War, war and more war.
It’s only possible for one reason: the belief that only some people are fully human. Those who aren’t . . . well, they can be killed when necessary. My inner scream at this false reality we feed ourselves — via the media, via mainstream politics — keeps getting louder and louder. Is there a way to get things to change?
To put it another way: Is there a way to transcend the abstract view of Planet Earth in which global politics operates? We have religion. We have values: Be kind, be loving, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — but they don’t seem to manifest collectively. At the collective, that is to say, the political, level, only so much kindness can be tolerated. In terms of security, kindness is weakness.
I quoted these words of Kamala Harris, delivered last August at the DNC as she accepted her nomination to be the Dems’ presidential candidate, in a previous column, but they still strike me as relevant, even though she lost the election:
A college friend recently received an ad in the mail for “100 percent legal THC.” The glossy card promised “Natural Cannabis, Natural Relief” with photos of “potent edibles,” “disposable vapes,” and “high grade concentrates.” Intrigued, he visited the website and purchased several pre-rolled joints, aka “pre-rolls.” A few days later, a package arrived in the mail with contents that looked, smelled, and tasted like marijuana. In fact, the potency statistics on the packaging appeared nearly identical to those on dispensary products. In excellent health for a 60-year-old, my friend’s only side effect was a good night’s sleep. He liked both the price and the high.
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The arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are a diplomatic disaster for Israel, reported The Economist, a ‘hard stigma’ for the Israeli leader, wrote The Guardian, and a ‘major blow’, said others.
But a term that many seem to agree on is that the warrants represent an earthquake, though many are doubtful that Netanyahu would actually see his day in court.
The pro-Palestine camp, which as of late represents the majority of humankind, is torn between disbelief, skepticism, and optimism. It turned out that the international system has a pulse, after all, though faint, but is enough to rekindle hope that legal and moral accountability are still possible.
