Tuesday May 14, 2024 - by Mass General Brigham
An editorial published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by experts from Spaulding Rehabilitation, Boston University, Mayo Clinic, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation, argues that the term "subconcussion" is a dangerous misnomer that should be retired. The authors are appealing to the medical community and media to substitute the term with more specific terms so the public can better understand the risks of brain injuries and advance effective efforts to prevent chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
"The public has been led to believe through media coverage and movies that concussions alone cause CTE," said senior author Dan Daneshvar, MD, Ph.D., chief of Brain Injury Rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation, a member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, and assistant professor, Harvard Medical School.
"But the research is clear: concussions do not predict CTE status, and the hits that cause concussions are often not the hardest ones, making 'subconcussive' misleading when describing impacts."
The authors believe part of the confusion results from the fact that head impacts that don't cause concussion are referred to as "subconcussive impacts," implying they are less than concussions. Scientists often say that CTE is caused by "small, repetitive impacts," which leaves out the effect of any "large repetitive impacts.".
Ross Zafonte, DO, president of Spaulding Rehabilitation and chair of the Harvard Medical School Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, served as a co-author.
Previous studies report a high incidence of large repetitive impacts during football. Published helmet sensor studies show that around 10% of head impacts experienced by football players are harder than the average concussion. That means that if a football player gets one concussion during a 1,000 head impacts season, around 100 hits were harder than that one concussion. One study showed that for every concussion a college football player experiences, they experience 340 head impacts of greater force.
The authors of the editorial recommend replacing "subconcussive" with "nonconcussive" to better describe head impacts that don't result in a concussion.
"We've always known CTE is caused by head impacts, but until we did this analysis, I didn't realize I absorbed hundreds of extreme head impacts for every concussion when I played football," said Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., lead author, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, and former Harvard football player.
"Using the term subconcussive naturally led me to imagine smaller hits, but now I suspect these frequent larger hits are playing a more significant role in causing CTE than we previously believed."
The editorial also highlights how the term subconcussive has not only confused the discussion around head impacts, but also around traumatic brain injuries. Studies consistently show that athletes exposed to hundreds of repetitive head impacts, in the absence of a concussion, still have changes to brain function, blood biomarkers of brain injury, and structural changes on imaging that look similar to changes in athletes with diagnosed concussions. The concept of subconcussive injury has been shoehorned into the conversation to explain this "missing link."
The authors suggest we stop using subconcussive injury, noting the missing link is better described as subclinical traumatic brain injury (TBI). Subclinical TBI happens when there are changes in brain function, biomarkers, or imaging without TBI signs or symptoms.
"The human brain has more than 80 billion neurons, and we can be confident an athlete cannot feel it when only one is injured," said neurosurgeon Robert Cantu, MD, clinical professor of neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, and diagnostics and therapeutics leader, Boston University ARDC-CTE Center.
"Athletes, military veterans, and members of the community frequently suffer subclinical traumatic brain injuries, and we suggest retiring subconcussion, a poorly defined term, when referring to brain injuries."
By changing this nomenclature, the authors hope to clarify why concussions do not predict who has CTE, whereas the number and strength of repeated head impacts does. They implore the medical community and media to properly name the impacts and injuries that can't be seen, which can advance the conversation to accelerate CTE prevention efforts, such as the CTE Prevention Protocol.
Link to study: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2024/04/11/bjsports-2023-107413

As befits their nature, similarities between chaotic beings are vanishingly rare. Asking for consistency from the children of Chaos is like asking for warmth from a glacier- it is simply not possible under ordinary circumstances. Yet there is a common thread between them, if one knows where to look. Chaos is unpredictable, but never truly random. All chaotic creatures value self-determination, and share a desire to alter the status quo to fit their personal vision. The most common expressions of this are in mischief and fiery idealism. But all too often, Chaos manifests as an insatiable hunger to tear down all that is and replace it with something utterly incomprehensible, horrifying, and sometimes more depraved than anything Evil can dream of. While not our greatest enemy, Entropy represents the most blatant opposing force to the Balance.

