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This week, the local-to-me Moms For Liberty contingent lost their bid to get Gender Queer removed from Barrington School District 220. Parents and community members who supported the right to read and queer students and educators in the district showed up to the meeting, and the committee reviewing the book found it to be appropriate for their high school library.

As this was happening, a new billboard showed up in Crystal Lake, Illinois, which is just a few miles west of Barrington. The billboard said that districts in the town needed to stop sexualizing children, and at their school board meeting the same night, a regular right-wing staple showed up and spoke about government conspiracies related to the 1918 pandemic (shes been mad about a book in their school library since at least January). That individual filed three FOIA requests in a span of minutes to the school district. The first, which was denied, demanded to know the sexuality of educators and students in the district. The second and third were requests that could be Googled.

Snuggled in between Crystal Lake and Barrington is Cary, which has its own breed of right-wing parents itching to get their say in education.

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Barrington, Cary, and Crystal Lake are close to Lake In The Hills, where UpRising Bakery was vandalized in July because they were hosting an all-ages drag show brunch in their private business. The event was canceled as they cleaned up the damage from the individual who drove over an hour to destroy the space the night before the show, and what followed was a lawsuit from the ACLU against the town because of how it decided to proceed. The queer-owned bakery was able to host the show to a sold-out crowd just days later.

UpRising also sent educators in Barrington a welcome back feast to kick off the school year and support them as they endure continued attacks by groups who have agendas and no background in education.

Never fear, though. The local Moms For Liberty group tweeted their support of educators as parnets (yes, misspelled that way), then showed up to the board meeting to talk about indoctrination.

Im sure Im not saying anything that will shock readers here, but if its not clear already, perhaps this makes it clear: while this is about the books, it is in no way about the books. Its about the systemic erasure of queer people. If the books arent available and the teachers are called any number of names, then queer people disappear, right? And if a private business is vandalized by someone who was at the January 6 insurrection its not about education or indoctrination, is it?

I was unable to make the board meeting in Barrington to support queer members of the district. Despite that, and despite not being a citizen of the community but one of a town nearby, I wrote a letter. Im sharing it here in hopes that this can help others looking for ways to act and how to approach letter writing. You are welcome to copy and modify as appropriate.

Ive shared a template before. This is that template expanded. In addition to offering support for the book and for queer community members, I took the time to lay out who the people behind these pushes to curtail intellectual freedom are and the where and how of these coordinated movements.

In addition to sending the letter to the board, I also emailed every teacher librarian in the district and thanked them for their hard work. One board member thanked me for that, as they knew how much ugly rhetoric and discussion around these hard-working members of the school community were fielding.

So much for the Joyful Warrior parnets supporting educators.

I wanted to share the above story because much of this is news to me this week. I live here, I spend a lot of time researching book bans and access to information, and yet, I did not know what was happening in Crystal Lake. It was a reminder how wide-spread this right-wing nationalism is and, more, how local media fails to keep their eye on these things its being put on citizens to share this information and to band together, show up, and make sure that student rights are at the forefront of education.

This is not the beginning nor the end of challenges in Barrington. The district retained Lawn Boy earlier this year, and several other books are on the docket for review. Those include Flamer, This Book is Gay, Fighting Words, and All Boys Arent Blue.

It is equally disturbing that, aside from Chicago Media Collective, not a single Chicagoland media outlet had reported on this story until Thursday (the meeting was on Tuesday). They gave space to those who created the queer panic earlier this summer, but it has been radio silence still. This means parents who want to show up in support of education as a means to expanding world views remain completely in the dark about whats happening.

The lack of local media, as well as the focus of legacy media on only the clickiest stories, is in no small part why we are where we are and why well continue to be plowed by these well-organized, well-funded hate groups.

The Get Ready Stay Ready toolkit, built by parents and librarians, is one way to be prepared as an average citizen. This on-going effort is an incredible resource for staying up to date on issues relating to censorship and how you can prepare and fight back against these agendas. There are letters and templates you can use to contact school and library boards, training and educational resources to up your knowledge, and and resources aplenty for civic engagement, for supporting queer people, and for seeing and boosting voices of marginalized people. Save this and refer to it often as you continue your work ensuring access to information and ongoing support for queer and BIPOC students, educators, and library workers across the country.

