Ryan, I read bits of this this morning and came back to read it in full as it deserves full attention.
I'm so sorry for what you experienced. I went on Facebook for a while - not because I like the platform. I had always resisted even as all my friends went on. But to get a sense of the political winds and beliefs.
It's a very ugly environment in my view - and that's not the platform, but reflects the humans that sit behind with full vitriol and often anger and despair. And there are also many fake accounts and trolls - especially around certain topics. Palestine is one.
One of the kindest people I know is a Palestinian man - he is a friend and a gentle soul.
May I suggest you protect yourself from such toxicity? There are simply no solutions for such unbridled willingness to kill and maim, yet so many of us humans are comfortable with such.
The more I look out the more I feel disheartened, and then you balance it against those who so clearly care and it's a world of contrasts.
Thank you for your kind words. It is tough seeing how far gone so many are and it feels draining to try to reach people to no avail.
But I’m feeling good and have found a supportive community here on Substack since leaving politics off Facebook. I should have learned my lesson but this was a good reminder to stay off Facebook.
I agree it's draining. The problem with Facebook is it's very hard to have in depth conversations as well. By nature, it's designed for fast takes and fast reactions.
I went on and did change some hearts and minds but it's heavy going - and basically I find the toxicity is draining.
Substack is a funny place - for me it only shows writers I like, but I hear there is a lot of negative activity too.
And staying off FB is good - it can only get worse.
The educated people who leave comments justifying genocide are the “good Nazis”. This is not hyperbole. They see Palestinians as sub-human and are happy that someone else is killing them. A society in which a significant number of these people hold positions of responsibility is doomed to drown in its own immorality and inhumanity.
I know exactly what you mean Ryan. Most of the younger people I know are with Palestine, or indifferent. The older people are mostly accepting because ‘this is decreed in the bible’ or Hamas started it, or some other ignorant stance. I just support other supporters online, and hope that collective good vibes towards Palestine will swing support at some point. I despair of how utterly incapable some people are of deep and logical thought.
"Didn’t I realize that Mahmoud was supporting Hamas? By law anyone who supports Hamas forfeits all rights because Trump said so?"
This part always stands out to me, because that 'logic' is so uniquely deranged. There is this implication that for Palestinians, and to a lesser degree the supporters of their liberation struggle, certain political views basically make them worthy of death.
If I started writing about how all American Zionists should be deported from the US or worse, I would probably be banned within a week despite Substack's relatively lenient standards. You can say the same thing about supporters of Palestinian liberation, especially if they don't conform to the magical formula of condemning the actual resistance in crass terms, without anyone blinking an eye. I have seen half a dozen examples of it within my first month here.
And for actual Palestinians? The implication basically is that if they support Hamas, even if it is only in words or with a hundred critical reservations not ever mentioned in the articles, they are worthy of death. They stop being civilians and become 'terrorists', who apparently can be (and even should be!) hunted by the IDF for sport.
I really want to vomit when I see another IDF spokesperson justifying genocide on the evening news - it is a propaganda war that good people have been losing for years
Excellent piece. You have my sympathy and admiration. I presume you are residing in the US. Fortunately, here in South Africa, the vibe is healthier. However, my point in replying is that it is necessary to de-demonise the Resistance. Isreal is the occupier;Israel is the genocider;Israel is the party that has inflicted a 17 year siege on Gaza, even before Operation Al Aqsa Flood. The fact that governments like the US and UK designate the nationalist movement of HAMAS as a terrorist entity, even while funding, arming and training Isis, Al Queada forces in Syria, should be self-explanatory. In a world of hypocrisy, honestly is a priceless commodity.
Thank you. I live in New Zealand now, we moved here in 2014. We have a much healthier vibe towards the Palestinian situation. I agree we should be highlighting Israel’s role and atrocities as much as possible.
Yes, the Western role in funding groups that are then declared terrorists is so hypocritical including Netanyahu funding Hamas to splinter the Palestinian resistance across the West Bank and Gaza. It’s unbelievable how easily people swallow the propaganda.
At the risk of controversy I am not necessarily persuaded that the term terrorism has any useful meaning. Anybody who engages in war is potentially a terrorist. The word had become a term of abuse to be used as a substitute for thought. Nonetheless I very much doubt the victim of US oppression would have associated himself to Hamas. All reportage suggests he is a compassionate, considerate and thoughtful man who once worked for the British F&C Office.
I completely agree. Terrorism is and has always been a political term based on the needs of the entity that defines it as such. Hamas being designated a terrorist organization, sure. But what about the IDF? What about the US military? The CIA? All of these organizations have engaged in war crimes and atrocities which dwarf those committed by Hamas or any other "terrorist" group. And let's not forget that Hamas is reacting to a situation of forced displacement and apartheid. So who is the terrorist here?
Not to mention being incarcerated in a concentration camp in all but name. I met a Palestinian couple at the beach recently. Their sense of exasperation was palpable. Islamophobia is as heinous as antisemitism but to some one is acceptable but the other not.
Ryan, I read bits of this this morning and came back to read it in full as it deserves full attention.
I'm so sorry for what you experienced. I went on Facebook for a while - not because I like the platform. I had always resisted even as all my friends went on. But to get a sense of the political winds and beliefs.
