World politics, and racism in fandom.

[bubosquared]

So, yeah, the Israel-Palestina conflict is still in full force, and now there's riots in Northern Ireland again. Sigh.

Dear people sitting next to me on the train,

I understand you feel the need to sprout of your opinions on world politics. I understand that most people don't have the inclination, time, or willingness to make the effort, to read up on the often incredibly long historical background of these conflict. I am a history freak, and a research nut, and have been brought up to research and back up my arguments, especially in politics.

However. If you're not going to even bother to read the fucking newspaper and form an opinion that is not a blanket statement about either of the sides in these conflicts, if you're going to sit there and say that the IRA should turn in all their weapons without any guarantee of NI rejoining the Irish Republic (which, btw, is why they took up arms again in the late sixties in the first place -- the British governement had promised to work towards re-unifying them and then did zip for fourty years!), that the Palestinians should just should disarm, shut up, and move out of Israel (disregarding the fact that it was originally their fucking country, and that Sharon has been deliberately and knowingly violating just about every treaty his predecessors worked on), if you then ask me what I think about it, then I'm going to tell you. And I'm going to use lots of four-syllable words; I'm going to be careful and precise and rational in what I'm saying, and I'm going to look at both sides of the story.

And if you don't like that, you can go stuff yourself, instead of giving me that "stupid chit, what do you know about it?" look.

Sincerely,

Furious.

Also! Interesting discussion to be had here. Go. Read. Now! I'll wait.

Okay, if you're back, I'd like to just add my plea for non-white slash characters to witchqueen's. I know, I know, I'm telling you to do as I say, not as I do, here. But due to the nature of my fandoms, it's hard to even find an non-white person to slash, much as I'd want to. Because I love interracial slash. It's a kink, for the visual of contrasting skin.

(Aside: I often worry if my non-white characters come off as "token blacks/asians" in my non-fanfic stories. I don't mean for them to be. I don't sit down and think "Hm, I need a non-white character," just like I don't sit down and think "Hm, I need another female," because my characters just come to me as they are. And often, they're not white. I didn't figure out until halfway through Here and Now that Jesse's Asian, so it doesn't feel "token non-white"ish to me, but. Blah.)

Anyhat. For those of you looking for suggestions:

The Crying Game -- Jody/Fergus.

Star Wars -- Lando Calrissian/Han Solo. (Please, people, for the love of god, they vibed so hard I vibed off the sofa!) QG/Mace.

Red Dwarf -- Lister/Rimmer. (ONSCREEN KISS! How easy must it get?)

Space: Above and Beyond -- Paul Wang/Elroy EL. Because, woa. Also, Vanessa Damphousse/Shane Vansen. Sigh. My f/f slash OTP!

RPS: Justin/Nelly. Eminem/Dr Dre. (Dude, that's almost canon!). Dre/Snoop Dogg! (Would pay for this.) And someone ought to slash Coolio. (This could also fall under the S:AaB heading, since he played a guest role in that.)

Or, you know. Suggest a bunny, and I might write it. Lord knows one more won't make a difference.

Comments

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Well, you know, weapons (including those wielded by the state) should be turned in, because explosions and killing are generally bad,

Well, and I admit this goes more for the Palestina thing than for the NI thing, but why should one side turn in their weapons and the other not? :/

but there's the part where most of the people born and living in N.I. want to remain part of the UK. It's an interesting question: is one person's citizenship and vote lesser than another person's, because their ancestors came by that citizenship by immoral means?

Ah, but the thing is, back in 1916, the counties of NI were created deliberately so that the Loyalists would always be in the majority in govt, even though they weren't always getting the majority of the votes.

The reason the Protestants were Loyalists (generalisation, I know, but work with me, here) is that they were, back then, afraid of repercussions when all of Ireland would be independent. Granted, I can completely understand that -- although I do have to think 'Well, you should've thought of that before you oppressed and poverised the Catholics, ya bints.'

So, 1916, the south of Ireland became independent, and the county of Ulster was created -- as I said above, specifically designed so that the Protestants/Loyalists would be in the vast majority in govt.

Fast forward fifty years, and nothing has changed. In the mid-sixties, Catholics were still the "working class", and Protestants were the businesspeople, the bosses, and running "Ulster". So people were already, rightfully, imo, unhappy and discontent and angry towards the "ruling class", and then there was the big blow-up with the march in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising (can't remember details, can look them up in my book when I get home tomorrow, if you want), and then things just got ... horribly out of hand, to claim the understatement of the year.

Of course I don't agree with the killing of civilians by the IRA, but I also don't agree with the shoot-to-kill-ask-questions-later tactics of the UK Army (not sure if that is still in effect), and don't even get me started on the hunger strike thing.

Basically, ... yeah, I tend to lean slightly to the side of the IRA in this, because both sides have done things I'm completely appalled at, but I always tend to hold that against an "official governement" more than against a "terrorist organisation", especially since the whole demand for disarming is based, presumable, on the fact that the UK govt is an "official govt" and therefore has more rights than the IRA. Well, I say, with those rights come responsability.

(Of course, that goes the other way, too. If the republicans want me to think they ought to be in charge of NI, let them prove it by acting like a regulated police/army force.)

Um, that was long and rambling, and I do apologise. It's just that I've been immersed in IRA research and shit lately, and I like to talk politics. :)

It's a really, really complex area, and, well, I certainly don't know what I think. Apart from that it's more complex than it's often portrayed to be.

That is certainly true, even in Europe. (Disclaimer: Not being prejudiced, here, but I do get the impression that the media in America tend to all sway to one side of any given issue. Is that a correct impression?)

And see, you acknowledge it's not that simple, which means you're my favourite kind of person to discuss things like this with. :) Have had one too many encounter with the "There Is No Grey Zone" crowd in my days.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have to run away for the weekend right now, but can we make a date to resume this discussion?

Basically, I agree with everything you said there, but I'm still, I think, disagreeing overall about IRA sympathy. The situation there is just licensing psychopathic bigotry, and has little to do with belief, on any side.

Re:

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Sure thing! I'll be here on Monday, or whenever you wanna reply. :)