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Defending the Right to Read: Book Censorship News, August 19, 2022 - Book Riot

Former kickboxer turned social media sensation Andrew Tate has now officially been banned from Meta platforms. Tate widely gained fame for his controversial views on women and society in general and became one of the most polarizing figures on the internet recently.

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Moreover, his ban has sent the internet into a frenzy as people were divided on this decision. Top Gs polarizing personality can be perfectly displayed after his ban as people flocked to two sides. Some came out to support Tate claiming that this was an attack on freedom of speech and expression while others stated that his controversial views should not be spread across the internet.

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Renowned Youtuber Coffeezilla, who even made a video exposing Tates Hustlers university, stated that Tate should not be banned. He claimed that although he did not agree with Top G, banning him was not the answer.

Another controversial Youtuber Sneako defended Tate calling out Meta for promoting an agenda.

Moreover, former MMA champion Jake Shields also defended Top G. He stated that people who call out Tate for manipulating young boys had no problem with models like Kim Kardashian influencing young girls.

Political commentator Mike Cernovich stated that former Illumisoft CEO Dan Price was accused of far worse things than Tate. However, there was no call for him to get banned.

Furthermore, Youtuber Daz Black took shots at the left wing claiming that they can get anyone banned.

Social media insider KeemStar called out people for harassing him because he thought Tate should not be banned.

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Company That Offered $100 Million to Joe Rogan Welcomes Andrew Tate With OpenArms Following Social Media Ban

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Moreover, Instagram personality George Resch stated that Tate got banned because he said things everyone was too afraid to say.

This was not all as internet personality LizardKing stated that censorship was not the answer to the problem.

Twitch streamer InfernoOmni was shocked by this ban and asked his audience whether the ban was justified.

However, some people thought that this ban was justified as feminist page Whor*sofYore tried to troll Top G.

Another influencer Mattxiv, whose initial post calling out Tate went viral on Instagram, stated that freedom of speech does not apply on social media platforms. He claimed that Tate had a right to free speech, but his being on the platforms was entirely up to them.

However, Youtube sensation Jake Paul also came out to address both sides of the issue. He stated that he didnt agree with Tates opinions and also did not agree with censorship.

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While many people may not agree with Tates opinion, censoring him will only add to the problem. We have seen many cases where banning a controversial figure only adds to their popularity. Moreover, the argument that social media platforms have a right to ban people should be debated heavily. In todays world, the integration of these platforms in our lives has made it impossible to voice our opinions without them, and as history tells us the key to a good society is healthy discourse and debate, not censoring individuals that some people dont agree with.

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WATCH THIS STORY Five Infamous Altercations of Mike Tyson outside the Ring

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Censorship Is never the Answer: Influencers Flock to Twitter Over Wild Ban on Andrew Tate - EssentiallySports

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Comics censorship is an American pastime. While censorship has been raging for the last 15 months, book and comic censorship is nothing new. Its just found new legs with the help of right-wing, white Christian nationalism led by groups like Moms For Liberty, among others. Comics, which have been long-subject to censorship in America, beginning in part with citizens seeking to hide any comics with nudity or sexTijuana Bibles, published from the 1920s until the 1960s, were one common form of very sexually-forward comics, often uncredited, that became an early target of censors. The Comics Code Authority took this a step further in the 1950s, better codifying and pursing comics which did not meet their standards.

Comics continued to be the target of censors, as well as legal prosecution. When Friendly Franks comic shop in Lansing, Illinois, came under fire after a police officer deemed the owner to be selling obscene materials, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund developed and has since helped support comics creators, sellers, librarians, educators, and readers in protecting their right to access comics. The officer, Anthony van Gorp, utilized the dog whistle of the 80s, claiming that in addition to obscenity, the shop was selling material of the satanic influence.

