1. How can the internet be “shut down” (in really tangible terms) and is there a way special forces or immortal guard can “turn it back on” somehow? 2. Why for the love of Goddess hasn’t someone, anyone broken the remaining political prisoners out immediately before they’re executed? They are hostages imo and rescuing them is top of mind to me, not just for the value of their lives, but because many were brave to face this regime in some way and we shouldn’t leave anyone behind. That energy belongs back in the revolution, although I would rather see them in trauma recovery living a soft life from now on. 3. What direct actions could we be taking from where we stand to contribute to this fight? Aside from staying informed and raising consciousness online, which both feel barely helpful (maybe I’m wrong). I come from a grassroots organizing background (feminist spaces), so I’ve done a lot remotely, but never for something quite this big. I want to fight these fucking bastards. I am pondering these myself and don’t know enough to produce answers I’m happy with yet. Do any of you have answers?

Is it too much to ask? Please don’t make the same mistake as your predecessors 🤣. https://youtu.be/YlwXOHIXuw0

The *ICC* stands for the *International Criminal Court*. It is the world's first permanent international criminal court, based in The Hague, Netherlands. It was established in 2002 by the Rome Statute, an international treaty. It investigates and prosecutes individuals (not countries or governments) for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. It acts as a court of last resort and only steps in when national courts are unwilling or unable to genuinely prosecute the crimes. Most countries that actually fight wars, including the US, Russia, China, and India, never joined the *ICC*. 80 percent of armies in active conflict are not *ICC* members. Arab states constantly accuse Israel of violating international law, yet only Tunisia ever joined the *ICC*. Arab countries demanded Europe accept Syrian refugees, but none of them signed the Refugee Convention themselves. Saudi Arabia and Qatar took in zero refugees. International law cannot enforce itself. It is politics pretending to be law. International law did not save the Muslims of Bosnia. Bill Clinton did, by ordering the bombing of Belgrade. It did not stop the Rwandan genocide. Nobody did. A million Tutsis were killed. Right now, South Africa, which accuses Israel of genocide, abstained from a UN fact-finding mission on potential mass deaths in Iran. The spread of democracy comes from American power and example after WWII, not from imaginary global rules. Real law offers protection in exchange for obedience. International law is just politics: whatever powerful states agree to, or whatever is convenient. The *ICC* is not part of the United Nations. It is independent, though the UN Security Council can refer cases to it. Many major powers that frequently engage in conflict have not joined, including the United States, Russia, China, and India. Around 125 countries are members, but a large number of countries likely to fight wars have stayed out. Only a small number of Arab countries have joined.

As a Catholic, I wish more members of the clergy would speak sense into the Vatican. Lately, those elected to the position of Pontiff -- namely, Pope Leo and Pope Francis -- have demonstrated what seems to be such a stunning level of ignorance that gives one cause to suspect something nefarious is happening at high levels in the church. Pope Francis, while living in a city surrounded by a 39 foot wall, criticized Trump for building a wall along its southern border to stop a flood of illegal immigration. Now, Pope Leo, with his criticisms of the Trump administration, undermines a just war against an evil regime that brings to life hell on earth for people who wish to live freely and in peace. Pursue "peace" the Pope says, like a 5-year old. He says so like a child blind to the realities of the world and the nature of the enemy that aims to impose its evil will on the world. He ignores the cheers of the Iranian people who plea for American support, the recent murder of tens of thousands of those people, and justifies the ignorance and simplicity of his message by simply pointing to the gospel. The Bible warns us to be careful about we what we teach because teachers will be judged more harshly if they lead people astray, so I will preface carefully that it is my understanding that the message of the gospel speaks to you and me as neighbors -- but it does not command nations to lay down in front of an enemy that wishes to destroy it. Nations have the responsibility to protect their people against evil and, one might argue, to fight evil in the world. Lately, the moral leadership the Pope provides is not leadership. It is like the words of a child, blind to reality and danger; misguidance or something worse. The Catholic church supports just wars. In fact, it has criteria to determine wars that are just and wars that are not. Why does this Pope not see this war as just? Why does he not mention the thousands of innocent Iranians murdered in the streets? The Catholic church believes in the doctrine of infallibility. The misconception is that any words the Pope utters are considered by Catholics to be infallibile. The reality is that for the Pope's position on an issue of morality to be considered infallibile, the Pope must explicitly exercise the doctrine. The doctrine of infallibility has only be exercised once during the entire existence of the Catholic church.