John Brown, born on this day in 1800, was a militant abolitionist who advocated for and practiced armed insurrection to overthrow the system of slavery in the U.S. He became the first American executed for treason after raiding Harpers Ferry.
Brown first gained national attention when he led small groups of volunteers during the Bleeding Kansas crisis of 1856. He was dissatisfied with the pacifism of the organized abolitionist movement, stating “These men are all talk. What we need is action - action!”
In October 1859, Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (modern day West Virginia), intending to start a liberation movement that would spread south through the mountainous regions of Virginia and North Carolina.
Although Brown’s group successfully seized the armory at first, his raid was defeated by a combination of volunteer militia and state forces led by Robert E. Lee, who later commanded the Confederate States Army. Seven people were killed, two of whom were Brown’s sons Oliver and Watson, and at least ten more were injured.
Brown had intended to arm enslaved people with weapons from the armory, but only a small number of locals were willing to join him, possibly due to an unfamiliarity with firearms. Within 36 hours, those of Brown’s men who had not fled were killed or captured by local farmers, militiamen, or U.S. Marines.
Brown was hastily tried for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, the murder of five men, and inciting a slave insurrection. He was found guilty on all counts and was hanged, becoming the first person executed for treason in the history of the United States.
“I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land can never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed, it might be done.”
- John Brown
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Am I becoming a cringe third-worldist if I unironically get a little pissed off whenever someone starts talking about declining living standards in the US
Like who cares bro there’s worse shit + it’s gonna have to get a lot worse to save the bulk of humanity
But at the same time it’s like, I’ve never been in extreme poverty, just regular-style poverty as a kid for a short time after the recession, so I guess I’m also saying fuck Amerikkka let it all collapse from a position of privilege
But okay what happens if Americans get healthcare and start benefitting more tangibly from the exploitation of the third world. There’s not even that much leftism as there is but lemme tell you for like 50% or more of “American leftists” all that socialism shit stops when they see a little bread 💯
Actually fuck it nuke America
Pterosaurus are the mary sue of jurassic park franchise.
Asshole fake dino entire gimmick is to literally kidnap people while flying (bullshit unfair tactic unlike the honest and honorable trex). Just pure slop concept cliff racer ahh existence.
tap dance is literally a brainworm, you can’t listen to ‘regular’ musical theater anymore all you can think is how much better you could make it with a chorus sized heap of tap shoes
you’re snapping? you’re clapping? why? your feet can speak the grains just put on the right shoes dumbass
- “I rather like that new PinkPantheress song and music video”
Each time a Persona character says “stopping suffering prevents character growth” the ghost of Mother Teresa should pop up and say I agree suffering builds character to permanently destroy the brains of Persona fans.
I’m reflecting on how the meme harvest this year has been sparse. For example Alysa Liu would have fit that niche but she really got celebrated, discussed as a part of the public eye, and let go. I know she’s like a super star and people keep watching her perform her Stateside routine (which even got into Fortnite), but she’s not producing meme templates or something.
Mr. Beast is another one. His existence is scrutinized and is associated with a certain type of soulless efficiency of narrative. But his products aren’t gripping the collective psyche.
The biggest breakout star would be Charlie Kirk-Epstein AI memes. They have a bit of staying power because presumably every new model will have those two doing something to flex the capacity.
But after 67, the years hottest trend, there aren’t really phrases, characters, or events to metabolize in the same way. I suspect AI played a role in crowding out some of the collective metabolism and the enshittification of every social media makes it higher friction to use any given platform as the place to be. How can you allow something to ferment when you’re being drowned in ads, AI content, and upsells?
The Internet feels a lot more gray and atomized in that sense.
Maybe I’m projecting too much of my inner mood, but this year things have been too real and depressing to really joke about them. It has been straight to gallows humor it seems, hence the Kirkification of discourse.
-asks for an old fashioned
-gets a new fangled
you inspired me to make this:
Someone pulled the new switcheroo on me last week!
Rowdy Roddy Piper in They Live “i came here, uh, im here to do…I mean, I had two things I was gonna do today! Kick your ass. All of you guys. And gum. I was gonna buy it and chew some! I had this down to one sentence that I was rehearsing over and over on the way. You’re aliens, and that’s bad news for you!” Opens fire
anyone else remember being told as a kid that gum would take 7 years to pass through your body if you swallowed it? kinda wack how many myths like that were designed to give children anxiety about nothing
me after eating watermelon as a kid hearing that if you swallowed watermelon seeds, a plant would grow out of your stomach
(naturally, I assumed it would be like the chest burster from Alien)
There’s this scene at the end of The Fountain where plants grow out of Hugh Jackman. It’s ok
Fr, you could literally just tell a kid ‘have anxiety abkut nothing’ in a stern voice and get the same effect
Sometimes when i have a really big poop I’ll stand up and feel another amount of poop making its way through the pipes and I’ll have to sit back down withing the next 10 mins.
Did i accidentally hold in an entire poop and there was another in line or what?
Not sure
yep
it is may 10 and stalin saved the world from fascism
Being scrawny is not necessarily in opposition with looking scary, I’ve seen some absolutely terrifying skinny guys lmao
The meth look, perhaps?
There is a canonical Scary Guy named Slenderman.
