LWDT 7: The Earth and Heavens Tremble.

[LiberNovusAmericae]

Adult students don't need to be told what to wear for Halloween. I don't see how one case of a politician doing something stupid all those years ago demonstrates such a requirement, or the need to bully those who show dissent.

That article is a remarkable example of internal inconsistency. It takes a disconnected, "young people overreact" approach and then proceeds to overreact in the most SJ-stereotype way possible, spends paragraphs complaining about students protesting and then tacks on a brief equivocation about how students protesting might be okay, whines about students catastrophizing and later catastrophizes...
It's frankly disturbing that the generally reliable The Atlantic ran such a horribly-written and structured piece. I thought it was an opinion piece and had to double-check that it wasn't.
If this is the best thing you have against SJWs, then I feel pretty good about being one.

If your group descends into a self-parody, expect to be called SJWs.

I don't care about the term - I actively embrace it. I do care about its misapplication and the exaggeration of its dangers and influence.

I have other articles, but since you are an SJW yourself, I see no reason to share them. If you actually carry the stupid idea that colleges need to regulate trivial things like costumes or something similar, I see no reason to even bother. No misapplication here.

[Cekoviu]

That article is a remarkable example of internal inconsistency. It takes a disconnected, "young people overreact" approach and then proceeds to overreact in the most SJ-stereotype way possible, spends paragraphs complaining about students protesting and then tacks on a brief equivocation about how students protesting might be okay, whines about students catastrophizing and later catastrophizes...
It's frankly disturbing that the generally reliable The Atlantic ran such a horribly-written and structured piece. I thought it was an opinion piece and had to double-check that it wasn't.
If this is the best thing you have against SJWs, then I feel pretty good about being one.

I don't care about the term - I actively embrace it. I do care about its misapplication and the exaggeration of its dangers and influence.

I have other articles, but since you are an SJW yourself, I see no reason to share them. If you actually carry the stupid idea that colleges need to regulate trivial things like costumes or something similar, I see no reason to even bother. No misapplication here.

I don't think it's necessary, but you're blowing it vastly out of proportion. It's some stupid guidelines that don't actually result in anything, just like most of the targets of outrage culture.

[First American Empire]

The Zapatistas and Rojava are prime examples meeting all of those criteria.

Rojava uses conscription, has child soldiers, and is a terrorist group that used to carbomb Istanbul regularly.

That's the PKK, not Rojava.

[Pasong Tirad]

The Zapatistas and Rojava are prime examples meeting all of those criteria.

Rojava uses conscription, has child soldiers, and is a terrorist group that used to carbomb Istanbul regularly.

This belief that the SDF is an extension of the PKK and that the PYD was somehow founded by the PKK is a Turkish dogwhistle used to justify violence against Kurds both Turkish and Syrian. It shouldn't be repeated here.

Members of the SDF has made efforts to demobilize child soldiers within its ranks since five years ago, and they have been working with the United Nations itself to keep its component forces from recruiting people under 18 years old. The UN Sec-Gen himself has welcomed this progress.

SDF spokesperson Kino Gabriel told Kurdistan 24 that they had been working to resolve the problem for a while. “We acknowledge such cases, that’s why we [introduced the] order of the General Command of the SDF.”

...

Kino underlined that in the past, there was not “enough discipline within the military forces due to ongoing military operations against ISIS.” He added that some commanders recruited children “without our knowledge.”

However, the SDF is now taking active steps to end this problem and is committed to the Geneva conventions and international law now that the Islamic State has been territorially defeated.

Now I understand that this is coming straight from the mouth of the SDF itself so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I figure if the UN itself is welcoming the SDF pronouncements when it comes to the disarming of child soldiers it should at least be considered that some progress is being made on this front.

Another source on SDF-UN deal on child soldiers

But yes, the conscription thing is a problem, and I dare say it shouldn't be an excuse that many other nations also have active conscription programs, but I do hope it's at least partially justified because Rojava quite literally faces an existential threat in the form of its total annihilation by Erdogan's Turkey.

[Torrocca]

Rojava uses conscription, has child soldiers, and is a terrorist group that used to carbomb Istanbul regularly.

This belief that the SDF is an extension of the PKK and that the PYD was somehow founded by the PKK is a Turkish dogwhistle used to justify violence against Kurds both Turkish and Syrian. It shouldn't be repeated here.

