this post was submitted on 05 May 2025
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Remember, kids: FUD doesn't have to be lies to be effective. If fact, false equivalencies and later justifications for "just as bad" are all the more effective when you lay the groundwork with a little truth.
Except that axe swings both ways. Calling out a false equivalence is often perceived as an attempt to justify the "lesser" offense.
Hamas has engaged in terrorism. Israel has engaged in genocide. The former does not in any way justify the latter, AND acknowledging that the latter is not justified is not an attempt to ignore the former.
Political pundits will try to say "Look, this one lie told by the western media means that everything you've heard about the situation is a lie." This is its own sort of dishonesty that undercuts the legitimacy of the criticism.
Yeah. But there are tells.
"The West" is a broad brush - more broad than is justified, given that the UN world court revelry l recently came out with the Big "G"-word. Who's the instinctive alternative to "The West"? Words carefully chosen, I think. The West is more than just America, and countries like Germany are justifiably reluctant, given their history, to come out against Israel. Given that they're the reason Israel even exists today, so to speak.
Israel is engaged in an unjustified and unjustifiable genocidal land-grab in Palestine, and is committing horrible atrocities. No question. And the US has been utterly complicit, and there's really good evidence that much of our policy is a direct result is foreign (Israeli) influence (money). And countries in "The West" have been guilty of being slow to respond, and negligent in reacting. However, hyperbolic and overly broad titles like this smack of propaganda. How much aid has China sent to Palestine? How much have they fought for Palestine in the world court, where they hold a seat? Why is it "The West", and not "Eurasia and US"? Or, "developed countries?"
No, this is clearly intended to cast shade explicitly on Western countries, while "The East" whistles innocently.