Happy Birthday Steve - Tumblr Posts
dude remember when USA tumblr used to go absolutely apeshit on the 4th of july and when people said "but america is terrible" we said "we know but let us just have this one day" but like ever since trump got elected it's just been so bleak and chaotic that we can't even pretend to be Ultra Patriotic For The Memes anymore. we're just tired and angry.
Steve Pemberton in Season 2 of Good Omens
Happy Birthday Steve Pemberton đ
Happy July 4th, everyone, and good luck to the UK voters out there!
Wow it's Year 11 of doing these!! Here's the AO3 link to the past 10 years, and here's the tumblr link.
Reminder that this is a long game -- some of the judges making decisions were appointed back in the 80s. Many of the cases that were decided this round were from Trump's term. So it's going to take long-term, consistent voting over a decade to start tipping things in the other direction. (Which I talked about in 2018 re: Trump shenanigans and 2022 re: Dobbs).
A lot has been done by the Biden administration (I'm assuming most folks have seen this post by boreal-sea with their very helpful sources), and much of that will be overturned by Trump, especially if he gets the Senate, and especially now that he would have a blank check for anything "official". So let's make sure that doesn't happen.
And even if Trump does get elected, your decisions down-ballot might effect control of the House or Senate, or might make it easier to vote next time, plus the whole plethora of state and local issues. It's Republican state attorney generals who are challenging climate regulations, for example.
Plus, when you really get down to it, only one of the candidates plans on pardoning himself and all his friends if he wins, and attacking the government if he loses. Maybe that guy shouldn't be the President.
If you're new to voting, remember to check voter registration deadlines! I'm a permanent vote-by-mail voter and it's so nice. :)
Transcript under the readmore
Page 1: Sam and Bucky meet up with Steve for a picnic. Steve: Thought you guys were still in Sudan? Bucky: Iâm forcing Sam to take a break.
Sam collapses onto the picnic blanket. Sam: Oof, it just never stops, does it? Steve: Nope.
Bucky hands Sam an orange popsicle. Bucky: Eat and relax for a bit, Sam. Sam: Thanks.
Page 2: Bucky asks Steve: How are things state-side? Steve responds: HORRIBLE. Bucky: I thought youâve been tentatively hopeful about what Biden has been able to achieve? Steve: I was! Student loans, child care, climate regulations, infrastructure, labor, trans rights ⌠heâs quietly done a lot through regulatory improvements and congress bills. But now all people will talk about is how heâs OLD. And then thereâs the Supreme Courtâs decisions ⌠Chevron and immunity⌠Steve puts his head in his hands, while Sam and Bucky look on with some concern.
Page 3: Bucky hands Steve a blue/raspberry popsicle: Steve, take a deep breath, and a popsicle. Sam: Sounds like we missed a lot. Whatâs going on? How bad is it? Steve: Pretty bad. The Supreme Court has made some decisions that give the Court and the President A LOT of discretionary power. Sam: Yikes, that doesnât sound good. Steve: Well, the Chevron thing means that judges with life-term appointments can override policies made by government agencies. And now itâll be harder to hold a President accountable because he will have immunity for any âofficialâ actions.
Page 4: Sam: So if the President tries to, say, overturn a democratic election result, heâll be allowed to as long as itâs in his job description? Steve: I donât think threatening state electors is âofficialâ business, but that will be decided by federal judges. Who get their jobs by approval from both the President and the Senate. Bucky: Yeesh. No wonder youâre stressed. Any good news? Steve: Well, thanks the Biden and the razor-thin Senate majority, the newer bills donât rely on the Chevron deference. Still not great but not catastrophic. Sam, squirting ketchup on his hot dog: So what Iâm hearing is that itâs now more important than ever to have a President and a Senate who you can trust to appoint fair judges, pass bills, and not commit crimes.
Page 5: Steve: Plus all of the state level offices, now that more and more deciding power has been thrown back to the states â abortion, LGBTQ rights, voting access⌠Bucky: Hey, at least this is a big election year so we can actually do something! Steve, with his arms crossed, looking surly: Except that all people want to talk about is how Biden is âtoo oldâ and ânot doing enough,â as if that is on par with Trumpâs desire to dismantle basic rights! As if the candidate who doesnât embody ALL their ideals is not worth voting for! Bucky interrupts with a smart and a loud âPFFT.â
Page 6: Bucky: Um, Steve. YOU were like that in 1940. Sam, nudging Bucky: âOh, this I gotta hear. Spill, Barnes.â In sepia, Steve is pacing around their apartment while Bucky is sitting and reading a newspaper. Steve: I canât believe heâs running for a 3rd term! we need a fresh candidate to vote for! This is hardly a choice at all! AND he refuses to engage in Europe! All of Europe under fascist control and weâre just twiddling our thumbs? Heâs letting millions die through his inaction! Bucky: Most people donât want another war, Steve. If he came out for it, he would lose. Steve, indignant: But Buck, itâs your Polish relative who are in danger! Bucky, closing his newspaper and looking at Steve: Yeah, and between FDR and Willkes, I trust FDR to help if he could.
Page 7: Steve, in sepia, looking away: Should he be encouraged to do more? Maybe I should vote for Browder. The Communists have historically be Anti-Fascist.
Sam interrupts off-screen: Waitaminute! STEVE was going to PROTEST-VOTE? Steve: We were in a Blue State, Sam! Sam: But what about the down ballot races?! Steve: RELAX, I did my due diligence down-ballot. I wanted a senate thatâs more progressive than the President.Voted LaGuardia for Mayor, too. Steve hesitates: Then, when I got to the President⌠I realized that the Best case scenario would be that my vote did nothing, versus if it actually spoiled the election. And when I asked myself who I could trust to work with my Senator⌠well, FDR had a good record with Labor. (sepia shot of young Steve voting) Bucky interrupts: Hold on, Steve.
Page 8: Bucky, eating a cookie, arching an eyebrow: You didnât vote for Browder? Why didnât you tell me? Steve: And have you say âI told you soâ for the next century? Bucky: Heh.
Steve, with hand on his chin: Whatâs weird was that, despite everything, I still felt HORRIBLE when I ticked that box. Sam: Sounds like you built up the meaning of that vote far too much in your head. Logically, we know that a single box canât represent all of the complexity of a whole system, but the desperately WANT it to. Just look at how people have built up so much around the term âZionisâ that itâs made productive conversations difficult.
Page 9: Sam and Steve speak in the background while Bucky reaches into the cooler and pulls out a box. Steve: Sigh. And thatâs something that goes beyond the election. Sam: Which is why we need to vote, AND do other things. Bucky, looking at Steve and Sam: Like how Steve works to push organizations on the local level? Or like all the work you do as Captain America? Sam: Exactly. Vote AND.
Sam looks at Bucky fondly: Like how you vote AND make me and Steve take breaks. Bucky, looking stern because he canât handle compliments: Shush, Sam.
Bucky holds up a cake that has the number â107â on it: Itâs time for cake. Happy Birthday, Steve.
Steve: I really like your underwear. â¨Tony: Yeah, I can feel just how much, old man. Glad you approve. You know, it would look much betâmhmm⌠Happy 100th birthday, Steve! â¨Inspired by @sabrecmcâs post.