Still making my way through it since you posted it. Got other stuff to do today too. But damn.
I’m sorry Bri’ish boy.
LibsEatPoop
joined 5 years ago
Same. Current Affairs was one of my go-to publications back in the day and now I don’t even visit it. Grifter ass britisher wannabe.
They’re legit turning it neolibs now? Extremely sad.
Who’s this about?
The entire article is laughable of course, but I have to just admire the sheer audacity of the last part:
If Xi’s government privatizes inefficient state-owned enterprises, expands access for foreign businesses, and provides more social services and better protection of private property, the economy would embark on a much stronger growth path.
As no such reforms were implemented in 2023, the stalled economic recovery should not have come as a shock. Things could get worse for China in 2024 without new pro-market initiatives. Xi might then have to pray for a bit more luck.
Wow. I wonder why this commentator thinks US/West who already do these things are struggling right now, even more than China?
Yeah, maybe he grew as a person (at least on the topic of kamikaze pilots). The movie is pretty anti-kamikaze.
spoiler
I'm of two minds here. Firstly, Noriko shouldn't have died. Her character would've really been done dirty if she did. Secondly, she needed to "die" so that Shikishima falls into that deep depression and decides to die in a blaze of glory, giving up on Akiko (i.e. the progress he was making on recovering from his PTSD). Thirdly, this ties in perfectly with the ending of kamikaze pilots being bullshit and ejection seats being a good thing i.e. the sanctity of life, the stupidity of war etc etc.
BUT, the way the movie handled Noriko's supposed death and eventual return was pretty bad. There had to have been a better way to do both. Maybe Shikishima didn't manage to make it in time to Ginza and we just have Noriko there trying to survive and supposedly dying (trapped in rubble?). Then, after Godzilla's gone, Shikishima reaches Ginza and searches for her but doesn't manage to find her. Or he finds one of Noriko's work friends (established during the train scene before Godzilla) and they say they saw Noriko die or something. Either way, that's how Shikishima reaches the conclusion that she's dead. And near the end of the movie, you can have an injured Noriko at the welcoming party for Shikishima and the rest and we learn via flashbacks or something that she was badly injured, but recovered by help of some kind people she's helped save.
This is just off the top of my head. There's probably still a better way to do this.
I loved it! Both the human and Godzilla elements were amazing.
Setting it immediately after WWII meant we literally saw people try to recover from the destruction of the war, both physically in the sense of rebuilding Japan and emotionally by rebuilding themselves, which allowed for some really beautiful storytelling. And they made Godzilla a genuine threat to all that progress who needed to be fought by the collective power of the common people if they were to retain all they had managed to recreate. Then, there were some feminist themes, ptsd, and critiques of war, corruption, and centralized state power.
It wasn't perfect but I'll definitely try to see it again some time.
Haven't seen Shin Godzilla, yet.
The article also covers things that relate to trans rights in China more broadly, so definitely give it a read, but here's the stuff related to this case.
Timeline of Events: In 2018, Gao worked for e-commerce platform Dangdang. She applied for sick leave with her supervisor on the day of her gender reassignment surgery, submitting a medical certificate and the doctor's advice that she needed two months off work after the surgery. It was affirmed by her superior.
But the human resources staff rejected her application. They said her certificates contained “unclear content and cannot prove sickness”. The company also sent her a letter following her surgery, where they addressed Gao as “Mr”, referred to her as a “mental patient” and said that they had to “protect” other employees from her.
Two months after she had applied for sick leave, she was fired. Two months after that, she formally sought labour dispute arbitration. The letter the company sent Gao was used by her as evidence of unlawful dismissal.
In 2020, the Beijing court supported Gao on two counts and ruled that Dangdang should continue to honour her original contract of employment. In addition, the court said Dangdang should pay her salary from the date she applied for sick leave to the date of arbitration, which amounts to 128,028 yuan (US$18,000). It went on to state that “social tolerance is a blessing of the rule of law” and highlighted the need to “respect diverse ways of living and protect the dignity of transgender people.”
The details of the case were previously unknown, and were posted online by the Shanghai Federation Trade Unions on November 29, 2023.
spoiler
Why did you even remind me of her dear god. Now I can’t stop thinking of her.
sad day for coomers
From the post I linked in the text:
I’m not saying he’s Vijay Prasad. There’s only so much I can expect from any western leftist, Hexbear included. But he’s created a successful leftist magazine that some people tried to tear down and were thankfully unsuccessful. Learning about what went on has made me do some soul-searching and conclude a world with Current Affairs, and NJR writing what he writes, is better than one without, no matter our disagreements.
Also, we’re using DemSoc as a pejorative now too, huh? I remember when we used to split hairs, saying SucDem were acceptable to dunk on because they actually just wanted Nordic-style welfare states, but DemSocs were genuine socialists. I guess the circle of acceptable leftists must get ever smaller. The site can’t remain left unity forever. When will the anarchists (the few that remain) be culled?