• An excerpt from "The Balance and You: A Guide to True Neutrality" by Tarul Var.

Zionyn, 663rd Layer of the Abyss
Usuz lazily droned across the ochre skies of what may have been the most loathsome place in existence. A rancid marsh of putrefying gore stretched for uncounted leagues below him, the manifested legacy of the sins his kind had committed before the first sunrise, and which persisted unabated to this day. Ekolids like Usuz were never known for impulse control- or anything beyond turning any non-demonic lifeforms they met into living incubators for their parasitic young, for that matter. The land teemed with octillions of insects who thrived on the further infestation of the ekolids' discarded victims.
To the staggeringly unlucky mortals who came to Zionyn, the noise and smell alone were truly nauseating, and the realization of where they originated and the implications therein invariably obliterated their sanity. Watching visitors crumble into wailing madness was one of Usuz's favorite pastimes, second only to watching those same visitors explode when the eggs he implanted in them hatched. Their blood fed the innumerable swarms vermin that blotted out Zionyn's sickly sun at regular enough intervals to generate night and day. Truly, this was a paradise of entropy, one that the rest of the planes would get to experience some day.
"As above, so below," Usuz chittered from his three irregularly spaced mouths.
An ekolid demon. (Credit: Isabel Beis)
To his east, the heavy waves of the Resin Sea lapped at a tidal floodplain of translucent brown polymer. The viscous ocean provided building materials for the ekolid hive-cities in the rocky badlands to the north; the demonic equivalent of mortar. The bricks in this analogy were, of course, the corpses of beings the ekolids especially despised. There had been quite a lot of those over the eons. To be an demon of any kind was to be filled with primordial, entropic hatred- for the forces of Law and Good, for the multiverse that looked at them with disgusted contempt, and for everything not of the Abyss that birthed them.
A discordant drone filled Usuz's senses, cutting through the omnipresent hum of the marshlands. In addition to the blasphemous language of the Abyss, every ekolid could produce a distinct tone that they used to communicate across long distances. This "verminsong" also induced psychosis in mortals, who would tear themselves to shreds trying to rid themselves of imaginary insects below their skin. But this droning was far more focused and insistent than any ekolid could muster, which meant it could only come from one being.
Obox-ob was calling to his children.
Usuz wheeled around and flew north at frightening speeds. In a matter of minutes, he had left the decaying marshes and entered the badlands, where the hive-cities sat. This positioning was not out of any desire to avoid the charnel swarm-pits to the south, but rather because the horrid grandeur of Zionyn only became apparent when one could survey the whole layer. Usuz tucked his wings and dived towards the amphitheater in the city of Skitterhome, the largest of the cities and the source of the dark missive. The arena was used primarily for performance hatchings, events where parasitic indulgence met art. Contestants implanted captured creatures with their eggs, and were judged based on the quality of their victims' screams. As he plummeted, he joined a swarm of thousands of ekolids, all headed for the same destination. But it was only as he alighted on the resin-entombed corpse of a long-dead paladin that served as a stadium seat that he could hear his kin buzzing to each other with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
"Obox-ob comes! O, glorious day! The Prince of Vermin calls to us!"
"I wonder what scheme our lord has planned this time. Hope it involves lots of dead mortals."
"Well, if he doesn't rip something into bloody chunks first, I'm not listening to a damn thing!"
Usuz's many eyes watched the yawning pit in the center of the arena intently. Obox-ob, the demon lord of Zionyn and father of the ekolid race, had ordered the construction of Skitterhome's amphitheater right above the entrance to his lair so that he could enjoy the screams of performance hatchings even while he plotted the downfall of order. It was considered a mark of incredible honor for a contestant when he rose from the pit to devour their victim's corpse. And just like all the other times, a hush came over the buzzing crowd when the Prince of Vermin appeared.
