Speaking Sentinel
@jhitan.bsky.social
Eight held the line, six unto eternity.
(Can't fully take credit for that take myself, had much of this pointed out to me in someone else's blog post a decade+ ago.)
(Aside: Luke Skywalker has nearly the exact same loading from this frame as Clark Kent/Superman does.)
(Aside: Luke Skywalker has nearly the exact same loading from this frame as Clark Kent/Superman does.)
February 17, 2026 at 5:45 AM
(Can't fully take credit for that take myself, had much of this pointed out to me in someone else's blog post a decade+ ago.)
(Aside: Luke Skywalker has nearly the exact same loading from this frame as Clark Kent/Superman does.)
(Aside: Luke Skywalker has nearly the exact same loading from this frame as Clark Kent/Superman does.)
That said, in the OT the obvious point here is that the victory of the Rebel Alliance involves WASP-coded galactic elites fighting alongside white ethnic- and POC-coded lower classes to take down the evil Empire. Solidarity over tyranny.
(That one's actually been holding up well of late!)
(That one's actually been holding up well of late!)
February 17, 2026 at 5:44 AM
That said, in the OT the obvious point here is that the victory of the Rebel Alliance involves WASP-coded galactic elites fighting alongside white ethnic- and POC-coded lower classes to take down the evil Empire. Solidarity over tyranny.
(That one's actually been holding up well of late!)
(That one's actually been holding up well of late!)
(Not Lucas's fault that one flew over the audience's head, though admittedly part of that is an XKCD 2501 situation on his part.)
(Corollary: the *actual* extremely dubious stereotype use in the PT is Watto.)
(Corollary: the *actual* extremely dubious stereotype use in the PT is Watto.)
February 17, 2026 at 5:40 AM
(Not Lucas's fault that one flew over the audience's head, though admittedly part of that is an XKCD 2501 situation on his part.)
(Corollary: the *actual* extremely dubious stereotype use in the PT is Watto.)
(Corollary: the *actual* extremely dubious stereotype use in the PT is Watto.)
(The preeminent example of this is of course in the PT, and is why so much Jar-Jar criticism is misguided: "this character *looks* like a horribly racist stereotype but is actually an intelligent being, a person, and worthy of all the respect that implies" is Jar-Jar's *entire point.*)
February 17, 2026 at 5:37 AM
(The preeminent example of this is of course in the PT, and is why so much Jar-Jar criticism is misguided: "this character *looks* like a horribly racist stereotype but is actually an intelligent being, a person, and worthy of all the respect that implies" is Jar-Jar's *entire point.*)
The one big exception worth looking at is Lucas's use of racial stereotypes, which is already well evident in the OT and likely very deliberate.
Somebody else pointed out years ago that Chewie is drawing off blaxploitation stuff; likewise the Ewoks are Amerindian-coded, and Han space!Italian.
Somebody else pointed out years ago that Chewie is drawing off blaxploitation stuff; likewise the Ewoks are Amerindian-coded, and Han space!Italian.
February 17, 2026 at 5:34 AM
The one big exception worth looking at is Lucas's use of racial stereotypes, which is already well evident in the OT and likely very deliberate.
Somebody else pointed out years ago that Chewie is drawing off blaxploitation stuff; likewise the Ewoks are Amerindian-coded, and Han space!Italian.
Somebody else pointed out years ago that Chewie is drawing off blaxploitation stuff; likewise the Ewoks are Amerindian-coded, and Han space!Italian.
(Mind you, I think there's a good chance there were internal arguments among that creative staff about that loading. There's a reason it's Hero Chapter that makes that franchise... which makes it funnier that this meme predates that season.)
February 16, 2026 at 9:46 PM
(Mind you, I think there's a good chance there were internal arguments among that creative staff about that loading. There's a reason it's Hero Chapter that makes that franchise... which makes it funnier that this meme predates that season.)
(The relevant character, Mimori Tougou, is an actual in-universe Japanese ultranationalist, which is why it works.
This fact in conjunction with her overall arc is also key to a large part of YuYuYu's thematic loading.)
This fact in conjunction with her overall arc is also key to a large part of YuYuYu's thematic loading.)
February 16, 2026 at 9:43 PM
(The relevant character, Mimori Tougou, is an actual in-universe Japanese ultranationalist, which is why it works.
This fact in conjunction with her overall arc is also key to a large part of YuYuYu's thematic loading.)
