this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2024
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Aaron Bushnell, who died last month, ‘sacrificed everything’ for Palestinians, says mayor of Jericho

A few of the initial paragraphs for context follow - but the article is worth reading fully:

The Palestinian town of Jericho has named a street after Aaron Bushnell, the US air force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington to protest against the war in Gaza.

The 25-year-old, who died on 25 February, “sacrificed everything” for Palestinians, said the mayor of Jericho, Abdul Karim Sidr, as the street sign was unveiled on Sunday.

“We didn’t know him, and he didn’t know us. There were no social, economic or political ties between us. What we share is a love for freedom and a desire to stand against these attacks [on Gaza],” the mayor told a small crowd gathered on the new Aaron Bushnell Road.

Bushnell livestreamed his self-immolation on the social media platform Twitch, declaring he would “no longer be complicit in genocide” and shouting “free Palestine” as he started the fire. Law enforcement officials put out the flames, but he died in hospital several hours later.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 31,000 people, the majority of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The war was triggered by the cross border attack on 7 October when Hamas killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 250 people.

Even as governments in Europe and the US have largely continued to back Israel’s campaign in Gaza as part of the country’s right to self-defence, Palestinians have taken heart from popular protests held from Michigan to Madrid.

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[–] Binzy_Boi@supermeter.social 37 points 8 months ago (7 children)

I still question the intentions of the media and how a lot of outlets immediate ran to claim his actions as mental health related.

Like sure, I can see where that's coming from in a sense since self-immolation is inherently self-harm and you have to question a person's mental health for doing so, but at the same time, I don't know of anybody off-hand who says the same about the Buddhist monks who did the same in Vietnam.

Maybe times have changed and people don't see that action the same way as they used to back then, but if they are going to call this a result of mental health, I really hope they keep consistency with that from here on forward.

[–] Rooskie91@discuss.online 17 points 8 months ago

Mental health is a scapegoat for reasonable reactions to the absolutely horrible times we are living through.

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

The only mental health issues I see are from the people in power that stand by and let these atrocities go unchecked.

[–] SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago

Someone does something crazy for a cause I agree with -> Heroic, valiant, inspiring

Someone does something crazy for a cause I disagree with -> Mentally ill, traumatised, brainwashed

Lest I'd have to begin to consider I might have been supporting monsters all along.

[–] harderian729@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

I still question the intentions of the media and how a lot of outlets immediate ran to claim his actions as mental health related.

They're beholden to Zionists.

They don't report in good faith.

Ex: Israeli prisoners are "hostages" while Palestinian prisoners are "detainees."

This whole shitshow is a case study of propaganda and indoctrination, along with the war in Ukraine.

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[–] Pips@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Just to explain why, not to take from your broader point, it's because he's not of the people being harmed. Typically this form of protest is done by those being harmed.

[–] Land_Strider@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The thing is, and I'm not bringing it to say it is anyone's obligation no matter what they do or who they are, but Bushnell was a soldier. A soldier is usually already not as removed from the idea of death or harm coming their way, unlike most other people. Ideally, they are not readily available to put their own lives in the line, but they are aware the job entails duty and that duty may require more than common resources, hence putting the body at risk.

When you simply shift this duty to uphold justice for oppressed people on the other side of the planet rather than to sit with thumbs twiddling for your own country's military orders, it is easily justifiable to use this resource in line to protect others.

A journalist, a psychiatrist, or many of the other life occupancies have different resources they use and can also utilize as a last resort.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Airman. He also had some pretty extreme claims about who exactly was doing what in Gaza.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

An airman is a specific subset of soldier. I know you're just trying to be dismissive, but stop being a pedantic asshole, and wrong at that.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Soldiers serve in an army. The USAF hasn't been a part of the army since 1947. Pedantic, sure. Wrong? No.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

A definition for soldier is one who serve in an army and an army is "a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land" (emphasis mine, note not explicitly on land) or "a unit capable of independent action and consisting usually of a headquarters, two or more corps, and auxiliary troops"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/army

The Air Force absolutely fits the latter definition, and it fits the former as well if you don't consider the land part exclusive, which it isn't.

