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"Elections are held, but they are not fair. Rights exist, but they are violated. Institutions look democratic, but they are warped." ~ Steven Levitsky and Lucan A. Way "Democracy is not an all-or-nothing affair. Many regimes fall somewhere in between full-fledged democracy and outright dictatorship." ~ Fareed Zakaria "The erosion of democratic norms is more often a slow, quiet process than a sudden collapse." ~ Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt "Modern authoritarianism wears the mask of democracy, using its language, institutions, and rituals to veil the consolidation of power." ~…

"The people don't want war, but they can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders... All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism." ~ Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader, during the Nuremberg Trials "Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." ~ George Orwell "The media's job is not to report the facts; it’s to maintain the illusion of democracy while serving the needs of the powerful." ~ Chris Hedges "The propagandist’s purpose…

"America’s cultural hegemony has always been a velvet glove covering the iron fist of its foreign policy." ~ Arundhati Roy "We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality... We're history’s actors... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." ~ Unnamed senior Bush administration official (often attributed to Karl Rove) "Aid is just another arm of foreign policy. It's not given altruistically. It's given with strings attached, to build dependency, to extract allegiance." ~ Dambisa Moyo "The consequence of American imperial overreach is not dominance, but…

“Israel's campaign in Gaza cannot be justified as self-defense. It has become a war of collective punishment, targeting an entire civilian population in ways that fulfill the legal definition of genocide.” ~ Nathan Thrall “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide against Palestinians as a group in Gaza has been met.” ~ Francesca Albanese “The massacre in Gaza is not a reaction to a threat, it is a premeditated act of ethnic cleansing. It is genocidal not just in scale but in its intent—to eliminate a people’s right to…

“The portrayal of Iran as irrational and suicidal has served as a justification for preemptive action, while Israel’s opaque nuclear posture is tolerated, if not endorsed, by the very powers that demand transparency from Iran.” ~ Trita Parsi “Israel’s policy of nuclear opacity—never confirming, never denying—has been a cornerstone of its security doctrine, even as it condemns Iran’s nuclear ambitions as existential threats.” ~ Avner Cohen “Iran has not attacked any country in over two centuries. Compare that to Israel’s history of aggression, occupation, and its clandestine development of…

"The demand for unconditional surrender prolonged the war and multiplied the horrors inflicted on civilian populations, not to mention the justification it provided for the atomic bombings." ~ Howard Zinn “When powerful states demand unconditional surrender from weaker ones, it is not peace they are after, but submission. This has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with control.” ~ Noam Chomsky “Unconditional surrender is often less about ending war and more about annihilating the enemy’s capacity to resist, even morally. It can turn war into an act of collective punishment…

"The deliberate targeting of civilians, whether by terror bombings or otherwise, is a war crime. No cause justifies the mass murder of non-combatants." ~ Howard Zinn "The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one: don't let it happen. It depends on you." ~ George Orwell "The policy of indiscriminate bombing, whatever its justifications, sows hatred, prolongs war, and creates generations of enemies." ~ Noam Chomsky "We are the inheritors of a terrifying legacy — cities turned to ash, civilians burned alive — all in the name of victory." ~ Chris Hedges "The…

“In politics and war, deception is often most lethal when peace appears most likely.” ~ William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich “Pearl Harbor not only destroyed ships and lives, it shattered the illusion that diplomacy could restrain imperial ambition.” ~ Ian Toll, Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific “To negotiate with one hand while arming the other is a timeless tactic of states that do not truly seek peace.” ~ Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy “History shows that surprise attacks during negotiations are not anomalies, but calculated betrayals when one party sees…

Israel’s strikes and covert operations within Iran over the past 25 years are strategic ruthlessness. These actions, targeted assassinations and pinpoint airstrikes with Ai drones, missiles, and F-35s fighter jets, may seem, at first glance, to violate international treaties and United Nations moral codes that govern the conduct of war and peace. But to view them through a purely legal or ethical lens is to misunderstand the nature of imperialistic power itself. Imperialistic power is rarely clean. It thrives not in compliance, but in necessity. International law, particularly the UN…

PARKER and his parents.... For years! Since Parker was 8 years old... And his older brother trained everyday for years... We do weights or "strength training", EVERYDAY! Plyometrics twice a week for years. We do BASKETBALL TRAINING, EVERYDAY! We get him to do speed track Sprint training twice a week at the University Butterdome during the winter and at Scona and at St. Albert through the spring-summer-fall year for the past 5 years. Everyday, minimum of 420 makes from layups, floaters and runners, mid-range, free throws, 3s and long distance 3s, and at least a half an hour of handles,…

“One man is a storm, quick to thunder. The other, a still pond — dangerous only when disturbed.” ~ Rudyard Kipling “Temper is the only thing you can’t get rid of by losing it.” ~ Jack Nicholson “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” ~ Lao Tzu “The strong man is not the one who can use force, but the one who can control himself when angry.” ~ Prophet Muhammad “In the clash of brothers, one burns like wildfire, the other freezes like stone — yet it is the frost that lasts longest.” ~ Unknown (Traditional proverb, modern variation) I…

"GNOME is designed to be streamlined and distraction-free, helping users focus on their tasks rather than managing their desktop." ~ Allan Day, GNOME Design Team "GNOME offers a clean, modern user experience that emphasizes simplicity, speed, and getting out of the user's way." ~ Jim Hall, FreeDOS Project Founder and Linux Writer "GNOME might very well be the most efficient desktop interface available, especially for those who prefer keyboard-driven workflows." ~ Jack Wallen, TechRepublic "GNOME is about removing distractions so you can focus on your task. Simplicity is not a lack of…

"We follow Jesus, who was himself a refugee, and we will resist any policy that denies others the refuge he and his family were given." ~ Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde (Episcopal Diocese of Washington) "This ban is not about safety. It’s about hate. It’s about scapegoating Muslims and immigrants for political gain. And religious leaders must call it what it is—immoral." ~ Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (President, Repairers of the Breach) "These actions go against the values we hold as a nation and as a church: to welcome the stranger and protect the vulnerable." ~ Cardinal Blase J. Cupich…

"To be anti-racist is to recognize that policies not only reflect inequality—they create it. Banning equity initiatives doesn't remove bias, it reinforces it." ~ Ibram X. Kendi "When you strike down diversity programs, you strike down the very tools we use to confront structural inequality. Silencing DEI is silencing progress." ~ Kimberlé Crenshaw "A society that bans equity and inclusion initiatives reveals its deep commitment to maintaining the status quo of injustice." ~ Cornel West "Without deliberate attention to race and equity, systems of exclusion will not only persist—they will…

In response to President Trump imposing a new discriminatory travel ban on visitors from Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, and a partial travel ban on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela By endorsing Trump's travel ban, you are committing to policies that are seen as unfair, racist, and discriminatory. Those from Black, Brown, or Muslim-majority countries are disproportionately targeted by these bans because of their race, religion, or…