Thanks for the heads up - something strange going on then. On other social media, detailing zionist crimes can be regarded as"hate speech" and "graphic" - the irony.
But I did notice a Substack age verification feature come in recently, which is probably linked to the sinister new drive to digitally ID us all...
We have ‘stolen’ Middle Eastern petroleum running through the veins of our Western countries, without this cheap oil we all know that our economies would be in freefall. We implicitly / complicitly rely on a colonial pattern of destabilisation any where that there’re resources to abstract.
How do we deconstruct this behaviour in our supposedly civilised societies?
My only complaint against you is there are not two of you. Nice work SQ. "In a community that has been constantly under attack for almost a century, the object of brutal injustice by its oppressors, Gazans would be expected to become stronger in their faith."
Even an atheist will call out to an unknown god when they feel as though they have been abandoned by the world. If one is convinced that no one understands them, where else can they turn but to the "benign indifference of the universe." (Camus) - I can't count the number of times that Gazans have posted on X, looking into the eyes of the viewer, 'No one cares about us! My family are all dead, my life, everything that I held dear, is destroyed, WHERE ARE YOU, you preachers of equality, freedom, and democracy? We are the voices 'crying out from the desert' that are written in your scriptures. On these occasions, my heart sinks into my boots. Did the words of Jesus, Buddha, and Allah, mean anything?
Compassionate words again, from a true soul that looks beyond borders and divisions. (But it is necessary to examine the source of borders and divisions in order to deconstruct them, as I often attempt to do). However, I know that someone like you will always self-examine before taking offence. Thank you Guy, I really appreciate your wisdom and kindness.
What I do find a little saddening though is that your main take from many of my writings seems to be a concern that I am too critical of the West, rather than really thinking about what I am saying. My writings at the moment are fundamentally about Palestine-"Israel" and Zionism, and my observation that their patterns are straight out of the playbook of Western colonialism are warranted and justified. If I was a "native" English person I would be concerned about this and eschew my colonial heritage; I would ask why Empire was founded on plunder and pillage; I would ask why Britain lends its airbase in Cyprus to "Israel" and why the media in the UK is one of the most biased in the world towards the Zionist settler colonial state of "Israel".
Additionally, there are many elements of British culture that don't sit well with me, just as there are plenty of British people who if they could, would probably throw off the shackles of their restrained English repressions and go and live in cultures that are less emotionally repressed - in fact, they do.
I am not here to reassure you, or anyone, of the parts about English culture that I may like - these essays are critical in nature and they stem from my observations of Western behaviours around the gross injustices in Palestine and how these are in fact sometimes linked to deep cultural patterns.
You've missed the point - on so many fronts. I'm not even going to answer that, it's a really silly question. Maybe instead of being defensive just take on board the criticism, and ask yourself why these patterns exist.
Sorry, I didn't mean to be offensive, but I found it funny especially: "you don't have an intelligent answer".
Also - firstly your questions strikes me as a politer version of the classic racist question: "If you don't like it here why don't you go back to where you came from?" - although I don't think you're racist, but I have noticed you taking offence to my criticisms of the West in other essays too.
Asking why I received "part of my education" in the West also makes me wonder what you're really asking - because actually, I was born and brought up here, and as a British citizen I have every right not only to be educated here but to question and criticise the West and its policies.
Do you think that everybody who lives in the West should be in acquiescence to all its actions and behaviours? Do you realise that there are plenty of people "from" the West who are critical of colonialism and Britains history of exploitation of other countries?
Since implicit in your question, even though "politely" put, is the recognition that I am not originally of Western origin - and so why should I be taking advantage of the material benefits of the West such as an education - this is part of the backbone of your question as I understand it.
There are patterns of immigration all over the world that are direct products of economic patterns and distribution of resources that are outcomes of colonialism and international foreign policy - like it or not, the West has a compulsive pattern of insidious and aggressive interference in other countries whether it is a past of colonisation and plundering of resources or intervening to shape and influence their governments.
