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Gillian Gower, PhD

@medievaliste.bsky.social

underemployed professor research: music, political culture, history, and identity in medieval England and beyond British-American, based in LA

4,753 Followers  |  1,129 Following  |  7,543 Posts  |  Joined: 22.07.2023
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Posts by Gillian Gower, PhD (@medievaliste.bsky.social)

Yes in this particular moment the blame is 99.9% on Republicans. A dozen R’s in Congress could together end this presidency now

28.02.2026 22:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1655    πŸ” 331    πŸ’¬ 31    πŸ“Œ 10

I understand what you’re getting at but with sincere respect, I don’t think this is the right time or place for you and I to talk about this

28.02.2026 23:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I try really hard to be empathetic to people who are frightened but the way some of you are willing to excuse the murder of other people’s children as long as they don’t look like yours is appalling

28.02.2026 22:38 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This goes for terrorist organizations, too. And while I’m covering my bases, I don’t think children forced or groomed into becoming soldiers deserve the death penalty, either.

28.02.2026 22:36 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

lol

28.02.2026 22:28 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It is so fucking exhausting that if you ever say β€œmaybe the party that I’ve voted for in every election at every level since I became a citizen 20 years ago COULD BETTER REFLECT MY WISHES,” legions of these stafferbots show up with β€œthey don’t have they votes and I’ll bet YOU DIDNT EVEN VOTE.”

28.02.2026 21:57 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

it turns out those of us that are politically engaged have opinions and those opinions don’t preclude us from voting for the best option available. wild shit, I know.

28.02.2026 21:55 β€” πŸ‘ 381    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 0

I wonder if a hard-line successor will assume power and further destabilize the region just like every other time this has happened

28.02.2026 20:23 β€” πŸ‘ 2814    πŸ” 573    πŸ’¬ 76    πŸ“Œ 15

I promise you that the government that murdered Alex Pretti and Renee Good does not give a flying fuck about the protests in Iran.

28.02.2026 08:30 β€” πŸ‘ 18150    πŸ” 3727    πŸ’¬ 295    πŸ“Œ 104

That’s how you do it.

28.02.2026 22:10 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It’s been terrifying to have almost every year in the past 20 years be a lesson in how many people with power make decisions about who lives and dies with little thought or care or even a clear idea as to why they’re doing anything, and it’s terrifying that it seems to be getting worse

28.02.2026 21:02 β€” πŸ‘ 4027    πŸ” 679    πŸ’¬ 30    πŸ“Œ 20

I have no idea what I Posted about yesterday, let alone last month! I am not a PR firm! I do not have to issue a notes app statement every time I read something horrible in the virtual newspaper!

28.02.2026 22:03 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Yes, it is the natural order of the Discourse

28.02.2026 22:01 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

As you know, I must first condemn this social media atrocity before I am permitted to discuss the rest of the atrocities

28.02.2026 21:58 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Newsflash: You are not legally or morally obligated to disavow all of the atrocities happening across the globe before getting angry about the atrocity the US government is currently doing

28.02.2026 21:56 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It’s bad that Iran bombed a civilian airport in Kuwait! Can I be angry that my own government started this now?

28.02.2026 21:54 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Oh my god, are we really doing β€œYou can’t publicly criticize attacking Iran unless you also publicly criticized the Iranian government for murdering protesters”? Really???

28.02.2026 21:51 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

Once again, you can think that a country’s government is very bad without also thinking that the children of that country deserve to die for their government’s sins.

28.02.2026 21:15 β€” πŸ‘ 45    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Your opposition to war can just be that war is evil. it doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

28.02.2026 19:34 β€” πŸ‘ 2455    πŸ” 584    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

[John Oliver voice] Cool.

28.02.2026 20:50 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

cool cool cool cool cool cool cool

28.02.2026 20:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

@musicologyduck.bsky.social

28.02.2026 20:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It’s not supporting the troops to send them off to kill and die in an illegal war of aggression whose purpose is to make sure that their votes don’t count.

28.02.2026 20:01 β€” πŸ‘ 3100    πŸ” 929    πŸ’¬ 65    πŸ“Œ 18
Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads:

The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you.

And our governments are very much the same...

- Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist

Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads: The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same... - Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist

Thinking about this quote from Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi again.

28.02.2026 17:18 β€” πŸ‘ 16438    πŸ” 7072    πŸ’¬ 39    πŸ“Œ 105

regressing to my youth (walking around occasionally reminding myself that my right-wing government is waging an illegal war)

31.12.2025 00:12 β€” πŸ‘ 398    πŸ” 61    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

They're not doing either of those things, Brad.

28.02.2026 20:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Finally, Democratic Party messaging is the job of the Democratic Party. Unless they are your literal boss, you are not obligated to toe the Party line just because [elected Democratic congressperson of your choice] said so. Go on and post your opinion in the comments while you still have the right

28.02.2026 20:18 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The truth is they are doing horrible things to every single one of us: white people and people of color, Jews and Muslims, American citizens and American immigrants, cis women and trans women, urban and rural, at home and abroad, etc. They're weaponizing these binary oppositions. You can't let them.

28.02.2026 20:14 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

EVERYTHING IS REALLY BAD AND EVIL. It's not a competition between Your Pet Issue and Every Other Terrible Thing the Regime Is Doing. It's all part of the same huge, terrible program.

I know it's hard to comprehend. That's what "flood the zone" means. But you do not have to participate.

28.02.2026 20:09 β€” πŸ‘ 50    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

When you reply to posts about IRANIAN KIDS BEING BOMBED with AI slop memes about the Epstein files, YOU are the distraction. Exercise some critical thinking and ask yourself why you think the Epstein victims are more important than brown children and their families halfway across the world.

28.02.2026 20:08 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0