Obox-ob was splendid and awful to behold all at once- a massive centipede with far too many razor-sharp legs, who sported a trio of wicked scorpion stingers where his head should be and three faces stacked atop one another at the end of a neck-like tail. His mouth ran vertically up his faces, from which emerged a long tongue tipped with a corkscrew spike. The ancient demon lord's limbs undulated hypnotically as he crawled far faster than should have been possible for a thing of his size.
Obox-ob, Prince of Vermin. (Credit: MichaelJaecks)
The Prince of Vermin surveyed the demonic swarm with satisfaction. Sensing the ekolids' tension, he extended a forelimb over the great pit. From the depths rose a gaunt petitioner; the soul-husk of a mortal who had pledged himself to entropy in life and arrived in the Abyss upon death. The man looked terrified, but also resolute. With a sharp gesture, Obox-ob seized him in a telekinetic grasp and crushed him into ichorous pulp. The swarm erupted in cheers as their lord shaped the chaotic gore into a new, familiar form: a newborn ekolid. The mortal-turned-demon took in its new, insectile form with chirps of relief, bowed before Obox-ob, and fluttered away to join its fellows. Then the demon lord spoke:
"My esteemed offspring," he chittered in a voice that every god of Law had learned to fear, "today is an auspicious day. Not just for Zionyn, nor even our kin throughout the Abyss, but for the scions of Chaos across the multiverse! Cosmic strife and repeated incursions by selfish beings have thinned the veil between the Material Plane and the rest of the multiverse. Should that veil be torn asunder, the realms of mortals shall be laid bare for any with the strength to control them. To the victor go the spoils, and we all know that the forces of Chaos are destined to be the eternal victors!"
"The other planar forces- Law, Good, and Evil- are preparing to claim the Material Plane with armies of their own. But we are not ones to shy away from adversity, are we? Imagine the despair the children of Law will feel when they realize that we have beaten them to the prize! We will swarm over the realms, shattering any who would establish a foothold on what is rightfully ours. In our wake shall come hordes of our brethren to unmake the world in our image! Chaos will be all, and all will be Chaos!"
Usuz was the first to take up Obox-ob's battle cry, inspiring the other ekolids to add their voices to the discordant choir that shook Zionyn to its foundations and echoed through the whole Abyss. Every demon in the multiverse heard the apocalyptic chant and without knowing why, joined it at once. It spread across the planes, calling every lord of disorder- from the rulers of the slaadi to the very gods of Chaos- to muster their forces for war. Even on the Material Plane, where the forces of the Outer Planes held little sway, some wizards heard a droning in their orb messages that made the inside of their skull itch. The few who understood what it foretold broke down sobbing.
Chaos would be all. All would be Chaos.
--
/uw Well, that was the most unpleasant thing I've ever written. It's certainly far from the most grotesque post on the sub, but when compared to the goofy stuff that's been posted lately, it's pretty bad. Hooray for tonal whiplash! Fortunately, this is probably the worst the planar incursion event will get.
I actually had a bit of fun describing Zionyn in all of its hideous glory, though. The one flaw of the Atrax Saga was that old writer's saw: "show, don't tell." The Age of the Phoenix was a credible threat, but I think it could have been better if Atrax had made more examples to reinforce what would happen to the realms if he wasn't stopped. I don't need to do that with the hordes of Chaos. Zionyn speaks for itself.
If you want more like this (for whatever reason), I was inspired by this video by AJ Pickett. Early 2000s D&D lore gets pretty wild at times. And if you want to help squash the most fucked-up ants in the universe, stay tuned! We're just getting started here.
And before I go, let me leave you with this:
There are bugs under your skin