Though comics has been a part of the American literary landscape for well over 100 years, it was not until the early 2000s when more comics began to make their way into schools and libraries. Many were, of course, of the superhero variety, but as comics became more widely accepted as a legitimate form of reading and literacy, more comics beyond the superhero worlds emerged. The late 00s and early 10s were especially vibrant times for comics for young people, and as such, censors made their voices heard, challenging and banning comics.

Many who challenge comics in todays era do so from a place of misunderstanding how comics work. As will be seen in the case studies linked below, adults often talk about how children have accessed a comic that looked like a kids book and found something that was less suited to their age. Though comics enthusiasts, librarians, and educators have pushed to better educate people about comic literacy a skill set separate from but related to print literacy, as it involves understanding the purpose of and meaning behind the use of images to tell a story it is a skill set. As such, it is something censors can use to further their agenda. Anything with images is seen as material for children, despite the reality that many of the titles are published for adults and shelved with adult books.

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From 2000 to 2009, the American Library Association which at the time had a much more robust staff and budget dedicated to intellectual freedom identified zero comics among their top 100 most challenged titles. This makes a lot of sense; the format was still evolving. The story from 2010-2019, however, is different. Despite what was happening in libraries, with a rise in understanding of literacy and its myriad forms and a collection mirroring this, so, too, came the backlist from small but vocal minorities about how comic books were inappropriate. Many of the calls mimicked those of earlier censors, citing satanic influences, inappropriate content (read: sex and sexuality), and being anti-family, unsuitable to age, or offensive political viewpoint. In that decade, 11 of the top 100 most challenged books were comics.

Comics challenges and bans have only increased since ALAs last report. During this current wave of censorship, it comes as little surprise comics are a focal point and in particular, comics that explore gender and sexuality. Drama and This One Summer, published for the middle grade and young adult audiences respectively, foreshadowed the current spate of censorship against queer books; they remain among the titles challenges and banned, though censors have expanded their targets, too.

Gender Queer, a coming-of-age memoir by Maia Kobabe, remains at the top of the list for most challenged book this year. It is Kobabes own tale of learning to understand eir gender and the struggles to define eirself in a binary world. But rather than consider the story from its literary perspective and appropriateness for young readers who themselves are struggling understand themselves or others in the world, censors have delighted in blowing up two passages from the book without context. Those passages show on-page sex fantasies that are not only not lewd nor obscene, but they are common experiences of young people around the world.

It is a clear and willful misreading.

It is also a sign that, despite how much time, effort, and energy goes into comics literacy, a small group of well-funded, politically-fueled individuals will continue to showcase their illiteracy. Because in addition to pushing for the right to determine what other people can read, censors today highlight how little they respect art, how little they understand comics, and how eager they are to continue being ignorant about both.

Because ALAs compiled lists of challenged and banned books do not yet include the 2020s and because they do not release the titles of every book challenge they hear (instead releasing their top 10 lists annually), knowing the full scope of current comics challenges is tricky. But thanks to Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson, who has been tracking every title challenged across the country since last fall, it is possible to get an idea of how widespread comics censorship is right now.

Between October 2021 and August 2022, there have been at least 40 unique comics titles challenged. This includes at least 80 unique challenges or bans to Gender Queer, 25 to This One Summer, and about 20 each to Drama, Mike Curatos Flamer, Cathy G. Johnsons The Breakaways, and Fun Home. Every one of these comics was banned or challenged due to LGBTQ+ themes.

These are the most challenged and most banned comics in the U.S. right now, in order. This is based off information able to be found online, meaning that it does not represent silent or quiet censorship of books like this or the stories which mainstream and/or local media does not cover (for example, the quiet removal of Gender Queer from Spartanburg Public Library):

It is impossible not to see the trends, even for readers who may not be familiar with comics. These books are queer, they are by or about people of color, and they are about immigrants.

While there is a lot readers and champions of the freedom to read can do to fight book bans, including making sure you are borrowing, reading, and requesting even more comics be available in your libraries and schools, there is something to be said, too, about the power of knowing the history of comics censorship specifically. Here are some excellent articles by devoted comics fans, comics creators, and scholars alike to help illuminate and contextualize the ongoing efforts to ban comics in the USA.

