Sunday, February 4: The Dehumanization Continues
Killing a person is hard, but exterminating a wasp is easy
We’ve reached the point in the genocide where Pulitzer Prize-winning writers in the west are breaking down international relations through animal kingdom comparisons. In my brief 32 years on this planet, I’ve learned that, in general, comparing humans to animals is a dodgy decision, as some people might take offense to the comparison, particularly in this context. The writer in question is none other than Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, and you’ll be absolutely shocked to learn that while the US and Israel are compared to animals frequently considered brave and wise (respectively a lion and a lemur), all the Palestinians are either insects or parasites. It’s the kind of drivel you’d expect to read hundreds of years ago, but it’s nice to see there’s still a market for incredibly racist literature in the country’s largest newspaper.
Beyond drawing parallels that a toddler would be scolded for, Friedman is open with his dehumanization of the victims of genocide. You might think, “Ok, but who could possibly take this guy seriously?” and the answer is pretty much the entire western political class. Republicans in the house of representatives announced they’re moving forward with a $17.6 billion military aid package that provides even more support for the apartheid state of Israel and replenishes US weapons supplies. I could go into detail about all the ways that money could be better spent, but I think anyone with half a brain is capable of seeing what a waste of resources this is.
Side Items
Security or Democracy: El Salvador is holding presidential and legislative elections this weekend, a good illustration of the tradeoff between ‘security’ and democracy. The current president, Nayib Bukele is near-certain to win a second term, despite El Salvador’s constitution prohibiting reelection, with equal credit to his high approval rating and the fact that he has practically no competition. Bukele’s administration has famously arrested more than 76,000 people since initiating a gang crackdown in March 2022. The ridiculous number of arrests has been criticized for the lack of due process, but many Salvadorans are simply happy to reclaim neighborhoods that were controlled by these gangs. Unfortunately, this approach of mass incarcerating “undesirables” will likely become more popular in the region and around the world as other western-supported dictators take power
S’ko Heels: The Tar Heels of UNC took on the reviled blue devils of Duke University yesterday, proving that on occasion, good can still triumph over evil. Carolina took home a 93-84 victory, and even though it’s hard to get excited about sports right now, a loss by Duke University is always cause for celebration