Eva Moe

Tag: fascism

  • Boiling Frogs in The Kitchen

    There’s a new Animal Farm. One that’s bigger and better than all other Animal Farms you may have heard about. This one is in a big beautiful room called The Kitchen and today is soup day. The Claw Machines are all over the ceiling, whizzing about (it’s very exciting, nobody has Claw Machines like this, they’re the best in the world). They pick up a big batch of frogs and put them in a metal pot on the stove. Some frogs try to stop this, but those frogs are ugly. Don’t be ugly.

    There’s an old saying, “the frog doesn’t know it’s being boiled alive until it’s too late.” But that is a very stupid saying, and anyone who uses it is dumb and should die. That’s because all frogs know they’re being boiled alive. They like it! They really do, some of them even beg for it.

    “I don’t want to be soup today!” Ribbet cries. Ribbet’s always crying because he’s a loser.
    “You make everything about you,” Swatter says. She tells it like it is.
    “It’s terrible they put us in here,” Frog Leader sighs. He had another name before, but all frogs who are elected must change their name to Frog Leader and forget themselves.
    “But they’re just doing their jobs,” Swatter shrugs. Frog Leader agrees, reminding everyone it’s good for the economy.

    Ribbet hops around the pot, totally unaware of how many other frogs he’s splashing with hot water. “Maybe we could hop out and try to avoid certain death?” he suggests. Ribbet is very stupid and inconsiderate by the way, if it wasn’t clear already. He’s also a terrorist.
    “Don’t hop out!” Frog Leader yells. “That’s what they want! But more importantly, it’s illegal.”

    Ribbet is pretty sure the Claw Machines, or whoever controls them, do not want the frogs to jump out, and that’s why it’s illegal to do so. If they jump out, they might live. And you can’t live for your farm. You can only die for it. Living is unpatriotic.

    Swatter calms everyone with her impressive logic. She says it’s a lot cozier to be boiled alive than to risk a Claw Machine. They all spend the rest of the afternoon debating, until they stop talking altogether.

  • February Reads

    List of books I *finished* reading in February. I start many books at the same time and often finish them in one fell swoop. I started many of these in January. Sidenote, Non-Fiction books have titles as long as Panic! At the Disco songs.

    1. Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future – Jason Stanley. A great read that links the past to our present moment. It opened my eyes to see the signs of fascist politics and policies. I feel more informed and able to think more critically about the current US regime. It reads a bit like a textbook at times.
    2. Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself – Nedra Glover Tawwab. Started this around 2020, and I swear I’ve never met a self-help book that has been quite as immediately useful as this one. Please give it a read if you think you might struggle with boundaries or people pleasing.
    3. Parable of the Sower – Octavia E. Butler. Had to buy a physical copy after finishing the audiobook. It inspired both my writing and present way of thinking about life. The only thing is, I wish I’d read it ten years ago. Elegantly written, this is a dystopia that feels more possible every day. If you’re from the US and never thought about a collapsed future, this may shift your perspective.
    4. Assistant to the Villain – Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Romantasy! It was as fun as you want a Romantasy book to be, and minus the clumsy main character, there was a noticeable lack of irritating cliches that are rife in the genre. (“I’m not like other girls” did not come into play, for instance). Also, I cast Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier as the Villain 🙂
    5. Apprentice to the Villain – Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Fun follow up with a little more world building. Can’t wait for the 3rd book!
    6. The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin. A short informative read that was my first foray into James Baldwin literature. This one feels a little like the thoughts are happening in your own mind. Up close and personal. I’ll be rereading this, and look forward to my next book of his, Giovanni’s Room.
    7. The Art of War: The Essential Translation of the Classic Book of Life (Penguin Classics 2002 edition) – Sun-tzu, John Minford. I bought this one as soon as I returned it to the library. This is now an essential part of my personal library, and I will rebuy it if my current copy goes missing. I adore this edition for 2 very different reasons.
      • I got so many great fight-scene ideas for books!
      • The commentators throw shade at each other that the editor absolutely did not have to include. It oscillates between high-academic nerdery as expected, and the arguments in a reddit comment section. Idk much about Giles, but he did not like Cao Cao’s ‘untranslatable ramblings’ (not direct quote), and for that knowledge, I am deeply sated.

    Happy reading,
    Eva