These are just the tip of the iceberg.

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Here are the Most Challenged Comics and Most Banned Comics Since 2000 - Book Riot

Live A Lives English localization has come under fire, as yet another Square Enix title is being accused of censorship and poor translation.

Source: Live A Live (2022), Nintendo

RELATED: Eidos Montral Founder Describes Management Of Square Enixs Western Studios As A Train Wreck In Slow Motion

Originally released in 1994, the SNES JRPG takes place across multiple eras, each with their own twists on gameplay. From the ancient past to the far-flung future, from feudal Japan to the wild west, a mysterious threat seems to transcend time and space. The game didnt have an official western launch until its 2022 remake, with English gameplay of the SNES original coming from fan-translated emulators.

Twitter profile@iuntue, an account dedicated to cataloging inaccurate translations and censorship in localization of Japanese games, shared their thoughts on Live A Live Remake. As with several prior Square Enix titles, liberties appear to have been taken, typically avoiding content that could be deemed sexist or offensive. This is despite a study this year proving sexualized content doesnt cause misogyny or body image issues.

It should be noted that while Square Enix both develops and publishes Live A Live in Japan, the games worldwide release was published by Nintendo. Even so, thanks to Square Enix own ethics department and aforementioned recent history, one must wonder which of the pair dictated these changes.

Source: Live A Live (2022), Nintendo

Starting with the Imperial China chapter, Earthen Heart Shifu (Xin Shan Quan Master in fan translations) playfully teases bandit Lei Kugo over her temper. It could be argued he is either evoking the trope of a much older man either making flirtatious comments or testing her resolve to keep her temper; a flaw Lei eventually overcomes in the story as she becomes Shifus student.

In the English version however, Shifu doesnt outright tell her to keep her calm. Instead he reassures her that he wont forget her name, praises it, and cautions her to avoid the arrogance that led to him so easily halting her attempted mugging.

Japanese

Earthen Heart Shifu: All right, all right, no need to get so angry. Youre letting your pretty face go to waste.

English

Earthen Heart Shifu: You may rest assured that I will not [forget your name]. It is a good, strong name, worthy of pride. But pride will lead you astray if you let it. As it did not so long ago.

Source: @iuntue, Twitter

Moving to the Wild West, the Mariachi band appears to have lost their Mexican accents at first. @iuntue highlights how one band member greets you with A-amigo! in Japanese, but G-greetings, my friend! in English.

Source: @iuntue, Twitter

However, the English version does feature the band members speaking and singing in Mexican, with their words translated into English in brackets. They also use Spanish words when addressing the player in English, such as vaquero and pistolero, and dubbed lines spoken with a Mexican accent.

One also inquires, Tequila! Yes, tequila! Thats what you need, yes? which could be assumed to be a stereotypical Mexican drink. As such, if there was an attempt to downplay Mexican stereotypes, the only change made would be ditching the Spanish/Mexican word for friend.

Source: Live A Live (2022), Nintendo

A later scene also sees an outlaw harassing Sundown for sitting in his spot, has his advances rejected by Annie, and then hurls a child into Sundown who remained still up until that point. Pretending to make amends, the outlaw mockingly offers to buy Sundown a glass of milk, alluding to his perceived delicate nature.

As Sundown rejects the milk, the outlaw mocks Sundown in the same manner in English and Japanese. Sundown can then either remain silent or respond. In Japanese his response is curt, arguably fitting someone slow to anger, or wanting to avoid trouble and about to be pushed too far. In English its more of a quip, and almost looking for trouble.

Japanese

Outlaw: Or do you like it when the milk doesnt come from mamas titty? (Machine Translation: DeepL)

Sundown: Get lost.

English

Outlaw: Lemme guess: its not that you hate milk, but that you cant stomach it less its fresh from your mothers tits!

Sundown: Your mothers, maybe.

Source: @iuntue, Twitter

Players also have the option to swipe clothes from Annies wardrobe. In the original 1994 version at least, based on the English fan translation players can find Annies Nighty. In the 2022 English version, this is Annies Diary.