The part of the world where I am from has seen heavy interference from the West, which is pervasive and ongoing. In the wake of recent developments in West Asia, where the West has continued to fund a genocide while purporting to be standard bearers for the values of enlightenment and liberation has unravelled hypocrisies and pretensions which in my view now stand quite starkly exposed.
If British people were honest they would not only be critical of empire but also accept that Western colonialism has been a blight on the world, but what I see instead is hypocrisy. I can't stand people being hypocritical and pretending to be virtuous and democratic when in fact they are full on beneficiaries of a system that has exploited people around the world and often not only continue to feel proud of this but feel affronted when this is pointed out.
Plenty of people who feel critical of the West including native English people, proceed to be educated here, I don't see that as a relevant question at all and in fact, having this education and being an insider makes me better positioned to criticise the West; just think, if enough people like me point out these patterns of colonialism and object to them, they could start to shift, and change, the world could become a more stable and equitable environment for all and you may even receive your wish - for people like myself to eventually return to their own countries and be educated there instead!
I have never supported or condoned colonialism. But I wonder why anyone would be in a society or culture they don't like. You have a visceral hatred of Western culture.
Here we go again - "I wonder why anyone would be in a society or culture they don't like". Again, you have totally ignored most of what I have said. You can wonder all you like but there I can assure you that many, many people object to the same aspects of Western culture I do. You just want to insist on your own interpretation of things.
"You have a visceral hatred of Western culture" - do not impose your own extremist interpretation upon me in order to make your point, this isn't good debate, it is disingenuous. Nowhere have I said this so I wonder what your agenda is here. I think it is to represent an extreme polarisation of my view so that I refute it or convince you otherwise - I won't. I don't need to respond to your interpretation of my view.
Like I said - I have been born and brought up here and I have every right to critique the culture I live in, it's the result of having a mind and observation as well as being born to immigrant parents in this country - experiences I don't suppose you would understand, particularly given your comments.
Just to add, your black and white view of things does you no favours - especially when I have taken the time to give you a nuanced explanation, this is all you come back with?
Do you even know what "visceral hatred" looks like? Your reactions though, are not surprising, I suggest you read a book called "White Fragility" by Robin D'Souza. She documents this kind of reaction in great depth.
"I have been born and brought up here and I have every right to critique the culture I live in, it's the result of having a mind and observation as well as being born to immigrant parents in this country" I would take this a step further and state that this is not only a right, but AN OBLIGATION to step forward when people are being marginalized within the social landscape.
"Do you even know what "visceral hatred" looks like? Your reactions though, are not surprising, I suggest you read a book called "White Fragility" by Robin D'Souza. She documents this kind of reaction in great depth."
The fact that you would suggest 'White Fragility' tells me exactly where you stand.
"You have a visceral hatred of Western culture." No! I don't see that in her words. What I see is an absolute disgust of the true culprit, human ignorance, and any exposed complicity in destroying the creative human potential of our global family.
"why anyone would be in a society or culture they don't like." And where exactly would one go and not become a victim Western foreign policy? No! I suspect she remains here because she still believes that there is some goodness that come out of this culture.
Thank you again Guy. I think the problem here is the inability of some people to be completely honest with themselves. They can go along to some degree with criticising zionism but go too far into discussing the real roots of this i.e. British colonialism and so on, and it gets too much. He wants to paint me into a corner so that he can tuen the tables and villainise me rather than hear me criticising the beloved empire or "Western Civilisation". In his view I have no place doing that.
Conspirators relentlessly try to convince the planet's folks to believe that it does exist ... but "deception, grift and plunder" is what they are about, ONLY !!!
Age restricted content?! WTH. Can read this via email but couldn’t “restack” unless I verified my age. Could Zionists be controlling this medium now?!
Thanks for the heads up - something strange going on then. On other social media, detailing zionist crimes can be regarded as"hate speech" and "graphic" - the irony.
But I did notice a Substack age verification feature come in recently, which is probably linked to the sinister new drive to digitally ID us all...
I'm in the US. Not an issue here, yet😕
Yet...😬
We have ‘stolen’ Middle Eastern petroleum running through the veins of our Western countries, without this cheap oil we all know that our economies would be in freefall. We implicitly / complicitly rely on a colonial pattern of destabilisation any where that there’re resources to abstract.
