EDITOR—Failing to get concessions from China on what Janet Yellen called “China’s overcapacity” (curiously deemed unfair by Washington), Yellen threatened the introduction of protectionist policies. Needless to say, this is a complete reversal of Washington’s usual extremist free market posture. Yellen also had the gall to complain about China helping Russia in its Ukraine contest with the West, apparently assuming Beijing is incapable of figuring that America wants a free hand to subdue and neutralise Russia to then proceed to do the same to China. This and much much more.
IDIOTIZED PUBLICS
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Israeli Suffering Is Not Comparable To Palestinian Suffering
20 minutes readCAITLIN JOHNSTONE—I’m sick of hearing October 7 mentioned in the same breath as Israel’s incineration of Gaza as though they’re equal or even comparable. A thousand Israelis dying (probably hundreds by indiscriminate IDF fire) is not comparable to tens of thousands of Palestinians (probably more) being deliberately exterminated by high-tech war machinery, even if before you account for the fact that Israel was the aggressor and that the violence of the oppressed is not comparable to the violence of the oppressor in the first place.
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Idiot Republicans Are Saying Genocide Joe Has ‘Abandoned Israel’
19 minutes readCAITLIN JOHNSTONE—In reality, the only reason Republicans have begun trying to frame Biden as anti-Israel is because only through fiction and fantasy can America’s two mainstream parties pretend there are any significant differences between them. They’re both insanely supportive of Israel and its crimes. They both support war, militarism, imperialism, capitalism and oligarchy. The only areas in which there’s any meaningful disagreement between them are the issues that don’t inconvenience the powerful in any way like whether or not you’re allowed to have an abortion or whether it’s good or bad to be mean to trans people — and even those issues are only used to keep everyone’s interest and attention locked into mainstream politics and diverted from revolutionary sentiment.
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MAX BLUMENTHAL—There are three major factors behind the shift: first, many on the right have begun to share the same sense of disgust and indignation with Israel that progressives have. Who can suppress the pangs of outrage when confronted with the live-streamed industrial level Israeli butchering of children each day for the past 6 months?
Second, more American Christians recognize the threat Zionism poses to Palestinian Christians, whether in Gaza, Bethlehem or Jerusalem. The Christ at the Checkpoint Initiative Munther Isaac helps to lead and US groups like Sabeel have provided a critical network for connecting US churches to Palestine.
Finally, American conservatives are recognizing that the Israel lobby’s influence runs counter to the ethos of America First, and that many of the most heavily promoted right wing influencers are just controlled opposition projects whose careers were astroturfed by pro-Israel billionaires.
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BOMBING PALESTINIANS IS GOOD FOR PALESTINIANS, SAY AMERICA’S ELITE PUNDITS
by Adam Johnson20 minutes readADAM JOHNSON—A ceasefire would not help the residents of Gaza? Which residents? The tens of thousands of dead residents, or the over 1 million former residents who are now refugees? If it were possible to conduct a snap poll of those living in Gaza right now, one wonders what percentage of respondents would agree with Sen. Duckworth’s assessment that a ceasefire is bad for them. But, alas, our politicians know best.
The bombing-Palestinians-for-their-own-good line is one frequently used by Israeli officials themselves. Israel’s UK ambassador, Tzipi Hotovely, for instance, recently told Sky News that “the Hamas regime is bad for Palestinians and Israelis.”