,
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Here's the difference between this & "can't we all just get along?"

The empathy gap largely goes in one direction. David Graeber does a great job in The Utopia of Rules explaining this, but the short version is: in relationships of unequal power, the less powerful/oppressed people learn to empathize with & understand the powerful people. They are forced to understand them to survive. This does NOT go the other way.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

Sometimes I look at the oppressive world we live in, the entrenched systems of power, & I just want to melt in despair.

Because here's the truth, I don't know for sure what we will be able to accomplish either in my own country or globally. We are the fucking underdogs in this fight. Not to mention I know all the atrocities happening right now that I am powerless to stop.

artemis OP ,
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But at those times I think about all of the freedom fighters throughout history, all the people who campaigned for the end of wars, all the labor organizers, everyone who has made liberation their cause for centuries, & I think "that's the side I want to be on." Some of them accomplished some of their aims. Some were not able to realize the changes they wanted to make. But either way they freed their minds & lived as free people do—making their own choices & opposing arbitrary rule.

artemis OP ,
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That's the company I want to be in. And any time we can get in the way of oppressors, even just a little, I want to do that. Even if it doesn't topple a regime. Even if it just costs them a little extra time or loses them a little money.

I want to always be a spanner in the works, a wrench thrown into the gears of industry. Even if I don't win, I will not be fucking giving up. I will seek liberation every day until I die. I will spit in the eye of "authority" & live free.

artemis OP ,
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As Tracy Chapman says, "all that you have is your soul" (I love that song).

Okay, then, this soul is staying free of their lies & their control. I won't give in because I can't, because submitting to arbitrary, oppressive "authority" is the opposite of everything I am & everything I want to be.

I'm not saying I can't be hurt. I can be. I could be. I'm not saying my resolve is perfect. I'm human. I am saying I intend to give it everything I've got.

artemis OP ,
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Y'all, I believe in the power of solidarity. I believe we can change the world. I don't know the future though, so I can't guarantee us a win.

What I can tell you is that no matter how cruel & brutal & oppressive things are: there are always resisters. There always will be. "Freedom is a pure idea. It occurs spontaneously & without instruction" (Nemik's manifesto).

There will always be light seers & freedom seekers. Always. And it's good company to be in.

artemis OP ,
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It's not just the political theorists & the activists. It's musicians & artists & all kinds of people from all walks of life.

Liberation is magnetic, & people will always be drawn to it. People will always imagine better worlds. They will always try to create better things.

Not everyone. But some people. I don't know if we win this fight, but I know that they will never vanquish all of us, never stamp out the idea of freedom, no matter how hard they try.

artemis OP ,
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I cannot promise you freedom in the future, but I can encourage you as much as possible to live freely now.

We create better worlds at least momentarily when we gather together & help one another. Even in the worst of times.

If, for even a fleeting moment, we can find joy & community & care for one another, we experience a little taste of freedom. Just a taste of what could be our daily reality in a better world, but for now that taste is oh so sweet.

artemis OP ,
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I'm not going to live to see the future I dream of. I hope that in my lifetime I can see some oppressive systems fall & crumble to dust (reach for the stars, comrades!), but my vision of a post-oppression world is unlikely to come about in the scant few decades remaining in my life.

But it's enough to know we're dreaming it together. The dream won't die with me.

I'm just keeping this dream alive as much as I can. When I'm gone, there will be others still dreaming & still working.

artemis OP ,
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It is always worth it to oppose oppression.

It is always worth it to slow them down or reduce their strength. Even if you can't stop it. It's still worth fucking trying.

Look at Minneapolis. They can't save all their people, but they can fight tooth & nail for everyone they can. They can slow down ICE & make sure someone stays free at least another day. All of it fucking matters.

artemis OP ,
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You can get really discouraged when you look at what we're up against. I do. But I am encouraged by every life saved, every person protected.

It's worth it. It will always be worth it to oppose fascists & authoritarians. It will always be worth it to fuck with oppressors.

It is not in vain. Not now, not ever. It is always worth trying.

artemis OP ,
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You never fucking know what impact you will leave. If an 80 year-old Woody Guthrie song can put courage & hope in people's hearts, if John Brown—a man who died more than 160 years ago—is still a rallying cry & an inspiration, you can see what difference someone's actions can make over time.

And sure, you may not write an anthem of resistance or die a martyr for liberation, but the things you do, the good you put into the world, reverberate in ways you may never even know.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

A couple things I've learned about my own creative process:

  • don't rush to correct "mistakes". You can end up doubling down instead of "fixing" it. Not to mention, "mistakes" are how the unexpected happens. Let them sit & then come back & see how you feel.