Members of the SDF has made efforts to demobilize child soldiers within its ranks since five years ago, and they have been working with the United Nations itself to keep its component forces from recruiting people under 18 years old. The UN Sec-Gen himself has welcomed this progress.

SDF spokesperson Kino Gabriel told Kurdistan 24 that they had been working to resolve the problem for a while. “We acknowledge such cases, that’s why we [introduced the] order of the General Command of the SDF.”

...

Kino underlined that in the past, there was not “enough discipline within the military forces due to ongoing military operations against ISIS.” He added that some commanders recruited children “without our knowledge.”

However, the SDF is now taking active steps to end this problem and is committed to the Geneva conventions and international law now that the Islamic State has been territorially defeated.

Now I understand that this is coming straight from the mouth of the SDF itself so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I figure if the UN itself is welcoming the SDF pronouncements when it comes to the disarming of child soldiers it should at least be considered that some progress is being made on this front.

Another source on SDF-UN deal on child soldiers

But yes, the conscription thing is a problem, and I dare say it shouldn't be an excuse that many other nations also have active conscription programs, but I do hope it's at least partially justified because Rojava quite literally faces an existential threat in the form of its total annihilation by Erdogan's Turkey.

^ As always, Pasong puts into words views on the matter which we share in a much more succinct and thought-out manner than I ever could.

[Torrocca]

By the by, our skullboi Shaun released a new video that thrashes the hell outta another one of PragerU's many lies. It's worth a look, I promise.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Rojava uses conscription, has child soldiers, and is a terrorist group that used to carbomb Istanbul regularly.

That's the PKK, not Rojava.

The YPG is just the Syrian branch of the PKK and everyone knows it.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Rojava uses conscription, has child soldiers, and is a terrorist group that used to carbomb Istanbul regularly.

This belief that the SDF is an extension of the PKK and that the PYD was somehow founded by the PKK is a Turkish dogwhistle used to justify violence against Kurds both Turkish and Syrian. It shouldn't be repeated here.

Members of the SDF has made efforts to demobilize child soldiers within its ranks since five years ago, and they have been working with the United Nations itself to keep its component forces from recruiting people under 18 years old. The UN Sec-Gen himself has welcomed this progress.

SDF spokesperson Kino Gabriel told Kurdistan 24 that they had been working to resolve the problem for a while. “We acknowledge such cases, that’s why we [introduced the] order of the General Command of the SDF.”

...

Kino underlined that in the past, there was not “enough discipline within the military forces due to ongoing military operations against ISIS.” He added that some commanders recruited children “without our knowledge.”

However, the SDF is now taking active steps to end this problem and is committed to the Geneva conventions and international law now that the Islamic State has been territorially defeated.

Now I understand that this is coming straight from the mouth of the SDF itself so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I figure if the UN itself is welcoming the SDF pronouncements when it comes to the disarming of child soldiers it should at least be considered that some progress is being made on this front.

Another source on SDF-UN deal on child soldiers

But yes, the conscription thing is a problem, and I dare say it shouldn't be an excuse that many other nations also have active conscription programs, but I do hope it's at least partially justified because Rojava quite literally faces an existential threat in the form of its total annihilation by Erdogan's Turkey.

They had an earlier deal which they already broke.

Also, it's not a dogwhistle, it's widely acknowledged as fact:

According to U.S. Special Forces Commander General Raymond A. Thomas at the Aspen Security Forum in July 2017, the SDF is a PR-friendly name for the YPG, which Thomas personally suggested because the YPG is considered an arm of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government.[10][11] American Defense Secretary Ashton Carter confirmed "substantial ties" between the PYD/YPG and the PKK.[12] Testifying to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Congress, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, the top U.S. intelligence official, explicitly defined the YPG as the "PKK's militia force in Syria”.[13][14]

[Torrocca]

Y'know, it'd probably be more beneficial for leftism as a whole to not acknowledge every label of "terrorism" that the US and Co. yeet out all willy-nilly, particularly in the case of groups founded by oppressed ethnic groups united under leftist goals and beliefs and liberty, like the PKK.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Y'know, it'd probably be more beneficial for leftism as a whole to not acknowledge every label of "terrorism" that the US and Co. yeet out all willy-nilly, particularly in the case of groups founded by oppressed ethnic groups united under leftist goals and beliefs and liberty, like the PKK.

Blowing up buses full of civilians is terrorism.

