I broke down last week after screaming outside the Board of Regents (university). I didn’t know that other people have trouble with anger. I get physically sick. Then I start comparing myself to others etc. you know the drill. I can’t thank you enough for this. I try to stay focused on Palestine but I still exist and I’m hurting.
You’re absolutely right about the need for collective action! I published a piece last year exploring the role that organized labor within the U.S. could play in forcing an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, if the community recalls the meaning of solidarity. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/we-the-people-can-unplug-the-war
We’re plugging on with “postcards for Palestine” — an action to allow people to write to legislators - it isn’t much but doing it with others has been tremendously helpful. Then another group stands outside the Saturday market with banners and signs every Saturday. Continue to create educational teach ins. Every bit — the BDS — all of it is a pinprick in the war machine.
I really appreciate the call for a shift from individual responsibility to collective action. Grateful for writers like you in this time, urging us to turn away from despair and towards each other.
Thank you, Joshua. I am not physically able to participate in courageous acts seeking justice, and it is so frustrating. But what I can do is support those who are better equipped to do so. Here is a petition on behalf of the activists that (I believe) sabotaged a weapons manufacturer's clean room so the killing drones it was making would be delayed by weeks while the sterile facility was repaired and the sterility, remediated. They are being denied their civil rights to charges and bail and are being abused with counter-terrorism psychological and physical abuse many without legal aid and in isolation. Please sign the petition asking for their pre-trial release. Thank you.
Thanks for acknowledging how hard this genocide is to witness, Joshua, and for putting the idea of solidarity out there. We need to act collaboratively, and tend to ourselves as well.
It's beyond "sad and unfortunate" that our own leaders, the people WE THE PEOPLE elected to office, don't give a rat's tail about the will of the country or just basic human values and rights. They've shown us who they are a long time ago, so we should not be surprised with their continued support of a genocidal leadership. Not surprised, but increasingly appalled. I no longer have words to describe the depravity of what's going on in Gaza and now Lebanon. No words. So, if we have no more words, let's do action instead.
Another obvious collective action calls for boycotting candidates who openly approve of Israel’s terrorism and boycotting the corporate donors whose deep pockets and corporate funded lobbyists support them.
Vote for a candidate who is not beholden to warmongering profiteers. Jill Stein does NOT accept corporate donations, only grassroots donations reflecting the will of the people. Don’t believe corporate shills who want you to believe that makes her unrealistic and unelectable. That’s what THEY want to believe. That America is too far gone for the people’s votes to win over corporate wealth.
Show more faith in our country’s values. Don’t buy the “money is king” propaganda. America has no king. The people rule.
I'm voting 3rd party and trolling the IDF and US military personnel on Twitter🤭 There is something incredibly satisfying in posting fuck Israel memes on the IDF's tweets and clown gifs on CENTCOM's and other military agencies tweets 🤣
I’ve been trying to follow and get involved with Here 4 the Kids. It’s been so helpful to have a community to talk through some of this. I still get into moments of despair that I am just one person, but finding community has been really helpful. Thank you for this!!
I really appreciate this. I would love to hear from folks in the comments who are connected to groups they feel are doing good work, and who could use more hands to carry the weight of the work. I know that I and many helper-type folks who read my posts are constantly on the lookout for this information. I'd be happy to amplify any calls to action in my space as well.
Thank you for your insight and understanding. You are a brilliant mind and a brilliant wordsmith! Like many others I have shared the sentiment of "What can I do?" and have been battling with myself to integrate personal responsibility with collective responsibility — thought I suppose they are intertwined. I cannot yearn for a greater world if I am too frozen in fear and helplessness to help create it! Thank you again for your words, Joshua. They've grounded me and given me the space to reorient myself and for that I am grateful.
Such a good reminder. I have had conversations with so many people, on and off this platform, about that feeling of hopelessness. Thank you for reminding us to stop asking, what can I do and start asking "what can we do".
January 20th is an opportunity to show strength regardless of the results of the election. A large scale national action against genocide scale could change the course of events.
Josh, I would contend that the drive towards Individialiam is perhaps more strongly felt in America, where it is celebrated. In Europe, there is a much stronger tradition of collective action. However, wherever one is there is always something that can be done. Even sharing news about what is happening in occupied Palestine, bearing witness is important. By doing so, we increase awareness and solidarity about what is going on. The ONLY good thing to have come from all this is to see that the Palestinian people have been telling the truth all this time about the brutality of the Zionist occupation. Nobody would listen previously, and supporting Palestine, in Britain and, I think in Germany, gets you labelled as a terrorist. Here (Britain) the zionist lobby is so powerful that support for Palestine can cost you your job. For all that, our solidarity is priceless and imperative for the people of Palestine. No-one can now say that they didn’t know what has been happening all this time. The zionist entity is dying, very noisily and viciously. However saddened and exhausted we feel at the unending horrible news, we must never, ever stop amplifying what is right and calling out what is wrong. Take care.
I want to cry, thank you. I've been feeling so helpless about this lately. But I don't want to give into despair...so thank you, for giving me some hope. I'll keep trying to adjust my mindset.
I broke down last week after screaming outside the Board of Regents (university). I didn’t know that other people have trouble with anger. I get physically sick. Then I start comparing myself to others etc. you know the drill. I can’t thank you enough for this. I try to stay focused on Palestine but I still exist and I’m hurting.