She still acts with disgust over the player obtaining it, and showing it to her has Annie responding Hey! This aint no library! Youre on thin ice, you two! However, as it was a nighty, players are able to equip the diary to the torso armor slot.

It could be argued that the censored version still works, as tucking a book under your shirt or jacket so its just in front of your heart is a trope that would fit in the wild west setting. Even so, it cant hide the fact it offers very little defense, much like a sheer nightgown. This is also not the only time a piece of inappropriate gear was renamed.

Source: Live A Live (2022), Nintendo

RELATED: Square Enix Heavily Censors Sexualized Artwork From Various Series For English Release Of Manga UP! App

In the original 1994 release, during the Near Future chapter, Watanabe can help the player obtain Taekos Panties, but not before several failed attempts including his own boxers. In the localized version of the 2022 remake his initial offer is Watanabes pocket lint (originally Watanabes Boxers). In other instances outside the home, Watanabes Boxers is changed to Watanabes Badge.

The reason for this change is because Akira is attempting to steal Taekos pocket money. Players are given Taekos Pouch (Taekos Jeans), Taekos Picture (Takekos Stockings), Taekos furious fist (Taekos Punch, with a notably softer sounding tap when Akira uses it on Watanabe), and finally Taekos Secret Stash (Taekos Panties).

@Iuntuenotes that this change is also reflected in the Japanese version, at least with the underwear being changed to money; specifically, Taekos Secret Savings via machine translation on DeepL. Again, these items may be equipped to certain armor slots despite their new titles.

Source: @iuntue, Twitter

Another point of contention among fans was the fact that, as detailed by Twitter user @KingOfPrinnies, this change makes the scene slightly out of character for Akira.

Now that Ive hit the Near Future chapter in Live A Live, I think Ive found my 2nd issue with the official translation, the userbegan (his first issue mentioned later in this article). The original lets Akira have Watanabe try to steal Taekos underwear, but thats been changed to have him steal money. Which, morally somehow seems worse.

Source: @KingofPrinnies, Twitter

Like, stealing the underwear of the woman who raised you since you became an orphan has some implications if you think about it, but like, now youre stealing the money shes been saving up. Like, dude, maybe that money was for THE ORPHANAGE YOU LIVE IN, @KingofPrinnies reasons. Dk move.

Source: @KingofPrinnies, Twitter

NPC Kazu also states Yukis so mean! She keeps calling me Sir Farts-a-Lot! But it wasnt me! In the original Japanese, Kazu states Yuki called me a pervert!

One more scene in the near future has Lawless, a cool and collected biker who Akira looks up to, offering slightly different dialogue. As he pilots a mecha with his dying breath, he reveals the truth about his past, and how he was responsible for something terrible in Akiras life.

His girlfriend Taeko interrupts, saying hes in no condition to keep piloting the mecha and needs to rest @iuntue shows how in both languages Lawless answers about doing the right thing to make amends, but in Japanese was censored, likely to prevent accusations of misogyny.

Source: Live A Live (2022), Nintendo

Japanese:

Lawless: Its not a womans place to but in When a man is setting things Straight

English:

Lawless: Sometimes youve gotta own up to your mistakes Consequences be damned. Am I Am I right?

@iuntue also notes that even the fan-translation wasnt accurate, as they went with Women always get in the way Right?

Source: @iuntue, Twitter

One final line comes from the Pre-History chapter, which is almost entirely devoid of text. While its amusing to think English localizers may have bungled a chapter with only one word of dialogue, there are menus, equipment, and skills found in this chapter.

At the end of Prehistory, @GeneKanichen explains, Pogo fks the girl and creates spoken language by saying LOOOOOOOVE!!! (Ai in Japanese). The scene is fairly suggestive, as Pogo is seen walking into a cave with a girl, and despite being comic relief ties into Live A Lives themes of humanity, love, hatred, and keeping hope for better things. The new game leaves it as AIIIIIIIIEEEE.

