"I don't understand..."

~ Authoritarians and being susceptible ~

I'm reading a fascinating article that's somewhat scary.  It's about people who are afraid, who let themselves be ruled by fear.

Fear that the world will change, that the status quo will change, that The Other will triumph.

The article is about the authoritarian desire to feel safe by "destroying" the threat[s] with a strongman leader, or who claims to be, who promises to do drastic things to "solve" the problems.

Even when they are foolish impossible things offered as solutions.

Clave's this weekend!

October waxes, as does the Interweb.  Sigh.

The Sobering Saga of Myrtle the Manuscript.

Quality of slush pile items, a discussion on Absolute Write.


When in doubt, volunteer by Christie Yant.

A 2010 link collection post by Amanda Rutter; interesting in that it contains the 2010 online discussion about sexual harassment,* done by a former editor, among other things... but OT, there's the Mad Hatter on steampunk.


* For a lot of great advice about how to help anyone being harassed, ANYONE, read Brigid Keeley, who writes about this very topic.

Tweets, Tor, Puppies, writing.

Fascinating article by @Suw about @torbooks' recent Social Media difficulties: http://t.co/fgL8BWCeE6

— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) June 10, 2015

My thoughts on the Tor mess, a.k.a. Theo Beale jerks people around again. http://t.co/t0jZ13r3KD

— Jim C. Hines (@jimchines) June 11, 2015

Eric Flint on the Sad Puppies' latest [June 2015].

Jim Hines:  Bigots, Bullies, and Enablers.  (FYI:  regarding tags, I also count bullies as predators.)

Monopsony, Amazon, Colbert, and you.

Oh, Amazonia... :/

Amazon closes a contract with one major book publisher (not that one, though) via Melville House.  (Storystream of the Hachette-Amazon battle at the Verge.)

Do I believe the worst of Amazon?  Yep.  I know I'm not alone.

So does Stephen Colbert.  No, really.  Back in June, he replied to them on his show:  Amazon vs. Hachette and with Sherman Alexie (see the Verge).  Because Stephen's a Hachette author.


Paul Krugman explains in Amazon’s Monopsony Is Not O.K. at the NYT.

Of the many great links Paul has in his op-ed, there is the New Republic's Amazon Must Be Stopped: It's too big. It's cannibalizing the economy. It's time for a radical plan.

Which tells you a lot right there.  But you read it to see all the scary bits yourself.

The importance of understanding...

I've been thinking about things like this for a while.  Men who get upset about women talking about rape and being afraid.

I'm not afraid all the time.  I had a really bad year when I was afraid.  I was stalked, I was raped, and that messed me up for a very long time.

When you don't know how to articulate things to yourself, don't feel bad when you can't explain them to others either.

I've listened to people say "Well, why didn't you tell me?" or "Why didn't you do...?"


Don't second-guess someone telling you about something traumatic.  Just don't.  It's not helping in any way.  Listen if you can.  If you can't listen, say so.

Saying "I don't understand" is fine.  But trying to rewrite his or her experience isn't.