Relatedly:

  • don't quit the creative process just because things aren't going as expected. Follow your instincts, not just what you think will "look good" in the finished creation. Let it cook.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

I would really, really prefer that the regime does not successfully manage to rig elections, BUT

Please be aware, that would not be the end of hope. Not by a long shot. In fact, that's a dangerous & precarious situation they are placing themselves in, so you know their feeling weak. They aren't able to actually generate support for what they are doing. They are fearful.

Beyond that though, just in general, we were never going to be allowed to vote away our chains anyway. Voting won't do it.

artemis OP ,
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I'm not saying it's nothing to worry about.

It's definitely something to worry about.

I'm saying that it's not like that somehow defeats us. It's not like "it's all over" if that happens.

Shit's likely to get pretty bad before it gets better, but that's not the same thing as losing.

artemis OP ,
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Their desperation betrays them though. If they were strong, if they had real backing & support, they would not be desperately trying to rig elections in the most loud & obvious ways.

That's not strength.

artemis OP ,
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There is always a balance to strike here in communicating about this: it can both be true that they have a lot of power to inflict massive harm & do unbelievable violence (& it is true) & that they are really disorganized & incompetent & only getting worse.

They are cutting themselves off at the legs, firing & driving off everyone in pretty much every department of the federal government who is competent & experienced.

artemis OP ,
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They are fragile, & desperate, & not actually good at predicting what people will do.

They are pretty shit at a lot of stuff.

Minneapolis is the perfect example of these two truths.

The magnitude of the violence is horrific. The unchecked brutality is unbelievable.

AND

It is not going as planned at all. This was supposed to be a showing of strength for them.

artemis OP ,
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It was also supposed to make what's left of their base feel good, but it's mostly making them have to deal with more & more uncomfortable confrontations.

By now the MAGAs were supposed to be sick of winning, but instead their investments are in the toilet & their children won't speak to them & they are just fucking hated. They are getting quieter & quieter & quieter, at least around here.

Minneapolis does not make them feel like winners. It makes them feel hated & unwanted.

artemis OP ,
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My husband works at an auto parts store in Wisconsin, & he hasn't seen a single MAGA hat in his store for nearly a year at this point.

A lot of folks who used to be loud & proud MAGA are shutting up about it. Wearing a MAGA hat does NOT get the reactions they want.

Again, they were supposed to have won so much at this point that they would be sick of winning. That was the promise.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

2 of my 3 older siblings hold authoritarian beliefs (the 3rd just participates in a different reality from the rest of us).

What I am trying to wrap my head around now is that they actually do have a completely different morality than I have.

We might theoretically feel similar about specific things (like disliking it when people get hurt), but their personal preference won't override the dictates of their authorities. Their morality is derived from "authority".

Mine comes from me.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

ICE still ain't out of Minneapolis.

Dems are worthless.

We all see the fascist violence in the streets.

We will not be able to vote it out.

artemis OP ,
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And since ICE still isn't out of Minneapolis, Apollo asked me to share this site with y'all. If you are looking to help the folks in Minnesota, here are some ways you can.

https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

artemis OP ,
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This is what they want for all of us. They literally want to trample anyone who doesn't fawn over them under their feet.

Let's continue to help & strengthen one another. Hard days are ahead.

But Minnesota isn't giving up, & neither are we.

artemis OP ,
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Part of the fascist project there literally is to cause economic devastation.

They destroy & steal things. They injure people, requiring them to get medical care. Many people will have long-term disabilities related to injuries received. They interrupt the lives of workers & the operations of businesses.

What Trump wants is to crush Minnesota. It's not going as planned. He's not getting what he thought he would out of this. But it's still brutal.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

Supposedly a good way to deal with LRADs (Long Range Acoustic Device) is to make a curved shield, & hold it with the concave side out.

Apparently this can help redirect the sound back at those using the LRAD, so if you get good at angling, you can really give them hell.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

https://newrepublic.com/article/205736/ice-resistance-minneapolis-residents-unseen

"The ICE Resistance That You’re Not Seeing: Our screens may be bursting with graphic images of the ICE occupation, but the bulk of the work is boring, invisible—and absolutely vital."

artemis OP ,
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>Someone even volunteered to do the other volunteers’ day jobs, the work-work—formatting spreadsheets, answering emails. She volunteered to sit at a desk; she has young kids and doesn’t want to leave them alone. So she offered what she could: clerical skills.