[Torrocca]

Y'know, it'd probably be more beneficial for leftism as a whole to not acknowledge every label of "terrorism" that the US and Co. yeet out all willy-nilly, particularly in the case of groups founded by oppressed ethnic groups united under leftist goals and beliefs and liberty, like the PKK.

Blowing up buses full of civilians is terrorism.

And that's something the YPG hasn't been involved with, considering that it's the HPG that's the PKK's military arm.

Not that that makes such a thing any less condemnable, of course.

[Cekoviu]

By the by, our skullboi Shaun released a new video that thrashes the hell outta another one of PragerU's many lies. It's worth a look, I promise.

Oh shit, I missed this. Thanks!

[United Muscovite Nations]

Blowing up buses full of civilians is terrorism.

And that's something the YPG hasn't been involved with, considering that it's the HPG that's the PKK's military arm.

Not that that makes such a thing any less condemnable, of course.

The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK.

[Pasong Tirad]

This belief that the SDF is an extension of the PKK and that the PYD was somehow founded by the PKK is a Turkish dogwhistle used to justify violence against Kurds both Turkish and Syrian. It shouldn't be repeated here.

Members of the SDF has made efforts to demobilize child soldiers within its ranks since five years ago, and they have been working with the United Nations itself to keep its component forces from recruiting people under 18 years old. The UN Sec-Gen himself has welcomed this progress.

SDF spokesperson Kino Gabriel told Kurdistan 24 that they had been working to resolve the problem for a while. “We acknowledge such cases, that’s why we [introduced the] order of the General Command of the SDF.”

...

Kino underlined that in the past, there was not “enough discipline within the military forces due to ongoing military operations against ISIS.” He added that some commanders recruited children “without our knowledge.”

However, the SDF is now taking active steps to end this problem and is committed to the Geneva conventions and international law now that the Islamic State has been territorially defeated.

Now I understand that this is coming straight from the mouth of the SDF itself so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I figure if the UN itself is welcoming the SDF pronouncements when it comes to the disarming of child soldiers it should at least be considered that some progress is being made on this front.

Another source on SDF-UN deal on child soldiers

But yes, the conscription thing is a problem, and I dare say it shouldn't be an excuse that many other nations also have active conscription programs, but I do hope it's at least partially justified because Rojava quite literally faces an existential threat in the form of its total annihilation by Erdogan's Turkey.

They had an earlier deal which they already broke.

Also, it's not a dogwhistle, it's widely acknowledged as fact:

According to U.S. Special Forces Commander General Raymond A. Thomas at the Aspen Security Forum in July 2017, the SDF is a PR-friendly name for the YPG, which Thomas personally suggested because the YPG is considered an arm of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government.[10][11] American Defense Secretary Ashton Carter confirmed "substantial ties" between the PYD/YPG and the PKK.[12] Testifying to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Congress, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, the top U.S. intelligence official, explicitly defined the YPG as the "PKK's militia force in Syria”.[13][14]

Anyone here that ringing? No, it isn't "widely acknowledged as fact," it's a dogwhistle parroted around by Turkish circles online and offline to justify Turkey's aggression towards the Kurdish-led groups in Northern Syria.

Turkey is the one that keeps on insisting that the YPG is somehow linked to the PKK. They share an ideological connection in the form of Abdullah Ocalan, and they are definitely closely linked through the KCK, but the PKK also has close ties to the KRG yet Turkey isn't doing shit about the KRG's links to the PKK. Their ties to the KRG should be even more substantial given that the PKK literally uses Northern Iraq as a base of operations. None of this proves that the PYD and by extension the YPG were somehow founded or an extended branch of the PKK. You have to actually prove their connections more than just because some generals talked to Lindsey Graham of all people about it.

[Pasong Tirad]

And that's something the YPG hasn't been involved with, considering that it's the HPG that's the PKK's military arm.

Not that that makes such a thing any less condemnable, of course.

The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK.

Ringing, ringing, ringing.

[United Muscovite Nations]

They had an earlier deal which they already broke.

Also, it's not a dogwhistle, it's widely acknowledged as fact:

According to U.S. Special Forces Commander General Raymond A. Thomas at the Aspen Security Forum in July 2017, the SDF is a PR-friendly name for the YPG, which Thomas personally suggested because the YPG is considered an arm of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. government.[10][11] American Defense Secretary Ashton Carter confirmed "substantial ties" between the PYD/YPG and the PKK.[12] Testifying to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Congress, Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, the top U.S. intelligence official, explicitly defined the YPG as the "PKK's militia force in Syria”.[13][14]

Anyone here that ringing? No, it isn't "widely acknowledged as fact," it's a dogwhistle parroted around by Turkish circles online and offline to justify Turkey's aggression towards the Kurdish-led groups in Northern Syria.

