…genocide?
In the ongoing horror unfolding in Gaza, the word “genocide” is being bandied around. In our generation, we experienced genocide in Rwanda, when over 800,000 human beings were hacked to death and floated down the river simply because they were “different” from the group in power. Now, while it mightn’t matter to the person killed whether he was just “murdered” by a bandit or was part of a targeted group, dead is dead! It matters for the sheer scale of genocides. Invariably, we’re talking about thousands of people killed, so it does matter if we want to head off genocides.
Your Eyewitness came across a listing of “ten stages of genocide” that made sense of the phenomenon, and thought he’d share it, so we can evaluate if in fact a genocide is in the making in Gaza. Stage 1 is “Classification”: People are divided into “us” and “them”. This has definitely occurred, since the state of Israel was established in what was Palestine in 1948. Jews were “us”, who belonged to Israel no matter where they came from, and Palestinians were “them”.
Stage 2 is “Symbolization”: People are forced to identify themselves. This occurred conterminously with Israel’s formation, when Jews identified themselves as “Israelis” even though they’d been living in “Palestine”, and the Palestinian Arabs who remained there identified as “Palestinians”. Stage 3 is “Discrimination”: People begin to face systematic discrimination. This is an everyday occurrence for Palestinians – even those who remain in Israel – much more so those in Gaza and the West Bank!
Stage 4 is “Dehumanization”: People are identified as vermin and animals. Palestinians are always portrayed as lesser human beings in Israeli communications. Stage 5 is “Organization”: The Government creates special groups – Police etc – to enforce the policies. Israel created its Defence Force, from which Palestinians are barred, and which have the “legitimate” right to use force against Palestinians. If the latter do so, they’re dubbed “terrorists” who must be eliminated.
Stage 6 is “Polarization”: The Govt broadcasts propaganda to turn the populace against the group. Have you experienced Israeli media? Stage 7 is “Relocation”: An official programme to relocate/remove the people. Most Palestinians have been forced to live in what’s gotta be the two largest open-air prisons in the entire world – Gaza and the West Bank. Stage 7 is “Persecution”: The beginning of murders, thefts, trials, massacres that regularly occur; but since they are done by the Police and army, they are called “law and order” operations.
Stage 9 is “Extermination”: Wholesale elimination of the group. It’s “extermination” – not murder – because the people aren’t human!! Is this what the Israeli invasion will do? And finally, there’s Denial: The Government denies it has committed any crime!!
…global glue?
Us President Biden just asked Congress for $100 billion in new spending – including $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. Now, before you get your hackles up, dear reader, please note that he also requested $10 billion for humanitarian aid, $14 billion for border security, and $7 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. This means that the more-than one billion men, women and children across the developing world – especially in Africa – will be competing for the US$1.40 each available over the next year!
Folks like us in sh*thole countries like Guyana don’t appreciate the pressures on a superpower like the US that has to make such choices. Explaining his request, President Biden said: “American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe.” And that’s what the hard-nosed Guyanese leaders gotta cultivate now that we have the opportunity to clamber out of the sh*thole!
Countries have to look out for number one – and allies that help to keep you there!!
…grand larceny??
So, Troy not only took the gold and ran – they didn’t leave any assets for us to seize, to recompense us for taxes and royalties owned. Why did the coalition Government let them back in 2017??
