Why I Can’t Stop Bitching About Gaza

 

Israel sunk to a new level of depravity yesterday. Its agents killed some 91 Palestinians who were trying to get some food at an aid station.

I am not totally sure why this particular topic keeps grabbing my attention. Certainly, there are plenty of other outrages worthy of bitching about. I think my own preoccupation with this particular topic comes down to two major reasons:

1)   The U.S.-sponsored starvation-genocide against children, elderly, women, and other innocent Palestinians is one of the most indefensible crimes against humanity since World War II. It is getting more cruel and more obscene every day. It is still not being given anywhere near the attention it deserves.

2)   My own tax dollars (and yours) are being used to finance this action. Thoreau, in “Civil Disobedience,” makes a very relevant observation:

It is not a man's duty, as a matter of course, to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous, wrong; he may still properly have other concerns to engage him; but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support.

As a taxpayer, I am being forced against my will to give this genocide my support in a very practical way. I deeply resent this.

Very recently another of my favorite writers, Caitlin Johnstone, offered an essay titled “Gaza Isn’t Starving, it’s Being Starved.” I think it’s worth quoting at some length:

“So what’s the plan here? Do we just sit and watch Israel starve Gaza to death with the support of our own governments?

And then what? We just go along with our lives, knowing that that happened? That this is what we are as a society? That our civilization is comfortable allowing something like that to happen? And that our rulers could do the same thing to another inconvenient population at any time?

We’re just meant to be cool with that? And go on living like it’s normal?

I’m genuinely curious. How exactly is everyone planning to go about living their lives after that point? How does that work, exactly?

I’m asking because I don’t know. I mean, I know what my own government and its allies should do, but I don’t know what we as ordinary members of the public are supposed to do.”

One thing we can do is at least go on the record in opposition. I guess that’s what I am trying to do, even if I have a tiny audience. And I am grateful for Caitlin Johnstone and many others who have offered me an example.

End