One problem with having a bunch of geriatrics in charge of this country is that they tend to fall out of touch with the popular sentiment of their constituents. Nowhere is this more evident than the stubborn refusal of those in power to acknowledge the vast majority of Americans calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
For all the useless cowardly politicians in Washington DC (and God knows there are plenty), we’re truly fortunate to live in a time when Rashida Tlaib is proudly representing the Palestinian people. Tlaib released a statement yesterday beginning with the following declaration:
“It’s a shame my colleagues are more focused on silencing me than they are on saving lives, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 10,000. Many of them have shown me that Palestinian lives simply do not matter to them, but I still do not police their rhetoric or actions.
Someday, in the (hopefully) not-too-distant future, Tlaib will be celebrated as a moral champion in an otherwise desolate and dark moment. While countless western leaders have enabled and encouraged the ongoing slaughter, Tlaib has been level-headed and consistent in denouncing the apartheid and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. And what has been her reward for taking a principled stand? Constant insults and attempts at humiliation from the elected representatives around her. It's absolutely wild to me that the only Palestinian in congress can say "here is what Palestinians mean when we chant about our freedom" and the entire political establishment will line up to insist that she is not only wrong but also a terrorist sympathizer.
While Biden does his best to avoid any semblance of accountability for funding and supporting this genocide, the people in Gaza are living through hell on earth. Bodies partially buried under the rubble are being eaten by hungry dogs in Gaza City. The putrid smell of human decay blankets the city. There are undoubtedly catastrophic health consequences unfolding every day, but no hospital is capable of providing adequate support anymore. Food and clean water are scarce to the point of mass starvation. After the October 7 Hamas raid that killed ~900 - 1,400 Israelis, President Joe Biden dramatically described the attack as “like fifteen 9/11s” in proportion to Israel’s population. I’m not sure if Biden’s math skills apply across borders, but the same logic regarding the proportion of Palestinians killed by Israel since October 7 would be equivalent to more than 400 September 11’s, with no end to the killing in sight.
Yesterday, South Africa recalled its diplomats from the apartheid state, condemning the genocide in Gaza. Dockworkers in Barcelona refused to load ships with war materials to be sent to Israel. All over the world people are doing whatever they can to resist the continuation of this ethnic cleansing. Shoutout to the Jewish homies who took over the Statue of Liberty yesterday, demanding an immediate ceasefire. Shoutout to the indigenous activists in the state of Washington who paddled in canoes to block the US military vessel bringing more weapons to Israel. Direct action in St. Charles, Missouri led to a total shut down of every entrance to Boeing’s bomb manufacturing plant 598. People were only going to peacefully march and protest for so long, and if things don’t change soon you can bet these tactics will escalate.
I’m almost jealous of the people I see every day, walking without a care in the world, able to disassociate themselves completely from the genocide our tax dollars are funding. Unfortunately for me and everyone else in my life, I’m conscious, observant, and, in this instance, confrontational. Palestinians aren’t objects of our pity, they’re subjects fighting for their liberation. Act accordingly my friends. Don’t despair, don’t give up. The people of Palestine have already passed whatever test this world gave them, it’s the rest of us that need to keep working.
Side Items
Cop City Indictments: 61 people were indicted in Atlanta yesterday on racketeering charges related to their protests against the planned police training facility commonly known as Cop City. The 85-acre, $90 million facility would serve as a playground for police to hone their ‘skills’, namely threatening and intimidating innocent civilians. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a bonafide coward, obtained a broad indictment back in August, using Georgia’s anti-racketeering law to specifically target the protesters and characterize them as ”militant anarchists”
WeBroke: WeWork, the popular co-working platform that grew into a multi-billion dollar endeavor, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. This illustrates the steep and rapid decline for the company once sold as a way to forever change how people went to work. WeWork founder Adam Neumann (rare combination of a moron and a scumbag) based his co-working concept on the Israeli kibbutz he was raised on, which should really tell you everything you need to know