Even though it’s been several weeks, I keep dwelling on the photo of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya walking off to his unknown fate in the face of two tanks that I helped pay for. Armed solely with his lab coat, the doctor’s only crime was caring for his patients and his people until the very last moments.
The same bullshit playbook of lies was dispatched by the occupiers in an attempt to smear his reputation and label him as a terrorist. Much like many other doctors, journalists and everyday people, he will be tortured and murdered, if he hasn’t been already.
When this photo became public, the immediate parallels to Tiananmen Square were being made. This bit of Rage Against The Machine lyrics coming to life was rather unsettling (see “Roll Right” off of Evil Empire.)
I was ten years old when the events in China took place on June 5, 1989. We were told by the American propaganda machine that we should look upon this unknown protester as a hero standing up against evil with nothing but his shopping bags. And rightfully so, even though we may have different reasons for doing so as the years have passed. The same thing will not happen in this instance.
The Western Media Machine completely ignored the story for fear of lionizing the “enemy” and making them seem innocent, which they are. There are no tunnels under the hospital, as we have been repeatedly told. That’s some Bugs Bunny level bullshit. Stop being so gullible and believing the poorly made PowerPoint presentation that gets trotted out every time a hospital gets blown up. The colonizers do that so they can make feeble attempts at justifying the destruction of medical infrastructure. If people can’t get to a hospital to deal with a simple problem, that health issue can escalate and become fatal. It helps make the ethnic cleansing a little easier.
It feels like the end of this failed Euro-centric colonial/apartheid experiment could be imminent. The problem with that is it also feels like the Palestinian people are caught in one last bloody spasm of the occupying forces and that they may not survive to see the end of it.
I no longer have the patience for all of the what-about-ism and false equivocation that gets thrown around to somehow justify the slaughter of thousands. A struggle for freedom is messy. There is no right or wrong way for a people to remove the collective boot from their necks so debating and criticizing tactics does not serve any purpose. As a country full of people whose idea of freedom is to be able to choose between smooth or chunky peanut butter while drowning in consumer debt, who the fuck are we to tell someone else how to get free?
I no longer even acknowledge the people that are somehow unable to recognize that apartheid and occupation are even happening, let alone a full blown genocide. Some people are so entrenched in their way of thinking that they find it laughable when parts of Palestine are described as the world’s largest open air prison/concentration camp. Their lack of empathy and understanding is a tell. Whether it’s white supremacy, Islamophobia or a mixture of the two behind it, I don’t know. It does make every other opinion that they hold suspect to me and I begin wondering what else is below the surface if they’re so out front with supporting apartheid and genocide.
The one sided ceasefire will not last very long. The military force of the colonizers always ignores them and cries foul at even the slightest infraction when Palestinians defend themselves. Like the bully that gets upset and can’t believe that the target of their aggression fought back.
And since the ceasefire only pertained to Gaza, violence in the West Bank is escalating rapidly. People are being arrested by the hundreds for simply existing on a piece of land that someone else wants. Infrastructure is being destroyed by armored bulldozers for absolutely no reason other than depriving the indigenous people of electricity, potable water and functioning roads.
The powers that be are counting on us getting tired and taking our collective eye off of their land grab. Especially with the intense deluge of white male Christian supremacy that’s going to happen in the United States over the next four years. Those pigfuckers couldn’t go a day without fucking up and showing their obvious hand.
Protesting will get people slapped with domestic terror charges. Speaking up will be considered a hate crime. Everybody will be isolated out of fear and those that stand up will be made example of. The entire situation is fucked and it’s only going to get worse.
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