@LunarArchivist shares the fan-translation and official 2022 English versions side by side, much to their disgust. Jesus Christ.

Source: @LunarArchivist Twitter, @GeneKaninchen Twitter

Note: Spoilers for Live A Live from here.

In the games final chapter, @iuntue justifies that The localization kinda explains Aieee! if you pick Pogo at the end. While Pogo screams Aieee! again, Oersted understands this as him attempting to say love in Japanese. In English, he merely takes the cave-mans wild caterwauling as being passionate, and reminding him of love.

Japanese:

Pogo: Ai~~~!

Oersted: A Aika (Love)

English:

Pogo: Aieee!

Oersted: Such passion. Nay. Tis love.

Source: @iuntue, Twitter

What do you think of Live A Lives localization? Let us know on social media and in the comments below.

NEXT: Interview: Fan And Professional Translators Speak Out On Western Localization Issues And The Current State Of The English Manga Industry

Here is the original post:
English Localization Of Square Enix's 'Live A Live' Found To Be Riddled With Poor Translation And Censorship - Bounding Into Comics

It was only one year ago that the world saw Zabi Rezayee plummet to his death after clinging to the side of a United States CF-17 transport aircraft as it took off from Afghanistan. The 17-year-old and four others, including his 19-year-old brother Zaki, were trying to escape the country as the Taliban regained control. Zabis father found pieces of his son on the runway in Kabul and buried him; he did not find Zaki. Others fell on top of houses in Kabul, and one body was crushed in the landing gear and recovered in Qatar.

This happened at the peak of the chaos and desperation that swept through Afghanistan as the United States conducted a disastrous and hasty withdrawal from the country. In April 2021, Joe Biden announced all American troops would be withdrawn by September 11, blindsiding allies who had troops and foreign nationals there. On July 5, the U.S. left the strategic Bagram airfield in the middle of the night, not even telling the Afghan commander. As the U.S. withdrew, the Taliban went on the offensive.

In less than a month, the Taliban went from controlling some periphery provinces to closing in on the capital. Many of the Afghan troops, seeing they had no American support, fled to Iran. On Aug. 10, 2021, the White House said a Taliban takeover was not inevitable. Biden promised there wouldnt be a Saigon moment, when U.S. personnel were airlifted from the roof of the embassy as the enemy closed in. Only five days later, that very scenario played out in Kabul, in the same humiliating fashion as Saigon.

The U.S. troops were confined by presidential order to stay within the airport compound as thousands of American citizens and Afghans who worked closely with the Americans rushed to the airport gates to try to escape. Desperate mothers passed their infants over crowds to troops on the compound wall. Several infants died in the Concertina wire on either side of the wall.

In the final days, the U.S. shared biometric data with the Taliban, trusting them to bring Americans to the airport. On August 26, two bombs went off outside the airport in the dense crowds, killing 13 marines and 169 Afghans. In response, Biden authorized a drone strike that killed 10 innocent Afghans, mostly children. On August 30, the last U.S. transport plane left Afghanistan, leaving behind over 9,000 American citizens and $80 billion in military equipment, which the Department of Defense now claims was worth only $7 billion.

As this debacle unfolded last year, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in the October 2021 issue: This has been the worst foreign-policy disaster in the nations history. This terrible defeat was a spectacle seen by the entire worldand they were watching intently! It will mar our history, perhaps for the rest of time. One year later, Afghanistan, America and the world are suffering the disastrous ripple effects of this shameful surrender. This one event changed the world, and it was deliberately designed to do exactly that.

The nation that has suffered the most is Afghanistan. It has reverted back to barbarism and is on the verge of complete collapse. Mr. Flurry wrote that the withdrawal sent an unmistakable message to both allies and enemies worldwide: America does not keep its promises. We do not honor commitments. We cannot be trusted even to protect our own people! Now, millions of people are going to be greatly persecuted and killed. Children and women are going to be abused, raped and murdered. This is exactly what has happened.