[This post will function as the primary info-dump and planning post for the Siege of Fort Ko'Var. Let's get to it!]

Colenel Jethro Arvin looked around the Taronian 8th Regimental Headquarters at Waycross Road, surveying the plethora of attendees both junior and senior. It was a hell of a crowd; he hoped he didn't dissapoint.
First, there was of course his own senior staff, all in physical attendence now that Major Quoke had rejoined them. Also present in-person was Lieutenant Lenore McPherson, Intelligence Officer of the Praetorian 27th, and the Valyrran Major Zero, who arrived with Major Quoke and now stood silently off to the opposite side of the room from the Taronians.
There were also a plethora of attendees tuning in via hololith; Colonel Braithwaite and General Redlina herself plus a number of other Valyrran officers, presumably representing other elements to be allocated to the siege. There was also the lone small figure of a woman in a Minthelian jumpsuit; Arvin recognized her as the young aide who had guided him when he received orders from General Redlina to detain the Minthelian Lieutenant Sophy. It felt so long ago now.
The final hololith attendee, however, Arvin did not recognize: he wore a long white coat adorned with various bits of webbing and equipment over knee-high leather boots, and a simple steel helmet with a gold Aquila on it atop his head. The man introduced himself as Colonel Lilzton, commander of Task Force Liberation, the loyalist PDF remnants to the north of the fort. Arvin hoped he would get to meet him in person some time.
But now, everyone was assembled, and it was time for Colonel Arvin to begin his briefing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this briefing. We have a lot to get through, so I'll begin without delay..."

INTRODUCTION:
Covering an surface area of about 12.5 square kilometers, Fort Ko'Var, previously known as "Saint's Gate", serves as the primary bastion of resistance for the entirety of the northern mountains. It is carved directly out of the rock in many places, and as it's Imperial name suggests, it controls all passage along the north-south mountain road. Both the town of Kan'Shae and the base of operations for Task Force Liberation are nominally cut off to the north of the fort; for these reasons, the position must be captured if we are to secure victory in this region.

THE TERRAIN:
The geography surrounding Fort Ko'Var only makes it's capture more important. To the east and southeast lays an expanse of high peaks, jagged cliffs, and all manner of other hazardous terrain, such that getting a cohesive fighting force over it is all but impossible.
To the east and northeast lies a river which continues uninterrupted to Westbridge Lake. It is believed to have been artificially-made by the fortress's builders to achieve 2 goals: 1) to prevent the bypassing of the fort by any kind of vehicular foe simply by driving around it, and 2) to supply the defenders with a ready source of clean drinking water, as the river ends in a large pool enclosed within the fortress itself.
Thus, strategically-speaking, Fort Ko'Var is a natural chokepoint which provides the only way past these obstacles, both natural and man-made. Tactically-speaking, the ground surrounding the fort is wide open, providing little cover except for a handfull of foothills that could be used as staging grounds and observation posts.

THE ROAD:
The road which makes Fort Ko'Var so vital runs directly through the mountain in a tunnel just to the west of the bulk of the defenses; this tunnel is capped on both ends by reinforced blast doors rated to withstand at least some punishment from anything we have at our disposal, and is furthermore enclosed by 2 of the 3 defensive tiers of the fort.
We can also assume the tunnel is rigged to blow at the defenders' discretion. Should this happen, the only road connection will be through the heart of the fortress itself, as there are connections on either side of the tunnel, winding up and then down an extensive series of switchback roads that would expose any vehicle to near-endless plunging fire from above. Needless to say, simply ignoring the fort and it's occupants is not an option if we wish to use this highway.

THE TIERS:
Fort Ko'Var is comprised of 3 main defensive tiers, each partitioned by 3 heavily-fortified walls. all of these are complete with bunkers, observation towers, and massive defensive hardpoints that make them formidable obstacles for any attacker, but each also has its quirks and weaknesses that might be exploited.
The outer wall is comparable to a hive city's curtain wall, at least in construction if not in sheer thickness. It rises above the 1st, lowest defensive tier on a gentle slope; this tier is largely home to Fort Ko'Var's rank and file barracks, commodities and maintenence facilities.
The inner wall is less a true wall, and more of a permacrete-reinforced cliff that rings around the 2nd Defensive Tier. The only way up without climbing is a handful of personnel entrances and the 2 roadways, one north and one south. This tier houses the primary vehicle and equipment storage facilities, additional support infrastructure, the secondary artillery batteries, the commoner prison facilities, as well several passageways leading to the road tunnel and beyond.
Lastly, the Final Citadel is not a wall at all, but is instead a massive, adamantine-sheathed, armored plateau that sits at the very top of Fort Ko'Var, complete with countless weapons portholes, pillboxes, a partial mote, and a miniature voidshield enveloping it. Inside this last bastion is the fortress's command center, essential supplies storage, the VIP prison facilities, the majority of the fort's munitions storage capacity, and on top of it is positioned a ring of anti-aircraft emplacements as well as Fort Ko'Var's pride and joy: her primary artillery batteries.

