I feel you. The sheer amount of not-even-crypto-anymore-fascism I have to navigate at work just keeps growing. Dudes proudly letting me know they watch Azov combat footage over lunch. Dudes going on a screed about immigrants and how we should take notes from the slightly more openly ethnonationalist country next door. Dudes glazing Milei, holy shit shut up we’re on the other side of the world. Dudes joking that I’m listening to ***** music in the morning with the hard R because they heard some hip-hop when I took off my headphones. Dudes being very concerned about the accurate portrayal of eUrOpEaN cUlTuRe in the new odyssey slop (a wholly original opinion they came up with based on their knowledge of Homer who they’ve totally read). Dudes absolutely do not rock.

Yes, it does get overdiagnosed. Woman with CPTSD? Slap her with borderline. Neurodivergent traits that differ from the male standard presentation? Also borderline. While it is a legitimate disorder that requires psychiatric care, we cannot ignore how the way it is diagnosed harms women, perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes and stigmatizes female specific patterns of reacting to trauma. And outside of actual psychiatric practice, the general public absolutely treats it as the modern day version of hysterical woman syndrome and loves to armchair diagnose women who step out of line with it as a form of social control.

In my city there is at least one org that I know of that offers social services for queer youths, including therapy, career counseling, support groups and funding for professional training. Are there any similar services in your area that you can access?

Solidarity to you, wish I had more useful input because I’ve been trapped in a similar situation in my teens and early 20s and I know how much it sucks, but the economy wasn’t such a hellscape back then and I don’t want to sound condescending and out of touch.

I understand the feeling, I’ve lost people to far right radicalization too, including one I had previously considered a comrade. He was also a decent person who went through a lot of shit and was genuinely anti-capitalist and supported the anti-imperialist struggle but they got to him with homophobia, transphobia and unhealthy ideals of masculinity. I would spend hours patiently explaining things to him and he would snap out of it for a day or two, then get back to ranting about how they are coming to trans our innocent children and indoctrinate them with gender ideology. It’s terrifying how you can spend so much effort, patience and goodwill only for it to be undone over and over again by sensationalist fascist scare propaganda.

While it can be genuinely hard and painful to do so, please prioritize your own mental health and wellbeing and don’t feel guilty about reducing contact if it gets too bad. You are doing your best as a friend and communist, but it’s material conditions and class intrerest that have the greatest pull on what each person chooses to believe and if you find yourself in an unfavorable engagement it’s fine to pull back from a losing battle.

Hugs and solidarity to you, I hope the dude snaps out of it, but if he doesn’t remember it’s not your fault.

Good morning, friend. Israel will perish.

It’s extra funny because these are the types of people who were smuglording whenever any sort of high value Russian asset got hit by Ukrainian drones or missiles far behind the frontline. Whoooops, turns out this kind of threat is genuinely difficult to defend against and it’s not just an issue with the inadequacy of the orcish brainpan, who would have thought.

Aside from the very cool stuff already posted, the Mansu Hill Grand Monument in the DPRK is amazing. It’s so huge it’s hard to do it justice with photos. Fitting for one of the greatest acts of resistance in human history.

I also really like the style of Vietnamese posters. They look so happy and hopeful.

Those postcards are amazing. I’ve always loved the artworks that cherish the Soviet Union’s cultural diversity.

I rewatched Stalker with my partner recently. Absolute masterpiece from the cinematography to the acting to the themes. The kind of movie that leaves you excitedly discussing it instead of going to sleep afterwards like responsible adults who need to work in the morning.

Ivan’s Childhood is another good one by Tarkovsky. Not as high on my banger list as Stalker but stuck with me all the same.

Come and See and it’s sibling The Ascent. Tough to watch but essential.

The White Tiger. It’s a weirder and mostly metaphorical WW2 movie about the incomplete defeat of fascism and how it’s bound to return. Hits harder and harder every year that goes by. ;_;

Stalker and Solaris by Tarkovsky.

Apocalypse Now

Scarface

Animated stuff: The End of Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Akira

Neurodivergent individual who used to be the weird kid then wrecked their mental health masking here, trying to shape yourself into something you are not in order to blend in is not sustainable and will leave you burnt out and hating yourself. Try to find your people who feel safe to be around. It’s much better for your well-being. It gets easier as you get older and learn to just not give a shit but it’s an uphill struggle until you reach that point. Remember that you are not defective, just stuck in a society that is actively hostile to anyone who differs from the norm.

Much like how you are supposed to ask eastern europeans about communism except for the ones that tell you it was actually good, which are obviously brainwashed or just grumpy old people who are nostalgic for the times they were young and their gentials worked (literally heard this one on redditfront a few years back).

I don’t think you fucked up by taking care of your health. Anyone who values you as a human being should support you and respect your need for space when you are struggling medically. I myself experienced a rough mental health crisis a few years ago when I felt like my friends were downplaying it and feeling entitled to me being present and functioning at my usual baseline while I was struggling to keep myself together. It felt horrible and dehumanizing and I am sorry you are going through this.