What An Unsurprising & Completely Expected Turn Of Events That Literally Everyone Saw Coming 😮

There have been many posts crediting President Snow for his “genius” decision having the tributes being previous winners for the 75th Hunger Games, however, I think it is probably the biggest mistake he makes in the series… And Plutarch’s smartest move.

The main rule in the Hunger Games is that there is always one winner. Not only is the winner awarded a fancy house and a large sum of money, but they are paraded around the capital. Their status is elevated and their home district views them as a celebrity. It is the only ticket to “rise up” in society. We as the reader know that being a Victor is still a terrible fate (body sold to capital citizens, used as a prop, forced to be a mentor), however, they symbolize a win for the district as a whole and enforce the hatred districts have for each other. 

In the 74th Games, Crane makes the decision to change the rules and allow two tributes from the same district to win the games. Whether this is purely for drama to make the romance element sell better or a clever way to introduce false hope, all tributes believe this rule is real. There is a chance Katniss and Peeta can really win together. When the rug is pulled out from under them, they are forced to choose who will win causing all hope of their dual survival to be lost. Both Katniss and Peeta want the other to win, however, they know the toll it will take emotionally on that individual to be the lone survivor (survivor’s guilt). With no hope of a fair life, they are both willing to die together creating an all or nothing situation. Crane is forced to let both of them win, knowing that if no one wins the games, the districts might realize that “their sacrifice” was for nothing. He believes two winners are better than none (And honestly he’s lowkey right), and it costs him his life. 

During Snow’s conversation with Crane he states, “Fear does not work as long as there is hope”. Katniss and Peeta winning together is not inherently revolutionary, it was not done to spite the capital, but Snow cannot let go of the idea that they broke the carefully constructed rules of the games, and, therefore, must be punished. He forgets that Katniss and Peeta are not universally liked, especially in districts where they had to kill their tributes (district 1 and 2). Snow blames Crane for even introducing the idea of two winners in the first place, the rules of the Hunger Games have been solidified for good reason. Ironically, the ending of the games is not what brings on the rebellion, it is really Rue’s relationship with Katniss. The kindness Katniss shows shows during Rue’s death unites the Districts for a moment, and creates a connection between District 11 and District 12.

This push for fear and punishment blind Snow when Plutarch becomes the game maker. Although all the districts know the 75th Games will have a twist, deciding to draw tributes from the existing Victors is a critical mistake. Yes, it allows Snow to “punish” Katniss for bending the rules, however, Snow forgets that the Victors symbolize hope to a necessary degree for society to function. The districts need to feel like they can win something, they need some distraction of power to stop them from realizing they are constantly being manipulated. Taking two of the golden children away from every district unites the efforts of rebellion. It is the clearest way to say “no, you are all losers at the end of the day”. This blatant reminder is not needed, and spreads anger throughout the entire Panem system. 

Snow’s weakness is he doesn’t understand that fear cannot work without the idea of mercy. There must be some possible reward to work for, or hopelessness will take over and people will act without care for their lives. If both options bring death and torture, why not rebel? The additional scenes in Mockingjay Part 1, demonstrate this notion perfectly (the dam in District 5 and the bombs in District 7). 

Don't fall for it

There are people – some in my own Party – who think that if you just give Donald Trump everything he wants, he’ll make an exception and spare you some of the harm. I’ll ignore the moral abdication of that position for just a second to say — almost none of those people have the experience with this President that I do. I once swallowed my pride to offer him what he values most — public praise on the Sunday news shows — in return for ventilators and N95 masks during the worst of the pandemic. We made a deal. And it turns out his promises were as broken as the BIPAP machines he sent us instead of ventilators. Going along to get along does not work – just ask the Trump-fearing red state Governors who are dealing with the same cuts that we are. I won’t be fooled twice.

I’ve been reflecting, these past four weeks, on two important parts of my life: my work helping to build the Illinois Holocaust Museum and the two times I’ve had the privilege of reciting the oath of office for Illinois Governor.

As some of you know, Skokie, Illinois once had one of the largest populations of Holocaust survivors anywhere in the world. In 1978, Nazis decided they wanted to march there.

The leaders of that march knew that the images of Swastika clad young men goose stepping down a peaceful suburban street would terrorize the local Jewish population – so many of whom had never recovered from their time in German concentration camps.

The prospect of that march sparked a legal fight that went all the way to the Supreme Court. It was a Jewish lawyer from the ACLU who argued the case for the Nazis – contending that even the most hateful of speech was protected under the first amendment.

As an American and a Jew, I find it difficult to resolve my feelings around that Supreme Court case – but I am grateful that the prospect of Nazis marching in their streets spurred the survivors and other Skokie residents to act. They joined together to form the Holocaust Memorial Foundation and built the first Illinois Holocaust Museum in a storefront in 1981 – a small but important forerunner to the one I helped build thirty years later.

I do not invoke the specter of Nazis lightly. But I know the history intimately — and have spent more time than probably anyone in this room with people who survived the Holocaust. Here’s what I’ve learned – the root that tears apart your house’s foundation begins as a seed – a seed of distrust and hate and blame.

The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe a lifetime ago didn’t arrive overnight. It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame.

I’m watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now. A president who watches a plane go down in the Potomac – and suggests — without facts or findings — that a diversity hire is responsible for the crash. Or the Missouri Attorney General who just sued Starbucks – arguing that consumers pay higher prices for their coffee because the baristas are too “female” and “nonwhite.” The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems.

I just have one question: What comes next? After we’ve discriminated against, deported or disparaged all the immigrants and the gay and lesbian and transgender people, the developmentally disabled, the women and the minorities – once we’ve ostracized our neighbors and betrayed our friends – After that, when the problems we started with are still there staring us in the face – what comes next.

All the atrocities of human history lurk in the answer to that question. And if we don’t want to repeat history – then for God’s sake in this moment we better be strong enough to learn from it.

I swore the following oath on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the state of Illinois, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Governor .... according to the best of my ability.

My oath is to the Constitution of our state and of our country. We don’t have kings in America – and I don’t intend to bend the knee to one. I am not speaking up in service to my ambitions — but in deference to my obligations.

If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this:

It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic. All I’m saying is when the five-alarm fire starts to burn, every good person better be ready to man a post with a bucket of water if you want to stop it from raging out of control.

Those Illinois Nazis did end up holding their march in 1978 – just not in Skokie. After all the blowback from the case, they decided to march in Chicago instead. Only twenty of them showed up. But 2000 people came to counter protest. The Chicago Tribune reported that day that the “rally sputtered to an unspectacular end after ten minutes.” It was Illinoisans who smothered those embers before they could burn into a flame.

Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the “tragic spirit of despair” overcome us when our country needs us the most.

Sources:

• NBC Chicago & J.B. Pritzker, Democratic governor of Illinois, State of the State address 2025: Watch speech here | Full text

• Betches News on Instagram (screencaps)

original by clairetablizo

I NEED THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!

LMAOOOO I FOUND THE STAR TOY HERE

These children deserved better. The best we can do now is remember them and prevent something like this from ever happening again.

so can we start hunting down white liberals now or what

They are so damn cute!!! ❤❤

i love you.

love in the air | episode 7

I love her

GOD BLESS PATTI LUPONE BECAUSE SHE SAID THAT WITH HER ENTIRE CHEST 😭🫡