THE ARTILLERY:
Aside from the countless other weapons systems protecting the fort, her main method of reaching out and touching her foes with extreme prejudice is, was, and always has been her artillery. These systems come in batteries of 4 weapons each, and every gun is housed in it's own 360-degree turreted bunker.
For air cover, 8 Imperial-era Hydra Flak Batteries still play a key role in protecting the fortress, but these have been further supplemented by 2 batteries of T'au-made SAM launchers. These long-range munitions are deadly to any pilot who strays anywhere near the fort's airspace, and should not be tested lightly. The Hydra batteries, meanwhile, can also be turned towards anti-personnel duties easily enough, as well.
Onto the ground-to-ground weapon systems, the local auxilia garrison will of course deploy light artillery such as mortars, but for precise, in-close bombardments that can pack real punch, Fort Ko'Var relies on it's 5 batteries of Bombast Field Cannons; I'm sure you're all familiar with that platform by now.
But for more long-range needs, Fort Ko'Var relies on its primary armament of 4 batteries of "Earthquaker" Cannons, as the locals call them. These weapons are T'au-modified, extended-range variants of the venerable Earthshaker Cannon, and rebel reports have clocked it's maximum range with a standard powder charge at about 22 kilometers, increasing to 30 when supercharged. They pack the same firepower as an Earthshaker and, from what reports we have, roughly the same accuracy margins, as well.
Put together, all of these weapons give Fort Ko'Var a potent array of long-range fires, with which it can engage both land and air targets with ease. However, there are some hints that at least 1 or 2 of the above-mentioned systems do not have the neccesary ammunition to operate optimally. The SAMs, in particular, most likely do not have a large number of missile reloads; thus, the xenos gunners may be less willing to fire valuable missiles at something they don't perceive as a threat. Pilots, take note.

OTHER INFO:
Based on rebel reports, Fort Ko'Var is normally home to about 20,000 personnel, with 15,000 in garrison and 5,000 patrolling the mountains at any given time. However, based again on the rebel intel we have, this force has a far-larger ratio of Fire Warriors to Auxilia, something like 2 T'au for every 3 Auxilia. From this we can infer that the T'au value this installation just as much as we do, and are invested in defending it.
Unfortunately I can't get much more detailed than that; with the recent retreat of T'au troops all across the north, it could be that Fort Ko'Var is operating on a skeleton crew as manpower is transferred to other sectors, or it could be that it has been heavily reinforced by units retreating there. Therefore, be on your guard and ready to respond to any possible threat, battlesuits, tanks, superheavies, you get the idea.

OTHER DETAILS:
There are a few more things of note that I must make mention of.
First off, back to that water pool. It is located right at the easternmost point of the fort in the 1st Defensive Tier; this might be a tactical weakness in their ability to get fresh water if they were pushed back to the upper tiers, but the estern tip of the Citadel also hangs out past the 2nd Tier, over this pool and extends downward [OOC: think something like the top tier Minas Tirith], enclosing a portion of the water for the final defensive tier's personal usage.
Second, there is the main landing area. While a few smaller landing pads are scattered around the 2nd and 3rd Tiers, Fort Ko'Var's primary landing area is on the northern side of the 1st Tier, both bulging outwards and making a massive indent in the 2nd tier and the Citadel. Originally being designed for Tetrarch Heavy landers, this area is big enough to land a whole squadron of Mantas simultaneously.
Lastly, there is the escape tunnel. As shown by Imperial records, Fort Ko'Var possesses a single passageway buried deep in the mountain, leading to a secret exit somewhere west or south of the fort. However, I am informed that our new-found local allies may hold the answer to it's location, in which case I believe immediate efforts should be made to cut off this last avenure for reinforcement or evacuation.

