On October 7, hundreds of Hamas fighters breached the boundaries dividing Israel and Gaza and committed atrocities against vulnerable populations. They targeted non-combatants hiding in shelters. Women. Old people. Children. Foreign nationals. They rampaged through Israel for more than a day before being driven back by Israeli forces. When it was over, 695 Israeli civilians… Continue reading If Truth Matters in the Conflict Between Israel and Gaza, Now’s the Time to Tell It.
Tag: Ethnic Nationalism
Why Conservatives Must Reject Trump’s Homonationalism
In a RNC nomination acceptance speech widely maligned as dystopian, Donald Trump received rare mainstream media praise for asserting: “Only weeks ago, in Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans were savagely murdered by an Islamic terrorist. This time, the terrorist targeted LGBTQ community. No good. And we’re going to stop it. As your president, I will… Continue reading Why Conservatives Must Reject Trump’s Homonationalism
Racially Profiling “Jihadists” Sounds Like Common Sense. Here’s Why It Doesn’t Work
Over the weekend there was a series of bombings, and attempted bombings, in New Jersey and Manhattan (where I live). Authorities have identified and arrested one Ahmed Khan in connection with the attacks, which injured dozens of people in the New York area. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was quick to seize on this incident… Continue reading Racially Profiling “Jihadists” Sounds Like Common Sense. Here’s Why It Doesn’t Work
What Happened to Black Republicans
It is often remarked that the Republican Party was founded by Lincoln, who oversaw the defeat of the Confederacy, the emancipation of slaves, and laid the foundation for the civil rights movement. But the Republican history of civil rights is much richer than this. Conversely, the history of the Democratic Party has been overwhelmingly pro-slavery… Continue reading What Happened to Black Republicans
No, Ammon Bundy is NOT a terrorist.
On Saturday January 2nd, citizens of Burns, Oregon held a rally protesting the sentencing of Oregon ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond. The local demonstration was co-opted by a militia, led by Nevada-native Ammon Bundy, now calling itself “Citizens for Constitutional Freedom.” Following its participation in the planned protest, the militia seized and continues to illegally… Continue reading No, Ammon Bundy is NOT a terrorist.
Iraqi, Syrian Refugees May be ISIS’ ‘Achilles Heel’
In the aftermath of the series of attacks in Paris, attributed to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), French President François Hollande has declared a three-month state of emergency. This measure enables the military and law enforcement to monitor, arrest, detain and interrogate persons, with little or no due process. These powers… Continue reading Iraqi, Syrian Refugees May be ISIS’ ‘Achilles Heel’
Don’t say Black Lives Matter, prove it.
Let’s be clear: for various reasons a large swath of Americans support institutionalized racism, both actively and passively. And in light of the pivotal role the police have played, and continue to play, in preserving the systems, institutions and dynamics which undergird racial inequality in the U.S.–powerful backlash against Black Lives Matter was to be… Continue reading Don’t say Black Lives Matter, prove it.