As soon as the Taliban had control, they began beating people in the streets for violating sharia law. People were publicly executed in cricket stadiums, and bodies were hung from cranes as a warning. The worse violations have been against women. The New Statesman reported: Womens rights have sharply regressed. Contrary to the Talibans promises before the takeover, women and girls have mostly been prevented from receiving an education, just as they were during the 1990s. Forced marriages and sex slavery have returned. Women and girls, as young as 15, have been taken as war brides for Taliban fighters. In a few cases, girls as young as 1 are being sold off as future brides for men.

The Afghan economy has also collapsed. The New Statesman continued: Afghanistans economy has collapsed in the year since the takeover. International aid, which before the takeover was worth almost half of the countrys gdp [gross domestic product] and funded three quarters of public spending, has dried up. The World Bank estimates that Afghanistans gdp has dropped by between 20 and 30 percent over the past year. Currently 90 percent of Afghans live in poverty. Most live daily with critical food and basic necessity shortages, and the threat of famine is constant. Some are being forced to sell their children into slavery for money to survive.

Joe Biden promised that al Qaeda would never return, but within the last few weeks a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, while he was in a safe house in Kabul. U.S. intelligence also discovered several terrorist groups building training camps in Afghanistan. Once again, the country is a terrorism hot spot.

Twenty years of U.S. influence has been washed away in a matter of months, and with it the hopes and dreams of the Afghan people.

Another deadly ripple effect is how the defeat signaled the end of the American superpower. America is not just declining, it is in the last throes of death, Mr. Flurry wrote. It is being destroyed before our eyes. Many are now in open despair. This Afghanistan disaster is the worst evidence ever of how the United States has collapsed as a superpower! It is no surprise that after this debacle the enemies of America sprung into action. Victor Davis Hanson pointed this out in How to Erode the Worlds Greatest Military:

The global aftermath was eerie. Russia in a few months thereafter invaded Ukraine. Iran proudly announced it would soon have enough fissionable material to make a nuclear weapon. North Korea resumed its provocative missile launches. China openly talked of storming Taiwan.

The common denominator was the global perception that any president and military responsible for such colossal, televised incompetence would or could neither deter enemy aggression nor protect allied interests.

Top military and government officials in Europe remarked that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Afghanistan had not occurred. Many nations around the world have been strategizing for decades to undermine America as the leading nation. Afghanistan was a green light for Russia, China, Iran and Germany to take the offensive and take advantage of weak leadership.

This has even impacted recruitment in the U.S. Armed Forces, as nearly every major branch faces a shortage. Afghanistan is a black stain on the prestige and reputation of the armed forces, and many Americans are choosing not to serve. It shook Americans, and the soldiers, faith in their leadership and their patriotism.

To this day, none of the leaders responsible for the debacle have been held to account. All of them still have their jobs. The only individuals to lose their jobs were those who criticized the Biden administration for its decision and implementation.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan has sparked the formation of a new world order where America is no longer the head but quickly becoming the tail.

The most important point to remember from this anniversary is why it happened. This is a truth you will only find at the Trumpet. Mr. Flurry explained the real reason this disastrous withdrawal occurred, writing: Many people say it proves Joe Bidens incompetence. But this catastrophe isnt the result of bungling and bad judgment. It is a deliberate, planned effort to destroy America. This is not mere incompetence. It is calculated destruction. It is treachery!

The bitter fruits Afghanistan, America and the world have been tasting over this past year are the fruits of treason. This destruction will be the legacy of the radical-left leadership of the United States, led by Barack Obama.

This somber anniversary is a reminder of the ultimate motive of the Biden administration, which is really Obamas third term: to undermine U.S. power abroad. These radical Communists want to blot out the name of Israel, as the Bible says in 2 Kings 14:27. They attack anything that gives America power and influence. Americas position as a superpower was given as a blessing from God, and the radical left wants to abase America on the world stage and empower its enemies. This is treason. It is the reason behind this foreign policy of destruction.

This history is important to remember. It is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and a reminder that only the Bible can truly explain what is going on inside America and the world right now. To prove all of this, please read Mr. Flurrys newly expanded book America Under Attack.

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Afghanistan: A Legacy of Treason and Dishonor - theTrumpet.com