This fact in conjunction with her overall arc is also key to a large part of YuYuYu's thematic loading.)
... There is somehow a decade-old actual anime fanbase meme for this, courtesy of the YuYuYu fanbase. Probably from /a/, no less. What the hell.
This one, to be precise (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero spoilers in the text, mind you):
This one, to be precise (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero spoilers in the text, mind you):
February 16, 2026 at 9:41 PM
... There is somehow a decade-old actual anime fanbase meme for this, courtesy of the YuYuYu fanbase. Probably from /a/, no less. What the hell.
This one, to be precise (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero spoilers in the text, mind you):
This one, to be precise (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero spoilers in the text, mind you):
If we're lucky, the institutions pull through *and* we can get the necessary accountability without winning the Cool Zone.
If not... you've also been around rat spaces, you will probably get the reference when I say "we're closer than people think to being already late".
If not... you've also been around rat spaces, you will probably get the reference when I say "we're closer than people think to being already late".
February 16, 2026 at 6:47 AM
If we're lucky, the institutions pull through *and* we can get the necessary accountability without winning the Cool Zone.
If not... you've also been around rat spaces, you will probably get the reference when I say "we're closer than people think to being already late".
If not... you've also been around rat spaces, you will probably get the reference when I say "we're closer than people think to being already late".
This has certain extremely clear potential downsides, judging by both the French and Russian cases - elite purge revolutions tend to overreach bloodily and lead to tyranny.
That said, given what we're looking at without it...
That said, given what we're looking at without it...
February 16, 2026 at 6:44 AM
This has certain extremely clear potential downsides, judging by both the French and Russian cases - elite purge revolutions tend to overreach bloodily and lead to tyranny.
That said, given what we're looking at without it...
That said, given what we're looking at without it...
Pretty much all the preconditions for a proper revolution in the French/Russian mold (as opposed to the American Revolution, more properly a war of independence) are in place in America at the moment, *especially* if something disrupts food supply.
February 16, 2026 at 6:43 AM
Pretty much all the preconditions for a proper revolution in the French/Russian mold (as opposed to the American Revolution, more properly a war of independence) are in place in America at the moment, *especially* if something disrupts food supply.
Count me in the group that thinks you do need to scale the numbers to account for population size.
That said, it really wouldn't be that hard to get to something on that relative scale, especially once you get into the related issues of oligarchic bad actors and the bad actors buttressing them.
That said, it really wouldn't be that hard to get to something on that relative scale, especially once you get into the related issues of oligarchic bad actors and the bad actors buttressing them.
February 16, 2026 at 6:40 AM
Count me in the group that thinks you do need to scale the numbers to account for population size.
That said, it really wouldn't be that hard to get to something on that relative scale, especially once you get into the related issues of oligarchic bad actors and the bad actors buttressing them.
That said, it really wouldn't be that hard to get to something on that relative scale, especially once you get into the related issues of oligarchic bad actors and the bad actors buttressing them.
(Which makes it more of a shame what Rowling has become. Mind you, even in HP she's missing big parts of the myth - the cyclicality is common in the good examples, and HP lacks that - so perhaps we should not be too surprised.)
February 15, 2026 at 8:38 AM
(Which makes it more of a shame what Rowling has become. Mind you, even in HP she's missing big parts of the myth - the cyclicality is common in the good examples, and HP lacks that - so perhaps we should not be too surprised.)
My go-to example is Babylon 5, which goes to that well in at least four different plots (including all three of the basic plot lines of that myth).
That said, it's worth noting that the other *really* prominent work of Millennials' childhood dipping in this space is... Harry Potter.
That said, it's worth noting that the other *really* prominent work of Millennials' childhood dipping in this space is... Harry Potter.
February 15, 2026 at 8:36 AM
My go-to example is Babylon 5, which goes to that well in at least four different plots (including all three of the basic plot lines of that myth).
That said, it's worth noting that the other *really* prominent work of Millennials' childhood dipping in this space is... Harry Potter.
That said, it's worth noting that the other *really* prominent work of Millennials' childhood dipping in this space is... Harry Potter.
Never actually read WoT myself so can't speak there, but Star Wars (especially in the PT) seems to be tapped into what I'm pretty sure is a rising myth (myth here in the technical sense) and it's definitely not the only such work.
February 15, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Never actually read WoT myself so can't speak there, but Star Wars (especially in the PT) seems to be tapped into what I'm pretty sure is a rising myth (myth here in the technical sense) and it's definitely not the only such work.