It’s Time to Stop Patronizing White People
On average, whites are far better off than blacks. But the problem with averages is that they often conceal radically uneven distribution of the phenomena in question. This is certainly true of wealth among white Americans. It is well-established that white people are overrepresented in the upper classes. And even in the middle class, whites… Continue reading It’s Time to Stop Patronizing White People
Who is Whitewashing History? (Hint: It’s the Neo-Confederates)
[su_quote cite=”Confederate General Robert E. Lee” url=”http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/robert-e-lee-opposed-confederate-monuments/”]I think it wiser not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered.[/su_quote] With the Confederate Battle Standard finally removed from the South Carolina Capitol grounds,… Continue reading Who is Whitewashing History? (Hint: It’s the Neo-Confederates)
America’s Biggest Terror Threat is from the Far-Right, Not the Middle East
According to a New America Foundation report, right-wing extremists have killed nearly twice as many Americans through domestic terrorism as Islamic jihadists have since 9/11. However, this same database shows that jihadists constitute a much higher percentage of those indicted on terror charges or killed when confronted by authorities: despite causing only 35 percent of… Continue reading America’s Biggest Terror Threat is from the Far-Right, Not the Middle East
Do Black Lives Matter? The World’s Shameful Response to Charleston
In the wake of the massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), analysts have been busying themselves with apparently self-evident questions as to whether the atrocity was racially motivated, or constituted an act of domestic terrorism. Americans have been focused on questions about gun control and the ubiquity of the Confederate Flag—with an emerging… Continue reading Do Black Lives Matter? The World’s Shameful Response to Charleston
The attack on Emanuel AME was certainly terrorism
The Charleston Massacre was an act of domestic terrorism. Consider: Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) was a historically black church founded by a freed slave who eventually tried to lead a revolt to free his people. In the aftermath, the church was burned down. Because predominantly-black churches like Emanuel AME were known to be… Continue reading The attack on Emanuel AME was certainly terrorism
Police Reform Is More Important Than You Think
In the wake of Freddy Gray’s death and the uprising which followed in Baltimore, President Obama acknowledged the need to reform police practices and accountability, but insisted that the real problem faced by the black community in Baltimore, and around the country, is not the police—but a system of institutionalized racism, socio-economic polarization, and a… Continue reading Police Reform Is More Important Than You Think
Netanyahu’s Politics of Fear Have Proven Highly-Effective
As the Israeli election results continue to be finalized, it appears that Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has again emerged victorious—likely holding onto 30 of their current 31 seats in the government. The Zionist Union, Netanyahu’s primary opposition, garnered only 24 seats, with the Joint List of Arab candidates rounding out third place with a likely… Continue reading Netanyahu’s Politics of Fear Have Proven Highly-Effective
Factions Speak Louder Than Herds
There is a growing body of research suggesting that when beliefs become tied to one’s sense of identity, they are not easily revised. Instead, when these axioms are threatened, people look for ways to outright dismiss inconvenient data. If this cannot be achieved by highlighting logical, methodological or factual errors, the typical response is to… Continue reading Factions Speak Louder Than Herds
The “Paper-State” of Palestine is Worse than Useless
On Dec. 30, the United Nations Security Council rejected a proposal put forward by coalition of Arab states and the Palestinian Authority calling for “full and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces” from all Palestinian territories seized after 1967, and full Palestinian sovereignty over the West Bank and Gaza by December 31, 2017. The resolution needed… Continue reading The “Paper-State” of Palestine is Worse than Useless
A Brief History of Palestinian Statehood
Although they have not yet been given full-membership in the U.N. (and would not have gained membership through Abbas’ proposal), the body has affirmed Palestinian statehood numerous times, most recently with a 2012’s UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 67/19, which passed with 138 votes in favor, 9 votes opposed and 41 abstentions, recognizing Palestine as… Continue reading A Brief History of Palestinian Statehood
Forget the Islamic State, Focus on the United States
America’s War on Sexual Violence, Mass Atrocities & Religious Persecution Should Begin at Home Without question, the so-called “Islamic State” is an abomination that should be wiped from the face of the earth. However, it is unclear whether America is the right agent to see this through. Part of the trouble relates to the Obama Administration’s strategy, which… Continue reading Forget the Islamic State, Focus on the United States
Israel & Palestine: The One State Solution
Throughout the current crisis, Israel’s apologists and spokespeople have attempted to blame the Palestinians, particularly Hamas, for the wanton carnage and destruction unfolding in Gaza. One of their consistent talking points has been that, following Israel’s 2005 retreat from the Gaza strip in the wake of the Second Intifada and Hamas’ 2006 electoral landslide victories,… Continue reading Israel & Palestine: The One State Solution
It was Israel which sought out the latest conflict with Hamas
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the dominant discourse is that the Palestinian militants provoked the hostilities — while Israel, as President Barack Obama affirmed last week, is acting in legitimate self-defense. Many have attempted to problematize this narrative, for instance by arguing that Israel, as an occupying power, does not have a… Continue reading It was Israel which sought out the latest conflict with Hamas
Libya in Transition… But to What?
Since the overthrow of Gaddhafi, Libya’s capital has long been consumed by fierce struggles between Islamists and the coalition aligned with former PM Zeidan, largely perceived as Western proxies—each with their own parliamentary blocks and militias. Over the course of the last several months, there have been many attempts at deposing the country’s first democratically-elected Prime… Continue reading Libya in Transition… But to What?