The human shield thing is extra dumb considering how concentrated the population is within the small area of the Gaza Strip. Where else would they be hiding but amongst the population? Only 25 miles long, 3-7 miles wide, with 2 million people!

The western press have been finding themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to do reporting alongside the middle easterners they've been lying about for generations, and discovering that a lot of those middle easterners speak English and have a few things to say.

Reading by Tim Foley.

Middle Easterners Have Words For The Western Press Who've Been Lying About Them

Israel has lost the argument. Permanently. There's no coming back from this.

Reading by Tim Foley.

Israel Has Permanently Lost The Argument

The thing is there's only so much propaganda spin you can put on the murder of thousands of children.

With other imperial military actions the propagandists had an easier time spinning things. Oh no those evil communists are taking over Vietnam, we need to stop them! Oh no Saddam's got WMDs, we need to get him! Oh no Gaddafi's gonna kill and rape all those Libyans, we have a responsibility to protect them!

In Gaza, Israel and its western backers are massacring children by the thousands with a shockingly vicious bombing campaign that is turning entire neighborhoods into gravel. They're raining down military explosives on a giant concentration camp that is densely populated by children. There's only so much a propagandist can do with that.

Reading by Tim Foley.

There's Only So Much Propaganda Spin You Can Put On The Murder Of Thousands Of Children

1. That Israel had no idea what Hamas was up to prior to October 7, but ever since October 7 has known about every hospital, mosque, school, refugee camp and water tower that Hamas is hiding in.

2. That the blame for all of the deaths caused by Israeli weapons launched by Israel rests solely on Hamas.

3. That Hamas is using "human shields" - meaning Hamas bases are hidden amidst civilian populations - yet Israel is managing to kill thousands of civilians without doing any meaningful damage to Hamas.

The Ten Dumbest Things We're Being Asked To Believe About Israel's War On Gaza

So we keep our gaze fixed on Gaza. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how horrifying it gets. No matter how much we cry. No matter how often we slump over and feel like we can't do it anymore. We keep our gaze fixed on Gaza. Because what else can we do? Nothing else feels right. Nothing else feels responsible.

Reading by Caitlin Johnstone.

We Keep Our Gaze On Gaza

It's the most 2020s thing in the world that there's an active genocide currently underway and it's the people who oppose it who are being called Nazis.

Reading by Tim Foley.

Getting Called A Nazi For Opposing A Genocide

It's not just the Israeli state that has proven it needs to be dismantled, it's the entire US-centralized western empire. The whole giant power structure has got to go.

Reading by Tim Foley.

Dismantle Israel And The Entire US Empire

You can't both-sides everything. You can't live your life that way.

Yes it's possible to see both sides of every contentious issue. You're supposed to be able to do that; it's a sign of intellectual maturity. If you can't see both sides of an issue your relationship with abstract concepts is too rigid, and you're probably lacking in empathy. It's just a basic part of growing up to learn how to stand in other people's shoes and see where they're coming from.

But just because you can see both sides doesn't mean you should live your life as though they're both equally true, or as though they both have equal merit. If you want to have a truth-based relationship with reality it's not enough to see both sides; you've got to grapple with it and figure out which side is more truthful, which side has more merit. You're neglecting a whole dimensionality of understanding if you just leave it at "well I can see both sides so I have no responsibility to pick one".

Reading by Tim Foley.

Both-Sidesing The Gaza Issue Is A Sign Of Psychological Immaturity

What would it look like to be on the wrong side of history? If there were a mass atrocity taking place presently which history will end up judging harshly in the future, and you were supporting the wrong side of it, what signs might you expect to see that that's the case?

Well, I imagine you'd probably be seeing terrible news about what's happening coming out every day that under normal circumstances would cause you to cry out in horror, but then you'd be getting a bunch of words and stories from your side explaining why those self-evidently terrible things are actually not what they appear to be.

Reading by Tim Foley.

What Would It Look Like If You Were Standing On The Wrong Side Of History?

US senator Chris Coons sat across from journalist Aaron Maté on the train on Monday, which is about the worst place you could possibly choose to sit if you're a powerful official in a government that's in the middle of backing an active genocide.

Reading by Tim Foley.

Tone Policing Opposition To Genocide

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has been repeatedly refusing to tell the press whether he believes Israel has been following the laws of war in Gaza.

Reading by Tim Foley.

The US Has A Standing Policy Of Ignoring The Human Rights Violations Of Its Allies

Readings of all Caitlin Johnstone's articles, usually by her co-writer Tim Foley.

The Ten Dumbest Things We're Being Asked To Believe About Israel's War On Gaza

Caitlin Johnstone

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