Other definitions of soldier also exist, which do not require it be a member of an army, but a military in general. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soldier

If you're going to be pedantic, at least be pedantic and accurate. There's no sense in being pedantic and wrong.

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[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 15 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Where were all these internet psychologists calling self immolation mentally deranged and suicidal when it was in the Vietnam war history books?

[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago

Beyond accurate. Malcolm X and Dr King were both correct how Liberals stand in the way of progress.

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

I really don't understand, my definition of Liberal has always been "Favoring reform, open to new ideas, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; not bound by traditional thinking; broad-minded" which is something I subscribe to. Before I came to lemmy I never even heard of people refer to liberals as anything other than that.

Now if you were to say "Liberal Party of NY" or "Liberal Party of Canada" etc then I can see how more specific political beliefs across their ranks could be made points out of, but if you just say all Liberals then you sound like a frother to me.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

In America the Democrats are considered "liberal" as they adopt left policies when they become too popular to ignore. Some examples :

Black rights(MLK, Malcolm X), Vietnam war, Iraq, Afghanistan.

When they happened and you spoke out, liberals would ridicule you. "No America wouldn't commit war crimes in Iraq they are the terrorists and we're the heroes"!

Now the same is happening for israel which are clearly committing a Genocide yet the liberals are frantically supporting it. When you say "stop doing Nazi shit" they look at you like you're the crazy one. Now public opinion is shifting so hard they are starting to turn and will pretend they were on the "correct side" all along

Liberals were pushing back against all of the "leftie" policies until public opinion shifted so far that they decided to jump ship for voters.

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Don't forget marriage equality. It was Bill Clinton who championed the Defense of Marriage Act and signed it into law.

[–] mightyfoolish@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

People have forgotten that Bill Clinton won his second term by championing himself as having the best aspects of the Democrats and the Republicans (basically he called himself the Hannah Montana of politics) and Hillary Clinton believed abortion was a states' right issue (the mess we have today).

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Once again, the definition in your social circles which are commonplace here on Lemmy directly contradict the actual definition of the political stance.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

You can thank (American) politics for that. Where left is right and right is extreme right. Terms get hijacked by everyone until they lose their meaning.

In fact most Western countries with "liberal" parties still support israel.

What is still in line with the definition is that liberals accept policies from the progressives once they become popular enough to win votes with. Liberals are against thing until it becomes unpopular to be against thing.

[–] FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today 1 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Only 9 countries opposed the UN Resolution on Gaza in December:

Austria
Czechia
Guatemala
Liberia
Micronesia
Nauru
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
USA
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[–] Cypher@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

What they mean is neo-liberal which requires some reading. “Classical” liberal politics has been dead for a few decades.

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[–] aesthelete@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

At some recent point, we decided that clearly ambiguous, philosophical questions had hard, fast, and absolute answers.

[–] harderian729@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

That's so accurate.

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 9 points 8 months ago (6 children)

You know this article pissed me off with the self-immolation bit.

Self Immolation in protest couldn't be from preexisting mental illness. He clearly was emotionally impacted by his experience in the environment enough that his rational brain thought that by assuming such agonizing pain and stating the protest, the message would get heard a squeak louder.

Suicidal people don't think rationally. They want the pain to end. Or they become wildly careless. They don't sit there and go "how do I accomplish some good and end my suffering " while selecting the second worst way to die.

[–] Random_German_Name@feddit.de 1 points 8 months ago

I agree with most of your comment, but when I was suicidal I absolutely was looking for ways to achieve something good through my death.

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[–] wintermute_oregon@lemm.ee 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Airmen. He wasn’t a soldier.

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 22 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] CptCarp@startrek.website 17 points 8 months ago (18 children)
[–] Nougat@fedia.io 15 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] DarkMessiah@lemmy.world 9 points 8 months ago

Nair, not hair.

Also, this is the most Reddit I have seen come from Lemmy, which simultaneously entertains and worries me.

[–] ULS@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)
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[–] Harbinger01173430@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Wasn't Jericho destroyed by the ark of the covenant or something?

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No, it was destroyed by angry men screaming and blowing horns until the walls gave up.

[–] Harbinger01173430@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Heck, it would be cooler if it were destroyed by plasma glassing by the scarier Covenant from Halo, not that pitiful ark from the bible tales /S

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