This is exactly what I've been talking about. You use the skills, time, & abilities you have. We do it together.

artemis OP ,
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From a volunteer who has been pulling shifts helping people:

>I was eating nothing but takeout. I said something, and now I’ve got a full fridge.” The grocery deliveries to immigrant families are vital. What keeps those deliveries happening are the deliveries to the people making deliveries. It’s mutual aid all the way down.

If you aren't able to join certain efforts to help people, maybe you can bring food to someone who is.

Mutual aid means we help each other keep from burning out.

artemis OP ,
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Make no mistake, this is the only way sustained, continued resistance of the type we see in Minneapolis is even possible.

They haven't burnt out because they all keep each other going. They haven't burnt out because when they realize they need help, they ask for it.

That's the difference. That's what makes something like this possible: doing the care work that keeps everything going.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

The thing my brother told me about Minneapolis right now that haunts me most is just the idea of going out in your neighborhood and seeing a note left on a car with smashed windows: "2 people were taken here."

I can't stop thinking about that. About the idea of watching 2 people snatched off the streets by violent thugs, & you don't even know who they are, just that they are gone now & you have no idea what will happen to them next. But you record the scrap of information that you do have.

@artemis@dice.camp avatar artemis , to random

Okay another thing the Trump admin didn't plan for in Minneapolis:

Do you know how electrifying collective action with united purpose can be? Do you have any idea the heat generated by the fire that ignites in people's hearts when they look around and see all their neighbors out there with them, scared but determined?

That is not a feeling our enemies want us to learn & get used to. It's frankly addictive. Once you've felt it, you're going to want to feel it again.

artemis OP ,
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A lot of people looking at Minnesota right now are fucking jealous too.

Not jealous of the brutality. Not desirous that it would come here.

But jealous of that amazing feeling of unity. People are getting hungry for that thrill. People are stunned by the beauty & power of collective resistance. We want that where we are.

Minneapolis's resolve strengthens all of us, & people have been shown what is possible.

They can't undo that. They can't make people unsee it.

artemis OP ,
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I believe we are in the midst of a global effort for liberation.

People are hungry for justice & we know how many of us there are.

Protests against Israel's genocide in Palestine have been sweeping the globe for a couple years now. And what has it gotten governments to do? Fuck all. And only slightly better success with individual corporations & organizations.

Everyone in the goddamn world knows that things need to change & soon! So we watch each other & learn & get bolder & try more things.

artemis OP ,
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Sure, it's been years of "eat the rich" & guillotine fantasies, but during that time things have not been sitting still. The temperature has been rising. People are becoming impatient.

And people are also imaginative. And we are sharing our resistance with one another. Plenty of people in other countries receive news from Minnesota as good news for all of us. It's good news for all of us wherever people unite to help each other & resist oppression.

artemis OP ,
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What is happening in the world right now is not like anything that has ever happened before because it isn't the same world.

Change is constant. Adaptation is neverending.

The fash, the neolibs, the capitalists, all those fuckers: none of them are fucking ready. None of them fucking know how hungry the world is for change or that we can't stop dreaming of a world where we all look out for each other.

artemis OP ,
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There is nothing simple or easy here. There is no painless path forward.

But y'all, we are not the people they thought we are. Not just Minnesotans or Americans or...

It's all of us. Humans are not what they think we are.

This is not the fight they think it is.

And that's why they will fucking lose.

artemis OP ,
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They should have just given Americans free healthcare & a decent social welfare system.

They should have made concessions to Free Palestine protestors.

If they wanted to appease people & make them docile, they should have let more people continue in the fantasy that slow positive change would continue to slowly roll out forever.

But corporations got so fucking wildly greedy & obsessed with the next quarter's earnings report that they forgot that they were supposed to be lulling us to sleep.

artemis OP ,
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"Authorities" in pretty much every goddamn country in the world have been dropping the myth that the systems could change & become better.

They needed that myth believed. We needed it gone.

They removed it for us.

Seriously, the almost total lack of movement on Palestine? What did they think they were teaching people? That we were powerless? They just taught us that we need to get serious.

artemis OP ,
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The whole goddamn world learned that making our voices heard could never be enough from the continued refusal to stop the Palestinian genocide.

People in general the world over are getting a lot more interested in disruptive direct action.

They announced loud & fucking clear "the only way change will happen is by force."

So we look at the millions & millions of people the world over who have been screaming for this to end & think, "ok, force is it? There are more of us than there are of you."

artemis OP ,
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The more people who see direct action, mutual aid, & solidarity at work, the more people are going to think "yeah, this is really what I want!"

The more they push us to unite, the stronger we get.

It's always important to communicate & educate & try to change minds & bring people along, but seeing & participating in more community actions is going to do more to transform people's thinking & imagination than anything that could be said alone.