THE PLAN:
Fort Ko'Var is a stronge defensive position, but not impregnable if approached in the correct manner. Our basic battle plan is simple enough: Task Force Liberation attack from the north, while the Taronian 8th, Praetorian 27th, and elements of the Valyrran 1st attack from the south. We crush the xenos and the traitors between us, and meet in the middle. But that is, of course, more of an outline than an actual plan, and so I'd like to offer my own thoughts on the tactics to be employed.
Fort Ko'Var's 3 defensive Tiers are very different from eachother, and thus will each require a different approach. The 1st Tier has the longest perimeter to coved, and also the least defenses; therefore, we should make our first strike fast and hard, overunning this first obstacle with haste and superior firepower. This has the added benefit of showing the enemy what we are capable of; with the traitor human Auxilia's morale breaking all across Gryllus, we may yet open up further weakpoints by forcing them to accept their inevitable defeat.
The 2nd tier is... somewhat different. Carved from the rocky cliffs themselves, it will not be possible to simply breach it as you would a traditional wall, but this particular facet opens up... another avenue of attack which myself and Major Baxton have been discussing for some time. It is risky, and as of yet we are not completely sure it is pheasible, but I believe we should consider the option of tunneling into the second tier rather assaulting up it.
The Final Citadel, quite frankly, will not be possible to capture quickly, not without a significant commitment of Astartes or other specialist forces. Therefore, unless one of the above is aquired and as much as it pains me to admit it, this final stage, at least, will most likely come to a plain and simple siege. I would recommend attempts be made to negotiate the remaining garrison's surrender and attempt to avoid needlessly wasting Guardsmen lives, but I do not think that this will bear much fruit considering the likelihood of the remaining troops by this stage being predominantly T'au.

"That concludes my briefing on Fort Ko'Var; I hope to see all of you again for our inevitable victory toast in that fortress's command center." Colonel Arvin finished up. "I would also like to give my personal thanks to Colonel Lilzton and TF Liberation, as well Captains Pekala and Vanian's Rebel Companies for providing much of this information."
"Now, with all of that said, I assume you all have questions or comments to make. The floor is now open..."