How do we deconstruct this behaviour in our supposedly civilised societies?
Perfectly summarised really - causing this instability elsewhere allows the plundering of resources to continue.
We can deconstruct this behavior! I suggest the paradigm that has been set forth by Palestine Action, non-violent, AGGRESSIVE, resistance.
Very true. Non-violent aggressive - the Houthi's ❤️❤️❤️
My only complaint against you is there are not two of you. Nice work SQ. "In a community that has been constantly under attack for almost a century, the object of brutal injustice by its oppressors, Gazans would be expected to become stronger in their faith."
Even an atheist will call out to an unknown god when they feel as though they have been abandoned by the world. If one is convinced that no one understands them, where else can they turn but to the "benign indifference of the universe." (Camus) - I can't count the number of times that Gazans have posted on X, looking into the eyes of the viewer, 'No one cares about us! My family are all dead, my life, everything that I held dear, is destroyed, WHERE ARE YOU, you preachers of equality, freedom, and democracy? We are the voices 'crying out from the desert' that are written in your scriptures. On these occasions, my heart sinks into my boots. Did the words of Jesus, Buddha, and Allah, mean anything?
Compassionate words again, from a true soul that looks beyond borders and divisions. (But it is necessary to examine the source of borders and divisions in order to deconstruct them, as I often attempt to do). However, I know that someone like you will always self-examine before taking offence. Thank you Guy, I really appreciate your wisdom and kindness.
Your kindness overwhelms! Peace.
I get it you loathe Western Civilization.
Why did you chose to get your education in the West?
What I do find a little saddening though is that your main take from many of my writings seems to be a concern that I am too critical of the West, rather than really thinking about what I am saying. My writings at the moment are fundamentally about Palestine-"Israel" and Zionism, and my observation that their patterns are straight out of the playbook of Western colonialism are warranted and justified. If I was a "native" English person I would be concerned about this and eschew my colonial heritage; I would ask why Empire was founded on plunder and pillage; I would ask why Britain lends its airbase in Cyprus to "Israel" and why the media in the UK is one of the most biased in the world towards the Zionist settler colonial state of "Israel".
Additionally, there are many elements of British culture that don't sit well with me, just as there are plenty of British people who if they could, would probably throw off the shackles of their restrained English repressions and go and live in cultures that are less emotionally repressed - in fact, they do.
I am not here to reassure you, or anyone, of the parts about English culture that I may like - these essays are critical in nature and they stem from my observations of Western behaviours around the gross injustices in Palestine and how these are in fact sometimes linked to deep cultural patterns.
You've missed the point - on so many fronts. I'm not even going to answer that, it's a really silly question. Maybe instead of being defensive just take on board the criticism, and ask yourself why these patterns exist.
So you don't have an intelligent answer!
I am not being defensive just asking a question. But you are being offensive.
Sorry, I didn't mean to be offensive, but I found it funny especially: "you don't have an intelligent answer".
Also - firstly your questions strikes me as a politer version of the classic racist question: "If you don't like it here why don't you go back to where you came from?" - although I don't think you're racist, but I have noticed you taking offence to my criticisms of the West in other essays too.
Asking why I received "part of my education" in the West also makes me wonder what you're really asking - because actually, I was born and brought up here, and as a British citizen I have every right not only to be educated here but to question and criticise the West and its policies.
Do you think that everybody who lives in the West should be in acquiescence to all its actions and behaviours? Do you realise that there are plenty of people "from" the West who are critical of colonialism and Britains history of exploitation of other countries?
Since implicit in your question, even though "politely" put, is the recognition that I am not originally of Western origin - and so why should I be taking advantage of the material benefits of the West such as an education - this is part of the backbone of your question as I understand it.
There are patterns of immigration all over the world that are direct products of economic patterns and distribution of resources that are outcomes of colonialism and international foreign policy - like it or not, the West has a compulsive pattern of insidious and aggressive interference in other countries whether it is a past of colonisation and plundering of resources or intervening to shape and influence their governments.
