South Park has always been Right Wing. Trey and Matt are self proclaimed "Libertarians". There's a significant overlap in the Venn Diagram of Joe Rogan bros and South Park fans. "They make fun of both sides bro" and yet some of their most enduring cultural contributions are downplaying climate change and dehumanizing trans people.
They may clutch their pearls about MAGA now, but their promotion of political apathy among Gen X and Millennial men is part of why we have MAGA.
Ren faires are just an anacronism stew. Maybe some take historical accuracy seriously, but I've been to quite a few and have yet to see one that does. My local one has everything from ancient greece to steampunk Victorians. There's even a Wok themed after Imperial China where these guys would fit right in. You see more fantasy then historical costumes usually anyway.
It's just a place for nerds and weirdos to vibe, buy trinkets, drink, eat fair food, and wear cool costumes.
As Mr Plinkett pointed out over a decade ago, Qui-Gon might as well have just beaten Watto up and stolen the ship part.
What I can never wrap my head around is if Qui-Gon being a dumbass is supposed to be some kind of intentional deconstruction of the Jedi, or if George is just a sloppy screenwriter with questionable ethics. The latter seems more likely, and is supported by Qui-Gon being a force ghost.
Trek is dead. It's legacy will be what it inspires in us.
Hard work, dedication, and Lobes.
It's also established that's he's an accelerationist. He's intentionally baiting the Empire to crackdown more brutally on dissent in an effort to forment rebellion among the common people of the galaxy. He fears that if he does not do this, there will be a day when the Empires grip is too tight to escape.
"It will burn... Very brightly"
In the end, he was right. The Death Star vindicates his methods. Without Luthen laying the groundwork for the Rebel Alliance, the Galaxy would have been a boiling frog and the Death Star would have led to its brutal oppression for generations.
I do not mean to in anyway downplay how bad this is, or the danger this legislation presents to the American people, but I can't help but wonder how much is this budget increase is going to just be pure pork?
There is no doubt this agency will be riddled with corruption, much like the rest of this administration. How much of this budget will go towards lining the pockets of Republicans and their donors? Contractors who overcharge and under deliver. Leadership skimming from the top. Take a look at the state of the Russian Military for an idea for where this might go.
What do I need to hide about myself?
The Billionaires are a bunch of Degenerate Morons who diddle children, much as the ruling class has always been. They're funneling the world's wealth upwards thinking capital will insulate them from the coming climate crisis they're exasperating. How I wish I could be there when they realize that it won't.
Community organizers and vocal opposition are at the top of the list Palentir is making right now. Scrub your social media and start taking your data privacy seriously if you aren't already. Degoogle and take your opinions off Meta and Reddit at the very least.
They're going to test the waters by going after some brown protestors first, but the end game is all political opponents and uncontrolled opposition.
I think (and hope) that one key difference here is that the US is much more divided politically and culturally then Nazi Germany was. At least right now, there is no way the US declares a war of aggression against a former Ally and doesn't fall into Civil War. It will take a hell of a lot of internal suppression for that to change, the act of which will likely ignite the Civil War itself.
My hope is that the next few years will be less "What if the Nazi's controlled the most powerful nation in history?" and more "What if Francisco Franco controlled the most powerful nation is history?"
Europe and China likely have time to prepare, and they really fucking need to. If they're smart they're already covertly looking into ways to arm and fund internal opposition in America.
Its possible. I recall reading somewhere that they regret the ManBearPig episode. Good on them for being able to change and grow.
Still, unfortunately the damage has been done.