Thus Far: An Overview
On October 7, 2023, an act of violence broke through our subconscious and enlightened most to see something that has been going on for 75 years. Hamas, a rebellious group from Palestine that has been categorized as a terrorist group by various countries, attacked and killed Israeli civilians attending a concert. As retaliation to this, Israel began a massive attack on Palestinian territory.
The debate began with Israel having a right to defend itself. A lot of countries’ leaders repeated this phrase over and over. Yes, the US was one of those countries, but here’s the thing: the Western world has been awakened since the indiscriminate killing of Black People reached a very public level in 2019-2020. These events kind of prepared the public to see through rhetorical bullshit. So, of course, social media began peeling the layers between Israel and Palestine.
Activists and Palestinians began to share their experiences. At first, it was only a whisper. For me, unrest settled in my heart. La pullita of something not being right and remembering the restrictions that I saw when I visited the area slowly came together as an almost fully formed picture. Then came the book recommendations.
Goddess that broke the seal, if there was even one. I learn through reading, so opening these digital books solidified for me everything that I have seen and heard from family and friends on the subject of Israel and Palestine. Because here’s the thing, people in Latin America have these spirited political discourses while drinking cafesito, having dinner, going on a walk, you name it, every event is just as good as the previous one to talk politics.
So, while I have known that what happened to the Palestinian people was an unfair act that came to fruition by a perfect storm of racism and, you guessed it, genocide, reading from activists and scholars gave the subject a nuance I didn’t have before.
From my own experiences, I understand how easily the Western world builds its own narrative of people and events in order to maintain public favor. But like I said before, the wool had been pulled from the public’s eyes. The public was aware. So marches began.
At first, during the UN voting for a ceasefire, there were more countries saying no, but as of today December 21, 2023, the US is standing more alone than before in their vote against a ceasefire. See the UN website.
Here’s more history on what the UN calls The Palestine Question (there’s no charge for the downloads)
Then, the boycott happened. Starbucks became one of the primary boycott targets because they did not allow a social media account from their union to advocate for a free Palestine, so they censored them. And talking about censorship. A lot of censorship has been happening in two ways.
I have personally experienced a sort of shadow ban where my posts where I advocate for Palestine are restricted. I went from three-digit views to one or two digits. Other content creators have experienced the same, and then came the most insidious of the censorship. Zionist-leaning accounts began to assert that free Palestine or from the river to the sea are phrases that are antisemitic because they advocate for the demise of Jewish people.
Yet antisemitism is happening and has been happening, but the definition of this term has become conflated, thanks to this censorship. I believe this to be a dangerous predicament since it can lead to actual antisemitism flying below the radar, and this is not good.
Also, Islamophobia has been at its highest, but because the focus is mostly on antisemitism (the one used to censor and the real kind), this is not getting much attention. But in the US, I hate to say this, Islamophobia has been the norm ever since 9/11 happened.
I go back to the thing about how the US creates its own narrative to appease the collective consciousness. Don’t believe me? Why are Moms for Liberty working overtime to ban books? Why is it that public schools don’t get a realistic depiction of US History, which should include Native American, African American, and Mexican history?
You can google the arguments on that dilemma, but let me save you the trip; it all boils down to white folks not wanting to see it or even talk about it because it will depict them as inhumane, and they can’t be the villain in this story! No, they must be the savior. Hence, Jesus, a brown man, is depicted as white. Anything, I mean anything, to change the narrative so they can be the hero.
So I know all about how Black and Brown people would more likely than not find themselves playing the villain or the savage in Western-made narratives. If you don’t believe me on this one, look at Hollywood films. Even now, in 2023, there is still a big disparity in representation and compensation. I’ll leave it at that.
But yeah, I had to read for myself and experience culture and treat people on my own accord to understand that a religion, skin color, gender, or any other classification does not make a person good or bad. Because first of all, we are a mixture of both and it is the actions that determine whether someone is kind or a jerk.
But we live in these mental traps that keep us comfortable. Unfortunately, because of these inflexible mental traps, some of us won’t admit that there are groups of people suffering and being subjugated for over 70 years to brutal and restrictive colonization.
It’s December 21, 2023, and there have been 18K Palestinian deaths from the incessant Israeli bombardment. There were two temporary pauses, but no mighty Western country has stepped up in an unbiased manner to bring diplomacy and peace to this situation because we don’t want to admit that we are the villains in this story.
I pray that we realize this soon and do something about it. Until then, I’ll continue to amplify, highlight and write. It’s what I do best, so it’s what I’m going to do.
In this podcast episode, I delve deep into the logical fallacies that permeate social media platforms and other online spaces. It’s fascinating how these fallacies can distort arguments and discussions, leading to misinformation and confusion. I draw parallels to the infamous Russian interference in the election, as both involve manipulation and deception in order to sway opinions and influence outcomes.
One common fallacy that I explore is the ad hominem attack, where people resort to attacking the person making the argument instead of addressing the actual argument. This tactic is often used to discredit someone’s viewpoint without actually engaging with the substance of their argument. By highlighting examples of this fallacy, I hope to shed light on the importance of focusing on the content of an argument rather than resorting to personal attacks.
Another fallacy I discuss is the slippery slope argument, which is often used to make exaggerated predictions about the consequences of a certain action or decision. This fallacy can be particularly persuasive, as it plays on people’s fears and emotions. By dissecting this fallacy and showcasing how it can be misleading, I aim to empower listeners to evaluate the arguments they encounter online critically.
Throughout the episode, I provide tips on identifying and countering these logical fallacies, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning. My goal is to foster a more informed and rational discourse in the digital sphere by equipping listeners with the tools to recognize and challenge flawed arguments. So, join me as we navigate the maze of logical fallacies and uncover the truth behind the rhetoric.
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