And if/when Japan does go nuclear that means most of the rest of the downside risks are on the board *anyways* if and when they do (Philippines especially, Indonesia and AUS/NZ to a lesser extent), especially with Japan's current nationalist turn.
February 15, 2026 at 6:34 AM
And if/when Japan does go nuclear that means most of the rest of the downside risks are on the board *anyways* if and when they do (Philippines especially, Indonesia and AUS/NZ to a lesser extent), especially with Japan's current nationalist turn.
Also 2-3 of the other regional powers Taiwan could get in a dispute with are either *also* on the "need nukes yesterday" list because of the PRC (Japan, South Korea) or on the "not quite as urgent, but should really be looking at nukes within five years" list for the same reason (Vietnam).
February 15, 2026 at 6:30 AM
Also 2-3 of the other regional powers Taiwan could get in a dispute with are either *also* on the "need nukes yesterday" list because of the PRC (Japan, South Korea) or on the "not quite as urgent, but should really be looking at nukes within five years" list for the same reason (Vietnam).
Does it really still count as new when even this is at least 20 years old at this point? (And that's just the modern form, IIRC there's some early church precedent.)
Very effective rattlesnake marking though, the churches that have gone in on that one are pretty much always far right.
Very effective rattlesnake marking though, the churches that have gone in on that one are pretty much always far right.
February 14, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Does it really still count as new when even this is at least 20 years old at this point? (And that's just the modern form, IIRC there's some early church precedent.)
Very effective rattlesnake marking though, the churches that have gone in on that one are pretty much always far right.
Very effective rattlesnake marking though, the churches that have gone in on that one are pretty much always far right.
"Nous dormons sur un volcan… Ne voyez-vous pas que la terre commence à trembler. Le vent de la révolte souffle, la tempête est à l’horizon."
(Bless Wikiquote for having the de Tocqueville line ready to hand.)
(Bless Wikiquote for having the de Tocqueville line ready to hand.)
February 14, 2026 at 1:28 AM
"Nous dormons sur un volcan… Ne voyez-vous pas que la terre commence à trembler. Le vent de la révolte souffle, la tempête est à l’horizon."
(Bless Wikiquote for having the de Tocqueville line ready to hand.)
(Bless Wikiquote for having the de Tocqueville line ready to hand.)
My first instinct would be to move the pardon power to the legislative branch, gate it behind a two-thirds majority, and call it a day.
Note that this might need extra language requiring openly recorded votes and that it has to be done on its own (no burying pardons in omnibuses!).
Note that this might need extra language requiring openly recorded votes and that it has to be done on its own (no burying pardons in omnibuses!).
February 13, 2026 at 10:00 PM
My first instinct would be to move the pardon power to the legislative branch, gate it behind a two-thirds majority, and call it a day.
Note that this might need extra language requiring openly recorded votes and that it has to be done on its own (no burying pardons in omnibuses!).
Note that this might need extra language requiring openly recorded votes and that it has to be done on its own (no burying pardons in omnibuses!).
Speaking of which, removing/sharply limiting the pardon power going forwards does need to be done (I am *extremely* tempted to haul out the comparison to the Roman tribunate's powers post-Gracchi, which is one I suspect Dr. Devereaux will approve of), and high on the triage list at that.
February 13, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Speaking of which, removing/sharply limiting the pardon power going forwards does need to be done (I am *extremely* tempted to haul out the comparison to the Roman tribunate's powers post-Gracchi, which is one I suspect Dr. Devereaux will approve of), and high on the triage list at that.
There's escalation risks there but those have to be run anyways and the obvious second-level escalation is one we actually *want* so.
February 13, 2026 at 9:55 PM
There's escalation risks there but those have to be run anyways and the obvious second-level escalation is one we actually *want* so.
The obvious two avenues are "Trump was never legitimate POTUS due to Section 3 of the Fourteen Amendment" - paging @hurricanexyz.bsky.social - and @samhalpert.bsky.social 's "Trump is a traitor via levying war on the United States, and this is self-impeaching given the Declaration" argument.
February 13, 2026 at 9:54 PM
The obvious two avenues are "Trump was never legitimate POTUS due to Section 3 of the Fourteen Amendment" - paging @hurricanexyz.bsky.social - and @samhalpert.bsky.social 's "Trump is a traitor via levying war on the United States, and this is self-impeaching given the Declaration" argument.