Right there with you 🫂
You’re absolutely right about the need for collective action! I published a piece last year exploring the role that organized labor within the U.S. could play in forcing an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, if the community recalls the meaning of solidarity. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/we-the-people-can-unplug-the-war
We’re plugging on with “postcards for Palestine” — an action to allow people to write to legislators - it isn’t much but doing it with others has been tremendously helpful. Then another group stands outside the Saturday market with banners and signs every Saturday. Continue to create educational teach ins. Every bit — the BDS — all of it is a pinprick in the war machine.
I should say “ the genocide machine”. This is not a war
I really appreciate the call for a shift from individual responsibility to collective action. Grateful for writers like you in this time, urging us to turn away from despair and towards each other.
Thank you, Joshua. I am not physically able to participate in courageous acts seeking justice, and it is so frustrating. But what I can do is support those who are better equipped to do so. Here is a petition on behalf of the activists that (I believe) sabotaged a weapons manufacturer's clean room so the killing drones it was making would be delayed by weeks while the sterile facility was repaired and the sterility, remediated. They are being denied their civil rights to charges and bail and are being abused with counter-terrorism psychological and physical abuse many without legal aid and in isolation. Please sign the petition asking for their pre-trial release. Thank you.
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-use-of-counter-terrorism-powers-against-pro-palestine-activists-0c590edc-b1f7-4fb4-bef5-6f0f2a7dde7e
Thanks for acknowledging how hard this genocide is to witness, Joshua, and for putting the idea of solidarity out there. We need to act collaboratively, and tend to ourselves as well.
It's beyond "sad and unfortunate" that our own leaders, the people WE THE PEOPLE elected to office, don't give a rat's tail about the will of the country or just basic human values and rights. They've shown us who they are a long time ago, so we should not be surprised with their continued support of a genocidal leadership. Not surprised, but increasingly appalled. I no longer have words to describe the depravity of what's going on in Gaza and now Lebanon. No words. So, if we have no more words, let's do action instead.
Here's one piece of action we can ALL take: https://bdsmovement.net/
Another obvious collective action calls for boycotting candidates who openly approve of Israel’s terrorism and boycotting the corporate donors whose deep pockets and corporate funded lobbyists support them.
Vote for a candidate who is not beholden to warmongering profiteers. Jill Stein does NOT accept corporate donations, only grassroots donations reflecting the will of the people. Don’t believe corporate shills who want you to believe that makes her unrealistic and unelectable. That’s what THEY want to believe. That America is too far gone for the people’s votes to win over corporate wealth.
Show more faith in our country’s values. Don’t buy the “money is king” propaganda. America has no king. The people rule.
I'm voting 3rd party and trolling the IDF and US military personnel on Twitter🤭 There is something incredibly satisfying in posting fuck Israel memes on the IDF's tweets and clown gifs on CENTCOM's and other military agencies tweets 🤣
I’ve been trying to follow and get involved with Here 4 the Kids. It’s been so helpful to have a community to talk through some of this. I still get into moments of despair that I am just one person, but finding community has been really helpful. Thank you for this!!
I really appreciate this. I would love to hear from folks in the comments who are connected to groups they feel are doing good work, and who could use more hands to carry the weight of the work. I know that I and many helper-type folks who read my posts are constantly on the lookout for this information. I'd be happy to amplify any calls to action in my space as well.
Thank you for your insight and understanding. You are a brilliant mind and a brilliant wordsmith! Like many others I have shared the sentiment of "What can I do?" and have been battling with myself to integrate personal responsibility with collective responsibility — thought I suppose they are intertwined. I cannot yearn for a greater world if I am too frozen in fear and helplessness to help create it! Thank you again for your words, Joshua. They've grounded me and given me the space to reorient myself and for that I am grateful.
Such a good reminder. I have had conversations with so many people, on and off this platform, about that feeling of hopelessness. Thank you for reminding us to stop asking, what can I do and start asking "what can we do".
January 20th is an opportunity to show strength regardless of the results of the election. A large scale national action against genocide scale could change the course of events.
Josh, I would contend that the drive towards Individialiam is perhaps more strongly felt in America, where it is celebrated. In Europe, there is a much stronger tradition of collective action. However, wherever one is there is always something that can be done. Even sharing news about what is happening in occupied Palestine, bearing witness is important. By doing so, we increase awareness and solidarity about what is going on. The ONLY good thing to have come from all this is to see that the Palestinian people have been telling the truth all this time about the brutality of the Zionist occupation. Nobody would listen previously, and supporting Palestine, in Britain and, I think in Germany, gets you labelled as a terrorist. Here (Britain) the zionist lobby is so powerful that support for Palestine can cost you your job. For all that, our solidarity is priceless and imperative for the people of Palestine. No-one can now say that they didn’t know what has been happening all this time. The zionist entity is dying, very noisily and viciously. However saddened and exhausted we feel at the unending horrible news, we must never, ever stop amplifying what is right and calling out what is wrong. Take care.
Thank you for this, it's painful to feel so inadequate to a task so important.
I want to cry, thank you. I've been feeling so helpless about this lately. But I don't want to give into despair...so thank you, for giving me some hope. I'll keep trying to adjust my mindset.