Turkey is the one that keeps on insisting that the YPG is somehow linked to the PKK. They share an ideological connection in the form of Abdullah Ocalan, and they are definitely closely linked through the KCK, but the PKK also has close ties to the KRG yet Turkey isn't doing shit about the KRG's links to the PKK. Their ties to the KRG should be even more substantial given that the PKK literally uses Northern Iraq as a base of operations. None of this proves that the PYD and by extension the YPG were somehow founded or an extended branch of the PKK. You have to actually prove their connections more than just because some generals talked to Lindsey Graham of all people about it.

Good thing I posted quotes from the YPG's own allies and not Turkish officials. This isn't a refutation at all.

[Torrocca]

And that's something the YPG hasn't been involved with, considering that it's the HPG that's the PKK's military arm.

Not that that makes such a thing any less condemnable, of course.

The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK.

No it's not, the YPG is the military branch of the PYD, which was founded by Syrian Kurds unaffiliated with the PKK.

[Pasong Tirad]

Anyone here that ringing? No, it isn't "widely acknowledged as fact," it's a dogwhistle parroted around by Turkish circles online and offline to justify Turkey's aggression towards the Kurdish-led groups in Northern Syria.

Turkey is the one that keeps on insisting that the YPG is somehow linked to the PKK. They share an ideological connection in the form of Abdullah Ocalan, and they are definitely closely linked through the KCK, but the PKK also has close ties to the KRG yet Turkey isn't doing shit about the KRG's links to the PKK. Their ties to the KRG should be even more substantial given that the PKK literally uses Northern Iraq as a base of operations. None of this proves that the PYD and by extension the YPG were somehow founded or an extended branch of the PKK. You have to actually prove their connections more than just because some generals talked to Lindsey Graham of all people about it.

Good thing I posted quotes from the YPG's own allies and not Turkish officials. This isn't a refutation at all.

They testified without giving evidence that the YPG is the Syrian arm of the PKK. Your quote lifted directly from the Wikipedia page of the YPG isn't an argument.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Good thing I posted quotes from the YPG's own allies and not Turkish officials. This isn't a refutation at all.

They testified without giving evidence that the YPG is the Syrian arm of the PKK. Your quote lifted directly from the Wikipedia page of the YPG isn't an argument.

I trust the US Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence more than spokespeople of a party that has overtly given arms to the PKK.

[Pasong Tirad]

They testified without giving evidence that the YPG is the Syrian arm of the PKK. Your quote lifted directly from the Wikipedia page of the YPG isn't an argument.

I trust the US Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence more than spokespeople of a party that has overtly given arms to the PKK.

Good for you then.

[Torrocca]

They testified without giving evidence that the YPG is the Syrian arm of the PKK. Your quote lifted directly from the Wikipedia page of the YPG isn't an argument.

I trust the US Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence more than spokespeople of a party that has overtly given arms to the PKK.

... Don't you call yourself an Anarchist?

[United Muscovite Nations]

I trust the US Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence more than spokespeople of a party that has overtly given arms to the PKK.

Good for you then.

Glad to see we're just trusting random third world militias and their nationalist agendas uncritically.

[United Muscovite Nations]

I trust the US Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence more than spokespeople of a party that has overtly given arms to the PKK.

... Don't you call yourself an Anarchist?

Just because you're an anarchist doesn't mean you have to support nationalist third world militias that give arms to terrorist groups.

[Torrocca]

Good for you then.

Glad to see we're just trusting random third world militias and their nationalist agendas uncritically.

... Don't you call yourself an Anarchist?

Just because you're an anarchist doesn't mean you have to support nationalist third world militias that give arms to terrorist groups.

National liberation =/= Nationalism.

[Pasong Tirad]

Good for you then.

Glad to see we're just trusting random third world militias and their nationalist agendas uncritically.

Not uncritically, no. I've already mentioned that I do believe they're closely connected both ideologically and through the political organization the KCK. The PKK I'm sure has done some bad shit that's unjustifiable. None of this is proof that the PYD-YPG is somehow the same as the PKK. Literally nothing but a bunch of words stated on the record by a bunch of men in suits and uniforms. I'm more than happy to consider any actual links they've provided.