I want to explore some other Standard decks leading into this weekend's Showcase Challenge, starting today with Jund Sacrifice! Live in 5 at twitch.tv/ross_merriam
Co-streaming Day 2 of Spotlight: Fracture in Hartford, starting in 10 minutes!
twitch.tv/ross_merriam
Is the South American RC on Melee somewhere? God knows you can't find it on the website so I'm asking here.
It rained all day so I made dinner with stuff on hand. Spinach, leek top, mint, cashew pesto. #liverpooleats
My Landfall Deck Guide Update is now live on Patreon! I go over all the changes I've made since the previous guide, with four new matchups in the SB guide as well. You can sub for 15$ or more to access the full guide, or purchase the SB guide only for 10$ with no sub. Links below
SB Guide Only (10$, no sub): patreon.com/RossMerriam/post…
Ross Merriam retweeted
The instinct to blame the uprisings sweeping Europe on Iran, China or Russia is laughable when taken at face value. But the anxieties that underpin it reveal something important about the nature of the global struggle.
The architecture that wields imperialist war is the same architecture that chops and dices the social state through structural adjustment and sanctions in the global periphery. And it is the same architecture that imposes austerity and dismantles democratic rights for workers in the advanced capitalist countries.
The function of that architecture is to advance and safeguard capital accumulation for a ‘collective imperialism’ that is subordinated to Washington. To do so, it deploys economic and political coercion against states pursuing sovereign development, and where that fails it resorts to brute military force. This is necessary to beat down the cost of labor and resources in the Global South — the wellspring of Northern wealth and power.
Through austerity, an assault on the state’s role in managing the economy, imperialism also mounts an epistemic defence of capitalist rule. It is clear that national economic planning is more efficient than the anarchic system of capitalism. But that fact calls into question capitalist legitimacy. Why have capitalists at all when the state can manage infrastructure, services, and investments more efficiently? That is why nationalization must be opposed and reversed, and why violence must be deployed against workers resisting the assault on their livelihoods.
Therefore, when the ruling classes blame Iran, China and Russia for the protests, they are revealing something real about the anxieties that keep them up at night. The economic and military wings of their rule are being challenged from outside, and they fear that, as the domestic struggle intensifies, they will lose their grip altogether. This is because the class struggle and the anti-imperialist struggle are indivisible.
That is why, as the global struggle against empire expands and deepens, it becomes the singular responsibility of progressives in the imperial core to launch an assault on their ruling class in its moment of weakness. This is the moment at which capitalist crisis intensifies and faint glimmers of the path towards socialism once again become visible.
Ross Merriam retweeted
The worst of the atrocities carried out by America are bi-partisan. If you are a liberal, please at least skim this:
Over 90% of the Civil Service Core who shaped Obamas Imperialist policy shaped Biden's and are currently shaping Trump's and would have shaped Kamala's.
Bernie. Hillary. Johnny fucking Cash. Doesn't matter.
There is a literal 'permanent state,' and it exists in the form of the DOD, Intelligence, State department, etc.
THE TACTICS VARY, BUT THE GOALS NEVER CHANGE.
Only the presentation of those goals.
This is what Leftists are desperate for liberals to understand.
If Trump had been the face and populist voice of Obama era policy, Obama would horrify liberals. He wasn't.
American Liberals are taught to associate warfare, economic terrorism, domestic surveillance, and all other extensions of Western Hegemony and U.S. Imperialism with 'the Right.'
Your algorithm lies to you by omission.
When liberals in office do the same unspeakable things you are horrified to see conservatives doing, you generally aren't going to hear about it.
If you do, the responsibility is diffused and reallocated.
This is the psyop that fools you in broad daylight.
******Some easily researchable facts:******
Obama is the only president to have ever been at war for the entire duration of a 2 term presidency.
Obama executed 10 times more drone strikes than George Bush.
Obama expanded state surveillance through the prism program, enabling the monitoring of communications between private citizens and prosecuted more whistleblowers than every president in the history of the United States combined.
Obama carried out extrajudicial assassinations on US citizens via drone strikes.
Obama carried out acts of economic terrorism against 15-20 countries that stood in the way or resisted the US imperial agenda. This includes a ferocious campaign of economic warfare against China. Other targets include (but are not limited to) Cuba, Venezuela, Sudan, Russia, and Iran.
Obama violated the war powers resolution in his imperialist invasion of Libya, permanently destabilizing the country and region.
His involvement in Libya was nothing short of ruinous.
Obama funneled billions of dollars to Syrian rebel factions, starting a proxy forever war that the United States remained directly, deeply involved with for the following 11 years, 7 months.
The US continues to be involved with the Syrian conflict to this day via funding Israel’s war machine. Israel regularly sends air strikes and incursions to the southern portion of the country.
You didn't hear much about this as a liberal during his presidency.
But you DID hear about gay marriage.
This is the tip of the iceberg. Challenging all liberals to push to be more aware of the goals and movement of this nation. And to establish good hygiene around maintaining/expanding that awareness.
Sided in Hydra in 7/10 rounds today. I just can't get it right. Still, 8-2 on the day with a trophy is nice. Caves never came up but I still like it over 4th Esper Origins for Cultivator synergy. Guide update goes up tomorrow on Patreon!
Live in 5 with more Landfall testing! Back on MD Nursery and trying Cryptic Caves as a utility land. twitch.tv/ross_merriam
Live in 5 with more Landfall testing! Back on MD Nursery and trying Cryptic Caves as a utility land. twitch.tv/ross_merriam
People at tournaments not pushing in their chairs after getting up.
Ross Merriam retweeted
America isn't witnessing the rise of fascism. It's watching its own fascist foundations become impossible to conceal. The empire isn't abandoning its traditions; it's doubling down. The mask is slipping, and the ruling class is done pretending. #USImperialism
Being less “only” for nerds and being less for nerds are two different things. We can be honest about the issues with Magic’s direction without being willfully obtuse.
Lost playing for the trophy but I sided out Hydra every round. Always seem to hit the midrange+control decks when I have Hydras and the aggro+combo decks when I have Nursery.
Live in 5 with more Landfall testing. Today I'm back on Mossborn Hydras! twitch.tv/ross_merriam















