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The SPLC was decent but also fell into a lot of the same trappings about "leftist violence" while also undercounting actual right-wing incidents that the ADL was better at logging.

Many of us who wanted to #DropTheADL also lamented how nothing would really take its place as a source for cataloguing important things like hate symbols and hate groups. It shocks me daily how many symbols and dogwhistles fly past the heads of people who consider themselves antifascist. Many people who were critical of the ADL and wanted to reform it were rightfully afraid of losing an org that cared (in whatever capacity) to profile an issue that other orgs blatantly ignored.

If you've never read their reports, you wouldn't know how well-detailed and meticulous they were. The problem was not simply manufacturing things, but having an agenda that shaped how they present the data. But the data is still good. When their reports come out like "there is a spike in leftist antisemitism" their own report is like 3,000 well-catalogued right wing instances of violence that no one but the ADL and Jewish leftist orgs will talk about, 20 instances of "left-wing violence" (up from 15) and it will be 1. an antizionist action 2. pro-Palestinian messaging 3. actual violent antisemitism that can be blamed on the left but was definitely done by right wingers 4. maybe a single instance where someone left wing actually did something antisemitic that is totally eclipsed by the right wing nazi violence

So we are stuck in this cycle where antisemitism is ignored, anti-Jewish violence is not worth discussing in the mainstream, and massacres, hate crimes, death and destruction happens and the only ones talking about it are long-time antifascists without brand credibility, and Jewish institutions that suck shit. The ADL was the only one putting together reports I could point to for institutions to take us seriously. Then Oct 7th happens and it becomes abundantly clear TO ME and my comrades that this outpouring of Jewish support is bullshit because a man getting a swastika carved into his back is a non-issue and probably not even antisemitism, but a watermelon? We must protect our Jewish colleagues. Gimme a fuckin break.

But to anyone who has been begging for decades to be listened to being told "do you need anything? Have a seat at our table. We want to protect you" is too tempting to turn down!

Lots of people are desperate to be heard in their persecution and you have liars saying "we are here for you" and then on the other side people who should be allies telling them they are lying about what they've experienced.

It is so fucking essential as antizionists and antifascists of any flavor to wade through the fucking water, here. The ADL is not a bunch of evil mustache-twirlers, the org was born out of a total disregard for antisemitism by the mainstream--which has not changed by the way, but smiling fake allies are a honey trap that will draw in people who are getting gaslit by "leftists" trying to make a point.

Every reactionary movement is birthed by victimization, and the first step to combating it is to understand the victimization.

One of the only orgs to validate that violence so heartily is corrupt in its messaging, but they are not wrong about what they are seeing and cataloguing. We desperately need that cataloguing to continue, but with a level head. However, dismissing it entirely does no one a favor.

Sharing this again:

There is no damage more irreversible than death

bonus/proof:

Fantastic article!! The guys looking for it were fish researchers who saw it one time, knew instantly it was an undescribed species, and then tried for nearly 20 years to find and document it!

It's a type of ghost pipefish, related to seahorses, and it floats around coral reefs looking like a piece of algae and hunting unsuspecting prey

They are, of course, named after Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street!

Later on it the project, they got citizen science involved, and people across the Pacific started reporting sightings of snuffy fish from all over!

I just want to catch spelling errors and accidental double spaces and repeated phrases and whenever I use the wrong too/to or affect/effect and shit. But no. They've shoved AI up the ass of every grammar checking software out there and now they all fucking suck and make the most random, obnoxious, nonsensical suggestions.

I get why people keep saying this (and other versions of it like "Use Adobe alternatives" and "Use Google product alternatives."). But here's the problem: I do not create in isolation. Even my own 100% personal projects are getting sent to other people whether it's editors or printers or beta readers and unless every single person in that train is using the same products, things can get wonky.

Libre Office and Word handle formatting differently on the back end, which can completely break documents if you move them back and forth between the two. So if I write in Libre Office but my beta readers are still using Word, when I send them a manuscript for review there's a good chance things won't look right and my beta reader will not actually be reviewing what I sent them.

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