08. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, drawing similarities between 1930s Nazi & ICE in 2026 US and more

 This is my second post for the year, as I promised I'd write more this year.

Book review (with spoilers): The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments is the sequel to Atwood's most popular novel, The Handmaid's Tale. It is set in a future society in the USA , Gilead, where men rule society and women are treated as lower-class citizens and breeders. In the Handmaid's Tale, Atwood introduces Gilead and focuses on a young woman, Offred, showing how handmaids like her live in Gilead. In the Testaments, we get a look at how the powerful can use a select few of the powerless to further their agenda. We also see how iconography and propaganda can be used by the powerful to keep the powerless silent.

Even in such a patriachal society, there exist powerful women like Aunt Lydia, or the author of The Ardua Hall Holograph. She is the leader of the Aunts in Gilead, which is a group of women who have more power and rights than other women in Gilead, but still less rights than the Wives. They make sure that other women are properly educated and aligned with the ideologies of the Commanders. They teach etiquette classes, collect secrets of the powerful and enforce rules among young girls and lower-class women. They are excused from being married and bearing children. However, throughout the novel, she always mentions that her power is subject to the approval of the commander. In fascist societies, leaders can succeed if they use the oppressed as pawns to further their aims.

As I read about how Aunt Lydia became an aunt, a question keeps recurring in my mind. Was there a choice? Just before Gilead was established, there was a coup in the US, men raided the government buildings and took control of the country. Then they restricted women's access to bank accounts, giving the rights of their banks to their male next-of-kin. They started to round up women like farm animals and delivered them to a highschool campus, where they held women and killed some of them. Aunt Lydia was then asked if she wanted to join the men of Gilead, she refused and then was tortured. After being tortured, she agreed to help the commanders. At this point, I thought she had no choice but to follow the ideologies of the commanders. However, in her position as the leader of the Aunts, she abused Handmaids by hitting and yelling at them. There was also heavy psychological abuse. I think this is definitely a choice, and we can draw similarities to the Stanford Prison Experiment. When you are put in a position of power and are expected to abuse those with lower power, would you abuse them?

Although, at the end of the novel, it was revealed that Aunt Lydia was planning to dismantle Gilead from within. Then another question is, does her dismantle of Gilead compensate for all the abuse she had inflicted on other women?

These questions are some that I have no answers for, yet.

Current Read: The Eternal Husband by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Politics: ICE in USA

In the first few weeks of 2026, my Instagram was flooded with the atrocities of ICE in the USA. Most notably, the murder of Alex Perreti and Renee Good. Honestly, I don't know what to say. It is like what happened in Nazi Germany, Hitler appointed Heinrich Himmler who oversaw the Gestapo. The Gestapo went around Germany and rounded up whoever they thought was a threat to national security and especially focused on Jews. This is happening in USA now, Trump appoints people who lead ICE, and now ICE goes around rounding up whoever they feel is a threat, and instead of focusing on Jews, like the Nazis, they said they were going after illegal immigrants. In reality, the legal status of the individual has absolutely no bearing whatsoever. At first, they were going after 'criminals and illegal immigrants' but now they are also going after US citizens who might look like immigrants. Hell, even white people are detained, deported and murdered. And don't even get me started on the detention centers, I cannot fathom how anyone cannot draw similarities between the gulags and the detention centres/prisons.

Obviously, underlining this issue is racism, it always has been. It has never been about drugs, crime or stealing jobs. However, something that I cannot get my head around is the fact that non-white citizens are signing up to be ICE agents. In my humblest opinion, the whole point of ICE is to get rid of anyone who isn't conforming to the right-wing agenda, which racism is the root of. Like what do you mean you see people of your culture getting separated from their families and you join the cause? The money is not that good man, stop licking the boots of people who'd rather see you be out of the country.

Don't get me started on Karoline Leavitt. A spineless person who spreads lies and has no ability to feel for humans. The cross hangs lower and the evil will age people like her.

'The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command'

          ― George Orwell, 1984 

Another concept I want to talk about as it relates to ICE is religion. It is obvious that most of the ICE agents and its supporters are Christians. I'm sorry in advance but don't give me the argument that 'they're not real Christians'. This is the 'No true Scotsman' fallacy. Sure, one can argue that they misinterpreted the Bible, citing many verses, including Matthew 25:35

'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,

I was a stranger and you welcomed me.'

However, the basis of their beliefs is the very same Bible one may be reading. I think that this whole administration is defined by the ideals of white supremacy/nationalism, whilst using religion as a tool to influence the masses.

Lastly, there are people saying things like 'oh, they were just following the law' and 'if they'd comply, they would be fine.' This is the most Nazi shit I've heard in a while. This is basically saying the Nazis who knocked on doors were just following the law, and these people would also give up Anne Frank to comply with the law.

I guess it is true that history is doomed to repeat itself. I honestly do not know what I can even do, given that I am a Singaporean, far detached from the USA.

Misc.

In my first post, I wrote that I would cook more this year. I am happy to say that I have cooked on average, 4 days a week. I cooked and brought lunch from home to eat at school. Most of the time, it is just rice with some meat - usually chicken or fish. Fried rice is very convenient and easy, so I often prepare that for school. I've made Bak Kut Teh, Roasted Pork and Stir fry veg for my family too.

I also got a record player early this year, bought a few albums to play too. Having a record player makes me discover so much more music. I am always looking at spotify and youtube for music I haven't heard to find my music taste. Recently, I've been listening to rock and rnb. Fleetwood Mac has been a new favorite band and I also rediscovered Avril Lavigne. I also love love love Olivia Dean, I can't stop dancing everytime I put her on. WHERE IS MY HUSBAND by Raye, DtMf by Bad Bunny and Versace on the Floor by Bruno Mars have been my absolute favorites recently. In 2026, there are a lot of new albums coming out that I am excited for, such as Harry Styles's 'Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.', Charlie Puth's 'Whatever's Clever', Raye's 'This Music May Contain Hope' and Zayn's 'Konnakol'. Also, I hope Gracie Abrams and Frank Ocean release more music soon.

       

some albums I got

Finally, I just wanna say that finance is very difficult for me, I have no idea what is going on in my Corporate Finance classes, I cant understand shit, but i guess it is what it is and the only way is up. Why did I choose finance? no idea.