Hello, greetings from Canada! 🇨🇦
First and foremost, I wish to express my sincere apologies for intervening in Georgian politics and offering advice on the current situation. However, I will try to assist to the best of my ability, drawing on my expertise as a political analyst who has studied similar cases.
I have been closely monitoring the situation since April 3rd, when the government decided to reintroduce the law for consideration following last year's protests. I was profoundly surprised by this decision, considering that in 2023, a significant portion of the Georgian population opposed it. Moreover, the law sparked mass protests and riots. The government's decision to revive this law risked further escalation. Additionally, government officials had publicly stated that they would not reintroduce the law, which, as it transpired, was a blatant falsehood uttered by high-ranking officials. Such unequivocal and deceptive statements from prominent figures are unexpected and unacceptable.
Regarding the current situation, I understand that the law was passed on its third reading, despite ongoing mass protests that have persisted for more than a month. It is deeply regrettable to observe that the government appears to disregard the views of its citizens and their genuine disappointment with the law. Governments are elected by the people, and the voice of the populace should take precedence. No law is worth enforcing if it jeopardizes even one person's safety. During the protests, the safety of the people is not guaranteed. I have witnessed firsthand the violent treatment of some protesters and the government's irresponsible actions. Even if we set aside the fact that this law runs counter to Georgian interests and undermines Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as well as media freedom and human rights, the sheer number of injuries sustained by individuals due to this law should be reason enough for its repeal. However, as previously mentioned, the Georgian government appears indifferent to the safety of its citizens. Despite the peaceful nature of the protests, the government perceives the demonstrators as a minority led by frivolous organizations. This is regrettable, as those protesting are genuinely committed to protecting their country. I can attest to this, having participated in the protests myself. Witnessing Georgians advocate for Europe in this manner brought tears to my eyes. Your unwavering commitment to European ideals is unparalleled, and you embody the essence of European civilization.
As for the situation itself and what I think needs to be done, I believe, as I stated before, that the government shows little care for the protesters and their opinions, viewing them as a misinformed, inexperienced population.
We know that after the law is passed on the 3rd reading, it's impossible to revoke it unless the president vetoes it, and later on, the government decides not to "escape" the veto, which would result in the law being revoked. This means there is only one way for the law to be revoked. However, Georgian Dream revoking the law is an unlikely scenario. Hence, as an expert, I believe that the law will finally be passed in June of this year.
As for the protests themselves, I will share my honest opinion. I admire you all. Seeing you fight for democracy like this means a lot. Greece invented democracy, and today, the Georgian people are safeguarding it. You will not only be part of Georgian history but also of world history, my friends!
It would be an honor to offer you advice, but I'm hesitant, as I believe your choices make you unique, and you don't necessarily require my suggestions. Nevertheless, I'll try to be of help!
I appreciate the independence of the protests and the ability of the people to make decisions like this, especially at such a young age. Georgia is truly raising the best generation ever!
However, your protests need a face, one face, one person who will lead it—a person chosen by the people, a person who will become a hero. Preferably, this person should be a non-political figure, but one of you, a random protester willing to take on the responsibility. This will prove that you are not connected to any political party. It's likely that public opinion about you will change positively. Fight together. You don't need political parties, you need yourselves. You need to find a leader among yourselves, not in some political party!
Secondly, keep going. Don't let the summer heat quell the protests. Keep fighting. Nothing is more important than Georgia's future right now. It's challenging, but keep the flame alive and keep it burning. You guys are the beating heart not only of Georgia but also of Western civilization. Keep going!
Thirdly, your protests go beyond Georgia. They will affect every Western country and your neighbors. You are capable of altering the geopolitical reality in the region. The loss of Russian influence would be a new chapter not only for Georgia but also for the Caucasus. You are fighting for Azerbaijan and Armenia as well.
Lastly, create a plan. The only thing I can criticize is the lack of a plan and action. The protests have shown a lot about the government, revealing its true colors. While it has completely lost the public's trust, there has been no real progress regarding the law itself. Georgian Dream is very close to passing it. Therefore, you will need to change tactics so that your voice is heard louder or to force them to back down. Protests should be peaceful but very clear that Georgians are ready to fight, and their wishes need to be respected by the government. Create a plan, organize more protests—preferably on weekends when more people can attend—and organize the arrival of people from other cities and regions of Georgia. You need as many people as possible, and you need to present an ultimatum. As the Latin saying goes, "quid pro quo," meaning "this for that." In this case, you revoke the law, and I will guarantee a non-violent resolution. Attempt to meet with Georgian Dream officials, potential protest leaders as I mentioned earlier. Create documentation stating your demands. Try to meet with officials. The leader must be ready to meet with Georgian Dream officials with arguments and clear opinions of the people, along with documentation stating the people's demands. These meetings will attempt to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution. However, I honestly see the government accepting this request as very unlikely. But you need to try and state that you want a peaceful resolution. However, it's unlikely that Georgian Dream will back down, which leads us to the controversial question: what should happen? Should you wait for elections? Or should there be a revolution?
Now, that is entirely up to Georgians, and I cannot have any say in this matter. But waiting until the elections would grant Georgian Dream more time, and it would be a strategic win for them. They might attempt to rig the elections, which would most likely cause the EU not to open negotiation talks with Georgia. The conclusion is that waiting until the elections would be risky in terms of EU-Georgia relations. It's entirely up to Georgians, but giving up the protests now would be a loss in a battle but not the war. Should you cause a revolution now? I will reiterate that a peaceful resolution against governments showing signs of dictatorship is very unlikely. It usually works against democratic countries but not against authoritarian countries. The 2020/2021 Belarus protests are a perfect example of that. Keep the pressure on and be ready to fight. That's my advice. Keep going and don't look back. The past isn't more important than today and tomorrow—the future. You guys will make it! 🇬🇪
You have my blessing 🙏