The Weekly Flail — May 4, 2024

Winnowing the media

OVERVIEW

The past does not repeat itself but is a continuous spiral that repeats our perspective from a higher angle. It is easy to be confused by constantly shifting perspectives.

The campus outrage at Israel’s genocide and the collaboration of the American Empire recalls the anti-Vietnam War movement fifty-plus years ago but is fundamentally different. The speed with which this movement has spread internationally indicates the difference.

Having been part of the predecessor reaction to Vietnam, I know that the primary motivator was the draft and the threat of very personal involvement. The primary motivator now is moral outrage. All wars are unjust and designed for the benefit of a ruling elite justified by whatever excuses can be found.

There is no excuse for genocide. All efforts to achieve goals by murder are equally evil. Having been the object of a historic instance of genocide does not permit you to commit your version.

Arming a genocidal nation-state is a crime against humanity for which a very high price must be paid.

A far more important difference between now and then is the institutional moral collapse we suffer. The forces of authoritarianism, fascism, and capitalist oppression are on their last…