Since I was 17, I was pro-Palestine, largely due to the work of my still-comics-hero, Joe Sacco and the graphic novels he made about that region and that conflict. However, with what has come to light around Hamas, tunnels, UNWRA, and the vitriol and hatred on the left, the ignoring of mass rapes and extreme violence against women - and learning more about what’s been happening on the ground now - my opinion has shifted, become more nuanced and complicated. Back in the first few months of this conflict, back when I was still pro-P, a 5 years long friendship ended because I wasn’t in the streets rabble rousing and waving flags. Since then, I’ve seen the most insane vitriol online, and insanely hateful things thrown about by leftists. What the hell is that about? What is with this mass excuse making for bullying and hatred? In this episode I discuss not only my own shift in perspective but how the left has come to treat the Palestine topic/issue as a “rage room” of sorts - smashing everything and everyone around them, with no regard for complexity, reality, or other people.
Read MoreIn this episode I talk a bit about the impact the current Middle East conflict has had on discourse in the west, political and otherwise. We have become a people who have a low tolerance for difference of opinion. In this episode, I explain why this isn’t in our best interest.
Read MoreWe are in an era of war. The violent images are endless and, in this episode, I argue that none of it does any good at this point. I’m sure my political opinions are no surprise to folks who have been here for a while, but whatever your political stance, it’s important to consider what the point is of sharing violent imagery. Is it really to raise awareness about the conflict at hand, or is it to raise awareness of ourselves as highly woke and moral?
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