It's a very ugly environment in my view - and that's not the platform, but reflects the humans that sit behind with full vitriol and often anger and despair. And there are also many fake accounts and trolls - especially around certain topics. Palestine is one.
One of the kindest people I know is a Palestinian man - he is a friend and a gentle soul.
May I suggest you protect yourself from such toxicity? There are simply no solutions for such unbridled willingness to kill and maim, yet so many of us humans are comfortable with such.
The more I look out the more I feel disheartened, and then you balance it against those who so clearly care and it's a world of contrasts.
Thank you for your kind words. It is tough seeing how far gone so many are and it feels draining to try to reach people to no avail.
But I’m feeling good and have found a supportive community here on Substack since leaving politics off Facebook. I should have learned my lesson but this was a good reminder to stay off Facebook.
I agree it's draining. The problem with Facebook is it's very hard to have in depth conversations as well. By nature, it's designed for fast takes and fast reactions.
I went on and did change some hearts and minds but it's heavy going - and basically I find the toxicity is draining.
Substack is a funny place - for me it only shows writers I like, but I hear there is a lot of negative activity too.
And staying off FB is good - it can only get worse.
The educated people who leave comments justifying genocide are the “good Nazis”. This is not hyperbole. They see Palestinians as sub-human and are happy that someone else is killing them. A society in which a significant number of these people hold positions of responsibility is doomed to drown in its own immorality and inhumanity.
I know exactly what you mean Ryan. Most of the younger people I know are with Palestine, or indifferent. The older people are mostly accepting because ‘this is decreed in the bible’ or Hamas started it, or some other ignorant stance. I just support other supporters online, and hope that collective good vibes towards Palestine will swing support at some point. I despair of how utterly incapable some people are of deep and logical thought.
What a horrible experience, Ryan. It's so hard to understand how people can be sympathetic to Israel as it commits genocide. Genocide! FFS.
"Didn’t I realize that Mahmoud was supporting Hamas? By law anyone who supports Hamas forfeits all rights because Trump said so?"
This part always stands out to me, because that 'logic' is so uniquely deranged. There is this implication that for Palestinians, and to a lesser degree the supporters of their liberation struggle, certain political views basically make them worthy of death.
If I started writing about how all American Zionists should be deported from the US or worse, I would probably be banned within a week despite Substack's relatively lenient standards. You can say the same thing about supporters of Palestinian liberation, especially if they don't conform to the magical formula of condemning the actual resistance in crass terms, without anyone blinking an eye. I have seen half a dozen examples of it within my first month here.
And for actual Palestinians? The implication basically is that if they support Hamas, even if it is only in words or with a hundred critical reservations not ever mentioned in the articles, they are worthy of death. They stop being civilians and become 'terrorists', who apparently can be (and even should be!) hunted by the IDF for sport.
It is just such blatant dehumanisation.
I really want to vomit when I see another IDF spokesperson justifying genocide on the evening news - it is a propaganda war that good people have been losing for years
Excellent piece. You have my sympathy and admiration. I presume you are residing in the US. Fortunately, here in South Africa, the vibe is healthier. However, my point in replying is that it is necessary to de-demonise the Resistance. Isreal is the occupier;Israel is the genocider;Israel is the party that has inflicted a 17 year siege on Gaza, even before Operation Al Aqsa Flood. The fact that governments like the US and UK designate the nationalist movement of HAMAS as a terrorist entity, even while funding, arming and training Isis, Al Queada forces in Syria, should be self-explanatory. In a world of hypocrisy, honestly is a priceless commodity.
Thank you. I live in New Zealand now, we moved here in 2014. We have a much healthier vibe towards the Palestinian situation. I agree we should be highlighting Israel’s role and atrocities as much as possible.
Yes, the Western role in funding groups that are then declared terrorists is so hypocritical including Netanyahu funding Hamas to splinter the Palestinian resistance across the West Bank and Gaza. It’s unbelievable how easily people swallow the propaganda.
I feel exactly the same way 😓🤬
Anyone who remembers what Hitler did will think the US are going down a similar inhumane track.
It took 5 years to stop Hitler and an atom bomb to stop the Japanese generals...
How many months do we have to prevent a madman (who now has the launch codes and sycophants to do his bidding) from launching Armageddon
At the risk of controversy I am not necessarily persuaded that the term terrorism has any useful meaning. Anybody who engages in war is potentially a terrorist. The word had become a term of abuse to be used as a substitute for thought. Nonetheless I very much doubt the victim of US oppression would have associated himself to Hamas. All reportage suggests he is a compassionate, considerate and thoughtful man who once worked for the British F&C Office.
I completely agree. Terrorism is and has always been a political term based on the needs of the entity that defines it as such. Hamas being designated a terrorist organization, sure. But what about the IDF? What about the US military? The CIA? All of these organizations have engaged in war crimes and atrocities which dwarf those committed by Hamas or any other "terrorist" group. And let's not forget that Hamas is reacting to a situation of forced displacement and apartheid. So who is the terrorist here?
Not to mention being incarcerated in a concentration camp in all but name. I met a Palestinian couple at the beach recently. Their sense of exasperation was palpable. Islamophobia is as heinous as antisemitism but to some one is acceptable but the other not.