Tuesday, October 24: No Sign of Improvement
It seems things will get much worse before they get any better
It’s still odd to me, that so much of the western world expects to operate as if nothing is happening.
I can’t quite wrap my head around how people are able to think of anything other than an endless loop of how every few minutes a new building is bombed, more people are losing their lives and their families, losing everything they’ve ever owned. For so many people in this country it’s just another Tuesday, but for so many innocent people in Gaza it’s another day of being denied even the most basic of humanitarian needs. Another day of starvation, thirst, injury, infection, no sleep, and more pain. Another day of so many Gazans wondering if this is in fact their last day.
The hospital system in Gaza is ~48 hours from complete collapse, according to the Ministry of Health. The Ministry’s spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said plainly, “The healthcare system has reached its worst stage in its history.” Videos show medical teams in Gaza receiving patients carried by ambulance workers while using phone flashlights. The bloodthirsty Israeli military has gone on the record expressing their concern that hostages being released by Hamas could lead the regime’s political leadership to delay a ground invasion or even halt it midway. You read that correctly, the military is so set on genocide that they’re worried about more hostages being released…remarkable.
Beyond the horrors continuously unfolding in Gaza, Israel has arrested 4,000 laborers from Gaza and more than 1,000 people in the occupied West Bank in the past two weeks. The apartheid state has detained so many Palestinians in the two weeks since starting its bombardment on the besieged Gaza that it has doubled the number of Palestinians in its custody. These prisoners are typically held without being charged with any crime (other than being Palestinian of course), and are subjected to criminal conditions including starvation and thirst. These prisoners are prevented from accessing their medicine, specifically for anyone suffering from chronic illnesses that requires regular medication, and according to the head of the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Detainees’ Affairs Qadura Fares, recent developments regarding prisoners are “unprecedented” and “dangerous”.
Compare the treatment of these Palestinian captives with the footage and statements of the two most recently released Israeli hostages. As the apartheid-obsessed Israeli regime is haphazardly dropping bombs on Gaza, the supposed ‘barbarians’ of Hamas are releasing hostages for humanitarian reasons. The two elderly women featured in this video were taken hostage over two weeks ago, but their condition and treatment in that time evidently falls far short of the inhumanity that so much western media wants us to believe. In the final seconds of their encounter, one of the women actually reaches back to shake the hand of her captor, saying “Shalom” to him as she’s escorted to safety. This is clear evidence of two things: 1. These hostages were treated much better than any Palestinians in Israeli custody. and 2. This hostage, Yocheved Lifshitz, is willing and able to see her captors as more than some caricatured ‘terrorist’.
Former war criminal in chief Barack Obama decided to take a break from curating his favorite playlist to weigh in on the ongoing genocide yesterday, penning this piece wherein he re-emphasizes America’s undying loyalty to the apartheid state of Israel. Obama felt the need to share his two cents, presumably because of his own experience with bombing hospitals. I know what you’re thinking: does this guy have a genocide playlist to share? (So far, no dice) Somehow, in writing his essay of genocidal justification, Obama failed to mention that during his time in office, he signed a 10-year $38 billion military aid package to Israel for the years 2019-2028.
In his statement, the former president does make mention of both Israel and Gaza, which is a bit strange considering one is recognized as a country and the other an occupied besieged territory. This language is no accident, making it seem as if this is a war between two equally-equipped countries when in fact Gaza is a non-state actor resisting a nuclear-armed colonial power.
Members of Hollywood’s elite including Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Rock, Bradley Cooper, and many others decided to make their voices heard this week by signing an open letter to Joe Biden, calling for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas. I’m not sure how effective this open letter will be, considering Biden isn’t the one holding the Israelis hostage, but I suppose it was worth a shot.
It appears the mainstream democratic position in this country is to endlessly continue supporting Israel with armaments and money, but to try and use nicer language around the genocide. The anti-ceasefire position taken up by many democratic elected officials focuses instead on such luxuries as “turning on water”and “allowing in aid” so these politicians have the appearance of humanitarians but don’t actually undermine Israel’s policy of forceable population transfers and mass bombing.
Side Items
Auto Workers Strike Update: Day 39 of the United Auto Workers strike, 6,800 additional workers went on strike at Stellantis' Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan. This brings the total number of striking auto workers to over 40,000! This plant manufactures the pricey Ram 1500 pickup truck, and analysts say this collective action will double the economic impact of the strike on Stellantis
Louisiana Superfog: At least 7 people were killed yesterday in a massive vehicle pileup in Louisiana due to 'Superfog.' The car crash, which involved at least 158 vehicles, occurred yesterday morning due to heavy fog conditions made worse by the combination of smoke and water vapor