Neonubis

Neonubis

@blo2.bsky.social

I'm just waiting for the hammer to fall by this point

131 followers23 following613 posts

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

Something weird in my YouTube & TikTok algorithms happened. A while ago I searched for German content to train the algo to get me stuff since I was learning the language. It took me some effort but I got there. Then I went to the Netherlands for a few days, then Dutch content constantly, huh?

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

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Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

It's normal to be divided in this situation and have heated arguments all the time. What's not normal is trying to take someone else's rights just because they're "wrong". Being a freshman in college was the best opportunity to learn how others think, I've seen them from extreme to extreme.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

It was easy to see a Marxist arguing with an alt right islamist (you guessed it, that's our flavor of MAGA) and so on. None of the debates mattered in the end because the democratic experience collapsed eventually. I don't know if anybody will read all of this but as I said, this is a mere archive.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

The army council didn't listen and held elections with a patched up old constitution. Long story short, the new democratic era was flawed from the get go. In 2012, the islamists won both presidential and parliamentary elections. That comes to no surprise since they were the only organized force left

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

This was happening as I started college, first time electing at 18. It's as if everything is scripted for me to witness. At the time ideologies started clashing for the first time, nobody knew how diverse we were politically. That brings us to mistake #3, disagreement does not mean alienation.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

Anybody who doesn't realize that didn't learn a thing from history. That's the mistake I mean, the angry people who took it to the streets trusted the army generals too much and left the playing field open. Back then the army moved quickly to take grip on power.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

When that happened, the people started protesting again, but this time the response was much rougher. That led to mistake 2, not listening to experts. Every single person who knew what they were talking about suggested the normal post regime change sequence which is constitution then elections.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

I have a lot of wild stories, maybe if anyone is interested I can tell them here as well. Anyway, now that army is in charge temporarily it was time to have a vision about the future. That was mistake number 1, you see after the celebrations someone should have taken charge.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

A revolutionary leader so to speak, that did not happen and the power vacuum was left to the old powers, whoever's left of the old regime who's not in custody, and the army. "But Neonubis" I hear you ask, "hasn't the army decided to be neutral?". Yes they were but that don't last forever.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

...or it would've been much bloodier. For the remaining days, the protestors kept their camps. It felt like time has paused and the world is watching what we do. By then the streets were an open burning man festival, and I remember some people couldn't imagine a life beyond the current regime.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

They were scared of the unknown, in my opinion rightfully so. There are others who hated change from day 1 and still despise it to this day, but that's a story for another day. Fast forward to the president's resignation, there were celebrations for weeks. School resumed after, we shared our stories

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

It kept being that way which is progress compared to the previous years. By the 28th it was the real go time. It was a Friday and it's a weekend. A flood of people joined, it was literally millions of people with demands. That's the day when most escalations occurred.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

Some protestors got shot with live rounds, buildings burned, prisons opened, many police stations were attacked as well. By 8 pm or so the police force nationwide retreated and the army stepped in and imposed a curfew to control the situation. Thankfully they didn't pick sides...

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

Officially on a winter break, it gave me a chance to watch everything from above. I haven't participated in any strikes or demonstrations. I kept the role of "the watcher". On the 25th, more people showed up than expected, and it was a repeating cycle for that day and the next few days.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

It goes like More people take it to the streets -> anti riot police clash with them -> protestors hide -> protestors regroup and go back to the main square ->

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

It's the 24th, everyone came and the exams were held normally. The extra thing here was the librarian turning on the TV to stay updated with what's happening, and yes the school's library had a TV that only had news and documentary channels. The government hasn't issued any warnings so far.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

We took the exams and went to the library right away to know what's happening. There were a couple of demonstrations already happening but so far it's the usual routine. I remember some of us doubting that this time would be any different.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

Now it's late January 2011. Facebook posts are all over the place, a few people set themselves on fire like Bouazizi hoping to put things in motion. Cops were keeping an extra eye on the important buildings as if they're expecting chaos to errupt. I remember it was the fall semester exams time...

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

...and the school decided to cram them into 2 weeks ending on the 24th since activists and other protestors online decided to go on strikes on the 25th. Everybody felt the storm coming but nobody expected how intense it would get.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

Other regional governments felt threatened, the national media started running propaganda campaigns about how terrible Facebook (which is super popular here to this day) and other social media are for the minds of the youth, and how they are tools for the enemies of the state to achieve their goals.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

If you don't know, the Tunisian Revolution started after the video of Mohamed Bouazizi setting himself ablaze was all over Facebook and Twitter. Funny enough by this point nobody was watching the government owned TV or reading their newspapers, so their campaigns fell on deaf ears.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

View full thread
Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

At the same time, Tunisia started uprising. When binAli fled it was a psychological earthquake that shattered the current defeated mindset. Before then even the protestors no matter how angry knew how it's gonna end, arrested then jail for God knows how many years, or get injured by the teargas...

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

...or rubber bullets. Now the average Joe is like "I can demand and actually find the dictator I hate gone from office?". I was a senior in high school at the time. I belong to the upper middle class, so the school is considered from the semi-elite ones. This will be important later.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

OK... So this thread will probably dox me but I'll take the risk. 15 years after the Arab Spring, I would like to document my testimony to preserve history for me, and set an example for others considering the insane decade we live through

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

First of all, let's set the scene... It's late 2010, many smaller protests were crushed in the previous years complaining about the economic situation and the lack of democracy. It was a routine to find anti riot forces filling the streets on holidays and during important events.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

True even for normal jobs

Allister Thompson@allistert.bsky.social

Take it from a longtime editor/author/musician: no legitimate publisher/agent/book club/record label will ask you for money to work with you. Anyone who does is scamming and won’t do anything for you.

Neonubis
@blo2.bsky.social

These things makes me realize how lawless corporate America is. It's a free for all, anything goes game!

Skepticon@skepticonprime.bsky.social

Any company offering a $1T pay package to their CEO is not a serious company and their board should be summarily fired, ridiculed, and banned from a boardroom or corporate officer position in perpetuity. Looking at you, Tesla.