The part of the world where I am from has seen heavy interference from the West, which is pervasive and ongoing. In the wake of recent developments in West Asia, where the West has continued to fund a genocide while purporting to be standard bearers for the values of enlightenment and liberation has unravelled hypocrisies and pretensions which in my view now stand quite starkly exposed.
If British people were honest they would not only be critical of empire but also accept that Western colonialism has been a blight on the world, but what I see instead is hypocrisy. I can't stand people being hypocritical and pretending to be virtuous and democratic when in fact they are full on beneficiaries of a system that has exploited people around the world and often not only continue to feel proud of this but feel affronted when this is pointed out.
Plenty of people who feel critical of the West including native English people, proceed to be educated here, I don't see that as a relevant question at all and in fact, having this education and being an insider makes me better positioned to criticise the West; just think, if enough people like me point out these patterns of colonialism and object to them, they could start to shift, and change, the world could become a more stable and equitable environment for all and you may even receive your wish - for people like myself to eventually return to their own countries and be educated there instead!
I have never supported or condoned colonialism. But I wonder why anyone would be in a society or culture they don't like. You have a visceral hatred of Western culture.
Here we go again - "I wonder why anyone would be in a society or culture they don't like". Again, you have totally ignored most of what I have said. You can wonder all you like but there I can assure you that many, many people object to the same aspects of Western culture I do. You just want to insist on your own interpretation of things.
"You have a visceral hatred of Western culture" - do not impose your own extremist interpretation upon me in order to make your point, this isn't good debate, it is disingenuous. Nowhere have I said this so I wonder what your agenda is here. I think it is to represent an extreme polarisation of my view so that I refute it or convince you otherwise - I won't. I don't need to respond to your interpretation of my view.
Like I said - I have been born and brought up here and I have every right to critique the culture I live in, it's the result of having a mind and observation as well as being born to immigrant parents in this country - experiences I don't suppose you would understand, particularly given your comments.
Just to add, your black and white view of things does you no favours - especially when I have taken the time to give you a nuanced explanation, this is all you come back with?
Do you even know what "visceral hatred" looks like? Your reactions though, are not surprising, I suggest you read a book called "White Fragility" by Robin D'Souza. She documents this kind of reaction in great depth.
"I have been born and brought up here and I have every right to critique the culture I live in, it's the result of having a mind and observation as well as being born to immigrant parents in this country" I would take this a step further and state that this is not only a right, but AN OBLIGATION to step forward when people are being marginalized within the social landscape.
"Do you even know what "visceral hatred" looks like? Your reactions though, are not surprising, I suggest you read a book called "White Fragility" by Robin D'Souza. She documents this kind of reaction in great depth."
The fact that you would suggest 'White Fragility' tells me exactly where you stand.
"You have a visceral hatred of Western culture." No! I don't see that in her words. What I see is an absolute disgust of the true culprit, human ignorance, and any exposed complicity in destroying the creative human potential of our global family.
"why anyone would be in a society or culture they don't like." And where exactly would one go and not become a victim Western foreign policy? No! I suspect she remains here because she still believes that there is some goodness that come out of this culture.
Thank you again Guy. I think the problem here is the inability of some people to be completely honest with themselves. They can go along to some degree with criticising zionism but go too far into discussing the real roots of this i.e. British colonialism and so on, and it gets too much. He wants to paint me into a corner so that he can tuen the tables and villainise me rather than hear me criticising the beloved empire or "Western Civilisation". In his view I have no place doing that.
{...Western CIVILIZATION...} 🤣🤣🤣
Are you a conspiracy theorist ??? ... 🤔🤔🤔
It's all built on deception, grift and plunder !!!
A succinct short form answer 😂
The spice lies in the brevity ...
The stolen spices 😂
Oh yes - realized, the capitalisation - very important 😁
Your comment is inane. What does conspiracy have to do with anything I said?
Nice try !!!
Western CIVILIZATION is a myth !!!
Conspirators relentlessly try to convince the planet's folks to believe that it does exist ... but "deception, grift and plunder" is what they are about, ONLY !!!
Yes, you and Quazi hate whites, I get it!