Happy New Year and welcome to 2024!
Many bad things happened in 2023, but we'll always have the death of Henry Kissinger to smile back on. I’m sure he’s looking up at us now just wishing he could join the party. If 2024 is anything like last year then we’ve got at least another 12 months headed our way my friends.
In Gaza, thousands of apartheid-defending Israeli soldiers are being shifted out of the area, in the first significant drawdown of troops since the beginning of the massacre. Forces continue to attack the main city in the southern half of Gaza, and the death toll continues to rise with each passing hour. Israel claims that thousands of Hamas militants have been killed, a claim that carries no evidence and remains difficult to believe, but the destruction brought about by the apartheid state has displaced ~85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Palestinians are truly left with a sense that nowhere is safe.
Unrelated, but also interesting, this article tells the story of a government sting operation targeting James Fong, a California man in his 20’s who was arrested and charged with providing support to terrorism. His case represents a new and increasingly common form of terrorism sting conducted primarily online, in which feds and prosecutors try to navigate the fine line between what’s protected speech and what’s actually evidence of a crime. Particularly in the context of the recent crackdowns against free speech that have resulted from advocating for Palestine, it’s important to recognize and understand the lengths to which our ability to communicate is monitored and even criminalized.
This year may bring us what we’ve all been dreading since that fateful insurrection a few years ago. At this point a second Trump term is entirely possible and almost likely, given the lack of reasonable alternatives. May we find the strength this year to fight the battles that need fighting and uplifting the people around us. If nothing else, may we all avoid the humiliation of being instantaneously vaporized by the intense pressure of the deep sea while trapped uncomfortably in a cramped video-game console-operated diving vessel. If we can avoid that, I think we’re on track for a decent 2024.
Side Items
Earthquake in Japan: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit western Japan to ring in the new year, with tsunami warnings taking effect shortly thereafter. It remains unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt by the disaster